Axiomatic Concepts Might be a Little Flawed

Hello baby!

It still seems surreal that you are growing and developing in your mother's womb. Add the fact that I still refer to you as "baby", and the surreality is multiplied.

This brings me to another topic. It's a little philosophy with a flavor of spirituality.

In religious circles, mostly those aligned with Christianity, people adhere to the concept of Father, Son, Holy Spirit. If one were to break those concepts down and remove the religious references, you'd probably end up with Existence, Identity, and Conscience (special thanks to my philosopher friend, Dan Glovak, for exposing me to this possibility).

Existence: Always been around, no boundries, independent of time. Basically, Everything physical, non-physical and meta-physical. Some people call this concept: God.

Identity: A=A. B=B. I am what I am. I am Dino. Your mom is Danielle. Everything has an identity. In religious circles, the Identity of Existence is Jesus, or the Son of God.

Conscience: This one gets a little tricky. I'm still doing some "soul" searching on this one. To me, conscience is my awareness that I exist, within existence, and that I have an identity. I am aware of my own existence. I have a conscience because I am conscious. Some in religious circles do not believe that human beings have instinct, and that the conscience is governed mainly by the God or the Holy Spirit.

So here is my dilema. Right now, if Existence was conscious, and volitional, it would know you exist. I can hear your heartbeat, and I can see your mother's belly swelling everyday. You're taking up space and using resources from the universe. You need energy. You do exist physically.

But do you truly exist yet? You don't have an Identity other than "baby". I have not seen your face. I don't know if you're a boy or girl. Perhaps your temporary Identity is just "baby". I'm not sure on this one.

Furthermore, are you even aware of your own consciousness? Do you know you exist? Can you compare existence to non-existence? Do you remember what it was like to not exist? It wasn't that long ago... maybe 17 weeks. Are you conscious? Do you have a memory? If you could communicate with me right now, what would you say?

Hello Baby (Scanned @ Decoma)

Just checking how easily I can post from my Blackberry. By the time you're old enough to read this, Blackberries will probably be discussed in history books. Right now, they are pretty state-of-the-art communication devices. I can send email from my Blackberry, as well make phone calls. I also have internet access.

You'll probably laugh at this technology, similar to how we laugh at slide rulers and 8-track players. There was a day that people did not own calculators. I'm sure there will be a day that five year olds have their own computers.
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Dino Filias
Sent via Blackberry

Work, Trucks and Vehicles (Scanned @ Decoma)

Hello, my unborn baby! I just wanted to see if I was able to send you a quick "hello" from work! This post is actually being sent via email, instead of a web interface (in case you are ever interested in this kind of technology). Funny thing is that you will probably be reading about this technology in history books.

Your deal ol' dad is an engineer for a company called Decoma. Actually, it's now called Magna, but the division I work for is called Decoma.

Currently, I design automated, power running boards for trucks. Right now, it's the new fad with some of the higher-end trucks. Ford seems to like them, since we now have eight different programs that require automated running boards. I am working on 2007 model year trucks, so when those vehicles get launched to the public, you'll already be a full year old (2007 model year vehicles usually get launched second or third quarter, 2006).

Speaking of cars and trucks, my very first vehicle I purchased was a 1978 Buick Regal. I think I paid $3000 for it. I drove it most of my senior year in high school. About two years later, it got stolen while parked on the street in Greek Town. It was recovered two weeks later. It just wasn't the same, so I ended up selling it after fixing it up.

I went to school at Michigan Tech, and I really didn't have a huge need for a vehicle, so I was vehicle-less for a few years. During the summer after my freshman year of college, I convinced my mom to let my buy a motorcycle. I ended up getting a 1987 Kawasaki Ninja 750. I think I paid $3500 for it in 1990. In its day, it was one of the fastest vehicles on the road. Top speed was 151 mph, and it did 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. I think it did the quarter mile in the mid- to upper- 11's. I don't know how I convinced my mom to allow me to purchase that crotch-rocket. Don't even think about asking us for a motorcycle. The answer is no. They are way to dangerous.

I kept the motorcycle at home for two years while I was in college, then one day before heading back for the fall term, I decided to drive it up to Michigan Tech. Wow. What a ride. Driving on a crotch-rocket for 550 miles really separates the men from the boys. It was a test of endurance and fortitude, and I won. At my current age of 36, I don't know how the heck I was able to do that. I wouldn't make that drive on a motorcycle today. Even in a car, 550 miles is a long, long way.

So until there was snow on the ground, my Ninja was my main source of transportation while in college. Unfortunately, snow fell by the end September, and didn't melt until May. That meant that most of my time at Michigan Tech, I was vehicle-less.

I decided to sell my motorcycle and buy something a little more useful for me. I actually traded my Ninja for a 1965 Willy's Jeep. I also got $800 cash out of the deal. I think I got the shorter end of the stick on that deal, but at the time, I was excited to have a nimble 4x4.

The 1965 Willy's Jeep was awesome. It could go anywhere: through the thick Michigan mud, as well as the continuous blankets of snow that covered most of the Upper Peninsula. It was my baby, but it was a beater. I ended up renting an apartment garage from one of my professors for $25/month. I rented the garage just to have somewhere "warm" and dry to work on it, since it always needed attention. My friend Steve Egleston and I spent hours and hours in that little garage working on that thing. I learned everything I know today about auto repair just from working on that thing. I replaced the entire brake system (from master brake cylinder to each component on each axle), the gas tank, the entire electrical system, and the list goes on and on. But boy oh boy (or girl oh girl), was it fun! Half the fun was breaking things after 4-wheeling.

I sold the Jeep a few months before graduation. There was no way that my Jeep was going to make a 550 mile drive to Sterling Heights. That thing was so old and tired, it would burn a quart of oil every 15 minutes. I would have needed a tanker truck to make the drive down with me.

So for the first few months after graduation, I borrowed my dad's pickup truck to get to work. His health wasn't doing to good at the time, and I think he was in the hospital most of the time. I graduated in February, 1994, and started working two weeks later at Chrysler. In April, 1994, I bought a 1994 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. It was so plush compared to the 1965 beater I was driving in college. I actually bought the Jeep at Village Jeep, which was located close to Beaumont, where my dad was at. I would visit him almost every day, so that dealership was the most convenient.
Lift-kits and several modifications later, I drove my monster truck for over ten years! Enough was enough, and I needed something a little higher-class than a Jeep Wrangler. So June 30, 2004, I ended up buying a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Wow. Luxury. Finally! The Overland was the most luxurious and upscale vehicle made by Jeep (a division of DaimlerChrysler).

The very first thing that my parents said when they saw it was "Wow! It will hold a baby seat perfectly!" Danielle and I weren't even married yet, and they were thinking about grandchildren!

You know what? I can't wait to look in my rear view mirror and see you sitting in your baby seat!

Well, that's the story of my vehicles. I have to get back to work and design automated running boards.

I love you my unborn baby.

Best regards,

Dino Filias
Sr. Product Development Engineer
Decoma ESE
Desk: 248.729.2632
Cell: 248.797.9343
Fax: 248.729.2610
Email: dino_filias@decoma.com
SMS/Text Page: 2487979343@mobile.att.net

It's Your Dad's Birthday Today!

Today is my birthday. I was born on April 26, 1969 a little after midnight. It was Saturday morning. I think the official time that I breathed my first breath of sweet air was 1:24 AM.

My mom (your grandmother... or "yiayia" in Greek) was at a party at my Theia Sophoula's house in Ferndale. The word "theia" means "aunt" and the word "theio" means "uncle" in Greek. Theia Sophoula is my dad's sister, so if she was alive, she'd be your great-aunt. Theia Sophoula was a wonderul person. Next to my own parents, she was one of my favorite people to know. She died a few years ago. Her death was sudden and tragic. Our entire family was in the hospital room and watched her die as they turned off her life-support. I really miss her. If my bulletin board is actually working when you're old enough to read this (I doubt it will be), you can read a little bit about her by clicking here.

April 25 was my Theio Markos' nameday. Older immigrant Greeks used to celebrate namedays instead of birthdays for some reason. Namedays are based on patron saints. Not sure if it's their birthday or the day they entered sainthood. All Greek names are somehow tied to a saint.

My parents were there celebrating with all our direct and indirect Greek relatives. I wasn't supposed to be born until May 17th, so my mom wasn't even thinking about childbirth. At some point during the night on April 25th, 1969, her water broke. Since I was her first-born, she didn't even know what was happening. At first she thought she wet her pants, but the amniotic fluid kept flowing. At that point, my dad drove her to Beaumont hospital in Royal Oak, and I was born at 1:24 AM. They had to cut my mom open because I wasn't upside down in her womb like I was supposed to be. I was coming out feet first, so they had to do a cesarean section. As soon as I saw light, I was born! Yup, your dear ol' dad was a baby once too! I'll always be a big ol' "bebaros" to my parents, as you will be (or a "bebara" if you're a girl). I'm 36 years old today, and I still yearn the nurture of my mother. To my parents, regardless of my age, I'll always be their baby. The same will hold true with you.

Since today is my birthday, I have been thinking about you a little more than usual. What are your mother and I going to be doing on October 6 when you're supposed to be born? Will you want to get out of the womb three weeks early? What will your birthday mean to your mom and I? I know what my birthday means to me, but I have no idea what a birthday means to an actual parent! I am so excited for you!

And I do remember my childhood birthdays. I don't remember the specifics like what presents I received or what flavor my birthday cakes were, but I do remember that my birthdays were exciting, and I looked forward to them year after year! It was a day to get spoiled by all your family and friends. I will do everything in my power to make sure you have fond memories of your childhood birthdays. Your mother and I are going to spoil you rotten.

And just think about this... I am writing to you about the story my parents told me about my day of birth, we'll tell you about yours when you're old enough to understand, and maybe you'll tell a similar story to your children when they're old enough to understand. It's crazy to comprehend that you'll be reading this someday.

Pregnancy Test: Positve

Lately, I've been thinking, "What would I want to know if I could go back in time and see what MY parents were doing before I was born? What were they thinking? How did they feel? What were my parents do when they discovered that they were prenant?"
The wedding was over, the honeymoon was just a memory, and your mom was finally moved all her things into the house. The Christmas season had just come to an end, and we just started getting into our routine.

I remember I was sleeping the morning we discovered we were pregnant. Your mom had bought some pregnancy tests "just in case". Your mom would usually get up before me, get ready for work, then I would follow. It was always soothing to hear your mom getting ready in the morning. For some reason, the sleep was best in those early morning "getting ready to go to work" minutes. This particular morning, your mom ran into the bedroom screaming, "Dino Dino Dino!" I thought that a spider had bitten her on the face. But when she came into the room, the screaming was due to excitement.

I could barely see, since I had just woken up. Your mom was holding the pregnancy test in front of me showing me that it was positive.

I still can't believe that you will be reading this some day.

My eyes could not adjust to the light, and I barely knew what was happening. As soon as I woke up to semi-consciousness, I examined the test and told your mom not to get her hopes up. Deep down inside, I was getting excited, but I didn't want your mom to be disappointed if it was a false-positive. We hugged and embraced wondering "what if". I didn't even want to go to work that day.

The following days, and three pregnancy tests later, we were pretty convinced. Every test was positive. We wanted to tell the whole world, but we were weary. We wanted to hear it from a doctor before we told the whole world. And you know what? Your mom couldn't get into her doctor for a few weeks. It was too much to bear. The excitement was too much, so we ended up telling your Granpa Ken, and Aunt Rhi. A few days later we told my parents (your Yiayia and Papou - I think that's what you're going to call them), as well as your Uncle Peter, Aunt Michelle and Aunt Gina.

I still can't believe that I am referring to our parents and my siblings as grandparents and aunt and uncles. It blows my mind.

Everybody was super excited for us. Uncle Peter and Aunt Michelle are also expecting a baby. The crazy thing is that you will never know a life without your cousin. You two will be together for your entire lives. But right now as I write, you two don't even know each other. These are extremely exciting times.

Hello Unborn Baby!

It's almost surreal that I am writing to you right now. You exist in my mind only as a concept-- you are my future progeny. I have not seen your face; I have not held your hand; I have not heard your voice. Yet, somehow, you are the most important thing in the world to me, next to your mother.

As I write, you are developing in your mother's womb. Even though you are only five inches long, you have eyes, fingers, a brain, and all your organs. Physically, you are a human being, relying on your mother only for nutrients through her placenta. Your heart is beating right now about 160 beats per minute. You are alive.

When you were only six weeks old, we had an appointment with the doctor for an early ultrasound. Your mom was feeling pains in her abdomen, and she was worried that you were an ectopic pregancy and developing in one of her tubes, instead of her uterus (such the hypocondriac).

It was so exciting. We saw you! You were only about six centimeters long! The placenta wasn't even developed yet, and you were getting your nutrients from your yolk sac. Can you believe it!? You had a yolk sac! You looked like a little tadpole! Here you are below:



You want to know the most amazing thing? We heard your heart! It's not common to hear a baby's heart at six weeks, since that is about the time that it first develops! But we heard it! It was one of the most amazing things I have ever heard in my life!

Even then, it was hard to imagine that you were there... a little 6mm embryo... growing... developing... and eager to grow into a human being.

That was 11 weeks ago. Since then, your mother and I talk about you all the time. We even listen to you once in a while with a portable doppler I bought on eBay (I wonder if eBay will be around when you are old enough to understand). It allows us to listen to your heartbeat. Your mother and I listen to you about every two days. Your heart is so strong! This is what your heart sounded like on April 11, 2005:

Your heartbeat

I have so much to say to you, but I would be writing non-stop for the next month. So for now, I am going to stop.

Just stop and think about this: I don't even know you yet, but I love you unconditionally with all my heart, life, and soul. That, in itself, still baffles my mind.

I love you.