My current favorite cartoonist published this on his blog recently. His subsequent chart is useful for understanding our current situation and the news that is continually generated.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sobering Moments
Life has its sobering moments. I was having what I thought was an awful day, I was spiraling, I was trying to keep my spirits up and failing and then I received an email from a friend. After a long battle with cancer, my friend just found out that his wife's liver is failing her. Suddenly, the little things I was struggling with became so meaningless.
They have just recently returned from a cruise in the Mediterranean where they visited Venice and got to experience Carnival. I spent time shirking work and paging through their photos online.
And so I sit here thinking of the two of them, the time he is taking to spend with her and I try to hope for the best outcome.
My thoughts and love are with them right now, I just wish there was more I could do.
They have just recently returned from a cruise in the Mediterranean where they visited Venice and got to experience Carnival. I spent time shirking work and paging through their photos online.
And so I sit here thinking of the two of them, the time he is taking to spend with her and I try to hope for the best outcome.
My thoughts and love are with them right now, I just wish there was more I could do.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Rubbernecking
Dad always told me to ignore what was going on at the side of the road...don't stare at the accident lest you cause another.
Typically, I avoid viewing disasters. I maintain focus, watch the other cars around me and move on.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I used to drive up Lookout Mountain every now and then. Usually when I needed to go seek clarity, I'd find a spot overlooking Golden and Denver and spend some time simply clearing my mind.
Around 10:30 tonight, I decided to climb into the old truck and go for a quiet drive. I saw all the traffic going up and down Lookout Mountain and somehow was drawn in. I made the turn up the hill and followed it all the way to the top...I'd never completed the drive to the top and I certainly don't think I have ever driven up in the Rover.
I found a safe spot to pull off and watch the fire burning across the canyon. From where I stood, I could clearly see multiple patches of fire and a distinct fire line. It was pretty awe inspiring. I contemplated how much fear and uncertainty must be going through the minds of many families whose homes are so close to the fire.
And then it struck me. This fire, it is nothing. Sure, tragedy may occur if some lives are lost, when some houses are lost and belongings consumed by the flames. But it is nothing...nothing compared to what is happening in Japan right now. Families here in Golden will have the opportunity to evacuate, to know why this has happened and they will find a way to cope.
In Japan, an enormous earthquake and tsunami have killed 8,000 people. 12,000 people are still unaccounted for. And this is saying nothing in regards to fallout from the nuclear disaster that is still playing out at Fukushima.
Perspective: there are 18,000 people living in Golden.
We should count ourselves blessed that we have the opportunity for a warning here at home.
Typically, I avoid viewing disasters. I maintain focus, watch the other cars around me and move on.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I used to drive up Lookout Mountain every now and then. Usually when I needed to go seek clarity, I'd find a spot overlooking Golden and Denver and spend some time simply clearing my mind.
Around 10:30 tonight, I decided to climb into the old truck and go for a quiet drive. I saw all the traffic going up and down Lookout Mountain and somehow was drawn in. I made the turn up the hill and followed it all the way to the top...I'd never completed the drive to the top and I certainly don't think I have ever driven up in the Rover.
I found a safe spot to pull off and watch the fire burning across the canyon. From where I stood, I could clearly see multiple patches of fire and a distinct fire line. It was pretty awe inspiring. I contemplated how much fear and uncertainty must be going through the minds of many families whose homes are so close to the fire.
And then it struck me. This fire, it is nothing. Sure, tragedy may occur if some lives are lost, when some houses are lost and belongings consumed by the flames. But it is nothing...nothing compared to what is happening in Japan right now. Families here in Golden will have the opportunity to evacuate, to know why this has happened and they will find a way to cope.
In Japan, an enormous earthquake and tsunami have killed 8,000 people. 12,000 people are still unaccounted for. And this is saying nothing in regards to fallout from the nuclear disaster that is still playing out at Fukushima.
Perspective: there are 18,000 people living in Golden.
We should count ourselves blessed that we have the opportunity for a warning here at home.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
In Memoriam of Talisker
I write today with a heavy heart. I wanted to write yesterday but could not find the words. I received a message from one of my best friends that their boy Talisker had passed on.
Talisker was a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog...all 140 pounds of him. And loud and proud.
There is something special about our first dog. They are, for some of us, our training wheels; a test to see if we are ready for the greatest responsibility...bringing children into our world. They also teach the ultimate lesson for our children, a lesson of death.
Talisker was their first. He was wonderful, he was loud and he was family. Hope and I even looked after him when he was just a young pup. He played and romped with Gibson after he finished letting Gibs know who ruled the house.
His registered AKC name was Rock the Casbah. Every time I hear that Clash song, I have always thought of Talisker. The last time I heard the song was my most recent trip to Rapid City while I was sitting in the ref room for a Rush game. For that brief moment, I was thinking of Talisker.
Here's to you T, we all love you, we all already miss you. Make sure you let everyone know who is in charge of the wonderful puppy play land you now reside in.
Talisker was a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog...all 140 pounds of him. And loud and proud.
There is something special about our first dog. They are, for some of us, our training wheels; a test to see if we are ready for the greatest responsibility...bringing children into our world. They also teach the ultimate lesson for our children, a lesson of death.
Talisker was their first. He was wonderful, he was loud and he was family. Hope and I even looked after him when he was just a young pup. He played and romped with Gibson after he finished letting Gibs know who ruled the house.
His registered AKC name was Rock the Casbah. Every time I hear that Clash song, I have always thought of Talisker. The last time I heard the song was my most recent trip to Rapid City while I was sitting in the ref room for a Rush game. For that brief moment, I was thinking of Talisker.
Here's to you T, we all love you, we all already miss you. Make sure you let everyone know who is in charge of the wonderful puppy play land you now reside in.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Isaac and Ishmael
I sat and watched one of my favorite episodes of West Wing this evening: "Two Cathedrals." That is the conclusion of the second season and closes out with one of my favorite Dire Straits songs, "Brothers in Arms." It never fails to bring tears.
I went to pop in the first disc of season 3 and was solemnly reminded that the premier of the third season was delayed. I had forgotten that "Isaac and Ishmael" even existed. An ode to tolerance, racial, religious and otherwise; a request for support for those who responded in our time of need. And it had come at a time when it was desperately needed, airing on October 3, 2001.
This is an episode that should be played in every classroom across America. It should be rerun on TV to serve as a reminder. It should be used to educate. It should be used to stimulate conversations and encourage thoughts.
Let us never forget. Let us learn. Let us teach.
I went to pop in the first disc of season 3 and was solemnly reminded that the premier of the third season was delayed. I had forgotten that "Isaac and Ishmael" even existed. An ode to tolerance, racial, religious and otherwise; a request for support for those who responded in our time of need. And it had come at a time when it was desperately needed, airing on October 3, 2001.
This is an episode that should be played in every classroom across America. It should be rerun on TV to serve as a reminder. It should be used to educate. It should be used to stimulate conversations and encourage thoughts.
Let us never forget. Let us learn. Let us teach.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Confusion
One cryptic email is followed up with an email from another source regarding a friend and co-worker in my hockey world.
My friend, a member of the USPS, was pinned against his mail jeep by a car that swerved into him. Multiple broken bones, severed arteries in his legs and currently in intensive care.
And that is all I know.
I feel helpless when I think about how quickly our life can change.
My friend, a member of the USPS, was pinned against his mail jeep by a car that swerved into him. Multiple broken bones, severed arteries in his legs and currently in intensive care.
And that is all I know.
I feel helpless when I think about how quickly our life can change.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A long way from our friend
There are times when a voice over the phone line does not comfort well enough. The promise of a hug does not carry with it the consolation of the actual. And the thought that you would drop anything to be with your friend in a time of need, while it works perfectly in theory, is not easily accomplished.
All I can do is say that we love you dearly. We miss you. And we wish we were right there to help in whatever way help is needed.
All I can do is say that we love you dearly. We miss you. And we wish we were right there to help in whatever way help is needed.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Fred Korematsu
This was a message from Brandon this morning. I had never heard of Fred Korematsu before yesterday...which I hate to admit considering my heritage. But I learned of him when this link came across my desk. It started an email conversation with Brandon.
For those of you who do not know Brandon, he and I grew up in Central Maine together, best of friends from middle school on and even attended Middlebury together. He decided to return to Maine after graduation and was a teacher for many years. He is now the Schools and Curriculum Coordinator for the Maine Civil Rights Team Project. He is tasked by the Office of Maine's Attorney General to increase the safety for all Maine students by addressing prejudice and bias-based harassment at the school level...K-12.
Our world needs more Brandons....
Brandon and I got into a discussion about Fred Korematsu, Japanese internment (US and Canada), WWII and the implications that our American history has on the current environment we live in. Primarily, the general misconceptions we now have of the Muslim faith.
His message:
Thought I'd share...
I do a monthly newsletter. I needed a topic for my introductory column. I had a few ideas, but after exchanging e-mails on Fred Korematsu, I thought that he's be a good inspiration. Not enough people know about him.
He was one of millions. He was an American. He attended public schools. He played sports. He had a part-time job. He graduated. He got a full-time job. He was living the American Dream. He believed in his country.
Then he became one of thousands. He was Japanese. He was the enemy. He was not to be trusted. He was to be watched carefully. He was not allowed outside of Military Area No. 1. He was to be detained, interned, feared.
Then he became one. He would not submit. He would resist. He would cry injustice. He would fight. And he still believed in his country.
He was Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American in California who resisted Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order #9066 that allowed for Japanese internment during World War II. Korematsu fought his case all the way to the Supreme Court in 1944, who decided that the government’s actions, while extreme, were justified in times of emergency.
It took this country many, many years to admit that it was wrong. In 1983, a U.S. District Court judge formally vacated Korematsu’s sentence. He stood in front of that judge and said “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so that this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.” He devoted the rest of his life to that cause.
After the attacks of 9/11, Korematsu warned the U.S. government not to repeat the same mistakes of World War II. He was a vocal and visible advocate for civil rights and civil liberties until his death in 2005.
On January 30, California celebrated and observed the first-ever official Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. It’s a shining example of the greatness of America. In recognizing our past and presence failures, we offer hope for the future. This country and its constitution failed Fred Korematsu. His civil rights and civil liberties were violated. His faith in America, his identity as an American, and his life were shaken.
But Fred Korematsu believed in something. He believed in it even when he had no obvious reason to continue believing. Eventually there were apologies, pardons, compensation, honors, and ultimately recognition, but in the moment, there was only Fred Korematsu and his belief that he was right. Amidst his struggles, that must have offered some solace, knowing that eventually, what is right will inevitably gain acceptance. It takes hard work and struggle, but ultimately, for someone, it’s worth it.
“[D]on’t be afraid to speak up. One person can make a difference,
even if it takes forty years.”
-Fred Korematsu, 2005
For more information on Fred Korematsu and his amazing life, go to:
http://korematsuinstitute.org/
For those of you who do not know Brandon, he and I grew up in Central Maine together, best of friends from middle school on and even attended Middlebury together. He decided to return to Maine after graduation and was a teacher for many years. He is now the Schools and Curriculum Coordinator for the Maine Civil Rights Team Project. He is tasked by the Office of Maine's Attorney General to increase the safety for all Maine students by addressing prejudice and bias-based harassment at the school level...K-12.
Our world needs more Brandons....
Brandon and I got into a discussion about Fred Korematsu, Japanese internment (US and Canada), WWII and the implications that our American history has on the current environment we live in. Primarily, the general misconceptions we now have of the Muslim faith.
His message:
Thought I'd share...
I do a monthly newsletter. I needed a topic for my introductory column. I had a few ideas, but after exchanging e-mails on Fred Korematsu, I thought that he's be a good inspiration. Not enough people know about him.
He was one of millions. He was an American. He attended public schools. He played sports. He had a part-time job. He graduated. He got a full-time job. He was living the American Dream. He believed in his country.
Then he became one of thousands. He was Japanese. He was the enemy. He was not to be trusted. He was to be watched carefully. He was not allowed outside of Military Area No. 1. He was to be detained, interned, feared.
Then he became one. He would not submit. He would resist. He would cry injustice. He would fight. And he still believed in his country.
He was Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American in California who resisted Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order #9066 that allowed for Japanese internment during World War II. Korematsu fought his case all the way to the Supreme Court in 1944, who decided that the government’s actions, while extreme, were justified in times of emergency.
It took this country many, many years to admit that it was wrong. In 1983, a U.S. District Court judge formally vacated Korematsu’s sentence. He stood in front of that judge and said “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so that this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.” He devoted the rest of his life to that cause.
After the attacks of 9/11, Korematsu warned the U.S. government not to repeat the same mistakes of World War II. He was a vocal and visible advocate for civil rights and civil liberties until his death in 2005.
On January 30, California celebrated and observed the first-ever official Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. It’s a shining example of the greatness of America. In recognizing our past and presence failures, we offer hope for the future. This country and its constitution failed Fred Korematsu. His civil rights and civil liberties were violated. His faith in America, his identity as an American, and his life were shaken.
But Fred Korematsu believed in something. He believed in it even when he had no obvious reason to continue believing. Eventually there were apologies, pardons, compensation, honors, and ultimately recognition, but in the moment, there was only Fred Korematsu and his belief that he was right. Amidst his struggles, that must have offered some solace, knowing that eventually, what is right will inevitably gain acceptance. It takes hard work and struggle, but ultimately, for someone, it’s worth it.
“[D]on’t be afraid to speak up. One person can make a difference,
even if it takes forty years.”
-Fred Korematsu, 2005
For more information on Fred Korematsu and his amazing life, go to:
http://korematsuinstitute.org/
Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Major Faux Pas
Growing up, I was never good with names. When we took the 6 hour drive to New York to visit with my Mom's family, I would spend all 6 hours quizzing my mother on the names of all my relatives.
I have worked diligently over the years to develop ways to remember names of co-workers, distant friends, clients and many others. I rely on repetition, mnemonics and outright cheating (check the cell phone...check FaceBook...check the notes on my hand) in order to make sure I don't get caught without a name.
It all failed on me tonight.
A repeatedly called a friend I work with the wrong name tonight. When she called me on it, I completely blanked and could not conjure up her name. A name I usually was able to find without even thinking about it.
I failed.
All I could do was apologize.
Many times in life, I have felt like a jackass. Tonight, I would have been lying if I said I felt like a jackass.
I was the jackass.
Kelsey, I am so sorry. While this is not who I am, it IS who I am. I work so hard to cover up my difficulty with remembering names and tonight, it all fell apart.
I am so sorry. I can't begin to think of what I can do to make it right and I can't begin to tell you how much shame I feel.
I have worked diligently over the years to develop ways to remember names of co-workers, distant friends, clients and many others. I rely on repetition, mnemonics and outright cheating (check the cell phone...check FaceBook...check the notes on my hand) in order to make sure I don't get caught without a name.
It all failed on me tonight.
A repeatedly called a friend I work with the wrong name tonight. When she called me on it, I completely blanked and could not conjure up her name. A name I usually was able to find without even thinking about it.
I failed.
All I could do was apologize.
Many times in life, I have felt like a jackass. Tonight, I would have been lying if I said I felt like a jackass.
I was the jackass.
Kelsey, I am so sorry. While this is not who I am, it IS who I am. I work so hard to cover up my difficulty with remembering names and tonight, it all fell apart.
I am so sorry. I can't begin to think of what I can do to make it right and I can't begin to tell you how much shame I feel.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
To my wife
I read this post from Momastery and immediately thought of you. I was reminded of our commitment to each other, my love for you and of the wonderful friendship we have developed and maintained over all these years.
There is a song by Bebo Norman, called "Borrow Mine." It is a song he wrote about a conversation heard between two friends; one, who was going through deep personal troubles, told the other, "I just don't know if I have faith anymore." The other friend replied by saying, "Then, you can borrow mine. I'll have enough faith for both of us."
I love you.
There is a song by Bebo Norman, called "Borrow Mine." It is a song he wrote about a conversation heard between two friends; one, who was going through deep personal troubles, told the other, "I just don't know if I have faith anymore." The other friend replied by saying, "Then, you can borrow mine. I'll have enough faith for both of us."
I love you.
Firsts
This morning, Hope had to go into Emi's room and wake her up around 7:15. Typically, Emi wakes up on her own between 6:30 and 6:45. It is a race occurrence where we need to wake her up.
However, this morning, she said, "Mom, I don't want to wake up."
So it starts....
However, this morning, she said, "Mom, I don't want to wake up."
So it starts....
#44
I have been silent, politically speaking, recently.
Politics are what they are...seems like certain things never change.
Today frustrated me immensely. Why in the world do we need to extend the Bush era tax cuts to those earning $250k or more a year? Why? Can someone please explain this to me?
Why do the Democrats continue to kowtow to the Republican pressures and allow this? Take the fight to the streets. Explain to the dirt poor constituents in the Republican stronghold down south that the reason taxes are going back up is because the Republicans refused to extend the tax break because the rich were not included in the break.
All this to get an extension on unemployment benefits? Take that out into the streets and let the populace know that Republicans are fighting against it as well. See how well that flies within their constituency.
C'mon #44, grow a sack and get people mad. You are there to make a difference. You are there to make a change. Prove it to me. Be our leader, not our great conciliator.
Politics are what they are...seems like certain things never change.
Today frustrated me immensely. Why in the world do we need to extend the Bush era tax cuts to those earning $250k or more a year? Why? Can someone please explain this to me?
Why do the Democrats continue to kowtow to the Republican pressures and allow this? Take the fight to the streets. Explain to the dirt poor constituents in the Republican stronghold down south that the reason taxes are going back up is because the Republicans refused to extend the tax break because the rich were not included in the break.
All this to get an extension on unemployment benefits? Take that out into the streets and let the populace know that Republicans are fighting against it as well. See how well that flies within their constituency.
C'mon #44, grow a sack and get people mad. You are there to make a difference. You are there to make a change. Prove it to me. Be our leader, not our great conciliator.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Grateful for an old friend
I came across her post last weekend. The song stuck with me after Emiko seemed to like it. Hope agreed that it was a good cover as well.
Tonight, all was quiet in the house as Hope had passed out on the sofa. Emiko was asleep upstairs and I turned to one of the guitars to see if I still could teach myself how to play a song. A few moments listening, a few moments of tuning and I started to catch it.
Thanks, Sedson, for getting me to dust off a guitar tonight. It was relaxing and reinvigorating at the same time. A few moments of time to myself while I made a little music.
Tonight, all was quiet in the house as Hope had passed out on the sofa. Emiko was asleep upstairs and I turned to one of the guitars to see if I still could teach myself how to play a song. A few moments listening, a few moments of tuning and I started to catch it.
Thanks, Sedson, for getting me to dust off a guitar tonight. It was relaxing and reinvigorating at the same time. A few moments of time to myself while I made a little music.
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