The Way To A Happy New Year

To leave the old with a burst of song;
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the things that bind you fast;
To the vain regrets of the year that’s past;
To have the strength to let go your hold
Of the not worthwhile of the days grown old;
To dare go forth with a purpose true,
To the unknown task of the year that’s new;
To help your brother along the road,
To assist with his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world’s good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy New Year.

~Robert Brewster Beattie

Merry CHRISTmas!

One of our family traditions during the Christmas Season has been to visit Santa Claus.
MJM writes his letter to Santa when we visit "Santa's Village", then we visit Santa and have a photograph taken. With the 10th photograph taken this year, we decided to take a look back. MJM has come a long way in his understanding of Santa and the Christmas Story. He's proud that there really was "another" Luke before that Skywalker character...and he told a pretty inspiring story too. ;)

The story of Christmas comes from the Bible. Here is the way it is told by Saint Luke:

And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Great Grandma V

Her soul left us this evening, but we really lost her several years ago to the insidious mind stealing disease known as Alzheimers.

Grandma V was one of the most special people I have ever known. She & Grandpa V welcomed me into the family with open arms & loving hearts 18 years ago. I always felt as welcome in their home as if I had grown up there.

I could give a recounting of her life, but I'd rather state simply that not only was she the foundation of a family, she was a beloved member of her community. I'm told that even the Hospice staff at the Nursing Home cried when she passed. I can only hope to pass on the lessons she quietly inspired to my son. Certainly that would be a legacy she would be proud to see endure.

While I am saddened we have lost such a fine woman, I am grateful that Grandma V has been freed from the body that failed her to be reunited with her Savior and husband of 60+ years. I know she is joyful to have reached her eternal home, and will have a large meal waiting for us when we arrive there.

"I'm Spending Christmas With Jesus This Year"

I see the countless trees around the world below With tiny lights like Heaven's stars reflecting on the snow The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away that tear, For I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear But they can't compare with the Christmas choir up here I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring For it's beyond description to hear the angels sing I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart But I'm not so far away, we really aren't apart.

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do For I can't count the blessings of love He has for you I can't tell you of the splendor, nor the peace in this place Can you imagine Christmas with our Savior face to face?

I'll ask Him to light your spirit as I tell him of your love Then pray for one another as you lift your eyes above. So, please let your hearts be joyful, and let your spirit sing For I'm spending Christmas in Heaven, and I'm walking with the King.

The Pathway Home...

This Texas Thanksgiving Day was beautiful; clear skies and warm breezes teased us with memories of the summer past and colder days to come.

....except that my Aunt fell and broke her hip this morning. With ~30 people gathering from all corners of the country to reconnect, one of the cornerstones of the family spent the first day of what will likely be a long journey in the hospital. But lest we forget our priorites, Aunt Ruth, in her pain an agony, brought us all back to reality when she asked from her hospital bed, "what time is the Cowboy game? ...and be sure the TV is turned to that station before you leave!!!"

That said, the rest of us proceeded to feast on food, football and semi-true stories that had gone untold over the years. As with many families, we have allowed time and miles to separate us; but sharing stories, looking at old pictures and watching the youngest of the family embrace life anew reminded me of days long past when we were the youngest...listening to tales told around the Thanksgiving table by our forefathers. I can only pray that the next generation can look back as fondly as I do with love and compassion in their heart for the family they are a part of.

Nothing in life is permanent, and we remember on this day of Thanksgiving as we transition from one generation to another. Every door is open for new opportunity, yet we should hold our past close in our hearts...for it is in the traditions passed down through the generations that the heart and soul of a family lives on.

I saw hope on this day that the stories that I heard around those Thanksgiving tables as a child will be passed on to future generations...and that warms my heart and gives me hope for the future.

Gratitude …

goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.

~Henri J. M. Nouwen

This Year Gone By Ain't Been A Piece Of Cake...

"Here I’m singin’ happy birthday
Better think about the about the wish I make...
...Just one more candle and a trip around the sun"

My attitude about birthdays has always been, the more the better.

But this has been a difficult year.

Not that I'm unappreciative of the daily gifts, but the trials that we have had to walk this year have tested us like we never imagined.

While I am not one to share our private struggles publicly, I would like to thank those of you who have supported us through these dark days.

Today on my birthday, I am hopeful of renewal, a reaffirmation of life itself.

I have seen this power in action before...when we were told there was little or no chance of conceiving a child; yet nearly 10 years ago we were blessed with the birth of a son.

In this spirit of rebirth and renewal, I propose a new beginning on this day.

In every loss, there is the opportunity for new growth.

And on this day of birth, we shall begin again.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your outpouring of support, generous gifts and well wishes.

And, while I pray that you never experience a year as difficult as this one has been for us; if you do, I can only hope that you are as blessed as I am to have friends & family in your life as I do.

Tin Cup Chalice

I've been watching in bemusement at the recent news reports of Corporate Executives defending the necessity of luxury retreats and private jets while asking for what is, in essence, Government Welfare.

Now, I'm not questioning the value of these corporations to the American economy. What I am concerned about is their gluttony, greed and poor decision making which may have more than a little to do with the reason they have the Tin Cup out on Washington's doorstep.

I think a little, er a lot of belt tightening is in order here.

The excuses these bloated elite have given ring hollow to me, i.e., it's corporate policy to fly private jets, or it's written into their contract. Soooo...that's easy. Change the policy. Duh. While saying that they're going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses, they obviously aren't referring to their own salaries and perks. Apparently, these "movers and shakers" aren't paid the big bucks for commmon sense. ...Or maybe they're working from the "Let Them Eat Cake" manual of Public Relations. ;)

I've been shaking my head at just how deluded these individuals are about the "real world". They have no real comprehension of how unrealistic and out of touch their requests appear to the average American.

A good first step in "trimming down and streamling" would be to sell the jets (ala Sara Palin) and deduct what they make from the sales from the cost of the taxpayer-funded bailout they are seeking.

Ultimately, I predict these corporate gluttons will (hopefully) lose their jobs when their corporations file for bankruptcy. Sadly, the ripple effects of their greed will be felt by all the people of this country while they (literally) sail off into the sunset.

The only bright spot is that when these corporations emerge from the restructuring they will undoubtedly and painfully have to accomplish, one can only pray that they will be leaner and forward thinking.

We can't afford to stay stuck in the past any longer.

Human Beings Are Flawed Individuals

I am reposting this article in it's entirety from the Chicago Tribune because it speaks for itself...and how we have come to place judgements upon each other.
(And because on-line newspaper articles have a way of vanishing over time.)

I am saddened, but not shocked to read the results of Brave Catherine's experiment. Over time, my own email box has been inundated with intolerant and hate mongering messages from people trying to influence my opinions one way or the other.

I believe that fear & hate are pathways to the darkside, so these attempts have fallen on deaf ears.

Regardless of how you voted, (I'm confident the results of this experiment would have been the same had it been conducted in a conservative community), perhaps Brave Catherine's experiment will encourage a few people out there to look within before they judge others...

What do you think?

Tolerance fails T-shirt test
John Kass
November 13, 2008

As the media keeps gushing on about how America has finally adopted tolerance as the great virtue, and that we're all united now, let's consider the Brave Catherine Vogt Experiment.

Catherine Vogt, 14, is an Illinois 8th grader, the daughter of a liberal mom and a conservative dad. She wanted to conduct an experiment in political tolerance and diversity of opinion at her school in the liberal suburb of Oak Park.

She noticed that fellow students at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama for president. His campaign kept preaching "inclusion," and she decided to see how included she could be.

So just before the election, Catherine consulted with her history teacher, then bravely wore a unique T-shirt to school and recorded the comments of teachers and students in her journal. The T-shirt bore the simple yet quite subversive words drawn with a red marker:

"McCain Girl."

"I was just really curious how they'd react to something that different, because a lot of people at my school wore Obama shirts and they are big Obama supporters," Catherine told us. "I just really wanted to see what their reaction would be."

Immediately, Catherine learned she was stupid for wearing a shirt with Republican John McCain's name. Not merely stupid. Very stupid.

"People were upset. But they started saying things, calling me very stupid, telling me my shirt was stupid and I shouldn't be wearing it," Catherine said.

Then it got worse.

"One person told me to go die. It was a lot of dying. A lot of comments about how I should be killed," Catherine said, of the tolerance in Oak Park.

But students weren't the only ones surprised that she wore a shirt supporting McCain.

"In one class, I had one teacher say she will not judge me for my choice, but that she was surprised that I supported McCain," Catherine said.

If Catherine was shocked by such passive-aggressive threats from instructors, just wait until she goes to college.

"Later, that teacher found out about the experiment and said she was embarrassed because she knew I was writing down what she said," Catherine said.

One student suggested that she be put up on a cross for her political beliefs.

"He said, 'You should be crucifixed.' It was kind of funny because, I was like, don't you mean 'crucified?' " Catherine said.

Other entries in her notebook involved suggestions by classmates that she be "burned with her shirt on" for "being a filthy-rich Republican.

"Some said that because she supported McCain, by extension she supported a plan by deranged skinheads to kill Obama before the election. And I thought such politicized logic was confined to American newsrooms. Yet Catherine refused to argue with her peers. She didn't want to jeopardize her experiment.

"I couldn't show people really what it was for. I really kind of wanted to laugh because they had no idea what I was doing," she said.

Only a few times did anyone say anything remotely positive about her McCain shirt. One girl pulled her aside in a corner, out of earshot of other students, and whispered, "I really like your shirt."

That's when you know America is truly supportive of diversity of opinion, when children must whisper for fear of being ostracized, heckled and crucifixed.

The next day, in part 2 of The Brave Catherine Vogt Experiment, she wore another T-shirt, this one with "Obama Girl" written in blue. And an amazing thing happened.

Catherine wasn't very stupid anymore. She grew brains.

"People liked my shirt. They said things like my brain had come back, and I had put the right shirt on today," Catherine said.

Some students accused her of playing both sides.

"A lot of people liked it. But some people told me I was a flip-flopper," she said. "They said, 'You can't make up your mind. You can't wear a McCain shirt one day and an Obama shirt the next day.'

"But she sure did, and she turned her journal into a report for her history teacher, earning Catherine extra credit. We asked the teacher, Norma Cassin-Pountney, whether it was ironic that Catherine would be subject to such intolerance from pro-Obama supporters in a community that prides itself on its liberal outlook.

"That's what we discussed," Cassin-Pountney said about the debate in the classroom when the experiment was revealed. "I said, here you are, promoting this person [Obama] that believes we are all equal and included, and look what you've done? The students were kind of like, 'Oh, yeah.' I think they got it.

"Catherine never told us which candidate she would have voted for if she weren't an 8th grader. But she said she learned what it was like to be in the minority.

"Just being on the outside, how it felt, it was not fun at all," she said.

Don't ever feel as if you must conform, Catherine. Being on the outside isn't so bad. Trust me.

Read the follow-up to this John Kass column

Honoring ALL Who Serve

Including my father, who was a World War II Veteran.

Thank you for your service. It mattered then, it matters now.







(Click for full size cartoon)

Confused? Don't be. Visit BNCRITTERS.COM and CRITTERVILLECOVE.COM to learn more and find even more bonus "BN Critters" material.

Thanks to SurfPirate for the amazing work he does on BNCritters, and for his permission to re-publish todays strip on this blog.

Changed Children...

If Malia & Sasha Obama were concerned about their father, Barack's 30 minute infomercial interfering with their cartoon watching before the election, they are in for a huge shock as they transition from private citizens to "first daughters" with secret service agents monitoring their every move.

I expect that puppy is going to be their new best friend. Especially since sleep-overs are likely to be severely curtailed.

These young ladies have been thrust into a life changing opportunity as they stand by their father as he assumes the mantle of the leader of the largest nation in the free world. My prayers are that they continue to experience the joys of childhood, and can remain grounded in reality. Not an easy task for their parents to pull off. I wonder how much time they will get to spend with their father...or their mother? Will their Secret Service agents be the first to respond to the immediacy of emotion of their successes and failures because of their parents commitments?

On this day of change in America, it is the changes to come for these young girls lives that consumes my thoughts. I pray that their parents decisions for all of us are based on how it will affect the future of the young lives in their own midst.

Just Vote!

Yes Folks, Election Day is finally here! If you didn't take advantage of early voting, or just couldn't make up your mind, after 2+ years of campaigning, today is the day your voice will be heard.

A little over 64% of U.S. citizens age 18 and over voted in the 2004 presidential election, and I would like to think that more Americans have become interested in having a voice in the leadership of this great nation this time around. I would bet that we've certainly heard more than 64% of the population complaining about what they don't like about the way things currently are, yet an amazingly large number of those same people don't even bother to register and cast a ballot on election day.

Don't be one of those people! The right to vote is a privilege not to be taken lightly. Let your opinion be heard or hold your tongue if your unhappy with the way things turn out.

"합기도" The Way of Harmony

Yesterday my son participated in a Hapkido competition. It was a challenging day. His opponent in sparring made a low kick that the judges scored as hitting above the belt, but was in fact below the belt (and in tender territory) and MJM was injured early in his round, but played to a second place finish. I commended him for the determination and courage he showed in playing through his pain. And as a true competitor, he understood that complaining to the Judges about the missed call wouldn't change the outcome, so he moved on.

He scored a 2nd place finish in Forms competition after making a slight mental error, but didn't allow it to compromise his whole routine.

Overall, it was a good day...positive lessons were learned, good sportsmanship was displayed and new hardware was added to the trophy case.

Namasté

Son, Come Have A Seat...

It happened this afternoon. Captain Tony Tarracino (92) passed away.

For those of you who have somehow missed coming to know this cultural icon, I would bet that if you have ever been to Key West, Florida you may have downed a drink in the legendary bar, Capt'n Tony's Saloon, (which he owned from 1958-1989)...or maybe even passed him on the street. He enjoyed telling stories to patrons (especially women) until his health failed him during the past year.

Although hospitalized, it seems fitting that the last week of his life was spent celebrating the publication of his book with Brad Manard, "Life Lessons of a Legend" during the annual Meeting of the Minds celebration in Key West. I would encourage you to put this book on your "wish" list...seriously. His story has been recounted in a film titled "The Cuba Crossing," starring Stewart Whitman as Tarracino. Longtime friend, Jimmy Buffett, sang about Tarracino's exploits in the song "Last Mango in Paris," from the 1985 album of the same name.

After running from the Mob in New Jersey this real life buccaneer, and gunrunner during the Cuban revolution, turned Mayor of Key West always felt that there was "still so much to be done".

There is no way I can do justice in this post to the most colorful and interesting life of Capt'n Tony; but what I can say is that in his passing the world has lost one of the last true Pirates in this era of "partisanism", it is unlikely we will see his kind pass this way again.

Sail on Captain Tony, may you have fair skies and following seas on your eternal journey, but as for me...your legend will never die.

From the song "Last Mango in Paris"

I went down to Captain Tony's to get out of the heat
When I heard a voice call out to me, "Son, come have a seat"
I had to search my memory as I looked into those eyes
Our lives change like the weather but a legend never dies

He said, "I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And "Jimmy, there's still so much to be done."

Top 10 Most Famous Ghosts

Since it's Halloween, I thought it would be appropriate to review some famous ghosts as compiled by Live Science.

Ghosts are both everywhere and nowhere. They are famously elusive when it comes to proving they exist, yet ghosts feature prominently in our culture. They are in television and film, from "Medium" to "The Sixth Sense." Ghost stories are found around campfires and on bookstore shelves, in both fiction and nonfiction sections. Around Halloween, pop culture images of ghosts haunt nearly every store, and hang as decoration in homes across the country. Ghosts even influence some of our everyday customs, in ways we may not recognize (for example, the "bless you" heard after someone sneezes comes from an ancient belief that ghosts can enter the body during a sneeze). In the spirit of the season, here are some of the most famous ghosts of all time. - Benjamin Radford

10. Slimer
Slimer is the grotesque green ghost featured in the "Ghostbuster" films and cartoons. He's green, he's obnoxious, and he can spew slime... what's not to love? In fact, Slimer proved to be so popular with kids that he got a starring role in the spin-off series "The Real Ghostbusters." A reformed evil ghost that joined the Ghostbusters team, Slimer's voracious appetite and guttural burps make him among the most memorable cartoon ghosts.

9. The Murdered Peddler
One day, in the early 1840s in Hydesville, New York, a young peddler arrived at the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Bell to sell his housewares. He was invited into the home by the Bells' housekeeper and in fact stayed for some days. The maid was shortly dismissed from service but abruptly rehired a week later. The peddler was gone, but many of his items were now in use in the Bells' kitchen. The maid thought little of it until she began experiencing strange, ghostly phenomenon, only to find out from the peddler's ghost that he had in fact been murdered in her absence. At least that was the story told by two sisters named Maggie and Katie Fox, who claimed to communicate with the ghost. Years later, the sisters admitted it had all been a hoax; there was no murdered peddler, and the spirit communications had been faked. Still, the sisters had inadvertently founded a religion called Spiritualism, which is still practiced today. The Murdered Peddler is the only fake ghost whose presence started a real religion.

8. The Ghost of Christmas Past
In Charles Dickens's famous novel "A Christmas Carol," cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge has a change of heart after being visited by several ghosts representing different eras of his life's Christmases (Past, Present, and Yet to Come). Ghosts are often associated with life lessons and morality tales, and these spooks are no exception. The ghosts aren't wasting time rattling chains or scaring kids; instead the Ghost of Christmas Past rehabilitates Scrooge by showing him visions of his past Christmases. Scrooge comes to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas-no, not holiday commercialism but friendship and goodwill.

7. The Vanishing Hitchhiker
"This didn't happen to me, but my friend, she heard it from her hairdresser, it happened to her parents. It seems that they were driving along a lonely country road one night'¦ it was really cold, maybe up in Minnesota, or Montana. Anyway, it was snowing and as they turned a corner they saw a barefoot young girl wearing a dress and a green shawl. Of course they stopped to help her, and she got in the back seat. She didn't say much, and when they asked her where she lived, she pointed to a farmhouse in the distance. A few minutes later, when they pulled into the driveway, she was gone! The couple were puzzled but got out of the car and knocked on the farmhouse door. A somber, grey-haired woman answered, and the couple explained that their mysterious passenger had said this was her house. 'That's impossible,' the woman replied. 'My daughter died near here twenty years ago, on this very night.' Just inside the door, on an old wooden peg, hung her daughter's green shawl!"

6. The Drury Lane Ghost
There are many theaters in the Covent Gardens district in London's West End. Plays have been produced in that area for over 300 years, and some of the world's greatest actors have appeared there. Yet one theater is better known more for its ghost than its productions. There is actually more than one ghost said to haunt Drury Lane's halls and wings, including those of several actors. The most famous, however, is a "Man in Grey" seen as a nobleman carrying a sword. Any theater worth its salt (and many that aren't) reputedly have a resident ghost treading the boards, and the Drury Lane ghosts carry on their part of theater tradition.

5. Bloody Mary
"Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary..." With those words, many schoolchildren had their first experience with a ghost. According to folklore, Bloody Mary is a ghost of a woman who murdered her children long ago. If you want to see her, go into a bathroom (usually at school), turn the lights off, stand in front of a mirror, and repeat her name three times. While countless children (and surely more than a few adults) have tried to summon Bloody Mary using the prescribed method, to date few if any have actually succeeded. Most either stare at their scared reflection in the dark mirror or lose their nerve after saying the second "Bloody Mary" and run screaming from the bathroom in girlish giggles. An updated version of the Bloody Mary legend was made into a horror film series "Candyman."

4. Casper
While Bloody Mary spends her time in the ghostly realms waiting to be summoned to dark bathrooms so she can scare kids, Casper (whose legal last name is "The Friendly Ghost") is the white-outlined, smiling ghost who tries not to scare people. In the Harvey comic book series, Casper was often joined by friends such as Wendy the Good Little Witch and Hot Stuff the Little Devil. While some found the idea of a dead child's ghost hanging around with a witch and a devil a bit creepy, the characters were made benign and kid-friendly with the addition of "good," "friendly," and "little" to their names. Casper had a revival of sorts with a self-titled 1995 film, a modest success that managed to avoid the direct-to-video graveyard.

3. The Bell Witch
The events that allegedly happened at John Bell's Tennessee farm between 1817 and 1821 are said to be one of the classic American ghost tales. Bell shot at a strange animal on his farm, but the creature disappeared before it could be harmed. Several weeks later, the Bell family was tormented by a ghost that made terrifying sounds, shook the house, and physically attacked Bell's daughter Betsy. The spectral assaults continued for several years, and at one point Andrew Jackson is said to have dabbled in ghost hunting and did his own investigation. Though some authors recount the Bell Witch tale as a true account, there is little evidence that it is anything other than a ghost story. Jackson, for example, never mentioned the Bell Witch case at all; it seems that the future president's role was created from thin air, possibly to lend verisimilitude (the appearance of reality) to the fictional tale.

2. The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman, the world's best-known non-human ghost, is a seventeenth-century merchant ship said to haunt the high seas. According to sea lore, the ship, which often appears as a hazy image or a strange light, is said to be a portent of bad luck and doom. The ship and its crew became eternally cursed when its Dutch captain refused to take safe harbor during a storm despite pleas from the crew and passengers. Instead the impudent Dutchman challenged God to take them down. The "ghost ship" has been reported on the ocean from time to time, including appearing off the coast of South Africa in 1923. Though never seen on land, The Flying Dutchman most recently appeared in movie theaters across the country in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.

1. King Hamlet
Though ghosts appear in several of Shakespeare's plays (such as "MacBeth" and "Julius Caesar"), King Hamlet is among the better known of the Bard's ghosts and plays an integral part in "Hamlet." Hamlet may be the central character in the play named after him, but without his father's ghost, there would be no story. King Hamlet appears three times in the play, each time during the night (apparently ghosts, like vampires, prefer darkness). The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his treacherous brother Claudius, and asks Hamlet to avenge his death.

Tis the Season of Orange

There's a lot of Orange in my life right now, and at our house that's a really cool thing.

The Texas Longhorns beat Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in the annual Red River Shootout propelling them to #1 in the National Rankings. So look out rivals, The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You.

There air is filled with sincerity in the hopes that the Great Pumpkin will visit the Pumpkin Patch on Halloween night. (MJM's favorite holiday).

In another advancement in his Hapkido training, MJM tested for and was awarded his Orange belt. He has worked very hard for this achievement after taking a couple of months off his training due to a broken foot over the summer. But he's back at it now and is looking forward to his next competition in a couple of weeks.

And while not orange (red actually), MJM won 2nd place at the PTA Reflections Art Competition in the Photography category at his school.

So as we contemplate the season of "Orange", perhaps the Binary Sunset is a fitting fade out. A scene at which to ponder the galaxy, both near and far, far away; and think about heeding that "call to adventure".

Mental Floss

I read an article today while searching the Internet that says that for middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet could be a boost to the brain. Woo Hoo!

I've always enjoyed puzzles and card games, but the internet has become my passion in the last few years. It started when I was pregnant with my son, then when I realized he would grow up in a wired world I decided I better familiarize myself with the plethora of pleasures and pitfalls that lurk in the netherworld of cyberspace. Needless to say, my travels through this interstellar galaxy have been enlightning. But I'm getting a bit off topic...

In summary, the referenced article states that:

Compared with reading, the wealth of choices on the Internet requires that people make decisions about what to click on, which engages important cognitive circuits in the brain.

"A simple, everyday task like searching the Web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older," Small said. The work was funded by the Parvin Foundation.

With more time and experience, the group that was new to the Web could eventually show the same brain activation patterns as their more Internet-savvy peers."

So don't loose hope techno-savants and techno-idiots alike, reading this blog is exercising your mind.
Now that's something to think about.

Defying Gravity?

Saw this little tidbit on Space.com and thought it was worth reposting for all Junior Rocket Scientists out there...

Blame the term "zero-gravity" for the common misconception that there is no gravity in space. Gravity is everywhere, even in space. Astronauts look weightless because they are in continuous freefall towards the Earth, staying aloft because of their horizontal motion. The effect of gravity diminishes with distance, but it never truly goes away. Oh, and while we're at it, it's also untrue that space is a vacuum. There are all kinds of atoms out there, albeit sometimes far apart (and this thin gas adds to the collective gravity budget, too!)

So for those of us who dream of defying gravity, it seems we have our work cut out for us.

I Used To Have Money One Time

I had Cadillacs in my future

Debutantes in my past

I made a deal with the devil for a whole lot of money

Thinkin’ it would last and last

But a fool and his money are bound to part

And what goes up must come down

So take my advice, don’t trust the roll of the dice

Keep your feet on solid ground

I used to have money one time

Now I ain’t got a dime

~Jimmy Buffett

I don't even want to try to deconstruct the specifics of the Economic "Crash of 2008", but because of it, I've calculated that we won't be able to retire until we are 120. So, like a lot of people, we're re-thinking our retirement plans. Rather than live in a beach villa, we're downsizing our expectations, and buying Lotto tickets.

For those of you who invested short, a small donation to my PayPal account would be most appreciated. With any luck it would forstall our move into the "fixer-upper" lean-to we've been eyeing. Of course, we've also considered bunking with friends. I hear it's the "retro" thing to do these days. Flashback to college, living on a wing and a prayer, retreating into your your own space in a community house. I have fond memories of those times, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to revisit? Hmmm....

I don't know about bears or bulls, but I do know a bit about sharks, and trust me...they're circling, honey.

Fireflies - The Time is NOW

I was at a gathering at my Son’s school recently when the kids started chasing fireflies. This annual late summer ritual is something that my son & I have enjoyed together since he was old enough to catch these glowing creatures; (and I remember from my own childhood). Yet I heard several parents comment that they had not seen fireflies in years. How sad.

The way I see it, watching and catching fireflies is a right of childhood…a simple pleasure as the evenings start to cool and we can finally escape our air-conditioned prisons to enjoy those precious moments between day and night with our family. To imagine this time empty of the firefly is simply heartbreaking. Fortunately, my neighborhood is filled with them.

But as I pondered the observations of those other adults, I wonder if this is one of those times where technology and “modern” society has interfered with the time we take to notice these fanciful creatures. Maybe they are flying away from light pollution, but, as noted, in my (Urban) neighborhood, the fireflies are plentiful. Perhaps the real problem is people are running away from the fireflies. We stay inside at dusk and watch TV, or work on the computer rather than going outside. Maybe because I live in an older, well established neighborhood, with lawns & large trees, the firefly population is well established and happy. Regardless of the reasons, I'm glad we've stopped long enough to notice these luminous "faries" of the evening.

How long has it been since you’ve chased fireflies? How long has it been since you’ve even taken the time to notice them? Well, don’t delay, the time is NOW.

A Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling?

UPDATE to There Is No Dumbass Vaccine:

In a press conference today, Josh Howard finally spoke up about comments he made over the summer disrespecting the US National Anthem.

To wit: "I'd like to say that I'm truly and really am sorry for everything that's happened in the last five months. This is not the way I carry myself, not how I want to be portrayed. I'm sorry to everybody I've offended. I'm upset with myself and the way I've acted. It was me joking around," he said.

"Guys were out there making fun and I decided to get along in it. I wasn't using my head. I guess the valuable lesson I did learn is that words really do hurt. You're held accountable for what you say."

"That's not me. ... I went to military school. I have friends that served in the military. I know how it is to wake up and salute the flag. The national anthem every game, I have my hand over my heart."

While it'd be nice to believe Mr. Howard, I'm skeptical. Saying "this is not the way I carry myself" seems a tad disingenuous to me given his history, but time will tell. He had to say something eventually; we know that Mark Cuban defended him after his remarks were made public, and Maverick's Coach, Rick Carlisle, flew all the way to Howard's home in North Carolina to have a "come to Jesus" chat with him, so apparently that was enough of a shot in the, er...well, you know...to motivate him to have his agent write up an apology for him. :P

For the most part, Mr. Howard's statements sound remarkably similar to apology lines I've heard trotted out by other celebrities for various infractions over the years. Seems people get real sorry when they're caught.

And while it doesn't affect my personal life what Mr. Howard believes, his thoughtless comments were hurtful, inflamatory and representative of a damaging mind set in this country. Now that he has made a public show of contrition, I can only hope that he walks the talk....that would be a "valuable lesson" indeed.

I know I'm not the only one that will be watching, a lot of impressionable young minds will be, too.

Chess King

My son likes to play chess.

Yesterday he spent the day competing in a chess tournament and experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. During down time between games he relaxed playing ping pong, foosball and bumper pool. What a great day.

After getting beat in the final round by the highest ranked player in the tournament, he was hugely disappointed. It didn’t matter to him that the other player was older and had more years of experience – he really wanted to win that match. He knew that if he won the round, it would mean a trophy. He assumed that if he lost, he was out of the hardware. What he didn’t figure into his calculations was the outcome of the other matches and the computer rankings based on difficulty of competition.

He ended up in a 5 way tie for the final trophy…and won. Defeat turned into victory in an instant. In addition to lessons in chess and statistics, success and failure; I think he now has a driving the desire to try harder for a bigger trophy in the future. Regardless, his pride was blinding.

There Is No Dumbass Vaccine

Color me stupid, but since when does being Black mean you shouldn’t respect the National Anthem?

I, for one, am tired of the arrogance of some individuals in this great nation that throw their race around as an excuse; seemingly wallowing in a victim mentality in perpetuity. Josh Howard exemplified this mentality (in spite of the fame & fortune he has achieved) in comments he proudly announced into a camera during Allen Iverson’s charity flag football game last July. Specifically, " 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is going on. I don't celebrate this sh*t. I'm black. G*d damn Obama and all that sh*t.”

In the words of Don Henley & Glen Frey:
You drag it around like a ball and chain
You wallow in the guilt; you wallow in the pain
You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown
Got your mind in the gutter, bringin' everybody down
Complain about the present and blame it on the past
I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass
All this bitchin' and moanin' and pitchin' a fit
It's gotta stop sometime, so why don't you quit
Get over it.

Mark Cuban says that "Josh really is a good guy with a great heart. He just doesn't do a good job of showing that side of himself publicly. We will work on that."

Ohhh, I see. It’s not WHAT he said, it’s HOW he said it? Riiight.

I don’t want this to be about why Mark Cuban feels the need to make comments on Josh Howard’s behalf, but if it’s a communication problem rather than a character problem, I’d like to hear Josh’s explanation…no excuses.

Mr. Howard, I will be pleased to make my judgement on [sic] the content of your character, and not the color of your skin.

UPDATE 9/29/08, Josh Howard speaks.

See: A Permanent Reminder to a Temporary Situation?

Ahoy! It's Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Today is the 13th annual International Talk Like A Pirate Day. As any Parrothead worth her salt knows, pirating is in the blood. So in the spirit of the day, lets pillage and plunder and hoist some fine ale. Arrrgh.

If you'd like to impress your friends and co-workers with your knowledge of pirate stuff, you can find a bucket o' links here that'll keep yo knickers on for hours! You'll find everything from translators, to Pirate Performers, Sea Shanties, and "Real" Pirate History (& more) linked.

Here are some fun facts about this peculiar yet wonderful holiday:

It was invented in 1995 by John Baur ("Ol' Chumbucket") and Mark Summers ("Cap'n Slappy"), who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate.--It was first an inside joke between the founders but it gained exposure when Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to syndicated columnist Dave Barry in 2002.--September 19 was chosen because it was the birthday of Summers' ex-wife and consequently would be easy for him to remember. There is a list of the top ten pirate pick-up lines on the Official National Talk Like A Pirate Day website. You can read them here.

Oh, and no "Talk Like A Pirate Day" would be complete without an offering by the Head Pirate (Jimmy Buffett, of course) himself...

Here's "A Pirate Looks At Forty", recorded live at the Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve, Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla, British West Indies in March 2007.

An Attitude of Gratitude after Hurricane Ike

A week ago, Hurricane Ike was bearing down on the Texas Coast. Satellite images showed a tempest larger than the State of Texas...in fact, Ike was as large as the entire Gulf of Mexico (approx. 615,000 square miles). It was the size (about 70% larger than "average") of Ike rather than it's strength that created a situation ripe for dangerous waves and flooding in low lying areas.

Friends living in the area were evacuating and protecting their property to weather the storm. And I'm grateful to report that all of them survived with repairable damage, although most are still without electricity. Sadly, a relative of one friend lost her home due to a large tree falling into it, but she survived because she was riding out the storm with a neighbor.

I'm grateful for the "cool" front that blew into Texas alleviating the humidity and heat for those surviving without electricity.

I'm grateful for all of the first responders who have worked tirelessly to rescue and assist others, cleaning debris, repairing power lines and infrastructure while their own homes and families struggled to overcome without them.

I'm grateful that lives were saved because so many people evacuated.

I'm grateful for the Houston area media that kept live feeds going 24 hours a day so folks in the area and around the world could see what was happening, as it happened. And they continue to chronicle the aftermath, reporting on what is being done and where help is still needed.

I'm also grateful for all the memories I have of visits to Galveston Island over the years. The first time my son dipped his toes into the Sea was in the waters off Galveston Beach.

And just last October we went shelling underneath the pilings of Murdoch's Bath House and the Balinese Room....so much history now washed away by the maelstrom.

Deep in the South of Texas

not so long ago,
there on a crowded island
in the Gulf of Mexico.
It didn't take too much money,
man, but it sure was nice.
You could dance all night if you felt all right,

drinking whiskey and throwing dice.
And everybody knows
it was hard to leave.
And everybody knows
it was down at the Balinese.

~ZZ Top, "Balinese" from Fandango

And lest we not forget, the Memorial to those lost in the Great Storm of 1900 withstood the crashing waves of Hurricane Ike; again representing strength in survival.

Big Storm Coming Soon...

One hundred & eight years ago this week (Saturday, September 8, 1900), A Great Storm destroyed much of Galveston, Texas killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people and is the largest natural disaster ever to hit the United States. (By comparison, Hurrican Katrina claimed approximately 1,800 souls.)


So it is that this week another Big Storm is headed for the Texas Gulf Coast, following a remarkably similar path to that of the Great 1900 Storm.

Unlike the residents of Galveston in 1900; Gulf Coast residents today have the benefit of modern weather forecasting, satellite images and fast, reliable transportation out of the Hurricane zone.

Much like the Thursday before the Great Saturday storm 108 years ago, I'm hearing from several of my friends in the area that it is a beautiful day on the Gulf Coast. The calm before the storm as the saying goes.

But as we pray in rememberance of the approximately 3,000 victims of the terrorist attacks on the United States 7 years ago today, let us also pray for those lost long ago to a terror from the Sea they didn't see coming, and those in the path of Hurricane Ike that aims for the Texas coast this Saturday.