The weather people are having a grand time forecasting anywhere from 4 inches to a foot of snow tomorrow. Even though they are couching this with the usual that this storm could go in various directions and may end up just nicking us a bit, it no longer matters.
I just saw something that makes the thought of a little snow insignificant. While walking the happy dog this afternoon, I just saw two kids age 10 or so playing catch.
Snow be damned. Spring is on the way!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Happy Birthday, Bro
My brother Paul turns 58 today. We're the closest in age (he's 27 months older than me) among the four of us boys. For many years, I thought we were diametric opposites. Paul was the best student of the bunch. He set a high academic standard that, on my best day, I couldn't approach.
He is musically inclined (still plays the guitar and his wonderful son Miles plays the oboe) whereas I once broke a piano key and cracked the top of a clarinet.
As a kid, I used those reasons as an excuse for not doing as well as I should have. Youth is indeed sometimes wasted on the young.
For many reasons, we were never particularly close growing up. It was nobody's fault - just one of those things. But you learn as you get older to appreciate people who are very good at what they do ... and learn from them as to how they do it.
Paul may have been a natural academic but that doesn't detract from the fact he worked very hard in the classroom. From the first day at St. Francis Grade School right through getting his medical degree from Michigan State, he always disciplined himself when he felt he had to.
Success followed him but that is the way the system is supposed to work. He's earned everything he has. One thing the right wing is correct about: there are way too many people who envy success instead of acknowledging (and celebrating) it.
I will always be grateful that Paul was there to care for our guardian Pete (yes, the dog was named her - I like to think she is quite pleased to know it from her post upstairs) during her last days as she battled cancer. He left a good medical practice to take a position in a small town in Oregon to tend to her. That was one of the most unselfish acts I have ever witnessed. If nothing else, it deserves this small notation here.
(He is still honoring Pete in a way. He doctors to senior citizens in the Denver area.)
Paul has been a kind and patient older brother over the years, accepting my idiosyncrasies without commenting one way or the other on them. It took me a while to appreciate that but better than late than never, right?
I wish I had a better way of paying that kindness back than this small public ode. But this seems to me the best way to do it.
So, happy birthday, bro. I admire all that you have done and thank you for the knowledge that you are there when I need you.
Hope you have a great day.
He is musically inclined (still plays the guitar and his wonderful son Miles plays the oboe) whereas I once broke a piano key and cracked the top of a clarinet.
As a kid, I used those reasons as an excuse for not doing as well as I should have. Youth is indeed sometimes wasted on the young.
For many reasons, we were never particularly close growing up. It was nobody's fault - just one of those things. But you learn as you get older to appreciate people who are very good at what they do ... and learn from them as to how they do it.
Paul may have been a natural academic but that doesn't detract from the fact he worked very hard in the classroom. From the first day at St. Francis Grade School right through getting his medical degree from Michigan State, he always disciplined himself when he felt he had to.
Success followed him but that is the way the system is supposed to work. He's earned everything he has. One thing the right wing is correct about: there are way too many people who envy success instead of acknowledging (and celebrating) it.
I will always be grateful that Paul was there to care for our guardian Pete (yes, the dog was named her - I like to think she is quite pleased to know it from her post upstairs) during her last days as she battled cancer. He left a good medical practice to take a position in a small town in Oregon to tend to her. That was one of the most unselfish acts I have ever witnessed. If nothing else, it deserves this small notation here.
(He is still honoring Pete in a way. He doctors to senior citizens in the Denver area.)
Paul has been a kind and patient older brother over the years, accepting my idiosyncrasies without commenting one way or the other on them. It took me a while to appreciate that but better than late than never, right?
I wish I had a better way of paying that kindness back than this small public ode. But this seems to me the best way to do it.
So, happy birthday, bro. I admire all that you have done and thank you for the knowledge that you are there when I need you.
Hope you have a great day.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Alex Rodriguez's real "sin"
By now, just about every sports fan in the country has seen or read about Alex Rodriguez's use of steroids a few years back. We'll leave the arguments as to what should happen to him now to more learned minds.
But it seems to me what Rodriguez did was damage a lot of very innocent athletes ... and it says here he owes them a big apology.
We are a big brush country. We tend to take one person's problem in a specific area and apply to everybody involved in that activity.
Because he is one of the best players in his chosen spot, what's good for Alex Rodriguez is considered by many to be good for a lot of people.
Except in this case, it isn't so. Worse, he made it appear as if this was a minor peccadillo that could have happened to damn every player in baseball. The result of that is the next time somebody jumps up dramatically and starts putting up numbers he had never done before, the blanket of suspicion will immediately arise. Since the commissioner is not indicating there will be any form of punishment, it can appear to the outsider that Rodriguez is skating clean.
Instead of throwing himself on the mercy of the court of public opinion, Rodriguez tried to talk his way out of trouble. He didn't do a good job in that regard. As a result, the folks who don't regularly watch these things may start thinking everybody is like that.
Well, not all athletes are weasels. And the fact is that most folks who do something stupid (It wasn't illegal) eventually pay for it themselves. Rodriguez not only hasn't paid any penalty of this faux pas but it helped get a contract worth a bazillion dollars.
That makes one of the lucky ones, I guess.
This is also the guy who said publicly a reporter was "stalking" him for the story. A few days later, he called the reporter to apologize. Too late. The damage was done. Again, the star got away with doing something that may not have been illegal but certainly was wrong.
And that is the bigger problem. The good folks in athletics outnumber the bad eggs by a wide margin. But the bad eggs are the ones who get attention.
It says here this bad egg needs to get cracked in some way, shape or form. It isn't likely to happen, though. But it could if enough pressure is put on the $17 million man (BB commish Bud Selig) to do so. It wouldn't be just for the good of the game. It would be for the good of athletics in general.
But it seems to me what Rodriguez did was damage a lot of very innocent athletes ... and it says here he owes them a big apology.
We are a big brush country. We tend to take one person's problem in a specific area and apply to everybody involved in that activity.
Because he is one of the best players in his chosen spot, what's good for Alex Rodriguez is considered by many to be good for a lot of people.
Except in this case, it isn't so. Worse, he made it appear as if this was a minor peccadillo that could have happened to damn every player in baseball. The result of that is the next time somebody jumps up dramatically and starts putting up numbers he had never done before, the blanket of suspicion will immediately arise. Since the commissioner is not indicating there will be any form of punishment, it can appear to the outsider that Rodriguez is skating clean.
Instead of throwing himself on the mercy of the court of public opinion, Rodriguez tried to talk his way out of trouble. He didn't do a good job in that regard. As a result, the folks who don't regularly watch these things may start thinking everybody is like that.
Well, not all athletes are weasels. And the fact is that most folks who do something stupid (It wasn't illegal) eventually pay for it themselves. Rodriguez not only hasn't paid any penalty of this faux pas but it helped get a contract worth a bazillion dollars.
That makes one of the lucky ones, I guess.
This is also the guy who said publicly a reporter was "stalking" him for the story. A few days later, he called the reporter to apologize. Too late. The damage was done. Again, the star got away with doing something that may not have been illegal but certainly was wrong.
And that is the bigger problem. The good folks in athletics outnumber the bad eggs by a wide margin. But the bad eggs are the ones who get attention.
It says here this bad egg needs to get cracked in some way, shape or form. It isn't likely to happen, though. But it could if enough pressure is put on the $17 million man (BB commish Bud Selig) to do so. It wouldn't be just for the good of the game. It would be for the good of athletics in general.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Care to reconsider, Sen. Cornyn?
When I started this little literary escapade, I promised I would stay away from politics as much as possible.
I think I have done this but I heard something from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) that needs to be refuted. Like most Republicans, he is against the stimulus bill currently being considered in the House and Senate.
Fine. He's entitled to that view. In defending his position, however, Sen. Cornyn said, "It's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist."
Those of us who have been out of work since October respectfully disagree.
There are several items in the bill that should stimulate debate. One that shouldn't is the provisions to help our jobs back in the economy.
I know I am not alone in being out of work. There are something like 600,000 of us just in the state of Minnesota. That is a major problem and it needs some type of solution. It isn't going to have from the employers. So it is up to government to step in and help out.
There was a time when the politicians could sit down and agree to disagree on some items but find a common ground to make the picture happen. One hopes this will still be the case here.
Unfortunately, the president may be right when he hints too many Republicans (and a few Democrats) have been spending too much time worry about criticized by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or one of the other hardline right wing talkies and not enough time trying to fix the problem.
Those folks have their money - lots of it - and frankly, have no worries. Some of the rest of us would like the chance to earn some of our own. Let's hope Sen. Cornyn and others eventually understand that.
I think I have done this but I heard something from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) that needs to be refuted. Like most Republicans, he is against the stimulus bill currently being considered in the House and Senate.
Fine. He's entitled to that view. In defending his position, however, Sen. Cornyn said, "It's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist."
Those of us who have been out of work since October respectfully disagree.
There are several items in the bill that should stimulate debate. One that shouldn't is the provisions to help our jobs back in the economy.
I know I am not alone in being out of work. There are something like 600,000 of us just in the state of Minnesota. That is a major problem and it needs some type of solution. It isn't going to have from the employers. So it is up to government to step in and help out.
There was a time when the politicians could sit down and agree to disagree on some items but find a common ground to make the picture happen. One hopes this will still be the case here.
Unfortunately, the president may be right when he hints too many Republicans (and a few Democrats) have been spending too much time worry about criticized by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or one of the other hardline right wing talkies and not enough time trying to fix the problem.
Those folks have their money - lots of it - and frankly, have no worries. Some of the rest of us would like the chance to earn some of our own. Let's hope Sen. Cornyn and others eventually understand that.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sometimes, you don't need words to communicate
There is a wonderful scene in the movie "Love, Actually" where Colin Firth is driving home the woman who cleans his house. They obviously like each other even though neither speaks the other's language. In the car, he says to her in English, "This is my favorite part of my day." She says basically the same thing being said. Neither could translate a word that was spoken. But both understood each other perfectly.
I thought of this the other day when I arrived home and Pete, the Happy Dog, came bouncing out of the window to greet me. No matter what seems to happen, Pete is happy to see Lynne or myself when we get home. It's puppy kisses galore and a lot of dancing.
The reverse is true when we leave and he is left home alone. There is no puppy kiss then. He is definitely sad.
Our animals don't speak but they communicate grandly. On a brisk day like this morning, Pete is alive on his morning walk. He likes to explore the neighborhood and roll in the snow. But what he likes even more is just being along with whoever is walking him. It is unconditional, unspoken love, a little one-on-one time. And we try to return it any way we can. And you can tell when he feels the love because the eyes are sparkling and he does a dog version of a grin.
Pete knows nothing of the political landscape in the country. He doesn't know the emotional turmoil that goes on through our daily lives. His world is simple, uncomplicated. I am sure he must look at us at times as nuts to being running to and fro, looking harried as we do so.
But there is one thing Pete, Lynne and I can agree on. We like the time we spend together - whether it is playing ball, taking a walk or just sitting on the couch and vegging. In these parlous times, sometimes words just aren't necessary.
I thought of this the other day when I arrived home and Pete, the Happy Dog, came bouncing out of the window to greet me. No matter what seems to happen, Pete is happy to see Lynne or myself when we get home. It's puppy kisses galore and a lot of dancing.
The reverse is true when we leave and he is left home alone. There is no puppy kiss then. He is definitely sad.
Our animals don't speak but they communicate grandly. On a brisk day like this morning, Pete is alive on his morning walk. He likes to explore the neighborhood and roll in the snow. But what he likes even more is just being along with whoever is walking him. It is unconditional, unspoken love, a little one-on-one time. And we try to return it any way we can. And you can tell when he feels the love because the eyes are sparkling and he does a dog version of a grin.
Pete knows nothing of the political landscape in the country. He doesn't know the emotional turmoil that goes on through our daily lives. His world is simple, uncomplicated. I am sure he must look at us at times as nuts to being running to and fro, looking harried as we do so.
But there is one thing Pete, Lynne and I can agree on. We like the time we spend together - whether it is playing ball, taking a walk or just sitting on the couch and vegging. In these parlous times, sometimes words just aren't necessary.
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