dd June 20th, 2007
I love baseball. My love affair started when I was a little kid in Detroit and my dad used to take me to Tiger Stadium to watch Al Kaline and the gang. We loved going on Sundays and seeing Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell hit his Sunday home runs. He was famous for hitting on Sunday. The love affair sort of cooled off when I moved to D.C. 37 years ago especially with no baseball team in D.C for so long. But, I always followed the Tigers in the good years and the lean years. Lately, the team has been awesome.
Last year, my good friend Gene and I went to see the Tigers in their new Comerica Park stadium when I was in Detroit visiting my mom. The Tigers got crushed by the White Sox that day even though that was the first live Tigers game I had seen in many years. How could they? Oh well, they went on to vanquish all AL foes and ended up in the world series.
Tonight, my wife and I and Bill and Kris went to see the Tigers play the Washington Nationals at RFK. It was the Tigers first visit to DC in over 35 years! Tonight’s game was the final one of a 3 game series and the Tigers had won the first 2 by scores of 9-8 and 15-1. They had crushed the Nats last night. So, I was worried that maybe they would be a little flat tonight. Not to worry. On a gorgeous night in the nation’s capital, the mighty bengals lambasted the woeful Nats again 8 -4. I think there were as many Tiger fans as Nats fans, especially when the Nats fans started heading toward the exits after the 8th inning. Come on, you don’t leave a game before it’s over. How would they have felt if the Nats (remote chance but you never know) had come back and rallied in the bottom of the 9th? What a hoot to hear thousands of the olde English D hatted fans yelling “Let’s Go Tigers!”
But, Todd Jones shut them down in the 9th and the Tigers behind great hitting from Maglio and Carlos did it again. “Hold that Tiger, hold that Tiger….”. I’m in love again!
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dd June 17th, 2007
Last night, my wife and I drove to Owings Mills, MD for dinner with friends and then a concert by Mr. Peter Schickele and company. We originally thought this affair was in Olney, MD which still seems like the other end of the world from N. VA. However, upon a closer examination of the email invite yesterday, I discovered this was in Owings Mills. A quick Google mapping revealed that Olney is right around the corner compared to Owings Mills! But, like good musical troopers, we marched on. My wife reminded me during my grumbling about the long drive (about 90 minutes) that we once drove 4 hours to hear Peter Yarrow and daughter along with Doug Mishkin. (True, but they were good I thought). Anyway, for a more thorough introduction to Peter Schickele ( aka P.D.Q. Bach) you can read my spouse’s post. Here’s my take on the evening:
- Mr. Schickele has some good shtick. Think Victor Borge from South Dakota. In fact, I think Peter has borrowed quite liberally from Victor.
- Mr. Schickele’s humor is better than his music.
- I managed to stay awake - I refer you to this post - longer than my wife despite her penchant for this kind of “Bachian” music. However, interestingly, she zzz’d off during the opening song parodies, which I found mildly amusing, and awakened during the music only and interminable string quartet - why I have no idea. I, on the other hand, did not doze off until the string quartet. Another small victory, no?
- After the lonnnnnng intermission, and buoyed by my little nap, I ( and my wife) managed to stay awake for the more modern song parodies, rounds and the rousing finale - Songs from Shakespeare.
In any case, we had a nice dinner and conversation with friends and at least I can say I saw Peter Schickele - whoopee!
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dd June 10th, 2007
I wasn’t sure how much fun I was going to have this weekend as I accompanied Barbara (aka Barbie to her friends here in Panama City, FL) to her 40th high school reunion. For those who haven’t visited Panama City, it’s in the northwest panhandle of Florida, otherwise known as the redneck Riviera. So, that is strike one. Strike two of course is that I’m the spouse tagging along who doesn’t really know anhyone at the reunion events. But, I never got to strike three. I’ve had a great time.
We stayed virtually for free at a condo overlooking the beautiful beach and the Gulf. It’s owned by a brother of one of the 4 “daisies” (Barbie’s ya-ya like group of 4 close friends from school days). There were 5 of us - Barbie and me, FL and I - both single now - and M, married but whose hubby came down with a bad back a couple of days ago (likely story). So, I’ve been surrounded by beautiful women - not too bad a gig!
We’ve hung out at the beach and the pool, attended 2 Bay High Reunion events and discovered a fantastic little beach restaurant called Liza’s Kitchen. And, the reunion events were actually fun. I spent a good bit of time talking to other spouses, one of which was Bill Cappleman, ex Detroit Lion Quarterback! We had a good time reminiscing about his playing days in the early 70’s. And, I enjoyed chatting with Graham’s wife - another Northerner. It’s been a blast and until just an hour ago, we’ve been off the air - no internet. It’s been a nice break. Back to DC tomorrow night. I’ll miss P.C. beach.
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dd May 27th, 2007
Whenever I go back to Michigan, I am reminded just how hospitable, friendly and helpful people generally are there. There really is a different kind of attitude which manifests itself so warmly in that part of the country compared to the coasts. I’m not sure why - perhaps because of the greater degree of hardships. Maybe because of the genetic ancestry. I’m not really sure - leave me a comment if you have your own explanation.
Anyway, here are a couple of examples:
- On previous trips, I’ve always been able to “borrow” an internet connection from one of my mother’s wifi enalbed neighbors. To my disappointment, the sources all dried up on this visit. 5 days being “off the air” would be really hard for me. But, on Tuesday, I discovered that the nearest Whole Foods (I had stopped there to get some food anyway), had free wifi in their cafe. On Wednesday, while my mom was napping at the nursing home, I and my Macbook went over to WF.
Unfortunately, the table nearest to the only electric outlet not in use required that I string my cord across the path leading to the restrooms. But, thinking my battery would not last that long, I plugged in anyway. Several people crossed over the cord on the way to the rest room. Of course, I warned them when I saw them. Not one was angry or upset. They just said, “Thanks for the warning”.
After about 20 minutes, a WF employee came up to me. My brain was still in East Coast mind-set, so I thought “uh-oh, the jig’s up.” But, instead, she said as sweetly as possible, that she could unplug one of the machines in the corner away from foot traffic and I could plug in there. “Just be sure to plug it back in when you’re done”. Now, tell me, how do you think this scenario would have played out in Washington?
- My second example took place at the airport Thrify Car Rental counter when I arrived in Detroit. I had reserved the cheapest economy car possible. Upon check-in, I inquired as to the kind of car to which that entitled me.
“It’s a small Kia - no power, no satellite radio, no nothing”, replied the woman at the Thrifty counter. “Sure you don’t want to upgrade to a compact. You’ll have all that and more”. “How much extra would that cost me?” “About $70 in total”. “No, thanks”, I said. “I’ll manage. Thanks anyway. But, if I get out to my Kia and don’t like what I see, I may be back.” “Oh”, she replied. “you won’t be disappointed.”
Wonder what she meant, I thought. Well, I soon found out. She had upgraded me anyway - for the same price as the economy Kia. I had a very nice Dodge Calibre with power everything, satellite radio, etc. Needless, to say I was not disappointed.
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dd April 27th, 2007
I’ve had this headache for a few weeks now. First, it was triggered by a new bike not configured properly which threw my neck and shoulders for a loop. But, I think that problem is solved. So, now I attribute the headache to the awful tree pollen around here and also the stress of dealing with family issues. I resumed the medication I had stopped several months ago and hopefully it will work its magic again. But, this afternoon, I just marveled at the beauty of Spring just outside my door. The azaleas and dogwoods are gorgeous, but so are our prized dogwoods (which are almost 30 years old now and were just wee little things when we first planted them). Enjoy the view:
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dd April 22nd, 2007
Throughout his anguished life, Seung-Hui Cho slipped through way too many cracks and was failed by his parents, the school systems, our mental health system and ultimately VA Tech. He was such a troubled young person - his family recognized that at a very early age. He never even spoke to his own family. Educators - certainly those at VA Tech - knew he was seriously troubled and most likely a danger to himself and others. Yet, he continued attending the University without professional therapeutic help. Today’s New York Times reports that in 2005, he was sent to an off-campus mental health facility after reports of stalking. They declared him mentally ill, but allowed him to undergo outpatient treatment, which he most likely bagged. So, he returned to VA Tech. The rest is so very sadly, “history”.
What Cho did was heinous and indescribably terrible. Yet, I can’t help but think it could have been avoided if he had been given proper care and treatment for his mental illness. I don’t know if the proper meds or proper therapy could have helped him combat his illness and stay in school. Perhaps, he would have had to leave school.
Society failed Mr. Cho an in so doing, failed the victims and the families of the victims of his violent explosion. It should never have come to that.
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dd April 21st, 2007
We’ve just suffered through a terrible week here in the U.S. and especially here in VA. A crazy act of random unexplained killings has left us all needing some relief and a cause for renewed hope. Just a few days before this awful tragedy at VA. Tech, Yoko Ono stopped through D.C to plant some wish trees and invite people
to write wishes on small pieces of paper and tie them to the branches of potted cherry trees. Ono has installed the trees in cities across the globe and says they were inspired by temple wish trees that she saw during her youth in Japan. (Wash Post, 4/3/07).
This is part of Ono’s “Imagine Peace” project - which makes you think of the irony of her husband and partner John Lennon also being killed by a troubled young man many years ago.
Anyway, Yoko has gone around the world planting her wish trees and is going to collect the messages that people write and assemble them into an “Imagine Peace Tower” later this year in Iceland. What a fabulous idea, don’t you think. The messages run the gamut from “Let’s cover the planet with our love and make it a peaceful world for all of us and our offsprings.” to “peace in Africa”, “an end to gang violence” “to get a promotion this year” to “please bring my daddy home”.
What would you wish for? Since this is a virtual wish tree, you can plant as many wishes as you want. Feel free to explain your wish if you want. Let’s fill up our tree.
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dd March 16th, 2007
I’m sure everyone reading this blog is familiar with the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Hundreds of thousands killed and raped. 2 million people displaced from their homes. This genocide is lead and sponsored by the Sudanese government and mainly carried out by their proxy - the Arab militia called the Janjaweed. Dark skinned black farmers and their families are the victims.
I have been tangentially involved in trying to fight this atrocity against humanity by being part of the Darfur Interfaith Network and helping to organize a monthly vigil in front of the Sudanese embassy. On Sunday, a friend and I went to hear Nicholas Kristof, NY Times columnist, who has written more about Darfur than anyone in the print media. He was a very effective speaker but told a very grim story. It’s hard to imagine, but things are getting worse. He discussed a few measures that could be helpful in at least making things better if not ending this conflict. Things like more pressure on the Sudanese government; pressure on China, a Sudanese protector; organizing a joint U.S/European summit on Darfur; having President Bush deliver a prime-time speech on Darfur; imposing stiffer economic sanctions on Sudan, etc.
So, what can we do? Bottom line: we need to get this on the radar screens of this administration and congress. Same thing in Europe for any European readers. The leadership to fight this genocide, especially in today’s political climate, unfortunately won’t come from our elected leaders, that’s for sure. Moral outrage - yeah, right. They’re too busy defending their own misconduct or worrying about how to position themselves for the next election.
But, they do pay attention to a public outcry. And, the good news is that it wouldn’t require a whole lot of effort on our parts. For example,
- What if everyone in the U.S. wrote to the White House and congress demanding more action against this genocide?
- What if everyone wrote a letter or sent an email message to all the European embassies and those of the Arab countries that have been deafeningly silent?
- What if we all contacted print and broadcast media demanding more coverage of Darfur?
- What if there was a vigil in front of the Sudanese embassy that was well attended every hour of every day of every month?
But, we’re also bloggers. What if we all wrote just one post about this genocide? That would help spread the word in the blogosphere, an increasingly important outlet today.
So, please “get off your tushies”, everyone. Take a few minutes of your day - do something. There’s an old adage in the Jewish Talmud that to save one life is to save the entire world. We can do this. DC folks - why not start by joining me at noon for 1 hour on the 4th Thursday of each month in front of the Sudanese embassy? I hope to see you there.
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dd February 27th, 2007
Anyone here ever heard of “Net Neutrality”? Now, wait just a minute before you start rolling your eyes. I know what you’re thinking, “Here he goes yakking about some arcane geek stuff”. Well, brother and sister bloggers, I’m here to tell you to think again. It’s time to mobilize. Because if you ignore this issue, your very blog’s future could be in jeopardy.
Me: Still with me?
Reader: Ok, I’ll humor you. So, what the hell is “Net Neutrality”?
[note: answers are primarily from savetheinternet.com]
Me: It’s all about Internet freedom. “Network Neutrality” — the First Amendment of the Internet — ensures that the public can view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate Web site by preventing Internet companies like Verizon and Comcast from rigging the playing field for only the highest-paying sites. Net Neutrality ensures that all users can access the content or run the applications and devices of their choice. Net Neutrality prevents the companies that control the wires from discriminating against content based on its source or ownership.
Reader: Who wants to get rid of Net Neutrality?
Me: The nation’s largest telephone and cable companies — including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner — want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all.
They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. They want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services, and streaming video — while slowing down or blocking their competitors.
These companies have a new vision for the Internet. Instead of an even playing field, they want to reserve express lanes for their own content and services — or those from big corporations that can afford the steep tolls — and leave the rest of us on a winding dirt road.
Reader: What’s the plan?
Me: Writing Net Neutrality into law would preserve the freedoms we currently enjoy on the Internet. For all their talk about “deregulation,” the cable and telephone giants don’t want real competition. They want special rules written in their favor.
Reader: So, what the hell can I do about this?
Me: Lots of stuff. Here are some suggestions:
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dd February 21st, 2007
I’ve suspected for a long time that as a country we are dumber than other Western developed nations. I call my first witness - our esteemed President, Dubya. My second witness - all the people that voted for him twice!!
Now, here comes an article in the Washington Post Health section yesterday that blew my mind and provides hard evidence for my theory. The story talks about a growing epidemic called “health illiteracy”. What does this mean? Well, it means that an estimated 90 million Americans struggle to understand simple instructions and medication dosages. This growing problem is leading medical practicioners to start using pictures (aka patient-friendly signs or icons) because their patients can’t read. And, this affects way more than nonnative English speakers. In fact the Post piece reports that “experts emphasize that the majority of those with low health literacy are native-born and white.”
Some of the statistics are “dumbfounding”:
- “A comprehensive national assessment of adult literacy conducted in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Education found that 43 percent of adults have basic or below-basic reading skills — they read at roughly a fifth-grade level or lower.”
- “The picture is even more dismal when it comes to numerical skills: Fifty-five percent of adults have basic or below-basic quantitative abilities; many are unable to solve simple arithmetic problems, including addition.”
- “Studies of health literacy have found that a surprisingly large number of adults were perplexed by the meaning of the term “orally,” didn’t know the difference between a teaspoon and tablespoon and were unable to calculate the proper dose of medicine.”
- “A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1995 found that more than 80 percent of patients treated at two of the nation’s largest public hospitals could not understand instructions written at the fourth-grade level.”
- “A 1999 study of more than 3,200 Medicare recipients found that one in three native-born patients could not answer a question about normal blood sugar readings even after being given a paper to read that listed the correct answer.”
I’m not sure if we’re getting dumber or have always been so. But, in any case, the implications for our country’s future are sobering. This is very scary stuff.
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