Happy Holidays Everyone!
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From the category archives:
News & Highlights
The complexity of the puppy issue is amazing, and I imagine it will increase with each day, as various people and groups clamor about their point of view; and of course, their POV is the right one, making it a greater challenge for the puppy-seekers!
I heard someone on TV say last night that bringing Americans together again after 30 years of divisive politics would be ideal. The person was referring to the election of Barack Obama -- the comment had nothing directly to do with the puppy search.
As I see it, because people are in conversation about the puppy question that itself is a context of coming together, whether there’s agreement or not about the content, i.e., which is the “right” puppy.
And how about this - some people seem to be having fun with it. Wow, there’s a refreshing concept!
I think it’s awesome, and here’s to more coming together for All, not just Americans!
Here are just a few of the stories --
“We Want a Shelter Dog... a Mutt like Me” - quote from Barack Obama's first press conference
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Inspiration, Mutts, Pets, Politics, President Elect Barack Obama, Puppy
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Not that you haven't seen it already, but I offer President-Elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech as my personal tribute to a man who seems to be a beacon in a very dark night.
It's not that I expect him to solve all the problems. He may solve only a few, or he may not solve any.
I'm inspired and hopeful because Barack Obama seems authentic and intelligent, with a drive toward putting us all on point with the message that it's our responsibility - all of us - to create the solutions....to create a better world.
I like that message.
This is what seems to be. I hope it is true.
Flashback to 1960...
In 1960 I was 13. I had a friend named Karen who lived in Los Angeles but was down in the San Diego area visiting her Uncle Burt. He was an attorney and deeply involved in supporting the campaign of John F. Kennedy.
One day in late summer of 1960, Uncle Burt took Karen and me to the local Kennedy Campaign Headquarters. Karen and I were given little tasks as a way to contribute to JFK's campaign. We loved every minute of it. I still have souvenirs from that day - a large cardboard poster that says “Kennedy-Johnson” and a lapel button - white with blue letters - that simply says “Kennedy.”
A few months later John F. Kennedy beat Richard Nixon and was elected President of the United States.
This is part one of his Inaugural Speech.
Part two here.
Those were glorious days. A prince among princes had been elected and was serving as our President. That era was referred to as Camelot. That's how magical it was. And we all had great hope about our lives, our futures.
I remember the sad day in November when we all found out he was gone. I was in my high school geometry class. It was about 11:00am when someone came into our classroom to announce that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.
It's one thing to read it in a history book and another to experience it like that. It was the shock that rang 'round the world, and it touched everyone.
I remember the funeral procession - it was televised. I remember my father crying. I'd never seen him cry before. But there was little John-John saluting as the caisson rolled by, bearing the body of his father, and my own father was in tears. I'll not ever forget it.
That was 45 years ago - the past. In the present moment, here we are at 5 November 2008, and Barack Obama is the President-Elect of the United States of America.
I look forward to the days ahead. I hope they will be bright. I hope the magic will re-emerge, the magic in all of us. That's what a great leader can do - bring that magic out.
This isn't a sermon, and it's not a comparison of two men.
I just wanted to share what I'm feeling.
Here is part one of President-Elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech.
I hope you will share your comments.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Democrats, Inspiration, Politics, President Elect Barack Obama
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For the 2008 baseball season, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball team changed the team name to TAMPA BAY RAYS - see my July 6 blog post
GONE for good was the word DEVIL!
The big news today is that this team has found their way into the MLB American League Series Championship Series. The winner goes to the World Series.
In Major League Baseball, you can't get any higher achievement or honor than that!
Technorati Tags: Major League Baseball, MLB Baseball, MLB Playoff Games, Sports, Tampa Bay Rays, Word choice, Words
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Yesterday I was in Costco in north Scottsdale. A long-time Costco customer, I found myself yesterday, however, in an unfamiliar aisle where unrefrigerated bottled juices and other such items reside.
Given the current economic situation, there’s talk of storing food and water, candles and such, and though not an alarmist by any means, I’ve been picking up an item or two occasionally, just because it makes sense to me to be prepared.
What I’m saying is, I have in my garage my CAR, not a warehouse of food! That said, I’m mindful of a saying I learned from my husband and teacher Lawrence West, who taught me, “Intelligence is the ability to predict consequences.”
So there I was in that aisle, standing with my hands on the cart handle, staring at a bottle of juice with Paul Newman’s face on it. I didn't care about the juice. I was looking at his face. It was like he was saying something.
Why I felt compelled to stand there for more than a moment I didn’t know nor did I question it. I just stood there, looking at his face on the label of a bottle of cranberry juice.
Did you know the Newman brand “Newman’s Own” donates all profits to charities? I read that this is a sum to date of over $250 million dollars donated.
After a time, I became un-transfixed from staring at Paul Newman’s face, and I started walking again.
As I pushed my cart down the aisle, I remembered that very recently there had been news about Paul Newman possibly being gravely ill with cancer, and I thought, “I wonder how he’s doing? I haven’t heard any more about him in quite a while.”
And that is where things remained until this morning when I checked the Internet, as I always do, and discovered that Paul Newman had passed away yesterday from cancer.
My first response was to feel so sad, and I still do. He was a good man. And he gave a lot, all the while wanting zero glory for it.
At some point later I thought back to my experience of yesterday and suddenly realized why I might have been standing there for so long, looking at Paul Newman’s face. I wonder if I was perhaps picking up on what had happened and was saying goodbye and thank you to him?
That question is irrelevant, but I do know that I appreciate Paul Newman’s contributions as a tremendous actor and philanthropist, and I send well wishes and condolences to his family.
Note: I just tried to visit the Newman’s Own website and found this message:
“Due to unusually high traffic, our full site is currently unavailable.”
I am sure there are so many millions of people trying to visit to say thank you that the site can’t handle all the traffic.
Farewell, Paul Newman. We ALL say thank you.
Technorati Tags: Jayne Johnson, Joanne Woodward, Newman's Own, Oscar winners, Paul Newman, The Clearing Sight
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