Baxter was one of our foster kittens. He was once a ragged sack of bones with both poofy and matted grey fur. He has found his forever home, though many are still looking for a home! Baxter has grown up to become a fluffy lil scrapper who, as we see (and hear, make sure your volume is turned up), is willing to fight for his right to eat! Especially when it's asparagus that is on the line...
There is nothing "happy" about memorial day. It is an important day though and should be observed daily if not annually. Humanity is hurting. As our population continues to grow along with that growth comes problems with no end in sight. War is rarely the answer, I don't know if it ever is. Without going into a dialog on the necessity of war I agree there are people throughout our history that needed to be taken care of. It is unfortunate that so many had to sacrifice their lives because of a few mad men with power.
Today we remember specifically the men and women who have given their lives in service to their country. These men and women did their job not because they supported every aspect of their government but because of their commitment to humanity. It is cliche but true, it is about the person next to you.
I have lost a couple of friends to this last war and one is a shell of who he was before being hit by an Improvised Explosive Device. This is the reason I am sharing the video below. It is not a dishonor to the men and women of our military but it is a message to the rest of us. Before we react to some disaster or action by another, lets not forget the consequences of doing so. Lets not forget the men and women we will be placing in harms way because of our need for an immediate answer.
Look for justice in all things.
Look for peace.
Most of all Honor those who have given everything, including their lives for humanity. Not just for freedom or some other abstract philosophy but simply for the person next to them, their family and their neighbors. Humanity.
Thank you Michele and Jason. Thank you brothers and sisters, sons and daughters I will never know. Your sacrifice is remembered and honored.
I love you.
Sage Francis talks about "Makeshift Patriot"...
I clipped the Honduran cigar and searched for some matches. Wouldn’t you know it the hotel bar closed at 10pm; I thought this only happened in California. I walk up to the concierge and asked if he had some matches. His name badge said “Norris” I asked if he was the African American Chuck, he laughed and said he would go back to the bar and see if he could find some matches for me. In the meantime I stood at the desk talking to his partner about the usual small talk. This was the eighth city for me in as many weeks and the conversations often become frighteningly the same.
(Correction: The Environmental Defense Fund's Land Water & Wildlife team notes that there are now about 10,000 pairs of bald eagles in the continental U.S.)
“Lawrence, 28 Square Miles of Beauty Surrounded by Kansas.”
The bumper sticker brought a smile to my face as my first experience here in Lawrence, Kansas reminded me of high school in the eighties/early nineties at UW Madison and my many visits to Austin, Texas. This feeling was perhaps best described by Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane when he said, “San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality.” Places such as these are the pockets of serenity surrounded by the truth we have created, our world. The grand United States of America!
The airport television is broadcasting an old program of NBA FANtastic moments. It’s the slam dunk contest episode documenting the return of the NBA slam dunk contest. The year is 1984 and suddenly it is Saturday afternoon at my cousin’s house in the middle of a diverse landscape of swamp, field and forest. Our eyes are glued to the giant 19” big screen television set his mom recently purchased. We watch the gods of basketball defy gravity and slam the bumpy orange sphere through the hoop, performing an assortment of techniques which demonstrate their mastery of the ball and gravity. They are gods of which we are in awe. What an amazing contest of immortals!
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