A part of me says, it is time to move on. But a part of me says, no, we have to continue to remember.
Last year, I started a blog with my good friend, Kari. Our blog had just started then and we remembered 9/11 here and here.
Glenn Reynolds is of two minds also but did post. He remarks, One day, I suppose, these images will be like the images of the exploding Hindenburg, or woodcuts of the Chicago fire: historical, without much power to move people. We're not there yet. And we won't be, for quite a while.
Today, as I post, I went to volunteer in Los Angeles to serve food to the poor, I'll swing by the lab to take care of some things and in the evening it will be a guy's night at the ballpark. I would imagine at the stadium there maybe a moment of silence or some other kind of simple way to remember the lost and honor their memory.
For this blog post, I'll direct you to some photos I took of New York 11 years ago when the Towers stood tall. They maybe gone but what makes America great are the people of the city of New York and for that matter the people throughout our great and blessed land.
Sold OUT - all LA Dodger NLDS tix snapped up
Well, I opted to try to get the tix via internet and by phone rather than go to the Stadium box office.
By the time I got through on the phone at 3:30pm.... the sales rep reported that all tickets were sold out!
Prior to getting through on the phone I periodically tried the internet option. That was also unsuccessful as I kept getting the page that said, you are in the "virtual waiting room" and then when I got past that, I got error messages saying due to high demand we cannot process your request.
Oh well. Live and learn. When it comes to sales of hot tickets like this: GO TO THE TICKET OFFICE!
If the Dodgers survive the first round and tickets go on sale for the NLCS, I hope I'll be able to go to the ticket office!
By the time I got through on the phone at 3:30pm.... the sales rep reported that all tickets were sold out!
Prior to getting through on the phone I periodically tried the internet option. That was also unsuccessful as I kept getting the page that said, you are in the "virtual waiting room" and then when I got past that, I got error messages saying due to high demand we cannot process your request.
Oh well. Live and learn. When it comes to sales of hot tickets like this: GO TO THE TICKET OFFICE!
If the Dodgers survive the first round and tickets go on sale for the NLCS, I hope I'll be able to go to the ticket office!
Guest blogger
Below this post is the first of what I hope will be periodic posts from half-way around the world!
I met Michele during my Washington DC life. Since those days, I've moved to SF and LA while she has moved to HK, NY, OC, SF, OC and now Switzerland!
We have been able to stay in touch and stay friends through the digital link that emails and cyberspace affords.
Her features will be titled Michele's Musings.
So dear gentle readers, please welcome Michele to the blog!
I met Michele during my Washington DC life. Since those days, I've moved to SF and LA while she has moved to HK, NY, OC, SF, OC and now Switzerland!
We have been able to stay in touch and stay friends through the digital link that emails and cyberspace affords.
Her features will be titled Michele's Musings.
So dear gentle readers, please welcome Michele to the blog!
Michele's Musings: Summertime in Switzerland
I was in the Alps a few days ago for a very traditional event. The farmers celebrate the "Alpabzug" every Autumn when they bring their cattle down from the Alps for the winter months. They dress up in traditional clothing as the farmers and their sons celebrate coming down from the mountains and entering back into the little village. They spend most of their time up in the Alps during the Summer and don't have contact with ordinary life. It is amazing that this tradition is still held over all these years but Switzerland is very good at holding on to the past! I often feel as if I live in a "paradise" where "time stands still."
Breakfast in the Alps!
Breakfast in the Alps!
Russia under attack
Two passengers blown up. A massacre at a school. The terrorists are at war with the world. What can the Russians do?
Postrel cites an item she saw over at Belmont Club. Excerpts:
America's unmatched power allowed President Bush to select the most humane course of war available. No European power, nor all of them put together, could have embarked on such a precise campaign for lack of means. It was a rich man's strategy, a guerre de luxe.
But no one who has seen the rags and hodgepodge of equipment issued to the Russian Special Forces can entertain any illusion that Vladimir Putin can go around launching raids with hi-tech helicopters, or follow around perps with robotic drones before firing, or use satellite-guided bombs to wipe out enemy safe houses that have been seeded with RFID chips. Nor will those detained by Russia gain weight the way detainees have done at the "inhuman" Gitmo prison. That's an American way of war which even Europeans can only regard with envy. The poor must respond with less.
Frum has these observations. Excerpts:
Who doubts that al Qaeda would have liked to carry out an attack like this on American soil if they could?
...........
The Chechens had a once-good cause – a much better cause for example than the Palestinians or even the Kashmiris. But their cause has been infiltrated and hijacked by Islamist extremists, and the world must demand that Chechen nationalists repudiate both the ideology and the vicious methods of the Islamic extremists. Independence movements that commit such atrocities lose all moral standing, no matter how sympathetic the origins of those movements.
I hate to be morbid but what is going on in the minds of Al-Qaeda?
If they want Sen. Kerry to win, they should "take a vacation." I don't see the US public turning Bush out if they perceive that the danger is still present.
Al-Qaeda only cares about killing and destroying. I don't think they even care who is President of the USA. They would attack whenever they have the chance regardless of the consequences.
Postrel cites an item she saw over at Belmont Club. Excerpts:
America's unmatched power allowed President Bush to select the most humane course of war available. No European power, nor all of them put together, could have embarked on such a precise campaign for lack of means. It was a rich man's strategy, a guerre de luxe.
But no one who has seen the rags and hodgepodge of equipment issued to the Russian Special Forces can entertain any illusion that Vladimir Putin can go around launching raids with hi-tech helicopters, or follow around perps with robotic drones before firing, or use satellite-guided bombs to wipe out enemy safe houses that have been seeded with RFID chips. Nor will those detained by Russia gain weight the way detainees have done at the "inhuman" Gitmo prison. That's an American way of war which even Europeans can only regard with envy. The poor must respond with less.
Frum has these observations. Excerpts:
Who doubts that al Qaeda would have liked to carry out an attack like this on American soil if they could?
...........
The Chechens had a once-good cause – a much better cause for example than the Palestinians or even the Kashmiris. But their cause has been infiltrated and hijacked by Islamist extremists, and the world must demand that Chechen nationalists repudiate both the ideology and the vicious methods of the Islamic extremists. Independence movements that commit such atrocities lose all moral standing, no matter how sympathetic the origins of those movements.
I hate to be morbid but what is going on in the minds of Al-Qaeda?
If they want Sen. Kerry to win, they should "take a vacation." I don't see the US public turning Bush out if they perceive that the danger is still present.
Al-Qaeda only cares about killing and destroying. I don't think they even care who is President of the USA. They would attack whenever they have the chance regardless of the consequences.
the single life, part II
Another delightful thirtysomething female writer on the internet I have a "blog crush" on is Camerin Courtney.
In a recent essay she asked the question, "Is Singleness a Sin?"
Excerpts:
In a moment of melodrama a couple years ago, I joked with a single friend that at times voices within Christendom have been so silent or so judgmental about singleness, that I suspected they thought the s-i-n at the beginning of the word was no mistake.
Now, unfortunately, one Christian leader has made that bit of humor-laced conspiracy theory a reality. At Joshua Harris's New Attitude Conference for singles this past January, Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, said:
Well, how about that? As a guy, the zinger hits a bit closer to home to me.
As is often the cause, advocates of a point of view tend to simplify and though there is some truth in Mohler's remarks, I think it is a bit more complicated than that.
Anyway, Camerin speaks her mind:
Dr. Mohler seems to imply that singles today aren't taking marriage seriously enough. In his talk and in Rainey and Lepine's response on the radio, they chastised singles for their passivity in not making marriage a greater priority. Sure, singles today are taking a good, hard look at marriage prospects before settling down—sometimes too much so. As we've been talking about here in recent weeks, we're often guilty of taking too good and hard a look at dating prospects before even going out for dinner or a movie. Yes, the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of caution and fear when it comes to romantic interests.
But let's look at the factors to which the caution is a reaction. We're the first generation of the no-fault divorce. Many of today's singles have lived with the consequences of young, perhaps-not-so-well-thought-through marriages of generations before. So of course many single people today are a bit gun-shy about entering an institution they saw, from a front-row seat, fail. We're also renegotiating romantic relationships in light of recent gender role shifts in our society. Others still are healing from their own divorce, coping with widowhood, rethinking relationships after becoming a Christian later in life, or simply waiting for a healthy, God-honoring mate possibility to enter the picture.
...............
So singleness as sin? No way! If the reasons for delaying marriage truly are selfishness, childishness, and a purposeful denying of God's will, as Mohler, Rainey, and Lepine assert, then those things are the sins—not the resulting singleness. And throwing around the s-word like that, especially toward a group of individuals who already sometimes feel devalued by the church, our families, and sometimes even ourselves, seems not only unscriptural but also irresponsible.
I'm sure in some cases, the choice of singleness is truly a gift from God. We can think of St. Paul. And of course, the life of Jesus, despite the nonsense being propagated by Dan Brown in "The Da Vinci Code."
And I'm sure in some cases, the choice of singleness is selfishness (one of the best definitions of sinfulness) and some men (mostly) and women prefer to jump from relatioinship to relationship leaving behind a wake of broken hearts and dreams.
And in some cases, there is psychological baggage having grown up in a broken home or other emotional trauma in youth or early adulthood. In this case, it is more of a case of singleness due to brokenness more than sinfulness. Afterall, some can run a mile in 6 minutes but most can't. And those with a broken leg, sprained ankle or whatever else, will have a lot harder time covering the distance.
If we are all psychologically healthy (or close to it) I would imagine marriage would be more prevalent. But many of us (this writer included) have "baggage" that is being dealt with.
Some of my friends have gotten married and I'm happy for them and they share how God works on their baggage in the marriage.
Then there are me and my friends who aren't married and want to be. The baggage sits there perhaps scaring off potential marriage partners? So those of us who call upon Jesus, beg and plead for God to heal us. And, you know, healing does take place but not always at the speed we wish it. And in my mind if healing takes place partly by getting married, I say, "YAHOO!" But if healing takes place while I'm single, I will not be ungrateful for that grace from God.
In a recent essay she asked the question, "Is Singleness a Sin?"
Excerpts:
In a moment of melodrama a couple years ago, I joked with a single friend that at times voices within Christendom have been so silent or so judgmental about singleness, that I suspected they thought the s-i-n at the beginning of the word was no mistake.
Now, unfortunately, one Christian leader has made that bit of humor-laced conspiracy theory a reality. At Joshua Harris's New Attitude Conference for singles this past January, Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, said:
"I'm going to speak of the sin I think besets this generation. It is the sin of delaying marriage as a lifestyle option among those who intend someday to get married, but they just haven't yet. This is a problem shared by men and women, but it's a problem primarily of men."
Well, how about that? As a guy, the zinger hits a bit closer to home to me.
As is often the cause, advocates of a point of view tend to simplify and though there is some truth in Mohler's remarks, I think it is a bit more complicated than that.
Anyway, Camerin speaks her mind:
Dr. Mohler seems to imply that singles today aren't taking marriage seriously enough. In his talk and in Rainey and Lepine's response on the radio, they chastised singles for their passivity in not making marriage a greater priority. Sure, singles today are taking a good, hard look at marriage prospects before settling down—sometimes too much so. As we've been talking about here in recent weeks, we're often guilty of taking too good and hard a look at dating prospects before even going out for dinner or a movie. Yes, the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of caution and fear when it comes to romantic interests.
But let's look at the factors to which the caution is a reaction. We're the first generation of the no-fault divorce. Many of today's singles have lived with the consequences of young, perhaps-not-so-well-thought-through marriages of generations before. So of course many single people today are a bit gun-shy about entering an institution they saw, from a front-row seat, fail. We're also renegotiating romantic relationships in light of recent gender role shifts in our society. Others still are healing from their own divorce, coping with widowhood, rethinking relationships after becoming a Christian later in life, or simply waiting for a healthy, God-honoring mate possibility to enter the picture.
...............
So singleness as sin? No way! If the reasons for delaying marriage truly are selfishness, childishness, and a purposeful denying of God's will, as Mohler, Rainey, and Lepine assert, then those things are the sins—not the resulting singleness. And throwing around the s-word like that, especially toward a group of individuals who already sometimes feel devalued by the church, our families, and sometimes even ourselves, seems not only unscriptural but also irresponsible.
I'm sure in some cases, the choice of singleness is truly a gift from God. We can think of St. Paul. And of course, the life of Jesus, despite the nonsense being propagated by Dan Brown in "The Da Vinci Code."
And I'm sure in some cases, the choice of singleness is selfishness (one of the best definitions of sinfulness) and some men (mostly) and women prefer to jump from relatioinship to relationship leaving behind a wake of broken hearts and dreams.
And in some cases, there is psychological baggage having grown up in a broken home or other emotional trauma in youth or early adulthood. In this case, it is more of a case of singleness due to brokenness more than sinfulness. Afterall, some can run a mile in 6 minutes but most can't. And those with a broken leg, sprained ankle or whatever else, will have a lot harder time covering the distance.
If we are all psychologically healthy (or close to it) I would imagine marriage would be more prevalent. But many of us (this writer included) have "baggage" that is being dealt with.
Some of my friends have gotten married and I'm happy for them and they share how God works on their baggage in the marriage.
Then there are me and my friends who aren't married and want to be. The baggage sits there perhaps scaring off potential marriage partners? So those of us who call upon Jesus, beg and plead for God to heal us. And, you know, healing does take place but not always at the speed we wish it. And in my mind if healing takes place partly by getting married, I say, "YAHOO!" But if healing takes place while I'm single, I will not be ungrateful for that grace from God.
the single life, part I
Every couple of weeks I drop by Sherry's blog... and these two recent posts stand out to me today...
"Always a bridesmaid" resonated with me in that I am keenly aware that as time goes by my single friends are and will be getting married off and finding new single friends will be an ongoing challenge.
Excerpt:
I scrolled through my cell phone listings. A few singles here and there but not among my closest friends, at least not the ones who are local. And not many among my outer circle, either. Good heavens, I've become one of those people.
In "Once Upon a Time" she wistfully remembers a weekend she spent with an intriguing man.
Excerpt:
We didn't know one another very well or have too much in common but we liked being together and we laughed and pointed things out to each other and leaned into one another while we walked. We ate Krispy Kreme donuts. There was a gingko tree on the street outside his little brownstone and as I left I tucked a leaf from there into my journal to remind me of the sense of magic you can sometimes get from visiting someone else's world, just for a weekend.
Hmmm.... such sweet memories. I found myself thinking about "practice" dates. Each one is delightful and memorable in its own way. Sure it would have been nice if one of these little episodes had marked the beginnings of a relationship that led to the love of my life. But as it is, I can relate to Sherry's "sense of magic" about these self-contained encounters with a fellow soul traveling in the journey of life.
"Always a bridesmaid" resonated with me in that I am keenly aware that as time goes by my single friends are and will be getting married off and finding new single friends will be an ongoing challenge.
Excerpt:
I scrolled through my cell phone listings. A few singles here and there but not among my closest friends, at least not the ones who are local. And not many among my outer circle, either. Good heavens, I've become one of those people.
In "Once Upon a Time" she wistfully remembers a weekend she spent with an intriguing man.
Excerpt:
We didn't know one another very well or have too much in common but we liked being together and we laughed and pointed things out to each other and leaned into one another while we walked. We ate Krispy Kreme donuts. There was a gingko tree on the street outside his little brownstone and as I left I tucked a leaf from there into my journal to remind me of the sense of magic you can sometimes get from visiting someone else's world, just for a weekend.
Hmmm.... such sweet memories. I found myself thinking about "practice" dates. Each one is delightful and memorable in its own way. Sure it would have been nice if one of these little episodes had marked the beginnings of a relationship that led to the love of my life. But as it is, I can relate to Sherry's "sense of magic" about these self-contained encounters with a fellow soul traveling in the journey of life.
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