Ramblings

Last Friday was 24 Aug 07. The wife had foot surgery, yet again, to correct work performed a few years back. Done in Dallas by one of "The Pros from Dover" this time, we're most confidant of a good outcome and recovery though not looking forward to the cost in terms of time and energy invested. Reruns do become boring after a time, particularly when they weren't well done on their first release.

That Friday was also my Grandfather's Birthday (24 Aug 1899) and wherever good souls gather, I'm sure he spent a part of his day pulling for us and the best possible outcome while enjoying a cold beer and spending time with his beloved. That would be his Heaven. For no apparent reason, this year particularly, I spent no little amount of time remembering him.

He (my "Paw") was truly a good man and contributed more than a little to my being. Over time I've learned what I believe to be his shortcomings as well as the successes. There were many of the latter and certainly a few of the former. At family reunions where his wife's kin gather, I've heard more than once from the cousins that: "Everyone should have an Uncle Clarence!"

The eldest of her generation, my Grandmother was either "Sister" to all her siblings or Aunt Edith to the others and was long viewed as the matriarch of the family. But her Clarence, now he was the clan's "go to guy", who always had the solution to a problem and was frequently called upon to effect that solution. All the kids loved him. In return he loved them equally as much. Understand, as close as he was to his Edith, I'm not so very sure that solutions to problems oft didn't come from her and he just put them into action. He was generous to a fault, but subject to fits of sadness and depression. Most everyone has that seminal person or two in their life and in mine he was it. Our birthdays were 10 days apart and it seems curious, almost eerie, how much my life has mirrored his. Yeah, everyone needs an Uncle Clarence in their life; but, who did Clarence have for his?

Katrina's second anniversary was a two days ago, today is the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death and 09/11's 6th anniversary is less than two weeks off. Today a long term employee left taking his retirement.

I may have mentioned I'm not very fond of my birthday. I wonder if that's because I've long had little positive to associate with it? At one point in For the Love of the Game, John C. Reilly (playing Kevin Costner's Catcher) turns to him and says: "Chappy, this just hasn't been your day." Seems I could almost say those days between our birthdays "have never been my fortnight." However, this too shall pass.

Thanks be to God.

Reaking is fundamental

So I heard about this PSA showing on BET about a rap cartoon directed to kids telling them to "read a Mo' Fockin' book, read a book Nigger, a Fockin' book.." The balance of the presentation is worse yet.

Before writing this, I waited for half a week doing research to determine if it was really aired or not. I wrote Snopes; no surprise that I didn't get a reply, and after further investigation finally came up with this link to a BET message board reinforcing my premise that it really was shown on their (BET's) channel.

The original report came from a newsletter which provides a better commentary than can this observer. Further research brought forth two schools of thought regarding the piece:
1). That its purpose is to uplift the audience to which it's directed and that audience can better understand the message if it's put forth in the vernacular of their own culture.
OR
2). That it's a satirical piece making fun of and attempting to shame the culture it portrays and hopefully they will see and understand the error of their ways.

I don't see it as successful in either case. In a couple of weeks this old man will have been around for 60 years and I'd be hard pressed to remember anything I've found more disgusting, distressing and offensive. I have long had serious concern for our country's corporate identity as well as the future of my children and my grandchildren yet to be. This "cartoon" only reinforces that fear. As a society it would seem that we are accepting of abhorrent behaviors and rationalizing those same behaviors in the hopes that we can "get through" to the marginalized folks who don't know any better. I can't (or won't) buy into that premise.

Right is right and wrong is wrong. There's no way to pick up a turd by it's clean end so that you don't have stinky on you afterwards. And this turd, my friends, reeks to high heaven.

The Chess Game

Bishop to Queen two, or is it Pawn to Bishop?

Yesterday's news, just seen today, is that the Diocese of South Carolina again elected The Rev. Mark Lawrence to Bishop.

Wonder what's going to happen this time around?

Prayer

Perusing my daily dose of newsletters and blogs I came across this on Questing Parsons website:

"I heard a young bride pray this prayer once: 'Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom to understand my man; love to forgive him; and patience for his moods; because, Lord, if I pray for strength I’ll beat him to death.' "

For some reason it struck a responsive chord with me. Possibly because that's how my family probably feels about me with too much frequency and possibly because that's how I occasionally feel towards them.

Seems there's a lot of truth in that prayer and that's how we all should pray...

Pax y'all.