Thank You!

The American Chemistry Council collected over 2500 pounds of food and raised more than $1,000 in cash for the Arlington Food Assistance Center. AFAC was delighted to receive our donations. The food will be distributed immediately to help those in need. AFAC will use the cash to buy milk, eggs, meats and other perishable items (which they are able to purchase at government subsidy prices).

Many thanks to all of my ACC colleagues for their generosity.

http://www.afacinfo.org

Chris

From "I have to" to "I get to"

The more I thought about what I get to do, the less I realized I had to do. It was just a shift, just a new perspective, just a new and more grateful method for labeling the things in my life. Think about it—if you stopped yourself every single time you were about to say, "I have to" and changed it to "I get to," it might change your entire experience.

Kristin Armstrong, Mile Markers blog
http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/

For

I was driving south on I-95 on my daily commute, pondering the imponderables, when I couldn't help but notice a car in front of me with half a dozen "anti" bumper stickers on it, you know, the ones with a circle and bar through them (started, I believe by the movie Ghostbusters). This driver was against everything from abortion to school vouchers. Then I began to notice dozens of other cars sporting bumper stickers that were against all types of people, places, issues, things, sports teams, whiners, Fords, etc.


It got me to thinking...


I don't want to waste my energy by being against something, I want to focus on being FOR something. So here's a list I jotted down of things I am for:


(And yes, I am FOR proper grammar and I know that I should not end a sentence in a preposition, but I am trying to make a point here.)

1. Love -- I am for love. All types, mostly unconditional love, but also romantic, platonic, unrequited love, free love, paid love, puppy love, self love -- if it's got love in it, I am for it. On my death bed, I will not say "Gee, if I'd only loved just a little less."


2. Change -- Whether or not I am for it, change happens. Change is natural. Stagnation is tantamount to death, and nature is never for death. Nature is for life. Many of the people closest to me are fearful of change, in whatever form it comes. As adults, we have lost much, so I guess that we equate change with loss. But for everything that I have missed, I have gained something else, and for everything I've gained, I have lost something else. The doors I open and close each day decide the life I live, and sometimes the smallest of decisions can change my life forever. Whenever I worry that changes I am making may impact how my children, family or friends think of me, I am reminded of something Pericles wrote: "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."


3. Self Reliance -- I am SO for self reliance. Self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one's own person is its ultimate reward. Few things are more liberating than, for example, being alone in some God-forsaken shit hole of a place, not speaking the local language, night approaching, low on the local currency, and having to figure out how in the hell you're going to get out of whatever situation you're in at the moment.


4. Knowledge -- I am for knowledge. It cures many ills, lightens dark corners, and warms the soul. Knowledge is pure; it is neither good nor bad. I think perhaps that my love of books is rooted in my love of knowledge.


In my favorite book, The Once and Future King, by T.H. White, the young Arthur (Wart) is sad about something and pours out his sadness to his tutor, Merlin:


"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn."


I love that there are such a lot of things to learn, and I am for trying to learn as many of them as possible and for learning "why the world wags and what wags it."

5. Nature -- I am for the Earth, nature, the world, whatever you call it. The natural world is astounding and breathtaking. Just think: in all the millions of years that snow has fallen, no two snowflakes have ever been alike, just as no two people ever have or ever will be the same. The awe inspiring stillness and beauty of sunrise, the humming of insects in the gloaming of a summer's day, the intricacy of a spider's web, the majesty of a mountain, the smell of pine needles, the feeling of sea mist on your face, the hint of snow in the air on a winter's night -- we are presented with all of these wonders every damn day, for free. Nature is a gift, and I am for unwrapping it every day.

When Geronimo was held prisoner in Florida after living six decades in the mountains and deserts of the Southwest, he was asked what he missed most about living free. He replied, "The sound of the wind in the trees." I know exactly what he means.

6. Honesty -- I am for being honest, although I don't always practice it. I quote Larry McMurtry's iconic character Gus in Lonesome Dove, "I'm about half honest." (To which the unrequited love of his life replied "Yeah, and I know which half.")

I've learned that when you lie, you have to remember that lie forever. Tell the truth, and you never have to worry about what you've said. Moreover, I think that this all ties back to love. If you truly love someone, you can't lie to them. That's why I put love at the top of my "for" list. If I just do that -- love -- everything else, like being honest, should fall into place. (I just learned that recently...see point no. 4 above about knowledge...)

7. Service to Others -- I don't know what my destiny will be, but one thing I do know: I will only be really happy if I have sought and found how to serve. I find that I must obey my compulsion to help all life that I am able to assist, and shrink from injuring anything that lives. Reverence for life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting, and enhancing life and that to destroy, harm, or to hinder life is evil. Affirmation of the world -- that is affirmation of the will to live, which appears in phenomenal forms all around me -- is only possible for me in that I give myself out for other life.

8. Music -- Music is what feelings sound like.

9. Laughter -- I am for laughing much and often. But I am most for laughing at myself, and I give myself plenty of ammunition there.

10. Forgiveness -- It takes so much energy to hate, and so little to forgive. I find that when I hold resentment toward another, I am bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way I can dissolve that link and get free. And going back to my "For" point about love, I think that there is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love. To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love.

Many years ago -- it now seems ages ago -- I taught Sunday School. When I think of forgiveness, and when I believe someone has wronged me, I am reminded of a bible passage from one of those long ago Sunday School lessons

Matthew 18:21, 22

Then came Peter to him, and said, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?"

Jesus saith unto him, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

Wow. Oh yeah.

Greentech Investing Soars

The latest data for venture capital in green technology investing are in and the numbers all point upward, with the category now attracting more money than software or biotech.
Research company Cleantech Group and media company Greentech Media on Wednesday each released third-quarter data for venture capital in green technologies, showing that government stimulus spending and signs of a recovering economy have helped restore confidence in the sector.

Green tech has been one of the fastest-growing technology sectors over the past few years, but it now outpaces biotech and software in size as well. Data from the Cleantech Group and the PWC MoneyTree Report show green tech at 27 percent of venture capital investing, compared to 24 percent for biotech and 18 percent for software.

Although the numbers from the two reports vary slightly based on research methodology, the trend line is clear: up.

Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

Charles Dickens

The Meanings of Life

I wrote in a earlier blog that I had found the meaning of life, but then forgot it.

Well, I found it written down in one of my journals. Actually, there are two:

1. Love is all there is, and there' ain't nothing else. No matter how you feel about it, you just can't live without it. (Take it from someone who's tried.)

2. Never draw to an inside straight.

Now that you are armed with these two pieces of valuable information, get yer asses out on this beautiful day and run.

CB

Welcome To Autumn

At 5:18 PM Eastern time, Autumn arrives.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."

John Muir

A Good Man Passes On

We lost a good man last Thursday. Dr. Brian Emery was killed in a car crash on Route 32. Brian was a great guy, a compassionate and respected physician, a caring coach, and a good friend. Brian had gone through some tough times, including a divorce, but was always positive about the future. In fact, he was engaged to be remarried to a woman that lit him up with happiness.

I learned much from him. He was a good human being, and he will be missed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bal-crash0911,0,3656359.story

Make Route 32 Safe website....http://www.makeroute32safe.com/index.html

I Am My Brother's Keeper; I Am My Sister's Keeper

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT WREATH-LAYING CEREMONYAT THE PENTAGON MEMORIAL

The Pentagon

Arlington, Virginia
9:34 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen and members of the Armed Forces, fellow Americans, family and friends of those that we lost this day -- Michelle and I are deeply humbled to be with you.

Eight Septembers have come and gone. Nearly 3,000 days have passed -- almost one for each of those taken from us. But no turning of the seasons can diminish the pain and the loss of that day. No passage of time and no dark skies can ever dull the meaning of this moment. So on this solemn day, at this sacred hour, once more we pause. Once more we pray -- as a nation and as a people; in city streets where our two towers were turned to ashes and dust; in a quiet field where a plane fell from the sky; and here, where a single stone of this building is still blackened by the fires.

We remember with reverence the lives we lost. We read their names. We press their photos to our hearts. And on this day that marks their death, we recall the beauty and meaning of their lives; men and women and children of every color and every creed, from across our nation and from more than 100 others. They were innocent. Harming no one, they went about their daily lives. Gone in a horrible instant, they now "dwell in the House of the Lord forever."

We honor all those who gave their lives so that others might live, and all the survivors who battled burns and wounds and helped each other rebuild their lives; men and women who gave life to that most simple of rules: I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

We pay tribute to the service of a new generation -- young Americans raised in a time of peace and plenty who saw their nation in its hour of need and said, "I choose to serve"; "I will do my part." And once more we grieve. For you and your families, no words can ease the ache of your heart. No deeds can fill the empty places in your homes. But on this day and all that follow, you may find solace in the memory of those you loved, and know that you have the unending support of the American people.

Scripture teaches us a hard truth. The mountains may fall and the earth may give way; the flesh and the heart may fail. But after all our suffering, God and grace will "restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." So it is -- so it has been for these families. So it must be for our nation.

Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still. In defense of our nation we will never waver; in pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies, we will never falter.

Let us renew our commitment to all those who serve in our defense -- our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home. Mindful that the work of protecting America is never finished, we will do everything in our power to keep America safe.

Let us renew the true spirit of that day. Not the human capacity for evil, but the human capacity for good. Not the desire to destroy, but the impulse to save, and to serve, and to build. On this first National Day of Service and Remembrance, we can summon once more that ordinary goodness of America -- to serve our communities, to strengthen our country, and to better our world.

Most of all, on a day when others sought to sap our confidence, let us renew our common purpose. Let us remember how we came together as one nation, as one people, as Americans, united not only in our grief, but in our resolve to stand with one another, to stand up for the country we all love.

This may be the greatest lesson of this day, the strongest rebuke to those who attacked us, the highest tribute to those taken from us -- that such sense of purpose need not be a fleeting moment. It can be a lasting virtue. For through their own lives –- and through you, the loved ones that they left behind –- the men and women who lost their lives eight years ago today leave a legacy that still shines brightly in the darkness, and that calls on all of us to be strong and firm and united. That is our calling today and in all the Septembers still to come.

May God bless you and comfort you. And may God bless the United States of America.

END 9:40 A.M. EDT

Money Doesn't Grow On Trees, But Perhaps Electricity Does

Trees produce electricity. How electrifying.

In an experiment that will seem familiar to students of the old potato project, University of Washington researchers stuck one electrode into a bigleaf maple, and another in the ground, and saw that the tree generated a tiny stream of electricity - a few hundred millivots. That's not enough electricity to do much, except to run a circuit and get published in the scientific journal Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Transactions on Nanotechnology.

(As of that potato, this experiment is different, the authors said: "The tree-power phenomenon is different from the popular potato or lemon experiment, in which two different metals react with the food to create an electric potential difference that causes a current to flow." The tree experiment uses the same metal for both electrodes.)

A few hundred millivolts of electricity isn't enough to do much. Or is it? The scientists built a custom boost converter using nanotechnology that stores input voltages of as little as 20 millivots (20 thousandths of a volt) and produces 1.1 volts -- enough to run low-power sensors that might monitor environmental conditions, help detect forest fires or gauge the health of trees.

And in the future, who knows? Maybe we will be plugging in our iPods on long hikes with a little tree power.

Poker Lessons on Life

I have been playing poker since I was a young boy. In college I often supplemented my meager wages by playing poker with friends, the rugby team, and in the back room at Town Hall Tavern in College Park. Poker has bought me many a tank of gas, and more than a few rounds of brews. More important, however, poker has taught me much about life. Such as...

1. There is some good in all bad people, and some bad in all good people.

2. Fortune favors the bold.

3. Luck is not distributed evenly; it comes in batches.

4. Learn how to win and how to lose.

5. Poker forces you to put yourself into another’s shoes.

6. Poker teaches emotional control through deferring pleasure.

7. Poker teaches you to analyze and act based on incomplete information.

So shuffle up and deal.

The Wilderness Act: A 'Down Payment on Forever'

Every once in awhile, Congress outdoes itself and gets something really right.

One of those somethings is the Wilderness Act of 1964, whose 45th anniversary was celebrated September 3.

The product of both extraordinary vision and practical politics, the Wilderness Act is the "gold standard" of conservation.

The Wilderness Act also is the gold standard of legislative craftsmanship. The law gives ordinary citizens across the country the tools to fight bottom-up campaigns to protect treasured places - forests and deserts, mountains and marshes, spare tundra and verdant tropics.

The passage of time shows that ordinary citizens have put those tools to spectacularly good use. The Wilderness Act included 54 initial wilderness areas covering 9.1 million acres. Today, 45 years later, there are 756 wilderness areas covering nearly 110 million acres in 44 states and Puerto Rico - nearly 5 percent of America's total land area.

Tthat achievement is a down payment on forever. There are lots more places deserving of wilderness designation - the Tumacacori Highlands in Arizona, the Scotchman Peaks in Montana, the Cheyenne River Valley in South Dakota, to name a few.

And when they are designated, the protection will last. One of the strokes of brilliance that went into writing the Wilderness Act was hardwiring preservation into the statute books.

Passing laws is hard because the Constitution's writers made it hard. The Founders wanted lawmakers to discuss and deliberate, to get the wording right. A consequence of making passage of laws difficult is that undoing passage of laws is equally difficult.

The Wilderness Act's supporters knew that. The boundaries of designated wilderness areas are written into law. The lines on the map cannot be moved so much as a foot without an act of Congress, shielding wilderness areas from bureaucratic whims and transitory political pressures.

In an era of rabid partisanship, it's also worth remembering that wilderness protection is largely bipartisan. The Wilderness Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan majorities. When it was first introduced in 1956, its Senate sponsor was Hubert Humphrey, the Minnesota Democrat who was the liberal icon of Congress before the late Edward Kennedy assumed that role. The sponsor in the House was John Saylor, a Pennsylvania Republican who lived out the true meaning of conservatism through his combative campaigns to protect America's wild heritage, which Saylor called "buffers for the human spirit."

Had To Do It

I had to do it.

A friend told me about The Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte.

My favorite song is Thunder Road. Smells like destiny to me.

The race is on December 12, and yes, that his just a mere six weeks or so after the Marine Corps Marathon, but c'est le guerre.

And I've also decided to use this race to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon. That means I have to run it in 3:30, about 30 minutes better than my fastest time. Nothing like setting unrealistic goals for oneself.

Springsteen, Love, Rock & Roll and A Broken Heart

Here's the thing about Bruce Springsteen...

The first time I heard Jungleland I think I had an out of body experience, especially at the end with the primal scream. There may be other songs like it out there, but I can't think of one. I haven't written about this before because it's been hard to imagine putting into words how this song affected - and still affects - me.

Fortunately, I've just found an essay that Greil Marcus wrote for Rolling Stone at the time, about the Born to Run album in its entirety, that pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject. Marcus talks about how it's not necessary to know all of the lyrics of a song to understand what it's about. He's absolutely on the money when he says that, about this song or any other, for that matter. Of course, being the hero-worshipping, Springsteen fanatic that I am, I can recite the Jungleland lyrics in my sleep. And even though I have listened to this song thousands of times, I am devastated every time I hear it, blown away by the futility in the story being told, the horror of a life force wasted and pretty much no one caring - a story that plays out every day in jungles of one kind or another all over the world, a story that has played out in my own life on more painful occasions than I care to recite.

All of that is conveyed in the music alone, in Clarence Clemons' doleful sax solo, in Roy Bittan's heavenly piano, and in Bruce's utterly unbearable howl at the end. It's not unlike going to an opera that's performed in Italian and has no subtitles (or you just don't look at them), yet the emotions you have in response to what you're witnessing are exactly the ones you should be having. Marcus notes that, at the same time, the Born to Run songs are "exhilarating." Why that should be the case is hard to fathom. Certainly this song has nothing but tragedy written all over it. But the musicianship on Jungleland is so astonishing that it quite simply is experienced as a small miracle. A phenomenal degree of care was taken in its creation (in The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen by Rob Kirkpatrick, it's stated that Bruce spent the better part of a day with Clemons going over every note of the solo, for example.)

So we're getting blood, sweat and tears, not just in the story but in the backstory. It's a 9-1/2 minute opera and it is as close to perfection as anything in rock history gets.

70 Years Ago Today

Today marks the 70th "anniversary" of World War II. On this day, without provocation or a declaration of war, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, igniting a global conflict that killed over 70 million people and launched the Cold War.

Baseball and Life

Pre-season football is three games in, and the anticipation of the regular NFL season is already eclipsing the current baseball season. That is the way things are now. Football trumps baseball. So be it. Moreover, my beloved Orioles are 578 games out of first place.

But I was watching the Little League World Series the other night (which speaks to many things, such as my complete lack of any type of social life) and watching those boys play was a real delight and got me thinking about baseball, particularly what I can learn from the game and apply in my own life.

When I was a kid my brother, friends and I would spend most summer days at the baseball diamond at St. Edwards church, right across Mitchellville Road and conveniently tucked between Pointers Ridge and our neighborhood of Amber Meadows. We would play all day. One of my lingering memories of that time is sitting under the trees waiting for a storm to pass so we could continue play.

To me, principles that apply to baseball easily apply to life.

1. NO EXCUSES.
Do not blame teammates, umpires, coaches, fans, or the position of the moon for your performance. Take responsibility for what happens on the field. Stand up, make no excuses, refuse the excuses that others might offer you. Excuses get in the way of learning because mistakes are denied. Be accountable. Remember you are not expected to be a perfect performer. No one is. Baseball is not an easy game to play.

2. PLAY WITH HONOR.
Always hustle, run out every ground ball and pop up, encourage your teammates, especially after an error, bad pitch, or a strike out, carry yourself with pride and dignity. Do not in frustration throw equipment. Do not ridicule another team or an opposing player's name, physical appearance, skill. Do not taunt. Do not distract an opposing player with low-level antics. Be positive with teammates. Never ridicule or criticize your teammates. They need your encouragement the most immediately after they have made a mistake. Show your teammates, your opponents, the entire world the values you hold dear by how you play.

3. BE RELENTLESS.
As Jimmy Valvano said, never, ever, ever give up. Never Yield. Regardless of what the scoreboard says, you are never defeated unless you give up, unless you go belly up. No opponent can make you do this. Giving up is something you do. Regardless of what the scoreboard says, no opponent can extinguish the flame in your heart or crush the intensity of your will without your consent. Never surrender.

4. SLAY YOUR OWN DEMONS, THEN SLAY DRAGONS.
Ignore those things outside your control: the judgments of umpires, the conduct and ability of other teams, the weather, your amount of playing time, the final score (this is a tough one). Do not show frustration or disappointment. Do not allow your opponents to gain joy from your inability to cope with self-pity. Do not throw equipment or whine in anger or slump your shoulders. Such behavior impresses no one. Maintain your poise. Learn, prepare, and focus on the next event. We cannot change the past. Instead, we should focus on the next action with determination, joy, and resolve.

5. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE THINGS UNDER YOUR CONTROL.
Your effort, your attitude, your commitment, and your approach to the game are under your control. Be enthusiastic, play with great effort, conduct yourself appropriately, meet this opportunity with great joy. Listen to your coaches. Be alert, play smartly, know the signs. You are always accountable. How you react to situations and circumstances reveals the person you are and the person you might become.

6. PLAY THE GAME ONE PITCH AT A TIME.
Focus on the current pitch. If you are a pitcher, what are you throwing now and where? If you are a fielder, what are you going to do if the ball is hit to you? If you are a base-runner, what are you going to do on a fly ball, line drive, ground ball, to the right side, to the left side? If you are a batter, what are you trying to accomplish on this pitch? If you are on the bench, how are you helping your team be successful?

7. FOCUS ON BEHAVIOR, NOT OUTCOMES.
The results of your performance are not fully under your control. The other team may be very good, or very bad. The bounces may go your way, or not. But your behavior and approach are under your control. At the end of the game, you, perhaps only, know whether you gave 100%, whether you did all you could to help your team. Those players who did are winners, those players who did not are losers, regardless of what the scoreboard says. Winners take care of the things within their control, enjoy their participation, and are justifiable proud of their effort. Losers make excuses, lose their poise readily, wallow in self-pity, and surrender at the slightest sign of adversity.

8. THE BEST PLAYERS ARE THE BEST LEARNERS.
Players who are coachable are always trying to learn more about being successful ballplayers and people. They listen and apply what their coaches and teachers suggest. Are you coachable? If you are, you are a winner. If you are not, you are a loser, regardless of what the scoreboard says.

9. BE A JOYOUS WARRIOR!
Be enthusiastic, positive, give 100%, understand that relentless effort in the pursuit of excellence is its own reward. Win with humility, lose with dignity.

Trevor Hall -- New Album and Free Concert on September 3

California-based reggae artist Trevor Hall signed a record deal with Geffen Records in his senior year of high school, and has toured with artists such as Steel Pulse, The Wailers and Ziggy Marley.

His new album features appearances by Matisyahu ("Unity") and Krishna Das ("My Baba"). You can catch him live when Trevor Hall headlines WTMD's free First Thursday concert in West Mt. Vernon Park on September 3rd.

Check it out

http://wtmd.org/

Chris

My Who's Who Essay

OK, so recently I was invited to be placed in Who's Who. I said sure, and they sent the following request via e mail:

In order for the editorial staff of Who's Who to get to know you and gauge your biographical information, we ask that you answer the following question: Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?

Oh man, did they have any idea who they were speaking with? I think not.

Here is what I submitted. I assume I will not get into Who's Who this year.

Dear Editorial Board of Who's Who:

My life is full of significant experiences. I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, reducing their carbon footprint by 50%. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.

I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in beer, a war-weary veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Orioles.

I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after work and a shift in the local neurosurgery ward, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.

I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless poker player.

Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear.

I don't perspire.

I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and won the weekend passes. Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration.

I bat .400.

My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me. Dogs love me.

I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair.

While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery.

The laws of physics do not apply to me. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami.

Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down.

I have made extraordinary four-course meals using only a Mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis. But I have not yet been placed in Who's Who.

Thank you.

We Are Stardust

Now this is cool. Glycine, an amino acid (a building block of proteins), has been found in a comet for the first time, bolstering the theory that raw ingredients of life arrived on Earth from outer space. According to news reports, microscopic traces of glycine were discovered in a sample of particles retrieved from the tail of comet Wild 2 by the NASA spacecraft Stardust deep in the solar system some 242 million miles from Earth, in January 2004.

Tapping back over 20 years into my college biology courses...Chains of amino acids are strung together to form protein molecules in everything from hair to the enzymes that regulate chemical reactions inside living organisms. Scientists have long puzzled over whether these complex organic compounds originated on Earth or in space. The latest findings add credence to the notion that extraterrestrial objects such as meteorites and comets may have seeded ancient Earth, and other planets, with the raw materials of life that formed elsewhere in the cosmos.

As Carl Sagan wrote, (and I am paraphrasing) we all have a bit of star dust in us.

It's Real -- The Daily Fight

In a really unfortunate turn of events, photos of Josh Hamilton have surfaced showing the Texas Rangers outfielder drinking heavily in an Arizona bar. The pictures were taken in a Tempe bar last January and show Hamilton apparently having a pretty good time with a bunch of women, none of whom are his wife, and slurping whipped cream off the “torso” of a young woman.

Hamilton released this statement talking about the drunken incident:

“I’m embarrassed about it for my wife Katie, for my kids and for the organization,” Hamilton said. “I’m not perfect. It’s an ongoing struggle, and it’s real. It’s amazing how these things can creep back in. But I am human and I have struggles.”

“If I think I can have one drink, I think I can have two, and then it snowballs to 10 or 12,” Hamilton said. “As soon as it happened, I called my support staff — Katie, the organization and MLB — and told them what happened. I was open and honest about it. People with an addiction can make a mistake.”

This story hit me pretty hard. I was at an airport waiting for a flight when the story came up on ESPN, and I let out a fairly audible “oh no.” I was inspired by Hamilton, a top MLB prospect who spiraled down into addiction to crack and alcohol. His addiction was so severe that he actually bounced a check to a drug dealer, even though he was making millions.

But he seemed to have caged his demons and turned his life around. He was on fire last year in the majors. And at the 2008 Home Run Derby he was incredible. His story appeared to be one of redemption and spiritual awakening. We’re America. We love a comeback story, and that’s exactly what this was. It was a sure bet to be made into a Disney movie.

Josh Hamilton slipped at least once and may well slip again. That's the awful truth of life with addiction. Make no mistake about it: every single day is a fight, a terrible, endless fight that is never won. "Once more unto the breach," every day. Consider a life lived one day at a time, one hour at a time against a disease that smothers your heart, corrodes your soul, chews away at your self-confidence and destroys families, careers, you name it. Rust never sleeps.


If you've fought the demons of addiction or if you've had a friend or family member fight the fight, you won't judge Hamilton. You'll pray for him and his family.

Addicts have good days and bad days. On the bad days, the demons creep into their brains, sapping their strength, fight, everything.

We knew this last summer when everyone was writing and talking about Hamilton's heroic fight. His drug and alcohol use almost killed him. There was the morning he knocked on his grandmother's door. He knew he'd hit bottom when she didn't recognize the sad, wasted figure in front of her.

To come from there to do the things he did last summer was almost incomprehensible. Yet somehow, we knew it was just round one of the fight.

Somebody once asked me how many chances an addict should get. Three strikes? Six strikes? I couldn’t answer, but a man next to me snapped “As many as he needs.“ It reminded me of a passage in the bible – and I know I am not getting this completely right – where Jesus is asked how many times should we forgive somebody who wrongs us, how many chances should they get? Jesus replied “a thousand times a thousand,” or something like that. JC was a pretty cool dude, and his response really rocked those Pharisees on their heels.


Hamilton seems like a good and decent man, even though he has put his family through hell and was forced to admit a slip in his sobriety. He'd admitted it to his family members and to Major League Baseball months ago. He did it quickly and apparently set out to get his life back in order.


He plays for the Texas Rangers, but it's a stretch to call him a teammate. Hamilton lives apart from them after games. He can't go the places they go, so he returns to his hotel room, usually won't set foot in a bar, won't be around his teammates if there's alcohol. He typically doesn't even have money in his pocket. One less temptation.

His slip will be national news, and some people will feel duped by his feel-good story. These are the people who simply don't understand that addiction is a disease, not a choice.

These stories frequently don't have happy endings. An NFL general manager once said that there was about a 90 percent chance that a player with a substance-abuse problem would have a relapse. To this particular GM, the report was a mandate to not give addicts a second chance. Why waste time and money on someone who was going to end up disappointing you?


Josh Hamilton may end up a statistic, too. This might be the first of many slips. Then again, he may have been lying to us all along. We just don't know. That's the terrible truth about addiction. God gave Hamilton amazing physical gifts but tested him in ways most of us can't comprehend.
Hamilton has done a wonderful job telling his story and detailing his daily fight. And he surely has helped at least a few people in their daily walk, including me. With his slip, he reminded us the fight will never be won. It’s real indeed.

Perseid Meteor Shower Was Awesome

The annual Perseid meteor shower last night was a really good show and worth getting up in the wee hours of the morning.

The Perseids are always reliable, and sometimes rather spectacular. I try to watch for it every year, regardless of where I am in the world. The only factors that dampen the August show are bad weather, bright moonlight, or city lighting. Unfortunately this week, as the Perseids reached their peak, the moon was high in the sky, outshining the fainter meteors. But it still beat the hell out of TV and was, for me, awe inspiring.

I did some research on the world wide internet and learned that the Perseids are bits of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet has laid down several streams of cosmic flotsam and jetsam, each in a slightly different location, over the centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these debris streams, which spread out over time. So basically it's us passing through a debris field. Pretty damn cool. Even more so when most meteors are no bigger than a pea. They vaporize as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating bright streaks across the sky.

Rock on you crazy, beautiful universe. And thanks for the light show.

Yes, We Really Were Born To Run

I read an interesting article the other day by the South African biologis Louis Liebenberg. During his first "persistence hunt," Dr. Liebenberg was working with bushmen in the Kalahari Desert in the early 1990s. Armed with handmade bows and arrows, the hunters had been stalking kudu. When a young stag split off from the herd, the bushmen ran flat-out after it.

The kudu moved quickly out of sight. Liebenberg, then age 30, hadn't done conditioning to be a long-distance runner, and he was wearing heavy leather boots as a precaution against poisonous snakes. And this was shaping up to be a hard run.

In persistence hunting, the trick is to trot almost nonstop in the heat of the midday sun, pushing the animal along so that it never has time to recover in the shade of an acacia tree. The Kalahari hunters have figured out how to play one critical advantage in a deadly game that pitches their survival against that of animals: Humans have an evaporative cooling system, in the form of sweat; antelope don't. When conditions are right, a man can run even the fastest antelope on earth to death by overheating.

But after 10 or 12 miles, Liebenberg was overheating, too, and by the time he reached the kill, he was so dehydrated he'd stopped sweating. The only liquid in sight was the stomach water of the dead animal, but his companions stopped him from drinking it, because kudu eat a leaf that's toxic to humans. If one of the hunters hadn't run back to camp for water, Liebenberg figures he would have died. He also figures the experience taught him the answer to an ancient question.

What Makes People Run?

Why do 11 percent of Americans and tens of millions of people around the world tie on running shoes and clock their weekly miles? The three most recent presidents of the United States have put in time as runners (and earlier this year, one candidate, Mike Huckabee, trained for the Boston Marathon while campaigning for the U.S. presidency). The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is a runner. And beyond the vast army of ordinary joggers, it can sometimes seem as if the entire planet is trembling beneath the footfalls of ultramarathoners, Ironmen, and other endurance athletes.

What makes us run?

The answer, according to a controversial body of research, is that our passion for running is natural. A small group of biologists, doctors, and anthropologists say our bodies look and function as they do because our survival once depended on endurance running, whether for long-distance hunts like the one Liebenberg witnessed or for racing the competition across the African savanna to scavenge a kill. The prominent science journal Nature put the idea on its cover, with the headline "Born to Run." And in his book Why We Run, the biologist and runner Bernd Heinrich, Ph.D., argues that something exists in all of us that still needs to be out chasing antelopes, or at least dreaming of antelopes. Without that instinct, "we become what a lapdog is to a wolf. And we are inherently more like wolves than lapdogs, because the communal chase is part of our biological makeup."

Daniel Lieberman, Ph.D., first started to think about whether humans evolved for running as he was running a pig on a treadmill. A colleague, the University of Utah biologist Dennis Bramble, happened to look in. "That pig can't keep its head still," he remarked.

This was an observation Lieberman admits he never made in months of running pigs. Bramble invited him next door, where a dog running on a treadmill was holding its head "like a missile." The conversation turned to the nuchal ligament, a sort of shock cord stretching from the back of the skull down the neck. It keeps the head from pitching back and forth during a run. Dogs have one because they've evolved for running. Pigs don't.

Lieberman and Bramble were soon digging through bone collections. The skulls of chimpanzees, our closest primate relatives, showed no evidence of a nuchal ligament. But skulls of the genus Homo, which includes modern humans, did. "We had one of those epiphany moments that happen occasionally in science," says Lieberman. Much as chimps were built for life in the treetops, the two scientists began to ask if humans were built for life on the run.

Anyone who has put in some miles knows how good running can feel, once it stops feeling bad. But beyond the way it feels, medical evidence also suggests that humans are built for endurance exercise. In response to a good training program, for instance, the left ventricular chamber of the heart can increase as much as 20 percent in volume. The chamber walls thicken, too. So the heart fills up faster and pumps more blood to the rest of the body. The coronary arteries also change, dilating more rapidly to meet the body's demand for oxygen. Endurance exercise won't make anyone live forever. But it seems to make the cardiovascular system function the way the owner's manual intended.

In the skeletal muscles, increased blood pressure causes new capillaries to emerge. The mitochondrial engines of the cells ramp up to consume energy more efficiently, helped along by an increase in the production of various antioxidants. These changes in the heart and extremities together typically boost the maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume each minute by 10 to 20 percent. For men who used to become short of breath slouching to the fridge for a beer, VO2 max can increase even more. Lapdogs start to function like wolves.

More surprisingly, the brain responds as if it was built for endurance exercise, too. Everybody knows about the runner's high, that feeling of euphoria thought to be triggered by a rush of endorphins to the reward centers of the brain, usually near the end of a good, long workout. But researchers have discovered lately that exercise affects the function of 33 different genes in the hippocampus, which plays a key role in mood, memory, and learning. By stimulating growth factors, exercise also produces new brain cells, new and enhanced connections between existing cells, new blood vessels for energy supply, and increased production of enzymes for putting glucose and other nutrients to work.

People who exercise regularly perform better on some cognitive tests: Run more, think better, hunt smarter, eat better. Exercise also seems to buffer the brain against neurological damage, reducing the effects of stress and delaying the onset of Alzheimer's and other diseases. Most significant, exercise helps prevent and alleviate depression, which afflicts one in six Americans and costs $83 billion a year. In fact, studies suggest that exercise works as well as pharmaceutical antidepressants, and that the effect is "dose dependent"--that is, the more you exercise, the better you feel.

Running may also be the forgotten reason for many of the movements—the turn of a shoulder, the sway of a hip—we think of as most gracefully human. The lines of a Theodore Roethke poem come to mind: "My eyes, they dazzled at her flowing knees; / Her several parts could keep a pure repose, / Or one hip quiver with a mobile nose / (She moved in circles, and those circles moved)."

To put it in the less romantic language of anatomy, it's the reason we are sweaty, hairless, elongated, and upright. It's also the reason, Lieberman and Bramble say, for the exaggerated size of the human gluteus maximus. Their studies show that our big buttocks don't matter much in walking on level ground, but they are essential for staying upright when we run.

Our legs have evolved for running, too, says Lieberman, and not merely in length. "Human legs are filled with tendons.

Chimpanzees have only a few, very short tendons. Tendons are springs. They store up elastic energy, and you don't use elastic energy when you walk—at least not much of it." But when you run, storing up the force of impact and releasing it as you kick off is essential. Smart runners know they can release that force more efficiently by using a springier gait, says Lieberman. "It's really about the jump."

Other scientists have begun to incorporate the "endurance-running hypothesis" into their research. Timothy Noakes, M.D., a South African physician whose book The Lore of Running is the bible of technical running, argues that misunderstanding human evolution can pose a deadly hazard to endurance athletes. British and American runners in particular have fallen prey to the notion that it's essential to stay heavily hydrated during a race. Runners have died of hyponatremia brought on by drinking too much liquid while sweating profusely, which diluted their blood sodium to a lethal level.

"Humans evolved not to drink much at all during exercise," says Dr. Noakes, chairman of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town. "If they had to stop every 5 minutes to drink, they would never have caught the antelope." The secret for modern runners, he says, is to drink just enough to minimize thirst. "The best runners in any culture are the ones who run the farthest and drink the least, and the bushmen are the classic example. Humans are built to become dehydrated. That's the point."

There is nothing quite so gentle, deep, and irrational as our running—and nothing quite so savage and so wild.

I Don't Take Myself Too Seriously

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road."

Henry Ward Beecher,
Clergyman and Lecturer

Best Motovational Speech Ever

The late, great Jimmy Valvano.

Every day: laugh, think, be moved to tears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePX1kqkFH6s

Awaiting on You All

Awaiting on You All
by
George Harrison

You dont need no love in
You dont need no bed pan
You dont need a horoscope or a microscope
The see the mess that youre in
If you open up your heart
You will know what I mean
Weve been polluted so long
Now heres a way for you to get clean

By chanting the names of the lord and youll be free
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
Chanting the names of the lord and youll be free
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see

You dont need no passport
And you dont need no visas
You dont need to designate or to emigrate
Before you can see jesus
If you open up your heart
Youll see hes right there
Always was and will be
Hell relieve you of your cares

By chanting the names of the lord and youll be free
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
Chanting the names of the lord and youll be free
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see

You dont need no church house
And you dont need no temple
You dont need no rosary beads or them books to read
To see that you have fallen
If you open up your heart
You will know what I mean
Weve been kept down so long
Someones thinking that were all green

And while the pope owns 51% of general motors
And the stock exchange is the only thing hes qualified to quote us
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
By chanting the names of the lord and youll be free

I Am Not Macho

I have had several epiphanies of late. For example, I am a rotten boyfriend/companion/mate who should not be let near any decent female lest said female wants to be disappointed and made miserable in a relatively short period of time. But that is not the epiphany I am writing about.

I am not macho. And if you are reading this, you are not macho. Period. Case closed. Real men do not read anything other than Guns And Ammo, Sports Illustrated, or ESPN The Magazine.

I write a blog that most of the time laments lost love, so I am the most unmacho of us all. I am practically a girl.

Do not mention Fire In The Belly. Do not clutch your copy of Iron John. Sit
your soft little ass down and listen up. Understanding macho means that you
don't possess it. I have proven myself to be the creampuff that I am by writing
this piece. (I'm wearing a diaphonous, powder blue cotton print shirt and peach panties as I type.)

Ernest Hemingway, you say? Wrong. Ernest lived a very macho
life and wrote some very macho stories. But Ernest threw it all away by
blowing his head off with a shotgun. Very unmacho. Real men do not commit
suicide. Real men grit their teeth and take it bill after bill, war after war, tumor after tumor. You don't greet Death, you punch him in the throat repeatedly as he drags you away. I think John Wayne said it best when he said, "Fuck Death and the lung cancer he rode in on."


Macho is a very slippery thing. You don't read about it, you don't write
about it, you don't even know the correct spelling of the word. In a vain
attempt to keep some semblance of masculinity, I didn't research the roots
of the word while writing this article, but I can only assume that "macho"
comes from "machismo," which sounds a hell of a lot like machine. Being
macho implies a tough, hard, blocklike approach full of pistons and rods and
axles and other big steel-type stuff.


From time to time, people try to use macho as an image builder. George Bush tried it for eight years, to no avail. The last macho president we had was FDR. FDR -- a man stricken by polio, stuck in a wheelchair, fighting the Nazis all the while smoking 3 & 1/2 packs a day. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!" Yeah, and staircases, of course. And soccer and dancing.


I think the death of macho is easily located on a very recent map. Sometime
in the late '70s-right around the time the Village People released "Macho
Man" and Barry Manilow sang "Copacabana" and Robby Benson was mewling his
way into the hearts of teenage ultra-virgin, men made a serious mistake. We
started TALKING to each other. We stopped punching each other and began
discussing why we wanted to punch each other. I'll bet my right nut that if
I had done some research, I would have found a dramatic decline in facial
cuts and brain contusions starting in 1977. Now we're supposed to be
sensitive. We are supposed to share our feelings and cry at funerals and
care about our hair. We're, in short, supposed to be women. Hello, my name
is Shirley. Touch me in the morning.


I believe in equal rights. I believe that women should get equal pay for
equal jobs. I believe women should have control of their bodies and be in
positions of power. I believe we should have the same size shoulder pads in
our suits. But I also believe that men should be men and women should be,
well, women. Women should be soft and smart and mysterious. And men should
have their own tools. I pine for the sheer stupidity of the old macho days,
when men would brandish hammers and build huge, bulky cars that sucked up
gas and tore open the ozone layer and crushed small animals beneath totally
useless but totally cool-looking tail fins. When men were apes with good
shoes and a dental plan.

John Wayne, John Huston, Bill Holden, Bob Mitchum,
Clark Gable, Babe Ruth, Lee Marvin, Sam Peckinpah. Men who drank and fought
and puked and ate raw meat right off the bone and drank some more and fought
some more and puked again and kept on drinking. Men who died of massive
heart attacks or sudden brain seizures or who just plain fucking blew up.
Men who had cancer six or seven times. Men made out of leather.


My dad was one of these men. My dad once cut off his finger with a lawn mower. He drove himself to the hospital smoking a Winston on the way. My dad's theory was simple: no pain-no fucking pain. My dad smoked 4 packs a day, ate raw bacon for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One night in 1985, he ate a big steak dinner
with a side order of bacon and extra steak fries. He ordered some coffee,
sat back, lit up a cigarette, and exploded.

I don't wanna hear about Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even Arnold caved in. In
Terminator 2, he was all of a sudden Mr. Caring Guy, protecting the kid and
hoping the earth wouldn't end. Bullshit. There was even a sequence at the
end of the movie where a huge truck full of flammable liquid tears down a
highway for about 3 minutes and then doesn't blow up. A sign of the times if
ever there was one. Every real man knows the 1 golden rule of macho movie
making: if you see a truck on screen, blow it up. In Thelma & Louise, the
women saw a truck. What did they do? Susan Sarandon pulled out her gun and
blew the truck way the fuck up. Another sign of the times. Arnold's tromping
around praying for the earth to save itself and Ms. Davis and Ms. Sarandon
are drinking and shooting and screwing their way all over the macho west.
Citizen Kane? A masterpiece. But every real man knows it would have been
better if a huge Mack truck with the word ROSEBUD emblazoned on the trailer
drove through the front gate of the mansion and then KAA-POWWWWW!

Another movie matter I'd like to get off my girly little chest: asses. Part
of this new male code has men baring their butts on screen the way women
used to do. Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Michael Douglas, and of course,
Arnold. Hey if I wanted to see Kevin Costner's ass, I would've married him.
You never saw Bob Mitchum's ass. I am not in the movies, and I
can guarantee you that you never see my ass on any screen but if you do, it
will not be shaved. It will be hairy and hoary and very, very white.

Our macho movie idols have changed forever. No wonder they end up baring it
all. Listen to the names--Mel, Kevin, Michael, Arnold. In the old days movie
stars had real names: John, Bill, Duke, Buck, Chuck, Rip. Kevin sounds like
your skinny Irish cousin with the big Coke bottle glasses and a heat rash;
Mel, the guy in charge of aisle five at Woolworth's. ("Excuse me Mel, where
are the light bulbs?")

It's getting very bad, boys. We don't blow up trucks anymore. Hell, we don't
even drive trucks anymore. We drive simple little Japanese cars with air
bags. In the old days we used to rip out the seat belts and fly through the
windshield ready for action. "Thrown from the car." Remember that phrase in
accident reports? Always the sign of a very macho driver.

We seem a little more sorry, a little more plump, a lot more ladylike around
the edges. If you really want to reclaim your macho self, if you really want
to be a macho, macho man, stop reading this blog.

If you are still reading, you probably need a little more help. Forget
Robert Bly or "Fire In Your Prostate." Don't go on a Male-Bonding
Self-Discovery Weekend, which is just another term for Circle Jerk as far as
I'm concerned. Here, instead, is a guide:

BALLS, A.K.A. COJONES: You should have several. Preferably brass or steel.
Extra large.

CRYING: Never. Ever. Over anything. Not death in the family, not a bullet in
the chest. You may tear up ever so slightly in one eye only when watching a
favorite sports legend retire. You may tear up in both eyes only when
kicked, accidentally or on purpose, in the COJONES.

KISSING: see "SPORTS"

HUGGING: see "SPORTS"

SPORTS: Once all men within reach are dressed in a team uniform, it is
perfectly acceptable to kiss and hug and grab each other's ass. This is
probably because all men are latent homosexuals and prefer male company to
female company. But if some guy points out this fact to you, punch him
directly in the throat. (Optional retorts: "Prefer this!" or "Fuck You!" or
"Shut the fuck up!"

HEALTH: Never go to the hospital or visit a doctor. If you have a stroke,
keep drinking and act like you prefer to use only one side of your body. If
you cut off a limb while using a power tool--so what? That's why there's
duct tape and staple guns. If someone tries to drive you to the hospital
after a heart attack or maiming, punch him in the throat. (Optional retorts:
"Drive This!" or "Fuck you!" or "Shut the fuck up!")

DIET: meat, cigarettes, meat, booze, meat, and coffee. In case of aneurysm
or alcohol-induced coma, see "HEALTH."

FIGHTING: At all times, over anything. Never hit a woman. Or a child. Or a
bus. Never hit a priest until he takes off his collar. (If it's the pope,
wait until he removes the large hat.) Clergy will often provoke a punch in
the throat with their "violence doesn't prove anything" pontifications.
(Optional retorts: "Prove this!" or "Fuck you Father!" or "Shut the fuck up,
Padre!")

DRINKING: No falling down. No puking--unless to empty the stomach in order
to continue drinking. No slurring of words. Tell a few war stories: "See
that scar? I was in 'Nam and I ate a grenade and it blew up in my colon." If
your aim is off due to alcohol, it's acceptable to punch someone in the head
or solar plexus.

SEX: You're probably too drunk or just plain stupid to have sex but pretend
you get a lot, i.e. "You should've seen me last night, blah, blah, blah, blah."
Absorb this info and you should be on your way. If you have any further
questions, call 1-800-COJONES. Remember: We're men. Big, boxy, sweaty,
ignorant men. We have penises. Well, we used to have penises. Either way, I
think Billy Martin, the late Yankees manager, said it best when he said,
"Hey, I can drive."

Successful School Programs

My first year as President of Dayton Oaks ES PTA is winding down. I wanted to share with you all a few of the programs of which I am particularly proud.

After School Programs:

PTA coordinated six after school programs for the spring term. Programs included conversational Spanish, Taking Golf After School, Yoga, KidzArt, and Drama Kids for all grades and MindTools STEM for Gr. 4-5. Approximately 100 children participated in these programs. PTA asked parents who registered their children for after school programs to visit the program at least once during the term. PTA wishes to thank the parents who took an active interest in visiting the classes, it was helped make the programs successful. For information contact Debbie Subera-Wiggin at j.wiggin@verizon.net.

Golden Sneakers Walking Program:

Kudos to the walkers who spent their Friday recess periods from March 20-April 24. Dayton Oaks students walked a total of 1035 miles in this year's Golden Sneakers walking program. PTA parent volunteers monitored over 220 student walkers during the spring program. This time students counted their steps with pedometers as they walked the track circuit (about one half mile). The walkers will receive the pedometers for their personal use with their walking certificates. 37% of the student population walked on March 20, the starting day on March 20. The participant percentage dropped to 14% on April 24, the last Friday of the program. Class participation percentages and each walker's distances are still being tabulated at time of publication. The PTA thanks the parent volunteers who generously donated their time to get this program off the ground.

The Dark Parts of Yourself

"Confront the dark parts of yourself. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing."

Playwright August Wilson

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

In 1962 U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, realizing that very few people were concerned about environmental issues, decided something needed to be done to protect the environment. He initiated the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency and helped to pass the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Senator Nelson organized the very first Earth Day, held on April 22, 1970. On that day, over 20 million people participated, helping to put environmental issues in the limelight. In 1971,the United Nations Secretary General signed a proclamation establishing Earth Day as an official international holiday.

At my daughter's school, we started our Earth Day celebration yesterday, with the planting of three Redbud trees donated by Mr. and Mrs. David Stadler, owners of Stadler Garden Centers (www.stadlergardencenters.com). These trees, located in the front of the school, are a beautiful addition to our landscaping plan and will help to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

To assist our entire community to "Go Green", the PTA provided reusable grocery bags to all students. Please be sure to thank our student Environmental Club (www.follyquartergoesgreen.blogspot.com), our PTA, and our friends at Efficient Home LLC (www.efficienthomellc.com) for supporting this initiative with funds and a presentation to all this morning.

So Long

After thousands of miles of running, trips to dozens of countries, tens of thousands of airplane miles, being dropped, smashed, frozen, doused in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and after six years of faithful service, my iPod has finally died. Fittingly, it froze on Thunder Road.

So long, travel well, sleep deep.

Obama Administration Declares Greenhouse Gases Endanger Public Health

The Environmental Protection Agency April 17 issued a proposed rule declaring that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, a move that lays the groundwork for the agency to begin regulating emissions linked to global warming.

"Concentrations of greenhouse gases are at unprecedented levels compared to the recent and distant past. These high atmospheric levels are the unambiguous result of human emissions, and are very likely the cause of the observed increase in average temperatures and other climatic changes," EPA said.

EPA is undertaking the proposed rulemaking under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act in response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling related to emissions from motor vehicles. The court said greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act and that the agency must either issue an endangerment finding or justify a decision not to (Massachusetts v. EPA, 127 S. Ct. 1438, 63 ERC 2057 (2007)).

Administrator Lisa Jackson signed the proposed rule April 17, and the agency said it would appear in the Federal Register soon. EPA will take comment on the proposed rule for 60 days after it is published.

"This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama's call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation," Jackson said in a statement. "This pollution problem has a solution—one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country's dependence on foreign oil."

A final rule finding that greenhouse gases endanger health and welfare would lead to regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act, and indirectly to regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources.

EPA cautioned that the finding in itself does not impose any requirements. The agency would have to conduct further rulemaking to impose regulatory requirements on motor vehicles or stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input, the agency said.

In announcing the proposed rule, EPA noted that both Obama and Jackson have repeatedly indicated a preference for comprehensive legislation from Congress to address the issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, also stated a preference for having Congress act.

The EPA proposed finding identified six key greenhouse gases that the agency said threaten public health and welfare: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

The proposed rule outlined two key findings: first, that greenhouse gases are pose a danger, and, second, that the combined emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and hydrofluorocarbons from new motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines contribute to the atmospheric concentrations of the gases and to the threat of climate change.

Under Section 202 (a) (1) of the Clean Air Act, EPA must issue standards for air pollutants from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines that cause or contribute to air pollution "which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare."

Before issuing any standards to regulate emissions, the agency must first determine whether the pollutant may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. Second, EPA must decide whether emissions from new motor vehicles or engines cause or contribute to the pollution.

Earth Day Photos

The US Environmental Protection Agency is once again conducting an Earth Day photo project. Click here to see some of the wonderful photographs:

http://www.epa.gov/earthday/photoproject

Maryland Rugby at Maryland Day, April 25

Maryland Day Alumni Game - April 25th

The University of Maryland Rugby team invites all alumni and family to join the current team and former teammates in a day of rugby, fun, food, and celebration.

Maryland Rugby has been active for over 40 years and continues a winning tradition with active support from our alumni. Enjoy all the activities that the university has set up for the day and continue that fun with former teammates and friends during our alumni game. After all the festivities, grab some food and beverages at Sante Fe Restaurant located minutes from the playing field.

We are hoping the college team will have food available for alumni and their family at the field in addition to the opportunity to purchase Maryland Rugby clothing.

A goal for the alumni fundraising will be to purchase a trophy case for the Eppley Recreation center and start to return the 42 years worth of hardware so it can be displayed.

Tenative Schedule
11am PRU HS (club div) championship
12:30 PRU HS (school div) Championship
2pm Alumni matches

Post Match at Sante Fe approx. 4:30

Additional Maryland Day Highlights at:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.marylandday.umd.edu%2F

Forget Yourself

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music -- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."

Henry Miller

An Irish Easter Blessing

"At the breaking of the Easter dawn
may the Risen Saviour bless your home
with grace and peace from above,
with joy and laughter, and with love
And when night is nigh, and day is done
Make He keep you safe from all harm."

Beannachtaí Ná Cásca oraibh

May the blessings of Easter be upon you.

For a good article on Irish Easter traditions, see Bridget Haggerty's The dance of the Sun at Dawn and a cake dance in the afternoon on the Irish Culture and Customs website. You might also enjoy Easter Saturday and Funeral for a Fish.

When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes, but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me

Today I dont need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart was going boom boom boom
Hey, I said, you can keep my things, they've come to take me home.

Mix a little foolishness with your prudence: It's good to be silly at the right moment.

Horace

Roman poet

Why Isn't Every Day World Water Day?

World Water Day was March 22.

If you're reading this, odds are you already know that a huge amount of your body is made up of water. The overwhelming majority of our planet is covered in water. Every beverage we drink has at least some amount of water in it.

But what happens if that water isn't clean?

People get sick, that's what.

Now, in countries like the US, UK, and other "in" places we've got stuff like cholera and typhoid taken care of, but this is not the case in countries that couldn't care less about Brangelina or Dancing With the Stars. Last fall, over in America's 51st state (Iraq), they suffered an outbreak of cholera that killed quite a few Iraqis, sadly.

So, clean drinking water is clearly a problem and it's something we can all help raise awareness about. How can you help more folks know about issues regarding clean drinking water? For starters, you can blog about it yourself. You can tell your friends and family about it. Or you could do something as simple as joining the World Water Day Facebook group. You can follow WorldH2O and Chlorine on Twitter. For each person who joins the Facebook group, follows WorldH2O and Chlorine, the American Chemistry Council will contribute five chlorine tablets designed to disinfect 100 liters of water to areas of the world that are struggling to find clean drinking water.

As of two days ago, people who have joined the FB group, and followed both WorldH2O and Chlorine on Twitter have helped donate enough chlorine tablets to clean over 180,000 liters of water--that's over 47,000 gallons of water.

In case you're curious, cholera causes diarrhea. Diarrhea can cause massive dehydration pretty quickly (sometimes within hours). Dehydration means your body is losing water. Remember your body is mostly made of water. Lose that and most of what keeps you alive is gone, and so are you.

EPA Proposal Calls Greenhouse Gases a Danger to the Public

The Environmental Protection Agency has sent a proposal to the White House that would label carbon dioxide a danger to public welfare — a key precursor to regulating greenhouse gas emissions as pollutants.

The long-awaited finding stems from a 2007 Supreme Court decision in which the agency was found to have the authority to regulate emissions that contribute to global warming. If finalized, the proposal would permit the agency to begin such regulation — which the Obama administration has signaled is a priority.

The proposal sends an unmistakable signal that the Obama administration is moving forward on this issues and it will certainly have a backstop ready if Congress doesn’t act.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day from Running Strong

Greetings!

On this day of celebration, Running Strong would like to remember an act of overwhelming kindness.

When the Irish people faced hardship and famine over 161 years ago, American Indians responded with generosity in their hearts. In 1847, the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma gathered money and whatever food they could spare to send to Ireland's hungry.

In 1995, the President of Ireland travelled to Oklahoma to recognize this connection between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland.

This spirit of generosity found throughout Indian Country is what motivates Billy Mills to help American Indian youth follow their dreams. And it's your generosity that makes those dreams come true!

Since we're all a little bit Irish today, please forward this email to your "Irish" friends to see if they know about the gift of the Choctaw Nation.

And remember to check out our website for weekly updates about Running Strong programs that count on your support throughout the year.

Have a safe and fun St. Paddy's Day.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Beer: It Does A Body Good

Crap. Now that I no longer drink this new research comes out: Forget milk. New research shows alcohol is good for your bones.

Scientists at Tufts University (do they have a football team?) found that moderate drinking seems to prevent loss of bone mineral density (BMD) associated with aging. Bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, which can lead to increased risk of fractures and injury.

Well, there you go. Moderate drinking. Cuts me out.

The researchers think silicon in beer might be the reason they found stronger bones in men who drink one to two beers or the equivalent in alcohol every day.

Beer has even more health benefits. It increases good cholesterol, helps you sleep better, and can even be used -- occasionally -- as a post-workout recovery drink because of its potassium, carbohydrates, B vitamins, and water content. Just read a Dean Karnasias book. He drinks beer after his marathon runs. Of course, he runs a marathon a day, so no beer gut.

But take it easy, guys. For beer to be good for you, you can’t overindulge. Drink moderately, which means no more than two drinks a day, otherwise alcohol will have the opposite effect on your health.

Go ahead and have that beer with dinner, but to prevent a belly and weight-gain-related health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, keep the quantity down. And remember: One beer has around 120 calories, so you’ll have to work that off.

HUGE NEWS: EPA Proposes First National Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Yesterday I wrote about how President Obama's budget proposal puts EPA back in the game. Today comes more exciting news: EPA today proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States.

Make no mistake: THIS IS HUGE.

The new EPA is clearly moving at light speed to undo the many wrongs of the previous administration.

"Our efforts to confront climate change must be guided by the best possible information," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson in a press release. Through this new reporting, we should have comprehensive and accurate data about the production of greenhouse gases. This is a critical step toward helping us better protect our health and environment.

In developing the reporting requirements, EPA considered the substantial amount of work already completed and underway in many states, regions and voluntary programs.

The new reporting requirements would apply to suppliers of fossil fuel and industrial chemicals, manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines, as well as large direct emitters of greenhouse gases with emissions equal to or greater than a threshold of 25,000 metric tons per year. This threshold is roughly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from just over 4,500 passenger vehicles.

The direct emission sources covered under the reporting requirement would include energy intensive sectors such as cement production, iron and steel production, and electricity generation, among others.

The first annual report would be submitted to EPA in 2011 for the calendar year 2010, except for vehicle and engine manufacturers, which would begin reporting for model year 2011.

Back On Track

A clear shift is taking place under President Barack Obama toward tightening environmental regulations, representing a significant departure from the George Bush led White House. During the previous administration, actions of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) trended toward relaxing these rules.

After less than a month in charge, the Obama administration is distinguishing itself from the policies of Bush in many areas affecting public health and the environment. These range from pushing for a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program - under which the government sets a limit on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted - to moving forward with regulating mercury emissions.

The Obama administration backed the first-ever global treaty to control mercury releases last month. Under the landmark decision, the governments of over 140 countries agreed to begin negotiations on an international mercury treaty to address world-wide emissions and discharges of the chemical. The plan includes sharply reducing the global supply of mercury, as well as lowering the amount of mercury contained in products like thermometers.

The Bush administration opposed international efforts to limit the use of mercury, which EPA itself identifies as a neurotoxin. But on 23 February, the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the current EPA to issue new regulations on mercury emissions and other pollutants from US coal-fired power plants. The country's highest court refused to consider a case appealing the decision by a lower federal court to overturn the previous EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), which allowed exemptions to the federal Clean Air Act for coal power plants. The lower court had ruled last year that EPA, under Bush, had violated the Clean Air Act by evading mandatory cuts in mercury pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

Also in late February, a federal appeals court ruled that the Bush-era clean air standards were deficient, and sent them back to be revamped by the current EPA. During Bush's tenure, the agency had decided to keep annual airborn particulate standards at the same level despite a recommendation from its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Council to strengthen the standard for long-term exposure from 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 12 to 14 micrograms per cubic meter.

In its opinion, the court found that EPA "did not adequately explain" why an annual level of 15 micrograms per cubic meter is sufficient to protect the public health while also safeguarding against short-term exposures and morbidity affecting vulnerable subpopulations. The court held that 'in several respects," EPA's refusal to adopt stronger standards was "contrary to law and unsupported by adequately reasoned decision-making".

Beyond the courts, significant action is also taking place on Capitol Hill. An appropriations bill for fiscal year 2009 that passed the House of Representatives on 25 February includes a provision to reverse a Bush-era change that weakened the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) - a public EPA database containing information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activities reported annually. The language prevents EPA from spending money to continue implementing the new rule, which changed the requirements for how much information facilities needed to report on the pollution that they release.

Originally, if an entity emitted waste involving any of several hundred chemicals of concern that added up to 500 pounds or more, they had to report in detail on the quantities and locations of their toxic chemical releases. The TRI modification under Bush, which took effect in December 2006, boosted that threshold to 5000 pounds. It is currently being challenged by a lawsuit brought by thirteen states.

There is some expectation that a similar provision to undo these TRI changes will be included in the Senate's forthcoming version of the 2009 appropriations bill, and it may survive in the final bill sent to Obama. At the same time, the new head of EPA, Lisa Jackson, is being lobbied to restore the TRI programme to the original reporting standards.

Meanwhile, Obama has proposed a significant funding increase for EPA in fiscal year 2010. The agency would receive a 35 per cent boost under a blueprint budget proposal unveiled by the president on 26 February. The $2.7 billion bump would bring the agency's budget to $10.5 billion. That money would be on top of $7 billion that EPA received in the recently enacted economic stimulus package, to be spent in 2009 and 2010.

The White House's proposal for EPA includes a $19 million budget increase for a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and related activities that will provide data needed to implement a comprehensive climate change bill. It also would fund the agency's operating budget, which comprises its core regulatory, research, and enforcement activities, at $3.9 billion - the highest level ever.

With these proposed resources, and the president's strong environmental agenda, it should be overwhelmingly clear that EPA is back on the job.

Who Wrote This?

"Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."

This is the last paragraph in The Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin.

I think what he is trying to convey -- or at least the way I choose to read this -- is that there is pain and death and hurt all around us, and that is natural. But from that pain and death and hurt life springs abundantly and most magnificently, and it will always be so. And that, my friends, is a most comforting and wonderful thing.

Ain't life grand? Let the world spin madly on.

Chris

The 84th Problem

A troubled individual seeking truth and enlightenment climbs the mountain to seek answers from a very wise, old woman. When he arrives at her hut, the wizened old woman says, before our friend can even speak, "Ha! You have a problem my son."

Startled, the man asks how the woman knows he has a problem.

"Because," the woman replies, "you have eighty three problems."

"How do you know that?" the man asks, somewhat indignantly.

As she sips her tea through a sugar cube, the old woman replies, "The universe is very fair; everyone always has eighty three problems."

The man ponders this for a moment and then asks, "What am I to do with these problems?"

"Solve them!" the woman snaps.

"What will happen then?"

"Then you will receive more problems, because everyone will always have eighty three problems." She sips her tea and then adds "But you actually have an eighty fourth problem."

"Oh yeah, and what is that?" the man asks in exasperation.

The old woman says "Your eighty fourth problem is believing that you shouldn't have eighty three problems."