Earth Day 2011

No words needed...

Peace



photo from http://www.geekstir.com/high-definition-photo-of-earth-from-space

Lauren, You Are Not Alone...

My Fight: Chemo #9

This is a video link to a very young woman who has been diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkins Lymphoma.  To see the courage in someone so young is such an inspiration. It reminds me just how precious life is and how we must cherish every moment. Thank you Lauren for sharing your journey with us - maybe this will wake us up and let us realize the beauty of the World.

Symbol of Trust

"Dad - i wanna go play in the rain.  Can i go play - pleeeeease?"

Look at these guys. Look at these faces. There’s something very special about the bond between our animal friends and us. We might not quite be able to put our fingers on it – some might say it’s unconditional love. Others would say friendship. Or say their zany antics are what give them a special place in our hearts. Whatever the case, we have all felt it. Haven’t we?

Every once in a while, i run across a person who doesn’t like animals. I’m not talking about the “i don’t like little dogs,” or the “i hate cats,” kind of people. But the all-out, “i don’t like animals no matter what shape, size, or color,” kind of people. A statement like that momentarily stops my brain from functioning. My recovery is jump-started by a barrage of questions aimed at clarifying what i perceive as my misunderstanding. “What? You don’t like cats? You don’t like dogs? Birds? Horses? What – not even fish?” At this point i find myself in a very rare situation. Speechlessness. Because this is truly baffling to me. But something else happens when i learn that a person doesn’t like animals. I immediately pull away. Maybe not physically, but emotionally i feel a barrier go up. Something about a person who cannot like an animal hits some fundamental nerve – and i cannot fully trust them. They are one step away from those who also don’t like animals but lie about it. And instead have pets they treat cruelly, even torture or kill, with the indifferent rationale that, “It’s just an animal. Who cares?”


Thankfully that’s not the majority of people. We love our little Fluffy’s, Smokey’s, and Polly’s. They make us feel good about ourselves in a sometimes very harsh world. They’re like Prudential – they are the Rock when it comes to calming our souls and soothing our hearts. They possess unwavering, supportive healing powers. And that’s something you can count on.

"!!! Psst! Go 'way silly human! Givin' 'way my secret, invisible, ninja, hiding spot!"

One Day Without Shoes

I come across some of the strangest things online. Don’t we all? Our inboxes are full of cool, gross, and humorous clips friends have forwarded to us from the Internet. Today i found a fun little site that’s my favorite kind of find – an off-beat, funky, worthy cause. One Day Without Shoes is hosted and support by MSN/Microsoft and Tom’s Shoes – a shoe manufacturer who promises for every pair of shoes purchased, one pair goes to a child in need. And as far as i can tell – that’s 365 days a year. Awesome. The goal for One Day Without Shoes is to raise awareness of children in poverty who have never had a pair of shoes and some of the problems that arise – diseases, infections, and bias – that come from being shoeless in a shoed world. According to Tom’s, 300 million children are without shoes. That’s a lot of little exposed toes in a cold, cold world. Tom’s is asking us to go barefoot for the day to raise awareness. And of course buy a pair of shoes.


I like the sentiment. But i wonder the overall sanity. I mean, we’re born without shoes. Humans have existed for thousands and thousands of years without shoes. Of course, there weren’t 6.9 billion people back then. That many people tend to make a helluva lot of garbage – followed closely by an equal amount of parasites and other ickies that probably didn’t exist.

And something else occurred to me, if there’re so many bugs, infections, and other not-so-pleasant things out there waiting to attack us, why is Tom’s asking us to go without shoes for a day? Isn’t that like asking for a lawsuit? “Tom asked me to go without shoes and I did and I got this nasty cut on my foot and then it got infected and now I’ve been to the doctor three times and they can’t get rid of the infection and I’ve missed more work than I have sick days…” Can’t you just hear that conversation with some lawyer?

Yet overall it feels like a real Berkeley moment and the biggest eye-brow raiser in all this, is that Tom’s is doing what all manufacturers should be doing – giving. Sure, they’re raising awareness of their own product and hopefully selling a butt-load of shoes, but they are simultaneously raising awareness of children in poverty who have no shoes at all. Don’t be one-sided; you know we are going to buy shoes. It’s a profit-profit situation and the best of what any company should aspire.

As for me, no need to ask twice to go barefoot. I love being barefoot. Reminds me of summer, the beach, of being a kid. So i vote for going One Day Without Shoes. At least in places it’s not illegal. We have laws for that in America because – hygiene issues. Duh.

Win Win

I don’t often promote a movie. In fact, i have never promoted a movie on any of my blogs. That plan usually backfires; instead of promoting, i get a load of crap from people saying i have terrible taste in movies. But yesterday a friend offered me free tickets to a special showing of the comedy film, Win Win. I had never heard of it and – by the promo ad – it didn’t look to be anything i would like. But what do i know?


What i admired about this film was the believability of the actors. They were like people i know. Like myself. They made the kind of mistakes we all make. And they looked like real Americana. No Brangelina’s. No studs or chicks in tight sweaters. No Hollywood schmaltz. The screenplay was wonderfully written, a light-hearted, real-life comedy that kept me laughing. And it was obvious i wasn’t the only one who felt this way – the audience clapped, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. But there were also definite squirm-in-your-seat-moments where the desperation and difficulties we are going through as a nation in recession were quite palpable.

I give this movie two thumbs up – a definite “like.” The show is playing only in a few select theatres, so if you can’t find it playing near you, make sure to put this on your list of DVD’s to rent – or buy – when it comes out. And – head’s up – if you really want to enjoy the film, don’t watch the trailers. They give it away.

Enjoy!

Here's a link to IMDb for a list of actors, movie synopsis, director, etc.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606392/

Denny’s® – Home of the Real People Network

5181 Foothills Blvd., Roseville, CA 95747

You will not find Denny’s® listed on the top 100 restaurants anywhere in the USA. You won’t find it under “places to visit” or “must see’s” on any city’s visitor information. It isn’t the hot topic when friends get together and chat about “that cool new restaurant” down the street.

 But Denny’s has something going for it that other restaurants don’t – it is the Home of the Real People Network. Unlike all those “Listed” and sometimes expensive restaurants, Denny’s is the warm and fuzzy, home-away-from-home place you go when you need some recharge time. It’s where we go to network our basic humanness. The back-to-basics 101 of who we are and what we need. Food. Companionship. Roof over our head. Warmth. There is nothing pretentious about Denny’s. No one expects you to get dressed to the nines. You don’t have to put on a show. You can leave your ego at home and just – be. It’s sorta Zen-like.

 To contradict myself – i like to do that – a new Denny’s just opened up across the street from where i live. And it WAS the talk of the neighborhood. People were excited! Yes! A place to go, to let go. Inexpensive food doesn’t hurt. And it’s always a major bonus to be able to order breakfast at 11 pm. In fact, you can order just about whatever you like at whatever time you like – which is such a treat. We are so constricted with rules, rules, rules everywhere we go. To be given the freedom to have something exactly like you want – well – that almost makes us giddy. And they’ve brought back the FREE Grand Slam® on your birthday! Whoo-hoo!

Happy tummy food aside, some of the best times and best memories have been made in this humble restaurant of the Real America. Seriously, who hasn’t experienced a night out on the town that ended up at Denny’s at 2am? But more than that, Denny’s is where we live our real lives.

I spoke to several people and asked for their favorite memories of Denny’s. For one girl, it was the breakfast place of choice before every family vacation. Another woman spent late nights at Denny’s studying for her Bachelor’s degree. According to her, “it was the only place i could go for some peace and quiet” – and endless coffee. “I was so tired. Coffee kept me going.” Which reminded me of hanging out with my ex and his friends when they were going through physician assistant training. We would meet up at Denny’s, take one of the large round tables in the corner, and proceed to examine every medical case down to the last detail. I have to say, their stories, while educational and oftentimes funny, tended to clear the adjacent tables of people. Lobotomy with your Grand Slam® anyone?

There were lots of stories, the meeting of friends, and the business of meetings. (That’s all management does, right? Go to meetings?) And lovers. Lovers meet. Lovers break up. One couple went on their first date at Denny’s. Cool. That’s as real and as low-key as you get. Just recently they spent their anniversary chowing down at the place that “sealed the deal.” As for myself, this will sound crazy maybe, but i like to go there and write. Yes i have a computer. But there’s something about going to a Denny’s that brings out the Muse. I like the constant hum of human voices and the occasional conversation or laughter that catches my attention. For some reason, it inspires me. And it helps that the staff is always friendly – i’ve never had a bad server at Denny’s – they keep me in constant coffee or whatever i want without a fuss.

So list-makers everywhere, add Denny’s to your list of restaurants – Home of the Real People Network.

For a Denny's near you: http://dennys.com/en/find_dennys.aspx

March 22 - World Water Day!

Pensacola Beach, FL

Water.  It's everywhere.  Ask any number of the grumbling people on Facebook what they think of all the water we are getting in the form of rain right now and you will get an earful of discontentment.  Yes, it has been raining quite a lot.  That's why it's called the rainy season.  If we are lucky, it does this every year. 

I don't actually understand the complaints.  I come from a land of water.  Where i grew up, you're either in the Ocean or you're in a torrential downpour.  Either way you're wet.  Being in a constant state of partially wet, partially dry was how i thought Life was supposed to be. So you either love water - or you move away.  

I Love Water.

Though i moved away.

Yet water is always with me.  It fascinates me.  Water in a glass.  Reflecting, sparkling, and looking oh so tasty.  When i think refreshing - i think of a cool glass of clear water.  Water in the shower.  After a long day or a hard workout - hot water pouring over my head.  Ahhhhh!  Waking in the night to the pitter-patter of rain drops on the roof, and the sound of water rushing through the gutters and onto the sidewalks below.  Standing at my window, drops of rain weigh heavy on a bare-limbed tree.  Each drop looks like a crystal bead.  If i spent a year making ornaments, i could not create something more perfect, more pure than these tiny drops of water that decorate this tree.  

Water makes rainbows.  And rivers.  And sparkling lakes.  Water makes our bodies.  We are water.  About 70% water in fact.  No wonder our moods shift like tides with the moon.  And the Ocean.  I have spent long afternoons floating gently in the warm Gulf water, where i cannot tell where i end and water begins...

So celebrate this day - this day of water.  Celebrate your body.  The rain.  The rivers.  The Ocean.   Pour yourself a glass of water.  Look at it.  Swirl it around.  Breath in deep and drink it slowly.  Enjoy!

http://wwd.surfrider.org/

This is a site that i highly recommend at least taking a moment to look at, if not actually supporting.  It’s a fantastic grassroots organization that has done some marvelous work in protecting our Oceans and beach environments.  Please have a look!