Manny update

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Sad sad news tonight. We had the family for dinner tonight, which was good, because the prognosis after a second opinion from another neurologist is that, barring a miracle, Manny is not coming back, the brain damage is too severe.

The kids: Dennis, Tammy, Kim and their families (including Steve) are planning on going to Connie's tomorrow and clean the house up, not remove his stuff or anything like that, just clean it up. That and assess exactly how much work remains on the kitchen remodel so we can plan that out and get it done as soon as is feasible.

The goal is to soften the blow for Connie as far as 'real life' as much as possible. She is very sad of course, but she has also very clear rationally made some decisions on the things that she needs to do as far as the finances etc. My biggest fear is her withdrawing into herself in response to all the tragedy in her life in recent months and years. Which was why it was so important to have another fun family dinner tonight, despite the circumstances. Because the bottom line in a situation like this is that the people you look to is your family. And one of the things I love so much about Kim's family is that despite their differences and difficulties they are very close and quick to go to each others aid when necessary. So I think we can pull her through this, but I will still look for a professional to help her as well.

The Waiting continues

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So Day 5 now, fourth day with no prospects of leaving the house. The kids and I are slowly starting to drive each other nuts. The thing is I can't do much for Connie and the family right now. I don't want to take the kids to the Hospital, and since we are in a waiting vigil there's nothing more to do. And I know that Tammy wants to be there, both for herself and for Connie. And Tammy's kids are even less suitable for the hospital than ours. So I have to make myself available as baby sitter for them. Which is driving me and the boys even more nuts, because at this point they are pretty tired of the cousins. But, with no end in sight there isn't much choice.

The update as of last night was looking worse. Manuel was not responsive yesterday, and his functions appeared to be degenerating. Connie told Kim that his shoulders are starting to acquire the hunched in look that Grandma and Randy had at the end, for whatever that's worth. Again, we still don't have anything definitive, and the prognosis can change at any time.

Kim pointed out last night how this makes poor Connie's holidays even worse. Not just this year either. The thing is Manny's birthday falls on Christmas, so every Christmas will remind us of him. Plus every Thanksgiving will have his shadow over it. And her Mother passed on Mothers Day last year, so that is a double whammy. It's just a real bad streak for her, and I feel so sorry and wish there was something more I could do. I don't know if the posters will get out in time to raise the funds that she will need to pay for things. It's just... yuck, not much fun to think about. But this is one of the reasons I have this blog, writing does help a lot, even if no one really reads what I write.

Manny Poster

 

Manny Update

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

1. The neurologist did an EEG yesterday and finally got back to Connie with the results last night. Basically the prognosis is improved, the chances of catastrophic injury are slimmer than was first thought. And he cautioned that we need to wait at least another 48 hours before any conclusions can be made about the permanent situation. So more waiting, but not as grim as we thought.

2. They took him off the sedatives and the seizures have stopped. He is showing signs of reacting to physical sensation and to some verbal input. So Connie's mood is considerably more upbeat, and she was able to leave the hospital and get some rest.

3. We will be hosting Thanksgiving at our house for Kim & Manny's family. It won't necessarily be a sit down formal meal, so much as a grab what you want when you show up type of affair. We have some cleaning and food prep, but it is under control.

4. And I plan for our house to continue to be a gathering and resting place. And if anyone wants to send flowers they can send them here:
1912 Armstrong Ave
Colo. Spgs. CO 80904

Manny update

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

First, for those who have no idea who I am talking about when I mention him, Manny is Kim's stepfather, Connie's husband. So this has a huge impact on the family.

Connie finally got away from the hospital for a couple of hours last night, coming to our house and eventually getting a couple of hours of rest. Tammy has barely left the hospital either. Steve has stepped up, helping drive the kids around, and then taking them home last night and getting them to bed.

There has been no shortage of offers of help and assistance and for that we are all grateful. This morning I have to get a shot in my neck, but once that is done I will be home for the duration. And I foresee our house becoming the family and close friends gathering place, and a place for Connie to get some respite from the emotional stress of the hospital. It will be hard on the boys, but I have already explained to James that this is something we do, it's part of being in such a wonderful family, we pull together in good times and bad.

As far as a medical update, the news is not good. At this point he is in a coma, and while they are doing as much as they can to determine the extent of the damage, it appears there was a serious amount of damage done to the brain. There is no way to know or predict that he will come out of this, although the prognosis is not good. So again, all of your good thoughts and prayers are welcome.

Manny

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So last night around 9:30 (maybe later) I received a call from Tammy stating: "Kimmy needs to get to Mom's right away. Manual collapsed and he's not breathing." Kim wasn't home, she was at work, so I managed to get a hold of her around the time Tammy called to say that they had gotten a pulse and were taking him to the hospital. It seemed that Manny had a major heart attack. He had surgery soon after he got to the hospital, where they placed a shunt on the major lower artery, which was blocked. So we had gone down to the hospital (after Dad showed up to sleep on the couch and listen for sleeping kids waking up, yeah Dad!). And we waited until around 2 AM with Tammy, Connie and Manny's uncles and aunt.

The operation was a success as far as his heart, but he is in a coma now, with no idea when or if he will recover. They can't be sure what (if any) damage was done to the brain. According to the Dr. it's a waiting game the first 48 to 72 hours after surgery to see if the rest of the body recovers.

So Kim & I went into work today (although I eventually left early because I couldn't stay awake and focus on the training class I was in). Tammy is at the hospital with Connie and will probably remain there as long as she can. Kim & I will probably go back to visit sometime this evening.

It's a tough thing, and obviously super hard for Connie, coming so soon after the death of her little brother Randy. And now to play the waiting game makes it doubly hard. All we can do is hope and pray and think positive thoughts. None of us are all that religious but for those of you who are, any thoughts and prayers you make would certainly be appreciated.

This week

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

I won't be posting as much because I will be in training the next 2 days, then off work the rest of the week. Plus having the preliminary test procedure done on my neck Wednesday morning.

Quickly: we had a good weekend, got some painting done, and had a good shopping trip to Denver. We are hosting a family thanksgiving for Kim's family this year so they have somewhere to go. So we have lots of work to do around the house.

Buena Vista PTA » Online Petition

Buena Vista PTA » Online Petition

Please go to this site and sign up to keep the school open. You don't have to be a parent or even related to care about this. The proposed plan is to close the school, moving the kids to various elementaries. And move the high school students from Bijou school to the Buena Vista location. Which means bringing High school students into the middle of our neighborhood.

It's Friday!

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

And boy am I happy about it. This has been a long week, well not really but I have manage to get used to short weeks all fall what with kid's days off or sick days for the kids etc. Working 5 full days is a bit of a novelty right now.

So we have a busy weekend planned this week. I have to get the stairwell painted, replace the light fixtures and get the railing backup finally. Kim plans to get the doors in the hallway painted to complement the fact that she repainted the entire hallway on Monday. Plus we are planning on taking the boys to the Lego outlet store in Denver on Sunday.

We have to get all this done because we are hosting a family Thanksgiving for Kim's family, as this will be the first major holiday so close to Randy's passing. But I am confident we can do it, barring some major child catastrophe.

More tinkering

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

I will not promise
that this is the end of it.

The Big Sort

The Big Sort

Continuing his theory, the writer breaks down the 'real demographics' of the most recent election. And it isn't pretty for the all is rainbows people. The reality is that Obama won by getting people to vote who hadn't voted as much if at all before. And those people lived in distinct communities. And living in one of the McCain counties I can attest to what it's like.

It's interesting, and it is an indicator that if things do go bad, that we might see some pretty extreme politics in the next 4 to 8 years, things that might mirror or even rival the 'Patriot Movement' of the 90's.

Friendship

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So, still basking in the glow of a wonderful dinner and couple of hours chatting with my old friend Mark. Thanks again for the dinner Mark. Mark & I went to high school together and have kept up over the past 23 years. But we hadn't spent any real time together in probably 8 years. We saw each other briefly about 4 years ago, but it was at a party so there wasn't a lot of one on one time.

So we got togehter last night, and I will admit that I was a little nervous before seeing him. We live in very different worlds: I do my daily grind in the digital mines while Kim works in a grovery store. Mark is a highly paid consultant working with the American Cancer Society, lives in Washington DC and his wife is a consultant as well.

But literally as soon as he arrived it was like we had seen each other yesterday. The conversation flowed easily and we talked about practically every topic under the sun. It was great. Which got me to thinking that one of the signs of a truly great friendship is the ability to go long periods of time without seeing each other and still act like the period of time wasn't there. There are other signs of course, but that to me is one of the biggest. The same thing happened a couple of years back when I got together with my college friend Brian. And it's an amazing thing.

So thanks again for the excellent meal Mark, and while the length of time doesn't appear to matter, let's still try not to go 7-8 years between meetings next time.

God & the GOP

Kathleen Parker puts herself in front of the GOP firing squad

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan: "I didn't leave the Republican Party, it left me". I have always felt that once the Religious conservatives become a major player in the Republican Party I was no longer a part of that party. There is nothing wrong with personal religious beliefs, and in fact there is nothing wrong with evangelizing. But once you start acting like government should hold to any set of moral beliefs I think you start down a slippery slope. I think the Founders intention was to avoid having anyone feel like their government was preventing from subscribing to a set of beliefs. And that is what the Neo-Con Christian Right is doing in my opinion.

I think this election cycle has been a real wake up call for people like Parker. They have been forced to realize what a deep hole they dug over the last 30 years in aligning themselves with the James Dobson's of this world. The party of Barry Goldwater and Abraham Lincoln is a shell of itself now, having sold its values for votes.

Farewell to Fantasy

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So this year in August I abruptly decided not to play fantasy football. At the time it was because I was still feeling bitter and upset with myself for not being able to handle the Lakers playoff games. But, with 2/3 of the season gone I have to say that this has been the easiest, most enjoyable football season for me in quite some time. Yes the Rams have been horrid, and the Buffs have struggled and the Broncos have been marginally good, but I have gotten more enjoyment out of just watching the games for the games sake and not caring about the stats, than I have in a long time.

This past Sunday I was even able to almost completely blank out the little ticker on the bottom of the screen that displays the stats. I still would like an option to watch without the ticker at all, or tape a strip of tape across the TV, but I can survive.

The bottom line is that I am making it official, I am retiring from fantasy football. I will not play fantasy again. It turns football into a chore, and takes the fun out of it for me. So no more for me.

Family health update

So after a rough weekend Kim took EMily to the Dr. today, only to discover that the horrendous diaper rash was actually an allergic reaction to the Augmentin. So no more of that for her. But on the bright side the ear infection is gone, so no reason to take more anitbiotics. And Kim reports that she has been in a good mood all day!

Tinkering Again

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Tinkering with Layout and blog title again, just because I can.

Excellent point

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

For all of those people cheering in the streets that we have finally turned a corner in politics.

Remember the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, as hard as we all worked to reach this point, it could all disappear or reverse course in a heartbeat. .

The racist backlash to Obama's presidency

This is not surprising to me

Except maybe the scale, and immediacy.

But there's nothing like the combination of economic bad times and cultural change to create some nasty fringe groups. And the responses to the failure of Proposition 8 in California are coming from the same source. It all comes down to blame: when times are rough people look around for someone to blame. And there is nothing like the aftermath of a Presidential campaign where phrases like "palling around with terrorists' were dropped by major party candidates to stir the pot. I thought that McCain hit the right chord with his concession speech, but that doesn't mean that some of his supporters (or Obama opposers) were/are in such a conciliatory mood.

So nothing like the initial return of the Republican 'Culture War' to spawn a return to the 90's era of White Pride movements. And if you will recall the culmination to that was Oklahoma City. I can only hope that the SPLC and law enforcement are more aware of things this time around.

Board Responses

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So I have already received 5 response to my e-mail to the board, to see them click for more. Overall, positive thoughts and feedback. I think that the more letters like mine that they receive the more likely it is that we at least save Buena Vista. We shall see, I can't go to the board meetings every week, and especially not this week, but maybe I will make my way to the PTA meeting this week.

Thomas Strand:
"Thanks very much for your email. It is very well thought-out and points out several issues ( the importance of smaller neighborhood schools, and the need for better marketing of what is working so well in District 11) that we will take to heart.

I'm very pleased that Buena Vista Elementary School and it's successful Montessori Program, are working so well for your two boys. I can assure you that your Board of Education will not just accept the Contractor's Report on school utilization at face value and will carefully listen to all parties and stakeholders ( like you ) before we proceed to action.

Thanks again for participating and caring so much."

Bob Null:
"Michael,

Thank you for your comments and concerns with regard to Buena Vista. I
assure you that no closing/merging decisions have been made with regard to any
schools in D-11 at this time. the consultants report, does portray, recommendations in an accounting context, but there are several other factors to take into consideration also. We have much thinking and discussing, including sessions with
the public and you parents, before any decisions are made with regard to
things that may impact any of our "kids".
You can rest assured that your Board of Education will consider all factors when making the tough decisions ahead.

Thanks again for your input,"

Jan Tanner:
"Mr. Ruch,

Thanks for sharing your concerns about issues facing us and for your support of the Montessori program at Buena Vista. Please know that we intend to make decisions that are in the best interest of our students, aiming to increase student learning.

There will be opportunities for you and the community to be involved and help the Board make decisions regarding school reutilization. I hope you continue to participate."

Charlie Bobbitt:
"Thank you for the great words on Buena Vista and its Montessori program. I also think Buena Vista is a great asset for the district and would personally like to see the district explore expanding the program. I agree that it has made a positive impact on enrollment. The board is a long ways from making decisions so your input is very important. Thank you for taking the time to write."

Another day at home

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So Kim has to work today, making Saturday and Sunday her work days this weekend, no fun. Emily has hard a tough couple of days, another ear infection coupled with a cold and congestion has made her a shell of herself, her little cries and yells are just pitiful. Plus the augmentin gives her nasty diarrhea, which has led to hellacious diaper rash. So it has not exactly been a relaxing couple of days. The funeral for Randy was OK, I actually missed the service with Emily in the back but I did attend the celebration of life, which went well.

But Emily appears to back to her old self, at least partially today. She is roaming around the basement while James plays pool and Daniel watches and gets in the way. So I am hoping for a more normal day at home, with the kids being able to just play while I putter around, get a few things done and watch some football.

One moment from the bar that really stood out was I got stuck in the corner to eat and I looked up at the small table where the rest of the family was and saw Connie smiling and laughing while joking with her 3 kids and various grandchildren. And I realized what a special person she is, and how much family can mean in a moment like that.

My letter to the D11 School board

I am writing as a concerned parent of 2 children in the Montessori program at Buena Vista Elementary. I know the board has not yet made a decision on this but I wanted to make my voice heard and raise a few points.

1. Our 2 boys are in 1st grade and pre-school, the oldest is in his third year at Buena Vista, the younger is in his first year. And I can tell you that they are getting an outstanding educational experience from the school. The teachers, and the Montessori program in general have been excellent for both of them. And the knowledge that they are going to school with kids from their neighborhood, whom they could walk to school with as they grow older is crucial to their development.

2. I have read the consultants report, and in a cold, accounting sense their recommendations make sense. But that report does not address 2 important points. First, the impact of neighborhood schools, in this time when parents are finding it harder and harder to spend time with their kids because of work considerations, the knowledge that their kids are part of a neighborhood where they know other kids, and where the parents can help each other, is just huge. Closing neighborhood schools and forcing kids to travel farther, breaks up that closeness.

Second, I don't think we should retreat from our schools, and surrender our students to other Districts. The report notes that the District is at a negative loss of permitted students. And I believe one of the reasons is the people of District 11 have allowed their schools to become a laughing stock. And I don't think that is inevitable. I think that schools like Buena Vista, with the Montessori program, should be held up as outstanding examples, and used as a dfraw to keep students in the District and draw students from outside the District (which it is already doing).

3. One of the things that most partents desire, especially in an elementary setting, is a low student to teacher ratio. And closing and merging these schools offsets what has become one of the true positives for a lot of these schools. Instead of the more individual attentions the students get at all of the schools, the students who are having to switch, as well as the kids whose schools absorb the new students, will have to face much larger classes, and the teachers will have to cope with more students. Hurting both groups in the long run.

4. I know that it is hard to justify what seem to be excessive expenses in these difficult times. But I think that the failure here is in showing and demonstrating to the community all the good that comes from these schools, so they are not viewed as just drains on their pocket books. Again, show the people what an excellent education the kids are getting, show them the value they are getting for their tax dollar.

Gun sales and the paranoid right:

Aother example of things that are wrong with our priorities

The mere fact that there are people who honestly believe that the election of Obama means the 'darn gummint and them uppity minorities are coming for them' is an example of how twisted things have become. Think of all those assault rifles and handguns that will now be out there on the market in the years to come, sold by private individuals at gun shows etc. allowing more wing nuts to buy them and stock up their militia's and eventually lead to another Waco or Virginia Tech. Articles like this really piss me off. And people wonder where the infamous 'cling to guns and God' comment and thought originated from?

Kim's Uncle Randy

Obituary

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Obituary I think this covers what I knew of him and everything I saw in the 12 years Kim & I have been together.

Randy (and really all of Kim's family) was always cordial to me, willing to take the joshing and gentle ribbing that I have been known to dish out. And giving back as good as he took. And he was always an excellent host for the many years we went to his house to watch the 4th of July fire works.

The President, the Economy, and the Lag

This mirrors/echoes one of my own arguments for backing Obama

That is the effect of the'bully pulpit'. While any President can try to be optimistic, some are just not very good at it, or in George II's case proved to be clueless. While Obama exudes the necessary confidence etc. to get people to some extent to ignore reality and regain their confidence. I think our situation is a good example of this: my company is well suited to weather the economy (the fact that they just announced that they will absorb the increased cost of insurance rather than increasing empoyee shares being a prime example) and Kim's working in a busy grocery store, we are not really seeing any personal effect of the recession. However we have been getting increasingly more cautious in our spending. But I think we will be less cautious now, especially with out Christmas spending for the kids. I am not saying we will recklessly rack up credit card debt, but we will be more likely to get the kids nicer presents.

And knowing that we have a President who will be doing his part to spur the economy, rather than ignoring the obvious or flailing around in reactive mode improves my mind set. And now we might be more willing to plan a decent vacation next year than before, because we might see a better tax refund than in previous years.

Misc.

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So had yesterday off to stay home with the kids since the boys had Veteran's day off, and I am trying to reduce the time with in laws if possible. And it turned out for the better as both Daniel and Emily were/are under the weather. Plus I went to see the Dr. myself as I noticed a Rosacea outbreak on my eyelid this week and figured that was a sign that I need to get on some meds for it.

I am not sure what is wrong with the 2 little ones, they are running low grade fevers, but otherwise no other real symptoms other than irritability. I came into work today because I have some stuff I need to get done, although I might have to leave early to run them to the Dr. if they are worse this morning.

The Doctor order some anti-biotics to try and get the rash and redness from the rosacea under control and I plan to use them for the full course this time. I want to get it under control before I have to face anything seriously disfiguring.

So I wasn't able to get what I wanted done either around the house or out of the house as the kids wouldn't really let me take more than a couple of minutes of time to work on anything.

Unusual weekend recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Uncle Randy, uncle to Kim, Dennis and Tammy, little brother to Connie, Gerald and Phyllis, friend to countless others, Rest In Peace.

So with the looming cloud of his passing over the weekend it was hard to focus, and we ended up watching Tammy's kids most of the weekend. But we went ahead and had Kim's party on Sunday and it was a nice party. It was a good weekend for sitting around playing games on the computer and watching some movies and football.

The plan is to have the funeral followed by a celebration of life on Saturday, but no details yet. My main focus will be on keeping the kids in line and respectful, and then providing the shoulder to cry on for those who need it.

School closings

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So in the boys Friday folders we got news that the consultants who were hired by District 11 had made a recommendation that among other things the District should close their school, Buena Vista. I took the time to download and peruse the reports.

First, I have to take a moment to rant about Colorado Springs and El Paso County. I love this city, it is my hometown, and I have made the choice to live here after living in a few other places. And I know that Kim feels even stronger about refusing to relocate. That being said, the anti-tax crusaders are doing their absolute level best to make me want to leave. Intellectually I grasp the reasons people feel that lower taxes are good. But those reasons simply don't make sense in my opinion. Not any more. Our current economic climate is poor, I know that, but we cannot afford to strip down our infrastructure more. Eventually for every company that wants to relocate here for the low taxes there will be 2 families that will want to leave or choose not to relocate to a place where the people will not shell out for a decent education for their children, decent roads and public safety.

So the reports again make sense intellectually. The growth rate in District 11 is negative. And there are more students attending schools outside of District 11 than students from other districts are choosing District 11. And in the face of growing costs for school maintenance etc. it makes raw economic sense to close/consolidate schools.

But I think all this does is short change the students and handicap the teachers. Students get more from a healthy neighborhood school where they can go to school with their neighbors and have the chance to walk to school etc. And if the school population is smaller than the students will benefit from a smaller student to teacher ratio. And if the schools start to improve then maybe the students who might be going elsewhere now might return. It's kind of like a small business: if your customers go to a different location do you close up and move or do you improve to draw your customers back?

I think that we need to improve our local schools and reduce the drain of students who go outside of the District or neighborhood rather than just give up. In the case of Buena Vista there was a proposal to make it a magnet Montessori program. I think a number of people do not realize what a great benefit it is to have a Montessori education here in the neighborhood. And a number of parents in District 11 do not even realize it exists. Well the same could be done in other schools, not necessarily Montessori, but other special programs, that can attract/keep students rather than giving up.

Kids politics

What do you do when your childs partisanship is too extreme?: "As is often the case, the shimmering ideal of childhood innocence doesn't last long in the face of real kids."

I have noticed this same trend in the kids, especially James. It comes out a lot in games and when I am watching sports. It becomes a black and white us v. them issue very quickly. Often when I am watching a football game in which I have no vested interest, instead just watching because I like to watch football, James will come in and ask who 'we are going for'. And when I replay that I am not really cheering for any team, that I am just watching for the heck of it, he seems kind of disappointed, like 'what's the sense in watching if you dont't care who wins?'

And of course this did carry over to the election. James wasted little time on Wednesday pointing out to his buddy Jon Del that Obama won. (Of course the fact that Jon's parents are quite likely fervent Republicans made the point all the more interesting) THe other night at Dillon's birthday party poor Dillon made the comment "I am sorry to all the Obama supporters but I hope McCain wins" Of course Dillon is 12, and I already knew his mom, Dennis' Ex, was a McCain supporter, so I cut short the discussion by asking him if he said that because his mom liked McCain, to which he said yes. That kept some of the other adults from jumping all over him. So it clearly is an issue of the kid's acquiring the interests of their parents.

An Apology to the baby boomers from Gen X

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/11/07/havrilesky/index.html

"We want to follow this man, and trust him, and give him our full support."

This reminds me of something one of my friends stated: 'that he can't believe he placed this much faith in someone".

Voting is an exercise in faith to some extent. And it is just as easy to be cynical about politics as it is religion. So now a gneration knows what it means to really be excited about a politician again.

Surprising considering the source

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/06/AR2008110602126_2.html
Kathleen Parker is one of the more conservative Op-Ed's out there so this is pretty surprising. Although she got pretty thoroughly savaged for her criticism of Sarah Palin. So maybe she has seen the error of her ways, at least as far as the nasty personal attacks that the Neo-Cons have been levying in recent years.

Thoughts on the Election, and election night

Thoughts on the Election, and election night

First, I am posting this a day late because in keeping with my normal practice I want to have Kim's birthday message remain the only post for a day.

Second, everything was tempered by the news that's Kim's uncle Randy may not last much longer, and in fact might not make it through the night.  So this understandably tempered my emotions somewhat.  However, as Kim said, things have changed, we have seen so little of him over the past 3 years, despite the fact that he lives just a few blocks from us, that it won't have the same impact it would have had 5 years ago.  But it is still sad, and very sad to see Connie have to face the fact that her baby brother is dying, particularly when you consider that this would be the third close family member to pass away in a 5 year period.

So, it is done, and I will admit to getting awfully chocked up at the end last night, I was in tears several times during Obama's acceptance speech.  It is just such a huge thing, such an amazing sign of change for this country.  I posted a couple of articles yesterday that best sum up why this has such an amazing impact on me.  This election was a sign of not just hope in general, but of hope for our children.  A sign of thanks for all of the people who worked and strived and suffered to get us to this point.  And a message of hope for the children of this country that now, finally, we can move past our country's worst legacy, that the American Dream is truly something that we all can share.

 

These are some of the highlights from his Acceptance speech that really got to me:

 

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

 

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can."

 

The images and voices from Tuesday night are just so amazing. Seeing Jesse Jackson, mute, unblinking, then with tears in his eyes. The huge celebration in Atlanta and the one girl just on her knees, crying. It all was so amazing, and heartfelt. It is almost to impossible to overestimate the impact this election had on millions of people of color in this country.

 

Here are a couple of articles commenting on the impact of this vote that really struck me yesterday:

 

Once again Mark Cuban (of all people) finds the right words:

 

An excellent summation of the real meaning of this election

 

"As any successful CEO will tell you, leadership, vision and motivation has far more impact on results than any tax cut or increase.  While I prefer lower taxes, I can tell you that no entrepreneur or CEO worth a damn in this country gives up or works less because of a change in tax policy."

 

Cuban hit the nail on the head for me, to all those people who argue that a progressive tax policy somehow stifles the urge to succeed this is my response. The people who really truly work hard, strive to succeed, and achivee, in business, science, arts, athletics, any endeavor, they do not let the prospect of a higher tax rate stifle that urge. The only people I can think of who might say that are those who want an excuse to stop working.

 

Peggy Wallace comments on her Dad and Obama

 

"My father lived long enough to come to an understanding of the injustices borne by his deeds and the legacy of suffering that it left behind."

"Perhaps it would be a way of reconciling in his own mind that what he once stood for did not prevent freedom of opportunity and self-advancement from coming full circle; his final absolution." 

 

I will admit I went through a (thankfully short lived) phase of my life when I wasn't the most tolerant person.  And during and after that time I made it a point to study extremist groups, specifically the White Supremacist types.  And the one biggest thing I took away from my studies of the more successful Southern Democrat politicians, the one's who stood in the doorways, who turned a blind eye to the bombings and lynchings.  It was that the most successful ones politically: Wallace, Theodore Bilbo, Strom Thurmond, their politics were based on an appeal and support of the poor (well the poor whites).  Wallace in particular was a huge champion of the poor, his social policies that he enacted as Governor, as well as his platforms, were all geared towards helping 'the poor working man'.  I am not saying that excused their racist politics and policies.  Just that it was an important thing to bear in mind.  And I think that in the big picture, some of these men who realized the error of their ways, like Wallace, and who are now looking down (or up as the case may be) are proud of America today.

 

And last, for those people who are not so gracious in defeat, who are making bitter, obnoxious comments about their President Elect (up to and including one poster on the Fox News web site who basically advocated his assassination) I can only feel sorry for you.  I can only hope that in the next 4 to 8 years, as you see how much of an impact this man will have on our country, that you see the error of your ways.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Kim

Happy Birthday to Kim, my lovely wife

I love you now more than I ever have, you are my rock, the best mother I could ever hope for for my children. A selfless, caring woman who is always there and willing to lend a hand or shoulder for anyone in need.

More articles showing what this election means in the big scheme

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1103/p09s02-coop.html

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/eastside93/2008/11/i-didnt-vote-for-obama-today.php

Both really explain in better wording than I have done what this election potentially means. That it is about the future, and making that future better.

National Holiday?

I think that the Presidential Election day should always be a National Holiday. It wouldn't have that big of an economic impact as it only happens every 4 years. It would encourage people to vote, as it would eliminate the excuse of not having enough time before/after work. And it could be full of the kinds of patriotic stuff just like 4th of July.

Today is the Day- Musings and thoughts on Election Day

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Days like today are what this country is truly all about. Because today we leave all of the noise, the fear, the hatred, the stupidity behind. Today is the day we as citizens get to exercise our rights and make a choice, and then when the choice is made the country falls more or less behind whomever wins. I have made my choices pretty clear here for quite some time, but what makes today special is that after today that doesn't really matter, because the country will have made it's choice, for better or worse. And Americans of every stripe will unite behind that choice.

Holding my breath

So it is just waiting time, waiting to see what happens tomorrow. I am very cautiously optimistic that Obama will win. But in the words of Mencken: "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." So despite the preponderance of evidence, I refuse to think it's a sure thing.

Weekend Recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

So a good long (4 day) weekend. I took Thursday and Friday off as both boys had the days off from school and knowing that also meant Tammy's kids would be off I figured it was for the best. It turned out for the best in the long run, as Daniel managed to pick up an ear infection so there was some need for relaxing. Plus there was the stress of Halloween, then Dillon's birthday party, followed by Emily's birthday party, the 3 hurdles. And to top it off Kim's uncle Randy took a serious turn for the worse Sunday morning, which made Emily's party a more somber affair.

So we did the Halloween thing on Friday, which I already talked about some. I uploaded the pictures to the Picasa site. (quick sidebar, I upgraded to Picasa 3, I like it, a little easier interface, and the ability to add text to the photo's it fun) Saturday was pretty relaxed, just hung around the house until it was time to go to Dennis' house. Then it was off to the party, which was a nice little affair (Official Happy Birthday to Dillon BTW).

Sunday morning we were greeted with the news that Randy had gone from bad to worse, the results of the bone marrow biopsy came in, not good. So the attendance for Emily's party was down, and the mood amongst the adults was more somber than usual. But I think Emily had a good day, thanks again to everyone for all the wonderful clothes and presents.

So I managed to survive 3 whole days alone with the kids, more or less intact. And we managed to handle parent-teacher conferences, Halloween, 2 birthdays with everyone intact. So we are down to Kim's birthday this coming weekend, then Holidays. SO things should settle down a little, just in time for me to get some yard clean up work done.

First major hurdle cleared

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Halloween is done. The first major hurdle of the extended weekend. Astounding weather: just gorgeous. I have uploaded pictures to the Picasa Site.