I was going to spend a few minutes bashing 2009 – as I did at this time last year with my post on December 26 - 2008: Bye, Bye, annus horribilis
Alas, what is the point? 2009 was arguably “better” than the previous year but not by much. I guess we should be thankful for small things and take it as it comes.
I did read this morning that the arrival of 2010 will coincide with a rare Blue Moon. This celestial event happens when there are two full moons in one month. According to the National Geographic Society:
A blue moon isn't actually blue—as commonly defined, the name reflects the relative rarity of two full moons in a month and is linked to the saying "once in a blue moon”. The reason we sometimes have blue moons is because of a mismatch between lunar and solar timekeeping.
Sounds good to me, I say. What is special about tonight is that it is the last blue moon on a New Year’s Eve until 2028 ~ so those of us of a certain age had better appreciate this phenomenon.
Welcome 2010!
Let there be peace in troubled spots, less anger in the American political debate, an increased awareness of environmental issues, an improved stock market and, as the Irish say, may the wind always be on your back.
C’mon 2010 – bring us all better news.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Autumn Scene
It was back to New England last week for a short vacation and another school visit.
Why not mix business with pleasure when the opportunity presents itself?
The timing was fortuitous with balmy, breezy weather shaking the last of the red, yellow and copper leaves from near barren branches. Autumn is slipping away and winter is coming to the northern climes.
I had forgotten how beautiful Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts (destinations for family and friends) can be this time of year.
A picture is worth a thousand words – someone said.
Why not mix business with pleasure when the opportunity presents itself?
The timing was fortuitous with balmy, breezy weather shaking the last of the red, yellow and copper leaves from near barren branches. Autumn is slipping away and winter is coming to the northern climes.
I had forgotten how beautiful Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts (destinations for family and friends) can be this time of year.
A picture is worth a thousand words – someone said.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Taking a Rest
It has been a slow few weeks for the blog, creative writing and non-creative writing.
Too busy with real work!
Stay tuned as the Clermont Blog is simply having a rest.
Too busy with real work!
Stay tuned as the Clermont Blog is simply having a rest.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Citizen M says: travel smart
Citizen M says: travel smart
The more I travel – the less I take with me on trips. Traveling lightweight makes eminent sense. You don’t nearly need as much as you think and what you don’t have you could always buy.
I actually come home from trips with the odd unused shirt or an untouched sweater. At the bottom of my toilet kit is a small tube of toothpaste – unopened – that has been there since the turn of (this) century. Honestly, why don’t I use it? Because I have another, bigger tube that always catches my eye first.
Hotels are the same way. Who needs two double beds, a massive TV set, closet space, walk-in bathroom ---- when you are traveling alone?
Thus, it was with some delight that I revisited the small Citizen M hotel at Amsterdam’s airport last week. I first stopped there in February and booked in a second time to enjoy the cozy atmosphere. The lobby is like a living room, cool colors, an adequate bar with a selection of healthy foods, a quiet reading area and a table full of free computers and printers. The rooms are small but the beds are wonderful. Everything is high tech including the 20 second check-in process.
M? The corporate logo refers to Citizen “Mobile” and small messages throughout remind travelers to go light.
The more I travel – the less I take with me on trips. Traveling lightweight makes eminent sense. You don’t nearly need as much as you think and what you don’t have you could always buy.
I actually come home from trips with the odd unused shirt or an untouched sweater. At the bottom of my toilet kit is a small tube of toothpaste – unopened – that has been there since the turn of (this) century. Honestly, why don’t I use it? Because I have another, bigger tube that always catches my eye first.
Hotels are the same way. Who needs two double beds, a massive TV set, closet space, walk-in bathroom ---- when you are traveling alone?
Thus, it was with some delight that I revisited the small Citizen M hotel at Amsterdam’s airport last week. I first stopped there in February and booked in a second time to enjoy the cozy atmosphere. The lobby is like a living room, cool colors, an adequate bar with a selection of healthy foods, a quiet reading area and a table full of free computers and printers. The rooms are small but the beds are wonderful. Everything is high tech including the 20 second check-in process.
M? The corporate logo refers to Citizen “Mobile” and small messages throughout remind travelers to go light.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fall Equinox
Tomorrow marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall [for my acquaintances in the southern hemisphere, of course, it is the other way around – welcome spring they say].
This post was going to be about 21st century skills – the subject of a meeting I attended last week. I have a data stick full of information, articles, reports, bibliography and blogs to read. Alas, I haven’t seen one of them so the subject of 21st century skills will have to wait for a better day.
To get the gist of the whole thing – see the September 7, 2009 New Yorker magazine cover www.newyorker.com. In the context of a back-to-school theme, the cover shows a typical classroom but now lead by a student directing a room full of adults who are struggling and stressing at their desks with computes, laptops and other electronic gizmos. This is the new 21st century learning landscape.
Here in Florida – in terms of weather - not a thing will change tomorrow: it will be hot and humid and there will be rain in the afternoon. The lakes and ponds are filled to capacity after two months of steady showers.
In the northern climes cool autumn weather is already present, the calendar notwithstanding. I always wonder at these moments if Mother Nature is anxious – perhaps fretting that the change to another season goes according to plan.
This post was going to be about 21st century skills – the subject of a meeting I attended last week. I have a data stick full of information, articles, reports, bibliography and blogs to read. Alas, I haven’t seen one of them so the subject of 21st century skills will have to wait for a better day.
To get the gist of the whole thing – see the September 7, 2009 New Yorker magazine cover www.newyorker.com. In the context of a back-to-school theme, the cover shows a typical classroom but now lead by a student directing a room full of adults who are struggling and stressing at their desks with computes, laptops and other electronic gizmos. This is the new 21st century learning landscape.
Here in Florida – in terms of weather - not a thing will change tomorrow: it will be hot and humid and there will be rain in the afternoon. The lakes and ponds are filled to capacity after two months of steady showers.
In the northern climes cool autumn weather is already present, the calendar notwithstanding. I always wonder at these moments if Mother Nature is anxious – perhaps fretting that the change to another season goes according to plan.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
up on the estancia
What’s happening in Uruguay, you ask?
Good timing. I’ve just come back.
Well, there is Montevideo and then there is the rest of the countryside. That’s correct – the countryside.
Twenty minutes outside of the capital and you are in the rolling, rambling, vast world of the South American “pampas” (from the local Indians meaning "plain"). These are fertile lowlands that run down into Argentina.
In an odd way you can’t get lost. The local tourist map shows all of Uruguay and the 8 national trunk routes fanning out from Montevideo. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and the broad, muddy River Plate to the south. Thus, you only have to worry about the lay of the land from the northeast to the southwest. Stay on the trunk roads and you’re fine.
Somewhere in between (literally – on the small dirt track cross roads) are the huge estancias or ranches. Most are working ranches with thousands of sheep, horses and cows.
Some take tourists – we stopped at the remote and lovely San Pedro de Timote – three hours and a world away from Montevideo.
Horseback riding, long lunches, seclusion and …. peace and quiet.
Good timing. I’ve just come back.
Well, there is Montevideo and then there is the rest of the countryside. That’s correct – the countryside.
Twenty minutes outside of the capital and you are in the rolling, rambling, vast world of the South American “pampas” (from the local Indians meaning "plain"). These are fertile lowlands that run down into Argentina.
In an odd way you can’t get lost. The local tourist map shows all of Uruguay and the 8 national trunk routes fanning out from Montevideo. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and the broad, muddy River Plate to the south. Thus, you only have to worry about the lay of the land from the northeast to the southwest. Stay on the trunk roads and you’re fine.
Somewhere in between (literally – on the small dirt track cross roads) are the huge estancias or ranches. Most are working ranches with thousands of sheep, horses and cows.
Some take tourists – we stopped at the remote and lovely San Pedro de Timote – three hours and a world away from Montevideo.
Horseback riding, long lunches, seclusion and …. peace and quiet.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
School Bells Ringing
That reassuring ritual of renewal – the ringing of school bells – is underway.
Here in Florida and throughout the American south – schools are opening this week. In the northern climes, students and teachers return to classes after Labor Day. In Europe and around the world, schools generally open in September.
In the southern Hemisphere – where I’m off to later this week – schools are re-opening after July’s winter break. In Colombia, on the northern edge of South America, private schools can choose between a September-June or March-December calendar. Parents with more than one child in different schools should make sure each sibling is on the same schedule!
In England, the Michaelmas term begins next month. In Turkey classes begin in mid-September but the cram school (dersanes) open soon and families will flee the resorts of Bodrum and Cesme to get home in time for special lessons. In Florida, there is no sales tax on school related goods this month. Buy those backpacks and pencils now.
Pencils? How about getting a new laptop or updating your Facebook entry? Whatever! The school bus will be here soon and it good feeling for those of us who have dabbled in education for so long.
Here in Florida and throughout the American south – schools are opening this week. In the northern climes, students and teachers return to classes after Labor Day. In Europe and around the world, schools generally open in September.
In the southern Hemisphere – where I’m off to later this week – schools are re-opening after July’s winter break. In Colombia, on the northern edge of South America, private schools can choose between a September-June or March-December calendar. Parents with more than one child in different schools should make sure each sibling is on the same schedule!
In England, the Michaelmas term begins next month. In Turkey classes begin in mid-September but the cram school (dersanes) open soon and families will flee the resorts of Bodrum and Cesme to get home in time for special lessons. In Florida, there is no sales tax on school related goods this month. Buy those backpacks and pencils now.
Pencils? How about getting a new laptop or updating your Facebook entry? Whatever! The school bus will be here soon and it good feeling for those of us who have dabbled in education for so long.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Anatolia's Mad Melody of Terror
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the great Turkish earthquake and we were there.
Shake, rattle and roll (out of bed).
August 16th was like most other summer days in Istanbul – hot but not quite unbearably so because of the breezes blowing down from the Black Sea.
The opening of school was still several weeks away so work was mainly spent on getting the new teachers through orientation. We enjoyed a big group dinner that evening at a favorite restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus, the watery straight that separates Europe from Asia. Dining in the Turkish style – 3 or 4 hours, 5 or 6 courses, it was all very lovely.
Driving home well after midnight, a sliver of a crescent moon was hanging over the spires of the Blue Mosque across the water. It was a perfect scene, part of the endless parade of magical images that old Constantinople throws up.
Just after 3 in the morning, now August 17th, our building began to sway menacingly. This movement creates sensations you don’t want to experience in the middle of a good sleep: disorientation, panic and fear. Outside there was an eerie groaning as the ground began to break up for 150 kilometers over the fault line. By the time it was all over some 45 seconds later, 19,000 people were dead and 350,000 were homeless. Miraculously, there was little damage in Istanbul itself (just waiting for the next Big One, thank you) but massive destruction to the east closer to the epicenter.
One of my teachers, Alan Drew, later used the earthquake as the basis of the plot in his first novel Gardens of Water. More humbly, I wrote this in a journal six months after the infamous Anatolian earthquake:
It was the cacophony of sounds that I will always remember. Upstairs a window blew out. Pictures dropped from their hooks. Our little collectable knick-knacks fell one by one from the shadow box to the floor. Water and wineglasses jiggled and closet doors creaked open. Outside, the neighborhood dogs howled in panic and car alarms blared. It was bedlam. It was as though some crazed subterranean orchestra was playing a mad melody of terror.
Shake, rattle and roll (out of bed).
August 16th was like most other summer days in Istanbul – hot but not quite unbearably so because of the breezes blowing down from the Black Sea.
The opening of school was still several weeks away so work was mainly spent on getting the new teachers through orientation. We enjoyed a big group dinner that evening at a favorite restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus, the watery straight that separates Europe from Asia. Dining in the Turkish style – 3 or 4 hours, 5 or 6 courses, it was all very lovely.
Driving home well after midnight, a sliver of a crescent moon was hanging over the spires of the Blue Mosque across the water. It was a perfect scene, part of the endless parade of magical images that old Constantinople throws up.
Just after 3 in the morning, now August 17th, our building began to sway menacingly. This movement creates sensations you don’t want to experience in the middle of a good sleep: disorientation, panic and fear. Outside there was an eerie groaning as the ground began to break up for 150 kilometers over the fault line. By the time it was all over some 45 seconds later, 19,000 people were dead and 350,000 were homeless. Miraculously, there was little damage in Istanbul itself (just waiting for the next Big One, thank you) but massive destruction to the east closer to the epicenter.
One of my teachers, Alan Drew, later used the earthquake as the basis of the plot in his first novel Gardens of Water. More humbly, I wrote this in a journal six months after the infamous Anatolian earthquake:
It was the cacophony of sounds that I will always remember. Upstairs a window blew out. Pictures dropped from their hooks. Our little collectable knick-knacks fell one by one from the shadow box to the floor. Water and wineglasses jiggled and closet doors creaked open. Outside, the neighborhood dogs howled in panic and car alarms blared. It was bedlam. It was as though some crazed subterranean orchestra was playing a mad melody of terror.
Friday, August 7, 2009
MTV Award
I’m not one for wallowing in braggadocio but every so often it’s nice to give yourself a high five (if that’s possible) or a high ten.
Why just this week I achieved a rare, rate, rare:
MAJOR TECH VICTORY
There I was working away like a busy beaver on my computer. Old Acer is now pushing 4 years old but so far so good and very reliable he is. I’ve not had a breakdown or any problems with this dear thing. Then, about mid day, an annoying little pop-up begin advising me of a security threat. Every 30 seconds – pop – pop – pop! The internet slowed, I was redirected from site to site and my email account was inaccessible. Time to meet Privacy Center… a rogue virus that is very nasty. Privacy Center would not go away and refused to be taken out by my simple security feature
Alas, after two days of ‘googling’ resources and random advice, one reader who had suffered the same fate (millions have been visited by Privacy Center by the way) served up a gem and presto! I eliminated the swine.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. if you type in the words ‘spyware’, ‘adware’ and ‘virus’ most links that come up are commercial sites
2. “free” downloads will identify and list viruses but you have to pay to have them removed
3. my nameless friend on the internet shared this tip: shut down your computer, restart and immediately go into “safe mode”. Safe mode presents several options including add or remove program function. The Privacy Center icon was there just below the Power Center DVD button
4. Click, eliminate, kill and destroy
My computer was back to normal in a moment – and I cleaned up the mess myself. I love to score a MAJOR TECH VICTORY!
Why just this week I achieved a rare, rate, rare:
MAJOR TECH VICTORY
There I was working away like a busy beaver on my computer. Old Acer is now pushing 4 years old but so far so good and very reliable he is. I’ve not had a breakdown or any problems with this dear thing. Then, about mid day, an annoying little pop-up begin advising me of a security threat. Every 30 seconds – pop – pop – pop! The internet slowed, I was redirected from site to site and my email account was inaccessible. Time to meet Privacy Center… a rogue virus that is very nasty. Privacy Center would not go away and refused to be taken out by my simple security feature
Alas, after two days of ‘googling’ resources and random advice, one reader who had suffered the same fate (millions have been visited by Privacy Center by the way) served up a gem and presto! I eliminated the swine.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. if you type in the words ‘spyware’, ‘adware’ and ‘virus’ most links that come up are commercial sites
2. “free” downloads will identify and list viruses but you have to pay to have them removed
3. my nameless friend on the internet shared this tip: shut down your computer, restart and immediately go into “safe mode”. Safe mode presents several options including add or remove program function. The Privacy Center icon was there just below the Power Center DVD button
4. Click, eliminate, kill and destroy
My computer was back to normal in a moment – and I cleaned up the mess myself. I love to score a MAJOR TECH VICTORY!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Summer Reading List
I visited a school in early June where the Summer Reading List had just been announced.
There were posters about reading in the main hall – yes, yes, Harry Potter, of course - and an all-school assembly one afternoon. The assembly was blessedly brief with a group of 6-8th grade students reading excerpts from their favorite books. Two class teachers and the librarian did a power-point presentation with a dozen recommended titles per grade level for this summer. Students now have to read five books before school recommences in September. Everyone went away feeling excited about their summer reading challenge.
This ritual made me feel good. Here we are in the tech-heavy 21st century and teachers are still coming up with a reading list for summer vacation.
When I was a boy, I remember my mother walking me to our local library where Mrs. Emily Bertchey (truly all librarians were named Emily at one time) issued me with my lending card - #54 if I remember correctly. The library card was the first official document I possessed. I placed it on my bedside table for safe keeping.
I grew up in a small town outside of Boston and the library then was just a room above the nascent police department (one car, two patrolmen) and next to the town office which was open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9 – noon. It was sleepy place to be sure.
Still there was reading to be done on those hot summer New England days and I remember loving John Knowles’ A Separate Peace but struggling with C S Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. JD Salinger’s Franny and Zooey was a disappointment after The Catcher in the Rye. Morris L. West’s The Shoes of the Fisherman would have been my 12 year old's attempt to read an adult novel. Although we had read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in school, our teacher said it had ‘many levels’ and I read it again in the summer.
Mrs. Bertchey’s library smelled musty and was crowded with big, oak tables, some stuffy chairs and an ancient filing cabinet but it was a place of sheer adventure and delight for me. There was a single, large fan above the circulation desk and it felt nice just to stand there watching her officiously stamp the due date on my card.
Ah, the Summer Reading List.
There were posters about reading in the main hall – yes, yes, Harry Potter, of course - and an all-school assembly one afternoon. The assembly was blessedly brief with a group of 6-8th grade students reading excerpts from their favorite books. Two class teachers and the librarian did a power-point presentation with a dozen recommended titles per grade level for this summer. Students now have to read five books before school recommences in September. Everyone went away feeling excited about their summer reading challenge.
This ritual made me feel good. Here we are in the tech-heavy 21st century and teachers are still coming up with a reading list for summer vacation.
When I was a boy, I remember my mother walking me to our local library where Mrs. Emily Bertchey (truly all librarians were named Emily at one time) issued me with my lending card - #54 if I remember correctly. The library card was the first official document I possessed. I placed it on my bedside table for safe keeping.
I grew up in a small town outside of Boston and the library then was just a room above the nascent police department (one car, two patrolmen) and next to the town office which was open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9 – noon. It was sleepy place to be sure.
Still there was reading to be done on those hot summer New England days and I remember loving John Knowles’ A Separate Peace but struggling with C S Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. JD Salinger’s Franny and Zooey was a disappointment after The Catcher in the Rye. Morris L. West’s The Shoes of the Fisherman would have been my 12 year old's attempt to read an adult novel. Although we had read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in school, our teacher said it had ‘many levels’ and I read it again in the summer.
Mrs. Bertchey’s library smelled musty and was crowded with big, oak tables, some stuffy chairs and an ancient filing cabinet but it was a place of sheer adventure and delight for me. There was a single, large fan above the circulation desk and it felt nice just to stand there watching her officiously stamp the due date on my card.
Ah, the Summer Reading List.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A good walk spoiled ~ very spoiled
If you’ve ever tried to play the maddening game of golf, you’ll agree with American humorist Mark Twain who described it as a good walk spoiled.
Anyone watching the final round of yesterday’s Open Championship – the British Open for those who need a geographical connection – would say it was a good walk ruined.
A walk absolutely and completely ruined by the unrelenting golf gods who punish the slightest mistake.
Of course, you need to know some details. The leader for most of the event (4 rounds) was Tom Watson – just a few weeks shy of his 60th birthday. Now you don’t need to be a golf nut to know that 59 year olds win few tournaments – let alone those played on the harsh and challenging “links” courses of the British Isles.
The fact that Watson was in contention for all four days was nothing short of a miracle. The tournament had all the best players (except Tiger Woods who inexplicably missed the cut), the course at Turnberry, Scotland was windy and cool and there’s the pressure of winning golf’s oldest and most prestigious trophy: the Claret Jug. Indeed, this was High Drama along the Firth of Clyde.
Alas, Tom Watson made his one and only mistake on the final hole. It was a case of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. The TV commentators, old golfers turned reporters, had difficulty articulating the promise of the moment. Put simply victory for Watson would have been one of the greatest sporting feats of our era – say I.
Here is what the Associated Press wrote this morning:
What won’t be forgotten is the way a 59 year old man nearly delivered a win so monumental it was hard to compare it to anything else that came before. This type of thing simply can’t happen in most other sports, and had never happened before in golf either.
A very good walk spoiled - very spoiled.
Anyone watching the final round of yesterday’s Open Championship – the British Open for those who need a geographical connection – would say it was a good walk ruined.
A walk absolutely and completely ruined by the unrelenting golf gods who punish the slightest mistake.
Of course, you need to know some details. The leader for most of the event (4 rounds) was Tom Watson – just a few weeks shy of his 60th birthday. Now you don’t need to be a golf nut to know that 59 year olds win few tournaments – let alone those played on the harsh and challenging “links” courses of the British Isles.
The fact that Watson was in contention for all four days was nothing short of a miracle. The tournament had all the best players (except Tiger Woods who inexplicably missed the cut), the course at Turnberry, Scotland was windy and cool and there’s the pressure of winning golf’s oldest and most prestigious trophy: the Claret Jug. Indeed, this was High Drama along the Firth of Clyde.
Alas, Tom Watson made his one and only mistake on the final hole. It was a case of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. The TV commentators, old golfers turned reporters, had difficulty articulating the promise of the moment. Put simply victory for Watson would have been one of the greatest sporting feats of our era – say I.
Here is what the Associated Press wrote this morning:
What won’t be forgotten is the way a 59 year old man nearly delivered a win so monumental it was hard to compare it to anything else that came before. This type of thing simply can’t happen in most other sports, and had never happened before in golf either.
A very good walk spoiled - very spoiled.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The All-Star Break
America is getting ready this weekend for the All-Star break. More specifically, American baseball fans are getting ready for the All-Star break.
This annual event pitches the best players from the American League vs. the best players from the National League in a single game. There are about twenty-five “stars” on each side. The rest of the players and all the teams (30 exactly) get three days off. In addition to the game, there is a must-watch home run derby contest, the Fan Fest, fireworks, concerts and other hoop-la.
The All-Star break is also the psychological mid-way point of summer. About six weeks gone – about six weeks more to enjoy.
In addition to bragging rights, the winning side gets the benefit of home-field advantage in the championship World Series match in October (hosting the first two games at one's own ballpark and playing no more than three games on the road, out of a possible seven). This idea was started a few years ago and the practice has since been extended indefinitely.
The All-Star Game, made its debut in July 1933, at Chicago's Comiskey Park. In 2008 the game was played at Yankee Stadium in New York – the last season before the great stadium was demolished for a new one. This year’s game is in St. Louis with its famous arch overlooking the Mississippi River – a quintessential American setting.
I saw this on the internet the other day: the average ticket to the All-Star game July 14 is $679, down from $1,460 last year when the game was played in New York, according to RazorGator.com, a ticket market site.
That’s an interesting statistic because it means that the ticket price this year is about 53% less than last year – or about the same percentage as the decrease in the stock market and the value of homes. Still - $679 ain’t cheap.
I’m staying home to watch the All-Star game on TV. To celebrate the spirit of baseball, I'm reading The Summer of ’49 by David Halberstam – his account of the great Boston Red Sox – New York Yankee summer campaign of 60 years ago. The book is from the library – free.
Chill the beer, fire up the grill, take an All-Star break.
This annual event pitches the best players from the American League vs. the best players from the National League in a single game. There are about twenty-five “stars” on each side. The rest of the players and all the teams (30 exactly) get three days off. In addition to the game, there is a must-watch home run derby contest, the Fan Fest, fireworks, concerts and other hoop-la.
The All-Star break is also the psychological mid-way point of summer. About six weeks gone – about six weeks more to enjoy.
In addition to bragging rights, the winning side gets the benefit of home-field advantage in the championship World Series match in October (hosting the first two games at one's own ballpark and playing no more than three games on the road, out of a possible seven). This idea was started a few years ago and the practice has since been extended indefinitely.
The All-Star Game, made its debut in July 1933, at Chicago's Comiskey Park. In 2008 the game was played at Yankee Stadium in New York – the last season before the great stadium was demolished for a new one. This year’s game is in St. Louis with its famous arch overlooking the Mississippi River – a quintessential American setting.
I saw this on the internet the other day: the average ticket to the All-Star game July 14 is $679, down from $1,460 last year when the game was played in New York, according to RazorGator.com, a ticket market site.
That’s an interesting statistic because it means that the ticket price this year is about 53% less than last year – or about the same percentage as the decrease in the stock market and the value of homes. Still - $679 ain’t cheap.
I’m staying home to watch the All-Star game on TV. To celebrate the spirit of baseball, I'm reading The Summer of ’49 by David Halberstam – his account of the great Boston Red Sox – New York Yankee summer campaign of 60 years ago. The book is from the library – free.
Chill the beer, fire up the grill, take an All-Star break.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
and it is still June.....
Dear Blog:
Obviously I haven’t fed you in sometime. Very sorry – I’ve been away and away and away.
Travel distorts time. Extensive travel distorts time extensively. I’ve been on and off airplanes at a record rate since early April. Approximately 36 landings and takeoffs according to my notes on the back of a badly wrinkled boarding pass.
This is the main reason, Clermont, that I have abandoned you.
In June – I was in Uruguay and came home
In June – I was in Boston and came home
In June – I was in Philadelphia and came home
In June – I was in Washington and came home
In June – I have been writing and writing and writing reports for work
In June – there has been swine flu, decent baseball, Wimbledon tennis, important health reform discussions, riots in Tehran and now Michael Jackson has gone and died.
And it is still June. I won't leave you for so long this time. Summer is just ahead.
Obviously I haven’t fed you in sometime. Very sorry – I’ve been away and away and away.
Travel distorts time. Extensive travel distorts time extensively. I’ve been on and off airplanes at a record rate since early April. Approximately 36 landings and takeoffs according to my notes on the back of a badly wrinkled boarding pass.
This is the main reason, Clermont, that I have abandoned you.
In June – I was in Uruguay and came home
In June – I was in Boston and came home
In June – I was in Philadelphia and came home
In June – I was in Washington and came home
In June – I have been writing and writing and writing reports for work
In June – there has been swine flu, decent baseball, Wimbledon tennis, important health reform discussions, riots in Tehran and now Michael Jackson has gone and died.
And it is still June. I won't leave you for so long this time. Summer is just ahead.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
IST - MAD - JFK
This old blog is wilting on the vine. I stopped taking my laptop on trips because of security hassles and other inconveniences. Now I’m rethinking this strategy seeing how many people travel with those nifty, small p.c. notebooks.
The connection is I just don’t have time to write ~ let alone think.
So, 23 days away is a considerable amount of time. It's nice to be home again. Florida’s “cool” winter days have been replaced by balmy weather - easterlies still blow across the state from the Atlantic keeping the humidity at bay for at least a few more weeks, thankfully.
Where’s the world-wide recession?
Istanbul was bustling. Ankara has a gleaming new airport terminal which was full of incoming and outgoing passengers. Turkish Airways is announcing new services to Africa, South America (yikes), Canada and deep into Russia.
Madrid is hyper-hyper-hyper. The earliest one can get a meal is 9 PM. Several of my colleagues and I set out at 10 PM for drinks one evening. We finished tapas (Spanish hors d'œuvres) at 11 PM and paid the check for dinner at 12:30 AM. Most restaurants were just filling up as we walked back to our hotel. (double yikes)
New York was also booming. Times Square was a zoo last Saturday due to the NFL draft taking place in the city. It was difficult to walk the sidewalks for the number of people meandering around the Big Apple. Bryant Park was ablaze in tulips (and people).
On Monday evening I found some peace and quiet in Mario’s barbershop. A real Italian that Mario. And a fine haircut for only $12 – or $3 less than here in Florida. What’s up?
The connection is I just don’t have time to write ~ let alone think.
So, 23 days away is a considerable amount of time. It's nice to be home again. Florida’s “cool” winter days have been replaced by balmy weather - easterlies still blow across the state from the Atlantic keeping the humidity at bay for at least a few more weeks, thankfully.
Where’s the world-wide recession?
Istanbul was bustling. Ankara has a gleaming new airport terminal which was full of incoming and outgoing passengers. Turkish Airways is announcing new services to Africa, South America (yikes), Canada and deep into Russia.
Madrid is hyper-hyper-hyper. The earliest one can get a meal is 9 PM. Several of my colleagues and I set out at 10 PM for drinks one evening. We finished tapas (Spanish hors d'œuvres) at 11 PM and paid the check for dinner at 12:30 AM. Most restaurants were just filling up as we walked back to our hotel. (double yikes)
New York was also booming. Times Square was a zoo last Saturday due to the NFL draft taking place in the city. It was difficult to walk the sidewalks for the number of people meandering around the Big Apple. Bryant Park was ablaze in tulips (and people).
On Monday evening I found some peace and quiet in Mario’s barbershop. A real Italian that Mario. And a fine haircut for only $12 – or $3 less than here in Florida. What’s up?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
In the footsteps
Across the big pond the other night to Turkey. Thıs was home from 1993 - 2001 and work brings me back once or twice per year. Bilingual and international schools galore.
Cloudy and cool in İstanbul this morning but bright spring sunshine here in Ankara. I'm following in the footsteps of President Obama who was here just a few days ago to address the Turkish Parliament.
The first nice surprise is Ankara airport's gleaming new terminal building with chrome and glass everywhere and a sky high atrium. The second surprise is the new direct highway from ESB airport to the city center. It took 20 minutes vs the old 1.5 hours on the road that curved through every village or köy.
I've spoken to a number of Turks who say the President's speech was well received including the touchy - potentially bombshelly - subject of Armenia. We (Americans) have to watch how sternly we allow ourselves to preach to others - despite every good intention of the new President. This is not unlike inviting the Japanese Prime Minister to Washington and having him tell us how we should better control the mindless gun-induced massacres that go on weekly in the US of A. Of course he would be right but... Giving a helping hand is better than taking the moral high ground or - what's the old saying - don't throw stones if you live in a glass house. You get it?
Alas, it's good to be back in the genuine comfort of Turkish hospitality and friendship.
Cloudy and cool in İstanbul this morning but bright spring sunshine here in Ankara. I'm following in the footsteps of President Obama who was here just a few days ago to address the Turkish Parliament.
The first nice surprise is Ankara airport's gleaming new terminal building with chrome and glass everywhere and a sky high atrium. The second surprise is the new direct highway from ESB airport to the city center. It took 20 minutes vs the old 1.5 hours on the road that curved through every village or köy.
I've spoken to a number of Turks who say the President's speech was well received including the touchy - potentially bombshelly - subject of Armenia. We (Americans) have to watch how sternly we allow ourselves to preach to others - despite every good intention of the new President. This is not unlike inviting the Japanese Prime Minister to Washington and having him tell us how we should better control the mindless gun-induced massacres that go on weekly in the US of A. Of course he would be right but... Giving a helping hand is better than taking the moral high ground or - what's the old saying - don't throw stones if you live in a glass house. You get it?
Alas, it's good to be back in the genuine comfort of Turkish hospitality and friendship.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Is bigger really better or does size matter?
Here is the age old question again which keeps popping up from the bedroom to the boardroom. You can add your two cents by posting a comment depending on your experience in work or play.
I pose the question in response to the recent news that the National Football League (NFL) has plans to extend its season by 2 more games. The league wants to generate more income. This is a shame because football is the only sport that ~ more or less ~ follows the seasonal pattern of Mother Nature. The NFL regular season begins after Labor Day (in America) and finishes about the end of January. Football is suppose to be played in the cool of autumn.
Professional basketball and hockey start in October and now finish in June ~ roughly consuming three long periods: autumn, winter and spring and then some.
Baseball ~ America’s “summer game” ~ begins in chilly April and the final game of the World Series is now played in late October. Here was the weather report in Philadelphia during the recent championship series:
Tonight, when Game 5 is expected to resume, the weather should be better for baseball - but it won't be an evening stroll on the beach. The forecast calls for winds blowing in from left field at 15 to 25 m.p.h. with temperatures near 40 around game time, then falling into the 30s. There is a slight chance of a shower.
What fun. Can anyone chip the ice off the beer?
So, football, the game which currently fits closest to the seasonal pattern of things is now in danger of being extended: starting in August or ending in February. Too long in my opinion.
Is bigger really better?
I pose the question in response to the recent news that the National Football League (NFL) has plans to extend its season by 2 more games. The league wants to generate more income. This is a shame because football is the only sport that ~ more or less ~ follows the seasonal pattern of Mother Nature. The NFL regular season begins after Labor Day (in America) and finishes about the end of January. Football is suppose to be played in the cool of autumn.
Professional basketball and hockey start in October and now finish in June ~ roughly consuming three long periods: autumn, winter and spring and then some.
Baseball ~ America’s “summer game” ~ begins in chilly April and the final game of the World Series is now played in late October. Here was the weather report in Philadelphia during the recent championship series:
Tonight, when Game 5 is expected to resume, the weather should be better for baseball - but it won't be an evening stroll on the beach. The forecast calls for winds blowing in from left field at 15 to 25 m.p.h. with temperatures near 40 around game time, then falling into the 30s. There is a slight chance of a shower.
What fun. Can anyone chip the ice off the beer?
So, football, the game which currently fits closest to the seasonal pattern of things is now in danger of being extended: starting in August or ending in February. Too long in my opinion.
Is bigger really better?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Time out!
I feel like I’m back in 7th grade thinking of excuses as to why I haven’t handed in my weekly composition. This blog has been blank for 2 1/2 weeks. What’s up Mr. Clermont?
Well, here are my lame excuses: a ten day working trip to El Salvador and San Francisco and the on-rushing NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. College basketball Championships Week [March 11 – 15] involved only 31 conferences playing over 400 games and many of them were televised.
In other words – I’ve taken a time out from writing.
Speaking of time out – the last few moments of a college basketball game these days can take 10 – 15 minutes. Coaches have perfected strategies for the final tense moments of close games. Each team can call several time outs and then add the mandatory “media” breaks for commercials if the game is on TV. In between players are fouling one another banking on the odds that a free throw is less likely to go in the basket than a dangerous 3 point shot from the perimeter. Games (the final few minutes) take forever.
Sports writer Mike Sorensen:
As far as I'm concerned, the glut of timeouts in college basketball is spoiling what is one of the best sporting events on earth. The players seem to do as much sitting as running in your average basketball game. These days you have a minimum of eight timeouts per game with the possibility of as many as 18 per game. In a 40-minute game, that's one every two minutes and 12 seconds of action.
Well, it’s just about time to turn on the TV and catch the first round of March Madness – time out or not.
Well, here are my lame excuses: a ten day working trip to El Salvador and San Francisco and the on-rushing NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. College basketball Championships Week [March 11 – 15] involved only 31 conferences playing over 400 games and many of them were televised.
In other words – I’ve taken a time out from writing.
Speaking of time out – the last few moments of a college basketball game these days can take 10 – 15 minutes. Coaches have perfected strategies for the final tense moments of close games. Each team can call several time outs and then add the mandatory “media” breaks for commercials if the game is on TV. In between players are fouling one another banking on the odds that a free throw is less likely to go in the basket than a dangerous 3 point shot from the perimeter. Games (the final few minutes) take forever.
Sports writer Mike Sorensen:
As far as I'm concerned, the glut of timeouts in college basketball is spoiling what is one of the best sporting events on earth. The players seem to do as much sitting as running in your average basketball game. These days you have a minimum of eight timeouts per game with the possibility of as many as 18 per game. In a 40-minute game, that's one every two minutes and 12 seconds of action.
Well, it’s just about time to turn on the TV and catch the first round of March Madness – time out or not.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
20th century + 21st century =
This time last week I was stressed anticipating my promotion from a committee member to a Commission member. Here’s an update.
The cold and windy mid-western city is still cold and very windy ... Lord ... how do people live in that weather – asked the spoiled Floridian?
There is no difference between committee work and Commission work other than the latter sounds grander. What always happens with a committee? You are correct, dear Reader. Not much gets done and you walk away with more work. Same with a Commission.
That’s exactly what happened in the cold and windy mid-western city as we gathered to talk about 21st century learning skills. Everyone had a different opinion. Getting people to agree on a common set was difficult. When there is a lack of unanimity, send everyone away to do more research for the next meeting.
I have my reading assignments.
One of these weeks I’ll get down in writing what many other educators have already identified – there is a core set of new skills that we (oldies and young ones) need to master.
By the way, we are one-tenth of the way though the new century already.
The cold and windy mid-western city is still cold and very windy ... Lord ... how do people live in that weather – asked the spoiled Floridian?
There is no difference between committee work and Commission work other than the latter sounds grander. What always happens with a committee? You are correct, dear Reader. Not much gets done and you walk away with more work. Same with a Commission.
That’s exactly what happened in the cold and windy mid-western city as we gathered to talk about 21st century learning skills. Everyone had a different opinion. Getting people to agree on a common set was difficult. When there is a lack of unanimity, send everyone away to do more research for the next meeting.
I have my reading assignments.
One of these weeks I’ll get down in writing what many other educators have already identified – there is a core set of new skills that we (oldies and young ones) need to master.
By the way, we are one-tenth of the way though the new century already.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
19th century + 20th century =
I now know why I’ve been suffering recently from the bloggers’ blues [see previous post].
I’m stressed. I’m off to an important meeting this weekend in a cold and windy mid-western American city. It’s the 3,486th meeting of my career but that is not what is making me shake.
I’ve been serving on a committee that’s trying to define 21st century learning skills.
However, I’ve learned that the committee is now a commission. What’s the difference I ask between a committee and commission other than one letter?
Apparently, a commission carries gravitas whereby a committee is… well... just another committee. Blah, blah, blah, you know.
The agenda arrived last week with a cover letter addressed to Dear Commissioner. Me? How does one behave and dress? A little imagination is called for here. I picture some sort of 19th century setting. A grande gathering perhaps?
I’ll stride in as a Prussian count with my walking stick and knee high riding boots. Prince Frederick is fine, thank you, gentlemen. But what’s this Commission about? We have a war to fight in Europe and I’m very busy.
Ah there’s the delegate from California dressed as a down-at-the-mouth Charlie Chaplin. You’re looking rather bankrupt, old thing.
And there’s the dandy who represents New England. He always wearing that tell-tale Harvard scarf and wears it in a tell-tale Harvard way which no one can imitate.
I had better stop – someone might read this from the Commission. There are 25 or so on their way to a cold and windy city. Time to pack and head for the airport. I have both my committee look and Commission look ready.
And what about those 21st century skills? More on this later.
I’m stressed. I’m off to an important meeting this weekend in a cold and windy mid-western American city. It’s the 3,486th meeting of my career but that is not what is making me shake.
I’ve been serving on a committee that’s trying to define 21st century learning skills.
However, I’ve learned that the committee is now a commission. What’s the difference I ask between a committee and commission other than one letter?
Apparently, a commission carries gravitas whereby a committee is… well... just another committee. Blah, blah, blah, you know.
The agenda arrived last week with a cover letter addressed to Dear Commissioner. Me? How does one behave and dress? A little imagination is called for here. I picture some sort of 19th century setting. A grande gathering perhaps?
I’ll stride in as a Prussian count with my walking stick and knee high riding boots. Prince Frederick is fine, thank you, gentlemen. But what’s this Commission about? We have a war to fight in Europe and I’m very busy.
Ah there’s the delegate from California dressed as a down-at-the-mouth Charlie Chaplin. You’re looking rather bankrupt, old thing.
And there’s the dandy who represents New England. He always wearing that tell-tale Harvard scarf and wears it in a tell-tale Harvard way which no one can imitate.
I had better stop – someone might read this from the Commission. There are 25 or so on their way to a cold and windy city. Time to pack and head for the airport. I have both my committee look and Commission look ready.
And what about those 21st century skills? More on this later.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Blog Blues
I keep a list of topics for future blogs. Sometimes the list is long ~ sometimes short.
The list is more happenstance than well thought out. It has no plan or pattern to it.
Before you can write anything though, you need to ponder. And before you ponder there needs to be a little kernel of thought. I cannot write “off the top of my head”.
In the back of my mind are old junior high school composition principles: first a rough draft, organize around paragraphs, use a good topic sentence. No wonder I’m experiencing the Blog Blues.
Maybe it’s the weather that is causing this writers block?
It was actually cold here last week. Floridians panic when they look in the closet for their one sweater. Yesterday afternoon I watched fog roll in off the Gulf of Mexico. Fog! The seagulls were bewildered and were seen flying east en masse. I assume they are resting safely this morning deep in the Everglades.
Magic spell-check tells me there are 163 words just above. Remember asking your English teacher, “An essay on spring? How long should it be”? At least one side of one page was always the answer.
Ah ~ I’m feeling better. Here’s half a page to feed the Clermont Blog.
The list is more happenstance than well thought out. It has no plan or pattern to it.
Before you can write anything though, you need to ponder. And before you ponder there needs to be a little kernel of thought. I cannot write “off the top of my head”.
In the back of my mind are old junior high school composition principles: first a rough draft, organize around paragraphs, use a good topic sentence. No wonder I’m experiencing the Blog Blues.
Maybe it’s the weather that is causing this writers block?
It was actually cold here last week. Floridians panic when they look in the closet for their one sweater. Yesterday afternoon I watched fog roll in off the Gulf of Mexico. Fog! The seagulls were bewildered and were seen flying east en masse. I assume they are resting safely this morning deep in the Everglades.
Magic spell-check tells me there are 163 words just above. Remember asking your English teacher, “An essay on spring? How long should it be”? At least one side of one page was always the answer.
Ah ~ I’m feeling better. Here’s half a page to feed the Clermont Blog.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Euro-Buzz (hint - it's chilly)
It was over to Europe last week for a school visit. A very short trip as it happens due to a scheduling conflict and other planning hassles. So quick, indeed, that the dreaded jet-lag didn’t have time to set in.
Global warming? Where? Holland was wickedly cold, windy and damp and all that chilly weather set up the historic snowfall in London and the south of England. I can’t picture some of those lovely Surrey villages under 18 inches of snow.
The dollar has appreciated about 20% during the past year against the Euro and Sterling.
A bit of breathing room for Americans traveling abroad but not much, I can tell you that. Europe is still expensive. I’m a big train fan but had to rent a car on this trip. Re-filling the petrol at Amsterdam airport cost $56 ~ and that for ¾ of a tank.
The general European economy is headed into a deep slump. The big chill, I'm afraid.
Obama-mania rules in Euro-land. A quick check at the newsstand showed virtually all the popular magazines with his picture on the cover. Mark this date: early 2009 and a popular American president!
And sports? I was there for three days after the Super Bowl and was amazed that my Dutch hosts knew so much about the game: players, coaches and strategies.
The real buzz is over footballer David Beckham’s abandonment of the L.A. Galaxy and his pending switch to AC Milan. Remember the hoopla when Beckham – the Babe Ruth of European soccer – signed on with an American team last year? No one could believe a player of such stature would play in the MLS. Well, he lasted 18 months before coming home to the European pitch.
Global warming? Where? Holland was wickedly cold, windy and damp and all that chilly weather set up the historic snowfall in London and the south of England. I can’t picture some of those lovely Surrey villages under 18 inches of snow.
The dollar has appreciated about 20% during the past year against the Euro and Sterling.
A bit of breathing room for Americans traveling abroad but not much, I can tell you that. Europe is still expensive. I’m a big train fan but had to rent a car on this trip. Re-filling the petrol at Amsterdam airport cost $56 ~ and that for ¾ of a tank.
The general European economy is headed into a deep slump. The big chill, I'm afraid.
Obama-mania rules in Euro-land. A quick check at the newsstand showed virtually all the popular magazines with his picture on the cover. Mark this date: early 2009 and a popular American president!
And sports? I was there for three days after the Super Bowl and was amazed that my Dutch hosts knew so much about the game: players, coaches and strategies.
The real buzz is over footballer David Beckham’s abandonment of the L.A. Galaxy and his pending switch to AC Milan. Remember the hoopla when Beckham – the Babe Ruth of European soccer – signed on with an American team last year? No one could believe a player of such stature would play in the MLS. Well, he lasted 18 months before coming home to the European pitch.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Welcome Mr. Ox
A few days late in welcoming the Chinese New Year but in this season of high anxiety I feel it best to roll out the red carpet anyway.
Where has this long month gone – with 31 days no less? A few weeks ago we had a different president and now it seems the world [in Washington at least] has turned upside down. It is also “season” here in Florida with guests, visitors, parties and special dinners. This is also Super Bowl Weekend in America and in 12 hours I will have absconded to Europe on business. With a dose of jet-lag I’ll probably see the game anyway at 4:00 am Monday morning listening to it in Dutch.
Somewhere in there – last Monday – the Chinese ushered in the Year of the Ox. The last Ox year was 1997 ~ where were you then?
The Ox is a sign of power and of prosperity arrived at through fortitude and hard work.
I read the other day that all years ending in an odd number are Yin and the ones with an even number ending are considered to be the Yang forms according to the Chinese 12 year cycle. Therefore the Ox year will have Yin forms. Other Ox characteristics include dependability, patience and calm
These are all positive characteristics. We need all the help we can get.
Where has this long month gone – with 31 days no less? A few weeks ago we had a different president and now it seems the world [in Washington at least] has turned upside down. It is also “season” here in Florida with guests, visitors, parties and special dinners. This is also Super Bowl Weekend in America and in 12 hours I will have absconded to Europe on business. With a dose of jet-lag I’ll probably see the game anyway at 4:00 am Monday morning listening to it in Dutch.
Somewhere in there – last Monday – the Chinese ushered in the Year of the Ox. The last Ox year was 1997 ~ where were you then?
The Ox is a sign of power and of prosperity arrived at through fortitude and hard work.
I read the other day that all years ending in an odd number are Yin and the ones with an even number ending are considered to be the Yang forms according to the Chinese 12 year cycle. Therefore the Ox year will have Yin forms. Other Ox characteristics include dependability, patience and calm
These are all positive characteristics. We need all the help we can get.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Fleeced Again
I stopped by to see my doctor the other day. Actually, to meet my new doctor. To be quite accurate – to see new doctor # 2 as the previous one whom I had never met departed before I had time to register with him. This happens in Florida.
Anyway, the new man, Dr. Hu was asking about my fairly-well controlled high blood pressure. He reminded me of the causes of hypertension and cautioned me to lead a healthy life style.
I told him my blood pressure had spiked recently because of being fleeced. Perhaps he misunderstood me but he replied that it was impossible for fleece, wool or yarn to have any effect on hypertension.
I explained that I had just read another news story about the public being fleeced…. as in money stolen from them. In December, the financier Bernie Madoff had bilked investors of $50 billion [as in BILLIONS]. Now according to Friday’s newspaper, one John Thain, formerly of Merrill Lynch – and just sacked from Bank of America – has done another number on the public purse.
Doc – my blood pressure boils when I hear these stories. Oh impossible, he replies. No one can be fleeced for that amount of money. It is unimaginable. But listen to this, Doc, I say.
This John Thain secretly approved in December an accelerated bonus payout of $4 billion for top Merrill-Lynch employees just as it was going belly up. Further, he spent a cool $1.2 million of Merrill shareholder's money to redecorate his office, including $87,000 for an area rug, $28,000 on curtains and $15,000 for a sofa. An interior designer (for an office?) received a $100,000 fee.
Dr. Hu looked a little pale. Those numbers make me ill, he sighed.
Anyway, the new man, Dr. Hu was asking about my fairly-well controlled high blood pressure. He reminded me of the causes of hypertension and cautioned me to lead a healthy life style.
I told him my blood pressure had spiked recently because of being fleeced. Perhaps he misunderstood me but he replied that it was impossible for fleece, wool or yarn to have any effect on hypertension.
I explained that I had just read another news story about the public being fleeced…. as in money stolen from them. In December, the financier Bernie Madoff had bilked investors of $50 billion [as in BILLIONS]. Now according to Friday’s newspaper, one John Thain, formerly of Merrill Lynch – and just sacked from Bank of America – has done another number on the public purse.
Doc – my blood pressure boils when I hear these stories. Oh impossible, he replies. No one can be fleeced for that amount of money. It is unimaginable. But listen to this, Doc, I say.
This John Thain secretly approved in December an accelerated bonus payout of $4 billion for top Merrill-Lynch employees just as it was going belly up. Further, he spent a cool $1.2 million of Merrill shareholder's money to redecorate his office, including $87,000 for an area rug, $28,000 on curtains and $15,000 for a sofa. An interior designer (for an office?) received a $100,000 fee.
Dr. Hu looked a little pale. Those numbers make me ill, he sighed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
My Fellow Citizens
Dear Mr. President,
Good luck and Godspeed. Here is more free advice:
With a stroke of a pen ~ you can close the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp. This would be a huge public relations boast for the United States – like opening a basketball game with a 3 point pop.
Stop the construction of the Texas – Mexico border fence. If we can’t figure out a way to get along with our neighbors, how are we going to win the war in Afghanistan?
De-emphasize our role as the world’s policeman. It doesn’t work. Let someone else chase the Somali pirates.
The Arabs and Israelis are pounding each other again in Gaza. Fifty years of American involvement and billions of dollars have done nothing to bring peace to this troubled area. With the exception of the bureaucrats who issue visas, bring home the diplomats and stop funding both sides. Let’s take a ten year hiatus and force the combatants to solve their own problems. Take all that money and put it into creating a workable health care system.
Speaking of visas, you need to fix the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA does nothing to enhance security. It is all a waste of time and money. The TSA is good at barking out mindless directions and harassing ten year old girls. Our British friends flew 8 hours from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles the other day and then spent another 3 hours getting into our country. Worse, they are green card holders and are pre-registered electronically with the new ESTA system. How embarrassing. It took me two minutes to pass through customs the last time I entered Europe.
A consortium of American college presidents advocates lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to stop binge drinking. I agree. While we are at it, let’s bring into line the age of adulthood to 18. This means that upon turning eighteen, one can vote, obtain a driver’s license, serve in the military and buy booze. Put together a committee of middle school students and let them come up with a Code of Responsible Adolescent Conduct. Anyone who meets or surpasses the Code can get a driver’s license at 17.
Finally, Mr. President, play some pickup basketball each Saturday morning. Hitting the hoops will keep you energetic and fresh. You are going to need it.
The Clermont Blog
Good luck and Godspeed. Here is more free advice:
With a stroke of a pen ~ you can close the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp. This would be a huge public relations boast for the United States – like opening a basketball game with a 3 point pop.
Stop the construction of the Texas – Mexico border fence. If we can’t figure out a way to get along with our neighbors, how are we going to win the war in Afghanistan?
De-emphasize our role as the world’s policeman. It doesn’t work. Let someone else chase the Somali pirates.
The Arabs and Israelis are pounding each other again in Gaza. Fifty years of American involvement and billions of dollars have done nothing to bring peace to this troubled area. With the exception of the bureaucrats who issue visas, bring home the diplomats and stop funding both sides. Let’s take a ten year hiatus and force the combatants to solve their own problems. Take all that money and put it into creating a workable health care system.
Speaking of visas, you need to fix the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA does nothing to enhance security. It is all a waste of time and money. The TSA is good at barking out mindless directions and harassing ten year old girls. Our British friends flew 8 hours from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles the other day and then spent another 3 hours getting into our country. Worse, they are green card holders and are pre-registered electronically with the new ESTA system. How embarrassing. It took me two minutes to pass through customs the last time I entered Europe.
A consortium of American college presidents advocates lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to stop binge drinking. I agree. While we are at it, let’s bring into line the age of adulthood to 18. This means that upon turning eighteen, one can vote, obtain a driver’s license, serve in the military and buy booze. Put together a committee of middle school students and let them come up with a Code of Responsible Adolescent Conduct. Anyone who meets or surpasses the Code can get a driver’s license at 17.
Finally, Mr. President, play some pickup basketball each Saturday morning. Hitting the hoops will keep you energetic and fresh. You are going to need it.
The Clermont Blog
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Caribbean Winter League
There is a quaint term Americans use to describe baseball’s off-season – the hot stove league.
This refers to the period between October and February when baseball players are honing their golf skills and recovering from their painfully long 7 month work-year. Team owners are making trades and fixing to increase ticket prices. Baseball aficionados are sitting around their hot stoves contemplating the new season and wishing that summer would arrive quickly.
Indeed, as I write it is wickedly cold in the northern climes of North America (can it really be minus 38 in Minnesota today)? People may indeed literally being sitting around hot stoves sipping buckets of hot grog.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Dominican Republic for the 2nd time in as many years (in my constant search for international schools). There the winter baseball league is in full swing. Each of six teams plays a 50 game schedule and then the best advance to the Caribbean Series to play against the champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
If you have had enough ice-fishing, snow-shoeing or blizzard watching, then board the next plane and head south – far south where the sound of a ball hitting a bat can be heard just above the warm trade winds.
This refers to the period between October and February when baseball players are honing their golf skills and recovering from their painfully long 7 month work-year. Team owners are making trades and fixing to increase ticket prices. Baseball aficionados are sitting around their hot stoves contemplating the new season and wishing that summer would arrive quickly.
Indeed, as I write it is wickedly cold in the northern climes of North America (can it really be minus 38 in Minnesota today)? People may indeed literally being sitting around hot stoves sipping buckets of hot grog.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Dominican Republic for the 2nd time in as many years (in my constant search for international schools). There the winter baseball league is in full swing. Each of six teams plays a 50 game schedule and then the best advance to the Caribbean Series to play against the champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
If you have had enough ice-fishing, snow-shoeing or blizzard watching, then board the next plane and head south – far south where the sound of a ball hitting a bat can be heard just above the warm trade winds.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2009: Hope Springs Eternal
Welcome 2009!
I’m glad that you are here and none too early.
Everyone it seems has a message about the New Year.
I saw a sign outside a local restaurant. It is one of those oversized monstrosities that add to urban pollution. The owner tries to make up for this slight by using humor (so I assume). The messages read like this: “All U Can Eat Shrimp” or “Mondays – Porcupine Soup”. Last summer he advertised “Critter Pancakes”. This is Florida after all.
The announcement was “2009 will be a better year”. At first glance I thought it said “will 2009 be a better year?” but then I noticed it was a declarative sentence.
What caught my eye was the fact that the simple future tense was underscored [which I can't mark on this blog format]. Did the sign guy have to make an effort to find the little bits in his box to emphasize the word? Is the underscore character painted onto the sign? Who is he trying to convince? Is business that bad? Here’s a guy who is obviously confident about the next 365 days. I drove past feeling better. Thank you, sir.
So 2009 ~ I have just a few requests: good health, a recovering stock market, an improved environment, peace in the many troubled spots of the world and best wishes to the new American president. And that’s the short list.
Happy New Year ~ here we go.
I’m glad that you are here and none too early.
Everyone it seems has a message about the New Year.
I saw a sign outside a local restaurant. It is one of those oversized monstrosities that add to urban pollution. The owner tries to make up for this slight by using humor (so I assume). The messages read like this: “All U Can Eat Shrimp” or “Mondays – Porcupine Soup”. Last summer he advertised “Critter Pancakes”. This is Florida after all.
The announcement was “2009 will be a better year”. At first glance I thought it said “will 2009 be a better year?” but then I noticed it was a declarative sentence.
What caught my eye was the fact that the simple future tense was underscored [which I can't mark on this blog format]. Did the sign guy have to make an effort to find the little bits in his box to emphasize the word? Is the underscore character painted onto the sign? Who is he trying to convince? Is business that bad? Here’s a guy who is obviously confident about the next 365 days. I drove past feeling better. Thank you, sir.
So 2009 ~ I have just a few requests: good health, a recovering stock market, an improved environment, peace in the many troubled spots of the world and best wishes to the new American president. And that’s the short list.
Happy New Year ~ here we go.
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