Thank You Tim Berners-Lee

Not too long ago the World Wide Web celebrated its 20th birthday!  With how dependent businesses, students, families, governments around the world have become it’s hard to believe it’s only 20.

The ability to gather information, educate, distract (lots of distraction) and travel to distant places and cultures without ever leaving your home.  The Internet breaks down walls as never before and can bring to life places and people in ways that books or magazines can’t.

Learn more about the Civil War, see pictures of cats with silly captions, see the world’s great thinkers explain weighty matters, calculate how many micrograms in an ounce, watch art being made, brush up on your geometry, look up the box score of the 1927
World Series – you name it and there’s a good chance it’s available.  The only requirement from you, the user, is a bit of imagination (how to find things) and a discerning eye (recognize what’s fact and what’s fiction).

Much to the chagrin of some that are close to me, I find myself wandering in and out of the Internet from time to time searching, learning, crying and laughing.

Maybe it should have been named the World Wide Time Suck, but I suppose that’s not too scholarly.

Yesterday I found myself a bit off the beaten track and in the course of 30 minutes there were tears in my eyes – tears of sorrow and tears generated by some of the funniest improv comedy separated by just a few mouse clicks.

I double dog dare you not to cry during or after watching these two videos.

First the tears of joy…

Then the other kinds of tears…

Click here – CNN

So, despite being a complete vortex into which time disappears, as Warden Norton said in Shawshank Redemption, “like a fart in the wind”, (thank you IMDB.com)  I embrace the Internet and all it has to offer.  It can never replace human interaction, but it can be an enlightening, educational, virtual encyclopedia that can bring our world closer together.

Of course, it can also teach us those life lessons that you used to be able to only learn from the “older kid down the block”.

Like the time my son wanted to build a potato cannon and I had no idea where to begin.  Without the Internet we would never have had that time together launching russets.

The Bond Between a 16 year old Daughter and her Father

Gap – n. a wide divergence or difference; disparity.

That’s one definition of the word. Here’s another that reminded me of the gap between my 16 year old and me.

Recently we were driving in my car when Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ came on the radio. The song was being played on a classic rock station, which made me feel a bit old(er). (“Wasn’t that song released just a few years ago?”, I thought to myself – 1984 to be exact. How could it be a “classic”!).

More surprising than having the song labeled a classic, Eloise knew the song and was singing along! I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was not a station she listened to and until that moment in time I was certain she did not like Van Halen.

I asked her how she knew the song. “Oh, it was in a recent episode of Glee.”

Leave it to Hollywood to bring a father and daughter closer together.

A Christmas tradition no more…

Over the last week or two my wife and I have struggled to get the tree up and decorated, Christmas cards created and out the door and amongst everything else find time to do some shopping. Once again we will be struggling to finish our appointed rounds by the 25th. I know we are not alone.

Each year at this time I am remained of a story my dad told me about Christmas and his childhood.
My dad was the oldest of three boys and when they were young Christmas did not exist in their house in the weeks and days leading up to the 25th. No tree, no garland, no Nativity scene. Nothing. This was not because my grandparents were Mr. & Mrs. Grinch. In fact, if you knew them you’d know they were just the opposite. It was about making Christmas a special event for their three boys and miraculously they would wake up on the 25th and their entire home would be decorated. A tree with ornaments, presents wrapped, Nativity scene – the whole enchilada. It was as if Santa had come down their chimney and decorated the entire house – which is exactly what his parents wanted them to believe.

Bloody amazing and more importantly, how did they do it!

I’ve done the all-nighter on the 24th/25th, wrap the presents, build the bike, eat the cookie for Santa – but toss in trim the tree and decorate the house?!?!? We’d be celebrating Christmas on December 28th. I know and appreciate that life was not as complicated ‘way back when’, but no matter what or how un-complicated life is, I still think this was an amazing accomplishment.

Someday, just once, I may decide to try it at our home.

Of course I’d use an artificial tree and inflatable nativity scene, but it’s the thought that counts.

National Cancer Sucks Day

My wife Celia reminded me that today is National Cancer Sucks Day.  Is there a description that better captures the sentiment of a day than this? 

When our oldest daughter was battling cancer 11 years ago I used to wear a button that said “Cancer Sucks”.  Over the years I have loaned it out to a few friends who are battling cancer and it always finds its way back.  I should have worn it today.

I did go back and read an article I wrote back then that was publsihed in Newsweek about my hero, our daughter Eloise (who is now 15+).

She is a wonderful daughter who is at Camp Goodtimes with her sister this week and other cancer survivors, current patients and their siblings for a week of good times.  They deserve every minute!

Here’s the article for those of you who may have missed it 10 years ago.

The Dog Ate My Homework…

After the last two posts, an old Monty Pythonisim comes to mind.  “And now for something completely different…”

Tomorrow our middle daughter graduates from 8^th grade.  She is an extremely talented person whose art and poetry I published in a book last year and have featured here previously.  Her language arts teacher said she is one of the most gifted writers she has come across in her years of teaching.  While she is not a big fan of math she can, with a little bit of effort, do extremely well.  I remember in 5^th grade one of her teachers wrote in an evaluation that, “She would be in the back of the room reading a book completely unrelated to math. We’d call on her to help us solve a problem for the class, she’d pop her head up and recite the answer and bury her head back in the book.” 

This school year she may have set a Seattle Girls School record for tardiness.  Not a record we are celebrating, but without a direct consequence from the school, a daughter who likes her sleep and a dad who stops short of dragging her kicking and screaming out of bed it was a record ripe for the taking.  The point of this is not to make fun of her habit of arriving late – she will learn next year in high school arriving late is treated a bit differently – but what was hilarious to us were the excuses she wrote in the school log upon arriving and knowing the real truth behind these stories.

Here are just a few.

High school visit – She never, and certainly not at 8am, visited a high school.

Overslept and ice on car – Guess the massive amount of ice on my car caused her to sleep, get dressed and out the door late for the 5 minute ride to school.

Walking (many entries) – Now give credit where credit is due.  She does walk to school a lot; however it’s a 10 – 15 minute walk at the outside.  Maybe leave a bit earlier or walk a bit faster???

Walk the dog – We have an 18 month old lab that she has walked maybe 5 times and only when forced and never before school.  She blamed the dog several times.  Sure, pick on the one who can’t defend herself!

Sister’s carpool – I do drive her older sister to school twice a week.  Her school is 5 minutes away and starts 30 minutes earlier.  Not sure how this affected her arrival time.

Wrong short cut – I hate it when short cuts move and screw up a good walk. 

Crossing light broken – She said she had to wait until it was fixed.  Maybe try a different cross walk?

Woke up late – Now this is an honest entry!

Sleepy editor – Not even sure what this means.

Costume – She painted her face, legs and arms in purple face paint for spirit day then decided it itched too much so she showered to remove said purple paint.  I am at peace knowing she will never be a face painter at sporting events.

Thank you IsEv for the good laugh!  Next year, as you know, things will be VERY different in many ways.  We know you will figure it out and succeed on your own, but to support you I may buy you an extra alarm clock or three.

Pride

I am extremely proud of my three children.  They are great kids who do well in school, complain rarely, are competitive and excel in almost everything they do, so it’s hard to single one out.  However, this summer I published a collection of poetry and art by our middle daughter Isabelle.  What really impressed me was her writing.  Her poetry is meaningful, fluid, creative and fun to read.  From time to time we will find pieces of scrap paper where she has written another poem and I ask myself, ‘Did she really write this?  This is good.’

The following is a link to the book, including a preview where you can see samples of her art and read a few of the poems.  Many are great, but this poem is one of my favorites.  I love the end.

Great job Isabelle!

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/881983

Glassblowing

The molten glass gathered

Upon a metal rod

A drop into the bucket

Then you have enough

The metal tweezers

Poke and prod

A bubble inside

Then off with the top

A small vase

Or a cup

If you want

Get some more glass

And make a flower

When the kilning finishes up done

Put the vase with the flower

And when you get home

You’ll have an undying flower

And a pretty vase just for that flower

Go take a shower!!!!!

P.U!