Yahoo!

Despite my propensity for high-tech toys, in one area, I remain firmly entrenched in the 1990’s. My computer home page remains Yahoo. It has been the same since my internet addiction took hold in the mid/late ’90’s as it was the dominant email server and search site. As a digital immigrant, I grew comfortable with it and stuck with it over the years.

Despite it being a dropping in point, I do have other key applications in the tool bar across the top of the screen and use them almost exclusively for actual Internet functions.

Except quick news.

I am still addicted to the Yahoo top headlines - whatever they have picked out for me to be the top headline of the day.

Sometimes they are relevant.

Mostly they are not.

Mostly, they are nothing more than entertaining.

Especially when I get things about Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore breaking NCAA rules. Really? I care about this because? Because they met two potential Iowa basketball recruits, suddenly the NCAA is in a tizzy because they could potentially influence the recruits to attend Iowa.

Frankly, it would take more than Aston and Demi to make me attend Iowa.

And yet, I’ve spent twenty-something minutes pondering the uselessness of this information.

I think it is time for me to move into the 21st century and find a new Internet home page.

Rushing Water

As an amateur photographer, one of my favorite subjects is running water whether it comes from a fountain, raging stream, or gentle waterfall. The tranquility of gently running water, often juxtaposed against the evidence of its strength shown in gullies and worn paths through solid stone, often create beauty that attracts the eye and the ear.


The photo below shows one of the waterfalls at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin. Although the shot from directly above makes the fall look active and forceful, I was actually straddling the entire stream as I shot straight down on the fall as the water went over the edge.

Shown from the side, the waterfall is not nearly as intimidating.

Whenever I go hiking, I search out those places that have water running and seek as many angles as possible. Just before the water falls over the ledge above, it is running gently across a wide expanse of stone with various paths worn down by centuries of running water.

The previous three pictures were taken by laying flat on my stomach on (dry) creek bed just down from the water to get a straight-on shot. 

All the shots were taken in McKinney Falls State Park in Austin. I often forget about the park when I am thinking I want to get outside. I procrastinate and curse the parking challenges because of the congestion downtown. McKinney is only ten minutes from my house and there are never parking problems, and with this kind of environment, I am going to put it in the forefront of my mind for a quick natural get-away.

Vote Now!

Even though it is only a mid-term election, voting remains as vital as it is during a presidential election year. Unfortunately too many people do not seem to understand how vital it is. This year in particular determines governors and state legislatures who will be drawing up the redistricting lines following the release of census data that determines which states get more representatives and which states get fewer.

With that power comes influence that will last a decade regardless of the terms those elected this year serve. As much as I hope everyone agrees with me in the way to vote, given the contention and division that dominates the current state of our political system, anyone agreeing with me completely is quite unlikely. Every issue spans too many shades of gray for there to be much deep consensus.  Still, though we may disagree, I want everyone to vote their conscience this year with the understanding that there will be long-term consequences to the election.

The act of voting takes moments. The act of preparing to vote takes extended time or reading up on the candidates and issues involved in the election. The preparation is as essential as actually casting the ballot, for voting without the education leads to buyers regret in most instances. While it is now only 24 hours from the opening of the polls, it is not too late to research the candidates in your area. Look at the endorsements of local newspapers, check out party websites, and most local voting officials have sample ballots for view online.

Do your part. Research. Vote.

Mr. Popular

My schedule worked out to my advantage today as I was in my office for an extended time when the ACL tickets went on sale and I was able to get in the “virtual line” in plenty of time to actually purchase tickets for the 2011 festival, some eleven months away. While waiting in the virtual line (because it was still a line) I had a 1-on-1 conference with one of the teachers in the program I direct, composed an email for everyone in a different program I also direct, and contacted two outside agencies regarding data another district program needed for part of its annual report.

Yet in the middle of all that, I managed to notice when the screen changed and I pounced on my opportunity for “discounted” tickets.

I had no idea how popular that would make me.

Within the hour of tweeting (aka sideways Facebook posting) my purchase, I had received a call with an offer to buy some of my tickets and other Facebook notifications with offers.

If I had known purchasing tickets would make me Mr. Popular, I would buy tickets much more often!

For the time being, I’m hanging on to the tickets. Heck, they are just electronic imaginings with dollar signs attached to my American Express card until I claim them next September.

That’s when the competition really begins to see who is(are) my best friend(s)!

Why I Am Wearing Purple

Today many people are wearing purple to call attention to the issue of bullying faced by so many of the LGBT youth across the country. Over 19 years as an educator, I have seen bullying swell to epidemic proportions in the lives of young people. Certainly, bullies are nothing new. There have always been the Nelson Muntzs of the lunchroom and playground. There has always been the mean-girls club. This bullying is easy to see, and while not easy to stop, everyone knows it when it happens.

The bullying epidemic of the last decade, and the one claiming so many lives of young people today, occurs much more subtly - most often out of sight and sound. Today’s bullying rarely produces visible bruises. Instead it destroys the soul of the individual as it invades their most safe places with a message far more damaging than, “I’m tougher than you.” Today’s bullying thrives on the message, “you do not belong in the world.”

Particularly making news in recent months were the tragic suicides of young people taunted for being gay or for being perceived as being gay. As LGBT persons have gained recognition and much more acceptance in society, more and more young people have accepted their identities at a younger age, but at an age when their peers are developing their identities conflicting identities prove threatening.

Unfortunately, our political discourse encourages taunting and demonizing of anyone different. As our leaders have become less civil, our youth have taken that lesson to heart. The public, demonstrated lack of respect is the most bi-partisan activity our leaders have accomplished in the last four years. It is no wonder there is such distrust and disgust over all legislation passed; someone instantly discounts it.

When such messages dominate the media, why do we wonder that our youth would employ the same strategies in their lives?

I am wearing purple today, not just for LGBT youth who  have been bullied, but for all facing the torment of bullying through whispered denigrations, emailed threats, texted taunts, as well as the shoves, hits, and vandalism. I wear purple today to call attention to this plague across the country affecting our young people and society as a whole because if one thinks bullying ends at graduation, one has likely not paid attention at work.

Another Worry for Mom

Mostly on a whim, I purchased a scooter this past week. My friends needed to sell, the price was right, and I came away with a barely used scooter. The first couple of nights, I made some brief drives around the neighborhood to get comfortable with the handling and by Saturday I was up to giving friends rides and getting out to the main road for a quick trip to the gas station to refill.

The ride went so well, that I decided to take the scooter to church this morning. The weather was perfect for a morning drive on the scooter. With relative ease, I was at church in the same amount of time it takes in my truck and I was feeling pretty exhilarated.

As soon as church was over, I called a friend who lives quite a distance from me to see if I could swing by to see him as he had been traveling for a couple weeks and we had only barely talked on the phone. To get to his house involved several other busy streets in the city for more traffic practice.

Again with relative ease, I made it to his house. We had a nice visit and I was able to see most of the over 500 pictures he had taken on his trip to Israel. The weather was equally perfect on leaving his house for the drive home and I was able to check out a few more streets around town to determine their scooter friendliness.

The trip home from my friends actually happened faster than it normally does in my truck, so I felt especially good about making that trip even though it took me through rough streets under construction. 

I’m excited that now I can run most of my errands in the scooter instead of my truck and even feel less guilty about just fun trips.

Of course, it just means one more thing my mother will worry about.

Empty Nest

Never having been a biological parent, I have found the last two weeks surprisingly difficult as my “kid” went to begin work on his graduate studies. I had no idea how much my weekly schedule rotated around him and his activities. Friday nights roll around and I have to think twice about what I am going to do.

I have a huge case of empty nest syndrome.

Amazing since I have never had a nest.

Nevertheless, having him hours away instead of a mile down the street has occupied an inordinate amount of my time in the last few weeks. The feelings began in the spring when he committed to the PhD program, but they came on strong when, after staying with me for a few days, he left and texted me that he was in his new apartment.

And just after getting settled, he lost his cell phone. I have gone through the process to replace it - despite him being hours away, some things never change.

Man of a Certain Age

The older I get, the more I have learned that more and more people are likely to look at me in a certain way. Let’s call it “mature.” In all honesty, that is not always a bad thing. Mature can be good. Mature attracts a certain type.

But different people have different view of “mature” that are not necessarily accurate. For example, I recently received a Facebook invitation to attend the “Bearracuda” event happening in Austin in September. 

It has absolutely nothing to do with fish!

It is all about men of a certain body shape and degree of hairiness. Yes, I recently posted a picture of the hair I trimmed from my legs, but that’s it! No excess hair on my stomach, chest, or back can be found. And I just lost over twenty pounds, so I do not have the body shape either.

I can only think of one reason I was invited - I am a man of a certain age, so surely, I’m a bear. I’m not even an otter. As far as that world is concerned, I might as well be one of those freaky Sphynx cats.

Ninety percent of the time I like being a man of a certain age because I do not look or feel like it; however that ten percent creeps in now and then and reminds me that I am.

Summer Shearing

People without much hair, have no idea what those of us who are more hirsute endure during the summer. Those of us who are patchily hairy are even more unique as only certain parts of us will be sweating while the remainder of our body is fine.  Hairiness affects my head and legs most profoundly.

After a day of helping a friend with work in his yard, I decided it was time for my  summer “do” and pulled out the clippers. Rather than going without a guard as is my normal routine, I decided to step the cut down by using several guards and working my way down to the length I wanted. After just a few minutes my head felt free with all the weight gone from it.

The newly shorn me

While I had the clippers out, I decided to go on and shorten the hair on my legs. 

Clipping behind the knees proved exceptionally challenging.

Clipping the upper thighs proved to be even more so - it involved bending around, trying to keep the clippers level against the skin as I bent to get the hair evenly trimmed.

Eventually, though, my much less hairy legs emerged and I realized just how much nicer they felt with the air coming out of the air conditioning vent overhead flowing over them without the interference of hair. It was HEAVEN. I did not usually feel the air from the AC vent.

Yes, folks - that is the hair form my legs collected on the bottom of the bathtub.

Looking at my legs, I fantasized about how easily sunblock will go on the next time I go to the lake or pool with someone. No more of the gloppy streakiness - just a smooth application and a quick absorption by the skin.

I looked at my shiny nearly bare legs in the mirror and fantasized about how much better they are going to look as my running further tones them up and the definition is seen without the interference and shadows of hair.

Turning my leg side to side, I imagined what it would look and feel like to have a hand running up it - catching the now short hairs and tweaking the skin beneath them.

People without much hair have no idea what those of us who are more hirsute endure during the summer. And they have no idea how the imagination can run wild when freedom from hair is achieved.

Stacked

I have some truly amazing friends with whom I have been spending more and more time lately. And on Friday nights, instead of going out, we have been dining in at my house (with the proposal to rotate homes) and just hanging out. It has been a wonderful break from going out to restaurants where we feel somewhat limited in the amount of time we can spend together visiting or being as loud as we want to be.

My friends have also been wonderful in jumping in to take part in washing up and helping clean the kitchen at the end of the night which is far beyond anything I would expect of friends or guests in my home. They wash dishes and help put away the leftovers which saves me so much time of doing it by myself. As much as I love having the company, but I probably would not do it as often if I had to do all the cooking and cleaning by myself - it just makes for a very long evening.

But I can be a little particular about things. My daily use plates are yellow and red (two same style sets in different colors). Just for visual purposes, and because I’m a bit compulsive about some things, I stack them yellow red yellow red yellow red, etc. I do the same thing with the bowls and the small plates.

One day this week I opened the cabinet and had to consciously restrain myself (long enough to grab the camera).

Two red plates were stacked on top of one another. My arm reflexively went out to shuffle the order of the plates so they would be alternating. I realized I was not the person who had stacked the plates and that I would just have to look at that plate, stacked in a way other than the way I would do it, and realize it was because my friends are amazing and wonderful and put away the thoughts that they do not know how to stack plates.

It took conscious work for me to do, but all this week, whenever I have opened the cabinet and seen the two red plates stacked together, I smile and remember the great time I had hosting my friends at the house and look forward to a time when I can do it again.

But I really want to restack the plates.