I'm Still Alive

Yes, I'm still alive, lol.

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Road Trip, Day 1

I'm on a road trip.  I left Phoenix about 2 p.m. and headed up the Beeline Highway (87) past the turnoff for my brother's house and on into the mountains.  Stopped at Payson to get gas.  It's pretty up there! 

Turned onto 260 and then on up into the mountains and then climbing up the Rim.  I don't think I had ever been this way before but it was stunning.  I was a little sad there wasn't a scenic overlook because I wanted to stop and take some pictures.  It was really amazing.  A little past that I saw a guy hitchhiking and stopped to give him a ride -- don't usually pick up hitchhikers but it was such a desolate spot I figured I would give him a ride.  He seemed nice enough.  Dropped him off in Heber as he was heading north, and gave him a couple of bottles of Diet Coke to tide him along.  Driving along through the area I could see the effects from the big Rodeo-Chediski_fire.  Wow.  Sad.

Got into Show Low and stopped at McD's for a snack, then on to Highway 60 toward Springerville.  Very desolate country and usually I was the only car in sight... passed through the Springerville volcanic field and that was REALLY trippy!  Grassland with all these extinct volcanic vents sticking up.  It's the 3rd largest such field in the country -- who knew?!

I pressed on through to New Mexico as the sun set and then on in the dark to Socorro, NM where I found the Rodeway Inn, my destination for the night.

Tucson Tragedy

Saturday 1/8 I was up at crack of dawn to go warmup for my Adult PreBronze Free Skate test.  After the test (I passed!) I went to breakfast with my coach and some friends.  When I finally was driving home after dropping my coach off, I was listening to the news and heard about the horrible shooting in Tucson.  19 shot of whom 6 were killed (including a 9-year old girl!) and one of the wounded was Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

I can't express how hard this hit me.  My Tucson!  My home, wherever I may go.  The place my heart has been for so long... a scene of tragedy.  Later on I would discover the links I had with the injured and killed... Judge Roll, who had attended Ss. Peter and Paul school with my pastor John Lyons, was a daily communicant and had often been a lector at SSPP.  One of the men who died, shielding his wife (who was also shot) was the uncle of one of my classmates from Amphi.  Another classmate knew the shooter and his parents; their kids had been in Little League together.  And of course I had met Gabby Giffords when I was in grad school, when we took our winning Student Showcase entries to the Capitol and she came out to talk to us briefly.

On Wednesday they had a memorial service at McKale, and President Obama came.  He gave a wonderful speech that, I think, really helped a lot of people to grieve and to feel better.  Thank you, Mr. President.

Saturday I was down in Tucson to sing at a wedding with our SSPP Schola.  Part of my goal was to visit two of the memorials that had grown up, one at UMC and one also at Gabby Gifford's office (there was another at the shooting site but I didn't want to go there).

I visited the one at UMC Saturday afternoon, since it's right across the street from my old parish (Ss. Peter and Paul).  It was probably about 2:30 p.m. and there were probably150 or so people there.  Of course the news trucks were still all camped out too, which made it a little noisy unfortunately.  The memorial was on the small lawn in front of UMC.  People had left stuff all around the perimeter, and then there were some pathways through the middle lined with more stuff.  There were cards, flowers, candles, a lot of little posters with pictures of those killed, or of Gabby Giffords.  Many of the local schools had drawn up posters signed by their kids.  There were poems and expressions of love, of hope, of comfort.  There were many expressions of thanks to the UMC doctors, nurses and staff as well as the first respondeers, and some thanking President and Mrs. Obama for coming to Tucson.  Walking through, there were a number of kids present with their parents, but not too many teenagers or young adults, mostly middle aged folks it seemed like.  The atmosphere was quiet and reverent although there was some talking too.  A few people were taking pictures, and I considered it but it didn't seem appropriate to me so I refrained.  Reading the signs and cards and looking at the displays it was almost overwhelming, the communal grief and hurt registered there.  At the same time there was definitely a sense of pulling together, that this act doesn't change what a great and good place Tucson is.  It was sad but uplifting too.

Later that day, around 6ish (sun had just set) I stopped by the memorial at Gabby Gifford's office.    There were probably 15-20 people there.  It's much smaller, a much smaller space.  This memorial had a larger proportion of flowers, and especially candles.  Many, many candles.  It struck me as "only in America" that people express their love for their Jewish Congresswoman by lighting candles with pictures of Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I had brought some flowers and I found a suitable spot for them.

One poster that particularly struck me was from a man who described how he'd lived the first 50 years of his life in Tucson but was now living in Phoenix; and how he had felt like Tucson was his refuge, how he would go visit when he needed to, and be recharged.  How he felt like the shooting had taken his Tucson away from him, how it was no longer safe.  He said that as he had watched the community mourning and grieving and drawing together, he felt better and realized that despite the shooting it was still "his place."

I know exactly what he means.

Gratitude

One of my goals when I came back to Arizona was, to put it simply and bluntly, to "get my life back."  I was thinking the other day that I've largely achieved that.  It's not the same life I had when I lived in Tucson -- I'm less involved in the community and that time has largely gone into skating and piano, so it is inwardly-oriented (vs. the time I used to spend teaching RCIA and working with CTAC).  Still I am keeping pretty busy and really, I have a good life.  I'm very grateful.

A Day Of Remembrance

Another 9/11 comes... for me the paradox, a day to celebrate (my birthday) and to mourn those lost on this day 9 years ago.

In a special way I remember John Badagliacca, whose name on wear on my wrist every day.  May he and all those who died that day rest in peace, and may the grace of God give comfort to their families and friends.

Vacation

Long time, no post, sorry.  I am on vacation in Oregon.  I arrived Friday.  Saturday I spent with Dad and Fran, and we had dinner with my Aunt Nancy and cousin Robin, it was really nice to see them.  Sunday was a long day -- figures competition in the morning and then hanging out with my friend Mary afterward.  We were going to go to Voodoo Doughnuts but the lines were really long so we hung out on the waterfront and looked around and talked.  A good time.

Today I drove out  to the coast.  Stopped in Astoria and visited the Astoria Column, then a brief detour over the Astoria-Megler bridge.  I have a fascination with bridges (on the drive out I also got to see the beautiful St. Johns bridge and the impressive Longview bridge).  The Astoria bridge is really, really high for the part over the channel; then it sinks down and is just a little way above the river.  Coming back over it from Washington it looks like it goes straight up, it's so tall and steep!  Wow.

I drove down to Seaside and checked in to the hotel here, took a walk on the beach and looked around a bit.  Unfortunately it is typical Oregon weather, cold and dreary (though, surprisingly, not actually raining -- yet).

Tomorrow I will look around a bit more then head back toward PDX as I have lessons with my old coach Tuesday evening and early Wednesday to prep for the competition at the end of the month.

Have You Read The Bill?

[Background:  I have had a number of discussions on FaceBook, sometimes heated, about Arizona's SB1070. I wrote and posted this there, but thought I would share it here as well.]

May 28, 2010

Have You Read The Bill? – A response, and a challenge.

In the discussion of Arizona’s new immigration law (SB1070) and its implementation and the continuing reaction of others, this question “Have you read the bill?” (“HYRTB” for short) has come up repeatedly.  Indeed, I think I myself have been asked this question five or six times to date.

I find the question, and the reasoning that underlies it when asked by some persons, to be offensive; it’s also unhelpful and uncharitable.  I’ll try to explain why.  I must point out at the outset that my remarks are not aimed at any one person, for while some people have what I consider to be bad motivations in asking the question, I know several of my interlocutors to be people of sincerity and good will who genuinely mean no offense.

The question seems simple enough.  Have you read SB1070?  This is often accompanied by the remark that it’s only 17 pages.  True enough.  What are the subtexts of this question?  I can think of several variations on a theme:

1.    You must not have read the bill; otherwise you would agree with me/have a different position.
2.    I don’t understand why you don’t support this bill, so I’m assuming you must not actually have read it.  (This is the kindest variation, held by at least one person I know.)
3.    Reading the bill will convince any intelligent person to support it regardless of any other circumstances.
4.    If you have not read the bill your opinions don’t carry any weight and I can ignore them.

Let’s take them in turn.  The first and second are very similar; the main difference is that the first seems arrogant and the second comes from a position of sincerely seeking understanding.    Behind them both, though, is the implication that reading SB1070 will produce agreement with it.  Considering how many well-educated and well-read people in our society disagree on fundamental points of view, the likelihood of education resulting in uniform support for any particular position is low.

The third point is also similar to the first two, but I put it this way to bring out another point – context.  Every person that’s asked me the question has been a white person, and most of them do not live in Arizona.  I find it ironic that someone can ask this question, because the questions that I would ask in response include “Do you live in Arizona?  Are you familiar with Arizona politics?  Do you know why this bill came forward at this time, and who supports and opposes it and why? Do you have any Hispanic friends?”  SB1070 did not come forth in a vacuum, but in a particular set of circumstances of which many of the people asking HYRTB are totally ignorant.  Many people who object to SB1070 do so not because of the text of the bill but because of their experiences with Arizona’s politics and law enforcement, especially in Maricopa County.

Furthermore, it applies a standard for debate that most do not apply to other discussions or issues.  Do I have to have read the entire Tax Code of the US to object to the level of taxation I experience?   Did those objecting to Obama’s healthcare initiatives actually read all 1000+ pages of that bill?  Do I have to have read the UN Charter to support or object to the United Nations?  What about the North Atlantic Treaty? I suspect not.

It’s the fourth point that is most offensive.  Put another way, the question asks “Do you know what you are talking about?”  Questioning the knowledge and/or intelligence of your interlocutor is never conducive to a good discussion, but is a standard ad hominem tactic.  It also avoids discussing the actual objections raised.  If you wish to have a respectful, productive, and persuasive interchange, avoid such tactics and address the actual points of discussion.

My challenge to those who have asked HYRTB, and to everyone – have a discussion that is respectful and uplifting, edifying and charitable.  Seek to understand not just the text, but the context, of what you discuss; and for those that profess a Christian faith (at least) – as Frank Sheed (I think) said, when you are tempted to put someone in his place, remember that his proper place is Heaven and everything you say and do towards him should help him attain that end.

I have a lot more to say about the bill itself, which I will do in a future posting.  I did want to take some time to make these points since they have been the cause of some hurt feelings on my part and presumably on the part of others.

And yes, I have read SB 1070.

Still Alive, Lol

Yes, I'm still alive.  I spend a lot more time on Facebook these days, but I think I'm going to post some things here that are a bit long for FB.

Quick summary... moved to Chandler 10/1/09.  Found a nice house to rent that's really close to work and very convenient to everything and not too expensive either!  Moving was very stressful and it was hard to say goodbye to the many wonderful people I had met in Portland.  Also I re-injured my foot and though the podiatrist here said it was not broken, I had an extended period of being off the ice and trying to take it easy.  To be honest it still doesn't feel exactly normal even now and it's been a year.  Oh well.

I've been really enjoying being close to my family and my Arizona friends.  I have been singing with the Schola at Ss. Peter and Paul down in Tucson. The drive is pretty tiring (it's about 100 miles) for rehearsals but I love getting to sing quality music.

I bought a digital piano (Kawai Digital Piano 500, an older model) in November (?) and started taking piano lessons in January with Stephanie Koogler in Chandler.  That's been going really well and I played my first recital last Saturday (she has recitals for her students in June and December).  I played a setting of the theme from Dvorak's New World Symphony, and I also sang.  It went really well!

Skating has gone quite well, I have found a freestyle and a figures coach and with lots of convenient ice time available I have been skating quite a lot, preparing for my first competition since PCAS '08 next month (Cactus Classic).

I have been back to Oregon a number of times.  I am back about once a month for work, for meetings and facetime with my team.  Those trips are usually a one day up-and-back on the Intel shuttle -- pretty tiring but worthwhile.  I was up for a weekend in December for the Oregon Chorale concert and also the holiday show at SIA -- it was great to see my homies skating!  Then I was up for a weekend in early May and also early June, the last for the Oregon Chorale 25th anniversary concert.  It was terrific, and the Chorale invited alums to sing 3 songs for the occasion which was really great.  They are such an amazing group!  I will be up in August again for a figures competition and some hangin' with the homies.

I will try to post more often and I know I need to fix the comments on this blog.  I'll see what I can do.

A day of celebration, a day of remembrance

Yes, I'm still alive.. it's been a long time since I've posted and I'm sorry for that.

Today is my 46th birthday, and of course it is the 8th anniversary of the horrific attacks on our country in 2001.

Since I posted last... I went home for Christmas and had a great time. Just before Christmas Portland experienced a couple of awesome winter storms that dumped several inches of snow on the city and mostly shut it down from about December 14 to the end of the year. I managed to get out in between storms and it was mostly over by the time I came back.

I finally passed my Adult Pre-Bronze Moves in the Field skating test in April.

On May 20th I broke the 3rd metatarsal on my left foot while working on my spin trainer. I thought it was just sprained, but when it didn't improve I went to the doctor on June 5th and the x-rays showed that it was broken. I was off the ice and in an air cast until about August 5th all told. I had to withdraw from the Cactus Classic skating competition that I had planned on. I wound up still going to Arizona for that time (I had already purchased plane tickets) and had a good visit.

In August I went on a road trip to see the Grand Coulee Dam.

The big news is that I am going to moving back to Arizona at the end of September. My boss has worked out an arrangement for me to work remotely from Intel's Chandler campus. I'm really excited to be going home at last, but it is hard to leave behind the many wonderful people I've met here in Portland.

CNN is reporting that Obama is going to pick Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for secretary of Homeland Security. Wow! While I certainly disagree with the Governor on a number of issues, she's a very smart and capable woman who would do a terrific job at DHS. Good for her!

Here's a transcript of John McCain's concession speech from last night. I thought it was extremely gracious, and vintage McCain.

I would not -- I would not be an -- an American worthy of the name, should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone and I thank the people of Arizona for it.

So... Obama won. As I had predicted, the market took a dive of almost 500 points.

Miscellaneous stuff -- here's a cool article about my friend Rae's grandson who was miraculously healed through the intercession of Bl. Alberione.

Small stuff...

I bought gas yesterday for $2.219/gal! That's compared to just 3 days earlier (Tuesday) when I paid $2.559! Crazy stuff, but I'm not complaining.

This from our Intel Singers practice on Wednesday (neither of these was me):

• "What does 'rall.' mean?"
• "It means 'watch the conductor!'"

We all laughed :-)

My prediction... if Obama wins, the market is going to take a big dive on Wednesday. like 400 points. The market doesn't like change and doesn't think Obama is its friend so it's going to tank. Check back and we'll see if I'm right!

I've long been concerned about euthanasia and the slippery slope down which our society is sliding. Here in Oregon, of course, while we have rationed health care, you can legally have a doctor help you kill yourself. So much for compassion.

Anyway, thanks to Mark Shea for pointing out this good discussion on the truth about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

The notion that certain patients lack worthwhile lives is a judgment which Western law and medical ethics have long rejected and which no civilized society should accept. This is, moreover, no "private" decision. The question whether some citizens (doctors) should be allowed to kill other citizens (patients) is a decision with profound ramifications for the safety and well-being of the whole community, not least its most vulnerable members. The community, rightly, jealously guards its power to decide when human life may lawfully be taken and it has, again rightly, strictly limited those circumstances. The decision to allow doctors to kill patients who consent to have their lives ended is no more "private" a matter than a decision to allow plantation owners to buy and sell slaves who consent to be owned. There are, indeed, few questions which are of greater public import than the question whether to permit VAE/PAS.

Energy Independence

I've been doing a lot of thinking about "energy independence" since it's been in the news and a large part of the campaign cycle.

I'm really amused by the ads and hype that talk about this subject while showing pictures of... power plants!! It's nuts.

According to the Energy Information Administration, petroleum makes up 39.8% of our available energy. 70% of our petroleum is used for transportation, 24% goes for industrial use, 5% for residential and commercial (heating oil, propane) and 2% for electric generation. 2%! That says that power plants and petroleum have almost nothing to do with each other!

If the Chevy Volt and other electric (mostly) cars sweep the market, it would be possible for us to eliminate oil imports eventually (we currently import 52% of our oil). While this is a good goal it will take a while to get to that point, especially since the Volt's power train is aimed at cars (the biggest target), not trucks and other big vehicles that require lots of horsepower (bulldozers, diggers, etc.).

Natural gas is another story. We import about 15% of our natural gas consumption. This area is ripe to be replaced with renewable energy, except for one problem. Much of the natural gas consumption for electric generation (30%) is used that way because natural gas-fired power plants are good for peak power generation. (Natural gas plants can ramp up power output much more rapidly than coal plants or nukes, about the same as hydropower). This is a hard niche to replace with wind or solar, both of which work better as supplements.

A reasonable mix would be coal/nuclear (working to elimination of coal) for base load, with renewables to supplement, and natural gas/hydropower for peak loads.

End of an Era

After 24 years, Lute Olson has retired as UA basketball coach.

I have to say, it seems to me that (not surprisingly) things were never the same after Bobbi (his wife of many years) died. Thanks for the memories Lute!

Just got back from Courtney and Geoff's wedding down in Laguna Beach... it was beautiful! Stephen and Sissy went all out for the wedding (of course) and a wonderful time was had by all. I'm so glad I went! The weather was wonderful, and there's nothing like seeing old friends and hearing them say "I'm really glad you came!". All I could say was that I wouldn't have missed it for the world, and it's true. After the wedding I got to hang out with Stephen & Sissy and some of the family for a few hours -- so good to catch up with them.

While I was gone I also had the pleasure of hitting up a local In-N-Out Burger (of course). Mmmmmmm. The flight back (Southwest) was on a plane painted to look like Shamu! It was so cool! I also had the "pleasure" (as I found out when I got home and opened my suitcase) of having my luggage inspected by TSA! Fortunately nothing was lost or broken, and of course I didn't have any contraband!

Yes, I'm Alive

Sorry I've been MIA. Let's see... had a nice birthday -- many cards, emails, texts, etc. from family and friends -- I felt very loved! Almost makes up for being so darn old now! Grrrr.

On 9/27 I finally made the other trip for the summer I was hoping to make -- up to Mt. St. Helens. As it happened I got a beyoooooooooootiful day for it! It's an awesome sight and as it happened it was National Public Lands Day so I got in to the vistor center for free! Amazing stuff and highly recommended. The other trips I wanted to take this summer were to the Evergreen air & space museum (or whatever it's called) in McMinnville -- they have the Spruce Goose there now along with lots of other stuff (I saw the Spruce Goose back in the late 80s when it was in Long Beach); a boat trip on the Willamette River; and a trip to see Grand Coulee Dam. It doesn't look like the last will happen now that fall's here and the weather is ukky. Which it is..

Just busy with work and choirs and skating and so forth, staying busy. A week from Saturday I'll be in lovely Laguna Beach for my friend Stephen's daughter's wedding. Fun!

Here's a cool video from CatholicVote.com, check it out (thanks to Mark Shea for the link):

R.I.P. Greg

Today is my brother Greg's birthday -- he would have been 52, or as we say in my family, "Freakin' ollllllllllllld!".

Rest in peace, big bro. I miss you.