The Day Is Finally Here

I'm so proud to be alive to see this day arrive. So many have suffered for so long under the suffocating, demoralizing and dehumanizing restrictions of racism. Maybe we can finally begin to realize that we are all one huge human family. We are all related- we are all in this together. We are all '"inextricably linked", black and white, Jew and gentile, Catholic and Protestant.'
I wish our new president unbridled energy,strength and success in facing the incredible trials and tribulations that await him.

The Dream Is Alive Still

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a world where they are judged, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

Amen, Reverend, amen.
May we all, one day, be so lucky.

Old Man Winter With A Vengeance!

Bundle up, kids, it's gettin' ccccccccooooooolllddddddddd! Out here on Long Island it's gonna be a whopping 6 degrees F tonight, with a daytime high tomorrow of 13 F! Bbbbbrrrrrrr! Everyone stay safe and warm, and remember to bring in all your little critters, if possible, and bed down those who can't come in nice and deep and warm tonight!

Latest report from National Weather Service:
*Winter Weather Advisory*
Statement as of 4:32 AM EST on January 15, 2009
... Winter Weather Advisory now in effect until 4 PM EST this
afternoon...
The Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect until 4 PM EST this
afternoon.
Snow will rapidly become widespread this morning as low pressure
slides south and then east of Long Island. The heaviest snow is
expected between 10 am and 2 PM with the steady... accumulating
snow quickly coming to an end during the afternoon. Total snow
accumulations will range from 2 to 4 inches. A few areas in
eastern Connecticut and eastern Suffolk County New York may
receive up to 5 inches of snow accumulation. Gusty northwest winds
will develop as the low departs which may cause reduced
visibilities with blowing snow.
Roads will quickly become slippery at the onset of precipitation
as very cold air is in place over the region and the snow is not
expected to melt on contact with roadways.
These gusty northwest winds will also blast an Arctic airmass
over the region... with sub zero wind chills expected both Thursday
night and Friday night. Frigid temperatures will grip the area
right through Saturday... so untreated roadways are expected to
remain hazardous into the weekend.
A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow... sleet... or
freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for
slippery roads and limited visibilities... and use caution while
driving.
*
And this from Weather Underground:
Dangerously cold weather will occur in the northern Plains and Midwest, where daytime highs will remain below minus 10 degrees in the coldest locations. Overnight lows will be even worse, with portions of Minnesota expected to drop into the minus 30s.
Temperatures in the New England interior will also drop to similarly dangerous levels, especially from the Adirondacks in northern New York into Maine. Below freezing temperatures are anticipated into Florida, where overnight lows should remain just above the freezing level.
Light to moderate snow was anticipated across the Northeastern interior, which combined with the frigid temperatures, could make travel conditions nasty from Ohio to New York.
Just east of the northern Rockies, light snow was possible from Montana through western Kansas.
West of the Rockies, a completely different story will shape up. With a surge of warm air rushing in from the south, the West will see another day of clear skies and likely record-breaking temperatures.
Temperatures in the Lower 48 states on Tuesday ranged from a low of minus 41 degrees at Bigfork, Minn., to a high of 87 degrees at Santa Ana, Calif.

Inspiration In The Oddest Of Places

I have been finding tiny moments of inspiration in the weirdest places lately. One of those moments took places a few nights ago, as I was driving out to do a pet sitting job. I was eastbound on Frowein Road, heading for my destination in East Moriches, 'Gateway to the Hamptons'. I turned the radio to 103.9 WRCN, our local rock and roll station, and what was playing was "You Got Another Thing Comin'" by Judas Priest. Now, I never professed to be much of a heavy metal fan. That's more the realm of my brother Tim, who is a brilliantly gifted and mostly self-taught bassist and guitarist. He has always been the 'metal-head' of the family. As for me, I've always been, much to the chagrin of said brother, a much more cerebral music afficianado. Back in the 80's, when Tim could be seen sporting spandex while thrashing on his ax, I was listening to the likes of David Bowie, ELO, the Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, and trying to learn to play the violin.
Well, there I was cranking the radio when it hit me that there IS a bit of wisdom in those seemingly silly lyrics from my teenage years:

"One life, I'm gonna live it up
I'm takin' flight I said I'll never get enough
Stand tall I'm young and kinda proud
I'm on top as long as the music's loud

If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by
You're thinkin' like a fool 'cause it's a case of do or die
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had
You think I'll let it go, you're mad
You've got another thing comin'

That's right, here's where the talkin' ends
Well listen this night there'll be some action spent
Drive hard I'm callin' all the shots
I got an ace card comin' down on the rocks

If you think I'll sit around while you chip away my brain
Listen I ain't foolin' and you'd better think again
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had
You think I'll let it go, you're mad
You got another thing comin'

In this world we're livin' in we have our share of sorrow
Answer now is-don't give in, aim for a new tomorrow

Oh so hot no time to take a rest yeah
Act tough ain't room for second best
Real strong got me some security
Hey I'm a big smash I'm goin' for infinity yeah

If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by
You're thinkin' like a fool cause it's a case of do or die
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had
You think I'll let it go, you're mad
You've got another thing comin' "

As silly as it seems, it's words like these that best sum up how I am feeling about my life now. I am so incredibly driven to continue on in school and, for the first time in my life, I feel on top of the world. I am determined as never before to push and test the limits of my strength and intellect to accomplish what I never thought possible. In all areas of my life there "ain't no room for second best."
I think we all could use a hard-driving kick in the ass to shake us up enough to realize our own possibilities: "Answer now is- don't give in, aim for a new tomorrow."
Amen, Mr. Halford, amen....

Old Ideas For The New Year

"My refusing to eat meat occasioned inconveniency, and I have been frequently chided for my singularity. But my light repast allows for greater progress, for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension." Benjamin Franklin (Politician, writer, scientist; 1706-1790)

"It is only by softening and disguising dead flesh by culinary
preparation, that it is rendered susceptible of mastication or
digestion; and that the sight of its bloody juices and raw horror does
not excite intolerable loathing and disgust."
-Percy Bysshe Shelley


"The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply
rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we
must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another, even
the lowliest creature; to do so is to renounce our manhood and shoulder
a guilt which nothing justifies."
-Albert Schweitzer

Merry Christmas!

Robert Duncan painting

Wishing everyone a warm,safe and wonderful Christmas!
Feliz Navidad! God Jul!
And may 2009 soon bring us a year full, not only of promise, but of the realization of our hopes and dreams!

Festival of Lights

A Safe And Happy Hanukkah To All!







Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is the eight-day holiday, celebrating the Jewish victory over the Greeks in the mid-second century B.C.E. The word ''Hanukah'' means dedication, which refers to the re-dedication of the Holy Temple after the battle. As the Jews prepared to re-light the Temple menorah -- or seven-branched candelabra -- they found that there was only enough pure oil to last one day. The miracle of Hanukkah occurred when the oil lasted eight days.

Hanukkah 2008 Dates:
Secular Calendar:
December 21 (first candle) - December 28 (last candle)
Jewish Calendar:
25 Kislev - 2 Tevet