Monday, April 30, 2007

Conference Calls From Home

Working from home is always a challenge. Sometimes, however, it affords you some of life's more "interesting" moments.

I was on the phone this morning with my boss and my son walks into my office. First of all, he's wearing denim shorts, a green raincoat and a clip-on necktie. That was fun, but I excused myself for a second and asked my son what he needed. He said:

"Dad, do you know what day it is today? I answered, "no, what day is it?" He responded enthusiastically, "it's banana on the head day!!!" He then produced a banana and placed it squarely on his noggin.

I love being a Dad.

Greater Love Hath No Man...

Out of the horrific crime perpetrated against the student body and faculty of Virginia Tech comes something that, in my opinion, is an incredible story of courage, selflessness and charity.

Liviu Librescu, a professor at VaTech, and at 79, a man who had seen much, gave his life so that his students could escape the carnage wrought by the gunman that day. By blocking the door and taking bullets, all of his students were able to escape--by leaping out of the windows. I have no knowledge of the Romanian language, but, based on its Romance roots, I'm guessing that Librescu is loosely translated as "bookman." It's fitting then, that the Good Doctor died in the classroom.

This was a man who was a concentration camp survivor--only to end up post-World War II in Commnunist Romania, suffering further. Dr. Librescu is to be commended for his bravery, his courage and, ultimately, his deliberate act of selflessness as the crowning achievement in his life. My prayers are with his widow. My heart is inspired by his example.

In the words of the man many Jews do not recognize as The Messiah:

John 15: 13
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Rest in peace, Dr. Librescu.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Imus-t Blog About This

I found this today on CNN:

"On Wednesday, appearing on CNN's "The Situation Room," presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D.-Illinois, blasted NBC for airing a host who makes "derogatory statements toward women and minorities."

I think Sean Hannity of Fox News says it best, although he's joined in concept almost equally by radio's Michael Savage: Don Imus shouldn't be fired, he should be left to the free-market forces. No one listens to his show now, and now that advertisers will leave him like a crowd exiting a flaming theater, his show will end for good.

The other piece of Hannity and Savage's comments include the race-mongers Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson being the new barometer for what is and is not appropriate. If memory serves me, and it does, Jackson referred to New York as "hymietown" while Al Sharpton has spoken of "Jewing down (poll) numbers" among many other comments that would fit into Obama's definition of "derogatory statements toward...minorities."

The hyopcrisy of the left in America and the blatant double-standard is sickening. Hateful speech and insensitivity is what it is, no matter who displays it. The unlistenable Don Imus said something ridiculous. He gets skewered. Sharpton says similar things on a regular basis, and he's given a pass. I don't even want to talk about Jackson. He's a fraud, a shakedown artist and a professional blackmailer. I have inside information on this that I will not disclose, but sufficeth to say, Jackson's "Rainbow PUSH" is funded at least to some extent by business extortion.

Monday, April 02, 2007

$1.83

I spent the last week in California. Let me share with you what $1.83 means to me as a father.

While in California, I was working remote from my mother-in-law's house. From the big window in the dining room, you can see the front yard, the driveway and the street in front of the home, a single-story place built sometime in the sixties. I opened the slider and let the breeze blow in (and the pet dander from "Micky" hopefully out) and was treated to one of the most touching experiences of my life.

There at the end of the driveway, a street that basically is a really long cul-de-sac with only one outlet, stood my seven year-old daughter, with a card table, a tambourine and a hand-drawn sign on a piece of 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper: Please Donate Money to the Homeless. She stood outside for about an hour calling to anyone and no one to donate money "for the homeless."

After an hour, she came inside and told me, "Dad, I got a $1.83." She seemed a little disappointed but she was happy that she would be able to "donate $1.83 to the homeless." I think the most wonderful thing about the whole experience was that we didn't ask her to do it...we didn't encourage it. She chose to spend this hour of her vacation doing that.

I love my daughter. I love being a Dad. I love $1.83 and what it means to me.