The Yellow House.

My heart hasn't been in this blog lately, and the number of people who now visit reflects that. I've been trying to figure out what the problem is. So far, I haven't had any luck.

The most apt metaphor I can offer is that of the yellow house. I follow the same route to work every single day. That route takes me down a street where, one day, I saw a black puppy running loose. It was obvious that he was on the lam. Luckily, his collar bore a tag with his home address. His home, a small yellow house, was just a few blocks up the street. No one answered the door, so I carefully let the dog into the back yard where his light-colored canine sister waited, latched the gate and continued on to work. After that, I looked for the wrangled puppy each morning as I drove past the yellow house. I enjoyed seeing him frolicking in his back yard--seeing him safely back in the place where he belongs gave me the feeling that everything was in its place in the world. But a few months ago, the dogs were suddenly gone, the house packed up and a "for rent" sign sprouted in the front yard. That sign remains in the yard today and, as far as I can tell, no one has moved in yet. I think of the puppy each morning when I pass the empty yellow house, wondering where he is and what he is doing.

That is also how I feel about the part of me that looked outward, taking in the details of the world around me.

Tidbits.

I was surprised to see this mea culpa by the founder of USA Today, whose columns I typically read for amusement whenever that paper is delivered to me as a hotel guest.

Have you seen this newly released footage from the day of President Kennedy's assasination? (Via Kottke) The film is surreal. One of the things I have always found strange about living in Dallas is that while the city is not much of a tourist destination--certainly not remotely in the same ballpark as New York, Chicago or Washington, DC--at any hour of the day or night, you will find someone at the Grassy Knoll, peering up at the sniper's window or standing in the spot on the road where the shots met their mark. I find it sad, though somewhat appropriate, that this city's only claim to fame is an event constituting a violent and shocking snuffing out of promise for a generation. At least we will soon have the Bush Presidential Library to change all that. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

In the "another reason why Cubs fans are so great" category, is the fact that the proprietor of a Cubs web site where I spend a bit of time cares enough to touch base with various fans he has met to see if they will be going to spring training. His inquiry was enough to motivate me to actually make plans for a quick weekend trip, though I have yet to find a hotel room . . .

I always enjoy the photos at Joe's NYC, but this one seems especially New Yorky to me.

Jen's commentary on a "porn wagon" is quite amusing. Just as amusing is Jay's speculative comment on the subject.

I am really proud of the hike I took that led me to the place where I encountered this feral goat:



I don't have much hiking experience and I am certainly not in primo hiking condition, but I felt like I accomplished something by completing the walk that brought me to this place at a reasonably high altitude, with some steepness in the terrain. My reward was a beautiful view and this memorable encounter with what is a wild animal in the Kauai context. His bleats to his friends could be heard echoing off the canyon walls.

And with that, I'm off to Nashville on a whirlwind business trip.

More Kauai pics for you . . .

I promise to write a real post sometime soon! :)

Odd dream.

I slept for a glorious 12 hours last night, after getting in only 3 hours of sleep the night before. Having slumbered long enough to reach a dream state, my subconscious chose an odd one. In my dream, I became friends with Jessica Simpson and realized she was a much deeper person than I would have thought.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day, People!

Lest I have led you to believe I am a responsible person,

I feel I should tell you that I paid my water bill too late and came home to a house with no water last night. You really don't realize how important water is in your life until you no longer have it. I knew I was hanging onto that rarely-used gym membership for a reason: a shower and the opportunity to brush my teeth!

Argh.

And now, Former President Clinton . . .

The President visited Dallas on Thursday of this week. A friend and I, along with about 4,000 other North Texans, decided we were willing to pay the concert-ticket kind of fee to hear him speak. The format was one hour of lecture and one hour of Q and A. I had hoped the Q and A would be from the audience, but it was not.

Too bad I didn't bring my camera--all we have is this cell phone pic of one of the screens:



Among the audience were a few too many "Hilary '08" shirts for my taste. The standing ovation that greeted President Clinton was deafening and prolonged. The President seemed more serious than he used to appear . . . he barely smiled at the applause. I believe he is working to squeeze as many world improvements as possible into the time he has remaining, through his work in his Foundation.

He began with a joke. Looking out at the nearly-filled large auditorium, he said, "Probably 90% of all the Democrats in North Texas are here tonight. I'm a little worried about the 10% out there without someone to protect them."

I did not see President Clinton look at his notes until near the end of the first hour. This was impressive because he spoke quickly, as if he wanted to make absolutely certain that we heard everything he wanted to say that night. His lecture was structured around three questions: (1) What is the fundamental character of the early 21st century world?; (2) Is this a good thing?; and (3) What should we do to change it? He said he didn't care if our answers to those questions were the same as his, but that it is important to ask those questions and know how you would answer them. In his opinion, the fundamental character of the world now is connectedness, diversity, a shared sense of vulnerability and global non-security threats. He views this world character as a good thing, but as "unequal, unstable and unsustainable." To change these qualities, he recommends that we build integrated communities, meaning communities that have shared benefits, shared responsibility and a sense of genuine belonging among members. In order for the U.S. to do this, the President thinks it is necessary to use a security program, and diplomacy efforts, create partners, not enemies, and conduct "home improvement" with respect to our economics, healthcare and energy. His point that resonated most strongly with me was this: "We have to believe our common humanity matters more than our differences."

Next, the strangely goofy "host" of the program sat down with Clinton and asked him questions submitted by random people who were not at the event. The question that brought out the most genuine enthusiasm and animation was about the Clinton Library--the President enthusiastically described its layout and contents. He excitedly described a recent special exhibit about cowboys, which contained a Gary Cooper outfit from an old Western.

Asked about what he views to be the biggest problem in the U.S. today, the President said it is that we used to think there was no problem we couldn't solve together, but that is no longer the case. We should be in the "problem-solving business, not the hand-wringing business."

The portion of the evening with the strongest emotional impact, both on the audience and on Clinton, was his answer to the question about which of the world leaders he has met were most interesting, and why. The two leaders he named were Nelson Mandela and Yitzhak Rabin, saying, "I feel my life is immeasurably better because they were in it."

About Mandela, the President noted that he was jailed for 27 years, then forgave his jailers, even placing them in important posts in his government. Clinton finds Mandela to be "real" and "great in all the important ways." Mandela let go of his hatred after 14 years in prison, deciding that his jailers had control over every aspect of his life, with the exception of his heart and mind. He told Clinton, at a time when Clinton was heavily under attack from the right, "I decided not to give away my heart and mind, and neither should you." Mandela's hatred for his oppressors sprang back to life when he was freed from prison, as he was freshly reminded of all they had stolen from him. But he told Clinton, "I wanted to be free, so I let it go."

The President teared up when speaking of Rabin's death, saying, "The day they killed him was the worst day of my presidency." Considering all that went on during his eight years in the White House, that is saying something. He said he was closer to Rabin than to any other man. Laughter returned to the auditorium when Clinton told us of a conversation with Rabin just before Rabin and Arafat shook hands as the first step toward a peace accord. Rabin expressed concern about shaking Arafat's hand, saying he really did not want to do that publicly. After Clinton told him he had to do it as a symbol of the peace effort, Rabin said he would do it, but that there would be no kissing, despite the Palestinian tradition in that regard. (It was funnier when Clinton told the story.)

So, there you have it: the conversation Bill Clinton had with me and 3,999 others. He left us with this: "I was more idealistic and more optimistic about the ability of America to meet its challenges when I left the White House than when I went in."

More pics!

I promise to post more this weekend, including a story about my visit with President Bill Clinton last night, but here are some more Hawaii pics for your viewing pleasure:

Interesting Web Site

Via Kottke, this web site about Newspaper Design: Best Front Design. Maybe you'll find it as interesting as I did. Of note: the Chicago Tribune is a frequent winner.

If you're wondering why I'm posting at this hour, I accidentally took a huge nap upon returning home today and am having trouble getting back to sleep. Dang!

Back on the Mainland!

I'm exhausted and admittedly dreading work tomorrow. But here are a few pics to tide you over:

Clouds Over L.A.:



Northside Beach, First Day:



Blue Sunset:

Aloha!

Hey, all. I have done what was previously thought impossible and stayed away from the internet for several days! Today my friends and I had breakfast at the next-door Sheraton, and I am now taking advantage of the hotel's free internet for a few minutes to drop you a note.

The trip has been wonderful . . . all kinds of weather, but lots of beauty and lots new to see. Good time with friends. Great food. I'll write all about it later.

I have mostly managed not to pay too much attention to the news so as to have a real feeling of timelessness. The news of the bizzare Boston terrorist plot/marketing ploy did seep in, however. I heard as well of Molly Ivins' passing and will write more about that later.

Today is the most beautiful day we have had yet, and I am excitedly looking forward to a sunset catamaran trip up the Nepali Coast, which is only viewable from the water. After that, I will participate in "Art Night" in Hanape'pe Town, then try to find the place where a Chicago Blues artist is playing in the next town over. My friends head back to Redondo Beach today, and this makes me sad.

Hope all is well with you and that you aren't snowed in somewhere. :P