Happy Saturday evening everyone. Dance the night away
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Yes! This will solve everything!
The United Nations Security Council votes 15-0 in favor of sanctions against Libya and its leader, Moammar Gadhafi.
We all get them. But I hope you’re currencies, no matter how strange, will keep you from a night of rest. Goodnight.
REM - Strange Currencies
Friday, February 25, 2011
State of crisis hits Libya
Rallies continue..evacuations continue.. threats from Mommar Gaddhafi continue—along with thugs in SUVs driving around shooting people down who are protesting the government. However, even with the threats of killings, people are continue to protest and speak out in Tripoli and other cities in Libya.. It’s a developing story tonight.. and it’s getting more and more tense with each passing hour..
And this one goes out to my newborn Ayden, who is wide awake and calm as Janis Joplin speaks to him from somewhere in time long before he walked on earth..
Only a few days into life ..
..and already my son Ayden seems to be taking to Janis Joplin.. Perhaps later I’ll try out Mitch Miller and his Orchestra.. minus the bouncing ball.
It was an absolutely crazy interview between Charlie Sheen and Alex Jones.. CBS pulled the plug in what seems like seconds after Sheen’s rantings on the Infowars radio show.. What was Charlie thinking? The question really should be does Charlie ever even think to begin with..
Meanwhile in global chaos
The situation in Libya is proceeding down the road of ultra-violent and escalating with ferocity..
News today from the nation is a little more alarming as UN observers claim ‘thousands’ may have been injured—or killed—in violence as Mommar Gaddhafi tries to retain Tripoli against the tidal wave if opposition.
Also today, we are being reminded that the turmoil in the world will impact everyone, morally and spiritually, but also economically.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - SNOW
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The strangest song got stuck in my head tonight..
Ayden was born in America. But hopefully he and his generation heal the world.
I don’t think my life will ever be the same.. 3:30 am only a few hours back now, my wife woke me up in bed to tell me her water broke. I don’t think anyone can understand what the emotions are, unless they too have been through them. The sudden rush of water for her, the madness of not knowing how far along she was.. and the rush of emotions for me. Did we do enough to prepare? Will his outfits fit? What if he cries..? What if he won’t sleep? What do we do for a baby that won’t eat? All of these things now are gone to the wayside. The only true feeling that sets in is a mixture of panic and chaos. That, coupled with snowy roads at 3:30am on the way to the hospital, made for a bumpy ride.
The hospital, like any other, had great people and some not so great people.. Every nurse that we dealt with, however, was perfect in their own way. Everyone brought some new piece of information for us.. each person comforted nervous parents the best they could. And then Ayden Morris was born..
The amazing sight of a child coming from his mother.. is .. without question.. something that would make any verbose blogger speechless. It may not be pretty to the onlooking observer, but to the parents involved it is the most intense and raw thing ever witnessed. I may have been a more excitable dad than others.. maybe counted louder than others..maybe panicked a bit more than some. But for God’s sake, my child was entering the world.. head first, plunging into the madness that makes up this pale blue dot, spinning in infinity, circling around the sun somewhere in the deep and dark trenches of the Milky Way Galaxy..
These were the thoughts circulating through my head—the cobwebs in my head. Before a child arrives in your life, most things seem, for lack of a better term, just “there.” Yes, there are great emotions in life.. marriage for me was wonderful.. My childhood was exceptional. My high school and college years took place without much fanfare. But it was always ‘me.’ Now it’s us: Me, my wife, and my newborn Ayden. And life becomes more meaningful. I got about 10 hours of sleep in the past 40.. and that’s fine. I will try to get more, but I’m staring at my son as he rests..hoping he will always be safe and secure .. hoping I will be a good father, that Tara will be a good mother, and that one day he too will have the exact rush of emotions that I had during the cold night at 3am when my wife whispered that her water broke, and the unsaid words were: Everything is different.
And that’s my thoughts on our bringing a child into our modern age. With the worries of war and the concerns over global strife, birthing a son or daughter is a more challenging and noble concept. And just maybe Ayden will be a child who can, in the future, help to make the world a better place to bring other Aydens into. I hope.
ROLLING STONE bombshell
The magazine reports a shocker on some recent Pentagon actions:
'The U.S. Army illegally ordered a team of soldiers specializing in “psychological operations” to manipulate visiting American senators into providing more troops and funding for the war'
Expect strong reactions from interested parties..
This situation appears to be headed for some really bad events really soon
New York Times reporting:
Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi were reported to be striking back in cites near Libya’s capital, as defections of military officers multiplied.
This situation appears to be headed for some really bad events really soon
Late to bed early to rise
Good morning world. The sun in shining, Libya is falling apart, gas prices are soaring, and Justin Bieber got a haircut. Thus is life on earth circa 2011.. But we are dealing with it.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
My English teacher would be rolling in her grave if she was dead..
I’m pretty much doing iPhone-only updates from hospital rooms and cafeterias in spare time, so there may be blatant spelling and grammar errors. Ok..off to change a diaper!
Thank you
I’d be remiss, or just still Bryan, if I didn’t thank readers for comments, messages, and emails.. I truly appreciate it very much.. Thank you for following.. And look forward to more daddy nerve-wracked news in the future
Austerity hits Detroit as the entire fire department may soon be gone
And as we know they won’t be able to be teachers in Providence..
Austerity hits Detroit as the entire fire department may soon be gone
Hospital food: The good, the bad, and the reality
No matter the location, regardless if the city, nevermind the ailment, one thing about our sometimes deplorable often miraculous medical system is constant: Hospital food is atrocious. Cheesesteaks for heart patients! Cancer? No bother, have some French fries!
Pregnant and breast-feeding? That’s ok here’s some fried chicken..
How about this for a great business model for a food company: Healthy fresh local good food at a decent price. Just how about that.
Obamacare? We should have Gordon Ramsaycare instead..
Remember when teaching was the safe profession..
A sudden change in facts is occurring.. Goodbye Providence teachers..?
My range of emotions is immense.
But there’s still might amounts of trouble on earth, and I promise to pay attention to that soon too..
However anyone who follows knows I can’t do this site without getting a little personal from time to time..
Also, expect some thoughts of pregnancy and the DAY OF BIRTH.. one in will never forget..
Libya. Gas prices. War. Religion. UFOs .. Obama.. I’m coming back soon—and maybe with a whole new perspective on them all..
Goodnight for now.
Breaking Benjamin, Into the Nothing
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
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I admit a bias.. But I fell in love with my child.. He’s beyond precious..
More than gentle.. And when he looks at you it makes you think he knows you already.. He seems to be an old soul in a world of no soul.. I pray my wife and I raise him right and I pray Ayden M learns his lessons the easy way.. Because the hard way isn’t always pleasant..
Monday, February 21, 2011
Quakes abound..
Fiji Earthquake: 6.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes South of Fiji
I certainly hope Truman is ok.
All joking aside, I hope all the real people are ok.
Major quake tonight in New Zealand..
It was a 6.3 .. there are injuries.. And sadly, unlike last year’s, there are deaths..
George Washington was obviously white.. So how did 90% of the current "Washingtons" become black?
Some interesting facts from the AP
- Enslaved blacks often didn’t have a surname, so they chose their own. The AP says it’s a “myth” that they always picked their owners’ last names. Often they picked something entirely different. Understandably, George Washington’s name was a popular choice.
- Twelve U.S. Presidents owned slaves, though only eight had them while in office. Of those, George Washington was the only President to free his slaves. He ordered them to be freed after his wife’s death.
- Booker T. Washington made up his own last name.
- Half of the non-black Washingtons are white. Thirty percent are mixed-race. The rest are either Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander.
- The next “blackest” names were Jefferson and Williams.
- The surname Black is 68% white. White is 19% black
George Washington was obviously white.. So how did 90% of the current "Washingtons" become black?
What a night in Libya: Gaddafi flees
Protesters appear to have taken control of second city Benghazi.. More than 400 appear to have been killed in protests by the government..
What a night in Libya: Gaddafi flees
Are we witnessing the beginning of a new American civil war?
I have been watching some accounts of Wisconsin’s news events (events that are sure to play out throughout the nation in the upcoming weeks and months).. Families are becoming divided. Wife vs husband. Mother vs daughter.. And even more, with national debt on the federal level, further cuts are going to position the United States in seemingly the same place we saw Greece, Ireland, Spain, and other countries that recently began to impose austerity.
This, coupled with rising gas prices, rising food prices, rising clothing prices, and few jobs being created despite politicians and pundits telling us we are in a recovery, seems to be pushing people to new places not seen in generations.
What is clear: Government on both state and national level is out of money. What is also clear: Lots of people hate government workers. What is even more clear: The budget issues appear to be getting less and less chance for common ground to end the problems and balance budgets.
We are witnessing an amazing event. It’s just a shame no one took to the streets of the United States and state capitols in 2008 when the government happily handed over billion in money to banksters who gave themselves bonuses with us only a few months later.
Instead of dividing the nation, perhaps we should begin to look at true culprits.
Revolution happens from time to time. We appear to be witnessing a worldwide version this weekend. Goodnight world.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
For those following..
No baby this weekend. Maybe Ayden is going to pick President’s Day. And if he does I’ll be a little unhappy as this weekend was filled with late winter warmth and tonight a snow and ice storm hits. But new life has a mind of its own. As my wife and I will soon learn with great detail.
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No one ever expected Mummar Qaddafi would give up power peacefully. And that is why Libya has become so horrifically violent over the weekend.
Still slick after all these months
So you thought fish was ok, the bottom of the sea was bustling with life, and BP was telling us the whole truth.
Now you won’t.
New information suggests that the bottom of the Gulf is still wrought with oil and that it’s not degrading as fast as hoped or as fast as we were told it would.
This report, as expected, is at odds with BP’s assertion that by 2012 most problems would be gone.
What these marine scientists conclude, to contradict BP, a whole lot of life has been decimated on the sea floor..
The world is on fire: my thoughts on a violent weekend
The world looked at a man setting himself on fire in Tunisia.. They watched protesters storm Egypt and escort Hosni Mubarak out of office.. they are watching intense rage on the streets of Bahrain, as the government tries to crack down on protesters.. Libya, like others, has cut off the internet.. Saudi Arabia is on edge.. Iran is watching and quickly trying to put out small fires of protest throughout the nation.
And even the United States is increasingly on edge, as protesters storm Madison Wisconsin in protest of Governor Walker, who is intent on diminishing the amount of benefits that public employees in his state have.
But now, the intensity of the world on edge is perhaps most exemplified by China, where government forces are dispersing protesters in Shanghai.. According to reports, police began to quickly filter crowds of protesters that popped up in the city..
We have seen a crackdown before in Tiananmen Square. The world watched tanks storm peaceful Chinese protesters.. And after that, not much more freedom ever flourished.
Most recently, China received the scorn of the world (but only scorn and that’s about it) after it began a systematic campaign of the arrest of bloggers and immediate put-down of any free speech that violated what state media wanted the Chinese to hear..
But it appears, in a sense, that this burst of newfound freedom of expression thanks to Facebooking Tweets and Tumblering blogs.
However, China is on guard. An online call for a “Jasmine Revolution” has been watched by Chinese officials, who are not about to let freedom fighters prevail against totalitarian aims of the current regime.
While no major protest occurred (And not that we know since state media controls mostly everything in China), it’s amazing how this new energy is racing around the world. Is it people power? Is it all real?
Are we watching a revolution..? Or is it simply opening shots in a soon-to-occur war?
Perhaps it’s worth nothing: Photos of this weekend’s events in China certainly illustrate that it was more than just a few who showed for the Jasmine callout..
Where it goes from here? We’ll have to stay tuned to official government state media for that, I suppose.
Happy birthday Tara. I love you.
You have been the answer since day one.