Uncategorized – Page 22 – The Future is Open

March 16, 2009

Blue Skies

Today was a lovely day and I spent a lot of it on the road. Driving first to Mt. Irenaeus for Mass and then later to Rochester for GardenScape and then out for dinner with Devin and Diane. Winter in Western New York is to be endured and this one has been one of the snowiest and grayest on record. It was just lovely today and I really enjoyed being alive. I haven’t felt compelled to write much here lately. I’ve been very busy learning what I can about Drupal and moving forward with our web development business. I haven’t been doing anything really special for Lent either. I’m neither up nor down, but somewhere in the middle.

Today as I listened to the first reading at Mass I was struck by the following line.

You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.

For most people that means not swearing. I think there’s more to taking the Lord’s name in vain than swearing. I believe how we treat all that surrounds us is as important as any words we utter. Last week I chaired a meeting where we served brownies and chocolate milk. One of my guests remarked on such treats in the middle of Lent. I think there is a lot more to Lent than giving up chocolate. I’d rather eat brownies and drink chocolate milk and try to love my neighbor than give all that up and be unkind to my neighbor. What is more important afterall?

March 7, 2009

Drupalcon

I’ve been at Drupalcon DC since Wednesday. I came to DC to learn as much as I could about Drupal and I have learned a great deal. I also wanted to get together with my nephew Tom who is a member of the US Navy Ceremonial Guard here in Washington. Last night after a very interesting day at DrupalCon DC I called Tom and we got together for dinner at Clyde’s, a downtown eatery. The food was excellent and I really enjoyed visiting with Tom. I’m very proud of him and his naval service. I let him know that. I told him that any young man or woman who volunteers for military service in a time of war has my deepest admiration and respect, not to mention my prayers too.

I’ve had a great experience here in the Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC area. I left DrupalCon a little early today so that I could spend some time on the mall and maybe stop at the Smithsonian. I did get in a nice walk all the way around the Washington Monument and back. I stopped at the Museum of Natural History and picked up some tulip bulbs for my wife. She loves to garden and this will be a way to remember my journey.

March 2, 2009

Devin, Kevin and Kyle

Yesterday afternoon I was able to witness a great basketball game between the Blue Devils of Fredonia State and the Golden Eagles of Brockport State for the championship of the State University of New York Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball division. I spent much of four seasons following Devin, Kevin and Kyle around New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey as they competed for Fredonia State and though I didn’t always like the outcome I thoroughly enjoyed those times. Here they are seated in the front row. Yesterday I was also able to join Kyle’s father John in the bleachers once more as we raised the decibel level at Laker Hall in Oswego cheering for the Blue Devils.

Brockport eventually prevailed but not before Fredonia gave them one heckuva’ game. Final score was 64-59 in a contest that saw Fredonia come back from two deficits of 17 points in the first half and 14 in the second half. With 1:31 left in the second half Brockport led by only three. Take nothing from either team though as the men from Fredonia State acquitted themselves well and the men from Brockport State gave us a clinic on quickness and outside shooting.

Congratulations to Coach Kevin Moore and the Fredonia State College Men’s Basketball team for a wonderful season at 18 wins and 9 losses and their first post-season appearance since 2003 and their first appearance in the conference finals since 1993. Go Blue Devils!

February 28, 2009

Sweet Victory

I’m in Oswego, New York this morning. I’m sitting at a Macintosh in the new campus center. I came here last night to watch the Fredonia State Blue Devils compete in the SUNYAC Men’s Basketball Championship. The Blue Devils prevailed in a close contest winning in the final 8.5 seconds on a driving layup by Junior guard, Brad Coooper. I brought an overnight bag in case they won and I got to use it. I stayed overnight at the Scottish Inn near the college. I’ve stayed there a number of times when our son Devin was playing for the Blue Devils. I miss seeing Devin play and wish that his basketball career could have lasted longer. I never would have thought that my allegiance to Fredonia State would have continued, but it has. I’ve been a member of the Fredonia Boosters since Devin was playing and I’ve continued my membership.

I’m really delighted for the young men of this year’s squad and happy that they can be in today’s final game which will be played at Laker Hall on campus here at SUNY Oswego. This afternoon’s opponent for the Blue Devils will be SUNY Brockport. Brockport’s got a great team and they’ve prevailed against Fredonia in two earlier meetings this year. Nonetheless, whatever happens Fredonia State Head Coach Kevin Moore can take pride in his team’s accomplishments this season.

After last night’s game I text messaged my wife, my daughter Dara who is a Fredonia State Senior and my son Devin who is former Blue Devil player. We were all excited and happy for the team and especially for Kevin Moore. Like all coaches Kevin has had his ups and downs and I was happy to see him so elated with last night’s victory. I’m hoping that the Blue Devils can upset Brockport today, but even if they don’t I’m glad that I’m in Oswego this morning even though it is only 7 degrees above zero. Life is never what we expect. It is full of pleasant surprises and ironies and this morning I’m sitting in a building that didn’t exist thirty-seven years ago when I was in the middle of my second semester at SUNY Oswego, but I’m in full sight of the campus that did, the dorm I lived in and the buildings in which I attended classes. Thirty-seven years ago I had no idea that I would be transformed from an Anthropology major to a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy in less than a year. In the ensuing thirty-seven years I would complete an enlistment in the U.S. Navy, meet a lovely young lady, get married, have two children, finish college, work in public school for over thirty years and be considered by some a geek. Those items weren’t on my plate or even in my imagination in February 1972.

I’m trying to say that you ought never put limits on what can happen. Whatever God you believe in or don’t has plans for you. There is a force in the universe that works for good even though sometimes the good is hard to see. I don’t know what today will bring but I’m going to try to be open. Openness and flexibility are the keys. Godspeed Fredonia State!

February 16, 2009

Vacation

Today is the first day of my winter vacation. Last year I went to Arizona and I miss not going there, but I will travel soon to Washington, DC for DrupalCon. This morning I went to the gym with our daughter, Dara. Dara’s home this week because she’s been student teaching in the nearby Hamburg Central School system. I worked out on the eliptical machine, which I’ve been using religiously lately. This morning I did 4.5 miles in forty minutes. I was happy with that. I compete with myself, trying to improve each day. I did the math and that’s less than nine minute miles. After getting home and showering I had my a bowl of rice krispies with milk and honey. Today I’ve been relaxing, watching “Dances with Wolves,” and napping. What a life.

I haven’t written here as much lately, but I’ve been busy. I researched and built a new Ubuntu Linux Terminal server on our network. It is a virtual server. That means that it resides inside one of our VMWare ESX servers. Because it has been virtualized it can be shared more easily with others. It is one of my ways of contributing to the open source community. The teachers and students who came to rely on our older Linux terminal server and who waited patiently while this one was built and configured are very happy. I’ve also been learning how to use and deploy Drupal. My life has always been about reading and learning. It’s been my passion and it continues to consume me.

Yesterday a friend wrote a very nice recommendation. I had asked him to recommend me on LinkedIn and I was humbled by what he wrote. It is nice to have friends who think highly of you. Here is part of what my friend Frank Pirrone wrote.

Don is one of those creatures who by temperament or by choice inhabits the cutting-edge of whatever he finds himself working on or engaged by. He has done tremendous work implementing novel technology solutions for the Franklinville school district as well as the surrounding community.

There is a chance I might retire from the school district. I don’t have to, but I’m eligible. I hope that those of you who read what I write will pray for God’s will to be done. I will try to listen to his will. I’m trying to determine what that is in all of this. Next month I will have worked at school district for thirty years. Add to that a couple of years of military service and some other public service and I will have nearly thirty-five years of service. I suppose that is enough, but I don’t want to sit around collecting dust. Life is to be lived.

February 9, 2009

A long time

Today is the first time I’ve taken time to write here in a week or so. Well, that’s what it seems like lately. The words have not been there. I’ve read lots of words and many of them have spoken to my heart, but I haven’t had the time to put them here. President Obama’s stimulus package has been in the news a lot lately. Lots of dissent that it contains too much pork. Many Republicans decry it as too much entitlement spending. The new chair of the Republican party even went so far as to claim that government money never creates jobs. I guess Michael Steele is either obtuse or maybe he forgot about the U.S. Military. As a former member of the U.S. Navy I can attest that many jobs were created with tax-payer dollars. I suppose that idea is lost on the congressional folks, many of whom never served our country in uniform. Then too, one has to wonder where they think their paychecks come from.

The world has been turned upside down by the financial crisis. Banks and bankers are okay with socialism now that it means they can continue their luxurious lifestyle. Politicians decry socialism as long as it’s on Main Street and not Wall Street. No end to government spending on K Street or at Grumman, Northrop, Lockheed, General Dynamics or other defense contractors. There’s never too much money spent there. The only place we spend too much money is on Main Street. Helping taxpayers is bad, helping defense contractors and desperate financiers is okay.

I hope the stimulus bill passes as long as it stimulates Main Street. I hope it goes to help working families who are the backbone of this economy. I hope we get a lot of socialism on Main Street. Government financed health care is okay for Senators, Representatives, Presidents, Generals and corporals. It ought to be okay for shopkeepers, construction workers and poor people too. We need liberty and justice for all. It’s in our Pledge of Allegiance. Justice for all means all.

January 22, 2009

I was hungry

This is my favorite quote in all of scripture and has been for longer than I can remember. President Obama’s call to service and to give up childish things encourages me.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:35-40.

January 22, 2009

Presidential Morph

This came from a friend it just speaks for itself. Truly a remarkable use of technology.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYrZZ68zhSs]

January 21, 2009

Gratitude

My heart is filled with gratitude tonight. I’m grateful for life in general, but also that we witnessed a peaceful transfer of power today in our land. I wanted to watch the inauguration on television but that didn’t work out so I listened to it on NPR and perhaps that was better. I was driving back to work from a morning meeting at the University at Buffalo. I wept a lot and they were all tears of joy and happiness. I thought often of my nephew Tom and how proud I was of him and how proud my Dad would have been. Dad’s been gone almost thirty-six years now. He checked out early at 46. He missed a lot.

I listened to the swearing in. I really loved Rick Warren’s benediction. I thought he did a great job. I loved the orchestral arrangement. It was a lovely piece and captured the grandeur for me. I loved Dr. Lowery’s final blessing. I was sorry to see that some people booed former President Bush. I thought that was poor taste.

President Obama’s speech was the best inaugural address I’ve ever heard. I think it will rank up there among the top. His delivery was impeccable and maybe it was because I listened to it on the car stereo but he seemed to thunder like a clap of lightning. It was magnificent. I’ve watched more television in the past few days than I have in a long time.

Tonight it seems like morning in America again. I’m glad I lived long enough to experience this day.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

–President Obama