Edward's Blog

“Republic Lost” by Lawrence Lessig

2012-01-13T16:19:00.002-05:00

Many people, including me, have expressed their convictionthat the intrusion of money by lobbyists has totally distorted the politicalprocess. We are no longer operating as a democracy that is controlled by the“People”. Rather, the political process is now determined by the flow of hugefunding that is involved in the election of any member of Congress.

Lawrence Lessig is a professor at Harvard Law School. Hisresume includes his younger life as a conservative, including the period whenhe served as a clerk of conservative federal judges, and his later life as aperson with more liberal views.

While he clearly detests the influence of money to the pointthat he thinks that our “Republic is Lost”, his arguments are never“over-the-top”, but measured to ensure that his arguments are understood.

He starts from the principle that the Constitution supportsthe basic notion that Congress should be exclusively dependent on the “People”.Anything that alters this dependency jeopardizes our democracy. He thenindicates how the flow of money through lobbyists representing specialinterests has distorted our policies and laws.

While he never claims that the flow of money representsbribery or a quid pro quo (although it occasionally happens), he does supporthis claims that the dependency is altered from the “People” to the specialinterests. Whether one examines the time devoted to raising funds or thedistortions associated with policies, e.g., special tax code revisions favoringspecial interests, there is a strong perception by the people that theinfluence of money is determining the political outcomes of congressionalactions rather than the people.

He does eventually propose possible strategies to change theprocess, none of them are convincing. Without a mechanism to really change thesystem, now supported essentially by the Supreme Court, the reader is clearlyleft even more depressed!! There is no hope!!

Baby to Love

2012-01-04T19:03:00.003-05:00

Such a long time ago,

Never expecting to belong,

Always an outsider to others,

Never bonding with another.

Always thought this wrong,

Surely strange to man,

Everyone should be tied,

To someone wtih love.

Since then, so much,

Love others without bound,

Moments to hold,

Even if they flee with time.

Today Kellen flashes in mind,

Love flows to a new born,

Making others alive,

And me, more human.

Kellen Rose

2011-12-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

You emerged into a family without choice,

Yet, never could you have chosen better.

Everyone's there, wanting to see you.

You may be the last of the generation,

But hearts of all are with you.

Life now so open,

Problems of the day unknown to you,

Only one for you is being fed on time,

The rest will wait.

Having a big sister will be great,

Never will I be without help,

Parents and a sister will lead,

While I follow to become all that I can be.

A Perfect Christmas!

2011-12-28T10:59:00.002-05:00

Christmas was intended to be different in order to remainthe same. The paradox is that we were forced to think creatively about ourability to maintain a family presence at Christmas, knowing full well thatBrooke and Neal would not be able to travel. We solved the problem bytemporarily to Williamsburg that would enable us to share time but also thepossibility of all being with a new baby during the weekend. And, we were quickly able to feel “athome”. We had sufficient space, parking was never a hassle, and we were able toaccommodate our needs within the general neighborhood.

Christmas became a reality with a tree. Since we bought iton Saturday, the price was dramatically reduced. It turned out to be perfect.Before the tree was decorated, Emi woke up from a nap and looked at the treewith the perfect comment with arms raised, “it was what I wanted!”.

Christmas morning was as chaotic as any family’s experiencewith three small children. Yet, after opening Santa’s Stockings, we were ableto delay opening the rest of the presents until Sean, Jane, Joseph and Evecame. In the middle of the afternoon, we enjoyed the oohs and aahs of childrenopening their gifts.

After Brooke’s parents joined us, we were near the time forsupper. Everyone commented on how well Brooke looked without any awareness thatthe hoped for birth would be near. The supper that Joan and Sara prepared wasjust delicious. As we were near the end of supper, Brooke and Neal stood up toget their coats as they shared the news that the moment was clearly soon.

Joan called at 4:30 am to share the news that Kellen Rosewas born at 4:03. A healthy girl emerged with one push, as though she could notwait to share a visit with the family. As with all the births except Joseph and Eve who were born byC-Section, Joan was present and appreciated the moment with her usual joy.

And so, later in the morning, Kellen Rose was viewing thesight of 16 members of her family that wanted desperately to be present.

Another expectation was to view Nora Anne’s initial joy ofhaving a sister. And expectations were fulfilled. Nora was genuinely happy withKellen in her arms (supported by her parents).

It was such a perfect end to our fantasy Christmas wishes.We were together and we present to see the new child. What more could we everhope for?

In case anyone is wondering about Patrick during this wholeweekend, a few comments are in order. In general, he was perfect. Admittedlywalking or running in the area only strengthened his paranoid qualities. He wasalert as he could be to be sure that no terrorist was behind all these noises. Whilein the house, he was as happy as ever with the children. He was great.

The only really unanticipated behavior was during ChristmasDay activities. It must have been sufficiently chaotic for Patrick to the pointthat he, on his own initiative, chose to stay by himself on the sofa.Apparently, the activity level was even too much for him.

And now, Kellen Rose is experiencing her first full day inher own home.

A Most Different Christmas

2011-12-22T17:06:00.001-05:00

My Christmases have never been the same since I have beenwith Joan. In contrast to my miserable Christmases when I growing up, Joanalways had a huge family affair that went all day and night. The major meal wasin the early afternoon and then towards evening, extended family came by. Therewere some gender differences in that the women generally were able to catch upon family news while the men tended to play cards. Christmas was a very happy time.

During our life together, Joan has wanted us to celebratethe holiday with everyone present. Thus far, it has worked out perfectly. Oneway or another, the entire family has made it to our house for Christmas. Basedon where people have been living, the logistics have been somewhat difficult.The effort has always been appreciated.

This year is very different. We are making our “house” inWilliamsburg section of Brooklyn. The only way that we could ensure everyonecould be present is if we made it possible my renting a condo for four days. Inthis way, Neal and Brooke who have enough concerns about delivering a baby willnot be put under pressure with us being present. At the same time, assuming sheis not in the hospital, they will be relatively easily be able to join us forevening meals. Sean and Jane made plans to take the train from Albany wherethey spend the days before Christmas and Christmas Eve with her family to NewYork City. And Sara and Nien-he will come from Cambridge.

It all seems too good to be true that we will all betogether again, even if the circumstances are so different. While the plans are beautiful, we haveto patient with reality. The baby will come when the baby wants. And, as itturns out, Jane’s Dad has been hospitalized.

However it all works out, it has been a family plan. Ourbest effort to make it possible for us all to share a day together may bethwarted by reality, but it is great to think that we all want to be togetherto have a chance to hold our newest family member. He/she will be loved topieces from the very moment he/she emerged to deal with the fact that he/she isa member of our family.

Emi and Mika at the Hair Salon - Dec 11

2011-12-20T20:06:00.000-05:00

Some events are quite simple. Everyone experiences some of such simple actions and yet we sometimes let them pass without a second or third thought.

Pictures of these two sisters having their hair cut by Ashley are precious. It is Emi's first cut while Mika is now a pro at this. To see them be so secure in following directions regarding having their washed and cut is special. Again, it is no more special than what others experience with their children/grandchildren.

However, in this case, thanks to Google, it is being recorded with a word of thanks that we are alive to witness it.

Modern Day "Gypsies"

2011-12-17T19:25:00.002-05:00

I shared with my daughter-in-law who is about to deliver another child a memory from long ago.

First, though, I want to share what preceded the memory. We were talking about the uncertainty about the actual time of the birth. While we sort of hoped that it would occur prior to Christmas so that she could be home at Christmas, I told her not to worry. I told her that we would bring her the meal we prepared and we would wall march to her room. You can imagine the entire Toomey delegation walking into the hospital and up to the maternity ward. It would include eight adults and five grandchildren. One could think that the hospital may well have had a problem with this onslaught of people, even if it were Christmas Day.

I told her that it reminded me of a memory from very long ago, as in 40 years. When Joan was working in the neo-natal unit at the Children's Hospital in Oakland, CA, a member of a gypsy clan gave birth to a baby that required acute care. From the perspective of the clan, the birth was not an event for just the parents. The clan had to be involved. They bunked out in tents in the parking lot and insisted on visiting privileges that required creative arrangements to meet safety regulations as well as protocols for patient care. It was achieved and all were happy.

And, I saw the image of the Toomey clan providing St. Luke-Roosevelt Hospital with the same type of challenge to deal with us!

Waiting for a New Grandchild

2011-12-17T13:01:00.002-05:00

There are some who enjoy many, many grandchildren and, even, great grandchildren. In our case, we are fortunate to have five grandchildren who have provided us all that we could hope for.

Yet, we anxiously await the arrival of our sixth grandchild. The due date is 24 December, a perfect time for a present of joy.

Waiting is filled with all sorts of emotions. In this instance, we do not have to attend to the periods of waiting that evoke dark feelings.This moment of waiting is filled with positive feelings.

First, we have watched with great love our daughter-in-law's second journey into motherhood. In some ways, it has been physically harder than the first. In addition, her "other life" of work and motherhood is far more complicated. Her ongoing responsibilities do not subside just because she is pregnant. So, we wait to see the moment when her labor of forming a baby has ended.

Secondly, we wait to hold a new baby. It is amazing how the arrival of a new-born breathes new life into all. Our entire family will be present in New York to greet this new one. He/she will know that this world is filled with love (I will try to slowly share the dark side of our universe and its inhabitants as I urge the young one to dream about making this world a better place!). We rented space in near-by Williamsburg so that everyone could be present to hold the baby and share the moment.

While the period of waiting is somewhat stressful, this type of waiting is creative. Positive thoughts about the future cannot help but bring a smile. Without rushing into the far future, there will never be enough moments to hold the baby and get a return smile that speaks only of pure happiness.

Christmas - 2011

2011-12-17T12:46:00.002-05:00

During this year, we have become mini-economists who trydesperately to understand the complex financial problems affecting our world.No longer is it enough to understand what is going on in this nation, we haveto be conversant with the issues impacting other nations. It has been quite ayear! On more pedestrian matters,our family continues to do well. We feel somewhat embarrassed by the good fortune of a healthy andproductive family.

Sara and Nien-he continue to research activities with someclinical responsibilities for Sara. Nien-he is having a productive year atHarvard Business School as a visiting professor and surely enjoys the shortercommute, even if it will end in June. Mika and Emi provide both challenges andentertainment as they grow and develop. We wish only that we could give as much of our time to our othergrandchildren who live at such a distance.

Sean and Jane continue to do well in New Orleans. Their new house has been a most welcomeaddition, albeit more work. Edward was able to spend a week watching Seanprosecute a bona-fide criminal of the first order. It was a fantasticexperience to watch him as the lead prosecutor duel with a fantastic defenseattorney in a four-day trial that even the judge commented as emotional andchallenging. Jane has been more than busy trying to comply with very rigorousrequirements established for teachers. The documentation is humongous andquestionably making a difference. Joseph is thriving in kindergarten (best charter school system in NewOrleans) and Eve is in a pre-school program taught in French. It is the firsttime that they have gone to separate schools.

Neal and Brooke thrive in New York City. While it isdifficult to understand exactly what Neal is doing (provides legal documentsfor derivatives), it is keeping him at the law office many hours. Brooke could not be busier. Sheis establishing an aftercare program focusing on foreign languages in severalschools while caring for Nora and nourishing what hopefully will be our sixthgrandchild by Christmas! Nora cannot wait to share her love for the baby.

In addition to being a wonderful grandmother, Joan has beenvery involved in the care of her friend with brain cancer. She is herhealth-care proxy and has been involved in her medical care as well ascontributing to her ongoing care. Edward’s life remains the same. Daily Yoga,running, bicycling, and swimming plus reading are complemented at times by hisactivities as a hospice volunteer. Facebook has been an amazing addition to hislife.

A review of our year would not be complete without a wordabout Franklin who died rather quickly in June. He was an awesome friend who lovedeveryone. Having a dog was soimportant that we rather quickly got a new friend, Patrick (born on St.Patrick’s Day). It has been a while since we got a puppy. He has quickly becomeall that we could hope for (in spite of the problems associated with being apuppy!).

How to Die

2011-12-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

I often think about death. It is not simply because I am getting closer to the event. I have been focused on the subject from an early age when my mother died so suddenly when I was 13. Then, in the seminary, I became more of a student of death. There was the obvious focus on death and the hereafter in our spiritual and theological efforts, but I was very interested in the existential philosophers whose views of death were profound. When I functioned as a priest, I clearly was involved with death. My work in Emerson Hospital was particularly striking because of the emergencies involving critical injuries and how death became a very immediate factor. However, I was also moved by the many deaths over the six years where death seemed to be such a disaster to families. Based on my history with the Veterans Administration, I was involved with people who were, in fact, dying from disease.

I have become most comfortable with the "thoughts" death. It will be seen whether I am as comfortable when I am more immediately facing my end. But, one thing that I have been wrestling with is what I will do when I am diagnosed with a serious, progressive disease, e.g., cancer, amenable to treatment without much hope for a cure. I tend to think that I will not undergo such treatment that is intended to extend my life for a relatively short time without any hope of a cure. My thinking was reinforced by an article today in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/how-doctors-die-maybe/2011/08/25/gIQAcKU5pO_blog.html#excerpt).

What seems to make sense to me is that I would refuse the treatment. I would then plan for a family gathering as quickly as possible so that I could enjoy sharing a couple of days with such wonderful people. I would hope that we would share a few moments of what life has been with me in the picture, but then quickly enjoy the humor of our relationships and my personal "life-style". And I would surely plan to write a daily log of my experience of transitioning to death.

I am not rushing things. I would like to live long enough to see some of our grandchildren become sufficiently mature to discuss matters with me with some degree of understanding. Since my own children are not clones, I dare say that I would enjoy listening to how they articulate another dimension of reality and marvel at the fact that they too can disagree with me!

Final Edition of Patrick's History

2011-12-12T12:02:00.002-05:00

PATRICK’S DIARY

3/17/11	I was born into a litter of 10 puppies.
6/21/11	Joan & Edward visited me and loved me
6/25/11	Edward came to Maine and took me home. The ride was very long and, by the end of it, I was not feeling well. My breakfast came up. We made it home and everyone tried to make me feel welcomed. I admit to being somewhat overwhelmed. And then, they kept trying to get me outside to do something I was not ready to do. It was so strange compared to my birth home. There, I had many siblings and we had the whole back yard to go in and then return to our “room” without someone on my case. I guess that they are trying to do the right thing. They could be really dumb!
6/26/11	They may not have wanted the pee & poop on the kitchen floor, but what can you do? I did pretty well, with two small cries during the night. Not bad for the first night. During the day, they keep bugging me by wanting me to pee & poop outside. The outside does not do anything for me. I can’t wait to get inside. So far, I am spending lots of time in my new Dad’s arms, but it’s my Mom that I want. Whenever I can, I go to her and get some real love!
6/27/11	The man of this new family is bound and determined that I have this foolish black cord on me. I see little benefit to it, but I will let think that it has a positive purpose. He made a nice little area for me to rest and relax outside, but so far, I have kept to the practice of not peeing outside!
6/28/11	I may be getting used to this new family. I admit that I love the lady and the children are fun to play with. They seem happy to play with me. They tried a different tack today by having Joan lead me. I can’t resist her!
6/29/11	Wow! I got all sorts of kudos today. I didn’t wake my man during the night and I actually pooped outside! It was a red-letter morning, according to the man! My new parents got some education on how to deal with the likes of me, a timid dog. Some how or other, they will be patient with me and I will eventually give them what they want.
6/30/11	They have finally got the message that I will make them happy if they give me food. It is so simple and yet, it took them several days to figure it out. Everyone sounds so much better. I am still looking for a toy that I will enjoy. So far, the stuff that they have been giving me is for the birds!
7/1/11	I did not respond well to all the “tricks” of the new man during the morning. No matter what he did, I would not pee for him. I did poop outside and he seemed happy. By the end of the day, I was playing with him outside for the first time! Wow! He was ecstatic!
7/2/11	I made people happy today with my peeing & pooping that the man saw and gave me something great! For the first time, I ran around as most puppies do with my man around. They took me to the beach today and I was freaked out when I saw two dogs. At other times, I was in his arms a couple of times today when he read and watched TV.
7/3/11	Morning started so well. I really gave the man lots of kisses when he was doing his yoga. I did my peeing and pooping outside and got so more stuff. My man took me to the beach again and even though no one was there, I was spooked again. During the day, I did very well but I am still unwilling to come with the man. But I do love the woman!
7/4/11	I am told that today will start to be busy with people. The weekend was nice and peaceful. I did well again with peeing, pooping and eating. But, I still do not let my man come close to me unless he tricks me or corners me. But the day took on a very positive turn. They put out a kiddy pool which I loved! I had such fun jumping in and out of the pool. It was great.
7/6/11	I had a good day and everyone was happy. Played with the kids and enjoyed the backyard. I had a big shock when my man’s son from New York brought into the house a bull dog! Wow! It was mind blowing. Of course, I growled. I was scared stiff! They say that the dog will be here for over a week! Enough to drive a puppy crazy!
7/7/11	Started the day well. And, then, that bull dog came down from his long sleep! I did not do well. I barked, but people sort of were pleased that I did not go crazy. As the day went along, I sort of got used to these new people. They say that they live in New York. That does not make too much sense to me since I only know lovely Maine and the ocean community in Massachusetts. But, all is all, I am stayed within 6 feet of Gloria, the bull dog, and people are amazed!
7/8/11	The morning started off great. I do love these kids. People try to keep me from biting; they tell me that it is for my own good. Plans are in place for my going to puppy school tomorrow. Day went along pretty well except I did bark a few times when Gloria was near by. No body made a big deal of it! What really impressed everyone is that I was able to rest and relax in the kitchen when all hell was breaking out with children crying and adults trying to get food to the table. I just let it ride over my back!
7/9/11	This puppy class business was for the birds! I just found it a waste of time. I had no interest in the other dogs and no food by my man would make me move! I rested while these other dogs did what was asked of them, more or less. I was clearly an outlier! I was happy to get home and play with the kids.
7/10/11	Today was somewhat discombobulated. The New York people left but left their famous bull dog with us. Admittedly, it has not been all that bad.
7/11/11	What a day! My man finally figured out that chicken is my thing! I will do a lot more for him if he feeds me chicken! If he asked, I would have told him! The other big thing today is that I am developing a friendship with Gloria, that different looking dog. She does seem to like me and I am getting attracted to her.
7/12/11	I had a pretty good day. My man did some of learning how to get me to behave as requested. I did pretty well, given the chicken treats. It was so hot that they put out the kiddy pool for me so that I could get wet. Cool!
7/13/11	That chicken treat business works so well that I walked for a while on the leash. My man was ecstatic. You would have thought that I did something unique. I really made the man impressed when I walked on the leash twice!! Believe it or not, I barked and the man took me out and I peed. Could I already be almost trained?
7/14	My man is a happy camper! I walked more with the leash and I had a great Vet visit. Everyone likes me; they say such incredible words about how great I look! It does make my ego stronger. I got a bunch of needles, but I did not mind that too much at all. In fact, people said that I did great! I wound up the day with a far out love feast. My man took me to the stylist who tries to cut a virtually non-existing amount of hair and the folks went crazy when they saw me. Everyone wanted to hold me. It was fantastic! Another milestone: Believe it or not, I barked and the man took me out and I peed. Could I already be almost trained?
7/15/11	By 9 am, I had two walks with a leash (wow!), ate, done my chores, played, and then I needed a rest! I heard my man tell my woman that I was doing so well after just three weeks.
7/16/11	The man does not quit! He wants to walk with me nearly ever hour. I do get a chance to rest in between, but give me a break. He could be a bit more flexible. Take a day off, man!! Between the man’s persistence and his chicken treats, I am a changed dog! Apparently, not enough for him; he won’t quit! At the end of the day, he took me for another walk, the longest yet. He wanted me to meet some neighbors who liked dogs. Brother, they were all over me! You would think that they never saw a dog before!
7/17/11	The man does not quit! We walk and walk and people say that I prance! Prancing must be for master dogs or some such thing! At any rate, this walking business seems to be preparation for walking all the way back to where I came from! Portland, Maine, here I come!
7/18/11	Hey, the system is working automatically. He gets up early, takes me out very quickly, returns to check the computer, does some Yoga, feeds me, does some exercises, takes me for a walk, ending up with a poop. I could practically do it in my sleep. Same old, same old.
7/19/11	My man returned from some errands with great treats to bite on. He may be getting the idea of what makes me real happy! Since it is so hot, they are not walking me as much. Thanks for the little favors of life! They come back from celebrating their wedding anniversary very happy. But, then, the man takes me again for a long, long walk. What a way to celebrate!
720/11	My man woke him with problems: (1) I got out of the kitchen, (2) I peed in the kitchen, and (3) I pooped near the door. This set of happenings did not make a great start to the day. But, give the man credit, his book is telling him that he cannot punish me and there is no need to “address” actions that happened without your noticing them. It is a predicament that the man has to figure out what to do. I can understand his point of view. He surely takes me out frequently, but no matter, I may not be ready! Let’s watch and see how this problem is ultimately resolved. The man did something totally unexpected tonight by sticking a tool in my mouth with some stuff on it. He claims that he wants me to get used to having my teeth brushed. He claims that it will be make me live longer (someone told me that it did not work that well with his last dog, Franklin).
7/21/11	The man got up very early and the kitchen was in perfect shape. He quickly took me outside and I peed like a good dog should do. What a great start to the day! While my man wants to make sure everyone gets to meet me, I am trying to stay cool. Hard today with the heat so high. So I jumped into my water bowl for a swim. My man and my woman were taken back by attack on the water, but it surely helped me to stay cool!
7/22/11	Wow! It is really hot. They are doing as well as can be expected. They are trying to keep me cool, including giving me a bath and shampoo so that I will really impress the Puppy Class tomorrow (although there is some doubt about my behavior in the voices).
7/23/11	What a day! My man did not appreciate coming into the kitchen to see my pee and poop, but he did not make a big deal of it. We just went and made believe that I had not done anything. I rewarded him by going on the longest walk yet. He told everyone! Then, we went to Puppy School. The teacher was impressed by my man’s report. Granted that he was biased, but I do think that I am doing better than the other puppies even if I don’t demonstrate it publically at the Puppy School. My man shares the news that I am doing better than the other puppies, although I only do the great things only with my Man. The rest of the day was resting on my laurels!
7/24/11	Everything started off just great! No pee or poop in the kitchen. Did my thing outside like a good dog should! Went for our walk as usual and then ran around while the man did some watering. Friends came during the day and I did well. I ended up with some more rest time on my Man’s lap. He really needs my love!
7/25/11	Another perfect morning, i.e., no pee/poop in the kitchen. Another “great” walk. I got the course down pat. I cannot wait to get back into the yard. I feel so good when I am in the yard, away from other people, dogs, cars, etc. My Man says that I am doing much better with these terrifying demons. He expects me to one day be a dog who enjoys walking! That will be a big day! I have been having a great time chasing a colored ball that is spiked with grid lines so I can grab it with my teeth and, to everyone’s surprise, I bring it back! Wow! They think that I am brilliant!
7/26/11	The day started great, but my Man was frustrated because I would not poop! My man loves the dump! He takes me there every week, sometimes even twice. It is amazing that he is so attracted to the place! When we stop anywhere, he feels great hearing everyone comment about how beautiful I look. You would think that he thinks that my beauty is somehow attributed to him! Shows how hard up he is!
7/27/11	I really impressed my Man by signaling my need to poop! You would have thought that he won Mega Millions. This is not rocket science, I tried to indicate, but I still took the chicken treat. As long as he wants to give me the treats, who am I refuse? I did so well with the Man and Woman’s friends. I did not bug them and rested under the table without an issue. Everyone was impressed.
7/28/11	Morning started with a beautiful sun rise. I did my pee/poop outside, as proscribed by the rules! At another time, I gave the alert bark, signaling my need to get out. It worked. My man took me for another ride. I sort of enjoy the car, no major hassles.
7/29/11	We had a communication problem this morning. Somehow, I went to the door, but no one saw me. So what can you do? I played nicely in the back yard, but still had a hard time with those “terrorists” that walk by me when I am walking with my Man. They do look evil! And those dogs, they are so ugly; they must be evil too!
7/30/11	Last night was interesting! After my Woman took me out before she went to bed (my Man often goes before her since he gets up early for me), she placed me in the kitchen as usual. However, I later barked and barked. My Man thought that I wanted to go out again so he came down stairs. I went out but did nothing. I was placed in the kitchen again and, then barked some more. My Woman then took me up to their bed. Ahh! What a great night’s sleep! Then, I had to go to Puppy School and watch those other canines try to be as smart as I. I did not want to show them up, so I kept mostly to myself until they left the room and then my Man and I played nicely.
7/31/11	I did a little barking in the kitchen last night, but I was too tired to pursue the strategy for sleeping in the big bed upstairs. I was worn out with all the walking, school, and playing in the backyard. I had a great day playing with the kids. I was pooped but not pooped enough to poop when I was supposed to.
8/1/11	I started the day off with a perfect bark that got my Man up from bed and me out to pee! Perfect! Then, before getting too involved with Yoga, my Man noticed me sitting by the door and he let me out to poop! Whoa! Does a day start any better? And then, my Man and Woman with the grandkids went to buy me another bed and some toys. I loved them!
8/2/11	We had a great beginning to the day, measured by pee & poop. You would think that they could become more creative in devising measures of performance! The evening did not end well; I pooped in the kitchen without even trying to alert my Man or Woman!
8/3/11	Today was a rather “normal” day. I did what I supposed to do and my Man played with me. He also taught me a few things. I am not sure that I will remember how to go “down”, but as long as gives me a treat, I will do almost anything!
8/4/11	Wherever I go, people smile at me. My Man takes great pleasure in this, thinking that he made such a great choice of a new pet. I do give him many kisses to show my appreciation. My Man is getting bewildered by my rather bold maneuvers to look on the sidewalk (by myself which he quickly brings me to toe). And, now instead of running away from dogs that dare to walk by the house, I am now showing them my boldness by barking at them to teach a lesson or two.
8/5/11	Everyone is talking about big drop in the Dow, whatever that is. All I know is this is the first morning that my Man did not put me in the kitchen after our walk. He thinks that I am doing better in the basics of pee/poop/biting things (he goes out of his way to remind me that I need careful monitoring). I was given free reign of the house most of the day (I know that I was being watched, but at least I spent little time by myself in the kitchen). And, I barked when I needed to poop.
8/6/11	I blew everyone’s mind today at Puppy School. Not only did I do a little interacting with the other puppies, I also demonstrated that I can more than take care of myself. When a couple of puppies came into my space, I growled big time and wow! they knew that I was not joking. Everyone was taken back by my alpha show! My Man and Woman had “friends” over this afternoon. While I was in no way going to be friends with them, my Man was surely impressed that I stayed on my new bed all the time, even though I could have roamed around.
8/7/11	Today was a somewhat boring day. I did my “tricks” outside, sometimes even with no treats. I kept to myself most of the day, laying either on one of my beds or the floor.
8/8/11	What an event! I was groomed, as though I was not the most attractive dog in the world! The reviews are good and the groomers reported that my behavior was very good. My Man was happy! And later in the day, I blew his mind when I barked at passing dogs and, in fact, chased one! Whoa! A big deal, so he said!
8/9/11	This supposed to be a big day. My Woman’s sisters are coming to visit for several days. Everyone wants to see how I do. But, the great event of the day was going with my Man and Mika on the Merry-Go-Round at Nantasket Beach. It is famous since it is so old that my Man went on it as a youngster. And the people just loved me! My Man allowed young people to touch me and I just sat there and took it all in. My Woman’s sisters came and I will take me a while to get used to them. Everyone seems to love them, so I should be able to in time.
8/10/11	I really gave my Man a huge thrill today. For whatever reason, I have not dared to go upstairs. No one could understand it. But, today, I followed my friend, Mika, upstairs so that I could take my nap with her. My Man was super impressed and took a picture, but took me downstairs again so Mika could sleep. He did not know how smart I was. I snuck back up again (but, I guess that he is not altogether stupid himself. He figured it out and got me back downstairs.
8/11/11	My visit to the Vet to get the second Lyme Shot went well. No dog would dare get close to me since I growled and barked when someone looked even cross-eyed at me.
8/12/11	There were a lot of people here today and everyone felt that I did o.k. I was still hesitant with the new people, but I was getting less so and people say good words about me. My day was rewarded by my Man and Woman’s allowing me to sleep in their bed at night. I was not a problem at all!
8/13/11	My Man was blown away when I “insisted” on going to the beach. I ran around crazy but did not go into the water. The big disappointment is that I ran home by myself and would not come to my Man. Bad! But, the big news is my graduation of Puppy School. People were amazed by his progress during the past five weeks. From the first day when he would not participate at all, he did everything today and even played with one of the other puppies. Onward to Puppy School II!!!!!
8/14/11	Today was somewhat unusual. He started off with my first really wild day on the beach. I ran and ran and ran! And I even played with a dog, even for a brief time. I did great! By the time my Woman’s sisters left, I had really matured even more. Every one noticed it. However, as the day went along, I had a major case of diarrhea. It was my first time with such an experience. It was not pretty! But, everyone took it in stride. They gave me some medicine and they hope that I will be better by tomorrow. But, I will not be in the Man’s and Woman’s bed tonight.
8/15/11	I am getting better with my diarrhea and enjoyed two car trips today. All went well. A normal day for a puppy is a huge day for everyone. My Woman’s sisters are all gone and everyone noticed my maturing over the past week!
8/16/11	Since my Man feared more diarrhea, I was put in the kitchen for the night, or, so he thought. During the night, I made my way beyond the constraints of the kitchen and pawed my way up to the second floor to have some real peace in the big bed. It worked like a charm and, no diarrhea (they gave me some white rice to help matters). My Man loves to have me with him in the car even though I do nothing more than sleep usually. The Man is rather simple!
8/17/11	Today was a rather straightforward day. No hassles, a little playing, a run on the beach, and my food. I had one mishap in the house (a little poop), but my Man is coming up with a new plan to eat earlier in the morning and take me out immediately. This may well do the trick.
8/18/11	After a great night’s sleep in the big bed, a good breakfast, pee and poop, I decided that the chair upstairs in the big bedroom is so good that I will spend more time there. It is a little bit of a surprise to my Man but he is smiling so it must be o.k.
8/19/11	My Man is buying an Invisible Fence. I really did not understand what they were talking about, but I get the jest of it. I could feel something bad if I don’t stay in the yard!
8/20/11	My Man tells me that we are having a lot of people coming today. From the quiet of just us two (since my Woman is still with the other grandchildren in New Orleans), we are having his daughter and family and their friends. It ought to be interesting. I was the focus of today’s Skype with our grandchildren in New Orleans where my Woman is doing some child care. It was quite the experience. I looked into the computer and saw myself as our New Orleans family saw me. I was elegant and they really loved me. Eve said that she missed me and wanted to get back to Scituate before the scheduled Christmas vacation. Oh, it is such a problem to be in such demand!
8/21/11	Due to the number of people last night, my Man decided that he and I would sleep downstairs. No big deal, but what was good is that I barked during the night since I had to pee! I did great with the new people, especially the children. I loved them and they, in turn, loved me. Finally, for the first time, I jumped on to my Man’s lap and then during the day repeated this three more times! A real milestone.
8/22/11	Last night, I beat my Man up to the big bed! I just waited for him. I barked during the night to pee, but he always considers that a good thing even if I kind of wrecked his sleep. My Man took me again to the famous “transfer station”. He is infatuated with the place. Another milestone was reached tonight when I chased a tennis ball rather than the bigger ball I was chasing. My Man thinks that I will be able to start chasing the ball on the beach.
8/23/11	I am having a routine day and a routine day is a huge success!
8/24/11	Today was my first visit to urban America. I visited my friend, Mika’s, house in Cambridge. The visit went well. I had a great view of Cambridge and the tall buildings of Boston from their top deck. But, I still love my new home in Scituate. We went to the airport to pick up my Woman. What a wonderful experience!
8/25/11	I did a lot of playing in the yard with my Man and Mika. Everything was excellent. No big day which becomes a Big Day in my life.
8/26/11	I woke up my Man during the night to go out to pee. He wished he could have slept but he is so proud of my alerting him about my needs that he does not complain. My Man took me again to his favorite Transfer Station (really is a dump!) and then we had a nice walk along the North River and around town. He says that it is socializing me! (I think that I am really sociable with those I want to be and the rest of them bear some sensitivity!) I ended my day by playing with a potential dog friend, Ali, at her yard. We did a lot of running and she never caught me!
8/27/11	My Man and Woman’s son brought his contingent from New York last night. I will have to deal with Gloria, the bulldog, today when she wakes up (she does sleep a lot!) I did pretty well during the day. I got along reasonably well with a huge bull dog. What can you expect from me? They say that I am going to experience a major hurricane tomorrow. I have no idea what they are talking about, but it sounds interesting.
8/28/11	So far, I have been doing well with the hurricane. My Man got me out before the onslaught. We are now bunkered down with two children who are not paying much attention to the storm or me, as a matter of fact. I get bugged when I cannot play with them. As it turned out, the storm was less than predicted and we had a great time playing on the beach. I had a ball!!
8/29/11	Not having electricity is a big deal to my Man and Woman, but I could care less. My life is great! I eat, play, pee& poop! What more could you ask?
8/30/11	No electricity still, but that is no problem. In fact, I am getting more time than ever playing with Mika (their grandchild) and my Man!
8/31/11	All is well. Still, no electricity, but it is no problem to me. Electricity came back and the house was filled with cheers.
9/1/11	Sort of a routine day. We played, ate, walked. It was great.
9/2/11	My Man is happy because my behavior is so good.
9/3/11	It goes to show how pleased my Man when I jump on his lap! I know that he is aware that I only jump onto his lap when my Woman or the children are not around. Yet, even if he not my priority, he loves it that he is #3 or worse! How crazy is that?
9/4/11	Sara brought a friend from medical school for lunch. What really made my day was the Mika and Emi, my little friends. I just followed them everywhere, including the kiddy pool.
9/5/11	Labor Day is a rest day for me. Just my Man and me. My Woman went to work. It is strange to see her trudging to work after so much time taking care of Mika. You would think that my Man would go to work. He does not seem to do much except take care of me (did not prevent me from chewing up Mika’s bathing suit last evening!). The major treat for my Man during this time without my Woman, the person I love totally, or the kids, I jump on my Man’s lap to give him some love. He is so needy that even if he #3 or 4 or 5, he still responds so well. The poor man!
9/6/11	There was a big deal made our of my pooping in the house. I don’t know why I did not alert my Man. I know how to do it, but somehow, I forgot. Live and learn, I heard someone say.
9/7/11	Lot of rain these days. As long as my Man is willing to take me out, I don’t care. I waited all day for my Woman and Mika to return from their visit over night to New Hampshire. I am just so excited. I cannot wait to start wagging my tail!
9/8/11	Another rainy day. It let enough so that my Man could jog (he is old and not very fast) and he decided that he would take me along. No problem! I was a pro, as they say.
9/9/11	I really tested my Man today. I chewed one of his running gloves that he really likes. It is remarkable how he blamed himself for leaving his gloves to be accessible by me. Can you believe it? I got out of the mess scot-free. I was left alone last evening for six hours while my Man and Woman visited friends. My Man played with me when he got home. It turned out good.
9/10/11	I will be left along again for a few hours while my Man and Woman attend a funeral. It will be in the day time so I will able to get a good rest. When they came home, I did not recognize my Man all dressed up with a tie and jacket, so I barked at him because I thought he too had become a terrorist!
9/11/11	It’s my Man’s birthday today. 9/11 has become famous but I don’t think that it has anything to do with my Man! He may be o.k., but believe me, he is not worth celebrating that much. But, when you consider my Woman, that is another story! She is great!
9/12/11	I am looking forward to Mika’s and Emi’s coming today. I missed the little ones. It could be my teething problem, but I am not making people happy with my increased need to chew. I even chewed through a new toy my Man bought me today. They say that this just a stage (hope that they are deluded!).
9/13/11	I now will not go upstairs, even with treats. It is a mystery to my Man and Woman and even myself. I did go upstairs freely in prior weeks, but I have stopped and can’t seem to get it together. Otherwise, I am enjoying the day while plans are being made for my first real journey next week. I am going to New York City and then to Virginia. I am told that I will love the Big Apple, but we’ll see. The place, I think, is filled with terrorists who need to be watched! My day ended up in a disaster. Because of all my chewing stuff, I vomited big time! It was not a pretty sight even for me!
9/14/11	My day started great. You would never know that I made such a mess last night. I was like brand new! Since I would not go to the second floor, I stayed in the crate last night. I actually liked it.
9/15/11	I had a great sleep in the crate and had a great morning doing my usual which now includes a run with my Man who actually is quite slow. The poor man is just getting old and I am such a young one! My day was principally spent at my “groomer”. Everyone says that I am even more beautiful than ever! How is that possible?
9/16/11	Could my day get any better? My Man got me a real bone!! I really am getting excited about the trip to NYC. They tell me that I have to be careful because people there may want to steal me. People get wired up when they see me. It is amazing!
9/17/11	I really surprised my Man and Woman last night. I had enough of the crate and wanted to be in their nice comfortable bed. I barked and barked. It took them a while to figure out what I was barking about, but once they knew, all was in place for a great night’s sleep. This morning, my Man is cooking more treats for me. He wants me to be the best puppy in the world. We are heading to the first class of Puppy School II. I was thrown a curve ball. None of the puppies from my first class were there. I have to adjust to these news ones, all of whom are gigantic! Life can be a struggle at times, but I did relatively well. I would give myself a C and Rick Perry was lucky to get such grades when he was in college!
9/18/11	Great night’s sleep in the big bed, a jog with the old Man and then some rest. It is a good life!
9/19/11	Another great day! I am getting myself psyched about my trip to NYC and Virginia. It’s a big deal for a puppy! I even had a walk with just my Woman. Was that ever great!
9/20/11	It is getting to the point that I am not “progressing”. My Man is waiting for me to be consistent about letting him know when I have a need to pee/poop. I still don’t come each time; I sometimes get distracted, even big-time distracted. They are giving up hope that I will deal with strangers, whether human or canine, with some comfort. They think that they will be able to deal with this o.k.
9/21/11	Same old, same old. Jog, rest, play, eat. Tomorrow is the trip!
9/22/11	Shock and Awe! It is just like coming to Iraq! Wow! this is one awesome place! So far, so good. I am still alive!
9/23/11	Apart from the fact that I still will not leave this place unless carried out, I do o.k. dealing with all the strangers and the noise. Scituate all of sudden appears to be a dreamland compared to this nightmare of noise and more noise. Plus, I was roasting last night in the bed, panting like crazy! However, I am still enduring and they say that this is a great sign of my being totally socialized!
9/24/11	I enjoyed my ride to Virginia. No hassles along the way. When I got to the house, I was really happy because it was so quiet and peaceful. Admittedly, I had to get used to some new people and another dog, but everything was really good.
9/25/11	Many family members came today. I thought that they were there is see me, but it turns out that a new grandchild was the major hit. I still got a lot of attention, so I cannot complain.
9/26/11	This was a most special day. I went onto Susan’s lap all by myself. One would not think that this is a big deal, but it is the first adult outside our immediate family that was so honored!
9/27/11	Our ride back to Brooklyn was without a problem. But, getting used to the noise and the number of people on the sidewalk was another story. It is hard to imagine how long it would take me to become comfortable. The decision to return home that night made me happy.
9/28/11	What a great relief to wake up in Scituate! It was good to be back in familiar territory. The day was great even if not much was done.
9/29/11	There is a general stupor here over what they refer to as the unbelievable collapse of the Red Sox. I am not sure what they mean, but it must be important. I really teed off my Woman when I would not respond to her “come” when I was let out before bed. Not good!
9/30/11	My little friends, Mika and Emi, are coming tonight. I cannot wait. I love having little people around. When they came into the driveway, I went nuts. My enthusiasm scares them; I have to try to calm down, but it is so hard!
10/1/11	Today is the last day with my Man for a week. My Man was totally awed at my performance today at Puppy School II. I did some amazing things, doing commands that the others dogs were not doing. Can you believe it that I was a star at school? My Man is leaving for New Orleans to watch his son, Sean, conduct a trial. I will love having my Woman all by myself.
10/2/11-10/8/11	My Man got back last evening. We are restored to our normal family, Patrick, My Man and My Woman. Perfect!
10/8/11	My Man came back today. I admit that I was not too impressed. I had a terrible day. Since My Woman had to work, I stayed at Sara’s. I have nothing against Sara, but given that they went away, I was in the crate most of the day. How would you feel? At any rate, let’s see what tomorrow brings.
10/9/11	The day started off good. I had a good breakfast, went jogging with My Man and then settled in for a great morning. However, given that the kids get all bent out of shape with some of my jumping, I spent a lot of the morning the crate. One could say that I am a slow learner since I can’t control my impulses even though they lead to my being ostracized! My Man is concerned that I am more in love with My Woman than ever since he has been away last week. He says that he is happy that I love My Woman, but he says that it important that he respect, if not love, him since he will spend more time with me.
10/10/11	Since My Woman is working, I am with My Man and the kids. Everything being equal, it was a good morning, except …. I got into some trouble in the bushes. I came out looking like a miserable wretch, covered with little black things that My Man had to spend a lot of time trying to remove. Wow! What a mess!
10/11/11	Apart from the problem of being distant with My Man and not complying with commands, like “come”, all is good. But those problems are becoming a big Problem!
10/12/11	The day of reckoning has come! I am now a prisoner of the Invisible Fence! They are starting me slowly, but in a couple of days, I will have the full monty and then some!
10/13/11	Even though it is pouring outside, My Man and I were able to get a little jog in. I give the Man credit. He is persistent. One of My Woman’s friends at work gave her some toys for me. They are only empty plastic jars, but I admit that they give me a lot of pleasure until I end up trying to chew them to pieces and then, poof! They are gone!
10/14/11	My Man is really happy since I am jumping into his lap so often. He knows that I am hard up since My Woman is away! He really is hard up!
10/15/11	Even though My Woman has to work today, leaving me with only My Man, it was not too bad. I have no one else to jump on, so be becomes the loved one and, my, oh my does he love it!
10/16/11	What a weird day! My Man warned me, but I did not believe him. While they went to a concert with Sara Chang and supper at some fancy Boston restaurant, they left me in the crate! To give My Man credit, he have me ½ of my supper before they left so I would not starve. I got the other half when they came and a long walk. I guess that I did not do so badly.
10/17/11	My Woman has a thing about shampoos. I think that I am as beautiful as people say, but she insists that I am even more beautiful with a bath and shampoo! And then My Woman showed off her new clothes from the store. She looked fabulous. My Woman is a trip!
10/18/11	Today was messed up because My Man had his car towed. It was his fault so he only blamed himself. The problem for me was a longer period in the crate. No big thing, I guess.
10/19/11	The rain was miserable. I really got wet when My Man took me out for potty. Unfortunately, I could not get my act together. Dealing with the wind and rain distracted me from pooping, until later when I was in the wrong place! You would not want to be near My Woman at that moment. I only made matters worse by snagging her hamburger off the counter that was supposed to be her supper. Not too many points today!
10/20/11	I am alone again with My Man since My Woman went away to visit her sister in Virginia. I wished that she took me. I love my visit there where I met their new dog. I loved running around in their large yard without any restrictions, apart from my own internal ones. I still tend to be fearful of something new!
10/21/11	Nothing much to report about today. I went on some errands (library and store), but most of the day was quiet. During our evening walk, a really small dog came my way and, once again, I was afraid. Oh!
10/22/11	I am now certain that My Woman is not coming back soon. So, I jumped on My Man’s lap twice this morning. He loves it and, given the absence of My Woman, what can I do?
10/23/11	We are going to have a great day! We are visiting Mika and Emi. I love those kids! It was a great visit. M y Man brought my supper with us so I would not go home hungry. He is a thoughtful soul! Other friends of Sara came for supper. I got a little hectic trying to differentiate between friends and foes. Consequently, I ended up in the crate. I suppose that it was good for all concerned.
10/24/11	Hooray! My Woman is coming home today! Life will again be normal. I have jumped on My Man’s lap so many times that he thinks that I am gender-confused, i.e., I am deluded into thinking that he is actually My Woman!! And I stayed gloriously in her arms all the way home!!
10/25/11	My Woman cannot believe that I want to be with her so much! She thinks that My Man needs me more, which may be true, but I still want My Woman. We really had a great day even if I was concerned that My Woman was doing so much work around the house. I don’t understand why My Man just sits and reads while she seems to be working like a dog (really, an euphemism!).
10/26/11	Same as yesterday. More loving than ever! Great!
10/27/11	On a real miserable, rainy day, I am having a quiet, restful day at home with my favorite people. In addition, I was able to rest with My Woman!
10/28/11	It was brutal running this morning, but I would not let My Man down! He needs the exercise more than me.
10/29/11	What a miserable day! Rain and wind that would not quit. I survived o.k. I even went to Puppy School where I did o.k. but not great.
10/30/11	Thankfully, the rain ended, but the wind was awesome. My Man and I ran in the wind. Since I was closer to the ground, I actually did better than he. I do enjoy the kids when they are here, but I get so excited with them that I drive everyone crazy! It’s so hard being a puppy!
11/1/11	My Man and My Woman has a long conversation about me today. My barking has been getting worse and is even driving My Man crazy. He may be naturally off, but he really tolerates a lot of my behavior. So, when he is upset, I got a problem. In addition, My Man felt the need to correct a statement of My Woman that I was doing better with My Man (I have always had a love affair with My Woman!). He said that this was not true. Ever since he disappeared to New Orleans for the week to observe his son prosecute a criminal, he said that I have been less responsive to him (he goes out of his way to say that it is a comparative assessment). At any rate, I don’t know what happened, but since their conversation, I actually did better, but this could be just a coincidence.
11/2/11	Today, I started off well. In fact, some men came to the house to give a estimate for tree removal. I did bark, but My Man thought that I was reasonable. He sort of expects a dog to bark, but then to quiet down when I am assured that they are not terrorists! Tonight, I spent the longest time nuzzled up with My Man. He was in his glory!
11/3/11	Even though some workmen came today, I did not go crazy. Am I getting better! My Man and Woman were concerned that I may be sick. I did not eat as well in the evening and I had loose poop. Their concern is touching, but I think that I am o.k.
11/4/11	Today started off good. Still, a little loose poop, but I ran well. Everything was great.
11/5/11	I blew everyone’s mind at Puppy II today. I graduated with flying colors. All the other canine owners thought that I was fantastic. And, in fact, I don’t mind saying so, I agree!
11/6/11	My Woman left this noon for New York and the kids left around 4pm. My Man, creative as he is, bought some cottage cheese, in order to help with my loose stool (less so during the last couple of days). Let’s see how this works.
11/7/11	The cottage cheese seems to work like a charm! This morning, I was “normal”. It really is pitiful that we have to focus on such items, but apparently, it can be a mess if things are not within certain limits. When My Woman is away, the house is really quiet. It is so strange. Few phone calls and only My Man’s voice talking to me from time to time. There is music in the air which is nice, but, it is so, so quiet! My Man let me enjoy the beautiful sunny day outside. Unfortunately, I rewarded him by digging a hole in his grass! Whoa, that’s not a good thing!
11/8/11	What a beautiful day! I ran after a great breakfast. Now, I am going to enjoy the yard before we go to the dump! My Woman is on her way back from New York. My day that started so well is going to end even better!
11/9/11	I was a perfect dog today. My Man put some stuff on my hole so that I would not dig it up any more. Life was good today.
11/10/11	Nora is coming from New York with their bull dog, Gloria. I get along pretty well with Gloria since she seems to be a little respectful of me. We had a great evening. No problems.
11/11/11	I got a little excited this morning when the kids came down. I pooped in the wrong place! Not good!
11/12/11	I have had another great day with all the noise and excitement in the house. It is enough to make me too excited for my own good! But the day ended in a nightmare scenario for My Man and My Woman. After a great supper (so they said), My Man and his son took me for a walk. Since it was low tide, they thought that it would be great to walk on the beach. So far, so good. Since we thought we were alone, My Man unleashed me and all was great until I spotted another canine. I ran for it and they could attract my attention, nor did they see me since it was so dark. They walked and yelled, “Patrick” to no avail. To their surprise and some delight (even though they talked seriously with me about the error of my ways), I was waiting for them at the back door. They must think that I am a real dummy not to know how to get home!
11/13/11	It is a quiet day. My Woman is working and Neal with his family returned to New York early. So, it is stone quiet! After the last few days, I admit to liking the quiet.
11/14/11	My Woman left us to take care of her friend with brain cancer. What a great woman! So, I am with My Man for a few days, trying to make him o.k.
11/15/11	My Man is doing so well. He is making me a happy, happy dog. He thinks that he has worked out with the vet that I will only get boosters when fully immunized after a titer is taken. He is now convinced that cancers in dogs may be precipitated by too many vaccinations! He is a smart man!
11/16/11	My Woman is on her way home. What a evening I am going to have! Cannot wait! It was great, but she was so preoccupied that she could not meet my needs. So, I went to My Man! He always wants to meet my needs!
11/17/11	My Woman was on the road again today! But, My Man is here and all is o.k. We played outside and I even did he wanted me to do a few times. He added some chicken parts to my evening supper. It was great. He said tomorrow he will add some liver parts. Life is good!
11/18/11	We are having a great day! Both My Man and My Woman are having a peaceful day. No major responsibilities except to make a happy puppy! Wonderful!
11/19/11	It is always sad when My Woman leaves. Sbe is going to New Orleans to be with Sean and family for Thanksgiving. Usually, My Man goes too, but he is so afraid of putting me into what they call a “kennel” until I am bigger. It does not sound like a great place and I am so pleased that My Man is so considerate of me!
11/20/11	Another beautiful day! We jogged and then played a little. I played right, i.e., I brought the ball back to My Man! Such little things please him! My Man took me to visit his cousin today. It was an o.k. trip. When we got back, we played which I enjoy. Then, in his attempt to socialize me with the ocean, he took me for another walk on the beach. It was a disaster. I ran away again! I surely know how to find home but he is petrified when I cross the street unattended. So far, I am escaped any injury. Then, he walked with me after supper. He explained about the solar system and how the earth rotates around the sun. In the winter, it is dark very early. He does not help my paranoia when I am walking in the pitch black. However, I did o.k., so he said.
11/21/11	Last evening, we walked in the dark. This morning, we ran in the dark. What can we do about this? My Man says that I have to wait until Spring, whatever that is.
11/22/11	I am having a wonderful day with My Man. He tells me that my jumping on his lap and then leaving, and then jumping on again will drive My Woman real nuts! He told me that it is good that he loves me any which way! What a life!
11/23/11	My world has sunk into another episode of diarrhea! As bad as it is for me, just think of what My Man has to do to clean up! Now I will not be able to go into Cambridge to be with Mika and Emi since My Man does not want me to cause a problem he cannot deal with. Diarrhea is admittedly a mess!
11/24/11	It is Thanksgiving Day, but I will only be getting Cottage Cheese again. While my diarrhea is better, I am not back to normal. So, I can see that there are consequences to my eating stuff while I am outside. My Man cannot figure out why I retrieve so much better when he stays on the deck and throws the ball than when he does it on the ground. I admit that I don’t understand it either. I went with My Man so that he could have Thanksgiving dinner with his sister and family. Needless to say, I had to wait for puppy food when I got home.
11/25/11	My Man keeps repeating the slogan, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”. I guess that I now understand it since I am going crazy waiting for My Woman to return tonight. Thankfully, My Man is taking me with him to pick the Lady of Ladies! My Man posted on Facebook tonight that I am brilliant because I want to have my teeth brushed when he does his!! I want to live a long time with these people!
11/26/11	I had a rather uneventful day. But, My Man noticed that I was not just right. I did not cobble up my supper and I did not play much. Lo and behold! During the night, more diarrhea!! Oh My!
11/27/11	My Man woke up with the need to clean up my diarrhea. Later, I had a bath that did not make any of us too happy, except I was considered clean without any bad smells! I hate to talk about this type of stuff, but as they say, “sh—happens!”
11/28/11	My diarrhea is less a problem, but not completely resolved. I guess that it takes a while. My Man has given me pure pumpkin and cottage cheese for my meals. I really like the cottage cheese and I ate the pumpkin without much relish. All in all, I went well. I am getting lectures about the benefits of not eating so much junk that I find on the ground
11/29/11	I had a great haircut today! I look incredibly beautiful!
11/30/11	My Man is getting negative feedback about this blog. His male adult children have perceived this extended blog as a sign that he has really gone over the line of sanity. It appears that their previous assessment of debilitated brain power is now more than confirmed. But, My Man is strong and he will continue to cover my growth and development at least until I have outgrown my puppy stage. Good for him!!
12/1/11	Last night I got into a major problem. I started to scratch a rug until I made a hole in it. Whoa! Not good! No one can figure out what started me and I am not telling!
12/2/11	Because of my wrecking the dining room rug, it was taken to the dump! And because of my prior diarrhea, there was a major washing of rugs today. My Woman was one tired lady by the time this was over. No wonder that they kept saying something about the fact that I cost them far more the price of the initial purchase!
12/3/11	Exciting time when Mika and Emi come. It is great fun to be with them even though they seem to have a low tolerance of my exhuberance.
12/4/11	I went on a great walk with Mika and Emi. It was a beautiful day. In the afternoon, I was left alone while My Man and Woman went to a concert and then to supper with Sara, Nien-he and kids. I was perfectly patient and enjoyed their return, even if it was a late supper.
12/5/11	Since My Woman went to visit Michele for a couple of days, I am enjoying a quiet time with some play time outside.
12/6/11	A rather normal day. Our only unusual event was going to a Christmas party in the evening. It was a disaster, but not due to me!
12/7/11	My Woman is returning today! It is always so exciting to run to the car when she comes to the house! My only problem is that I had to explain why I ate my nice bed that I have used for several weeks. It was so hard to explain since I have no reason to give. I just had the urge! What can you say?
12/8/11	I had to undergo more lecturing from My Man regarding what I have been chewing. He wants to me to get my act together. I don’t want to tell him that I have my act together; it is just not in synch with his agenda!
12/9/11	Maybe it is time that My Man stops my blog. I had a great, typical day for a puppy! It is a perfect ending for a wonderful beginning. I am nearly nine months old and I have few complaints and my home is really a home for me!

Polarization

2011-12-05T14:49:00.001-05:00

After sharing the news with Joan that the Boston archdiocesewas going to cluster parishes under on pastor with other priests, deacons, andlay people sharing duties in the various parishes within the cluster, we talkedabout the implications for the future. It is clear that the traditional model has to change. Withoutmajor changes in practice, there will be insufficient priests to support thepresent structure.

It seemed to me that it is impossible to imagine how theprogressives and conservatives will ever live happily together. In bothdoctrine and practice, including the liturgy, there seems to be a markeddifference in their preferences. In fact, if the liberal agenda were ever madeofficial, e.g., married and female clergy, it is hard to image that theconservative would concur. Rather, it is more reasonable to expect that theywill be splinter off, as have some Episcopal parishes in this country.

Polarization also appears to the norm in human interactionswithin the realm of politics.

Clearly, the nation is polarized between progressives andconservatives. There is no middle ground. When listening or reading to some of theRepublican leaders expose an economic position that has virtually no supportamong economists, one wonders how they can bring themselves to say such views.

I know that I am one of those that fail to see a middleground in so many areas. I cannot see how the Catholic Church can be a credibleasset in this world while negating the role of women. I fail to understand howstatements regarding mandatory celibacy can be voiced when there is no biblicalor historical support for the positions.

I fail to see how we can restore the economic viability ofour nation without more equity in the distribution of wealth. When so few haveso much that exceeds all rational expectations of need and even historicalprecedence while the percentage of corporate revenue distributed as wages is relatively low, Ishutter when I hear claims that increasing revenue by higher taxes on the 1%will take away jobs! It makes no sense to me.

I am thinking now that the problem of polarization, at leastin politics, may well be attributed to the inequities in the distribution ofwealth. When people have historically shared in the nation’s wealth ratherequitably, there has been an increase of tolerance. People tend to bend easierwhen they are feeling secure and relatively prosperous. People do not care asmuch when others have more as long as they have enough.

I am less confident that this would help understand thepolarization within the Catholic Church. It is clear to me that thehierarchical powers have generally written off the progressive population. Theyknow that the demographics are such that the southern hemisphere will be thestrength of the church for the foreseeable future. If progressive views wereever adopted, there would be alienation of the larger population ofconservatives. And, it may be too late to garner the support of progressives,many of whom no longer view the church or even religion positively.

I get depressed thinking about our situation.

Patrick's History: 16 Sept - 22 November

2011-11-22T10:12:00.001-05:00

9/16/11	Could my day get any better? My Man got me a real bone!! I really am getting excited about the trip to NYC. They tell me that I have to be careful because people there may want to steal me. People get wired up when they see me. It is amazing!
9/17/11	I really surprised my Man and Woman last night. I had enough of the crate and wanted to be in their nice comfortable bed. I barked and barked. It took them a while to figure out what I was barking about, but once they knew, all was in place for a great night’s sleep. This morning, my Man is cooking more treats for me. He wants me to be the best puppy in the world. We are heading to the first class of Puppy School II. I was thrown a curve ball. None of the puppies from my first class were there. I have to adjust to these news ones, all of whom are gigantic! Life can be a struggle at times, but I did relatively well. I would give myself a C and Rick Perry was lucky to get such grades when he was in college!
9/18/11	Great night’s sleep in the big bed, a jog with the old Man and then some rest. It is a good life!
9/19/11	Another great day! I am getting myself psyched about my trip to NYC and Virginia. It’s a big deal for a puppy! I even had a walk with just my Woman. Was that ever great!
9/20/11	It is getting to the point that I am not “progressing”. My Man is waiting for me to be consistent about letting him know when I have a need to pee/poop. I still don’t come each time; I sometimes get distracted, even big-time distracted. They are giving up hope that I will deal with strangers, whether human or canine, with some comfort. They think that they will be able to deal with this o.k.
9/21/11	Same old, same old. Jog, rest, play, eat. Tomorrow is the trip!
9/22/11	Shock and Awe! It is just like coming to Iraq! Wow! this is one awesome place! So far, so good. I am still alive!
9/23/11	Apart from the fact that I still will not leave this place unless carried out, I do o.k. dealing with all the strangers and the noise. Scituate all of sudden appears to be a dreamland compared to this nightmare of noise and more noise. Plus, I was roasting last night in the bed, panting like crazy! However, I am still enduring and they say that this is a great sign of my being totally socialized!
9/24/11	I enjoyed my ride to Virginia. No hassles along the way. When I got to the house, I was really happy because it was so quiet and peaceful. Admittedly, I had to get used to some new people and another dog, but everything was really good.
9/25/11	Many family members came today. I thought that they were there is see me, but it turns out that a new grandchild was the major hit. I still got a lot of attention, so I cannot complain.
9/26/11	This was a most special day. I went onto Susan’s lap all by myself. One would not think that this is a big deal, but it is the first adult outside our immediate family that was so honored!
9/27/11	Our ride back to Brooklyn was without a problem. But, getting used to the noise and the number of people on the sidewalk was another story. It is hard to imagine how long it would take me to become comfortable. The decision to return home that night made me happy.
9/28/11	What a great relief to wake up in Scituate! It was good to be back in familiar territory. The day was great even if not much was done.
9/29/11	There is a general stupor here over what they refer to as the unbelievable collapse of the Red Sox. I am not sure what they mean, but it must be important. I really teed off my Woman when I would not respond to her “come” when I was let out before bed. Not good!
9/30/11	My little friends, Mika and Emi, are coming tonight. I cannot wait. I love having little people around. When they came into the driveway, I went nuts. My enthusiasm scares them; I have to try to calm down, but it is so hard!
10/1/11	Today is the last day with my Man for a week. My Man was totally awed at my performance today at Puppy School II. I did some amazing things, doing commands that the others dogs were not doing. Can you believe it that I was a star at school? My Man is leaving for New Orleans to watch his son, Sean, conduct a trial. I will love having my Woman all by myself.
10/2/11-10/8/11	My Man got back last evening. We are restored to our normal family, Patrick, My Man and My Woman. Perfect!
10/8/11	My Man came back today. I admit that I was not too impressed. I had a terrible day. Since My Woman had to work, I stayed at Sara’s. I have nothing against Sara, but given that they went away, I was in the crate most of the day. How would you feel? At any rate, let’s see what tomorrow brings.
10/9/11	The day started off good. I had a good breakfast, went jogging with My Man and then settled in for a great morning. However, given that the kids get all bent out of shape with some of my jumping, I spent a lot of the morning the crate. One could say that I am a slow learner since I can’t control my impulses even though they lead to my being ostracized! My Man is concerned that I am more in love with My Woman than ever since he has been away last week. He says that he is happy that I love My Woman, but he says that it important that he respect, if not love, him since he will spend more time with me.
10/10/11	Since My Woman is working, I am with My Man and the kids. Everything being equal, it was a good morning, except …. I got into some trouble in the bushes. I came out looking like a miserable wretch, covered with little black things that My Man had to spend a lot of time trying to remove. Wow! What a mess!
10/11/11	Apart from the problem of being distant with My Man and not complying with commands, like “come”, all is good. But those problems are becoming a big Problem!
10/12/11	The day of reckoning has come! I am now a prisoner of the Invisible Fence! They are starting me slowly, but in a couple of days, I will have the full monty and then some!
10/13/11	Even though it is pouring outside, My Man and I were able to get a little jog in. I give the Man credit. He is persistent. One of My Woman’s friends at work gave her some toys for me. They are only empty plastic jars, but I admit that they give me a lot of pleasure until I end up trying to chew them to pieces and then, poof! They are gone!
10/14/11	My Man is really happy since I am jumping into his lap so often. He knows that I am hard up since My Woman is away! He really is hard up!
10/15/11	Even though My Woman has to work today, leaving me with only My Man, it was not too bad. I have no one else to jump on, so be becomes the loved one and, my, oh my does he love it!
10/16/11	What a weird day! My Man warned me, but I did not believe him. While they went to a concert with Sara Chang and supper at some fancy Boston restaurant, they left me in the crate! To give My Man credit, he have me ½ of my supper before they left so I would not starve. I got the other half when they came and a long walk. I guess that I did not do so badly.
10/17/11	My Woman has a thing about shampoos. I think that I am as beautiful as people say, but she insists that I am even more beautiful with a bath and shampoo! And then My Woman showed off her new clothes from the store. She looked fabulous. My Woman is a trip!
10/18/11	Today was messed up because My Man had his car towed. It was his fault so he only blamed himself. The problem for me was a longer period in the crate. No big thing, I guess.
10/19/11	The rain was miserable. I really got wet when My Man took me out for potty. Unfortunately, I could not get my act together. Dealing with the wind and rain distracted me from pooping, until later when I was in the wrong place! You would not want to be near My Woman at that moment. I only made matters worse by snagging her hamburger off the counter that was supposed to be her supper. Not too many points today!
10/20/11	I am alone again with My Man since My Woman went away to visit her sister in Virginia. I wished that she took me. I love my visit there where I met their new dog. I loved running around in their large yard without any restrictions, apart from my own internal ones. I still tend to be fearful of something new!
10/21/11	Nothing much to report about today. I went on some errands (library and store), but most of the day was quiet. During our evening walk, a really small dog came my way and, once again, I was afraid. Oh!
10/22/11	I am now certain that My Woman is not coming back soon. So, I jumped on My Man’s lap twice this morning. He loves it and, given the absence of My Woman, what can I do?
10/23/11	We are going to have a great day! We are visiting Mika and Emi. I love those kids! It was a great visit. M y Man brought my supper with us so I would not go home hungry. He is a thoughtful soul! Other friends of Sara came for supper. I got a little hectic trying to differentiate between friends and foes. Consequently, I ended up in the crate. I suppose that it was good for all concerned.
10/24/11	Hooray! My Woman is coming home today! Life will again be normal. I have jumped on My Man’s lap so many times that he thinks that I am gender-confused, i.e., I am deluded into thinking that he is actually My Woman!! And I stayed gloriously in her arms all the way home!!
10/25/11	My Woman cannot believe that I want to be with her so much! She thinks that My Man needs me more, which may be true, but I still want My Woman. We really had a great day even if I was concerned that My Woman was doing so much work around the house. I don’t understand why My Man just sits and reads while she seems to be working like a dog (really, an euphemism!).
10/26/11	Same as yesterday. More loving than ever! Great!
10/27/11	On a real miserable, rainy day, I am having a quiet, restful day at home with my favorite people. In addition, I was able to rest with My Woman!
10/28/11	It was brutal running this morning, but I would not let My Man down! He needs the exercise more than me.
10/29/11	What a miserable day! Rain and wind that would not quit. I survived o.k. I even went to Puppy School where I did o.k. but not great.
10/30/11	Thankfully, the rain ended, but the wind was awesome. My Man and I ran in the wind. Since I was closer to the ground, I actually did better than he. I do enjoy the kids when they are here, but I get so excited with them that I drive everyone crazy! It’s so hard being a puppy!
11/1/11	My Man and My Woman has a long conversation about me today. My barking has been getting worse and is even driving My Man crazy. He may be naturally off, but he really tolerates a lot of my behavior. So, when he is upset, I got a problem. In addition, My Man felt the need to correct a statement of My Woman that I was doing better with My Man (I have always had a love affair with My Woman!). He said that this was not true. Ever since he disappeared to New Orleans for the week to observe his son prosecute a criminal, he said that I have been less responsive to him (he goes out of his way to say that it is a comparative assessment). At any rate, I don’t know what happened, but since their conversation, I actually did better, but this could be just a coincidence.
11/2/11	Today, I started off well. In fact, some men came to the house to give a estimate for tree removal. I did bark, but My Man thought that I was reasonable. He sort of expects a dog to bark, but then to quiet down when I am assured that they are not terrorists! Tonight, I spent the longest time nuzzled up with My Man. He was in his glory!
11/3/11	Even though some workmen came today, I did not go crazy. Am I getting better! My Man and Woman were concerned that I may be sick. I did not eat as well in the evening and I had loose poop. Their concern is touching, but I think that I am o.k.
11/4/11	Today started off good. Still, a little loose poop, but I ran well. Everything was great.
11/5/11	I blew everyone’s mind at Puppy II today. I graduated with flying colors. All the other canine owners thought that I was fantastic. And, in fact, I don’t mind saying so, I agree!
11/6/11	My Woman left this noon for New York and the kids left around 4pm. My Man, creative as he is, bought some cottage cheese, in order to help with my loose stool (less so during the last couple of days). Let’s see how this works.
11/7/11	The cottage cheese seems to work like a charm! This morning, I was “normal”. It really is pitiful that we have to focus on such items, but apparently, it can be a mess if things are not within certain limits. When My Woman is away, the house is really quiet. It is so strange. Few phone calls and only My Man’s voice talking to me from time to time. There is music in the air which is nice, but, it is so, so quiet! My Man let me enjoy the beautiful sunny day outside. Unfortunately, I rewarded him by digging a hole in his grass! Whoa, that’s not a good thing!
11/8/11	What a beautiful day! I ran after a great breakfast. Now, I am going to enjoy the yard before we go to the dump! My Woman is on her way back from New York. My day that started so well is going to end even better!
11/9/11	I was a perfect dog today. My Man put some stuff on my hole so that I would not dig it up any more. Life was good today.
11/10/11	Nora is coming from New York with their bull dog, Gloria. I get along pretty well with Gloria since she seems to be a little respectful of me. We had a great evening. No problems.
11/11/11	I got a little excited this morning when the kids came down. I pooped in the wrong place! Not good!
11/12/11	I have had another great day with all the noise and excitement in the house. It is enough to make me too excited for my own good! But the day ended in a nightmare scenario for My Man and My Woman. After a great supper (so they said), My Man and his son took me for a walk. Since it was low tide, they thought that it would be great to walk on the beach. So far, so good. Since we thought we were alone, My Man unleashed me and all was great until I spotted another canine. I ran for it and they could attract my attention, nor did they see me since it was so dark. They walked and yelled, “Patrick” to no avail. To their surprise and some delight (even though they talked seriously with me about the error of my ways), I was waiting for them at the back door. They must think that I am a real dummy not to know how to get home!
11/13/11	It is a quiet day. My Woman is working and Neal with his family returned to New York early. So, it is stone quiet! After the last few days, I admit to liking the quiet.
11/14/11	My Woman left us to take care of her friend with brain cancer. What a great woman! So, I am with My Man for a few days, trying to make him o.k.
11/15/11	My Man is doing so well. He is making me a happy, happy dog. He thinks that he has worked out with the vet that I will only get boosters when fully immunized after a titer is taken. He is now convinced that cancers in dogs may be precipitated by too many vaccinations! He is a smart man!
11/16/11	My Woman is on her way home. What a evening I am going to have! Cannot wait! It was great, but she was so preoccupied that she could not meet my needs. So, I went to My Man! He always wants to meet my needs!
11/17/11	My Woman was on the road again today! But, My Man is here and all is o.k. We played outside and I even did he wanted me to do a few times. He added some chicken parts to my evening supper. It was great. He said tomorrow he will add some liver parts. Life is good!
11/18/11	We are having a great day! Both My Man and My Woman are having a peaceful day. No major responsibilities except to make a happy puppy! Wonderful!
11/19/11	It is always sad when My Woman leaves. Sbe is going to New Orleans to be with Sean and family for Thanksgiving. Usually, My Man goes too, but he is so afraid of putting me into what they call a “kennel” until I am bigger. It does not sound like a great place and I am so pleased that My Man is so considerate of me!
11/20/11	Another beautiful day! We jogged and then played a little. I played right, i.e., I brought the ball back to My Man! Such little things please him! My Man took me to visit his cousin today. It was an o.k. trip. When we got back, we played which I enjoy. Then, in his attempt to socialize me with the ocean, he took me for another walk on the beach. It was a disaster. I ran away again! I surely know how to find home but he is petrified when I cross the street unattended. So far, I am escaped any injury. Then, he walked with me after supper. He explained about the solar system and how the earth rotates around the sun. In the winter, it is dark very early. He does not help my paranoia when I am walking in the pitch black. However, I did o.k., so he said.
11/21/11	Last evening, we walked in the dark. This morning, we ran in the dark. What can we do about this? My Man says that I have to wait until Spring, whatever that is.
11/22/11	I am having a wonderful day with My Man. He tells me that my jumping on his lap and then leaving, and then jumping on again will drive My Woman real nuts! He told me that it is good that he loves me any which way! What a life!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-21T14:14:00.001-05:00

THANKSGIVING 2011

Given the blessings that I have received, Thanksgivingprovides an opportunity to recall them with humility. I surely never deservedor earned them. They are pure gifts.

Married to my best friend who only becomes more admirableeach day! It is amazing to watch her become so involved with others with herpersonality, skills, and love. Everything she touches is better for herattention.

Watching adult children become even more responsible agentsin a confusing world strengthens the conviction that they are gifts. Surely,what they have become far exceeds either our expectations or contributions.They have done so much with their gifts!

Even more undeserved are the people our adult children married! What a stroke of good fortune to have these people accept us as part of their family. Our feelings for them always seem so strong. They are everything that one can hope for as family.

Grandchildren who make my world so filled with expectations!To think that I can experience the wonder of human development without theburden of deluding myself into thinking that I am a major contributor makes itall a joy.

Hospice patients who continue to demonstrate how strongpeople are when facing the most awesome moment of life, their death. Each oneseems to absorb the uniqueness of the situation without succumbing to self-pityor anger. They surely help me to think positively about myself when my timecomes.

I am most thankful that my body continues to respond to mywill. My status as retired has enabled me to have time to do more physicalexercise than ever. Each day I enjoy my moments with Yoga, jogging, bicycling,and swimming. I could not ask for more.

I cannot imagine my world without the gifts of books andmusic. I never tire of either and cannot make enough time each day to satisfymy need. Knowing that time will ultimately end for me, each day becomes a giftto learn more about our world, people, and the talents of those who write andprovide us with the beautiful sounds of music.

I am most thankful for the life of Franklin and now the newfriend, Patrick. Franklin was such a loving and patient friend, not only to me,but also to everyone elsea. He was specially kind to the grandchildren who wereable to play with him with no fear. The sadness of his loss has only made the joy of having Patrick special.During our five months, he has learned so much and become close to us all. Hisliveliness matches his affection.

As crazy as it may appear, I am thankful for becoming afaithful user of Facebook. Whatever others may say, it has expanded my world bybeing aware of people that often are forgotten because of our absorption inother matters.

Christian Response to OWS Protests

2011-11-02T12:52:00.002-04:00

I was questioned about my views of the OWSprotests. I provide the following response.

Ishare many of the views of the OWS movement. However, I am aware of thecomplexity of what we are dealing with. It is horrendous what Wall Street gotaway with and equally horrendous what continues to happen. Banks that are toobig to fail are, in fact, too big. I think that retail and investment banksshould be separate. Investment banks rise and fall on their own merits. I alsothink that the pay given to bankers and investors is obscene.

Having said that, I don't think that changing thepay structure of finance executives or revamping bank structures will makethings significantly better. There will be less anger against some, but thenthe continued frustrations with the lack of jobs, the level of income of manyworkers, including the middle class, the housing issue, etc. will remain. Ifone could wave a magic wand, housing would generally be less and inflationwould be low. Income would be commensurate with a generally less expensive costof living. But, for this to happen without hurting so many of our peoples whowould lose much of their investments for retirement, without causing oureconomy to be even less competitive, without disrupting structures that cannotbe easily changed, e.g., higher education costs have sky rocketed and onecannot imagine in the near future how these costs will be ameliorated, isextraordinarily complex.

In short, everything is a mess and fixing any onecomponent may be a start, but the process will take so long that many will befrustrated with their personal situation. As I write, I sit comfortably infront of the ocean. I am warm. I am secure. I no more deserve this goodfortune than those who are angry. But trying to restore an equilibrium that hasbeen so disrupted by so many events in a global economy is no small trick!

The question that any religious leader wouldaddress then is: given that the problems are beyond the scope of traditionalbusiness cycles, how does a Christian respond in a meaningful way? If theanswer is the usual Gospel response to the poor, I would question its validityin terms of addressing the problems in any meaningful way. While an individualmay have no other recourse than reaching out to someone in need to remainconsistent with the person’s value system, it is virtually meaningless. Possibly,some may have some long-term benefit, but I don't think episodic and randomcharity is meaningful within the context of our national/internationalproblems. A Christian may feel that he/she may have no choice, given the valuesystem they are committed to. It would be delusional, however, to think that itis making any real difference.

What we need is collective political action thataddresses some of these humongous problems, e.g., Europe and US agree thatthere will transaction taxes on investments, that retail and investment banksbe separated, that pay structures be somewhat regulated, that tax structures bemodified to represent a fair distribution of how revenue is achieved, thathigher education agree to reforms that will reduce costs, e.g., greatprofessors are shared in many, if not all, universities through on-linetechnology, thereby reducing faculty costs, that trade agreements be based onfairness to all nations, etc. etc.

But, I know that collective political action is also a delusion. Onecannot think about the set of problems confronting so many with so littleleadership without fearing that frustrations and anger will lead to violenceand social unrest. Should such happen, what is a bad situation will only becomemuch worse.

Ruminations in October

2011-10-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

Patrick and I are alone. Joan is visiting her sisters in VA for a few days. The major change that occurs when we are alone is that the phone seldom rings! This demonstrates that Joan is the major link to the outside world! Without her, I would be so much less! However, Facebook has come to my rescue, at least to some extent.

I am amazed how much I enjoy reading what so many (many I know but only seldom see and talk with) share on Facebook. To know that children are being loved, family life appreciated, anger at our political and economic malaise, and photos of what appears beautiful and meaningful to them, makes me feel good. One may consider my armchair enjoyment of a social life to be such a poor substitute for the real experience. One cannot argue with that assessment, but I conclude that my experience with Facebook is so much better than nothing that I treasure it. And in addition to the people that I know through family and long-standing friendships, I am sharing life with their children who I would seldom, if ever, see and with new "friends" that are shared in Facebook. I cannot say enough positively about Facebook to do justice to my experience.

On another and more pedestrian plateau, I am again having problems planting grass. I know that I have successfully done it in the past, but during the past year, I have failed three times (assuming that the present attempt fails, as it seems).

I have noticed that, over the last year, I watch virtually no sports on TV. I still have an interest in the sports world which I satisfy by reading. But, I am finding that the time spent watching it is frustrating since it is so slow and filled with ads. Of all the sports, I watch some football which I find the best of the lot, but even that is a relatively limited amount.

Tonight will be a precious moment. I found out that Lang Lang is giving a concert in Philadelphia during the celebration of Litz's 200th birthday. The performance is being simulcasted into various movie theaters throughout the nation. I anticipate having a fantastic experience not only in listening to one of my favorite pianists, but to experience in a forum that may be more intimate than if I were in the music hall itself. I realize that this is not a brand new attempt to create a larger audience for the arts. For $20, I will see what the people in the hall will spend most likely more than $100. Attempts have been made to have opera broadcasted in similar venues.

Finally, Patrick came to the realization today that His Woman was not returning as quickly as he anticipated. So, he finally got desperate and jumped on my lap three times for some love, albeit less satisfying than if he had the real McCoy!

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-22T09:58:00.002-04:00

Even though I have not participated directly in OWS protests (I was physically a part of one in New Orleans, but I did not actively do anything), I am a supporter. One of the observations of these protests is that there is no one thing that unites them, except possibly that those with power are excluding so many.

My focus has been on the power of those with money. I refer to the phenomenon as the power of money. Our nation is essentially run as an oligarchy.

Over time, I have referenced issues that flow from the intrusion of money into our government. One cannot be elected without tons of money and tons of money influence the decisions of government. Without a system to control the massive infusion of money, we will have problems.

Problems arising from this influence of power through money are the terrible and growing inequity in the distribution of wealth, the inability of control the size of banks to avoid the problem of too big to fail, the failure to address the economics of health care because our government is controlled by pharmaceutical companies and health care insurance companies. In short, money controls the power that influences every aspect of our government.

Over this, I join the OWS crowd!

"Building Character"

2011-09-18T12:13:00.001-04:00

It is almost a truism that one's character predominantly determines much of one's behavior and the outcome of one's life-time pursuits. Often, we are vague about what we mean by character, even though we recognize elements of character when we experience it. Many attribute character to one's history and involvement in religion or the qualities of one's birth family.

I am sure that these and more are relevant, but I was struck by a long article NYT magazine article today that focused on teaching character.

This article seems relevant not only to those involved in an educational career, but also to parents in general. It is hard to believe that anyone would read this article without thinking about its pertinence to one's own history or family.

(I mention that one of Sara and Nien-he's Philadelphia friends, Angie Duckworth, is referenced strongly in the article.)

I share my ruminations about the article.

First, I am amazed often that I turned out as good as I did (I know that those who know me will question my judgement!), given my family history. In a somewhat bizarre way, I attribute some of qualities that are noticeable to parts of my history that I now evaluate most negatively! Qualities like kindness (measured by the lack of anger, hatred, animosity towards others), steadiness of behavior (measured by consistency of my daily behavior over time), pursuit of goals (measured by incessant reading and inquisitiveness), affection (measured by genuine hugs and kisses), and truthfulness (measured by an almost incurable inability to lie) can be attributed to by internalized guilt-ridden religious education during my childhood that was reinforced by seminary indoctrination. I surely would not advocate anyone's path to character development by adopting my history and, yet, I have to attribute it to my avoiding catastrophe as an adolescent or your adult (I often wonder whether I could have handled the freedom of college at Holy Cross which I was accepted before at the last moment, deciding to enter the seminary). I could envision myself lost due to abuse of alcohol or sex (I had only experimented with alcohol; sex beyond kissing was way off the radar screen who would feared dealing with confession etc.).

Second, given the history with no plans for a normal family, I am impressed that the character qualities helped me transition from a celibate to married life with children. I somehow or other was able to use the "good" aspects of my character in a new setting. In fact, if there is something that I recall about my role as a parent was my repeated focus on qualities that are associated with character. I talked often to my children about love, about caring for others, about truthfulness, about developing all the gifts provided them naturally by their genes and family. I often shared my views of life and society from a moral or character perspective rather than economic measurements of success.

From many points of view, I look back on this aspect of my personal history as one that gives me most satisfaction. I can honestly say that I have no regrets about who I am, even though at times, I wished that I could have become the same person without my earlier history.

Patrick's Journal (27 Aug - 15 Sept) "I was just groomed!!

2011-09-15T17:07:00.001-04:00

PATRICK’S DIARY

8/27/11	My Man and Woman’s son brought his contingent from New York last night. I will have to deal with Gloria, the bulldog, today when she wakes up (she does sleep a lot!) I did pretty well during the day. I got along reasonably well with a huge bull dog. What can you expect from me? They say that I am going to experience a major hurricane tomorrow. I have no idea what they are talking about, but it sounds interesting.
8/28/11	So far, I have been doing well with the hurricane. My Man got me out before the onslaught. We are now bunkered down with two children who are not paying much attention to the storm or me, as a matter of fact. I get bugged when I cannot play with them. As it turned out, the storm was less than predicted and we had a great time playing on the beach. I had a ball!!
8/29/11	Not having electricity is a big deal to my Man and Woman, but I could care less. My life is great! I eat, play, pee& poop! What more could you ask?
8/30/11	No electricity still, but that is no problem. In fact, I am getting more time than ever playing with Mika (their grandchild) and my Man!
8/31/11	All is well. Still, no electricity, but it is no problem to me. Electricity came back and the house was filled with cheers.
9/1/11	Sort of a routine day. We played, ate, walked. It was great.
9/2/11	My Man is happy because my behavior is so good.
9/3/11	It goes to show how pleased my Man when I jump on his lap! I know that he is aware that I only jump onto his lap when my Woman or the children are not around. Yet, even if he not my priority, he loves it that he is #3 or worse! How crazy is that?
9/4/11	Sara brought a friend from medical school for lunch. What really made my day was the Mika and Emi, my little friends. I just followed them everywhere, including the kiddy pool.
9/5/11	Labor Day is a rest day for me. Just my Man and me. My Woman went to work. It is strange to see her trudging to work after so much time taking care of Mika. You would think that my Man would go to work. He does not seem to do much except take care of me (did not prevent me from chewing up Mika’s bathing suit last evening!). The major treat for my Man during this time without my Woman, the person I love totally, or the kids, I jump on my Man’s lap to give him some love. He is so needy that even if he #3 or 4 or 5, he still responds so well. The poor man!
9/6/11	There was a big deal made our of my pooping in the house. I don’t know why I did not alert my Man. I know how to do it, but somehow, I forgot. Live and learn, I heard someone say.
9/7/11	Lot of rain these days. As long as my Man is willing to take me out, I don’t care. I waited all day for my Woman and Mika to return from their visit over night to New Hampshire. I am just so excited. I cannot wait to start wagging my tail!
9/8/11	Another rainy day. It let enough so that my Man could jog (he is old and not very fast) and he decided that he would take me along. No problem! I was a pro, as they say.
9/9/11	I really tested my Man today. I chewed one of his running gloves that he really likes. It is remarkable how he blamed himself for leaving his gloves to be accessible by me. Can you believe it? I got out of the mess scot-free. I was left alone last evening for six hours while my Man and Woman visited friends. My Man played with me when he got home. It turned out good.
9/10/11	I will be left along again for a few hours while my Man and Woman attend a funeral. It will be in the day time so I will able to get a good rest. When they came home, I did not recognize my Man all dressed up with a tie and jacket, so I barked at him because I thought he too had become a terrorist!
9/11/11	It’s my Man’s birthday today. 9/11 has become famous but I don’t think that it has anything to do with my Man! He may be o.k., but believe me, he is not worth celebrating that much. But, when you consider my Woman, that is another story! She is great!
9/12/11	I am looking forward to Mika’s and Emi’s coming today. I missed the little ones. It could be my teething problem, but I am not making people happy with my increased need to chew. I even chewed through a new toy my Man bought me today. They say that this just a stage (hope that they are deluded!).
9/13/11	I now will not go upstairs, even with treats. It is a mystery to my Man and Woman and even myself. I did go upstairs freely in prior weeks, but I have stopped and can’t seem to get it together. Otherwise, I am enjoying the day while plans are being made for my first real journey next week. I am going to New York City and then to Virginia. I am told that I will love the Big Apple, but we’ll see. The place, I think, is filled with terrorists who need to be watched! My day ended up in a disaster. Because of all my chewing stuff, I vomited big time! It was not a pretty sight even for me!
9/14/11	My day started great. You would never know that I made such a mess last night. I was like brand new! Since I would not go to the second floor, I stayed in the crate last night. I actually liked it.
9/15/11	I had a great sleep in the crate and had a great morning doing my usual which now includes a run with my Man who actually is quite slow. The poor man is just getting old and I am such a young one! My day was principally spent at my “groomer”. Everyone says that I am even more beautiful than ever! How is that possible?

9/11/01 -- 9/11/11

2011-09-11T13:20:00.001-04:00

It has been ten long years of all sorts of misery, not all of which can be attributed to disaster of 9/11. However, I suppose that there has been a cascade effect of 9/11 responses that has twisted its way into virtually all aspects of our national situation, characterized by a financial disaster, twisted priorities, political polarities, and a loss of power within the international community. Apart from all of this, everything is cool!

What I want to comment upon today is my culpability in the ongoing meltdown of our political discourse and collaboration to solve problems.

While I would like to think that I am a rational and relatively peaceful person, I know that there is a strain in me that is intolerant of what I would consider to be less than appropriate responses to situations.

When I think back on my history, I know that I left high school scarred by my family history, but otherwise, I was relatively ignorant of so much. I knew so little of the world, had no thoughts or insights into human personalities, scant knowledge of history, literature, or the arts, and surely had no vision of a world view. What I carried into the seminary was a history of guilt, not so much for what I did, but because the Catholic Church was able to penetrate my brain with the fact that none of us deserve our gifts and it made sense that I would live a life devoid of human intimacy to ensure my salvation and, possibly, the salvation of others as well.

While in the seminary, my ignorance was clear. There were so many who were better educated than I. I took this fact as a challenge and I then became a zealot. I had an extreme need to know, to know just about anything and, as much as possible, about everything. During the seminary, I was taken back by the fact that for the first four years, I was taught some theological matters that were not only not "true" (i.e., not consistent with available theological literature), but the instructors must have known as not supported by theological gurus. I became then a person who no longer could depend on others for my knowledge. I had to find it myself and I did.

I came out of the seminary convinced that I had a vision for the Church that was supported by the Vatican Council. All that was needed was to persuade others, including my fellow clergy. When I found out how difficult, if not impossible, was the task, I became more aggressive in pursuing the "truth". I started to speak out more forcefully about the "truth" as I saw it. In fact, it then became personal because my personal world was impacted by the resistance of my fellow clergy and many of the parishioners. This pursuit of achieving change was swallowing me and, one way or other, I was going to lose. And, so I left.

Things quieted down during my return to graduate school. The need to adjust to married life and raising children was more than enough. Even my prior anger at our nation's involvement in Vietnam was abated. I watched the revolution occurring in Berkeley with interest, but no personal involvement.

From my understanding, my intolerance was not very striking until I retired. I enjoyed work enough and worked hard enough that my energies were satisfied. In retirement, I had more time to read and think that now it became apparent that I really was enraged by all sorts of things.

My slide from a devout and committed Christian steadily slipped into denial. I could no longer "liberalize" the inherent issues of Christianity. I began to see religions, all of them, as inherently a vehicle for promoting intolerance. I even became quite intolerant of religions!

And then, our nation's response to 9/11was like a catalytic converter for my intolerance and anger. I thought that the path advocated by President George W. Bush was a disaster and then some, And as time progressed, I saw more and more wrong with our policies and our national blindness. We were a problem to others in other nations and we would not examine our behaviors, including our expanding military role throughout the world, our overpowering involvement in the business of the affairs of other nations, our collective self-image of a nation that had it all. We were the best and, as such, we could not do wrong. We did not see that the nation's wealth and the maldistribution of wealth through the world would be self-defeating. We did not recognize that our military expansion would only result in more violence against us. We did not realize that our use of technology to control the affairs of others would only result in distain of our image. Somehow, we had become a super power without any controls. We even went down the road of torture, imprisonment with compliance with international standards, and killing of others without consent of Congress, e.g., use of drones to kill "enemies" identified by intelligence agencies.

While all this was occurring, our national politics became more divided and polarized. As much as I detested this divisiveness, I saw my own intolerance. I admit that I cannot understand the agenda of the Tea Party or the general Republican agenda. Granted, I have been more disturbed by President Obama's lack of leadership, i.e., exercising more control of the political agenda instead of allowing Congress to mess around with the development of legislation. Since I cannot agree with virtually anything that is espoused by the likes of Rep. Cantor, how can I expect the Democratic members of Congress to do any better.

But, the end result is clearly bad. Intolerance is a very disturbing feature of anyone's personality. I clearly wish that I was different and yet, at the moment, I don't see how. In a way, I am no better than the intolerance that prompted 9/11!

European Debacle

2011-09-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

As screwed up as this nation is, Europe is displaying its own resistance to the inevitable. There is no way that the Euro or Eurozone can perdure unless there is a default or a reorganization so that there is a federal government in control of all finances. To expect each nation to comply with a set of principles is expecting too much.

I doubt that the European nations want to lose their "sovereignty", but without such a change, they will drift lower into more chaos. At the end, they will still lose much of the money they have already loaned. It is all upside down.

It does make me feel good about our nation's structure. While we are now undergoing another struggle over state vs. federal rights, it is clear that we all agree that they are both relevant to the success of the other. We would not have a strong nation without our states being able to organize themselves according to the particulars of their geography and peoples.

Letter to the President

2011-09-06T13:40:00.001-04:00

Today, I wrote another letter to the President:

I have previously shared my disappointment with your performance. I had such expectations and, in spite of a brutal set of circumstances and an impossible political impasse, I still expect more leadership. So many have suggested many options, some of which you endorsed. Steven Perlstein's column today epitomizes a set of initiatives that would be most impressive. But, the big thing that I emphasize is that you have to create the dynamics that demonstrate your leadership. You have to show that you are indeed willing to lose the White House rather than let the current situation perdure.

I feel bad about not being able to be more supportive of the President than I am. I still think that he is a great person, a most intelligent person, and one that wants the best for our country. But, Wow!, I am incredibly disappointed.

What is the essence of my disappointment is not that he has accomplished so little. Given the Republican resistance and the set of problems he inherited, no one could realistically get anything through Congress. What galls me is that he has not voiced strongly a vision that is consistent with the messages he provided during his campaign. I would want him to lose the next election if that was the price of exercising a strong set of principles that need to be the framework of any legislative action.

His style apparently is such that he cannot be that daring. It is too bad for us all.

Summer is Over

2011-09-06T13:29:00.001-04:00

Not that Labor Weekend is any different than any other days for me personally (retirement being a 24/7 type of permanent vacation), I am aware that I experienced much during the summer.

We had our wonderful family together in early July, an annual visit that never gets old. It is so spectacular to watch your adult children interact with each other as well us of the elder generation. They have done so well in so many ways, not the least of which is that they are good persons.

We watched our grandchildren continue to grow and develop. It is such a gift, given that no one can guarantee normal and healthy children. One cannot take it for granted.

I continue to watch with such appreciation my wife's ability to deal so intensely with the grandchildren. As her assistant (a rather dignified term to describe my "help"), I marvel that she can continue for such long periods to interact with them. It almost in superhuman! I can never take her for granted either.

During the summer, I was persistently amazed that our national lawmakers could be so obstinate and, from my perspective, stupid. I cannot understand how they can so rigid that they do not understand how badly our nation is suffering.

I have become a devotee of Walter Mead during the summer. I have occasionally caught a column of his, but more recently, I am reading his daily blog. He is one impressive person, knowledgeable in so many areas. He reminds of Christopher Hitchens who, I understand, is getting closer to death. He will be missed. I have never read anyone whose range of knowledge can be expressed with such verbal skills.

Facebook was a delight during the summer. I made some "new friends" and, for me, any new friend is a treasure.

And finally, but not least, we have added Patrick to our household. He is such a great addition. He is smart and, in spite of marked timidness, he is most comfortable with us and, especially, the grandchildren. He cannot get enough of them.

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

2011-09-03T12:40:00.000-04:00

Having treasured the remarkable book about cancer ("The Emperor of All Maladies"), I now completed another remarkable book about cells ("The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks").

There are two aspects of this book worth commenting on:
(1) given that I do read a fair amount, including the above referenced book on cancer, I was struck that I had never heard of the HeLa cells (those originating from Henrietta Lacks' cancerous cervix) (and, by the way, I have written to the author of the cancer book re: his history of cancer that did not include reference to these cells);
(2) the author's ability to construct a readable and interesting narrative about the history of these cells that include her involvement with the family of Henrietta.

For those not about to read the book, the reason why her cells were so important for science and the development of treatments/vaccines, e.g., polio, is that the cells were the first ever to continue to divide endlessly in a lab setting. Most cells follow a normal path of "life", i.e., after a number of episodes of dividing, they die, as we will eventually. The HeLa cells kept going, allowing scientists to better understand the biology of cancer and also to experiment the impact on these cells by new treatments/vaccines.

The cells were taken from Henrietta during her treatment at Johns Hopkins during the early 50's, long before there was sensitivity to patient rights. Thus, she gave no consent and there was no knowledge that her cells were being distributed throughout the world to other scientists. In fact, lost to most people was even the name of the person who was the donor of the cells.

The book is one of the best.

No One has a Clue!

2011-09-03T11:14:00.001-04:00

Walter Mead addresses an perspective on the economy that I have addressed often, i.e., the mess that our and the world economies are in are without a historical precedent. The number of factors that creating the mess and/or inhibiting creative responses are new. And, there is no one that has a clue to how to fix the problems.

Granted, politicians act as though they knew what would make a difference. I don't believe anyone of them. In fact, I am not convinced that any of the more academics have an answer that would work. Surely, that does not mean that certain responses will only make matters worse, e.g., how in the world does it make sense to give more billions in loans to Greece when there is no way that they will be able to pay back what they already have borrowed? Surely, our economy cannot develop as it should without reducing the unemployment rate significantly. But, how to create jobs is more problematic.

We are in the midst of a sobering set of problems. I lament that we do not have adequate leadership, but at the same time, I cannot be unrealistic. While Obama has been stymied by the Republicans, he has not provided a clear vision of how to address the issues. If he gave a coherent narrative, I would welcome it and feel as though it is possible to make things better. But, even though he seemed to be right in supporting the Green Revolution as a potential source of many jobs, this effort has been a failure for many reasons, not the least of which is that China's cost structure is impossible to compete against.

I do think that an Infrastructure Bank makes sense. Jobs will be created and who can question the need to renovate much of our infrastructure? After that, I am less than confident about the other ideas.