It was a pretty good year

---

January

We began the year by attending a Mardi Gras Ball. This was the first year John went with us. My dad turned 80 and we traveled to Kansas City to celebrate his birthday.

---

February

Hobo experienced his last Mardi Gras and donned his beads one more time. I ran the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans. Ben ran the half marathon and won his age group.

---

March

March was a sad month. We said goodbye to Hobo after nearly 14 years. I honored him with the construction of Hobo Garden.

---

April

I realized a dream in April by running in the Boston Marathon. John was surprised by his grandfather, who gave him a boat for his birthday.

---

May

With Hobo gone, I turned my attention to feeding birds and squirrels. Then the vet called about a dog who needed a good home. Bear bounced on to the scene and began worming his way into our hearts.

---

June

I ran the Goat Milk Marathon in Utica, MS the first of June. Hobo Garden began to fill in nicely.

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July

In July we took a trip to Vicksburg Mississippi and I enjoyed running in the National Military Park. Barbara won her age group at the 4 on the 4th race near our house.

---

August

I returned to my roots the first of the month by attending my family reunion in Blair, Nebraska. The photo of the butterfly in Joy's garden is in sharp contrast to what would happen on the 29th. Hurricane Katrina spun ashore changing this region and our lives forever.

---

September

September was about cleaning up. Hurricane Rita piled on, but we were used to it by then. I met a lot of people online and experienced a lot of blog traffic because of the hurricanes.

---

October

Ben left for Navy boot camp and I ran my first 50K in Huntsville, Texas. I can call myself an ultrarunner now.

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November

On Veterans Day, Justin McLeese was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star "V". Thanksgiving Day, I took a boat ride with John and Bear. We visited New Orleans and witnessed the destruction first hand. Photos cannot convey the impact of this devastation.

---

December

I ran the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon for the second time. Christmas came again and this is the traditional photo of John in front of the tree.

It was a pretty good year. 365 days holds a little bit of everything. Good times and bad. God saw me and my family through it though and I only hold gratitude and appreciation in my heart.

I was too lazy to link up all of the photos and stories, but I did provide an archive link below. If you would like to see more photos or read the posts, just click the appropriate month.

January	February	March
April	May	June
July	August	September
October	November	December

Until the next time
John Strain

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Whatever happened to "I disagree?"

Not too long ago, when there was conflict between two opposing viewpoints, someone would say "I disagree with that point of view." The statement voiced one person's opinion. End of conversation, respect was still intact, persuading was attempted, and opinions were expressed.

Somewhere along the line the statement, "I disagree" was replaced with "I am offended." This is a shift from reason to emotion. At some point in our culture, how a person felt became more important than what was right or what was true. This is the basis of politically correct speech.

Maybe when PC speech began it was a valid point. I don't really remember, but it is conceivable that some of our terminology was insensitive and could be improved - BUT not at the expense of the truth.

When I still lived in New Orleans, Barb and I were driving to a restaurant with some of her rehab counselor friends. I was talking about one of our patients at the hospital and I referred to him as "wheelchair bound." You would have thought I called him the most vile thing ever heard by man. "Oh, my god, did you hear what he said? Wheelchair bound, oh my god." Well, that is not the best way to get me to move in the opposite direction. So I said, "Oh, maybe I should have said cripple or gimp." Barbara had to stop the car and after a few minutes of CPR, I managed to revive both of the rehab counselors. I can't even tell you what the PC term was I was supposed to use. From my own point of view, I am legally blind. No matter how you refer to me, legally blind, visually challenged, partially sighted, or blind MF (as my closest friends refer to me), I see the same. There is a reality the labels do not effect.

Speech should balance sensitivity with truth and content. One can be so nice that the message they are attempting to convey is lost. Conversely, a message devoid of feeling may not communicate well either. It really comes down to the two people talking. A football coach may curse you out, but it may feel like love. A girl breaking up with you may give you compliments, but they may feel like daggers in your heart.

With the rise of PC speech though, the football coach started getting sued for cursing out little Johnny. Coach Smith had to find new ways to let the tyke know that his tackling technique was sub par. I am sure the NFL has suffered because of it.

The PC movement is a drive to make sure everyone "feels" good. There are no winners and losers, you can't fail a class, and you can't be wrong. This may work in Shangri-La, but it only promotes incompetence in the real world.

The thing is, there is nothing wrong with losing or failing. Just because I fail, I am not a failure. I do learn that I have to try harder or try something different to succeed. All the PC folks do is rob an individual of character building moments

I think the most damaging thing PC does is to silence people. Now people think things like, "I can't say that, it will offend someone." I contend that we should say whatever we want to say. Yes, we should be responsible and say things without defaming someone, but if we all talk alike, we lose our diversity.

Personally, I am turning a deaf ear (audio challenged ear) to the term, "I am offended." If I am offended, I have to deal with it in a way other than making someone else change his or her mind or the words they use. If I am offended, that is my work. Some things have offended me, but I was the one that needed to change. We need to separate the feelings from the facts and make decisions and form our beliefs over time.

I hope in the future governments and businesses will stop kowtowing to every little whiner who gets offended. Being a man, I have two spherical objects that often cause me to rebel - usually in socially acceptable means. Those two spheres have taken about all they are going to take from the PC folks. I do not intend to overreact and be particularly offensive, but I do intend to express my views in my own words. Isn't that what this country is all about?

If you like PC stuff and want to be PC friendly, go with God. I hope you will grant me the same courtesy if I choose other ways to express myself.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Hate in the name of God

Some folks are so convinced they are doing God's work they probably expect God to say something like this when they finally do meet Him: "Fred, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you down there doing my work. Why, because of you, we don't even need to hold Judgment Day. You already have it all figured out. Holding a Judgment Day now would be an anti-climax. You saved me a lot of work."

I will not dignify the man and his church with a link, but should you want to look at his site or read what others say about him, all you need to do is Google: "Fred Phelps" and/or "Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, KS" you will find plenty of information. The Westboro Baptist Church can be found at www.godhatesfags.com.

I was not aware of this man before today. I was reading an article on Michelle Malkim's site about a group of folks who are showing up at the funerals of US servicemen and disrupting things. I was appalled at the thought of someone who felt their cause was so worthy, it was OK to harass a family at their lowest moment and time of deepest grief.

I was curious when I found out the man was a Baptist pastor and his entire message was all about hating "fags" as he refers to homosexuals. He even has a clock on his website showing how many days Matthew Shepard has been in hell.

I won't reiterate everything here, but do read the Michelle Malkin article to see what counter protestors are doing to protect the families. Also, look at Fred Phelps and get a taste of his views.

Fred is preaching a message of hate. He hates homosexuals so much, he views everything through that particular filter. He says Hurricane Katrina was God's judgment. He says every soldier killed in Iraq is God's judgment and it is all because of homosexuals.

He is more dangerous than an Archie Bunker type who pontificates in his living room in front of his television. Fred Phelps rallies others to take action. What a waste of time and energy.

A pastor leads a flock of people. He sets an agenda and helps determine priorities. Many churches in our area are about helping people build homes, find jobs, and recover from the hurricane. If Fred were in town, he would be in the Wal-Mart parking lot screaming about how Katrina is God's judgment and it is all because of homosexuals.

My psychiatric training makes me wonder why he is so against homosexuality. It would not surprise me if he was a closet queen. But I digress.

Singling out homosexuality as THE sin is to ignore other aspects of an individual. Fred may not be a homosexual, but maybe he gossips. Gossip is a sin too. Should we refer to Fred as a gossip and ignore everything else about him?

We have all experienced hate and love. I don't know about you, but love is by far the strongest and most healing of the two. Hate serves no good purpose. Love uplifts and energizes while hate pushes down and deflates. A minister pushing a message of hate at best is misinformed and ignorant; at worst, he is an evil man.

I also thought of Gamaliel. Gamaliel was a Jewish leader. In the book of Acts 5:33-40, he intervened when the Sanhedrin was about to put the Apostle Peter and others to death for preaching the Gospel. Gamaliel's speech went something like this: "Look fellas, people have sprung up from time to time with different teachings, they last for a while, then go away. These guys will suffer a similar fate if their teaching is of man, BUT if they are of God, then you could be fighting against God yourselves. My advice is leave them alone and see what happens." They took Gamaliel's advice.

I believe that God is in control. He does not need me to run around pronouncing judgment on folks. People wind up doing that to themselves. I am not advocating turning a blind eye to the world, but the hate of Fred Phelps goes beyond taking a stand.

The world is already a hard place where hate has a firm footing. Preaching hate in the name of God is just more of the same. However, showing love in the name of God is an altogether different matter. This is the stuff transformations are all about.

There is more power in an open hand offered in love than there is in a fist clenched in rage.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Putting it all together

A friend of mine was away from his family for Christmas so I volunteered to assemble the portable basketball goal he bought his son.

I am pretty mechanical and get some measure of satisfaction taking a box full of pieces and parts and converting them into whatever it is said parts are supposed to resemble. Men are notorious for not reading the instructions, but I am different. Maybe it is because I have been burned enough times, but I have learned my lesson. I at least start with the directions.

The assembly manual at first glance looked like a phone book for a medium sized town, but that is because it was written in 29 different languages. Thankfully, the English version was in the front. My prediction is that, in the future, the PC police will say putting the English version in front of the manual, might offend someone speaking Martian so the only fair way is to put the languages in alphabetical order. It is only a matter of time.

The manual was poorly written. My guess is the technical writer who put the instructions together finished low in his class. There were very few words and only a few small illustrations. I had to stare at the diagrams quite a while before I "got it," but I completed the task with only 4 nuts and bolts to spare. I hope they weren't important.

One of the inevitable things I seem to do is get something assembled, in this case the rim, then find a part that requires I disassemble it all to put the part where it is supposed to go. All in all, it went together pretty well, just slow. If I had another one to put together, I could do it in an hour instead of the 8 hours it took me.

What would Christmas be without putting something together? Probably a lot more relaxing, ha. I suppose my days of putting things together on Christmas Day are mostly behind me. My son has that to look forward to when he is a dad. Like most stages in life, they are often a hassle at the time, but longed for when they are gone. We people are a fickle lot.

But for now, things seem pretty well put together.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Merry Christmas

Any belief system worth its salt will see you through the tough times. For Gregory Scott of New Orleans, it looks like he has one.

Merry Christmas to all.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Katrina or not, bonfires will guide Papa Noel to Louisiana bayous

(AP) On Saturday evening, the Mississippi River in bayou country will look much as it has in more than a century of Christmas Eves _ with miles of massive bonfires on the levee tops showing Papa Noel, the south Louisiana Santa Claus, the way to children's homes. Read the rest of the article.

My 2003 post about the levee bonfires

Merry Christmas from Louisiana. We are doing just fine. The birth of Christ is much bigger than a hurricane and even more important. Christ is the light of the world. Tonight on the Mississippi River levee between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, bonfires will light up the darkness to help Papa Noel find the children on the bayous.

More than two thousand years ago Jesus was born; He brought light into a dark world and He brings light in to the darkness of our own lives.

His Spirit energizes and gives us the strength to stand up and rebuild what is broken. We still have a long task before us, but along the way we will take time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Life is good with Him in it.

Yes sir, we'll be just fine.

Merry Christmas to all. Thank you for reading my stories and leaving your comments and encouragements. May this season be a good time for you and your loved ones and may the New Year also be filled with new challenges, good health, and happiness.

Until the next time
John Strain

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A Runner's Soul

I came across this while looking for a 50 mile race to run next fall. It breaks my heart.

Darcey Wakefield died December 12, 2005 at age 35 from ALS.
Wakefield taught English at Southern Maine Community College and
published two books, including I Remember Running: The Year I Got
Everything I Ever Wanted -- and ALS.

Her essay:
"I remember running like I remember the sun-filled beach days of my
childhood. I remember running like many remember their first love
their first kiss, their wedding. I remember running and feel the ache
of absence, the heavy reminder that my life will never be the same
again. I am continuously mourning running..."

"Even though I no longer run, I still have a runner's soul. It's
trapped in a runner's body that won't run. My runner's soul longs to
work off the stress of my recent diagnosis and the stress of not
running with a good run. It doesn't yet understand what has happened
to us. These days I try to take pleasure in what now substitutes for
running in my life. The other night, something told me to go down to
the beach, and I did, even though it was late and dark. The beach was
hard and smooth because the tide was out, and something told me to
run. I ran around and around in circles. If you'd seen me, you
wouldn't have called what I was doing running, but it was good enough
for me. This is what I thought that night as I gave thanks: We are so
lucky to be able to do this, all of our nerves and muscles working
together, as we move ourselves forward to do this thing we call
running."

She is survived by her parents, her brother and sister, her partner Steve Stout, and their son, Sam.

NPR Broadcast: Darcy in her own words

Darcy's book "I Remember Running: The year I got everything I ever wanted-and ALS"

Count your blessings.

Until the next time
John Strain

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The Polar Express

Great movie. It will make you cry for all the right reasons. I believe.

Enjoy the song, just click the pic.



Until the next time
John Strain

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The Light

It was a desolate scene; dry and dusty. A man was being harassed by soldiers. As the soldiers laughed and jeered, the man was on his knees crying. His face looked to the heavens and he began to plead with the emotion hewn from years of abuse and ridicule. His plea was to God and his question was, "How long must I suffer?"

The man spoke for an entire people. They had been waiting for their Messiah to appear, break their shackles of abuse, and return them to power. They were looking for a conqueror to turn the tables.

Then it happened; in the darkness of a Bethlehem night, the Light entered the world. Few took notice.

The Light did not illuminate the world with one great flash or beam, nor did it happen all at once. From humble beginnings and steady influence, His light spread. It spread, as his followers were obedient to his words and faithful to pass them on.

So the Light is here; in the world; but is it in you?

Even if you do not believe in God, or if you do not believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, you must see the logic of examining yourself from time to time. You must see the economy of looking inward.

So in this Christmas season, it is my wish that people might stop for a moment. Stop judging others. Stop blaming the other party. Stop demanding perfection of others while settling for much less from themselves. Stop their jealous assaults on people who are trying and doing while they do nothing. Stop trying to make their children into something that won't embarrass them instead of helping them bloom into whatever they want to be. Stop spreading hate and discord. Stop whining and expecting a life without struggle.

Once these things are stopped, folks can look inward. What will they see when they look within? Will they see the Light? Are they living up to the standards they demand of others? If not, do they endeavor to improve.

It might do us all some good to be visited by the ghosts that haunted Mr. Scrooge. He looked within and saw darkness. Fortunately, there was time and he became a changed man.

There is time for us too. How will our individual stories of looking inward conclude?

Until the next time
John Strain

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Fun with Santa

Since it is Monday, why not have a little fun with Santa. Click the photo and you will have the chance to make Santa dance one of three ways. You can change the music and play with the background. Don't give him too much of a workout though, we need Santa nice and chubby.

You can have more Christmas fun here if you are so inclined.

If you are looking for something a bit more meaningful than playing with a disco Santa, why not read "The Gift of the Magi." It is a wonderful story about giving and receiving.

Christmas is coming!

Until the next time
John Strain

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I double dog dare ya

In my unscientific opinion, I believe that the phrase, "I double dog dare you," has more power over men than it does over women. With men, common sense and fear melt at these words, because it is a far better fate to be crippled, maimed, or in some sort of trouble than it is to be known as a chicken.

People are motivated by all kinds of things. Most mature individuals are drawn toward a goal and the reward it offers. A dare, on the other hand, is different. It entices a person to do something they would rather not, because of what "not" doing "it" would mean.

This is why men are so vulnerable. As much as men say, "I don't give a damn about what anyone thinks;" they really do care. Women have known this for ages and have manipulated men using this very mechanism. Here is how they do it. Men, have you ever heard these words from a woman? "Can you fix this or should I call my daddy?"; and to a group of men, "Can any of you lift this, it is really heavy." In the first instance, the man would take immediate action to correct the problem rather than have her daddy think he is not mechanically inclined or that he is incompetent. In the second instance, the men would fall all over themselves to be "the one" to lift the item to show the other men how strong they are.

Maybe you remember the scene in the movie "A Christmas Story." One of the kids was dared, and eventually "double dog dared" to stick his tongue on an icy pole. He only did it after the double dog dare and he endured the pain rather than be known as a chicken.

I am sure I have taken dares and suffered consequences. If I could think of any, I would tell you, but my masculine denial protects me from remembering such assaults to my ego.

The 10-mile race today was cold and rainy. All week the weather forecast no doubt had people questioning if it was worth the pain just to run a race. I am sure more than one runner called into question the resolve of his running buddy. I did with my pal Marty. I called him on Friday and asked him, "Are you still going to run the race?" His response, "Sheeeeeeiiit, why are you asking me - are you going to run it?" We went back and forth some, and then I said, "I told Barbara you probably wouldn't run it, because of the weather." I knew then, there was no way he could not run it.

We both did fine. I exceeded my goal of 1:15:00 with a time of 1:13:54, which is a 7:23 pace. It was cold at the start, but once the race began the body heat took care of the weather. The rain was only mist at first then light rain toward the end. It was a good time.

Well, I hope your Christmas preparations are coming along the way they need to and I double dog dare you to have a nice weekend.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Day Off

I have a day off today and tonight is the company Christmas party. Tomorrow morning is a 10 mile race and it is supposed to be cold and rainy. That's the breaks. Right now I am going to take the dog on an extra long walk. After that I have lots of odds and ends to do like ordering Christmas presents, some yard work, and all kinds of exciting stuff.

I will be back later on with a more respectable post.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Some well deserved praise for the local media of New Orleans

---

Before I talk about our media, I want to tell you about the moon this morning. I can't think of a more beautiful moon I have ever seen. I walked Bear dog before daylight and the skies were clearing from some heavy overnight rains. The full moon behind the clouds beautifully lit an ever-changing array of muted color. It was mesmerizing like a kaleidoscope and I stood staring transfixed at the beauty of it all. Then the clouds floated by and the full moon light cast its eerie glow on my predawn world. Had I been lying in bed, I would have missed it all, but I was there and it is another beautiful memory tucked away for me to savor whenever I choose to see it again.

---

Local New Orleans Media
In the past, I have certainly pointed out flaws about various media practices, so I thought it only fair to dole out praise where it is deserved.

After Katrina, some of the television and radio stations were knocked completely off of the air. Eventually, the ones who got up and running again, did so by moving their operations to other cities. One station was in Baton Rouge and another in Jackson, Mississippi. The local newspaper, the Times Picayune had help publishing a small print newspaper, but kept their online news flowing.

Eventually, all of the stations were back on the air, and they broadcast hurricane information 24 hours a day. I don't remember when regular programming returned, but is wasn't for at least a month after the storm. No one missed the other shows. Most people did not have electricity, cable, or satellite anyway.

In my case, I got power back in two weeks. However, my DSL was working at the house, so with generator power, I was able to get online. I took care of my banking, registering with FEMA, and watched television on the computer.

The radio stations were united and they called themselves, "The United New Orleans Broadcasters." This was a cooperative effort between all of the stations. No matter what frequency you were on AM or FM, you heard the same program. The personalities from the stations worked shifts two at a time. So there were interesting personality mixes. It was always informative and entertaining. This was an excellent example of cooperation between competitors joined to meet a common need. This is what would happen in a nuclear war and it felt at times like I was in the movie "Red Dawn."

It was very useful having the local stations streaming on the web. Today, WWL 870 AM is still streaming on the web.

These folks realized that New Orlenians and other people in the region were scattered to the four winds and would want local information. They get an "A+" in my book for getting their signal out. WDSU Channel 6, for instance was broadcasting in Houston, Jackson, Mississippi, Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans.

OK, so technically, these media sources stayed in business and got their signals out, but what about the content? They get an "A+" in that department too.

In this whole hurricane and aftermath, the local media has been the voice of reason. The national media has stayed on the sensational and majoring on the minor. Some of their reporting has been all about their ratings and not at all about the truth or understanding complex problems.

I have been proud of our local media. Norman Robinson the lead anchor for channel 6 has shown courage and integrity in his reporting. He asks questions to the point, without political correct tweaking. He is respectful, but thorough and does not give people free passes.

Our local and state politicians have shown poor leadership, but not all of them. The media has done well not to generalize, pile on, or focus on the blame game.

I know these media outlets are businesses. They depend on ratings and dollars from advertisers, but you wouldn't know that by watching them. They are engaged in community projects. To name a few; reuniting people with pets, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and calling attention to people with especially pressing needs. They have been a place to call for information or just a place to call and vent frustration.

The bottom line here is that when we needed what a television station or radio station could do in this kind of crisis, they did it and they did it in a way that exceeded my expectations.

I don't usually use the word praise and media in the same sentence, but the local New Orleans media has earned it. Good job folks.

Until the next time
John Strain

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A Charlie Brown Christmas

It was 40 years ago when "A Charlie Brown Christmas" aired the first time on CBS. Here is an interesting story about the program:

A HOLIDAY CLASSIC THAT WAS ALMOST NOT TO BE
What remains extraordinary about this project is that when the original rough cut was screened to CBS executives in 1965, they deemed this show a Disaster! They said it was awkward, depressing and completely inappropriate for a Christmas special.

Devastated, the creative team exited that meeting thinking that their instincts had utterly failed them. All that would change on December 9, 1965. when the show aired, America was SPELLBOUND and no one (including the suits who possessed not a SPECK of insight) could have imagined that this masterpiece would become an icon that announced the arrival of the Holiday season with a legacy spanning 40 years!

Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack is critical to this enigmatic and one-of-a-kind success story. Bravo to all!
-Comment at the iTunes Music Store

It wouldn't seem like Christmas without watching Charlie Brown and hearing that music. Those sounds and images are burned into my mind. When I see and hear them now, they make me feel good.

The story above makes me wonder about how many good programs we never got to see because of the smoke filled room of executives who think they know so much.

I have been thinking about the general lack of creativity or maybe it is laziness in the entertainment industry. The remakes and song covers are being churned out like rancid butter.

"Kong" is coming out for at least the third time. Other recent remakes were "The Longest Yard," "Oceans Eleven," "The Parent Trap," and "Shaft."

Here is an article about upcoming remakes and another more exhaustive list:
Movie Remake List.

So here's to those brave souls who have the gumption to be different; to stand behind what their creative juices conjure up. There is a certain safety in the familiar, but the "wow factor" only comes with the new. Do you remember how you felt the first time you saw "Star Wars?" "Battlestar Galactica" didn't quite do the same thing did it?

Enjoy your day and like Charlie Brown did, I hope you discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Until the next time
John Strain

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The Sunday Paper

Our local paper is the Times Picayune. It is interesting how Katrina finds her way into many news stories and advertisements. Here are some examples of what I am talking about.

New Orleasn Marchers Demand Action (Full Story)



These protests are a joke, but don't take my word for it. Read the words and try to follow the logic of the protest's spokesman:

"This government left us here to starve and to die," local activist Malcolm Suber told a crowd outside of City Hall. "We are here to stand up and fight to ensure we get what we deserve."

Suber urged the crowd not to rely on politicians to fix the devastated region, or welcome them back to New Orleans. Instead, he said, the 300,000 people displaced from the New Orleans region need to come home and spur the government to action. He blasted politicians as uncaring, saying none were invited Saturday on purpose.

"This damn government don't give a damn about poor people, the working class, and especially don't give a damn about black people," Suber said. "Rich folks who live Uptown don't like black people."

I don't know where to start.
1. What do you folks want?
2. You are blaming the government for the weather.
3. You want the government to help, but you did not invite any government officials to your protest.
4. You are racists calling other people racists.
5. A lot more would have been accomplished if, instead of marching, you began gutting each other's homes.

---

On the flip side of this sort of story, there is a group of students down here from Ohio State University. They are working with Habitat for Humanity building houses. It is amazing. People all over the country are pre fabbing homes and sending them down the Mississippi in containers. Once here, they are taken to sites for assembly.

Moral of the story, stop bitching and pitch in to help.

---

Another story came from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It sems two young men living in FEMA financed hotel space were running a meth lab. Those boys are in trouble. (Full Story)

---

Advertisements
Here are a couple of Katrina related advertisements. Both ads have to do with house demolition. Many ads mention Katrina in some way. Other ads deal with employers looking for workers, doctors announcing they are back in their office, car dealers offering hurricane rebates, tree removal companies, and much more.

No matter how disrupted things may be, one thing remains unchanged and normal.



Thank goodness, I can still get firearms and knives. It would take a lot more than a hurricane to impact that market.

If you would like to see more, visit NOLA.COM.

Until the next time
John Strain

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It's a dog's life

by Bear

Hi everyone, Bear here. How do you like my picture? Daddy said Lee in New York wanted to see a picture of me writing a post. So here it is Lee. I think this photo makes me look thoughtful.

Now on to the weekend news.




This is a picture of me sitting by our Christmas tree wearing a new Christmas collar. My mama got it at work from her secret Santa. I don't know what a secret Santa is, but I like my collar. It has bells all over it and when I flop my ears, I scare myself. Daddy takes it off of me at night, because he says it makes to darn much racket. Actually, he uses other words, but mama doesn't want me writing them out. She says people might think I am a bad dog.


I got to play some ball on Saturday and Sunday. Here is a photo of me playing ball and wearing my new collar.


Daddy took some pictures of me doing different poses. The first picture is me trying to look happy. The other picture is me trying to look serious. I think I did pretty good, don't you?



On Saturday, mama and daddy took me for a long walk. People liked to see me with my new collar. People would drive by in cars and point at me. I felt like a ceLABrity, hehehe.


Look at these pictures. The first one my daddy took in September. Look at the trees on the house, it was really smashed. The next two pictures shows a big yellow machine tearing the house down. The last picture is the house piled up out by the street. I guess they will build a new house. There sure has been a lot going on here since the big storm.

Oh, I meant to remind you to click the little pictures if you want to see a big picture. Daddy says, they call the little pictures thumbnails. That sounds painful.

It is getting late so I will finish this for now and see if my dad will take me for one last walk before we all go to bed.

I hope you had fun this weekend too.

Until the next time
Bear

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Comin' atcha

Last week, I was doing this. Do you see John in the background wearing gray taking my picture? Here is the picture he took:



Now that I have had a week of relative rest, it is time to start training for the January 14th Mississippi Marathon.

Next week in Baton Rouge I am running in a 10 mile race. The distance isn't so bad, but it is the day after our company Christmas Party.

I think Bear may write something this weekend. He has been asking to get on the computer. He wants to show everyone some of his new Christmas fashion, the ham.

Gotta run.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Back Door Santa

No griping about political correctness today. Today is for dancing. That's right, you read it correctly; dancing. What's that you say; you don't know how to dance; you don't have any music? I have taken care of that. Simply turn up your speakers and click the photo of B.B. King. Let me know what you think. Did this song get you up out of your seat and moving across the floor? If you close your eyes and use your imagination, you could imagine yourself on Bourbon Street. Come visit me for a while.

To engage in thought and debate too much results in an underlying anger and frustration. Music is the great equalizer and B.B. King can smooth out the kinks as good as anyone.

Please have a nice dance and carry it on to a wonderful weekend.

Here's a little test I procured from Sarah:

Androgynous

You scored 63 masculinity and 56 femininity! You scored high on both masculinity and femininity. You have a strong personality exhibiting characteristics of both traditional sex roles.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 63% on masculinity You scored higher than 30% on femininity

Link: The Bem Sex Role Inventory Test

Until the next time
John Strain

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2+2=4 whether you like it or not

Wednesday morning, Barb had the Today Show on TV and Katy was talking to some "expert" about the latest weight loss method. Right on cue, I began talking to the television, voicing my views. I guess that is a guy thing, but I carry on a dialogue with the news people. A lot of what I see on TV requires my comment and it is a good way to blow off steam.

In my tirade, I said that the way to lose weight is no secret. One just needs to move around more and eat less. Why is it that in the presence of the truth, people search for alternative answers? That was a rhetorical question, because I know the answer.

People look for alternative answers because they don't like the truth. These folks want something, but do not want to pay the price to get it. In so doing, they embark on a fool's errand.

As kids, we fall victim to advertisements and con men telling us we can have something the easy way, but by the time we become adults, we should know better.

There are no shortcuts or easy way outs. Success is the result of work, effort, perseverance, and knowledge. One bit of knowledge is an understanding of the rules. If we are talking about weight loss, we need to learn about exercise and nutrition. Of course there are exceptions, but you better be exceptional. Most folks get what they want, because they paid the price and followed the rules.

Some choose to seek out alternative answers and look for the shortcuts. They waste time and money and inevitively wind up disappointed. Others choose to make excuses and blame.

The first set of folks who choose alternative answers try the diet pills and all of the fad diets. They are the ones who answer the get rich quick spam emails. Carnivals and confidence men grow fat on this group of folks.

The second group assumes the victim role. They believe to blame someone for their failure or to have a good excuse for their failure gives them license to sit on their keister the rest of their days.

Mayor Nagin has been going to cities where large concentrations of evacuees are living and holding town hall meetings. I have seen them on the local media. Many evacuees railed against the mayor, governor, president, and everyone but themselves. Their sense of entitlement is nauseating. They demand housing, good paying jobs, and sustenance until they are chauffeured back to New Orleans.

On Tuesday, several hurricane evacuees testified to a house committee in Washington. They blamed race for their troubles. Dyan "Mama D" French played to the cameras, pointed fingers, and did herself harm. Her blowing off steam and accusing white people of blowing up the levees wastes an opportunity on a National stage.

Here are two words for all of the blamers and excuse makers: SO WHAT.

So what if there is racism. Are you going to wait until it goes away until you get what you want?
-Racism is here to stay and here is a news flash; white people are not the only racists.

So what if your parents didn't hug you every day. Are you incapable of having a good life because of it?
-Don't let anyone keep you from happiness.

So what if a hurricane blew your house down. Does anyone owe you anything because of it?
-If you want help, don't demand it, with humility ask for it. Plenty of people are rebuilding; black and white.

The vocal minority gets the press because they generate the controversy. The many folks, black and white, who are going on with their lives are boring to the press.

So for those of you whining babies out there, make excuses, blame, do what you want, but you will never succeed. Accept reality, do what you can do, humbly ask others for assistance - if you really need it, and you will get a lot closer to what you want.

Your life is a result of your choices. If you don't believe that, you will have to rub the salve of blame and excuses on your unfulfilled dreams so you can get to sleep at night.

This article made my blood boil.
Racism cost lives, New Orleans evacuees say

Until the next time
John Strain

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Christmas Card

George and Laura Bush sent me my first Christmas card this year again. It is nice to be "in" with the President. You can click the card for a larger version if you want to see it better.

Now I need to send them one.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Three Pics

I like to take my camera with me when I walk the dog. Today, we had frost on the ground and it was our coldest morning of the year so far, about 28 degrees. Anyway, I photographed what was once a wooded lot before Katrina did some landscaping. A lot of the brush and trees have been removed in our town, but the stumps still remain. To me the stumps look like large badminton shuttlecocks lying around. The streets are still lined with debris from houses like, major appliances, sheetrock, carpeting, and furniture. I am not sure what is going on. Debris removal was going along well, but not so recently.

I sure hated to see that lot get damaged so badly. I will photograph it in the spring and compare the pictures. My guess is mother nature will make it beautiful again, only in a different way.

When things change, it is best if we accept it and look for the good in the change instead of mourning what will never be again.

Until the next time
John Strain

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Hope

I was walking Bear the other morning. As I passed a pile of debris from the hurricane, some out-of-place color caught my eye. Do you see it there?

Look a little closer.


From death comes life.


How bad can things be when we are surrounded by such beauty, order, and grace?

Until the next time
John Strain

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Bark ruff grr bark bark! (My trip to Baton Rouge)

by Bear
Hi everyone, it's me Bear again and I am going to write about my recent trip to Baton Rouge for my dad to run in a marathon.



It all started on Friday afternoon. Mom and dad came home from work early and immediately started doing different things. Mom started warming up food and dad started pulling out suitcases and getting his toys together in one spot in front of the door.

I didn't know what to do. I wanted to watch mom and beg for food, but dad was making me nervous. I was getting that sinking feeling that we were going to go separate ways again. Dad took me for a walk and that calmed me down some. When we came home mom and dad ate spaghetti. Usually on Friday they go out to dinner with their friends the Murphys.

After the early supper, mom started fooling with the suitcases too. Dad poured some of my food in a bowl and put a lid on it, he took my bed blanket and put it over the back seat of the car, and he put my ball in the car too.

Finally, we all went outside and got in the car. I was still nervous, but when we passed up the vet's office I began to relax, for me.

After a long ride, dad said about an hour and 15 minutes, we stopped and got out of the car. I knew where we were right off. We were at John's apartment where I went during the hurricane with mama.

We went inside and John was there. I like it when the whole family is together. John had a Christmas tree up and it was the only light on in the living room except for the TV. Dad was busy digging through his bags and doing things. He had to put a big number on his shirt and tie a micro chip on his shoe. I guess the chip is in case he gets lost.

After we watched TV, mom unfolded the futon bed in the living room and we turned off the lights. Mom and dad said the bed was real hard. There were lots of strange noises in John's house, but I made sure everything was OK. Dad kept waking up. He said the bed was hard as the floors he slept on during the hurricane.

When it was still dark, dad's watch started beeping, then he got up. He stretched some like he usually does, then we went outside for a little walk. I pooped on the curb by accident, but it was so early, no one will know it was me. It was warm and breezy and I had fun smelling all of the new smells.

Mom finally got up and after she stirred around, mom and dad left WITHOUT ME. I was crying and nervous. LJ had to get up and pet me to make me feel better. After a while though, mama came back WITHOUT DAD. I hope dad tied that chip on his shoe good. Mama took a shower and did all of her usual stuff, then her, me, and LJ got in the car and drove to a nice place with a lake.

LJ had me on the leash and I was sniffing all over the place. There were lots of people and little people all over the place. I got petted by lots of strangers and I got to kiss little people that were about my height. They liked it and laughed when I kissed them.

One nice lady gave me some ginger bread. Mom and LJ said dad was running in a race. I guess that is what he does in the morning when he leaves WITHOUT ME. I got to walk down to the water and watch ducks. There were all kinds of animals out in the lake. Big white birds called egrets and all different kinds of ducks were flying and swimming all over the place. I wanted to jump in the water too, but LJ wouldn't let me.

Before I knew it, mom said, "Look! there's daddy." I saw dad running down the street toward me and my tail started wagging so fast, the wind from it blew things off of tables 50 feet away. Not really, but my tail did wag fast. Dad was tired, but he petted me right off. I posed with him right after the race. Make sure to look at the pictures mom and LJ took by clicking on my picture or the link at the beginning of this post.

We walked around some more and more people and little kids petted me. Dad drank a beer but didn't have any of the alligator sauce piquant. He said he can't eat right after a hard race.

I sure liked being outside with my family. I got to see lots of people, sniff lots of things, get petted a lot, and I even got some treats. I like marathons they are real fun.

We went back to LJ's, packed up, and hit the road. Another fun thing was pulling up to buildings where people give you food. I like mama to roll down my window so I can look at the people in the building. They always say nice things to me. Dad says if I beg well enough, one day they might give me a treat. I am going to work on my pitiful look to see if it works.

I hope I get to go to the next marathon if they are this fun.

Have a nice day folks, I will be watching the Chiefs and Broncos with my dad today.

Until the next time
Bear

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Baton Rouge Beach Marathon

I ran the marathon in 3:46:46. I was gunning for a 3:30 like last year, but I ran out of gas. The weather was pretty warm - mid 70's.

Bear was there and he is going to post his impressions of the event so I won't steal his thunder.

Now, I am going to watch the SEC championship. Geaux Tigers!

Until the next time
John Strain

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On the run

In about an hour I will be on the run. Today is the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon. It is currently 61 degrees headed for 80. That is a little warmer than I prefer, but I can't control the weather. Later on I will post the results.

Barb, Bear, and I are staying with LJ at his apartment. Bear loves to go byby.

Have a nice Saturday.

Until the next time
John Strain

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A pendulum swings

I was born in 1957. I grew up in "Leave it to Beaver" like conditions. Politeness ruled. Things made sense. There was right and wrong and everyone knew the difference. People were modest. The words were responsibility, loyalty, discipline, and hard work.

In those days, Christmas memories were Norman Rockwell like in my mind. These were the Christmases of my childhood.

In the 60's, hippies were the antithesis of their conservative parents. They were still polite though. One could argue that the communes and free love were evidence of an even greater politeness. A cauldron of unrest was brewing in the 60's. The struggle for civil rights by the blacks, the war in Viet Nam, and social change was blowing apart the order of the "Leave it to Beaver" days.

Blacks were more vocal. Afros, Black Panthers, and the phrase "Black is Beautiful," came on the scene. John, Bobby, and Martin were assisinated in the 60's. It was a time of extremes, protests, and a realigning of societal roles.

The establishment was rejected, draft cards were burned, and the younger generation was searching for a soul. They thought it was in sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

In 1970 I was 13. The decade of the 70's were another pendulum swing from the protests and political involvement of the 60's to an "I don't care" attitude and a belief that nothing really matters anyway.

We were encouraged in school to "find ourselves." The focus shifted from "us" and "we" to "I" and "me." Viet Nam was over, but the Russians and Communism were enemies still to fear. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll continued to garner most of the attention and energy of the young people.

In those days, Christmas was not as special. People griped about how commercial it was all becoming, but I hung on to memories of better times past.

The 80's sported Alex P. Keaton and a new wave of conservativism. Reagan was the President. Money was being made and people were becoming more and more self-absorbed. Sports figures and celebrities enjoyed a new kind of fame only cable television could provide.

The 90's were more of the same. Making money, more self-absorption, more obsession with the rich and famous. The 80's and 90's also saw the vanquishing of an enemy as the Cold War ended. I guess Americans need an enemy, because in the absence of an outside threat, we chose to fight each other.

Democrats and Republicans have been at it in an updated civil war. Conservatives and liberals spar on the shows with the talking heads. Battle lines are drawn and nobody listens to the other side.

Anger has grown and politeness is once again gone. We fight about religion, the environment, politics, and everything else.

Along with the times, even Christmas has fallen victim to the anger. It is a rope in a cultural tug-of-war. It is ironic that the phrase, "Peace, good will to men," has eroded into angry protests and court cases.

Christmas is big business and big politics. The "true meaning" of Christmas is lost in the politics and commercialism; or is it?

I have memories of people saying things like, "I love the Christmas time of year, because people seem so much nicer." It really seemed that way. Just like Scrooge or the Grinch, even the biggest grouch found a heart around Christmas. The ringing bell of the Salvation Army brought tight wads to its red kettle like the Sirens luring sailors to the rocks. People lightened up and discovered the good feelings of acting with a pure heart.

The Christmas season does not have to be a stressful, hurried, anxious, financially crippling time. It can be a time of peace. Nothing has to happen in the world to make this possible. It only has to happen in your own heart.

Just ask yourself what is important. If you were going to die in two hours, who would you call? What would you say to them? The answers to those two questions will tell you what is important.

This Christmas season, do something for someone totally unexpected. Go out of your way to help someone, but do it without fanfare, maybe even secretly. Take time to be with friends and family. Worry less about how the house and yard look and worry more about the time you get to visit with your loved ones. Go to a church service. Sing a Christmas carol. Eat some Christmas candy. Hang around some children. Go to a school Christmas play (if they haven't been cancelled.)

Christmas will come and go. On December 26 will you have regrets or will it be an anti climax? Will you be savoring special memories? It is up to you.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
-Luke 2:10-11

Until the next time
John Strain

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Tookie

If you haven't heard of Stanley "Tookie" Williams by now, just wait. He is the founder of the Crips street gang and currently on death row in California for the 1979 murders of four people in two separate robberies.

Tookie has gotten some fame by writing a children's book about avoiding gangs, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and a movie was made about his life starring Jamie Foxx.

He is supposed to die December 13, but Governor Schwarzenegger has set a clemency hearing for December 8 bowing to pressure.

Hollywood is coming out in favor of sparing Tookie and the media is speculating about violence and rioting if Tookie is executed as scheduled. Here are some of Tookie's groupies:

Snoop Dogg, Bianca Jagger, Jesse Jackson, Margaret Cho, Mike Farrell, Jason Alexander, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, and Noah Wyle.

Read about Tookie yourself:

For Tookie:
Tookie's Home Page
The fight to save Tookie Williams

Against Tookie:
Fry Tookie
Michelle Malkin: The Tookie Files
Tookie Philes

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What we have here is a man who started a gang that spread throughout the world. I wonder how many crimes and murders his crip children perpetrated. On his site is an apology to crips. He does not mention any victims of the crip violence.

I don't care how many books he writes or how he says he turned his life around. He was convicted and sentenced for other behaviors.

I continue to be baffled by who the famous choose as their cause de jour. Tookie is a murderer and does not deserve this celebrity treatment. A Nobel Peace Prize nomination makes a mockery of the Nobel Prize.

Potential violence: I am hearing suggestions in the media that Tookie's death could spark violence throughout the country. If this is true, we will know that he had no influence. I would think that followers of Tookie have laid that kind of life down.

If Tookie were any kind of leader, he would take his punishment like a man and instruct his followers to live not as he did, but as he said. Any moron can commit a crime, go to jail, then pontificate about how others should live.

Maybe the rioting threat is just an excuse to get some more looting in before Christmas. These days folks don't need much of an excuse. A hurricane, Nazi's marching in Toledo, and now terminating the life of a convicted murderer.

Jail is not a place to make people better or to hold them until they are nice boys and girls so they can be set free to continue being nice to everyone. Jail is there to keep people who cannot control their behavior away from people who can control their behavior. Jail protects society from dangerous people.

Tookie is no celebrity. He is not the only person who cares about young people. There are many who work in obscurity much more deserving of recognition and award.

Tookie's victims deserve justice, Hollywood needs to find a real hero to support, and the media needs to stop fanning the flames of violence for some good video on the nightly newscast.

Until the next time
John Strain

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