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March 2004! 2004 is marching right along. Third month of the year. Spring starts this month. March is a refreshing month. Or I should say that March gives me a refreshing spirit. Winter is almost over. Yes, we have winter in Florida, too. Winter in South Florida is subdued to say the least, none the less we do have winter. Those occasional 50 or 40 degree nights and 60 degree days are hard to take. Thank goodness they are rare, relatively speaking. For the last week (today is Sunday, February 15), it's been in the 80's in the daytime and 60's at night. Another cold front is coming in as I type. This week the highs should be in the 70's, the lows in the high 50's to low 60's. So, we are in for a cool week. By cool I don't mean good, great or neat. Rather I mean cool - not hot. Oh well the humidity should be hitting us in the next month or so then we will be hot and humid till November. I do like the heat, though. I guess that's why I continue to live here. I did digress from my editorial on Spring, didn't I? March is refreshing. Those nasty days of winter are almost gone. Those nasty few extra pounds that most people accumulate over the winter holidays are starting if not already, coming off. The January and February blues are diminishing. People residing in most of the United States are starting to see the sun more and more. Less sun and cold - these physical changes affect our emotional state. The sunshine, warmer temperatures and the sprouting of the springtime plant life all help us to see life in a better perspective. I don't know about you, but I feel invigorated at this time of year. Rebirth, renewal and change are possible for most people at this time of year. At least the ideas of change and optimism are possible for most people. Let's use this opportunity to not only get our homes and yards in shape for those lazy crazy days of summer, but let us use our psychological and emotional rebirth to get our state of mind and our plight in life in shape for the next season of our life.
Some March dates worth noting:
Congratulations go to Debbie and Gary. Good luck in your life together. Just think they won't have a wedding anniversary until February 29, 2008.
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Entertainment Butterfly Effect I saw the Butterfly Effect on Saturday, February 5. It was a good movie, entertaining. Not much of a plot, but a good way to kill a Saturday afternoon. Ashton Kutcher experienced a memory type problem that his father was subjected to also. The lack of understanding of this problem contributed to his father's death. Kutcher had blackouts and would go back in time remembering and experiencing different time periods in his life. He learned how to harness these blackouts in order to help shape the outcome of such events. The entire movie revolved around these blackouts and Kutcher going back in time to restructure the events so positive results would occur in real life. I use the term real life in relation to the movie. Along Came Polly Now this was a sweet, cute movie. A movie with a message. The message: what came before or what comes later doesn't matter in one's life. Our experience in the present moment in time is the important thing in enjoying life. Polly, Jennifer Aniston, is a free spirit, no worry young lady. She takes life as it comes. She lives every moment to the fullest. Ruben, Ben Stiller, is quite the opposite. He is a risk management insurance associate. He calculates every moment. Needless to say Polly, after many challenging experiences, changes Ruben's outlook on life. One of the funniest characters in the movie was Polly's pet ferret. The ferret was blind and always bumping into things. It was so funny. I saw Along Came Polly on President's Day. Erotrip Silly movie. The typical teen directed movie. The story was so stupid it doesn't deserve a discussion. Let it suffice to say, it was funny but the stupid kind of funny. I think the funniest scene was the Vatican scene. I saw this movie on Wednesday, February 25, Ash Wednesday. The theater was packed because of the movie The Passion of the Christ. I was tempted to see it, but decided against it. I want to see The Passion of the Christ, but I think I'll wait for awhile. I'll let the multitude of curious movie goers see it first. People should put this movie in perspective. It is a movie, not a religious experience. It is one man's, Mel Gibson's, take on the passion of our Lord. More about the religious overtones of this movie in the Religion & Spiritualism section of this newsletter.
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The end of the road for Sex and the City or is it. The HBO hit Sex and the City came to an end on Sunday, February 22. Of course I didn't see it. I don't subscribe to HBO. I was thinking about adding HBO, but never got around to it. For the last 6 months or so at my old condo we had Dish TV and all the HBO channels were included. The TV charge was included in the monthly maintenance paid by the owner of my previous condo, of course I didn't out rightly pay for it. I fell in love with Sex in the City. I was thinking about investing and adding HBO to my current cable lineup primarily because of the show. Now that it has run it's course, what's the sense. HBO does offer some good cable viewing, but I think I will do without. Sex (and the City) was a great show. I feel that it was more than a show about four provocative New York women. It was more than a "sex" show. Although it had some very risqué plots and scenes throughout it's run. I was very comfortable with the show, but I venture to say that a lot of people may not have shared my opinion. These people, for the most part, seem to be the hypocritical ultra conservative moral majority as well as people who normally view sex as bad, a dirty thing. To these types of people I say, "Get Real", sex is not bad, it's all in your perspective. Of course, some people just prefer not to see those types of shows and that is perfectly alright, too. To me the show was so much more than "sex". It was a frank discussion of female living and experiences in the Big Apple. Yes, there were sexy scenes, graphic, explicit sex-filled scenes. Like Samantha giving her latest man oral satisfaction or simply put, a blow job. Or Samantha's experiences with her lesbian lover. Enough of that. But there was much more to the series. It chronicled the lives of the ladies. It delved into the female side of love, sex, family, children, loss, death, divorce, loneliness, etc., etc., etc. It gave me, and I imagine it gave many people from all walks of life so to speak, a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life circumstances of women, particularly New York women. Good news, the reruns of Sex and the City will be aired on TNT starting later this year. Now I will be able to view all the episodes of the show. You know TNT, it will be aired again and again and again.
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For some reason I don't have too much to pop off about this month concerning this category. I guess nothing has struck my fancy in the last few weeks. I am contemplating adding a light program of weight lifting to my conditioning schedule. I've been browsing the Internet and the stores. I haven't made a decision, yet. You know it's that money thing. Looking for the inexpensive way out, but many times you get what you pay for. I am considering a "cheap" beginner's set of weights. I won't develop such an extensive weight lifting program as my brothers have been using, in my workouts. Just enough to firm up and keep this 53.5 year old body in shape. What gave me this thought: a few weeks ago I went into one of my colleague's classroom and his appearance just struck me. He is a few years older than me, good shape generally, but he looked so old. He was sitting at his desk, hunched over a textbook or some other school related paraphernalia, his once broad shoulders seemed to sag. His face sagged. Everything looked like it sagged. You may be thinking, "this is the aging process so what's the point". My point is this, this veteran teacher was once a football coach and very active athlete. And this was just a few years ago. This one time athletic Adonis was showing his age. I felt like offering my sympathies. It doesn't have to be that way. Yes, genetic predisposition does make a difference in the aging process, but so does what we do to our bodies. Remember you youngsters, what you do to your bodies when you are in your 20's, 30's and 40's will affect your health and appearance when you are in your 50's, 60's and so on. Very few people are downright lucky about their physical condition latter in life. I think it takes hard work to stay in shape!
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The primary season in moving right along. Theoretically, the race for the Presidential Nominee of the Democratic Party is still well under way. Realistically, I believe that it has been decided. If the next few weeks of primaries and caucuses prove to be similar to the past few weeks, John Kerry will be the Democratic Presidential Nominee. President Bush has entered the race. A little early in comparison to the historic pattern of current presidents seeking re-election. The President has come out punching. He needs to be vigilant and careful not to offend the many Americans currently questioning his policies and motives. I belief the President feels that he is in potential trouble with the American voters. Why attack the Democratic Party with such vigor? What about the Ralph Nader affect in the 2004 presidential race? I believe that Mr. Nader's influence on the election process will be slight. The Democrats are united in their quest for the White House. Plus Nader is running as an Independent. He will have major work to do in order to get on the ballot in many states. Of course he has the right to run for president, anyone who meets the eligibility requirements has that right to run for president. It will be an interesting campaign in this 2004 election. It will be a vigorous campaign. A nasty 8 months to follow, but I believe the Democrats will succeed and the pendulum will swing to the left of center in the political victories this November. A very controversial proposal by the President, he is now recommending a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of two people of the opposite sex. I agree with that definition of marriage, but does it have to be in the United States Constitution? This is obviously a political ploy by the President to "firm up" his conservative base. But I mean come on, has the President reached the point where he fears losing the Presidency so drastically that he dares to involve our honored Constitution in his political campaign, not to mention the religious connotations and implied violation of individual rights and states rights by such a stand. Mr. President, act a little presidential for God sake. The current President will say, do and employ any tactic to win re-election to the White House. Issues, the president's record and the record of the Democratic Nominee, whoever that may be, should be the basis of this political campaign for the office of president of the United States of America. All the eligible to vote American people need a frank, honest discussion of these issues so they can intelligently decide the next president.
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Back to the movie The Passion of the Christ, no doubt people of all religions will be debating this movie for weeks to come. I prefer to put it in the class of a movie for entertainment, not the Word of God. Theologians have spent centuries trying to interpret the Word of God. I think the important fact, it happened, all is possible with God. It happened over 2000 years ago. We do not know the exact way it happened. We do not have an historic account of the events that occurred in the life of Jesus or biblical times for that matter. Contrary to the beliefs of Fundamentalists, the Bible is not a history book. In other words the Bible does not give a step by step evolution of the events in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Again, the important thing, with God, all is possible. The what and the how are not the important things. Rather the why is the basis of Christianity. Why, because God so loved the world. By God's love all things are possible. By God's love it is possible for man and woman to have a relationship to the Eternal. Yes, a personal relationship - I will concede that much, but not a verbatim, step by step record of the events in that relationship. A human personal relationship with God, if you will. Does it matter who was responsible for the death of the Christ? At the time, yes. But now over two centuries latter, I think not. The important thing to remember in the present time is our faith sustains us. Faith and love for God and for all living beings. By the way, no one put Jesus Christ to death. We all crucified the Lord by the sins that we human beings commit against God's law. Don't blame other people, we are all responsible on a personal, unique basis for the death of Jesus. During this Lenten season, remember, our physical being is dust and to dust it shall return. Our spiritual being is forever. Our spirit was meant to be with God, now and forever. Don't concentrate on the physical side of your existence. Rather strive to be Godlike, and that my friends, involves the spirit within each of us. Good Friday is not the important or crucial part of our salvation history. Rather Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Son of God who brings eternal life to anyone who follows him, is paramount in Christianity. True, to have an Easter Sunday we must have a Good Friday, but the suffering and death of Jesus means nothing unless we recognize the Resurrection and eternal life of our Lord and thereby of ourselves. All things are possible with God. Plus, Easter Sunday is when the Easter Bunny visits our homes. Good point. ********************************************
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Tech Talk While reading the (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel on Presidents' Day I read an article about a web site that allows college students to rate their professors and high school students to rate their teachers. When I got home from breakfast, you know I had to go to my computer and pull up that web site. www.ratemyprofessors.com and www.ratemyteachers.com looked very interesting. Please indulge me for a moment. Of course this rating is just for fun. What do kids know anyway. The do know what's going on and have opinions. Can you imagine rating your teachers when you were in school? Society has changed over the years. Yes, society has changed over the years. School has changed over the years. School is a business. Remember when the teacher was always right. Most people trusted their teachers and held them in esteem. Remember also that over the past 40 years 4% of all Catholic clergy have been involved in a sexual misconduct situation. This is according to an article in the (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel. This 4% is probable a low estimate. Remember, too all the people we've heard about through the media who have committed grievous offenses against other people. These offenses include work, government, personal, etc. mediums. Society has changed. Children are children. They don't always get it right. We are the adults. We should have a better chance of getting it right, but many adults do not get it right either. Children do have a right to their opinions. It is up to the adults in situations to monitor and put the situations in perspective so our children will develop the skills necessary become responsible adults. Our society seems to question everything and everybody. Maybe it should. Maybe survival is dependent on that questioning. The teacher, the clergy, the parent, etc. are not always right. What a monumental responsibility for parents to teach their children to trust adults but be cautious of them at the same time. Life has changed, but it's the only life we have. Back to the site, look up your school or your children's school and have some fun.
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