Blogs
Before the last revolving year is through….
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 08/15/2005 - 21:02I kiss Fiona on the head and tell her to sleep well and that I love her. I have just finished reading a ‘Tanya’ story to her. Tanya is a young ballerina. I read these stories to my older daughters when they were her age. Back then, I was making a good salary and I could afford to send them to ballet school. The money is tight and Fiona hasn’t had ballet lessons, but she still has her dreams, and I have some dreams left too.
Kim had sent me in to say good night. A daughter needed her father. That is poignant for me tonight. While Fiona was brushing her teeth we got a phone call that her aunt Mary’s father had died. He had been fighting cancer for a while, so there are the standard comments about it being sad, yet a relief. He died six hours short of Mary’s birthday. Kim’s mother died on Kim’s birthday. It seems parents have a way of doing things like that.
Peace in Banda Aceh
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 08/15/2005 - 09:32(Originally published at Progressive Blog Alliance Headquarters)
Banda Aceh gained the attention of people around the world when a devastating Tsunami hit last December. People around the world contributed to help with relief efforts, but Banda Aceh has slowly slipped from people’s consciousness. Now, over half a year later, it returns to the news.
Banda Aceh suffered not only from the Tsunami, but from years of armed conflict. The international press is reporting that a new peace treaty has been signed in Banda Aceh. Two years ago, a peace deal was signed, which fell apart, so we shall see what happens with this peace treaty.
The devastation of the Tsunami on top of the devastation of the war has left many orphans. Bata Industries makes flip-flops in its factory in Jakarta. They were designed by orphans of the Tsunami and profits from the sale go to support the Schools for Aceh Foundation.
In North America, you can purchase these flip-flops through No Sweat!. No Sweat! is a company providing 100% union made apparel. If you click on the link, I get a commission on the sales. However, I would also encourage each of you that has a blog to set up a link to promote their products.
Comforting the distressed
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 08/14/2005 - 17:15I sit on the porch, listen to the thunder and watch the rain. Lying next to me, asleep, is my three-year-old daughter. She has been fighting a horrible fever the past few days, and my life has been thrown out of whack by worrying about her, and not getting enough sleep. She seems to be over the worst of it now, and it was probably just one of those childhood illnesses, but still it hurts to see her suffer and still I worry how bad she has had this fever.
Meanwhile, a friend is sitting by the side of her father. He has been waging a fierce battle against cancer and it appears as if the battle is nearly over. Another friend has traveled out of state to visit her aunt who has just gotten out of the hospital.
I think about my blogging, and how people have told me not to bury the lead. Have I done that here? What is the lead anyways? It is something about these moments being pieces of the patchwork quilts of our lives. It is about when you get right down to it, caring for the people around us is what matters. There is the old saying that all politics is personal. It is these moments that form, or at least should form, our political sensibilities.
No Sweat
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 08/03/2005 - 20:01I've justed signed up to be an affliate of No Sweat.
Check them out. More soon.
Thought for today
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 08/03/2005 - 14:34President Bush has asked that the Senate conduct hearings in a fair and timely manner concerning the confirmation of Judge John Roberts.
Given our nation's concern about not allowing extremists new opportunities to damage our country, I hope that Judge Roberts' hearings are as fair and timely as the hearings of those detained at Guantanamo Bay.
