Back in April, 2009, I wrote a blog that expressed my pride in a decision by the Iowa Supreme Court that according to the Iowa Constitution, marriage could not discriminate against those of the same sex who wished to marry. It was a landmark decision that drew national attention, both by those who agreed with the decision and those disagreed. At that time I ended the blog saying :"I'm proud to live in Iowa and the leads it has taken in civil rights. Corn, hogs, and soybeans,yes; but also a belief in fairness and common sense. "
I may have spoken too soon; because I was very disappointed in the recent elections and the vote of my fellow Iowans. Iowa has a law that allows for citizens to vote on the retention of its judges. It's a reasonable safe-guard system, that allows for a method for incompetent or corrupt judges to be removed from the bench. In fact, a supreme court judge has never lost a vote for retention, until this November's election.
A highly public campaign was launched against three of the Iowa Supreme Court judges who were up for retention in this mid-term election. There was no evidence or reports of corruption or incompetence on any of the judges; the campaign was aimed particularly at these judges because they had voted for the rights of same sex couples to marry. (it was an unanimous decision by the Iowa Supreme Court, by the way)
Their "crime" was to be labeled an "activist Judge" and for "making laws". Obviously, any 8th grade civics student will tell you that judges don't "make laws", they make judgments on whether laws passed are acceptable under the constitution. It seems that some critics of judges use the label of "activist judge" anytime a court rules in a way they don't agree with their decision.
In the election, all three supreme court judges lost their vote to be retained. Interestingly, USA Today, the New York Times, and the Washington Post have criticized the decision by some Iowans to remove judges for making a ruling consistent with the constitution of the state.
I am disappointed and embarrassed by the vote of my fellow Iowans on this issue. I wonder what message this sends to the judges and their future decisions if they have to consider, not questions of law and constitutionality of the law but questions of public opinion and whether they are may lose their position because of their vote.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Doonesbury
Many of my generation (baby boomers turned 60) have followed Doonesbury cartoon as part of our adult lives. Its creator, GB Trudeau, began writing the Doonesbury script when he was in college in the late 60's, as I was. I found some common ground with the characters, and their lives as they unfolded over the years. It was humorous and timely as he chronicled life on a college campus in the turbulent times of the late 60's and 70's. His script had a way of shining a blinding spotlight on society, growing up, and other cultural aspects of American life in the 70's,80's 90's up to today. I often found myself drawn to the minor characters of the script as well as the main characters. What was remarkable about this script is that the characters were aging along with us. As we became young parents and middle aged and struggled with getting older, the characters in Doonesbury were also facing many of the same struggles.
Although they reflect our generation, I'm surprised that they've been able to stay so thin. That's not normal! Their bodies have not shown the effects of living a life of use and abuse as many of our bodies have. I wonder when one of the Doonesbury characters will get a joint replaced or be diagnosed with heart disease?
Although they reflect our generation, I'm surprised that they've been able to stay so thin. That's not normal! Their bodies have not shown the effects of living a life of use and abuse as many of our bodies have. I wonder when one of the Doonesbury characters will get a joint replaced or be diagnosed with heart disease?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Three Websites Worth Checking out
I wanted to share three websites that I've found that I check daily and provide me some information, news, and enjoyment.
One I've made reference to before is TED.(www.TED.com) If you enjoy being intellectually stimulated by experts in the field of technology, entertainment and design; you'll find yourself returning often to the site to see what new 15-20 minute presentations have been posted. A variety of topics that will stretch and stimulate your thinking are available. I like the way you can re-order the speakers based on different criteria (topic, "most-emailed", "most awe inspiring", etc).
The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/) is an online source of news and opinions. If your politics leans towards the progressive side; you'll find the Post a interesting source of ideas and opinions that you may find yourself in nodding agreement with or at least recognize a perspective that you may not have considered before.
Pandora (www.Pandora.com) is an internet radio site. A free (which is always a bonus) program that is derived from the Music Genome Project. Like the Human DNA Genome project that mapped the human DNA, the music genome project attempts to catalog the DNA of all music and find common threads shared by artists and songs. At Pandora you can create multiple stations based on your music preference. You can start a radio station of a broad category (folk singers) or start with a performer (James Taylor). It will then play similar artists that share similar musical DNA. There's a lot more about the site that is fun and can add to your enjoyment of the music besides just sitting and listening for hours to music you enjoy. In this case, opening pandora's box is an enjoyable experience.
20 somethings are probably very familiar with Pandora, but they may not have shared it with their grandparents yet.
One I've made reference to before is TED.(www.TED.com) If you enjoy being intellectually stimulated by experts in the field of technology, entertainment and design; you'll find yourself returning often to the site to see what new 15-20 minute presentations have been posted. A variety of topics that will stretch and stimulate your thinking are available. I like the way you can re-order the speakers based on different criteria (topic, "most-emailed", "most awe inspiring", etc).
The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/) is an online source of news and opinions. If your politics leans towards the progressive side; you'll find the Post a interesting source of ideas and opinions that you may find yourself in nodding agreement with or at least recognize a perspective that you may not have considered before.
Pandora (www.Pandora.com) is an internet radio site. A free (which is always a bonus) program that is derived from the Music Genome Project. Like the Human DNA Genome project that mapped the human DNA, the music genome project attempts to catalog the DNA of all music and find common threads shared by artists and songs. At Pandora you can create multiple stations based on your music preference. You can start a radio station of a broad category (folk singers) or start with a performer (James Taylor). It will then play similar artists that share similar musical DNA. There's a lot more about the site that is fun and can add to your enjoyment of the music besides just sitting and listening for hours to music you enjoy. In this case, opening pandora's box is an enjoyable experience.
20 somethings are probably very familiar with Pandora, but they may not have shared it with their grandparents yet.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Cousins
First cousins can be interesting relatives; they share a common set of grandparents and, because their parents are siblings, they can share some physical and personality characteristics.
This summer Blaine(6) and Drake (4) met their first cousin Jensen(7 months) in Seattle, when Erin visited Marshall and Theresa.
The boys playing with Jensen's favorite chew toy
Drake gives Jensen a good hug
Jensen is checking out cousin Blaine
Jensen showed his cousins the sites at Pike Street Market
Nothing like a shared bath for male bonding of cousins
While in Seattle I was able to spend time with my first cousin, Rod. Over the years we've shared a few adventures. I hope Jensen, Blaine and Drake can be as good of friends as Rod and I have been all these years.
This summer Blaine(6) and Drake (4) met their first cousin Jensen(7 months) in Seattle, when Erin visited Marshall and Theresa.
The boys playing with Jensen's favorite chew toy
Drake gives Jensen a good hug
Jensen is checking out cousin Blaine
Jensen showed his cousins the sites at Pike Street Market
Nothing like a shared bath for male bonding of cousins
While in Seattle I was able to spend time with my first cousin, Rod. Over the years we've shared a few adventures. I hope Jensen, Blaine and Drake can be as good of friends as Rod and I have been all these years.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Jensen Blaine
Although any expectant father will tell you that he most wants a healthy child; it's also the unspoken truth that a father wants to have a healthy BOY. Maybe it's something about passing the family name on to another generation; maybe it's something about the male bonding experience between a father and a son; or the desire to have a "miniature" you.
This same feeling holds true to some extent with a male grandchild of your son. On Dec 14, 2009, Jensen Pemintal Blaine was born to Marshall and Theresa. For a number of reasons, I wasn't able to meet him until this June. But Alice and I got to spend nearly three weeks with our new grandson and had a great time getting to know him.
He's a mellow, easy to care for baby; and is beginning to explore his world that is within his grasp and starting to gain some mobility. I'm pleased that he's joined the Blaine family and look forward to watching him grow and see the individual that emerges.
Three generations of Blaines (July, 2010)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Drake is 4
Drake turned four while we were in Nashville earlier this month (June 14) and we were glad to be part of it. Actually his birthday celebration was spread over 4 days before his birthday, so he was a bit confused when it was the 14th and it was his birthday.
He had a party of neighborhood kids and friends from his pre-school at My Gym where they organized activities and provided fun equipment to play on.
Drake enjoys playing with super hero action figures (They are not dolls!), so one of his favorite presents was a super hero costume of his own.
We get a kick out of some of Drake's sayings:
"Sorry about that" usually followed by "It was an accident" He actually says this quite often.
When baking cookies and test tasting the M&M's, "Two is better than one"
His favorite plea is "I want to _____; I never get to _____" for example: "I want to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons, I never get to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons"
Whereas Blaine can be shy and cautious in new situations, Drake is not. In fact we learned that Drake is the clown in his pre-k class. We haven't had many of those in the family before.
Happy Birthday, Drake.
He had a party of neighborhood kids and friends from his pre-school at My Gym where they organized activities and provided fun equipment to play on.
Drake enjoys playing with super hero action figures (They are not dolls!), so one of his favorite presents was a super hero costume of his own.
We get a kick out of some of Drake's sayings:
"Sorry about that" usually followed by "It was an accident" He actually says this quite often.
When baking cookies and test tasting the M&M's, "Two is better than one"
His favorite plea is "I want to _____; I never get to _____" for example: "I want to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons, I never get to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons"
Whereas Blaine can be shy and cautious in new situations, Drake is not. In fact we learned that Drake is the clown in his pre-k class. We haven't had many of those in the family before.
Happy Birthday, Drake.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Dr. Allison Larson
On May 29, 2010 our daughter, Allison, received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Des Moines University.
It has been three busy years with her course work and her field experiences which included sites in Seattle, Indianola, Ankeny, St. Lucia, and Marshalltown.
We're very proud of her accomplishment. Not just graduating, but how she distinquished herself during her three years. She was the president of her class, graduated with a 3.8+ GPA, inducted in to the physical therapy honor society, and took part in many service opportunities.
Congratulations, Dr. Larson
It has been three busy years with her course work and her field experiences which included sites in Seattle, Indianola, Ankeny, St. Lucia, and Marshalltown.
We're very proud of her accomplishment. Not just graduating, but how she distinquished herself during her three years. She was the president of her class, graduated with a 3.8+ GPA, inducted in to the physical therapy honor society, and took part in many service opportunities.
Congratulations, Dr. Larson
Monday, February 8, 2010
The six word autobiography
Smith Magazine challenged readers and writers to write their autobiography in six words. Some of their submissions have been published and a fourth book is coming out "It all changed in an Instant", six word memoirs.
The whole idea of summing up your life in six words seemed intriguing, I had to give it a try.
"More ups, than downs; some should've's"
Ok, maybe I stretched things with a contraction, but it's tougher than you think.
Share yours when you post a comment
The whole idea of summing up your life in six words seemed intriguing, I had to give it a try.
"More ups, than downs; some should've's"
Ok, maybe I stretched things with a contraction, but it's tougher than you think.
Share yours when you post a comment
Friday, February 5, 2010
An Idea Worth Sharing: TED
If you enjoy learning about new ideas and hearing experts in their field share their knowledge and experience then check out the website TED.com.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design; and TED conferences bring together people from those fields to speak and share their ideas. TED conferences have been held annually in the US and various locations around the world such as England and India. The conferences are expensive and by invitation only; but you can attend a virtual TED by going to their web site: TED.com and find all of the speakers of the last few years.
A wide variety of speakers and topics are available and, another nice thing, is that the presentations are usually 20 minutes or less in length.
The web site allows you to sift through the various speakers and you can pick and choose based on your interests and time or on popularity of the presentations.
A few of my favorites;
If you're a teacher listen to Taylor Mali "what teachers make".
Hans Rosling has a couple of presentations that make statistics on developing countries one of the most entertaining and informative presentations I've seen.
Listen to Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity or Pravar Mistry on Sixthsense technology.
Or for a 2 minute revelation listen to Derek Sivers talk about "weird or different"
I've only scratched the surface of the ideas presented; but I'd encourage you to bookmark their homepage and return whenever you're looking for a little brain stimulation.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design; and TED conferences bring together people from those fields to speak and share their ideas. TED conferences have been held annually in the US and various locations around the world such as England and India. The conferences are expensive and by invitation only; but you can attend a virtual TED by going to their web site: TED.com and find all of the speakers of the last few years.
A wide variety of speakers and topics are available and, another nice thing, is that the presentations are usually 20 minutes or less in length.
The web site allows you to sift through the various speakers and you can pick and choose based on your interests and time or on popularity of the presentations.
A few of my favorites;
If you're a teacher listen to Taylor Mali "what teachers make".
Hans Rosling has a couple of presentations that make statistics on developing countries one of the most entertaining and informative presentations I've seen.
Listen to Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity or Pravar Mistry on Sixthsense technology.
Or for a 2 minute revelation listen to Derek Sivers talk about "weird or different"
I've only scratched the surface of the ideas presented; but I'd encourage you to bookmark their homepage and return whenever you're looking for a little brain stimulation.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Condo Living
Although we officially moved in to our condo in May, considering that we were gone most of the summer while the condo was remodeled, we really have "lived" here since early August. So after 5-6 months I thought it was time to reflect a bit on condo life.
First, it is smaller. This isn't a surprise, obviously, but there are some real practical aspects of living in a smaller space. Less storage,less closet space,less floor space, less wall space means that some difficult decisions need to be made about what to get rid of and what to keep. This is an ongoing process as we seem to continually re-evaluate what we still have in the condo.
Smaller also means that we're around each other more. Sound travels differently and it's harder to not listen to music or watch TV without the other person hearing it.
Our condo is a 7 story building, which means we share parts of the building with other condo owners. That takes some adjustment. For example, we share laundry room with the others on the floor, so there are times that we wanted to do a load of wash and the machine wasn't available. Also, it means we share some wall and floor space with our neighbors. The condo is very quiet; but at quiet times you can hear the person above us. We also share a swimming pool and sauna, and library with other condo owners. We've used all of those at times; in fact, the swimming pool was a great option when the grandkids were visiting in December.
Living on the 6th floor means we're just above tree level; and we really enjoy the view. Great sunsets; we can see for many blocks, especially now that the leaves are off the trees; and it's more interesting to see a thunderstorm, or fog, or a snowstorm or fireworks on the 4th from 65 feet in the air.
One of the pluses of moving into a condo was that I wouldn't have to shovel or do lawn work. That has been nice. We watched, with some delight during the snowstorm that dropped 14 inches of snow in December; as people in the neighborhood were digging out and dealing with the difficulties of moving that much snow. If I feel an urge to do some yard work, Allison and Dave only live a couple of miles away; so I have gone over to mow, and rake and even help shovel; but I find that once a season is enough.
Overall, condo life has been a positive adjustment. It was interesting to come back after being gone for a few days at Thanksgiving and say "It's good to be home" and realize that the condo has become our home.
First, it is smaller. This isn't a surprise, obviously, but there are some real practical aspects of living in a smaller space. Less storage,less closet space,less floor space, less wall space means that some difficult decisions need to be made about what to get rid of and what to keep. This is an ongoing process as we seem to continually re-evaluate what we still have in the condo.
Smaller also means that we're around each other more. Sound travels differently and it's harder to not listen to music or watch TV without the other person hearing it.
Our condo is a 7 story building, which means we share parts of the building with other condo owners. That takes some adjustment. For example, we share laundry room with the others on the floor, so there are times that we wanted to do a load of wash and the machine wasn't available. Also, it means we share some wall and floor space with our neighbors. The condo is very quiet; but at quiet times you can hear the person above us. We also share a swimming pool and sauna, and library with other condo owners. We've used all of those at times; in fact, the swimming pool was a great option when the grandkids were visiting in December.
Living on the 6th floor means we're just above tree level; and we really enjoy the view. Great sunsets; we can see for many blocks, especially now that the leaves are off the trees; and it's more interesting to see a thunderstorm, or fog, or a snowstorm or fireworks on the 4th from 65 feet in the air.
One of the pluses of moving into a condo was that I wouldn't have to shovel or do lawn work. That has been nice. We watched, with some delight during the snowstorm that dropped 14 inches of snow in December; as people in the neighborhood were digging out and dealing with the difficulties of moving that much snow. If I feel an urge to do some yard work, Allison and Dave only live a couple of miles away; so I have gone over to mow, and rake and even help shovel; but I find that once a season is enough.
Overall, condo life has been a positive adjustment. It was interesting to come back after being gone for a few days at Thanksgiving and say "It's good to be home" and realize that the condo has become our home.
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