Tuesday, January 20, 2009

HOPE

Hello to all !

KENT here...

What a terribly exciting day.  January 20th, 2009, ...we witnessed a new era in USA history.

With the former president's approval ratings at an all time low,  our economy in distress, our national debt outrageous, and our international image tarnished - we inaugurated a new president today.

A new beginning.  Hope has been restored to the American people.  

I was moved during today's proceedings.  The kids I work with cheered and clapped during the inauguration...who would-of-thunk-it.  These young people were overwhelmingly supportive of Obama....kids that society tends to "throw away"....kids that struggle to read... kids without parents who have challenged them to think about their own future...

And here they were cheering on their new president.  

I can only hope and pray that our federal government is up to the challenge.  Additionally, I take heed to the president's message of service-work, patience, and a cool demeanor.  We all have work to do, to make our community better.

 

Monday, January 12, 2009

Recent rants and raves!

Hello, hello, hello...

Hello.  I think that the 3-stooges began some of their monologues with that entrance...

Kent KB  here - givin ya some dap.

It has been too long since I have last communicated with you, my cyber family and friends.  In general, I try to be positive, upbeat and fun-loving.  But every once and a while, it is quite necessary to roll off a Rant!  Here are a few Rants and Raves.

Which to list first?

Rants:

1) Yahoo's front page - I am terribly confused why Yahoo finds it necessary to inform me of "who was worst dressed at the Globes".... Like I give a @$&%.  Seriously.  Oh-my gawd, I can't believe that she wore that dress with those shoes.   Let's get some shoes.  SHOES.

2) Paying $12 to get into an OU Basketball game.  It's the MAC.  Come-on.  They should be paying me to show up and cheer.   (small rave- I do like our new coach and love cheering on the team...although I prefer to sit in the way-chill-dizzle section with my dank-posse.)

3) Continuing credits and license requirements:  I just want the degree to be the end-all-be-all.  Nuff said.

4) Electrical shorts which lead to fire in your 1981 Ford F-150 4x4.



RAVES:

1) Free pens at conferences.

2) Cheering on a team that plays defense.  I love that blue-collar sh$t. 
 
3) Doughnuts, especially when they are free.  MMMmm maple glazing.

4) Dark chocolate.

5) Recent "New Yorker" magazine article about Van Jones.  He is an environmentalist who also champions social justice causes...and ties it all together.  I have my wife to thank for educating me on this one.  Van Jones believes, to paraphrase, that we must address our clean energy needs, and get young, disadvantaged people to work in these new emerging fields...as a matter of national security and economic stimulus.

6) That same New Yorker magazine had an interesting article about Obama's upcoming Inauguration speech.  The story references President JAmes A Garfield, an Ohio boy, and the challenges that he faced in writing his Inauguration speech.  Garfield labored over every Inaugural speech written that he and his staff could get their hands on....from Washington to his present day...
President elect Garfield noted in his diary, that none of the speeches measured up to Lincoln's.  Lincoln was the man.  He liked the simplicity of Washington's speech and the precedent that he set...   Garfield even considered forgoing the speech altogether.  He was up until 2 or 3AM working on it the night before he took his oath of office.  Clinton was allegedly up until about 4-5 AM, making the final touches for his speech.  Hilary Clinton has said that her husband never met a sentence that he didn't think that he could tweak.  Garfield's speech was interesting and managed to offer some insight ... ( I will try to add some links, so that you can read the work here).

7) Watching and playing good ultimate....or anyone laying out.


I hope to list more soon.  Perhaps I will include some links.

Ciao

KENT




 

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Happy Happy New Year


We spent New Years Eve at the neighbors house as part of a murder mystery party.  The stage was set at one of the hottest New York Clubs in the year 1979.  We each had a character and had to figure out who was the murderer.  I was Gloria Stunnem.  Kent was John Revolting. Can you dig it?



Kent in his best John Travolta impression.


Lyza M. and Diana Rush.  It was an A list event.


A Charlie's Angels reference.  



Midnight!  Happy New Year.


BTW.  I did it...