God’s Love We Deliver Thanksgiving

There are events in your life that change you. In big ways. That make you think, OMG why have I never done anything like this before?

This Thanksgiving we were fortunate enough to be part of just such an event, the annual God’s Love We Deliver Thanksgiving effort. Yesterday, we woke at 4:15 (ok, so I tend to be up then anyway, but Gary is certainly not), hopped into the city and jumped on the assembly lines of one of the most remarkable machines of humanity that I have ever seen. With logistics precision coupled with an undying spirit of combined compassion, humor and the sheer joy of volunteerism, 950 people came out to donate their time in the wee hours of Turkey Day to help make the holiday of the seriously ill a little more bearable.

In the neighborhood of under 7 hours, almost 3400 meals were assembled and delivered to 2014 homes; not just for clients, but for a guest, caregiver and children under 18 living in those homes. Not to be forgotten are the countless hours spent by the staff, prepping and cooking those meals.

Volunteerism. My dear friend Karen says sometimes she thinks that it is actually not a selfless act, but more a self satiating one, for the need it fills in all of us to help others. I cannot argue that point, for as amazing as receiving these meals is for those in need, the way we felt yesterday morning was a greater gift than we could ever provide. The people we met are veterans; most volunteers for this org are staff volunteers, meaning they work a set weekly shift, many more than one. The spirit of both having fun and the seriousness of the task is second to no other volunteer experience I have ever had. These are the kind of people we aspire to be. There is no place I can imagine spending Thanksgiving morning ever again. I have taken a big swig of this koolaid and nothing has ever tasted better!

Full disclosure, the over the top icing on the cake of this experience for us was that our oldest child, Jana, is the newest member of the GLWD staff. As a volunteer specialist, she took her special brand of camp counselor people skills and ran around with her clipboard and iPad, learning the ropes as the newbie in the dept. In the few short months that she has worked there she has experienced their gala fundraiser, worked the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, The Race to Deliver AND survived Sandy and her aftermath where they lost power and scrambled to save food and still deliver to those in need. Watching her do a job she loves AND being able to participate… Priceless!

Post Sandy has made me very reflective. I have yet to be able to finish my thoughts on that experience and get them down here, but I will. For now, I can say that being so incredibly fortunate surrounded by so much need has left me feeling highly motivated to do more. This chronic volunteer is ready to kick it up another notch. There is something about ground level, specific task driven volunteerism that leaves you feeling like nothing else.

The world is pretty broken, go out and fix a little piece.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and consider donating a portion of what you save on Black Friday to those in need. Hey GLWD is a good place to consider.

A Tip for LIPA: Knowledge is Power

Let me start this post with the fact that today marks the 11th day that I have been without power in my home, where I also have my office. But, post Sandy reality for me has been more of a major inconvenience than a major hardship.

I say this because I have still have a home; one that is whole, dry and undamaged. And I have dear friends who are housing us AND our dog! My parents home is also in perfect shape and they sit in the middle of a community that has been highly compromised. I was fortunate enough to help them get out of town to warmth and safety, since we had no idea when their town would be ‘reenergized’. (Good Lord, I am getting tired of THAT word)

I consider myself truly blessed.

This post is not about demanding accountability or judging the job LIPA is doing on the ground. I will assume they are doing the best they can. I do not have the knowledge of what their plan IS to make any judgement. THAT is exactly the problem.

I am writing this post in desperation for myself and my community; for those throughout LI who are sucking it up and dealing with their new normal the best they can. I am not saying, ‘plug me in first’, I am  only asking to be informed. If the news is grim, we are grown ups, we will deal with it.

Instead, we are left in the virtual dark; the communication to individual communities is non-existent. There are more rumors and speculation than facts. That is way more dangerous than serving up the truth.

How do we explain to Long Island Power Authority – LIPA that they are in the midst of one of the biggest social media fails of the century. Forget the tens of thousands of tree trimmers and linesman. Stop posting those ridiculous charts with number of customers and outage maps that mean nothing to us. Give us a solid line of two-way communication.

Respect us.

Where is their crisis management comm team? There is absolutely no managing of expectations where I live. I have seen @LIPAnews answer questions on twitter, but I have not received a single response to over a dozen tweets and Facebook posts. That poor soul manning their twitter account must be having a nervous collapse trying to keep up. I don’t blame them either.

What they need is a social media STAFF. Call a staffing agency that specialized in trained SM experts including a crisis strategist; I will be happy to give you some names. Set up an individual twitter and facebook account for each set of effected communities. Staff them. Team each group with a field manager who knows the daily updates and give them a direct line of communication to enable them to answer individual questions in realtime. This is not brain surgery, this is crisis management.

I have not seen a single truck in my ‘hood. So therefore people assume we are the forgotten and become angry. I get that there must be a plan. Tell me 3 weeks and I will cope. Tell me Long Beach needs power first to pump out their flooded homes and I will donate a week of juice to help them. (if you know me, I would… just don’t share that with my neighbors). I will even be your evangelist. But tell me nothing and ignore my tweets and you only inflame me.

Sending out an SOS. (fyi, it could be the 12 day sinus infection that is making me crankier)

Photo credit: Amy Zimmerman. Model Release: my deceased apple tree leaning on my neighbor’s house. If you know of a tree guy with some free time, give me a shout.

NOVEMBER 9TH UPDATE:

I will take back my comment about judging whether they were doing the job well or not… it is apparent this is, as Rep. Steve Israel said, ‘a disaster managing a disaster.

In a press conference today, local officials called for the Federal Government to take over the recovery effort from LIPA. Lack of communication with the public was one of the major complaints. A request was made to have a federal plan implemented immediately. Watch the press conference here. 

Time to Cry Tuesday – 9/11

A picture speaks 1,000 words and a word can inspire 1,000 pictures.

Remember.

Politics, Right to Choose, Religion

Hey, I bet that post title got your attention! Not my usual subject matter. But we may be able to file this entire election under theatre of the absurd, so maybe it is.

I have always held to the idea that these three topics should only be discussed in controlled, moderated environments. More friendships, marriages and business relationships have been tainted by engaging in passionate debate surrounding any of these three. You very rarely sway anyone on any of these subjects. You have your stray party crosser and religious converter, but I don’t think you have ever seen a right to choose flip to right to life, or vice versa, without a major blow to the head.

So here we are, in the throws of campaign season, in a time in history where bipartisan anything seems nearly impossible. We’ve got our first topic throwing our second topic into the land of fear and uncertainty. And topic number three – which in a perfect world would follow the concept of separation of church and state – driving the campaigns of the ultra conservative.

Sort of a mess, huh?

I am not highly political, but I am passionate about the rights that we, as a people, have gained from living in a free and democratic world (star-spangled banner playing softly in the background, please). And I have great concern that these hard-won freedoms like right to choose and marry, will be compromised by the ultra-conservative working to govern these rights on the basis of their beliefs. Yes, that is what drives my vote more than anything else. But it does not drive me to behave like a dick.

I have heard this from too many people lately; spouses, co-workers and life-long friends at each other’s throats on the topic of politics, trying to shove their views down those very same throats. Gone are the days of respectful debate. Don’t get me wrong, I have lived through the cycle of passion/self-absorption/apathy in my lifetime. I get that there is no perfect world. But what I do not get is blatant disrespect for the opinions of others. And wasted hot air, hysterical, fact-bending or outright fictional finger-pointing at the other side.

This is not a one issue campaign. And party lines will be crossed in both directions in the hopes of a magic bullet to cure the ails that were a long time in the making.

My point. Let’s take a deep breath and commit to being civil. Or as my aunt used to say when we were little, “Be Nice.” We thought it ridiculous at the time but now I am starting to get this simple credo.

Better yet, let’s Dance, Grow Things and Try Not to be a Dick.

Says it all, right?

May Certainly IS Zombie Apocalypse Month

So, I see this posted on Facebook today and seeing that we are big Zombie fans in this house I sent it to my business partner. Because, you know, we were insanely busy today with too many deadlines and I wanted my projects to get out first and make her look bad  to lighten things up a bit and make her laugh. I just thought this was funny until she clued me on on the horrific story in the news about the guy in Miami found naked and chewing another guys face. (How did I miss this story? Shame on me!) Apparently he was high on bath salts, the latest designer drug of choice… for zombie types, I suppose. This is simply too crazy to fathom.

Of course I posted this on my wall because it was just too insane and then I received a post on my timeline from an old friend about this lunatic in New Jersey (is that redundant?) who stabbed himself and then threw his skin and intestines at the cops trying to help him from self harm.

W.

T.

H.

People, I am convinced that we should all consider a quick refresher  course on zombie preparedness ASAP.

Thank goodness May is coming to a close.

Mothers of the Year – Tanorexic Mom and Pink Bikini Hooker Mom

Oh, how proud I am to live in the Northeast these days. We are blessed with two fabulous mother role models  just in time for Mother’s Day. How inspiring.

Some of you moms out there are worrying about your parenting skills. My friend Michelle Lamar has been writing about raising teens on Huff Po this week and lamenting about whether or not she is making sound choices. Have no fear, Michelle, these two beauties will make you feel much better.

Julio Cortez/AP Photos

Tanorexic mom? That would be the name of the new action figure doll from herobuilder.com that is modeled after the woman from Jersey who got all sorts of attention for obsessive tanning. The story started with an accusation of taking her little one into a tanning booth with her, but the media became so enthralled with her that she hit SNL this past weekend with a sketch that had me in tears. (I loved the toast part… I am such an infant)

Fox News

Then there is Pink Bikini Hot Dog Hooker Mom (name just rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it?) This morning as I poured my first cup of joe I was assaulted with the image of this lunatic. And, scary but true, she lives not far from where I grew up. As she told us so wisely, “Stripping and prostitution are 2 different things.” Ok, hon, so where does lap dancing fall? Better yet, where does lap dancing after luring the guys to your hot dog truck in a pink bikini. Talk about self esteem… I wish I could see what this chick sees when she looks in the mirror. I simply loved her closing statement on the news, “Come to Sunrise Highway in Baldwin tomorrow and I will have on my pink bikini and we’ll take a picture by the hot dawg truck.”

What’s the shot I can convince Gary that the best Mother’s Day gift he can give me would be a picture of him with this lunatic?

Friday the 13th

I love when this happens. People get all crazy and nervous and spend all sorts of energy trying to avoid bad luck; the intervention usually causes the accident.This is one of my strict playground theories and it carries over to real life quite well.

So, my Friday the 13th thing is that in 10th grade, my Social Studies teacher – Mr. Hansen – bless his sense of humor, thought it would be funny to put me in row 13, seat 13 for the Regents exam. You know, because although I had good grades I was sort of a wiseass. I know, that shocks most of you. Well, wouldn’t you know it… I aced the exam with a 98. From then on I felt I had broken the Friday the 13th curse.

I love to be a contrarian whenever possible. Again, a big surprise, I am sure.

Yesterday Mashable posted about Zombie Apocalypse preparedness with this lovely little map of the dead. Zombie fans, like Gary, will love this.

For the rest of you kiddies that are not Zombie predisposed, go out there and Carpe the friggin’ hell out of the Diem. Find a black cat and let it cross your path, walk under a ladder… do whatever the hell people freak out about when they are superstitous and prove this day to be lucky for you.

Either that or start drinking heavily at an early hour.

Protesting SOPA/PIPA

Credit: sopastrike.com

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 if you sign onto this blog you will find that I am joining sites all over the internet to protest this bill coming up in the Senate next week, S.968: the Protect IP Act (PIPA). this is an attempt to let U.S. lawmakers know how much opposition there is.

You will also find that I am in some pretty heavy hitting company. Wikipedia, Google, WordPress, Reddit, to name a few. There are many sites rumored to be participating, so don’t get frustrated when you sign onto the net tomorrow and find these blackouts.

While I am in full support of the protection of intellectual property, I fear this legislation has gone too far. I support a government that is willing to collaborate with internet thought leaders and innovators to reach a solution that makes sense for all parties.

This is grassroots organizing at its finest. I, as many others, worry that those who are voting on this legislation are thinking they are doing so with good intent to protect intellectual property, but have little understanding of the ramifications of their actions.

This video does a good job of explaining things. And this post from Mashable  outlines who the confirmed supporters are. This NYT front page article  is what I consider fair and balanced mainstream media coverage of the issue.

I urge you to take a little time to familiarize yourself with the issue and try to get a grasp on the ramifications. If you agree, please join the official strike here.

Thanks and I promise to come back and be funny on Thursday.

That must have been SOME slice!

Dr. Jimmy definitely wins the crazy link of the week award! Today we have another ridiculous news story from my fave midwestern town, Madison, WI.

A woman and her son went out for pizza, leaving their 70-year-old relative on the floor after a bad fall. The woman died two days later. Hey, who could blame them, the cheese in Wisconsin is to die for. (sorry, that was low, even for me).

And these two crazy nuts decided to stash her body in the garage. Yikes. The son told investigators that when his aunt was talking he ‘told her quite frankly to shut up.’ Charming guy.

The son’s name was… get this one… Steven King. (different spelling but nonetheless sort of ironic)

Horror story indeed!

9/11 + 10

We are all here. Some will reflect, others will try to ‘move on’. But we are all here, whether we like it or not. We sit 10 years out from the day that changed EVERYTHING. I try to remember what pre-9/11 felt like and I can only think of how my kids have no reference point. They were too young when it happened to have memories of air travel without taking off their shoes or worrying about liquids in tiny bottles. They have no idea what it was like to live in a world that did not have colored levels of terrorist warnings.

This is their norm. And there is nothing about post 9/11 life that saddens me more.

I keep remembering a class trip being cancelled some time shortly after 9/11 because we were in orange and schools in our area would not cross bridges or tunnels in orange. My son asked me what color level they cancelled class trips for when I was his age. It was hard to explain to him that there were no terror threats when I was young. He simply did not understand this.

It was not his norm.

The photo above was taken by Susan. She usually sends me funny things that she sees. This time she sent me something that moved her. As she said, finally a red cup put to good use. (for those without teenagers, the proverbial red cup is synonymous with teen drinking).

In case you can not read the copy in the photograph I am inserting it here. This is a fabulous interactive piece of art that allows everyone who sees it to take part in its power. If you are in the neighborhood I encourage you to go out of your way to participate in this.

“In observance of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, illegal art has marked each of the 110 floors on the sidewalk with chalk, starting at 5th Avenue and 14th street and heading north for 1, 368 feet (417 meters), the height of the taller of the two towers.

Passersby, like yourself, are encouraged to walk the height of the once standing buildings along 5th Avenue and write any words that express your feeling or experience related to 9/11.

www.illegalart.org

May the threats be idle and may you all heal but never forget the power of hate and the subsequent power of humanity that followed.