A friend of ours recently received a daunting diagnosis. The way his two adult daughters are reacting to the diagnosis are profoundly different. One is optimistic believing that, with the right treatment, he will be okay. The other feels that she is being more realistic in terms of the effect of this diagnosis. I do not know which daughter is right but my conversations with them got me to thinking about the difference between being an optimist or a pessimist.  

For some the pitch about joining Gotham involves business opportunities.  Members seek to sell their services or wares.  That may be a primary reason to network.  But for this member who complains not at all about business opportunities here, I submit Gotham offers much more.

It would appear a judge is fed up with incarcerating offenders who appear before him in court. A Michigan Judge Jeffrey Clothier is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters, ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring arrives.   He hopes this unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. He sometimes sees 48 cases on his docket in one day. Clothier said he anticipates 75 to 100 people will be ordered to wash cars in March and April.  

Legend has it that cockfighting abounded in Key West and was a Hemingway favorite. Then it was outlawed in 1986 and the roosters were set free. Unfortunately, in 1998, Hurricane George spread the fowl all over our tiny, pristine Paradise and they have been multiplying ever since. You know why a rooster crows, don't you? Mitigation has failed miserably and a city employed chicken catcher quit in the 2000s after swift backlash from chicken enthusiasts.

I sometimes wonder what I would take if I could only take what I could pack in one suitcase. I’m not talking about packing for a vacation. I am imagining taking and not returning. Perhaps it is the turmoil and catastrophic events that pervade the news… but that’s my imagination.And as I wonder about the contents of that suitcase, I always find myself including a piece of art.

Fred’s last blog about his dog Charcoal got me thinking a lot about our pup, Luna. The bond that has developed between us in just three months, is amazing. We can sense each other’s needs and know when something is not right with either of us.

This past week brought big and happy news in our family.   She said yes!!  

I was watching the movie Vengeance this week and, in the opening scenes, two male characters are discussing commitment. Their view on commitment was essentially, in this time of social media and instant gratification, why should they have to commit to anything? With endless options at their fingertips, why commit to personal relationships or long term goals?   The focus of their discussion was that that with a touch of a button, they can have the next great thing, whether it be a new relationship or a new career.