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Just what exactly is it about Karen Hughes that "our current president" thinks is going to convince the Arab world to be our friends?
Could there possibly be a more unqualified person to be the Undersecretary of State for Convincing the Arab World to Love the USA (or whatever her official title is)?
Dallas soccer mom. Conservative. Power broker. Exactly at what level does she connect with anyone in the Arab world?
It's no wonder the whole freakin' world hates us.
Times, they are definitely a changin' here in our little hometown. Maybe times are not a'changin' so much as "building and institution names" are, but still. It's a lot of change and I'm not so sure I like it.
First, our beloved Bank One Ballpark was renamed last week. I guess that was just a matter of time since JP Morgan Chase bought Bank One awhile back. Since Bank One owned the naming rights (at a cost of $60 million+) through the year 2028, I suppose it was only natural for the new owners to want to use their name. I hate it, though. I hate corporate names for public buildings anyway, but in this case, I kind of grew to like the name, Bank One Ballpark. Not because I cared about the company behind the name, and not because I thought it rolled off the tongue. But everyone in town just called it, "the BOB." If anyone mentioned anything about "BOB," you knew immediately what they were talking about. It was kind of cool to be the only city probably in the world whose residents were so proud of a building with such a dorky name. New York might have Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden. Chicago has Wrigley. But only in Phoenix was there a BOB.
No more. Sadly, JP Morgan Chase officially renamed the building last weekend to Chase Field. I don't hate that name, but it's just so boring and corporate-sounding. Even if the Diamondbacks were to repeat their amazing 2001 World Series come-from-behind-in-the-9th-inning win in Chase Field, I can't imagine I'll ever feel the same about it. It'll always be just good ol' BOB to me.
As if that weren't enough, our "hometown airline," America West Airlines, loses its name tomorrow when its merger with US Airways closes. While AWA technically is buying US Airways, and the corporate headquarters of the merged company will remain here, the name is changing, and that feels like a loss. For anyone who's lived in the valley for any length of time, that's got to be kind of tough to accept. We've watched America West go from a start-up, to a major airline, to a bankrupt airline, to a re-emerged from bankruptcy airline. We've watched as the company struggled to stay afloat after 9/11, and probably everyone in the city knows someone who works for the company. It's just a part of the fabric of the city. It's sad to see the name go.
And, of course, there's a major public building whose name is going to change as a result. America West Arena will be renamed next month. While not as fun as BOB, I always liked the name since it kind of didn't even sound like a corporate name - I mean, it wouldn't be unreasonable for a city in the American west to name its premier sporting facility "America West Arena," even if there was no airline to pay for it. It just seemed like the name fit. No word yet on what the new name of the arena will be, but I'm sure it'll be "US Airways Arena." That's just sad.
I've been trying to think for a long time exactly what it is I can do to contribute to society. I mean, I'm a law-abiding citizen (at least the vast majority of the time and if you don't count driving a little too fast every now and then), I slog to a job that could be construed as meaningful I suppose, and I pay my taxes. But, I've felt guilty that I'm not doing anything to help fight what I see as one of this country's greatest challenges - dealing with a dwindling supply of fossil fuels (ie, gasoline).
I think I've figured it out, though. I'm going to start telecommuting to work. I've been thinking that I should start doing that for quite awhile - I have a fast internet connection to work, so I can sit at home and deal with 90%+ of what it is I need to deal with everyday. Sure, I need to go to the office several days a week for meetings or when I need to physically be there for whatever reason, but with a telephone and a fast internet connection, there are many many days when I just really don't need to be in the office.
Today was a good example. We bought some new kitchen appliances this weekend and had the delivery & installation scheduled for this afternoon. Instead of leaving Ed here to deal with that himself, I decided to come home after lunch so I could help deal with any issues that might come up. While waiting, I could work from home. Unfortunately, the delivery guys cancelled (like that ever doesn't happen!), so I was left with an entire afternoon of working from home uninterrupted. It was probably one of the most productive blocks of time I've had work-wise in a very long time. No interruptions with people stopping by to ask me some silly question or carry on a conversation I have no interest in carrying on, no listening to annoying conversations from loud and inconsiderate work neighbors. Just 4 or 5 hours of uninterrupted work.
Even though it didn't count today since I did drive a round trip to and from work, if I were to telecommute just one day a week for the entire day, I'd reduce my gasoline consumption by 20%. Maybe not a huge amount, but if everyone were to cut their consumption by that amount, I suspect our energy woes would be a lot less serious. Plus, I get the added benefit of not having to see (or hear) all those loudmouths that drive me to the edge of insanity everyday.
I've been struggling all week to figure out what it is I'm feeling about hurricane Katrina and her aftermath. I'm definitely feeling something, but I can't for the life of me put it into words.
I don't think there really are any words to describe the scenes that have been playing out on the news this week or my reaction to them. It's really just beyond my poor brain's ability to comprehend.
I know disasters of the same general magnitude (ie, total complete destruction) have happened all over the world with a lot of regularity, but with the possible exception of the Asian tsunami, it's always been hard to really "connect" with the victims and the tragedy they're facing. Usually in a foreign country, and more often than not in a Third World country at that, the disasters just seem like something tragic but far away. The concern I feel is only fleeting and it's easier to chalk the loss of life and property to the fact that those countries don't have the infrastructure of a more modern country. Not that I'm proud of that fact, but it's true. Even the tsunami probably would have seemed much less "real" to me had a high-profile American like Nate Berkus not been affected in such a big way.
But, this time, it's right here in America, and things like that just aren't supposed to happen here. Americans aren't supposed to wake up one morning and realize that literally everything about life as they had known it was completely obliterated. Not just changed or made more difficult. Obliterated.
They're not supposed to wake up one morning and have to fend for themselves with no home, no shelter, no food, no water, no electricity, no money, no way out, no communication with the outside world, no way to defend themselves. They're not supposed to face horrible diseases because of the putrid water and dead bodies surrounding them. I realize that people will argue that homeless people in America fight some of those battles every day, in every city of the country. I don't mean to minimize what they face at all, but I really don't think that it compares to what thousands, or tens of thousands, of people in Katrina's wake are facing.
I've tried all day to focus on my work and haven't spent a lot of time reading up on the day's latest news, nor have I seen any TV coverage today. But, I've seen headlines enough today and have seen enough TV coverage at night this week to know that the situation is going from utterly disastrous to something even worse than Stephen King could dream up for one of his horror novels.
Some excerpts from CNN's main article that are just impossible for my brain to process:
A police officer working in downtown New Orleans said police were siphoning gas from abandoned vehicles in an effort to keep their squad cars running.
The officer said police are "on their own" for food and water, scrounging up what they can from anybody who is generous enough to give them some -- and that they have no communication whatsoever. Police also told CNN they were removing ammunition from looted gunshops in an effort to get it off the streets.
The evacuation of patients from Charity Hospital was halted after the facility came under sniper fire, while groups of armed men wandered the streets, buildings smoldered and people picked through stores for what they could find.
"There are multiple people dying at the convention center," Lawrence said. "There was an old woman, dead in a wheelchair with a blanket draped over her, pushed up against a wall. Horrible, horrible conditions.
"We saw a man who went into a seizure, literally dying right in front of us."
There really are no words.
