By Zeke Quezada
“So what do you think about Tiger Woods?”
Three different answers from the same guy to different people posing the question.
A woman asks the question:
The answer about Tiger Woods:
I cannot understand how one guy who has everything, a beautiful family, fame, fortune and he goes and blows it all for sex.
A man asks the questions:
The Answer about Tiger Woods:
Really, with all that cash you cannot just find a way to hide all your bad behavior? Damn, if that was me…
The rational answer about Tiger Woods:
We don’t know what goes on in the life of a public figure that is scrutinized at every turn. We have no clue what it feels like to have to be secluded and devoid of personal contact because you play golf better than anyone ever has. Imagine you gain all the notoriety and fame because you played golf with your father when you were a kid. You had some natural talent and you quickly become the best the game has ever known. Couple that with the pressure from society that you be the person they want you to be and the fact that everyone seems to need to know exactly what you do all the time.
Understand something, Tiger Woods is not some actor who decided to put his life on the big screen, on the small screen or on the stage, he plays golf, he keeps to himself and he usually avoids the spotlight when possible. Is he a public figure, yes, does he seek it out? I would venture to say, no.
Can he make a mistake? Of course, anyone can make a mistake. Is it fair that the media hounds him or any celebrity who has decided to act in a way that is not allowed by our culture?
No.
There is no real answer here other than to say that in the age of information where we know where Lance Armstrong is at any given moment and we can watch snow melt on glaciers we need to realize that this is a privilege and not a right.
We don’t have a right to see exactly what everyone else is doing regardless of what they have decided to do with their personal lives. Regardless of their profession we don’t get to automatically become their friend on Facebook and demand they update their Twitter account.
If celebrities so choose to do that, they are embarking on creating a public persona and we can only expect those status updates and not believe that now we are entitled to all information.
Why do we care?
We have no right to care.
So how do you feel about Tiger Woods?
Correct answer about Tiger Woods:
It’s none of my business.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Outside the Hotel Lobby: Going Local in Maui
By Zeke Quezada
Ask any true Hawaiian and they’ll tell you that you need to sample what real Hawaiians love to eat in order to get the feel for the island lifestyle and the culinary treats that await you on the 50th state.
Simply put you need to delve into the world of Hawaiian Poke (pronounced POH-kay). It is a Hawaiian staple and the island version of Japanese sashimi will have you craving the seafood section of Foodland until your next trip.
From any hotel on any island ask the valet or one of the local people working where to find the best poke, the answers will vary but soon you will come to a consensus. You’ll pay around $12 - $15 per pound of this comfort food and you will not be disappointed.
In Maui I sampled the Poke at the Fish Market Maui in Honokowai and was nearly crippled by the fresh tasting fish and the spices that were infused into the Ahi Tuna. Walk next door to Honokowai Okazuka and order the Mahi with Lemon Capers and you are set for a quick, affordable lunch. If you so desire, walk about 100 yards up the street and picnic at a beach side park.
Simple meals in Maui can save you a tremendous amount of money and you will be pleased that you ventured beyond the lobby of your resort.
Fish Market Maui
3600 Lower Honoapiilani Rd #H1
'North of Lahaina in 'Honokowai'
Lahaina, HI 96761
(808) 665-9895
http://www.fishmarketmaui.com/index.html
Honokowai Okazuka and Deli
3600 Lower Honoapiilani Road
'North of Lahaina in 'Honokowai'
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-665-0512
http://www.mauihawaii.org/restaurants/okazuya.htm
Other Resources for Poke in Maui:
Takamiya in Happy Valley
359 N Market St
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 244-3404
If you are looking for the highest quality local food in Maui, Takamiya Market is where it is at. The line running out into the street should explain that but once you experience the food you will realize that this is truly a hidden gem. Local food that will change the way you feel about eating in Hawaii.
What is Poke?
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Poke.htm
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/ZekeQuezada
Ask any true Hawaiian and they’ll tell you that you need to sample what real Hawaiians love to eat in order to get the feel for the island lifestyle and the culinary treats that await you on the 50th state.
Simply put you need to delve into the world of Hawaiian Poke (pronounced POH-kay). It is a Hawaiian staple and the island version of Japanese sashimi will have you craving the seafood section of Foodland until your next trip.
From any hotel on any island ask the valet or one of the local people working where to find the best poke, the answers will vary but soon you will come to a consensus. You’ll pay around $12 - $15 per pound of this comfort food and you will not be disappointed.
In Maui I sampled the Poke at the Fish Market Maui in Honokowai and was nearly crippled by the fresh tasting fish and the spices that were infused into the Ahi Tuna. Walk next door to Honokowai Okazuka and order the Mahi with Lemon Capers and you are set for a quick, affordable lunch. If you so desire, walk about 100 yards up the street and picnic at a beach side park.
Simple meals in Maui can save you a tremendous amount of money and you will be pleased that you ventured beyond the lobby of your resort.
Fish Market Maui
3600 Lower Honoapiilani Rd #H1
'North of Lahaina in 'Honokowai'
Lahaina, HI 96761
(808) 665-9895
http://www.fishmarketmaui.com/index.html
Honokowai Okazuka and Deli
3600 Lower Honoapiilani Road
'North of Lahaina in 'Honokowai'
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-665-0512
http://www.mauihawaii.org/restaurants/okazuya.htm
Other Resources for Poke in Maui:
Takamiya in Happy Valley
359 N Market St
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 244-3404
If you are looking for the highest quality local food in Maui, Takamiya Market is where it is at. The line running out into the street should explain that but once you experience the food you will realize that this is truly a hidden gem. Local food that will change the way you feel about eating in Hawaii.
What is Poke?
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Poke.htm
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/ZekeQuezada
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What will you say?
Some of us will say, “Finally”.
Some of us will say, “Now what do we do?”
Some of us will say, “Today, we were supposed to vote today?”
Some of us will say, “They got it, my vote would have been wasted.”
A few will say, “Get on with it, then.”
While others will say, “Finally, a place for me”
Still others will be angry, sad, happy, glad.
Some of us will say, “Change, I will believe it when I see it.”
Some of us will say, “It’s already happening”
Truthfully, only a few handfuls of people will understand what most people failed to realize long ago. In 5th grade some teacher probably explained the process. In 8th grade you were too full of angst, hormones or nervous energy to listen. In High school, well, did anyone learn anything in high school?
We learned the simplicity of our country's system was what made it work. Terms like checks and balance, executive, judicial and legislative were tossed around. Bicameral and electoral were used as both nouns and adjectives.
The constitution of this country has survived longer than any other, because it works to keep everyone in check. It keeps everyone from being too honest or too deceitful. Our system works to protect us from ourselves.
So, change is coming but only in the form of a different captain steering the canoe. Oh, he might head in a slightly different direction but the people with the paddles, (i.e. congress, governors, senators, council members, district heads, CEO’s, Cabinet Members, secretaries, plumbers, contractors, school teachers and students) still dictate what direction we really head into.
Think back, has any one President really revolutionized the way we do business? Before you answer with a statement that slices across party lines, consider the objective answer as opposed to the passionate political answer.
We live in a stable nation, with a stable democracy that is predicated on the simple fact that the people rule.
Now go and celebrate or go and ponder the future.
Oh, and make you sure you vote, just in case you need to complain.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Are You Having Any Fun?
By Zeke Quezada
Ask yourself: Are you having any fun?
What are you getting out of living?
I see this song at the top of my lungs and my son’s do the same. My oldest in a bashful way and my youngest as if he was on stage. Tony Bennett would be proud that his message was clearly getting across to my boys.
My life is simple; I dictate what I do on the premise that fun is necessary for living. If my children are smiling I must be doing something right.
That leads me to my everyday endeavors.
I struggle with the simple fact that I am surrounded by women every day. I rarely have the conversation about sports, about co-workers or about the things men talk about on a daily basis. I am a stay at home father. The truth is I work from home, but to most people they view me as the guy who walks his kids to school and plays in the front yard while the rest of the fathers in the neighborhood set off to work.
These days most people need to work, the concept of a housewife is so antiquated I feel dirty even saying the words. Everyone I know is a working mom or a working dad. I just happen to be a small fish in a sea full of female swimmers.
While most people would suggest that I really don’t have much in the way of sacrifice going on, the truth is when you commit to doing the job of the parent at home it is an all or nothing proposal. I find myself sitting in meetings that are meant to help the school where my oldest son attends and my youngest will one day enroll. I file homework for teachers and help with art projects. I have painted, read, taken pictures; I even was given a tooth by a kid once. That’s right, a 1st grader walked up to me and handed me his tooth.
So you might say, “You are lucky!”
I am.
More importantly, my children are happy. By choosing to work at home I have decided that my children will be my number one priority. I know that as I clean up after cats that my children love that I have very little space in my heart for. I see it as I ice skate with my child for hours as my lower back creaks with the pains of age. I feel it as my children hold my hand as we cross every street on the way to school.
I find it hard to believe that our priorities often don’t include the simple needs of our children. I figure I have a few years to do the things I will be glad I do not regret in twenty years. I have the opportunity to show my children the simple pleasure in life, the guiding principle of happiness is rooted in fun.
Recently, I read an article about Rupert Murdoch, a brilliant Businessman, he lamented that he regretted not taking a few more trips with his children. So often I have found myself digging deep holes in the sand as my children slid into the abyss created by their “papa”. I look across beaches and so many people forget that their kids are playing on a beach and that for that instant in time they too can enjoy the moment along with their kids.
Too many people forget how special it is for a child to hug you in the snow, to share a greasy slice of pizza with you or to hug you and say , “I love You”
My resounding principle of life is to never forget the miracle of having a child, of being able to help that special person through their life. To laugh at the silly things and to share the special moments that can only be shared between a parent and a child.
Too many people say that the best day of their life was when their children were born. I say that everyday after that only gets better. I have hope because I know that tomorrow will be way better than today. I know that if we laughed about the rain today, tomorrow we can laugh about the sunshine, or the snow or the wind.
My life is not just about my children, it’s about my family and it’s about redefining sacrifice. It’s about understanding that your family is so much of a nucleus of your life that the important things really are simple.
Simply put, Are you having any fun?
If you’re not, the chances that your children are not are pretty good.
I’m not sure that is why we are on this planet.
Ask yourself: Are you having any fun?
What are you getting out of living?
I see this song at the top of my lungs and my son’s do the same. My oldest in a bashful way and my youngest as if he was on stage. Tony Bennett would be proud that his message was clearly getting across to my boys.
My life is simple; I dictate what I do on the premise that fun is necessary for living. If my children are smiling I must be doing something right.
That leads me to my everyday endeavors.
I struggle with the simple fact that I am surrounded by women every day. I rarely have the conversation about sports, about co-workers or about the things men talk about on a daily basis. I am a stay at home father. The truth is I work from home, but to most people they view me as the guy who walks his kids to school and plays in the front yard while the rest of the fathers in the neighborhood set off to work.
These days most people need to work, the concept of a housewife is so antiquated I feel dirty even saying the words. Everyone I know is a working mom or a working dad. I just happen to be a small fish in a sea full of female swimmers.
While most people would suggest that I really don’t have much in the way of sacrifice going on, the truth is when you commit to doing the job of the parent at home it is an all or nothing proposal. I find myself sitting in meetings that are meant to help the school where my oldest son attends and my youngest will one day enroll. I file homework for teachers and help with art projects. I have painted, read, taken pictures; I even was given a tooth by a kid once. That’s right, a 1st grader walked up to me and handed me his tooth.
So you might say, “You are lucky!”
I am.
More importantly, my children are happy. By choosing to work at home I have decided that my children will be my number one priority. I know that as I clean up after cats that my children love that I have very little space in my heart for. I see it as I ice skate with my child for hours as my lower back creaks with the pains of age. I feel it as my children hold my hand as we cross every street on the way to school.
I find it hard to believe that our priorities often don’t include the simple needs of our children. I figure I have a few years to do the things I will be glad I do not regret in twenty years. I have the opportunity to show my children the simple pleasure in life, the guiding principle of happiness is rooted in fun.
Recently, I read an article about Rupert Murdoch, a brilliant Businessman, he lamented that he regretted not taking a few more trips with his children. So often I have found myself digging deep holes in the sand as my children slid into the abyss created by their “papa”. I look across beaches and so many people forget that their kids are playing on a beach and that for that instant in time they too can enjoy the moment along with their kids.
Too many people forget how special it is for a child to hug you in the snow, to share a greasy slice of pizza with you or to hug you and say , “I love You”
My resounding principle of life is to never forget the miracle of having a child, of being able to help that special person through their life. To laugh at the silly things and to share the special moments that can only be shared between a parent and a child.
Too many people say that the best day of their life was when their children were born. I say that everyday after that only gets better. I have hope because I know that tomorrow will be way better than today. I know that if we laughed about the rain today, tomorrow we can laugh about the sunshine, or the snow or the wind.
My life is not just about my children, it’s about my family and it’s about redefining sacrifice. It’s about understanding that your family is so much of a nucleus of your life that the important things really are simple.
Simply put, Are you having any fun?
If you’re not, the chances that your children are not are pretty good.
I’m not sure that is why we are on this planet.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Why do we need to have lunch?
By Zeke Quezada
Why do we get so nuts about diets and eating properly. I have been struggling tiwith the simple task of having lunch and the costs associated with the middle meal of the day. So I get hungry and I walk over to the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood and quickly scan the aisles.
“I better grab some coffee”, I remind myself as I feel the pulse of my blood flow in my right temple. I have an addiction, contrary to popular belief; it’s not alcohol, its coffee. Caffeine is a legal drug that is packaged so well, I find it hard not to overpay for a simple cup of hot water that is run though crushed beans.
It’s free, that’s why in the middle of the day I walk over in the searing heat just to enjoy a small cup in the comforts of the air conditioned produce aisle. I notice that the mid day crowd in this earthy place consists of overly polite but well intentioned stay at home moms. These are a bit different in that it seems as if they all spend the morning at yoga and have been eating healthy for longer than my usual day and a half.
If my wife was to see the mid-day clientele she might make me drive to a bad neighborhood for a snack.
As I top off my cup of black gold I notice a few of the women noticing me. It’s like I’m a zoo animal, sure I failed to properly comb my hair and the requisite wrinkled shirt is looking no better today than it did yesterday, but hygiene habits aside, it’s clear that I am the only male in the place.
Once again, if my wife was to see the mid day clientele she might make me drive to a bad neighborhood for a snack.
I give a polite and unthreatening smile; they both realize they have been staring. It’s comical, not because they were watching me but when left with very little else but the beige world of soccer moms somehow a guy in flip flops, drinking coffee while struggling to define the location of an itch seems worth looking at.
Don’t get me wrong, I clean up well. I just don’t see the need to clean up all that often. Believe me, if you could sit in crusty shorts and a shirt you have worn for two days you would. If corporate
So I walk past the generous selection of wines and I am tempted to peruse the aisle. Imagine, picking out a value bottle of red while drinking coffee. It could only get better if I was being pushed along on a cart while enjoying some type of sordid sex act that is usually reserved for pay per view at a seedy motel. Well, maybe no sex but at least a Pastrami sandwich. Yeah, that would be bliss.
So I opt to bypass the wine and I stumble across the frozen food section to discuss lunch with myself.
“Lets see, calamari rings? Too labor intensive. Fish sticks? Honestly, can you get any fatter? Teriyaki bowl? Possibility” I mumble to myself as I slowly inspect the goods in the aisle reserved for the women who decided that no bra would be a good choice for the grocery store. Frankly, it’s like they are teasing me with their nipples.
I repeat, if my wife was to see the mid day clientele she might make me drive to a bad neighborhood for a snack.
The results of my endeavor? I had coffee, I bought peanuts, sunflower seeds, Taquitos and guacamole. I’m watching movie trailers and my headache is slowly fading.
My conclusions? Morgan Freeman narrating anything, I’ll watch, twice. The grams of fat always seem to be exaggerated; the grams of saturated fat are generously inflated. Six taquitos in a microwave will eventually taste like damp paper and too much guacamole will drive you to the toilet.
One more thing, the itch I was trying to locate, seems to be bothering me more but I think I can make it to the store for some of that cream that helps with rashes.
Perhaps I should try fasting?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Am I Good Enough to Have a Cat?
So I finally caved in.
My son has long been a fan of having a pet but I thought the best way would be the route of learned responsibility. I never felt the need to rush him into a situation where he would not be prepared to handle the responsibilities that come with caring for another living thing.
So he began with caring for a hermit crab, to a rat, to a few fish. Along the way he learned so much about feeding, cleaning and caring for organisms that depend upon him for their survival.
I should point out that one day my son will be chained to a tree in Northern California fighting for old growth forests. He has a liberal streak that must come from my wife, because I am sure that my views are nowhere near that far from the right. I applaud his belief in all things green and in protecting all things living.
That gets us to his inevitable desire to have a cat.
After a great deal of research, discussion and preparation for both our children and our home we decided as a family that we would all be prepared to take on the responsibility of introducing a cat into our lifestyle.
So, the best route after talking with my fair share of “experts” was to go the adoption route. A few facts that I was made aware of through adopt a pet that helped in this decision to go with adopting a pet:
• 7 million adoptable pets are put to sleep each year, including millions of cats and kittens.
• It is estimated that 70% of homeless cats and kittens are "put to sleep
• According to the Humane Society of the United States, 10,000 babies are born in the U.S. on any given day. On that same day, however, 40,000 kittens are born. Match those two statistics up, and you'll see that there will never be enough homes for all the kitties born in this country unless we all pledge to do two things: 1) take responsibility for spaying and neutering our pets, and 2) adopt a cat or kitten from a shelter or cat & kitten rescue organization.
After reading enough information from and completely reacquainting myself with the habits and necessities of cats with the help of an incredible resource at cats.about.com
We prepared ourselves to find a new member of our family at our local chain pet store. Saturday pet adoption days bring in a lot of cats and kittens and we spent an ample amount of time acquainting ourselves with a few animals and my son settled on one as he said, “He already loves me”
The process was explained and I began the journey through the application process. A two page application that contained more detail than recent mortgage applications was handed to me. (Maybe that’s why we are in a financial mess in this country, a topic for another day) I did my best to fill out the application as honestly as I could. My son sat beside me and we answered the questions together in order to involve him in the entire process.
I was told they would get back to me in a couple of days. We left the store and my son was excited at the prospect of getting a cat. He was well aware of the reason behind the application, although he was a little disappointed he liked the idea that people were treating the animals with the respect and care he would any other living thing.
Two days later a response was in my email in box with these two questions.
In processing of your application a couple of questions have arisen.
1] You have mentioned that you don’t know when / how much time the kitty would be spending outdoors. Can you elaborate a little bit about what this would depend upon, and whether there would be any restrictions to the kitten’s outdoor access (i.e. length of time, time of day, etc.)? Also, a little information about the area where the kitty might be allowed access, such as is it fenced to protect kitty from the possibility of a dog attack, would there be places for kitty to take shelter from sun/rain?
2] You did not answer the section that asked if you were prepared to cover any vet expenses your pet may incur throughout its life and if there is a limit, how much is too much?
Now I have to say that I was already put off buy some of the questions on the initial application as I was forced to make decisions about how much I could actually care for a cat. I made sure that my son answered honestly because there is no value in having your son create answers just to make things go his way.
This is my response:
Thank you for your consideration of the application.
We wish to retract our application for a kitten through your service. I applaud your efforts to place these incredible animals in the right situations.
It seems as though the questions both in this email and on your applications place too much weight on the unknown. Do we know how much time we will have the Kitten outside or inside for that matter? No, obviously we would find the correct amount of time for our family. Do we know if we would spend an endless amount of money on a cat? Once again these are questions that I could easily fabricate an answer to but realistically do not know. Do you want me to wholeheartedly agree to support the unknown? That would be unfair.
I do understand that your organization does a good job of placing animals and I also am fully aware that you have had to deal with the wrong type of people who have attempted to adopt animals. That is fully understood and not discounted but I am not, and my family is not prepared to fully answer questions based on your strict criteria.
My wife, our two boys and I are looking for an addition to our family. We have thoroughly thought through the process and have done a great deal of research. We just believe that some questions do remain unanswerable until we actively have a pet in the household.
Thank you for your consideration and continue doing a great service.
Zeke Quezada
We did eventually get a cat, but we did not get an animal from this adoption agency and it made me think about the growing numbers of cats without homes in our country.
Are those people who are trying to be part of the solution also part of the problem? Are there families out there who would be a good fit who just do not fit the mold for an arbitrary decision by a person who is volunteering their time by screening would be pet owners?
We were never turned down, but the process was such that I soon felt that I could have created the best possible scenario on paper and would have been given a cat. Instead I told the truth and the truth was not going to work.
I’m conflicted, did I do the right thing by abandoning the initial service and going a different route with adopting a pet?
One thing for sure, my children are excited, the addition to our family is having a wonderful time and the story ended fine for us. But I can’t help to think that somewhere there are cats who do not get placed because one person has decided that only a select few will fit the bill.
My son has long been a fan of having a pet but I thought the best way would be the route of learned responsibility. I never felt the need to rush him into a situation where he would not be prepared to handle the responsibilities that come with caring for another living thing.
So he began with caring for a hermit crab, to a rat, to a few fish. Along the way he learned so much about feeding, cleaning and caring for organisms that depend upon him for their survival.
I should point out that one day my son will be chained to a tree in Northern California fighting for old growth forests. He has a liberal streak that must come from my wife, because I am sure that my views are nowhere near that far from the right. I applaud his belief in all things green and in protecting all things living.
That gets us to his inevitable desire to have a cat.
After a great deal of research, discussion and preparation for both our children and our home we decided as a family that we would all be prepared to take on the responsibility of introducing a cat into our lifestyle.
So, the best route after talking with my fair share of “experts” was to go the adoption route. A few facts that I was made aware of through adopt a pet that helped in this decision to go with adopting a pet:
• 7 million adoptable pets are put to sleep each year, including millions of cats and kittens.
• It is estimated that 70% of homeless cats and kittens are "put to sleep
• According to the Humane Society of the United States, 10,000 babies are born in the U.S. on any given day. On that same day, however, 40,000 kittens are born. Match those two statistics up, and you'll see that there will never be enough homes for all the kitties born in this country unless we all pledge to do two things: 1) take responsibility for spaying and neutering our pets, and 2) adopt a cat or kitten from a shelter or cat & kitten rescue organization.
After reading enough information from and completely reacquainting myself with the habits and necessities of cats with the help of an incredible resource at cats.about.com
We prepared ourselves to find a new member of our family at our local chain pet store. Saturday pet adoption days bring in a lot of cats and kittens and we spent an ample amount of time acquainting ourselves with a few animals and my son settled on one as he said, “He already loves me”
The process was explained and I began the journey through the application process. A two page application that contained more detail than recent mortgage applications was handed to me. (Maybe that’s why we are in a financial mess in this country, a topic for another day) I did my best to fill out the application as honestly as I could. My son sat beside me and we answered the questions together in order to involve him in the entire process.
I was told they would get back to me in a couple of days. We left the store and my son was excited at the prospect of getting a cat. He was well aware of the reason behind the application, although he was a little disappointed he liked the idea that people were treating the animals with the respect and care he would any other living thing.
Two days later a response was in my email in box with these two questions.
In processing of your application a couple of questions have arisen.
1] You have mentioned that you don’t know when / how much time the kitty would be spending outdoors. Can you elaborate a little bit about what this would depend upon, and whether there would be any restrictions to the kitten’s outdoor access (i.e. length of time, time of day, etc.)? Also, a little information about the area where the kitty might be allowed access, such as is it fenced to protect kitty from the possibility of a dog attack, would there be places for kitty to take shelter from sun/rain?
2] You did not answer the section that asked if you were prepared to cover any vet expenses your pet may incur throughout its life and if there is a limit, how much is too much?
Now I have to say that I was already put off buy some of the questions on the initial application as I was forced to make decisions about how much I could actually care for a cat. I made sure that my son answered honestly because there is no value in having your son create answers just to make things go his way.
This is my response:
Thank you for your consideration of the application.
We wish to retract our application for a kitten through your service. I applaud your efforts to place these incredible animals in the right situations.
It seems as though the questions both in this email and on your applications place too much weight on the unknown. Do we know how much time we will have the Kitten outside or inside for that matter? No, obviously we would find the correct amount of time for our family. Do we know if we would spend an endless amount of money on a cat? Once again these are questions that I could easily fabricate an answer to but realistically do not know. Do you want me to wholeheartedly agree to support the unknown? That would be unfair.
I do understand that your organization does a good job of placing animals and I also am fully aware that you have had to deal with the wrong type of people who have attempted to adopt animals. That is fully understood and not discounted but I am not, and my family is not prepared to fully answer questions based on your strict criteria.
My wife, our two boys and I are looking for an addition to our family. We have thoroughly thought through the process and have done a great deal of research. We just believe that some questions do remain unanswerable until we actively have a pet in the household.
Thank you for your consideration and continue doing a great service.
Zeke Quezada
We did eventually get a cat, but we did not get an animal from this adoption agency and it made me think about the growing numbers of cats without homes in our country.
Are those people who are trying to be part of the solution also part of the problem? Are there families out there who would be a good fit who just do not fit the mold for an arbitrary decision by a person who is volunteering their time by screening would be pet owners?
We were never turned down, but the process was such that I soon felt that I could have created the best possible scenario on paper and would have been given a cat. Instead I told the truth and the truth was not going to work.
I’m conflicted, did I do the right thing by abandoning the initial service and going a different route with adopting a pet?
One thing for sure, my children are excited, the addition to our family is having a wonderful time and the story ended fine for us. But I can’t help to think that somewhere there are cats who do not get placed because one person has decided that only a select few will fit the bill.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Did You Help Heal The Bay?
If you considered how well you lived your life would it be fair to say that you have taken as much as you have given? Have you done your part to deplete as much as necessary to make sure that at some point someone that you know is not going to appreciate one of the things you enjoy?
You know what I’m talking about, fossil fuels, sea bass, swordfish, oil, coal, or even water?
What kind of a question is that? It is almost the militant approach to trying to save the environment. Almost as, if you don’t feel guilty about the way you live your life you might as well write letters of apology to your offspring now.
I watched as a group of volunteers did their part to clean Santa Monica Bay and I wondered to myself why I did not feel the need to join the coastal clean up. Heal the Bay is a great organization and they do their best to make sure the water in Santa Monica bay does not get anymore polluted than it already is. Believe me it can look a bit bad on any given day. No, instead of helping out I was gliding across the water as 12,262 other people helped clean up an ocean that is minutes from my own home and in which I spend an inordinate amount of time both in and on.
The volunteers gathered about 181,000 pounds of debris. My son would call it Marine debris, because he is well versed in the plight of the marine ecosystem and our need to step up and protect it.
Did nothing for me, I was still working on my tan instead of lending some time and energy to fixing the problem.
Can you imagine there have been 99 bacteria limit violations over the past six months? The water is practically glowing and I still listened to Jimmy Buffet from the deck of my sailboat.
Why?
Consider that just a tiny amount under 10 million people live in
Even though I know that I still did not help. What is wrong with me?
I got me to thinking about simple things that the environmental sect like to talk about like global warming and the decimation of rain forest. I then considered gas prices and food prices. Are there bigger fish to fry in our daily lives and that is precisely why we all seem indifferent to the growing problems that plague our environment?
I hear the celebrities talk about Carbon Footprints and Carbon Credits. Imagine you buy a carbon credit so that you can fly your private jet around the world and have no guilt whatsoever. Meanwhile, the guy who saved for two years to finally get his family to
These days you can also consider a similar credit that is called avoided deforestation, it works in a similar way and you put down some cash, based on an idea that emissions are some how mitigated because you paid up front to pollute. So does that mean that because my children can possibly appreciate a country with such a diverse number of organisms, such as
Now, I do not profess to understand the entire economics of the situation but why just not pollute? I’m sure that would be a much larger issue so I’ll get back to the real issue.
Heal the Bay. How many members do they have? Considering that we all seemingly pee in the ocean in one way or the another shouldn't we all be proactive and do something about it?
We should. But we don’t and I am not sure why.
Our kids will most likely do it because they will know better but a great deal of us could very well ruin it before they arrive. Organizations like kids for saving the earth, Tree People and The Sierra Club do their part to help the future of this planet but what about those of us that grew up riding in the backseat of station wagons and using aerosol cans?
I glide across the water in my sailboat and I know it should be cleaner. How can one group take on the monumental task of preventing a population from dumping on our environment? Is it a catchy slogan? Is government going to swoop down and save us? Should we encroach upon the freedoms of Angelenos by imposing a “bay credit”. Imagine a small fee to continue using your toilet because it inadvertently makes it way to the bay.
All I know is that whoever is running the ad campaigns for the beer companies and the fast food magnets should offer up a little time to get us to participate in something worthwhile. What I don’t believe we need is a concerted effort at making us feel guilty. I rarely do things out of guilt but I am sure I can be motivated to do plenty when I understand the venture.
Maybe I should install a toll booth in my restroom.
You know, just so that I am ahead of the game.
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