10 Commandments Hike

Holding a special "kudu horn" or shofar, here I am at the 2007 Ten Commandments Hike

Five times in as many years I have organized an interfaith march along historic New Orleans streets for the Boy Scouts. Sponsored by the Southeast Louisiana Council (with a major push from the Jewish Committee on Scouting), the Ten Commandments Hike has received critical praise and overwhelming support from diverse groups within and without the Scouting community. As a matter of fact, it is the only event in which members of both the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA participate. The idea of the hike is to promote acceptance and tolerance of major faith groups as well as to advocate for physical fitness. The Twelfth Point of the Scout Law is "A Scout is reverent." To that end and to promote a Scout's duty to God, the participants gather at one of the many designated houses of worship and hear about one of the Ten Commandments before leaving for another and then another. The hike is designed to be age-friendly for the younger and older segments of those participating. For Cub Scouts and others from six- to eleven-years old, the hike is four miles long encompassing eight of the ten stops along majestic Carrollton and St. Charles Avenues. For older Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and adults, the remainder of the hike is another two miles long. At the end of each segment, participants climb aboard the historic St. Charles streetcar and return to the starting point just prior to sundown. This year's day-long event on November 27 enjoys stops at Episcopal, Catholic, Presbyterian, Jewish, United Methodist, Mormon, Lutheran and Baptist houses of worship. But an interesting thing has occurred this year. Perhaps it is the ever flattening economy or perhaps it is that boredom has set in, but for some reason our usual numbers are off and less than ten days remain before the hike takes place. This year's hike is important in that it kicks off awareness of the centennial year of Scouting in the United States among the various faith groups. Founded on February 8, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has always counted on support from religious factions and major faith groups as major partners. So, in an effort to drum up support and get more participants, I am officially plugging this year's hike. EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE can take part. You don't have to be a Scout or even know one (although you do know me, I guess). Here is the link to sign up online. Oh, and don't forget about submitting the medical form and registration information. Hope to see you at this year's hike. Woo hoo!

The skin of my teeth

The last week has been bit of a haze for me. Monday I underwent periodontal surgery on the upper right and lower left portions of my gumline. The three and a half hour ordeal was made easier by the use of copious amounts of lidocaine that rendered parts of my nose, lips and oral orifice numb for 24 hours. There's nothing so freeing as to dribble liquid unintentionally over yourself following a procedure like this. It's those little things that make the other more disgusting and painful outcomes of surgery seem somehow a bit more tenable. Thank goodness for pain medications and an attentive staff who called me daily to check on my progress. In any event, as you can attest, I did survive and indeed made it through the initial bland-and-soft-food-only days with a certain aplomb and esprit-de-corps. It's like the song "New York, New York." If I can make it there (through this), I 'll make it anywhere (through anything)." There is no doubt we take our mouths for granted. It is only in disquieting times like this when we are advised not to speak and counseled as to what we can put inside our mouths that the daily importance of smiling, eating and even kissing loom large. I can admit that the most difficult post-operative prohibition I dealt with was not talking. Oh, what would I have given to have had a universal translator or some other fictional futuristic device to aid me in my dire time of no communication! I had a pad of paper and a pen that I tried using, but given my poor pensmanship, cursive writing is a labor in futility for me. I liken it to surfing the Internet with Mosaic. It could be done, but why bother? I am so accustomed to typing for all my writing that I think in keystrokes. It probably was a good thing that I had a handful of pain medications to down at the time and help me cope. The relative lack of pain kept my spirits up and allowed me to deal with my recovery in a measured and steady manner. By the end of this past week I was talking and eating in a more natural way. I admit I was not really feeling up to writing a whole lot or chowing down on a thick steak or a box of peanuts. The last week I've had several instances where I should have written something. Disgraced former U.S. Representative William Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years behind bars and both New Orleans Chief of Technology Gregory Meffert and his wife Lisa and his computer-savvy crony Mark St. Pierre were arraigned in federal court on a variety of charges. Looks like when I finally do recover, I'll have plenty to write about. Oh, well, time to remove the sutures.

One Ida, One Ani

Some of you may have heard. It's November. Apparently, that fact escaped notice from Mother Nature because an extremely rare November storm named Ida lashed North America over the past few days. While attentions were being paid in Louisiana to football games and the fallout from last weekend's Voodoo Fest, Hurricane Ida blindsided the Big Easy. After hitting the Carribean, the storm entered the Gulf of Mexico, poised to strike the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coasts. According to meterologists, Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm, but it still will be a significant rain event. Meanwhile, Ani Kafavian, a renowned classical violinist whose sister Ida of the Beaux Arts Trio, was due to be in town tonight for a concert sponsored by the Friends of Music. The concert is now slated for November 10. Uh-oh. Gotta fly. My periodontist beckons me to have oral surgery about now. When I hear the word "oral" pronounced, I prefer a litany of other choices to follow it, surgery being my least favorite of word choices.

Yankees go home

For the 27th time the New York Yankees are world champions, winners of the coveted and heralded Commissioner's Trophy that signals they have won four out of the seven-game World Series. It's the first time the Yankees have won since 2000 and the first year they opened their new stadium. Back in 1923 the Yankees did the same thing. They opened a new stadium (soon to be called "the house that Ruth built") and won all the marbles that year. Winning has been a part of the Yankees' tradition. Fact is, they have won more World Series than any other ball club and have several significant records to reflect on their dominance in Major League Baseball. The crowning glory of this year's victory this year was they defeated last year's Series winners, the Philadelphia Phillies. 2008 was the first year in recent memory they didn't figure into the post-season, so posting the best average in the league was a great place to start, but taking the title was even more important. There was a time when winning and the name Yankees were almost synonymous. True Yankee fans will harp back to that incredible run from 1996 to 2003 when the team went to six World Series and won four. Of that four most fans will point out, the Yankees had a run of three consecutive Series wins (1998-2000). It would seem their losing ways hit a nadir last year. But look. The birds are flying ever more lightly this day and the air seems somewhat more refreshing than it has in years. The moon looked a bit brighter, perhaps showing the sun was beaming ever more brilliantly. Indeed, the universe is back on an even keel, because Yankee fans take to losing about as well as penguins do to living alone. It just can't be done for very long without the entire fabric of society shredding away. So, for the seventh time since 1973, the New York Yankees are world champions. Philadelphia put up a good fight, especially in Game One. But world champions they are no more. Sorry, Boston fans. Sorry, my friends in Cleveland. This is one of those special times where you won't hear us saying "wait until next year."

Windows 7

I've been keeping a bit mum about Windows 7, the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft. Windows 7 is basically Windows Vista without any of the problems that beset that operating system at its initial release. Most of the problems associated with Windows Vista were hardware related and not the fault of the operating system, which did offer significant improvement in a number of areas over Windows XP, most notably that in security. Unfortunately, the bad rap it suffered from the start kept it from being implemented into more workplaces. Many clients actually preferred to stick with older versions of Windows XP rather than upgrade to Windows Vista because they were sure it would cause problems on their local workstations. Ironically, those that upgraded from older downlevel client operating systems like Windows 2000 Professional or were implementing computers on a local network for the first time, thought Vista was a huge improvement. Many of the problems with Vista have been ironed out in the last several years, which is why Microsoft used Vista as the basis for its latest operating system. There are some significant differences with Windows 7, especially as it relates to the desktop. There are some very cool features here, most of which require actual hands-on use rather than a description by me. The main thing to remember is that Microsoft got a black eye from the pushback it suffered from the initial release of Windows Vista. It is not making the same mistake with Windows 7, which it released October 22 at the same time it released an upgrade to its Windows 2008 Server package: Windows Server 2008 R2. As it turns out, there are some very sharp applications that work in concert with Windows 7 Professional and Windows Server 2008 R2. Please remember this does not apply to Windows 7 Starter or Home operating systems. I have never recommended any Microsoft Home operating system for a business, but I can understand an end user wanting to save money when purchasing a new computer intended for a home network. Frankly, I believe there are benefits accrued when using Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Professional in the workplace or at home if spending the extra $100 is not crucial to one's budget. Today I took part in a seminar related to the benefits of installing Windows 7 over existing networks. I am intelligent enough to know that the downside of Windows 7 is likely to be glossed over, but for the most part I am impressed. It seems to me that it's worth upgrading to this new operating system, especially for those who have not upgraded in the past five years. Also, in the back of my mind I know that Windows 8 won't be that far off either.

The second burning of Atlanta

This time there wasn't a Big Ben play. The Saints simply took it to Atlanta, hung in tough and, despite some ugly play at times, held onto their lead and won ESPN's Monday night NFL game 35-27. For the first time before the home crowd in the Superdome the boys in black and gold trailed their opponent, even though that lead was a short one. Quarterback Drew Brees outgunned his counterpart on the Falcons, Matt Ryan, in a convincing manner. with his stable of tight ends and running backs (Colston, Henderson, Shockey and Thomas) and extended the lead for the Saints to 3-1 in the NFC's South Conference. Colston was credited with making a couple of key plays in his 85-yard game in which he also scored one touchdown, while Pierre Thomas registered a 100-yard game with 91 yards gained on the ground. Even Reggie Bush managed to score his sixth TD for the year with the go-ahead points that put his team into the lead for good. The Saints also were at the top of their game defensively with heavy pressure applied to Ryan and his offense both on the line and on the passing routes. Tracy Porter was credited with a possible game-saving interception in the fourth quarter. Brees admitted that he thought the Saints could play better. "I don't think we played that great today," he shot back at newsmen after the game. "I think our best is yet to come." Maybe he's right, but for most of those who are used to seeing the Saints start and stop from season to season, it is refreshing to see the team register so well and play mostly injury free. Only one other team, Indianapolis, led by New Orleanian quarterback Peyton Manning is still undefeated. There's still at least nine more games left to the season, so it's good to not get too overconfident or cocky. But at 7-0, the Saints' record is tied for their best start in franchise history. The coffee and chickory tastes a bit better this morning and everyone is smiling broadly as they go about their daily rituals. Next week is a short one in terms of preparation with conference rival Carolina.

Meanwhile, the National League champs Philadelphia Phillies fought against elimination at the hands of the American League New York Yankees last night at the same time. They'll play at least one more game in New York on Wednesday night to determine who will win the World Series after winning the fifth game last night 8-6. The Yankees lead the series 3 games to 2 and have never lost to any team in previous series play when they led 3-1. Chris Utley, who has proven to be a one-man scoring machine for the Phils tied a record previously held by Reggie Jackson for hitting five home runs in a World Series. Utley hit two more four-baggers last night. Mark my words. If he hits another home run in the next game (or the final game, if necessary), we may all be calling Utley "Mr. November."

An hour saved is a month gained

Halloween was probably the most perfect of nights this year. There was a large, practically full moon lighting the way for the children, who gleefully ran through the streets from house to house seeking candy and treats. The night had just the slightest of chills to take the edge off a warm day, making a glass of wine (or was that blood?) a perfect libation to take it all in. Then, after a long night of merrymaking, it was time to sleep and to worship the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin, the first man to propose Daylight Saving Time or, as some people refer to it, Summer Time. The idea first cropped up in the writings of Dr. Franklin in 1784 in Paris, when he was acting as an American delegate for the young nation to France. The idea took root when several Frenchmen ran with the idea, but nothing came of it until over a century later when British builder William Willett in his pamphlet "Waste of Time" proposed clocks be turned back 20 minutes for four successive Sundays in April and turned back ahead in the fall. Imagine dealing with four separate time changes in the spring and the fall. Daylight Saving Time has its critics, but with few exceptions statistics have indicated a one percent savings in nationwide energy costs. Not every state participates in Daylight Saving Time. Arizona and portions of Indiana do not as is the case for Hawaii and American territories in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. Countries in Asia and Africa typically don't observe Daylight Saving Time either. Countries along the equator get equal amounts of sunshine and daylight, so it would make it foolhardy to implement it as well. During World War II, "double" Daylight Saving Time was implemented in Great Britain, meaning clocks were set back two hours for additional savings. Luckily, Daylight Saving Time has been standardized in the United States for some time. Implemented in April of each year, we lose an hour's sleep and retrieve that hour when we return to Standard Time, usually in late October (or, as it was technically this year, very, very early November). It's nice to get that extra hour of sleep and this year was no exception. But a curious thing happened. No sooner did I get back that hour than a new month loomed large. It is November, after all. I reckon it is only a little over four weeks from Thanksgiving and that means the holiday season is also fast approaching. Without fanfare one hour of rest was retrieved and, without expecting it, reality began to sink in. Planning for holiday parties means Mardi Gras balls and parades are not that far off too. I'm not trying to rush the end of the year, but I must be pragmatic. There's a whole lot less of 2009 left than we've enjoyed so far. Another year has almost lapsed and it won't be long before we are all caught up in the maelstrom that is holiday time, the New Year and (especially as it applies here in the Big Easy) the Carnival season.