December 2, 2003 — 8:48 PM
I love living in San Francisco.
There are many reasons that I love it. But a major factor is being able to walk pretty much anywhere I need to go. In some cases I (gasp!) take Muni, but usually I can get places on foot.
The other day, as I walked to work (five blocks!), I saw an ad on the side of a bus that announced, "Every 7 minutes a pedestrian is injured or killed by a motorist in San Francisco."
This made me sad. I knew that the number of incidents of car vs. pedestrian were high, but I had no idea they were that high. And that doesn't even begin to take into consideration the number of cyclists who have run-ins with vehicles! Very sad, indeed.
Now I see that our fair city is not alone in this epidemic. San Jose (and probably most of California -- if not all of America) needs to take a closer look at this problem. Our culture is fascinated with the freedom that driving a car brings. But we haven't dealt adequately with the responsibility that comes with that freedom.
As a pedestrian, runner, cyclist, and victim of a ped vs car accident (a red light runner), I have strong feelings about this issue. I just wish more people were aware that there is a problem.
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December 15, 2003 — 7:09 PM
I, like most of the world, saw the headlines and the pictures heralding the capture of the ruthless former dictator of Iraq as he was being captured by U.S. forces over the weekend. It was impossible to miss (I'm sure you noticed that.)
But I have to say that my first reaction wasn't elation or great relief. I saw the pictures of Saddam Hussein and all I could feel was immense sadness. Instead of the pompous, overly sure leader we had all come to know and expect, all I saw was someone who was now something less than human.
Many think that that is exactly what the man deserves -- after all he treated so many people as less than human himself.
But I am not a strict "eye-for-eye" type. I believe that all people deserve to be treated humanely -- even those who do despicable things that I cannot understand. Hopefully there will be a proper trial in which the Iraqi people will get anwers and satisfaction that Saddam is being properly punished for the harm he did to others.
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December 17, 2003 — 11:26 PM
Now and then I check in on Google News just to see what's making headlines.
Much to my surprise, the top story tonight was a sarcastic bit about the Christmas letter that the President and his wife must be sending.
Gotta love when that makes the top billing on a news portal!
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December 22, 2003 — 10:09 AM
Tis the season for celebrating. And we at the Veen condo are doing just that. Not only are we celebrating the beauty and wonder of Christmas, but we are also celebrating what Jeff calls "the beginning of Summer."
While his terminology is completely opposite of that used by scientists (and most of the rest of the world!), his reasoning is sound. Today will see the fewest hours of daylight for the entire year. Beginning tomorrow, the daylight hours will grow longer until mid-June.
So while many people find this time of year dark and depressing, Jeff and I are delighted that more light is coming. (More light means more time to get out for long runs and bike rides -- always a favorite of ours.)
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December 29, 2003 — 7:42 PM
I have just completed my fourth full month as an intern at Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. I ended this time by preaching for the fourth time in front of the congregation. I focused on Christmas since the holiday just past. It's an event that is too soon forgotten and I wanted to remind people not to let that happen.
Thanks to the wonders of Movable Type and the patient help of my loving husband, Jeff, I now have all of my sermons available on this site (see the right side bar). Modern technology rules!
This list is sure to grow quickly since I will be preaching at least once a month for the rest of my time with the church. Hope you enjoy reading them. I enjoy writing and giving them.
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