WeShare

My e-mail inbox contained four new Christmas messages this morning from friends in Bangladesh, Iraq, Poland, and La Grande.  The first two are Muslim, the third Catholic, and the fourth Episcopalian.  Friendship and the simple good will of decent people is the common thread that runs through these messages.  I may never see any of these friends again, and I’m almost certain that we won’t be helping one another or exchanging costly gifts in the foreseeable future.  I am just grateful

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We had some friends over for dinner last night, and it didn’t take long for our conversation to turn to the woeful state of the economy.  We commiserated over the loss in value of our retirement plans and the general uncertainty surrounding recent events.  Mature adults have a hard time coming to terms with the possible bankruptcy of General Motors.  The turning point in the conversation occurred when one of our friends observed that we were pretty fortunate to be sharing our fears

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The small levers that we use to flush our toilets may not seem very important, but when you need one their value is magnified.  I have lived in many houses during my lifetime, and I do not recall breaking a toilet handle until I moved to Albany.  During the three short years I’ve lived in my newly built home, I’ve had to replace two toilet handles.

I do not believe my wife and I are particularly aggressive toilet flushers.  Like most people, I think we apply enough force to get the job done.  The problem, therefore, must be with the quality … Continue Reading

I sincerely hope that the periodic United Way competitions we engage in at the City are not a window into the souls of our leadership team.  I am sorry to report that I witnessed multiple acts of shameless cheating by department directors and an unidentified City Manager during this year’s festivities.  In my defense, I only cheated in response to the cheating of others.  I also rationalized that my cheating was on behalf of a good cause.

Every year, City employees generously contribute to United Way and the many community services it supports.  Our voluntary contributions are directed to concerns that … Continue Reading