Free hugs

Wonder what would happen if a person meandered about our campus holding up a sign that said "Free Hugs"?

Several months ago I blogged about this video, and now I've stumbled upon it again.

When I watched and listened to it, I thought about something I read today--something to the effect that notwithstanding all the technology we now have--that presumably connects us to one another at warp speed--we are the most disconnected human beings in human history.

We don't like to physically touch each other or converse (in person); instead we prefer to chat electronically or on our cell phones. We keep our digital distance.

And to give or offer someone, a total stranger, a free hug?

Preposterous, it would seem, in 2010.

Would make a great Christmas present

I don't work for Apple, but I sure like the looks of the MacBook Air.

Click on this link for a video of what this powerful little puppy can do.

I have a MacBook, and I love it.

Now if I only had a MacBook Air... (Weighs a bit over 2 pounds; thinnest end of it is about one-tenth of an inch thick; can go for 5 hours without a battery recharge.)

And it oozes with power and speed!

My granddaughter Lucy's first Halloween

She's now nine months old, is a heavy sack of potatoes and is getting acquainted with her first pumpkins.

Happy Halloween, Lucy!

Another interesting quote

Call me a collector of quotes, but I thought this one, from today's edition of The Johnsonian (Winthrop's student newspaper), warrants a blog post.

Here's what a member of the Winthrop Cheerleading Squad said:

"There were times when we failed to meet the standards of Winthrop University's fans and students because they said we sucked or the members were overweight. So now that we have smaller women on the team and a more experienced coach, I wonder what they will say this season."

Yep.

Wonder what they'll say.

Quote of the week

Noticed this crime blotter item from the Oct. 6-12, 2010, edition of Charlotte's Creative Loafing magazine:

An 80-year-old woman called police after being threatened in her apartment complex. She told officers the known suspect approached her and stated:

"I will whoop your old ass."

(You can't make this stuff up.)

Dog and Man/Man and Dog

A recent article in USA TODAY about the relationship between dogs and their masters seems to be right on target.

The article notes that a dog typically extends the life of its owner and also teaches us (humans) to live in the present and not take ourselves so seriously.

Plus, a person can read another person by looking at his or her dog.

And then this, from Cesar Milan of the Dog Whisperer TV show: "The dog is part of you, and you are part of the dog. . . If you're calm, the dog will be, and then you can do something together."

Speaking of dogs, I've got a good one. His name is Michael Jackson (got him as a puppy on the day MJ died in summer of 2009).

That's his picture (as a puppy) with this blog post. The other photo is of him today (about 17 months old.)

I call him Jackson.

He calls me, well, whatever.

He's smart, adores children and anyone else who plays with him.

And he's the best companion a guy could ever have.

Jackson, this blog post's for you.

I'm a part of you. You're a part of me.

My quote of the week (from a sad story)

Here's my quote of the week--from Mary Alcaro, childhood friend of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, 18, who last week jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge after a secret video of his sexual encounter with a man was streamed online:

"I'm disillusioned that in a generation that prides itself on acceptance and tolerance, people can still be so closed-minded and downright hateful."

If you haven't read this sad tale, which made the front page of USA TODAY today, here's the link.

Clementi's roommate and his roommate's friend (both of whom are 18 years old) have been charged with invading Clementi's privacy. Prosecutors say those charged used a secretly planted web cam to transmit a live image of Clementi having sex.

It's possible hate crime and civil rights violations charges could be placed against the roommate and his friend, a young woman.

Moral of the story: Be very, very careful about what you stream on the Internet!

(Photo of Tyler Clementi, an accomplished violinist described by recently retired Ridgewood (N.J.) High School music director Ed Schmiedecke as "a terrific musician and a very promising, hardworking young man," accompanies this blog post.)