DJ - R.I.P.

Dennis Johnson, the great NBA guard, passed today.

I've always loved this quote from him, about playing in big games:
“I hate to lose,” he once said. “I accept it when it comes, but I still hate it. That’s the way I am.”

Additionally, this afternoon, I was very surprised to see how the news of his death played out on the Internet. My homepage is msnbc.com, and there was a "Breaking News" headline reporting his death, without any details. I quickly clicked on cnn.com and espn.com, neither of which anything except the headline. While I waited, I wondered how old DJ was, and decided to check Wikipedia. Amazingly, his bio there was already updated, including the date and likely cause of his death, attributed to Danny Ainge.

We are only beginning to understand the implications of this era of user choice and control, when basketball fans don't need to wait for the vertically integrated media conglomerates to report the news, because they can do it themselves. This is a very signifcant time in the development of media and how it is integrated into our lives.

I have a dream that one day my four little children...will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I've been reading Martin Luther King this morning. I have a great little book, edited by his wife, of his most significant sermons and speeches, and make a habit of reading excerpts from it on his birthday each year. This year it brought to mind the wonderful book by Jim Wallis, called "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get it." He writes passionately about the place of spirituality in the public discourse, and holds up Martin Luther King as a shining example, fighting for African Americans' civil rights "with a Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other." It is a book well worth reading.

Photo courtesy of Martin Luther King Jr. Institute at Stanford University.

Burying the Godfather of Soul

Everything that can possibly be said has been written about the influence of this man on both contemporary music and African American self image. I have the utmost respect for his music, and can only add my personal experience working with him. He was one very strange dude, and you would best remember to address him as Mr. Brown! R.I.P.

Album Cover: IN THE JUNGLE GROOVE

Execution of Saddam Hussein

I am sorry. I do not believe that the State (any State) should be in the business of killing. No matter who he was, or what he did, we demean ourselves and our humanity when we kill out of vengeance and hate, calling it justice. He should have been locked in a solitary cell for life. Period.

RIP Gerald Ford - My own tiny piece of the story

I awoke this morning to the news of the death of President Ford, and it brought back a very particular memory. It was the Fall of 1973. I was in college, and was an R.A. (Resident Assistant) in my dormitory. One of my new freshmen was Maria Shriver, whose father, Sargeant Shriver, caused quite a stir when he visited our women's dorm, accompanied by young, handsome Secret Service agents!

In those days, no one had a television in their room - there was a single television in the lounge on our floor. Spiro Agnew had just resigned the Vice Presidency in disgrace, and President Nixon was about to name the new Vice President. We all gathered in the TV Lounge, and watched as the President began a lengthy description of the strong qualifications of the as-yet-unnamed individual. All of us were listening, curious but baffled....we had no idea of whom he was describing. Maria Shriver listened to a couple of sentences and announced with certainty: "It's Gerald Ford."

And she continues to put her knowledge to good use, having remained in the family business!

This mini-memoir was published in CNN's iReport.
I-Report: Americans remember Gerald Ford - CNN.com

Photo Credit: Jonathan J. Dwyer / AP file

Fred Rogers R.I.P.

Chris came home from the SNL rehearsals tonight and said that they're rehearsing a skit with Horatio. He comes out and says "We lost a good friend this week, and I just want to sing this song." And then he sings Fred Roger's song "You're Special." Chris said it's really touching...which means it probably won't make the show. I hope it does. Mr. Rogers was totally inclusive, and his world always visibly included all children. It would be lovely to have Horatio acknowledge that.

It's funny. I never liked "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" as a television show -- too sappy for me. Julia didn't either. She'd say "Mommy, I don't like Mr. Neighborhood," when I tried to get her to watch it. But, then I went out on the 1992 PBS press tour (promoting "Ghostwriter") with Fred Rogers. He was incredibly moving talking to grownups about nurturing the littlest children. He'd say "All they want to do is please you. Be gentle. Be encouraging. Help them please you."

And, I remember when the Oklahoma City bombing happened. Julia was still little, and I was in Denver on a business trip. Watching all those horrible images of dead babies being carried out of the rubble, and feeling panicked and sick that I wasn't home. Then, Mr. Rogers was interviewed by CNN about what to say to your kids about what they were seeing. In that homespun, simple voice he said "Well...here's what my mother always said to me. 'Look at the bad thing that person did. But, look at all the good people helping.' "

Rest in peace, Mr. Rogers.