Author Archive: Bill Black
I'm a baby boomer, lefty Democrat, Boston Irish Catholic, born in 1953. I work as a public affairs consultant in Washington.
Cleaning Crew for the New York Ave. Men’s Shelter
The New York Avenue Men’s Shelter can serve up to 360 men comfortably. During hypothermia season, they can have as many as 400 guests. Now, imagine how much staff it would take to clean a hotel of that size. Whatever the number, it’s probably more than the staff at the Shelter.
Nate gives us our marching orders
On Saturday, January 3rd, I joined a group of eight volunteers tasked with cleaning the shelter. We were supervised by Nate, one of the full time staff. Of course, the fact that he was there on a Saturday, suggests it is more than a full time job. Nate showed us where all the supplies were and gave us assignments, including sweeping the dorms, wiping the walls, mopping the floors, cleaning the exterior, etc.
It was part of a new program in which, once a month, a team will show up to clean the facility, top to bottom. Ideally, it will be largely the same crew, so that we’ll be able to come in and get the job done without Nate’s close supervision. Maybe he can even take Saturday off.
Our team was an eclectic group. Everyone had signed up online on the Catholic Charities of DC website. There were two young mothers with their sons, a couple of students and one old guy (me).
It was hard, but very gratifying, work. While we were scheduled for 3 hours, we finished in 2 1/2.
Cleaning up outside the New York Men’s Shelter
I was so impressed with the commitment shown by my fellow workers. Not to diminish in any way the contribution of large groups that take on volunteer projects as a community, I think there something special about an individual simply signing up to help on his or her own. One of the young mothers, Ellen, told me that, in addition to her 15 year old son Ethan, who was with us, she had a 4 year old and a 15 month old at home. I asked her how she found the time for a volunteer project such as this. Her answer said it all.
“You make time,” she said.
Falmouth Road Race 2014
Daughter Bridget ran in the Falmouth Road Race today. She clocked in at 1:05, which is a good time.
I’m not a frequenter of races of this kind, but Falmouth seems special. It attracts the whole range of runners, from world class to weekenders. It is just the right length, challenging enough for the pros and easy enough for the amateurs.
But it is also a great event for people with disabilities. I saw one guy walking by with two helpers who had clearly suffered catastrophic burns. And there are a large number of pairs, including a runner pushing someone confined to a wheelchair. Very inspirational.
Always in late August, there is a bittersweet character, marking as it does the beginning of the end of summer. Still it is a very warm community event that has gotten big, but blessedly, not too big.
Rita Takes the Ice Bucket Challenge
The “ice bucket challenge” is sweeping the nation. There are an amazing number of famous people getting dumped on with ice water to raise awareness of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Some not so famous people are doing it, too. Here’s my wife Rita shortly after our daughter, Bridget, doused her on the dock of our cabin in the Adirondacks.
Note the contrasting expressions.
China at the 2014 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
This is what I love about the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Washington Mall. It’s those moments when a foreign culture mingles with average American tourists to create some magic. It happens every day at this event. Here’s a musical/dance performance from China in which the participants encourage the audience to join in….and they do. The joy in the people’s faces says it all. There’s no better way to bridge cultures.
You Think Philomena’s Story Was Bad….
This past January, I posted a review of the movie, Philomena, which depicts the story of a woman who had a child out of wedlock and was sent off to a convent in disgrace. The nuns sold her son to Americans who adopted “Tony.” The movie shows Philomena to be almost saintly in her faith, charity and forgiveness. The nuns do not come off well, appropriately.
Now, imagine Philomena’s son Tony was totally neglected by the nuns, starved to death and was buried in an unmarked mass grave with 800 other dead children. This unimaginable horror is the latest revelation from the despicable era in Ireland when there was no sin worse that a sexual sin. As an observant Catholic, I find it unfathomable that nuns could commit this atrocity. What possible justification could they find for this kind of behavior? It makes the Nigerian kidnappings seem almost humane by comparison.
I’m often asked how I can remain faithful to a Church that would commit such acts. My answer is always the same. I am faithful to the Catholic religion, not necessarily to the institutional “Church.” The human beings that run this church are just that, human beings, who can be evil. This is a story of evil.
As usual, Andrew Sullivan strikes the right cord by unsparingly criticizing the Church for tolerating this abuse while remaining hopeful that exposure of these crimes will lead to a “Christianity worthy of Jesus.” I can only share his hope.
We’re Doomed
The New York Times tells us that scientists have determined that the Andromeda Galaxy is on a path to crash into the Milky Way. The two galaxies will mingle together, separate and then combine into a large egg shaped galaxy. The video below shows what it will look like from a distance. It even shows that it will look like after the merger from the surface of earth. Of course, there will be no one there to see it.
Leads to the obvious philosophical question, “If a two galaxies crash into each other and there’s no one there to see it, did it happen?”
Kinda makes ya think….
Memorial Day 2014
What a spectacular Memorial Day. Crystal clear sky, pleasantly warm and getting ready for a bike ride to Arlington Cemetery with daughter Bridget.
As to the holiday, itself, I’ve always had mixed feelings. Fortunately, E.J. Dionne set me straight today in his column. He pointed out that Memorial Day is dedicated exclusively to the war dead. Veterans Day honors former soldiers both living and dead. I have no mixed feelings about honoring the dead. Continue Reading
A Turtle Taking a Walk
Living next to Rock Creek Park in Washington, I’m used to seeing various wildlife in my neighborhood. Deer are frequent visitors and we’ll see the occasional fox scoot across the street. And the birds! Oh, the birds. They start about 4 am and the house sounds like an aviary.
But here’s a new one. Rita noticed something on the sidewalk across the street from our house. It was a box turtle making his way down the street.
That was a first.
Advice to China: Be Like Japan
The following is the English language version of my article in the June issue of New Fortune Magazine.
When Chinese companies seek to invest in the United States, Americans frequently advise them to “Be like Japan.” Given the current Sino-Japanese tensions, this is probably not advice that Chinese businesspeople want to hear. But it is well-intentioned and based on historical fact.
During the 1980s, Japan went through a period of strong economic growth and globalization similar to what China is experiencing today. At the time, many Americans felt great hostile toward Japan because America appeared to be in decline while Japan was on the ascendant. Companies such as Sony, Toyota, and Honda were putting great pressure on American companies that had previously dominated the US market. At the same time, Japanese buyers were acquiring iconic American companies, as well as famous landmarks such as Rockefeller Center in New York. American politicians demonstrated their hostility toward Japan by smashing Toyotas with sledgehammers on the grounds of the US Capitol. Continue Reading
A Muscular Four Seasons
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of the world’s most familiar classical music pieces. Everyone recognizes the various movements from movies and popular culture. But I expect that few really know what they are listening to. So, it was a pleasure to hear the entire work last night at the Strathmore,, start to finish, including all four concertos and twelve movements.
But first, we heard a much more obscure piece. It was called Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss, a German. It was composed in the 1940’s and was some sort of commentary on Hitler and the Nazis, thus not exactly uplifting. Expecting the liveliness and accessibility of the Four Seasons, my wife Rita thought we’d wandered into the wrong concert. Frankly, it was pretty tedious.
After the intermission, we were in more familiar territory. We were given a very helpful “cheat sheet,” that explained how the music related to each season. While very literal, it was delightful. The star soloist was Sarah Chang, a Korean American virtuoso. I was most struck by her confidence and aggressiveness. Maybe it’s typical of musicians at that level, but she played with great power and, of course, didn’t miss a note on a piece of which most people in the audience probably knew every note. She was amazing. I was actually looking forward to the encore where violin soloist generally cut loose. Sadly, there was no encore, even after three curtain calls.
The evening also reminded me what a treasure the Strathmore Music Center is. It is a beautiful facility and extremely convenient. They don’t even charge for parking. And no traffic jam at the end. I was in my home 15 minutes after leaving my seat. Gotto go back soon.