kevdonahue

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Digital journalist, occasional marketer. Inherent optimist, hopeful cynic, dad and grand-guy, universalist.

  • Visiting the Lindsays


    P1060818, originally uploaded by kevdonahue.

    Kevin’s old roommate Doug Lindsay and his family were up from Florida and we saw them at Doug’s parent’s home in Cape May, NJ. Kevin got to the beach for the first time this summer (amazing, it’s almost August) and, it was fun tho we got chased off by a midafternoon thunderstorm.

    Back at the Lindsay house, which sits on the intercoastal waterway, Jack L., Pete and Kelly caught some jellyfish that were floating by (you can see part of one hanging out of a hole in the bag (above).

    We enjoyed a great meal of lasagna, salad and Texas toast, and called it a day at 8:30, as Virginia and Kevin had to work Friday. It was great to connect, great to see everyone, and I owe an apology for not taking a photo of everybody—especially Carly. The few photos I took are here

  • Different Religions, Different Gods

    Different Religions, Different Gods

    Stephen Prothero wrote this really interesting book, God Is Not One, where he argues what seems in retrospect to be an obvious point—that Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists don’t share the same beliefs and by extension don’t worship the same god(s). The question, I guess, is whether each worships a different god, or the same one seen through a specific social/cultural filter. His argument about what each religion sees as “the problem” is really pithy and fun. As a Unitarian Universalist, I’m not ready to throw in the towel, but I’ve enjoyed the perspective a lot.

    More on God Is Not One:

    Book reviews: LA Times | Washington Post | WSJ | Huffington Post

    Belief.net: Don’t judge book by its cover

    Prothero on Colbert

    Prothero on NPR’s On Point: With Tom Ashbrook

  • A clear direction

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    P1060759, originally uploaded by kevdonahue.

    Virginia, Kelly and I went orienteering this morning in Green Lane, about 25 minutes from home. It was fun, and the temps were cooler in the woods. We did the easiest course (white) first, and were confident enough afterward to try the next level up (yellow). We all agreed we’d do it again.

    Photos here, including a shot of our very yellow-and-brown lunch at Speck’s.

    If anybody’s interested, the local group is Delaware Valley Orienteering Association

  • A clear direction


    P1060759, originally uploaded by kevdonahue.

    Virginia, Kelly and I went orienteering this morning in Green Lane, about 25 minutes from home. It was fun, and the temps were cooler in the woods. We did the easiest course (white) first, and were confident enough afterward to try the next level up (yellow). We all agreed we’d do it again.

    Photos here, including a shot of our very yellow-and-brown lunch at Speck’s.

    If anybody’s interested, the local group is Delaware Valley Orienteering Association

  • It’s Hard to See …

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    … but thermometer says 117 degrees. It wasn’t really 117, but it was plenty hot — especially on our back deck in the morning.

    Even so, we got the grass cut, painted the ceiling of our bedroom, and went to Kevin Burke’s graduation party (food was good, beer was cold, and the shade was enough to make life outside bearable).

    Sunday morning, we’re going orienteering — yes, orienteering. Kelly will lead us, and we expect to win.

    In other news, we’ll be in Md. next weekend and will catch Orioles (Sunday) and Nationals (Tuesday) games. Stephen Strasbourg, we’re expecting to see you. That’s all for now.

  • Winter’s Bone Was Good

     

    Good movie, the lead actress Jennifer Lawrence was great. Kind of movie that makes you wonder about whether addiction hollows out men, or hollowed-out men are waiting to be filled in by an addiction—be it drugs, alcohol, porn, or adrenaline (see The Hurt Locker).

    Also, it was interesting that it was the women who held things together, even when the things being held together were bad.

    Really riveting stuff. The audience in our showing stayed put as the credits rolled, all the way to the end. I think it helps that it was just 100 minutes long. I appreciate a movie that tells its story and ends when it should.

    See it if you don’t mind a non-feel-good movie. You’ll be hearing about it again come Oscar time, especially with the expanded fields.

  • Sandy’s favorite movies

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    Props to Sandy Alexander for sharing her favorite movies of all time. I have to find my cousin Bobby’s original list of his top 125 movies, which we ran on our family site around the year 2000.

    Sandy’s list

    Editor’s note: We’ve moved this back where people can see it, as Sandy has complained that she got zero feedback on her movie list.

    In somewhat random order:

    1. When Harry met Sally
    2. Crossing Delancey
    3. Tootsie
    4. Terms of Endearment
    5. Apollo 13
    6. Blindside
    7. Remember the Titans
    8. Miracle on Ice
    9. As Good As it Gets
    10. Little Man Tate
    11. Groundhog Day
    12. Knocked Up
    13. Juno
    14. Defending Your Life
    15. Dead Man Walking
    16. Pleasantville
    17. Analyze This
    18. The Devil Wears Prada
    19. The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio
    20. Failure to Launch
    21. Time Traveler’s Wife
    22. Invincible
    23. How to Lose a Guy in 30 Days
    24. Yes Man
    25. Dangerous Minds
    26. 13 Going on 30
    27. Back to the Future
    28. Peggy Sue Got Married
    29. Godfather
    30. Rocky

  • What I’m Thinking About Heaven

    I’m penciled in at my local UU church to speak about heaven on Aug. 15, and I’ve been spending a good amount of time reading, thinking, and listening.


    What I’ve learned:
    • Jews invented heaven, but they didn’t think people went there. Heaven was reserved for God and his management team. People lived on through their progeny. And their land.
    • There goes the neighborhood! Blame it on Christians, who decided Jesus was their pathway there.
    • Buddhists don’t believe in heaven as a place beyond the here and now—in fact, they believe heaven IS the here and now, if only you’ll be present enough in this moment to realize it. And that doesn’t mean that the present moment is without stress, or conflict, or pain; you need to transcend.
     
    What I’ve read:
    • Heaven, Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife,  by Lisa Miller
    • Living Buddha, Living Christ, Thich Nhat Hanh
    • The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh
    • God Is Not One, by Stephen Prothero
     
    What am I thinking I want to say:
    • As a UU, I can’t say what happens on the other side of death
    • I live my life with the idea that heaven is reachable in this present moment
    • Salvation is a moment-by-moment, immediate transaction between people. We save each other with our kindness, our attention, our forgiveness.
    • Redemption really happens all the time, every day. Waiting on a future time let’s us off the hook to be fully present in this moment.
    • You can save yourself, moment by moment, even when others won’t step up and help you. Again, presence.
    • How do we do it? Live the change you wish to see.
     
    What do you think? I’d love some help in sharpening my thoughts. Comment below.

  • Counselor Kelly?

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    IMG_0056, originally uploaded by kevdonahue.

    Jonathan here thought that Kelly would make a good staff member some day. I wouldn’t bet against it happening some day. He was sooo psyched after the week in upstate NY.

  • Kelly’s Back from Camp (and Virginia Is Very Happy)

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    P1060672, originally uploaded by kevdonahue.

    We retrieved Kelly from summer camp, Unirondack, in upstate NY, today. Virginia and I left home at 5:15 am, arrived by 10:30. Back home with Kelly and his friend Alex at 6 pm.

    The boys had their usual great time, and Kelly tried something new—photography. This is a photo he took at a 90-minute tutorial. Check out the rest (including some from his trip to the Thousand Islands with his friend Alex before the camp). Some are really good.

    After 688 miles of driving today, we’ll do church service in the morning Sunday, see friends in the afternoon, and hopefully catch some rest.

  • Poop Study: People Have Friendly Gut Viruses

    via wired.com

    This follows closely on what we learned at Children’s Hospital in Philly during Kelly’s stay—science is only now figuring out what goes on in people’s bellies, and as they figure it out, it should provide promising leads for helping people with IBD and other ailments.

  • Saying Goodbye to the Toy Story Gang

    via imdb.com

    Caught Toy Story 3. It was a lot about letting go, as Andy heads off to college—Andy’s parents (OK, his mom, the only mother to ever make it through an entire Disney movie alive) letting him go, and Andy letting go of his toys (and his childhood). And the toys letting go of Andy. Funny, powerful stuff, if a little heavy on the action and suspense in the second half of it.

    Typical Pixar, which makes the most human movies without ever having actual people in them.

    As Kahlil Gibram said a long time ago … and a 16-year-old makes abundantly clear.

    Your children are not your children
    They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself.
    They come through you but not from you,
    And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

    You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
    For they have their own thoughts.
    You may house their bodies but not their souls,
    For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

    You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

    Sweet Honey in the Rock Sings it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh4fgYGEKL8