Bike & Build Video
Inter Milan vs. Club America
A week and a half ago, I went to the first game of the World Football Challenge featuring perennial Italian powerhouse Inter Milan and Club America, one of Mexico’s top teams. Ever since my study abroad in Italy, I have grown to really enjoy watching soccer…so when I found out that this match would be played at Stanford Stadium, I was pleasantly surprised. I used to think soccer was extremely boring because no one ever scored and it seemed like the players just ran up and down the field for 90 minutes, but now I can fully appreciate the speed, skill, and incredible athletic ability involved. While I was pulling for Inter Milan, I was more rooting for a good match, and this game did not disappoint. Club America ended up winning on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation. These photos were taken by my friend Andrew.
American Hero
From an email that was sent to me
My dad is of the WWII generation. He was in the medical corp in the European theatre from 1944 to 1945. my uncle was a gunner in a marauder but was killed in January of 1945. One thing that I have noticed about this generation is that they never complain. They have a sense of duty that just doesn’t exist today. As Tom Brokaw says- they might be America’s greatest generation.
One of the “Band of Brothers” soldiers died on June 17, 2009. We’re hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services for such as Michael Jackson. I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell “Shifty” Powers. Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.
I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn’t know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the “Screaming Eagle”, the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat. Making conversation, I asked him if he’d been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made. Quietly and humbly, he said “Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . ” at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said “I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?” At this point my heart stopped. I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said “I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem.” I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day. I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said “Yes. And it’s real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can’t make the trip.” My heart was in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I’d take his in coach. He said “No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy.” His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer. There was no parade. No big event in Staples Center. No wall-to-wall back to back 24/7 news coverage. No weeping fans on television. And that’s not right. Rest in peace, Shifty.
“A nation without heroes is nothing.” Roberto Clemente
Interesting article about the inherent value of working with your hands, especially in this age of information abundance. CLICK HERE
July 4th!
July 4th game between the Astros and Giants reflected off the lens of my sunglasses.
Dirty Jobs
In this video, Mike Rowe (from Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs”) provides a pretty gross account of a bonafide dirty job. In doing so, he also brings up some important observations about the nature of “work” and illustrates the notion that one really has no authority to judge or criticize a practice without doing it himself.
