‘Tis the Season for Giving

I came across a provocative article in the New York Times Magazine by Peter Singer, entitled ‘What Should A Billionaire Give – And What Should You?’ Here’s an excerpt from the beginning:

What is a human life worth? You may not want to put a price tag on a it. But if we really had to, most of us would agree that the value of a human life would be in the millions. Consistent with the foundations of our democracy and our frequently professed belief in the inherent dignity of human beings, we would also agree that all humans are created equal, at least to the extent of denying that differences of sex, ethnicity, nationality and place of residence change the value of a human life.

With Christmas approaching, and Americans writing checks to their favorite charities, it’s a good time to ask how these two beliefs – that a human life, if it can be priced at all, is worth millions, and that the factors I have mentioned do not alter the value of a human life – square with our actions. Perhaps this year such questions lurk beneath the surface of more family discussions than usual, for it has been an extraordinary year for philanthropy, especially philanthropy to fight global poverty.

If you want to read the rest of the article (which I strongly suggest you do), I’ve linked to it here. (If you have a subscription, you can read it from NYT’s website.)

Can You Say `Embarrassment’?

Well, things didn’t turn out so well in A&M’s bowl game tonight. I really had some high hopes, too, so the wound stings more than a little. At the time I’m writing this, there’s 2.49 left in the game and we’re losing 38-10, so it’s safe to say that we won’t end the game in a respectable way. A&M has been to 2 high(ish) profile bowl games since I’ve started following them and have been soundly thrashed in both of them. It’s a bit of a cop-out to say it, but… `There’s always next year.’

UPDATE: Cal just intercepted the ball and took it down to A&M’s 10 yard line with 2.00 left. This is getting ugly…

Settling Back In

Well, our holiday travel is just about over. We’ve returned from a couple of days in Ohio with family.(A great time! Video coverage may come soon…) Barb starts back into her somewhat regular schedule at Starbucks tomorrow and I need to get down to work writing a paper in the next week or so.

But one last hurrah before we settle into our routine completely. Tomorrow, we’ll be driving out to Fort Wayne, IN to meet up with Matt and Amy! (You may remember them from here.) They’re living in Dallas these days, but they’re visiting Amy’s parents in Indianapolis right now; since Fort Wayne is halfway between AA and Indy (only 2 hours from us), we thought we’d squeeze in a little get together before they go back to the Big D.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all! Hope you’re able to find time away from your daily routine to spend time with family and friends. We just spent a few days in St. Catharines doing just that. We’re now back in Ann Arbor for the next couple of days to spend Christmas eve and day just the two of us, and then off to Ohio.

Hope you’re all having a happy holiday!

Here Comes the Welcome Wagon!

(Note: This is becomes funnier if you watch all three videos in sequence.)

Would you feel especially drawn to this program if these guys were the welcoming committee?

A behind the scenes look…

Next year’s video promises to be even better…

(Via Brian Leiter)

End of Classes

Classes ended a few days ago. I still have an exam to write on Tuesday and a paper to write. I’ll probably write the paper after Christmas but before the beginning of next term.

We’ll be in Niagara for a few days next week, but then come back to AA from 23-26 (Barb is working the 23rd). This will be our first Christmas day on our own. Not sure what we’ll do yet.

We’ll go to Ohio for the 26-28 for a family reunion at Abe & Eleanor’s. And then it’s back to AA for the rest of the break.

It’s a…

BOY!! Dave and I went for my 20 week ultrasound and we found out that the baby is a boy! Everything seems to be going well. The technician told us that the spine, kidneys, heart, and liver are all in working order. We got four pictures and a video tape of our little guy! He moves alot but Dave still can’t feel it on the outside. The tech said that it will be at least another 4 weeks till Dave can feel it. I have started to show a little bit, but pictures of me will not be coming for a while! Not until I have alot to show!

Profile View

‘The Thinker’ (notice the hand on the forehead?)

My job at Starbucks is going really well. The people I work with are really nice and take time to show me and help me along. When I get a little stressed out I repeat to myself (in my head!) “It’s just coffee!” I have been working alot of morning shifts which start at 5 am. Dave has been very good to me and drives me there at 4.45a. Wow what a guy!