Monthly Archives: November 2000

I picked up my three sons tonight and brought them to the hospital to say goodbye to their grandpa. When we got to his bedside, I squeezed his hand and started talking to him. He turned and looked at me … Continue reading →

What was it missing, then, at the man’s heart so that he does not wound? – John Berryman I’m not a violent man, but I have known rage. I was afraid of my dad, but he never physically hurt me. … Continue reading →

They not only pulled Dad’s feeding tube, but they’re not hydrating him either. His doctor says the research shows it’s not more painful, and in his case, it’s an advantage in that it speeds up his dying. He could die … Continue reading →

Cartoon of the day CARTOON ID: 44228 CARTOONIST: David Sipress PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORKER: 8/21/2000

The real parents of our children are the ideas that govern us. – Polly Berrien Berends Polly goes on to write: Most [ideas] are notions from the past about who we are and what is important in life. We are … Continue reading →

You can’t talk yourself out of something that you’ve behaved yourself into. – Stephen Covey This has been a good whack on the side of the head for me over the years, particularly as it relates to my marriage and … Continue reading →

Robbie and I have the whole day and evening alone together today. We need this, as I’ve been so preoccupied with my dad, my sister, and the business in the past two weeks, we’ve drifted apart a bit… nothing serious, … Continue reading →

My dad’s CAT scan revealed no strokes and he’s not responded to the Ritalin, even though his eyes are wide open occasionally and he seems to be staring right at me. I talked to my Mom last night and she … Continue reading →

Perhaps the mark of greatness is facing life as it comes, being content with the daily, what we call ordinary, not the accomplishing of great moments, great monuments, great works. Joseph was that kind of man–a saint. – Sister Madeline … Continue reading →

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow This is a tough one, because at a time when I’m trying to raise investment capital, I … Continue reading →

I started a modest Joe spam campaign yesterday. I sent individual emails to potential investors I’ve been talking to, asking them if they wanted to see the revised Exec Summary and alerting them that they’d get the HTML version of … Continue reading →

Essay: AFOG, BHAGs, and Ambition While the NASDAQ flips up and down like a Romanian gymnast, dotcoms wheeze, gasp, and join their croaked brethren in the B2C graveyard. Naturally, people ask me why the hell I’m trying to launch Real … Continue reading →

Cartoon of the day CARTOON ID: 44480 CAPTION: “Your Honor, I ask you-is this the toupee of a successful adulterer?” CARTOONIST: J. C. Duffy PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORKER: 10/16/2000

Live your life without ambition. But live as those who are ambitious. – Larry Brilliant Like yesterday’s quote, this one helped inspire the AFOG, BHAGs, and Ambition article. (It’s 2:15 PM, though, and I rarely feel really ambitious when it’s … Continue reading →

Cartoon of the day The New Yorker has its own cartoon company, Cartoonbank.com. I’ll point to cartoons I like that have a Real Joe-type theme. Feel free to buy a t-shirt via their online store. I hope to be able … Continue reading →

You’re entitled to the joy of work, you’re just not entitled to the results. – Larry Brilliant This quote and a couple of others inspired the AFOG, BHAGs, and Ambition article. It’s helping me to keep a reasonable perspective on … Continue reading →

Make me an instrument of peace. – St. Francis I like this prayer. I noted it in the “I pray. But not like that.” piece I wrote this summer because it keeps me humble, keeps me from forgetting what the … Continue reading →

Hospital log on my dad 8 am: My mom wants to stop all treatment of my dad because she thinks he’s dying and should be allowed to go. I want to stop all meds because I’m not convinced that they’re … Continue reading →

I don’t believe in God any more than I believe in the law of gravity. I don’t have to believe in gravity because I can count on it. – Polly Berrien Berends Polly goes on to say, “I depend on … Continue reading →

Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. – Viktor Frankl Frankl goes on to say, “For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must … Continue reading →

When faced with problems which threaten to steal your peace of mind, learn the meaning of the word ‘imperturbability.’ – Charles Allen This quote is plastered all over the web, with many sites using the same accompanying narrative as if … Continue reading →

My dad’s just a little better, but it just gets worse with the doctors. After a big family conference yesterday, attended by my mom, brother and sister-in-law, as well as dad’s doctor, a nurse, and a social worker, we came … Continue reading →

I observe myself and so I come to know others. – Lao-Tse This is a new one to me. I’m usually trying to observe myself because I’m trying to get my shit together about something. It may affect others somehow, … Continue reading →

Death ends a life, not a relationship. – Morrie Schwartz It’s pretty plain to me this week that my dad’s troubled life has been and continues to be primarily shaped by his relationship to his parents, even though they’ve been … Continue reading →

After doing a little research, Robbie discovered that one of the side effects of the Hytrin medication they’re giving my dad is insomnolence – severe drowsiness. She emailed me the info and I picked it up here at the hospital … Continue reading →