Some Year-End Random Thoughts

 

از هزینه بمب اتمی صلح آمیز تا طغیان یک ملت علیه استبداد ملایان

On This #ChristmasWeek2021: Just Remembering.....

On this #ChristmasWeek2021, I wanted to just remember ...and not forget how I'm so grateful for all that I'm blessed with:  

As I was in town, I saw this family as the father was playing a song-_I decided to give them some food--earlier I had given them a Cheesecake Factory Gift Card: 

 

One can only do what one can do--and I will do my part.     I wish all the most joyous Holiday Season and a fabulous 2022.    I look forward to the ongoing engagement at hand:

Working Away w/some Mid-Month #RandomThoughts

While working away on projects for the Daily Outsider, I ran across the following two programs which shook me to my core--especially in light of the latest that's coming out of Iran. The images I captured courtesy leading Iranian Cartoonist is also illustrative which I decided to headline for this mid-month edition of my #RandomThoughts as I continue a very busy month of engagements and gearing up for 2022: 

On the Prowl with Some #RandomThoughts For the Week.....

 

This past weekend, I had a chance during a Monthly "Daycation" to continue a tradition of service working on a Rose Parade Float.   After years, visited Downtown Disney and it was great to be witness to the vibrancy of the community and to be witness yet again to normalcy in spite of the looming threat of the Omicron Variant.

The year is coming to an end.  While at Downtown Disney, I captured this "caption" and it struck a chord--especially as it has been quite an interesting year on a multitude of fronts.   What I've been so happy about also in spite of commitments to continue on-going Virtual Advocacy Work through organizations like Global Citizen and they were good enough to share this on my "Status": 

 

 

   The work in support of the Daily Outsider is also continuing as I will be supportive of the plan for 2021.   On this day, I close out with this courtesy Spotify as it shared my "2021 Wrapped" Year--My curated collection at Spotify is about 10,000 songs and counting!!!: 

	The sounds of your 2021, all wrapped up.

	The wait is over. Take a deep dive into the music that soundtracked another totally-not-normal year.

	SEE YOUR WRAPPED

	Your artist of the year

	Your #1 song

	Minutes you listened

	Your top genre

	Ready to reveal your Wrapped?

	SEE YOUR WRAPPED

As I saw this scene while on the road this past weekend, I reminded myself that I am just one grateful dude:

I close out with this that was a favorite of Coach Wooden:

 

 

How Did You Die?

 

Did you tackle that trouble that came your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, a trouble's a ton, or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it,
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it?

You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what's that!
Come up with a smiling face.
It's nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there-that's disgrace.
The harder you're thrown, why the higher you bounce
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn't the fact that you're licked that counts;
It's how did you fight-and why?

And though you be done to the death, what then?
If you battled the best you could,
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the Critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,
And whether he's slow or spry,
It isn't the fact that you're dead that counts,
But only how did you die?

Edmund Vance Cooke