Life 2.0

Hijacking Jesus

I tried to ignore this one but to no avail.

"This extraordinary GI Jesus figurine embodies the essence of a devoted soldier. A testament to faith and bravery, this figurine encapsulates the unwavering spirit of a soldier of Christ! On sale for only $19.99 (regular retail $36.99) all major credit cards accepted!"

Add to that, an article in the NY Times about the uptick in sales for armor-plated school gear for children, and I'm having a problem with how we've become what we allow, in such a very short time.

Just the latest way we've hijacked the Prince of Peace into a mashup of Kenny Loggins, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger "suitable for all ages!" to fit our own ways and means.

WWJD?

 

 

The Fire Within

Danny Vader and Hélène van Engelen are the heart and soul of the Firekeeper Academy based in the Netherlands. With over 50 years of experience in fields ranging from banking and IT to consultancy and the health industry, they bring a wealth of professional knowledge to their roles. But their deep spiritual journey and dedication to personal growth define their work. They join me to talk about their upcoming event at the Climate Action Museum in Chicago and how important it is for each of us to find the sacred fire within ourselves.

Foundation Fixes

It's another busy day on this end of the microphone. This afternoon is the last public event with Chicago Cubs legendary catcher Randy Hundley, for the IRONMAN book, which I so looking forward to. But as always, there's more going on, like the cracks that needed to be repaired in the house foundation, which of course reminds me how important is that we address the fractures in our foundations by filling them with kindness whenever possible, as prescribed by the late, great Dr. Chuck Wall.

Molly's Moon

Every Full Moon, hundreds of people around the world go out to gaze at the night sky and look up at our lunar neighbor to remember and pay respect to an incredible woman, Molly Creely, who passed away on September 10th, 2019 at the age of 44.

For the past five years, "Molly’s Moon" has become a rite of passage once a month, a holy mass of sorts, and a prayer of thanks for those of us who knew her. If you look up the definition of “formidable” it is “inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder." Those few words describe Molly’s impact on the world, one that continues through her family, friends, and former students to this day.

Climate & Cats

On this episode of the Life 2.0 podcast, a short recap of my talk this past week at the Climate Action Museum in Chicago, and how one man changed the Chicago River's course and saved thousands of lives in the process. In other news, the last POTUS debate had some wild claims by former President Trump about Haitian immigrants chowing down on cats in the bustling metropolis of Springfield, Ohio which of course set unsocial media on fire and brought back memories of the 80's sitcom ALF (Alien Life Form) who often feasted on felines. As it turns out, the CATastrophic story was false, and the woman who started it all was surprised that it made the national media, as well as causing bomb threats. Surprised? Really? Welcome to the 21st century where facts always take a backseat to fiction. 

Planet Plastic

In this edition of Earth Matters Monday, taking time for a last shout-out for the upcoming Earth Matters event at the Climate Action Museum on 9.11.24 with my tag-team partner Jen Weigel. At some point, we're not going to use the term Planet Earth anymore but rather Planet Plastic, as there is more plastic in tonnage than all the living things in the world combined and it's our collective fault. But, there are signs of hope amidst the floating water bottles, and I've included a few Earth Matters with Bill Kurtis spots for effect and a little help from John Denver to close the show. 

Baseball & Bridges

It's been another interesting week for me. I ended up at Wrigley Field and witnessed the Chicago Cubs' no-hitter, which got me thinking about that iconic shrine and how much it's played in my life over the years. Then, a reminder popped up on Facebook about an early episode of "The Bridge" from 2020 with my friend the late, great Hillary Raimo. I grabbed some audio from 2019 when HR was a guest on this podcast; hearing her voice again is a real gift. Finally, it's the birthday of a dear friend who just happened to have a song written for her in 1974 by her then-husband John Denver and his version of "Annie's Song" in Russian is stratospheric. As always, more life lines than headlines as we dig for common sense in uncommon times.

Cinderella Man

Last night, I happened to catch one of my top ten fav films of all time "Cinderella Man" starring Russell Crowe and Rene Zellweger. It's Ron Howard's excellent movie about the true life and times of boxer James J. Braddock aka "The Bulldog of Bergen" and how he went from a contender to a washed-up pugilist and then incredibly found himself as the heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Max Baer in 1935. The movie is set against the background of The Great Depression and is filled with reminders of how good we have it today, despite what both political parties are selling these days.

Labor Day 2024

Labor Day was born out of difficult (to say the least) working conditions in America back in the 1800s. It's the end of summer and the beginning of fall, but it also has me thinking of a few of the early jobs I had, like stacking bags of flour and fixing tires, as well as pouring concrete. It's about the value of work, putting in long hours, grinding it out, and deep satisfaction on a job well done...and then kicking back one day a year and having a cold one or three in honor of your efforts.

The American Dream

Frank Cale was just 19 years old when he came to the United States in 1967 in search of The American Dream. He found it, on the corner of Elston and Lawrence Ave. in Chicago, and for the past half-century, he cranked out untold pizzas and memories for those of us fortunate enough to call Sano's home. Last night, the doors closed for good, signaling the end of an era.