William K. Wolfrum Chronicles

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that WilliamKWolfrum.com now features the state-of-the-art blog accessory of allowing comments! This is really exciting for all of us here, and we promise to now blog more at this site.

So comment away. I just may comment back. After all, you know you seek my approval and love. And if you comment, you may just get it. Probably not, but you won’t know unless you try!

Regards,

Bill.

P.S. Thanks, Gene.

Last week I learned that my Mom may not live to see 2009.

Previously I had written about my Mom, an ovarian cancer survivor who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on December 6, 2007. She underwent chemotherapy almost immediately after and left the hospital after 31 days there with the doctor saying her Leukemia was in remission. It wasn’t.

As I write this now, my Mom is finishing another round of chemotherapy, and hopefully will be back home by Wednesday. She’s currently feeling the effects of this round of chemo, with the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other side effects that go along with it.

My wife and I have spent the last 10 days or so here in Southern California with my parents, spending time with my Mom at the hospital and learning as much as we can about the disease. Last week, along with my sister, we met with the doctor that has been directing the effort to get a bone marrow transplant set up for her.

The doctor’s name is Peter Falk, which is good for a laugh at a time when laughter can be a bit forced. We all sat as he outlined my mother’s situation and asked him questions about what can be expected.

With just chemotherapy, there is a chance she will live a year or less. With a bone marrow transplant, a possibility of a cure exists, but the procedure is brutal with myriad potential complications. It is by no means she would survive that cure, especially at the age of 67. There are currently 24 potential donors, and we will find out soon whether any of them are a close enough match for my Mom.

Being a news junkie, I see and write about the death of others more often than I’d like. And no life is more important than another. But this is my Mom. And I love her more than I could ever express in a blog post. And the world would not be lessened if she wasn’t part of it for as long as possible.

My Mom is a 4-foot-11, 120-pound powerhouse. She handled a brutal chemo treatment and two surgeries to defeat ovarian cancer. She cares about others far more than she cares about herself, and even now from her hospital bed her main concerns are how everyone is is doing.

My Mom is as intelligent a woman as I have ever known, and my wife has wistfully imagined what she could have accomplished if her life was one that led her to college and career. She would have been brilliant in any field, but as any son is selfish of his mother, I’m glad she saved her brilliance for raising me and my sisters.

My Mom is as competitive a person as you will meet, and will thrash just about anyone - myself included - in Scrabble. But whether it’s cards, board games, bingo or anything else, you can always see a small look of pain the few times she loses.

My Mom loves Jeff Gordon and the Pittsburgh Steelers. And if you want to find deals shopping, my Mom will find them.

My Mom is always one of the first to respond when anyone has any problem, health or otherwise. She is quick to donate her time to worthy causes.

My Mom has loved and been married to my Dad for nearly 50 years.

My Mom is a spectacular, wonderful woman, and I want her to stay around to enjoy her grandchildren and her great-grandchild.

We’ve had a lot of questions about how people can help, and I’d like to point you in a couple of directions. One, should my Mom undergo the bone marrow transplant, she will need blood and platelets. This is something the nation always needs actually, and we advise contacting your local American Red Cross, which you can find by clicking here. It is an easy to navigate Web site, but if you need to talk to someone in person, call them at 800-RED-CROSS.

As for donating bone marrow, here is a great place where you can learn nearly everything you need to know about being a donor and the how the transplant works. It’s the National Marrow Donor Program and can be found at Marrow.org. You can contact their Donor Advocacy Program here: 1 (800) 654-1247 and they will get back to you promptly and answer any questions you may have.

Here is an easy way to find out about where to find a donor drive near you. Go to this page and look on the right-hand side of the page. You will see a ‘Find a Donor Drive’ box, where you can enter your zip code and find the closest place to get on the registry. It does not involve drawing blood, and usually just a swab from your inner cheek will give them the DNA they need.

To get on the registry will cost $52 to get the work done on your sample. So if you are someone who doesn’t qualify as a donor, giving money to this program is also very valuable, as it can defray costs for others. Also, we are hoping in the future to have a drive in my mother’s name both here in the High Desert of California, and possibly in Pittsburgh, as well. I will keep you posted.

There’s a long road ahead for my Mom and Dad and for everyone that loves them, and we truly appreciate your thoughts, prayers and kind words. For those that have asked what they can do and said that they wish they could do more, I’d strongly advise going to Marrow.org and Leukemia.org and reading everything they have. Being educated on the subject of leukemia and on bone marrow transplants will truly help you feel more connected to my Mom during this journey.

But basically, this post is a plea for help. Any type of help you can give would be wonderful. If you’re interested in starting a donor drive in your area, contact Pat Conlee at the National Marrow Donor Program at (714) 800-1630. She has been a wonderful, caring resource for me during this time, and I plan to work with her now and in the future to help those that need marrow transplants, and to help find ways to get people on their registry without having to pay the $52 fee.

Also, my Mom has a Web site up where people can share their words with her. If you send me an e-mail at wkwolfrum(at)gmail(dot)com, I’ll give you the information for that site. But whether it’s money, blood, bone marrow, kind words or prayers, anything you can offer during this time will be gladly accepted and appreciated. And for those of you with Web sites, if you could link to this post that would be wonderful.

There are still many decisions yet to be made and many forks in the road that will need to be navigated, but writing this from my Mom’s home, I can truly say we have an abundance of hope, love and optimism. And every kind word, thought or prayer adds to that.

My Mom is amazingly strong and facing this illness with a bravery I could never imagine having. And she will beat this. But even with her amazing strength and bravery, she needs help to do it from doctors, nurses, family, friends, and well-meaning strangers.

Thank you again, and should you have any questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail - wkwolfrum(at)gmail(dot)com.

Bill

Dear Duchess, I’m sorry I can’t spend all my time playing soccer with you.

And I’m sorry Max’s toy-sucking addiction keeps him from playing with you.

And I’m sorry that Afonso’s recent conversion keeps him from playing with you.

So I’m sorry Duchess, but keep working on your game, you have real talent.

–WKW

From CNN:

JACKSON, Tennessee (CNN) — Tornadoes and storms in the mid-South have killed 54 people since Tuesday evening in the deadliest tornado outbreak in the United States in more than 20 years.

The storms ripped apart homes and trapped residents of university dorms and a retirement home in debris.

The trail of death stretched across four states, with four people killed in Alabama, 13 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky and 30 in Tennessee.

Blogger MonkeyFister has helped initiate a call for help. Here’s a couple suggestions on where to send donations. Every little bit helps people who have lost everything, including loved ones:

American Red Cross
Mid-South Chapter
1400 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: (901)726-1690

And:

United Way of the Mid-South
Phone in a donation at: (901) 433-4300.

Our best wishes go out to those affected by these deadly storms.

–WKW

Boa vinda às Revisões de Filme Curtas No Português Mau de William K. Wolfrum!

Hoje, eu vou revisão o filme “Eu Sou a Lenda” com Will Smith:

Revisão: Como sempre, um vírus mata a maioria de todo mundo. Mas, faz também alguns povos em zombis que come outro pessoas. Um dia, um vírus não fará povos em zombis, por favor deus. Total a filme era aprovada.

Will Smith era muito boa. A menos que for agora uma Scientologista. Então, não era assim bom. Por que umas Scientologistas são sempre maus. Sempre.

Em uma escala de uma a milhão: 786,231.

Veja-o vez seguinte Revisões de Filme Curtas No Português Mau de William K. Wolfrum.
Boa fim de semana.

Traduza aqui ou não. Realmente não é importante.

–WKW

For the many, if any, who would like to comment to any of my posts, the comment feature should be up and running soon. The error is one that seems common with WordPress.

Aside from that, I hope you’re all doing wonderful today.

Bill

While it still seems a longshot to actually happen, should President Bush get his dream of giving a tax rebate to “stimulate the economy,” it seems like it’s even more of a longshot that it would have any lasting effect on the economy. Basically, it will be Bush once again opening up the treasury and dumping money out of it, with most aimed toward those who already have plenty of money to spare.

If it does happen, and the average taxpayer is given $800 or so to go buy doo-dads and fancy jeans, how about we - the average American citizen who cares about the United States and its citizens - do something with that money that would matter.

Like find a way to make sure all children in the nation have health care.

Doing a little simple math makes it seem not as ludicrous as it seems at first blush: One million people donate their tax rebates = $800 million. Two million taxpayers do it = $1.6 billion. Think of what could be done.

Obviously, it would take more than just donating the money to some charity, but why would it be such an impossible task? Our side can organize. We know people. We can help Americans since the government won’t. And if they are giving us the startup funds, why not take advantage. One big hunk of money can go a long way. Just ask Alaskans.

Maybe we’d want to start something to benefit the environment instead? Or help Katrina victims who’ve seen the government turn its back on them? Or on any number of things the government has refused to act on. Because let’s be honest, for the U.S. right now, much more than just the economy needs stimulated.

I haven’t exactly plotted out a game plan for this, mind you. I’m just running the idea up a flagpole. Trying to plant a seed if it were. Yeah, it would be a real longshot to pull an idea like this off. But, at least, it seems truly, well, American.

And at very least, it would be one cool way to spend $800, eh?

Just something to think about.

–WKW

Hi, my name’s Bill, and I wear a Speedo.

Not all the time, mind you. I mean, I’m not wearing one now, or anything. But at Brazilian beaches, I wear a sunga, as they call it in Brazil. And let me make this clear right off the bat - I’ll show you a picture of me in all my Sungaesque glory the very moment Bush’s bombs create an eternal Middle Eastern peace.

That being said, I’ve grown more comfortable in a sunga. The first time I wore one was in the beach oasis of Salvador, Bahia, and I felt, well, uncomfortable. I was about 20 pounds heavier, and my brain was struggling getting around the cultural shift taking place. Normally while swimming, I used to wear big ol’ baggy swim trunks. It’s the American way, after all.

Then one day I found myself on a beach basically wearing a small handkerchief covering my bubblies. It took some getting used to, let me tell you. But now I feel better tooling about in my mankini. It’s not that I’m in better shape as much as it’s that I’m used to it from a cultural standpoint. If Brazilian and European men can walk around beaches and swimming pools with their peni’s neatly outlined in a sunga, then so can I, damn it. I am cosmopolitan, with heavy accent on the “it.”

This past weekend I had the chance to enjoy some time in Rio de Janeiro (the photo above is of one of Rio’s crowded, eclectic and fun beaches. We stayed in the area known as Ipanema. Yes, just like the song. And I was a sunga-wearing madman.

Do I feel more free? Perhaps. Do I feel more in touch with Brazilian culture? Sure. Am I pushing the limit by asking myself questions smack dab in the middle of this blog post? Absolutely.

But my experiences in sungas have helped me learn, actually. I have a better understanding of different cultures, partly from wearing tiny clothing that truly shows off my inner leg hair. My abundant inner leg hair.

It’s a small thingIt’s a small lesson, but one all the world’s citizens could learn from, I believe. Dipping your toe into other cultures helps you understand how alike we really are, deep down. Americans are notorious for not caring about, or being unwilling to learn about other cultures. Which could be a reason why we as Americans barely blink when our government kills millions of people of other cultures. We are not a culture that walks in other people’s shoes, nor really cares when they are blown out of them.

So men, if you haven’t done so before, put yourself on a foreign beach somewhere where a Speedo is considered proper attire for men. And while you’re busily digging sand from your scrotal region, you just might learn a lesson about life.

Of course, another lesson to learn is that when a waiter says he’s great at taking pictures, don’t automatically believe him. That partial nose and beard you see on the bottom right would be me, enjoying a meal with my wife, family and friends.

–WKW

There’s a small controversy in the world of professional golf, which, as golf goes, is about the only types of controversies they are able to produce.

In this case, Golf Channel announcer Kelly Tilghman, apparently tired of people misspelling her name, made a comment during a golf telecast that has brought down hellfire upon her.

Commenting on Tiger Woods and his dominance of the game, Tilghman remarked that young PGA Tour players should “lynch him in a back alley” somewhere so they can get some wins, as well.

Ok, bad, bad move, Kelly. Now, she’s been suspended for two weeks by the Golf Channel, has angered some fans, and has the Rev. Al Sharpton calling for her dismissal.

For his part, Tiger Woods - who wasn’t even at the event - quickly let out a press release to state that this was a non-issue for him. In fact, Tiger not long ago had his own problem with word choice, when after an event in which he didn’t win, he said he “putted like a spazz out there.” While Americans were unfazed by this remark, over in the UK, the mental health industry took Tiger to task, as “spazz” is considered much more a slur against the mentally handicapped there. Woods quickly apologized.

Of course, one can not think of Woods and racist remarks without thinking of Fuzzy Zoeller, who during the Masters, remarked to the press that they should tell him not to order “fried chicken and collard greens” for the following year’s pre-Masters dinner (the previous year’s winner chooses what the players eat in a ceremonial dinner before the Masters. Woods won the year Zoeller made his comments and got to chose. The 21-year-old picked hamburgers and milkshakes.)

Zoeller’s comments were ultimately forgiven by Woods, but they’ve dogged Zoeller since. He was once one of the world’s most popular golfers. Now, instead of his play, he’s remembered for those words and for his attitude in speaking them.

But as Tiger said, for the most part, it is a non-issue. Tilghman doesn’t make her career like Don Imus, Chris Matthews, Michael Savage or Glenn Beck. She doesn’t intentionally insert bigoted, homophobic or sexist language into her day to spark controversy and drive ratings. No, she’s a young announcer who used the wrong word and offended people.

Is it wrong for those like Sharpton to demand her firing? No, of course not. But they are bringing attention to it, which is what they do. This incident likely won’t harm Tilghman’s career too much (though I don’t think much of her as a golf announcer, especially when hall of fame golfer Dottie Pepper and her powerful personality are on the sidelines), but it will be something she remembers. I know something about remembering horrific statements

More than 20 years ago, I was driving a truck in Southern California and worked with an African-American guy I got along real well with. We talked a lot, had beers together, etc. Then one day, while helping him load his truck I saw something that would require a little extra finesse. Afterwards my friend noticed and laughed at how I had loaded the truck (it was ugly, but it was safe and worked) and I said, “Well, you know, I just n—–rigged it.”

A long silence. Then life went on. I never mentioned that slip of the tongue to him again, and I’m sure his opinion of me rightfully plummeted. I was young and stupid, and still get pangs of pain for not apologizing immediately, or, in fact, ever. Because I was, and am still sorry. I have no idea why I said that, and it was a term I had likely never spoken aloud before. But there it was.

I’m not the same 21-year-old now, though, so I don’t particularly hold myself as a racist, though in Portly Dyke’s brilliant post “Trying to Get White People to Talk About Racism is Like . . . ,” I do accept that I, like all of us, have racist issues.

“Many (if not most) white people, have very little awareness of their privilege as white people,” wrote PD.

Her words ring true. That was my mistake two decades ago. It was Tilghman’s mistake a week ago. But regardless of her skin color, this is an issue that should be discussed. The right-wing - as is their want in such things - blow it off as “political correctness” and that people should stop being so sensitive. It is their classic, and eternal battle to keep racial, sexist and homophobic slurs imbeded in the national vocabulary and psyche.

In the end, Tilghman got what she deserved probably. A two-week suspension and plenty of people looking at her differently. It’s likely she’ll rebound. But the fact is, she’s human. So she’s racist. We all are to a point. The progressive amongst us fight that and try to learn about and improve ourselves. Others just try to edit themselves and are disgusted they can’t use any word they want. Others just don’t care.

But all those -isms are inside all of us. None of us can claim complete purity when it comes to racism, sexism, homophobia, or what not. But as humans we are aware that we evolve. And if we face our own issues down, and don’t pass them along to younger generations, than we’ve done our part to help the human race continue to evolve.

This is what slips of the tongue like Tilghman’s should bring, in the end. Introspection. Who knows where Tilghman’s career will head, but it is a sure thing she’s spent a lot of this and the following weeks in introspection. I know I did, and still do. Hopefully Tilghman helped a lot of others take a look at themselves, as well. In the end, that can be the power of one stupidly used word.

–WKW

As a professional journalist of some note, I keep an eye on things like general news items of the days, and definitions of the Signs of the Apocalypse. You know, to see if anything matches up. Then I’d have a scoop.

Today, that scoop arrived.

“Cook’s 7-hour set breaks comedy record”

LOS ANGELES - Dane Cook has broken a Laugh Factory endurance record set less than a month ago by Dave Chappelle.

In what is becoming a heated battle between the two comedians, Cook told jokes at the Sunset Strip comedy club for 7 hours, beating the record Chappelle, 34, set at 6 hours and 12 minutes in December.

Cook went on stage Tuesday and continued until nearly 7 a.m. Wednesday, and at one point even sent out for food to keep the audience fed and happy.

Just by itself, this one act by Dane Cook has likely accomplished six of the seven signs. And you just had to know that the number “Seven” has all sorts of Christian, VooDoo and other powers. It’s like the super number of shit hitting the fan.

We are way overdue, folks. Religious or not, the fact that Dane Cook even exists is very, very troubling. That he has a successful career means something’s got to give. Face it, we’re boned.

–WKW

Crossposted at Shakesville

I try not to mention my wife in my work because, well, I don’t know why. She sure as hell talks about me at her work. She has several bits down pat about the adventures of the silly American in a strange land.

Generally, however, I keep her in the background. But I had mentioned a story in a blog post about her innocently (I’ll testify to that in court) about something we did on a cruise ship. I feel like this might be embarrassing for her, but I thought, “hey, If I just write a really sweet post about her first, I’d probably be ok on this one.” If there’s one thing they don’t teach you about marriage, it’s this - variables. Get to know them, and play them.

So anyway, this one time, on a cruise ship …
(more…)

I have some very basic concepts on marriage, and they seem to work well for me and us. One, avoid any unnecessary contact of any kind with females. This includes mentioning them. And when the TV is on, and you just can’t help yourself and have to make a comment, keep in mind these examples:

1) “Angelina Jolie is truly a beauty, isn’t she?”

2) “Jesus. Shakira. baby, look, it’s Shakira. And with Beyonce! They got my letter!! Dear God, look at them, baby.”

As you can see, No. 1 is generally a safe way to go. Angelina Jolie is indeed a beauty and women and men will willingly admit it. Or, if not, they will genuinely tell you why they finds your (or your example) to be unattractive. No. 2, on the other hand, is just stupid. Trust me. Really stupid.

Of course, your results may vary. But it’s just bad form.

As for my second concept, it’s this: Appreciate your spouse. Think about it. This is a person who chose to spend their lives with you. With you! Look at yourself. You wouldn’t even live with you if you didn’t have to. Yet this person does so willingly, and, in such a way as to make your life a better place, day after day. This, and everything else a good spouse brings is something to be appreciated. They are to be appreciated.

In fact, I went to all the trouble to write this just for that explicit purpose, to be able to write this:

I appreciate you, Emilia, and I love you very much.

–WKW

ThroughBall.com, voted by WilliamKWolfrum.com writers as the “Best Soccer Blog on the Planet,” two years running, looks to be hitting its form.

The site (which I on the odd occasion contribute to … yeah, I know, this makes me biased. That’s more or less the point) has a slightly different layout and a seemingly rejuvenated Josh at the helm. The site has also apparently thus far survived a fantasy soccer league, of which I’m currently nearing the relegation zone. None the less, if you enjoy U.S. soccer and the game as a whole, it’s a good place to keep an eye on.

So head over and take a look. It’s a soccer site ready to have a breakout year.

–WKW

Being a long-time stalker of Oliver Willis, I know that he loves the Washington Redskins and Jessica Alba. Well, Willis is out of luck there, as we are all heart-shatteringly aware:

She went out and got pregnatized, meaning Oliver’s already long chances just got that much longer. Making every thing OK again, however, was this: His hapless Redskins made the playoffs.

I think that’s karmic justice.

–WKW

You can literally hear the Benny Hill theme music in the background as the RIAA continues to do everything wrong, or at least three moves late in its battle against its own consumers:

Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use

Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.

The industry’s lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are “unauthorized copies” of copyrighted recordings.

“I couldn’t believe it when I read that,” says Ray Beckerman, a New York lawyer who represents six clients who have been sued by the RIAA. “The basic principle in the law is that you have to distribute actual physical copies to be guilty of violating copyright. But recently, the industry has been going around saying that even a personal copy on your computer is a violation.”

So there you have it. If you buy a CD, you better not copy it to your computer, even solely for personal use and there’s no file-sharing programming on your computer. At least that’s what the RIAA keeps getting at, even though it has of yet brought it as a charge.

This fight will be a long and complicated one, but the way the RIAA is fighting it, it may be an eternal battle:

The RIAA’s legal crusade against its customers is a classic example of an old media company clinging to a business model that has collapsed. Four years of a failed strategy has only “created a whole market of people who specifically look to buy independent goods so as not to deal with the big record companies,” Beckerman says. “Every problem they’re trying to solve is worse now than when they started.”

–WKW