Dave2112
Level of Cherry Feather
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2001
- Messages
- 10,292
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Just as George Orwell was a little off-base about 1984, I’m sure 2001 didn’t turn out quite as Arthur C. Clarke imagined it would. But 2001 DID turn out to be a year that changed the course of the world.
We started out with the inauguration of a President victorious in the most bizarre election in American history. One thing this managed to do was prove that the American people care more about how their government is run than most will let on. How many of us had nothing to say on the subject?
It was kind of a fitting beginning to this year.
I don’t want to go on and on about September 11th, and this isn’t the point of this thread, but no one can deny that it was not only the most important story of the year, but perhaps the last fifty or sixty years as well. We rose together as a people. Not only Americans, but the civilized world, stood side-by-side, proving forever that man will not go quietly into the night. Heroes died and heroes were born. Cowardly terrorists lost. We as Americans realized that our bubble of protection had burst, and a new generation finally understood the impact of Pearl Harbor. We survived and became stronger.
Let us never forget those who lost their lives, and let them be shining examples of Freedom.
The world of Sports was ablaze with interesting stories. The Baltimore Ravens became only the third team to reach the Super Bowl as a Wild-Card, and finally won it for Art Modell, one of the league’s original team owners. Daniel Snyder proved that in football, you can’t buy a Super Bowl berth, while George Steinbrenner once again proved that in baseball you CAN buy a spot in the World Series. Four or five times, it would seem. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils in one of the best Stanley Cup series ever played, a fitting ending to the illustrious career of Ray Bourque. The sight of Ray finally hoisting the Cup to the thunderous music of Star Wars brought a tear to the eye of at least one free-lance journalist. The stock-car circuit was shocked at the loss of Dale Earnheart, a true icon of his sport who died living his dream. I’m not a big NASCAR fan, but I salute you anyway Dale. Michael Jordan returned to basketball and Mario Lemieux overcame a long battle with cancer to rejoin the ranks of the NHL greats. 49ers running back Garrison Hearst overcame multiple surgeries, two years away from the NFL and everyone but himself insisting that he not play again. He racked up well over 1,000 yards and has become a major player in the resurgence of a storied franchise.
Science has shot forward exponentially, for good or for ill. The (almost) complete mapping of the human genome has finally been accomplished. The first human embryo has been cloned. Let us hope that the minds who wield this mighty power have the strength of character to use it wisely.
New planets in previously uncharted areas of space have been found, increasing the chances that one day, we may finally meet our neighbors in the cosmos. What will they think of us?
As a race, Man has come to stand on the brink this past year. Not only because of 9/11, but other dates and places as well. Israel and the Palestinian nation continue to wage what may very well be the decisive war of the new century, if you believe in the prophecies of Revelation and Daniel. India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed nations, continue to come close to blows that will affect us all. China continues to enjoy “favored-nation” status, even in the face of some of the world’s most egregious human-rights violations. Our environment continues to deteriorate at a rapid pace, with few truly understanding the impact of our technology and expansion on the delicate balance of Earth, our only home. The Internet and computer technology expanded by leaps and bounds, possibly brining the world together, possibly tearing it apart. Time will tell.
As we do every year, we lost many we’ve looked up to. George Harrison plays in Heaven now. The brilliant Sir Alec Guinness passed away, which struck me deeply. May The Force Be With You, gentle soul. I didn’t want to turn this into a list of people who passed away this year, these were just two of the many whose passing affected me personally. We all have a list like that.
Around here, the TMF registered it’s 3,000th member, a milestone and a testament to the closeness of our community. This year, the Golden Rule was instituted, which set us apart from most of the other destinations on the Net. The Web has long been a place where people could hide behind anonymous screen names and act in ways that they wouldn’t face-to-face. With this relatively new form of communication, we’ve entered a new stage in our social development. There are even official rules of etiquette specific to Internet interaction. The TMF has blazed a trail, cutting through the thick underbrush of flames, abhorrent behavior and faceless attacks by being among the first to install Moderation. There have been fights, there have been cries of oppression, but all told it’s made this one of the most enjoyable places to be online. That it was the tickling community that delved into these waters is truly amazing. We grew with the addition of the General Discussion Forum, as people realized that tickling fans are also real people with real lives, hopes, dreams and interests. Thank you to all who made this possible. That includes not only the Moderators, but the Members as well. Let us continue to treat each other with respect and set the example for others that will hopefully follow in our footsteps.
Many of the things that impacted lives this past year were not always the ones grabbing headlines. The 17-year-old boy in Scarborough who saved his Grandmother and older sister, then perished trying to save his younger sister in a Christmas Day fire. The 3-year-old boy in Nova Scotia who found the will to live for twelve hours, strapped to a car seat after the car his mother was driving went off a cliff, freezing cold and with the body of his mother floating in the water. The man in Australia who lost his life, diving in front of an oncoming truck to save the life of a child he never knew. The woman in Austria who went bankrupt and faced criminal charges because of the seventy-four animals she took in to care for when no one else would. Many more are anonymous. The person who gave someone his car keys when drinking, saving the life of an unknown individual. The person who thought twice before dumping some crap into the ocean. The person who got involved when they knew someone was being hurt.
And anyone who ever did anything for the sheer benefit of someone else, with nothing to gain for themselves.
It was not only 9/11 that bred heroes this year. And as we look forward to the next one, let us realize that we all have that potential. We all have something to give, and we all have something to lose over the course of this next year. The heroes will be the ones keeping the peace, providing for their families, giving to the poor, and setting an example of humanity to a world that sometimes seems without focus. Let us not see war as an excuse to leave our civility behind us. Let us not see crime as an excuse to eschew law.
And let us take one moment tonight, aside from the parties and the drinking and the fellowship, to remember that we are all brothers and sisters on this Path we call Life.
So, I wish you a Happy and Safe New Year. We may get all that we wish for, we may not. But if we remember that we’re all in this together, share a few laughs along the way and take the time to appreciate the little things that many ignore…
…we just might get through it.
Happy New Year Everyone!
We started out with the inauguration of a President victorious in the most bizarre election in American history. One thing this managed to do was prove that the American people care more about how their government is run than most will let on. How many of us had nothing to say on the subject?
It was kind of a fitting beginning to this year.
I don’t want to go on and on about September 11th, and this isn’t the point of this thread, but no one can deny that it was not only the most important story of the year, but perhaps the last fifty or sixty years as well. We rose together as a people. Not only Americans, but the civilized world, stood side-by-side, proving forever that man will not go quietly into the night. Heroes died and heroes were born. Cowardly terrorists lost. We as Americans realized that our bubble of protection had burst, and a new generation finally understood the impact of Pearl Harbor. We survived and became stronger.
Let us never forget those who lost their lives, and let them be shining examples of Freedom.
The world of Sports was ablaze with interesting stories. The Baltimore Ravens became only the third team to reach the Super Bowl as a Wild-Card, and finally won it for Art Modell, one of the league’s original team owners. Daniel Snyder proved that in football, you can’t buy a Super Bowl berth, while George Steinbrenner once again proved that in baseball you CAN buy a spot in the World Series. Four or five times, it would seem. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils in one of the best Stanley Cup series ever played, a fitting ending to the illustrious career of Ray Bourque. The sight of Ray finally hoisting the Cup to the thunderous music of Star Wars brought a tear to the eye of at least one free-lance journalist. The stock-car circuit was shocked at the loss of Dale Earnheart, a true icon of his sport who died living his dream. I’m not a big NASCAR fan, but I salute you anyway Dale. Michael Jordan returned to basketball and Mario Lemieux overcame a long battle with cancer to rejoin the ranks of the NHL greats. 49ers running back Garrison Hearst overcame multiple surgeries, two years away from the NFL and everyone but himself insisting that he not play again. He racked up well over 1,000 yards and has become a major player in the resurgence of a storied franchise.
Science has shot forward exponentially, for good or for ill. The (almost) complete mapping of the human genome has finally been accomplished. The first human embryo has been cloned. Let us hope that the minds who wield this mighty power have the strength of character to use it wisely.
New planets in previously uncharted areas of space have been found, increasing the chances that one day, we may finally meet our neighbors in the cosmos. What will they think of us?
As a race, Man has come to stand on the brink this past year. Not only because of 9/11, but other dates and places as well. Israel and the Palestinian nation continue to wage what may very well be the decisive war of the new century, if you believe in the prophecies of Revelation and Daniel. India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed nations, continue to come close to blows that will affect us all. China continues to enjoy “favored-nation” status, even in the face of some of the world’s most egregious human-rights violations. Our environment continues to deteriorate at a rapid pace, with few truly understanding the impact of our technology and expansion on the delicate balance of Earth, our only home. The Internet and computer technology expanded by leaps and bounds, possibly brining the world together, possibly tearing it apart. Time will tell.
As we do every year, we lost many we’ve looked up to. George Harrison plays in Heaven now. The brilliant Sir Alec Guinness passed away, which struck me deeply. May The Force Be With You, gentle soul. I didn’t want to turn this into a list of people who passed away this year, these were just two of the many whose passing affected me personally. We all have a list like that.
Around here, the TMF registered it’s 3,000th member, a milestone and a testament to the closeness of our community. This year, the Golden Rule was instituted, which set us apart from most of the other destinations on the Net. The Web has long been a place where people could hide behind anonymous screen names and act in ways that they wouldn’t face-to-face. With this relatively new form of communication, we’ve entered a new stage in our social development. There are even official rules of etiquette specific to Internet interaction. The TMF has blazed a trail, cutting through the thick underbrush of flames, abhorrent behavior and faceless attacks by being among the first to install Moderation. There have been fights, there have been cries of oppression, but all told it’s made this one of the most enjoyable places to be online. That it was the tickling community that delved into these waters is truly amazing. We grew with the addition of the General Discussion Forum, as people realized that tickling fans are also real people with real lives, hopes, dreams and interests. Thank you to all who made this possible. That includes not only the Moderators, but the Members as well. Let us continue to treat each other with respect and set the example for others that will hopefully follow in our footsteps.
Many of the things that impacted lives this past year were not always the ones grabbing headlines. The 17-year-old boy in Scarborough who saved his Grandmother and older sister, then perished trying to save his younger sister in a Christmas Day fire. The 3-year-old boy in Nova Scotia who found the will to live for twelve hours, strapped to a car seat after the car his mother was driving went off a cliff, freezing cold and with the body of his mother floating in the water. The man in Australia who lost his life, diving in front of an oncoming truck to save the life of a child he never knew. The woman in Austria who went bankrupt and faced criminal charges because of the seventy-four animals she took in to care for when no one else would. Many more are anonymous. The person who gave someone his car keys when drinking, saving the life of an unknown individual. The person who thought twice before dumping some crap into the ocean. The person who got involved when they knew someone was being hurt.
And anyone who ever did anything for the sheer benefit of someone else, with nothing to gain for themselves.
It was not only 9/11 that bred heroes this year. And as we look forward to the next one, let us realize that we all have that potential. We all have something to give, and we all have something to lose over the course of this next year. The heroes will be the ones keeping the peace, providing for their families, giving to the poor, and setting an example of humanity to a world that sometimes seems without focus. Let us not see war as an excuse to leave our civility behind us. Let us not see crime as an excuse to eschew law.
And let us take one moment tonight, aside from the parties and the drinking and the fellowship, to remember that we are all brothers and sisters on this Path we call Life.
So, I wish you a Happy and Safe New Year. We may get all that we wish for, we may not. But if we remember that we’re all in this together, share a few laughs along the way and take the time to appreciate the little things that many ignore…
…we just might get through it.
Happy New Year Everyone!
