I've had many friends ask what is happening with my dog and though I've told the story to many of them in person, I haven's really discussed it in the social media world.
Here is what has been going on:
Almost two weeks ago my dog, Phantom, underwent a surgery to amputate her front left leg. Two weeks prior to that she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer in her wrist. After a very stressful time in deciding what to do with my puppy that I've had for almost eleven years, I chose the surgery.
She is now resting more and more each day and trying to figure things out. She's a real trooper, but obviously fighting through the pain, much of it related with the stiffness now in her back legs from not getting much exercise. I am hopeful that when she recovers from the surgery completely she will be able to get back to some sort of routine. In a week she will have her stitches removed and begin a chemotherapy treatment.
Thank you to all my friends and family for offering assistance, kind words, and help during this very challenging time for Phantom.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
fact vs fiction
Enough.
It is time for someone to begin questioning the 'facts' that have been presented regarding the radio station theater. I have voiced my opinion once before on this matter and have taken a few shots on various social media sites, in the hope that some media outlet would actually decide to take an ethical journalistic approach to this story. But, instead, falsehoods (dare I say lies) and misrepresentations continue to be spoon-fed to the print media and the news outlets, and they dutifully repeat them.
Let’s start, though, by dealing with my “bias.” Yes, I work for the Craterian. I have for eleven years. Does this mean I'm biased? Sure. It also means I probably know more about the topic than most people. Does this mean, as a member of our community, that my opinions are off-base or should be discredited? Only if all of Ron Kramer’s opinions and suppositions are discredited as well. If you’re going to listen to one side, you have to listen to the other. You be the judge who is distorting facts into fiction. Below I offer only facts - I hope that you can begin asking your own questions, and draw your own conclusions about where the fiction begins.
From the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Holly website:
Q: Would the Holly Theatre duplicate what is already offered by the Craterian Theatre?
A: No. The JPR Foundation’s plans for the Holly have specifically been developed to avoid duplication and establish different types of events. Where the Craterian was built with a sophisticated stage house to accommodate traveling versions of Broadway shows, the Holly restoration would not enlarge the stage house and the Holly would not seek to offer Broadway shows. Instead, the Holly would feature singer/songwriter and related entertainers of the type generally featured on Jefferson Public Radio’s radio programs – a mix which has made JPR’s Cascade Theatre, in Redding, extremely successful. Typically, only 2 or 3 acts which appear annually at the Cascade have been booked into the Craterian (which reports that it has 90 ticketed events annually) so that “duplication” would be minimal.
Well, that's good news. Right? Yes. However, the fact is, in this current season alone the Cascade is presenting:
Brian Regan
Chinese Acrobats
Tommy Dorsey
Vienna Choir Boys
Momix
Spamalot
Celtic Christmas
Blues Harmonica Blowout
Judy Collins
Lady Smith Black Mambazo
Lily Tomlin
Hairspray
Rickie Lee Jones
All of these shows have played, or will play this season, at the Craterian. Also troubling is the line: "Where the Craterian was built with a sophisticated stage house to accommodate traveling versions of Broadway shows, the Holly restoration would not enlarge the stage house and the Holly would not seek to offer Broadway shows.” Well, if you notice on the list, the Cascade, for the first time in my memory, is presenting two 4 truck Broadway shows in Hairspray and Spamalot.
To confirm my memory I pulled up a quote from the December 9th, 2010 article in the Tribune by Damian Mann, in which he reports, "Citing the differences in programming, he [Kramer] said the Cascade doesn't host Broadway productions." In the same article it was reported, "Kramer said that because the downtown doesn't have a larger venue, it misses out on performances that would be suitable for a larger hall." Kramer repeated this recently in a MURA meeting when asking for a million dollars for the Holly, when he stated that groups such as "Manhattan Transfer and Bryan Adams" have "flown over Medford after playing Redding." Just a week prior to this statement Bryan Adams was onstage at the Craterian and Manhattan Transfer is scheduled for next season. The Tribune article also quoted him as saying "Bill Cosby has flown over [Medford]"...Bill Cosby has also played the stage at the Craterian. These are all facts.
Ok, back on my soap box. This is to say nothing of the articles in which the following fictions have been reported: the Craterian can’t do certain shows because it doesn’t have a loading dock, that the auditorium was turned 90 degrees when it was renovated (thereby damaging its acoustics), and that there are several communities our size that support two such similar roadhouses (none of the examples offered are viable – in fact, they’re bad examples).
The arrogance of Kramer and the radio foundation is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth. But, the relentless insults and falsehoods they have made about the Craterian, the fact that they began their campaign by denigrating the Craterian, that they continue to feed misinformation to the local paper, and that it is reported without investigation, is indefensible. To my recollection there have been at least seven front page articles and two editorials touting the project in the Tribune. If that isn’t advocacy (as opposed to journalism), I don’t know what is. Do you remember the last local story that got so much coverage in so short a time? I can’t think of one.
It also intrigues me that people seem to believe that the radio foundation is doing this as a gift for Medford when actually it’s just the opposite. Kramer has made it clear he is doing this to build and expand his JPR brand, and it is anything but a gift. After announcing he was going to raise the money to buy it, he had to borrow it. Now he is asking the city for money to get the project started, and the community will have to give him the money to finish it. Yet he represents himself as some kind of savior. In fact, JPR wants the community to pay for this project but will brand it as a Kramer/JPR miracle! I’m not drinking the KoolAid…are you?
It is time for someone to begin questioning the 'facts' that have been presented regarding the radio station theater. I have voiced my opinion once before on this matter and have taken a few shots on various social media sites, in the hope that some media outlet would actually decide to take an ethical journalistic approach to this story. But, instead, falsehoods (dare I say lies) and misrepresentations continue to be spoon-fed to the print media and the news outlets, and they dutifully repeat them.
Let’s start, though, by dealing with my “bias.” Yes, I work for the Craterian. I have for eleven years. Does this mean I'm biased? Sure. It also means I probably know more about the topic than most people. Does this mean, as a member of our community, that my opinions are off-base or should be discredited? Only if all of Ron Kramer’s opinions and suppositions are discredited as well. If you’re going to listen to one side, you have to listen to the other. You be the judge who is distorting facts into fiction. Below I offer only facts - I hope that you can begin asking your own questions, and draw your own conclusions about where the fiction begins.
From the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Holly website:
Q: Would the Holly Theatre duplicate what is already offered by the Craterian Theatre?
A: No. The JPR Foundation’s plans for the Holly have specifically been developed to avoid duplication and establish different types of events. Where the Craterian was built with a sophisticated stage house to accommodate traveling versions of Broadway shows, the Holly restoration would not enlarge the stage house and the Holly would not seek to offer Broadway shows. Instead, the Holly would feature singer/songwriter and related entertainers of the type generally featured on Jefferson Public Radio’s radio programs – a mix which has made JPR’s Cascade Theatre, in Redding, extremely successful. Typically, only 2 or 3 acts which appear annually at the Cascade have been booked into the Craterian (which reports that it has 90 ticketed events annually) so that “duplication” would be minimal.
Well, that's good news. Right? Yes. However, the fact is, in this current season alone the Cascade is presenting:
Brian Regan
Chinese Acrobats
Tommy Dorsey
Vienna Choir Boys
Momix
Spamalot
Celtic Christmas
Blues Harmonica Blowout
Judy Collins
Lady Smith Black Mambazo
Lily Tomlin
Hairspray
Rickie Lee Jones
All of these shows have played, or will play this season, at the Craterian. Also troubling is the line: "Where the Craterian was built with a sophisticated stage house to accommodate traveling versions of Broadway shows, the Holly restoration would not enlarge the stage house and the Holly would not seek to offer Broadway shows.” Well, if you notice on the list, the Cascade, for the first time in my memory, is presenting two 4 truck Broadway shows in Hairspray and Spamalot.
To confirm my memory I pulled up a quote from the December 9th, 2010 article in the Tribune by Damian Mann, in which he reports, "Citing the differences in programming, he [Kramer] said the Cascade doesn't host Broadway productions." In the same article it was reported, "Kramer said that because the downtown doesn't have a larger venue, it misses out on performances that would be suitable for a larger hall." Kramer repeated this recently in a MURA meeting when asking for a million dollars for the Holly, when he stated that groups such as "Manhattan Transfer and Bryan Adams" have "flown over Medford after playing Redding." Just a week prior to this statement Bryan Adams was onstage at the Craterian and Manhattan Transfer is scheduled for next season. The Tribune article also quoted him as saying "Bill Cosby has flown over [Medford]"...Bill Cosby has also played the stage at the Craterian. These are all facts.
Ok, back on my soap box. This is to say nothing of the articles in which the following fictions have been reported: the Craterian can’t do certain shows because it doesn’t have a loading dock, that the auditorium was turned 90 degrees when it was renovated (thereby damaging its acoustics), and that there are several communities our size that support two such similar roadhouses (none of the examples offered are viable – in fact, they’re bad examples).
The arrogance of Kramer and the radio foundation is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth. But, the relentless insults and falsehoods they have made about the Craterian, the fact that they began their campaign by denigrating the Craterian, that they continue to feed misinformation to the local paper, and that it is reported without investigation, is indefensible. To my recollection there have been at least seven front page articles and two editorials touting the project in the Tribune. If that isn’t advocacy (as opposed to journalism), I don’t know what is. Do you remember the last local story that got so much coverage in so short a time? I can’t think of one.
It also intrigues me that people seem to believe that the radio foundation is doing this as a gift for Medford when actually it’s just the opposite. Kramer has made it clear he is doing this to build and expand his JPR brand, and it is anything but a gift. After announcing he was going to raise the money to buy it, he had to borrow it. Now he is asking the city for money to get the project started, and the community will have to give him the money to finish it. Yet he represents himself as some kind of savior. In fact, JPR wants the community to pay for this project but will brand it as a Kramer/JPR miracle! I’m not drinking the KoolAid…are you?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
understand yourself first…
Can you ask other people to understand you? What if you, yourself, do not understand who you are? I think that we are all in search of finding answers in life. Some people have stopped asking the questions. Some people ask questions but don’t like any of the answers. Is there a right answer for each of us specifically based on our personality types? Based on our goals, our hopes and our dreams?
To paraphrase an author, ‘We need to overlook the potholes and just enjoy the journey.’ We get so focused on one aspect in our life that we sometimes ignore and lose sight of things that are so close upon us they could smack us on the back of the head. Perhaps there is no magic answer of where we need to be in life. Perhaps we need to not compare our lives to those around us. But, we use these gauges—these societal forces and allow them to make us feel and act certain ways.
I know for me personally, I always find it interesting when I can’t answer the basic questions that EVERYONE always asks. What’s you favorite book, movie, show at the theater? I’m sure one stands out over the other. I’m sure if I had to sit down and answer these things I could do it after much thought. But, the big questions…I can answer these. What do you want in life? Happiness. What is important for you in a relationship? Find someone to share in this goal with me and grow together. What do you want to do in the next five years? Find a challenge that forces me to put my heart and soul into it—and achieve. These may be generic answers. These answers may not have structure and I may not have any idea where to turn to achieve any of them…but I know what I want –overall. I find it interesting that growing up, I used to think I knew every path I was going to take along the journey only to discover later on in life that the journey is made up of paths that change daily as I grow.
There is no set answer. There is no set path. And though we always hope that others understand who we are –it is only possible for them to begin to understand when we understand ourselves.
To paraphrase an author, ‘We need to overlook the potholes and just enjoy the journey.’ We get so focused on one aspect in our life that we sometimes ignore and lose sight of things that are so close upon us they could smack us on the back of the head. Perhaps there is no magic answer of where we need to be in life. Perhaps we need to not compare our lives to those around us. But, we use these gauges—these societal forces and allow them to make us feel and act certain ways.
I know for me personally, I always find it interesting when I can’t answer the basic questions that EVERYONE always asks. What’s you favorite book, movie, show at the theater? I’m sure one stands out over the other. I’m sure if I had to sit down and answer these things I could do it after much thought. But, the big questions…I can answer these. What do you want in life? Happiness. What is important for you in a relationship? Find someone to share in this goal with me and grow together. What do you want to do in the next five years? Find a challenge that forces me to put my heart and soul into it—and achieve. These may be generic answers. These answers may not have structure and I may not have any idea where to turn to achieve any of them…but I know what I want –overall. I find it interesting that growing up, I used to think I knew every path I was going to take along the journey only to discover later on in life that the journey is made up of paths that change daily as I grow.
There is no set answer. There is no set path. And though we always hope that others understand who we are –it is only possible for them to begin to understand when we understand ourselves.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
contrast and contradiction
The time of year is upon us. Yup. All the crazy resolutions pouring out. The holiday hangover. It's just an odd time of year. I've decided not to set a 'resolution' or even one specific goal for myself for the coming year. Sure, I'll try to stay in shape. I will try to stay organized. I will work on taking it easy...occasionally. But these are things we should work on everyday...not with some extra push because it's a new year. What I will do, now, at year end, is reflect on this year that has escaped.
The past several months have been very interesting indeed. I've made multiple trips to the east coast. I've seen days filled with complete contradictions and contrasting elements. An island that is far from the Pacific Northwest. An island filled with people that rely heavily on tourists to help them make enough to eat and survive...and within the same view, on the same island, a multi-million dollar complex, a casino, stretches into the sky. Poverty and excessive spending balance each other out.
On this same trip, I ate some of the worst food, at the airport. The next evening I dined in one of the finest restaurants. I have stayed in a run down motel and the next night aboard an extravagant ship. All of these things hit home as I was in flight back to the west coast. I thought about the contrast in our lives. How the balance we find, or the balance we struggle to find, is what I have searched for.
I was recently scolded for saying that we could skip the rest of December and move on to 2011. I was kidding of course. Well, sort of. 2010 was indeed a rough year. But, perhaps it was what I needed to make for a very successful 2011? Perhaps it was what I needed so that I could see what I had? Perhaps it was needed to get me moving again?
And as this year comes to a close, I see a year full of contrast much like the last few months. I had some of the highest moments of my life followed by the lowest. Old friendships strengthened to levels I wouldn't have thought possible-- and at the same time I lost friends that I thought would be in my life forever. I discovered more about myself in a six month period than I had ever thought possible. Funny thing is...I am no closer in knowing what I want or where to go now. However, I do know what is important in my life and will continue to search for a path that will take me further along--and on that path I hope I find more answers, more questions and more friends.
So I enter another year...but I won't forget those incredible moments from the last.
The past several months have been very interesting indeed. I've made multiple trips to the east coast. I've seen days filled with complete contradictions and contrasting elements. An island that is far from the Pacific Northwest. An island filled with people that rely heavily on tourists to help them make enough to eat and survive...and within the same view, on the same island, a multi-million dollar complex, a casino, stretches into the sky. Poverty and excessive spending balance each other out.
On this same trip, I ate some of the worst food, at the airport. The next evening I dined in one of the finest restaurants. I have stayed in a run down motel and the next night aboard an extravagant ship. All of these things hit home as I was in flight back to the west coast. I thought about the contrast in our lives. How the balance we find, or the balance we struggle to find, is what I have searched for.
I was recently scolded for saying that we could skip the rest of December and move on to 2011. I was kidding of course. Well, sort of. 2010 was indeed a rough year. But, perhaps it was what I needed to make for a very successful 2011? Perhaps it was what I needed so that I could see what I had? Perhaps it was needed to get me moving again?
And as this year comes to a close, I see a year full of contrast much like the last few months. I had some of the highest moments of my life followed by the lowest. Old friendships strengthened to levels I wouldn't have thought possible-- and at the same time I lost friends that I thought would be in my life forever. I discovered more about myself in a six month period than I had ever thought possible. Funny thing is...I am no closer in knowing what I want or where to go now. However, I do know what is important in my life and will continue to search for a path that will take me further along--and on that path I hope I find more answers, more questions and more friends.
So I enter another year...but I won't forget those incredible moments from the last.
Friday, October 29, 2010
empire building...
An interesting article about the resurrection of the Holly Theater in downtown Medford can be found in the local paper today. HERE If you are one to believe everything you read...this will be the next best thing for downtown Medford. 'If you build it they will come...' Right? Why not have another 1000 seat theater to bring additional acts to the Valley? Why not spend millions upon millions of dollars to build up the arts community?
"We want to plant our flag and make this community as successful as it can be," says Kramer. Kramer said an authentically restored historic theater could invigorate another section of downtown Medford." Don't we all want this? Shouldn't we 'invigorate' one portion of downtown first? It is interesting in a time when the staff of the Craterian continues to work on a reduced salary and when funding and ticket sales of the lone performing arts theater downtown are down, that this is the time to ask the community to support an empty condemned building. This should be the time for community support to bolster the arts community that it has! This is the time to continue to make sure that downtown doesn't lose the jewel of the community! This is the time to understand and appreciate what a beautiful and amazing venue already exists in downtown!
These all sound like positive things--especially to someone like me. I have been involved in the theater industry in one way or another for the past 27 years. I would love to see a downtown that thrives here in our community. These lines of bringing businesses downtown sound remarkable. Much like what was hoped and thought and discussed during the Craterian renovation. The cornerstone of downtown -- right? Since 1997 the Craterian has brought in art and entertainment to the Valley that one would have to travel hours away to experience. Season after season, the Craterian entertains and enriches its' audiences. Does the community even understand what they have in the Craterian Theater? Do they understand how technically amazing the facility is? Do they understand the level of passion that continues to pour into the building on a daily basis? I would say that the theater has a solid core group of people that understand these values. There are community leaders that support and would do anything to see the Craterian survive. But, as a whole, the support is down, the attendance is down. During these tough economic times everyone is tightening the belt one more notch.
"We want to plant our flag and make this community as successful as it can be," says Kramer. Kramer said an authentically restored historic theater could invigorate another section of downtown Medford." Don't we all want this? Shouldn't we 'invigorate' one portion of downtown first? It is interesting in a time when the staff of the Craterian continues to work on a reduced salary and when funding and ticket sales of the lone performing arts theater downtown are down, that this is the time to ask the community to support an empty condemned building. This should be the time for community support to bolster the arts community that it has! This is the time to continue to make sure that downtown doesn't lose the jewel of the community! This is the time to understand and appreciate what a beautiful and amazing venue already exists in downtown!
Don't buy into the empire building of JPR. Support the theater that has brought you to laughter, to tears- support the theater that enriches and entertains. If not, perhaps in five years yet another building with a for lease sign can be sitting vacant at 23 S. Central Ave.
Monday, September 27, 2010
by the ocean i stood and i was lost
A three week get away that began in familiar settings in California and ended with a three day cruise in the Bahamas helped me regain a perspective on life that I once had so long ago. On the plane ride to the East Coast, I finished another book by Coelho, 'BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT' -- A common theme throughout this writing and many other things that I have read in the past several months was how we have many chances and opportunities in our lives but we recognize them after they have passed by.
We get caught up in our routines, our daily lives. We don't stop to 'smell the roses.' We fly by the beauty that surrounds us at 70 mph on the freeway only concentrating on what is at the end of the trip and not what is there around us on the way. I stood there, on the beach on Disney's private island, and for the first time that I could remember I lost myself. I was not worried about work, or relationships, or getting sun burnt, or getting attacked by sharks...my focus was on the sea, the horizon, the beauty, the sounds, the smells-- and I stood there-- time passing without a realization of it happening. I was content, I was happy, I was free. Though this may have only lasted a moment -- perhaps an hour. I may have needed to be 3000 miles away from home to achieve this sensation for the first time...but I will fight to remember it, I will fight to find it again in the things around me.
My focus now is on balance. I know I can put in everything I have at work. I can succeed in my life professionally. I can give my heart and soul for the profession I have CHOSEN. I don't need to sacrifice my efforts and passion and commitment and pursuit for excellence in work to have the same goals and desires in my personal life. I recognize that I have to put in that same energy into my personal life. Life is full of hard work and challenges and distractions and routines--all trying to keep us from the greater rewards that come from such dedication and focused direction. I will find my reward---and it will be worth all of the effort!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
disconnected in a connected world
--This has been in my drafts folder for months...finally posting it---
A while back I went on an amazing trip to a remarkable place. A place in the wilderness...kind of. A place for grown-ups and kids alike. A place where you can sleep in the trees and feel the wind as it sways you from side to side 30+ feet in the air. Treehouses. Yep, treehouses. And though this isn't really about what happened on these amazing three days that I spent here in a magical place -- but really about what did not happen. I turned my phone off.
We are obsessed with connectivity. We have a constant direct connection to everything and everyone. If I get lost...I hit maps on my iPhone and route me to where I need to go. I can call ahead from the road. I can text a quick answer or question to a friend 400 miles away. We can Skype across the Ocean. Status updates on FaceBook with a picture of our pet goat that just swallowed a watermelon seed, a tweet about your morning unfriendly episode of someone that just cut you off and you spilled a Venti Soy White Mocha all over your lap, or even post a YouTube video of Cousin Johnny running smack dab into the sliding glass door...all for the world to see -- instantly.
All of these things can be gratifying. They can all leave us with a sense of accomplishment. But what's the downside to be constantly connected to the world. I grew up prior to the cell phone boom...or even the existence of cell phones as we know them today. I survived the walk to the bus just fine. (No, it wasn't uphill both ways in the snow...it just didn't snow.) I actually memorized telephone numbers of my friends. Now, I think I know maybe two numbers of people that I call on a regular basis. We've not only become lazy with technology but we have accepted that this is the way it is... it's convenient now. I think it affects our memories and our overall mental preparedness in daily situations. We have also mastered the art of procrastination. Before, we'd plan the day, we'd plan where we would meet, and where we were going...now, I'll call you from the road or send you a text-- back and forth forty-two times to get the answer to a simple question. Yes, it's great to have a phone in an emergency. However, does an eight year old need a cell phone? Where's the line? At what point do we want to teach others that they have to be connected at all times? This goes beyond being connected and available it gives way to the expectation that the other person should answer you...immediately. I texted Susie 20 minutes ago...the least she could do is reply back. People use phones constantly at work, texting friends, posting on Facebook, surfing the internet for unrelated work topics. Where does it stop?
Take a day off from the technology. Take a day away from FB and Twitter and texting and all of the technology. (Just make sure you post it on FB, Twitter, and text me to let me know. I don't want to worry after all.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)