Gun Slingin' Opera Singer

Carl Tanner knew he had a gift. He could sing. Little did the country boy from Virginia know that this gift would take him all over the globe some day.

The Arlington native came from a working class family. After high school, he worked at odd jobs. Then went to college and earned a degree in performance. But, he was not comfortable with a career in music. How could he earn a living in the arts?

After college, he moved into a field he thought would be more stable: truck driving. He enjoyed driving, but found that it didn't make enough money. When an opportunity came to work as a bounty hunter, he grabbed it. In two years, he worked on 178 cases.

Being a bounty hunter is dangerous. He never knew what a case would bring. In the last case he took, the person he was chasing jumped to his death.

After such a nightmarish experience, Tanner was ready for something else. In 1990, he quit his job and headed for New York. He went to find work. He wasn't particularly interested in music, but that's where he ended up!

Once he became serious about opera, he took an apprenticeship with the Santa Fe Opera Company. Then, his career taken off. Now 43, Tanner has seen the world. He has performed in New York, Japan, Italy, Germany, and elsewhere. He has taken on many roles and performed as a soloist.

We never know where life will take us. Sometimes it takes us back where we started and it turns out to be an opportunity of a life time.

There's more on Carl Tanner at his website: Carl Tanner

They are not afraid

When terrorism strikes in any form by any group, it sends shivers down our spines. The recent strikes in London, coupled with Egypt, Spain, New York, and everywhere else, have put us all on edge. We see shadows everywhere. Everyone is suspect and no one is without suspicion. And, that's how terrorists win.

The people who created werenotafraid.com think otherwise. They want to tell the world that we are not afraid and are going on with our lives. And, they want you to be a part of it. By posting your photograph to their website, you send a message to the world.

Werenotafraid is an outlet for the people of this world. Action, however small, is liberating. Just look at the gallery of photographs. One can not help but feel empowered seeing all those faces. It says to the world we stand together as one.

These words come from the werenotafraid.com "About Us" page...
"We will work, we will play, we will laugh, we will live. We will not waste one moment, nor sacrifice one bit of our freedom, because of fear."

They are brave words in a world filled with fear. But, if we say them together, they will grow, and our collective voice will be strong.

The folks at werenotafraid.com have done a wonderful job. Go ahead, visit the site, and view the photographs. I dare you to look into each face...each human...and then add yours.

Can You Play Video Games With Your Eyes Close? He Can!

Video games confound me. Oh, I was really good way back in the day when Atari was king (no one could beat me at Megamania!) When it comes to Nintendo, PlayStation, and the like, I'm all fumble fingers. When I need an ego boost, I play the Jeopardy game against my nephew. (He's beat me at everything else, so I can at least have this one win over him! LOL)

That's why I'm so impressed with Brice Mellen of Nebraska. Oh, sure! Every teenage can play video games. But, could they do it with their eyes closed? Brice does...he's blind! The 17 year has been blind since birth due to Leber's disease.

At 7, he got his first game system. He was completed frustrated by the controllers. He kept trying and his persistence paid off. Now, he's considered one of the best. People come just to challenge him. They think it'll be a piece of cake to beat a blind person...until he whips 'em!

How does he do it? I don't know. I can't play them with both eyes. I think it's amazing though.

Joseph Lekuton: A Teacher of Life

I originally heard of Joseph Lekuton from Reader Digest (Readers Digest, June 2005, "Lessons Under the Acacia Tree" By Brooke Lea Foster & Cindy Rich [Washingtonian] page 153-158). His story is an inspiration to all...

The students in Joseph Lekuton's seventh grade social studies class learn more than your average student. Oh, they learn the usual things social studies teachers teach and then they get some real life experiences in a country far from their American homes.

Their teacher, Lemosolai "Joseph" Lekuton, is a native of Kenya. His father did not approve of school. Once a Kenyan law was passed providing that each nomadic family send one child to school, his father relented. Lemosolai took himself from those humble beginnings and earned a scholarship at St. Lawrence University in New York.

He brings to teaching his formal education and then some. His style draws his students in. They have always been intrigued by their Kenyan teacher. Lekuton offered stories of his life which the students ate up.

Each summer Lekuton went back to Kenya during summer vacation. In 1996, he invited his students to go back to Kenya with him. The students would experience another culture first hand rather than from a social studies book.

With kids in tow, Lekuton returned home. They learned about his village, his way of life, and the different things his family did. They learned that things like cow herding were taken very seriously. A person assigned to that chore did not have the freedom to ditch it. The community's survival depended on them doing their job. They also learned that things like shoes which are so easy to obtain in America are a luxury in other parts of the world.

Since 1996, Lekuton has taken students back with him each year. He gets to see his family. The kids gain valuable experience of people half way around the world. You can't get that from a classroom.

[Photo courtesy of: Matthew Hayward, www.sxc.hu]

Basketball for the Blind

I have never really thought about it, but people who are blind cannot play catch or any other physical activity that involves seeing a object coming towards them. Without seeing the ball one would be hard pressed to know what direction it was coming from or to chase after it when it rolls away.

Three undergraduates at John Hopkins University have come up with a solution. They have designed an audible basketball and backboard system. The ball gives off an audible tone so that direction can be determined. The backboard also emits sound. While the system is still being perfected, there is interest within the blind community. There are many benefits to playing sports and hand-eye coordination is a basic skill that children need. When the system is perfected, it will open up a whole new area for the blind. It may also be adapted for other sports which use balls such as volleyball and soccer.

The students who invented the system are Alissa Burkholder, Ashanna Randall, and Steve Garber. Both Alissa and Ashanna are engineering undergrads and play for the basketball team. Steve Gerber is a mechanical engineer major.

The Cowboy Rapper

There's a new kid in town and he's trying to shake up country music. Troy Coleman is venturing where no rapper or country music star has ventured before. He's blending rap and country music to come up with a brand new style.

It may be strange to hear rap music with fiddle and banjo. Or, to hear country music leaning towards rap. Coleman's musical influences are many-- from country to rock to rap, ranging from Kiss to Kenny Rogers to RUN-DMC. He heard it all growing up. So, the blending of musical influences seems only natural.

It has taken awhile for Coleman's style to find a home. Many country music radio stations aren't sure what to do with it. Theydon't know if their audiences will take to the new music or feel it doesn't really fit in with the country genre. But he has gotten notice from other Country stars such as Tim McGraw who sings on Coleman's album.

The Dallas native isn't all music. He speaks 6 languages. He's also a University of Texas grad with a degree in psychology and masters in marketing.

Massouda: Presidential Candidate of Afghanistan

In a place where good stories seem difficult to find, we find this bright light. In 2004, a woman named Massouda Jalal ran for President of Afghanistan. Though she had little chance of winning, her candidancy brings hope to other women still living under Taliban like conditions in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

Born in Gul Bahar on 5 Jan 1962, Massouda was one of seven children. She completed her high school education and then went on to Kabul University, earning degrees in pediatrics and psychiatry. She was a faculty member until 1996 when the Taliban removed her.

She is now 41. She is married and has three children. She currently holds the post of Minister of Women's Affairs in Afghanistan's government.

Massouda was not involved in politics before the Taliban fell. But, she has become a voice for women in Aghani society. She was involved in the 2001 Loya Jirga and placed second to Hamid Karzai in the voting for interim president.

Massouda has no money. She is not rich. She does not affiliate herself with any party. This quote from www.afgha.com explains her philosophy and why she ran:

"I am campaigning right now, I am going to the provinces, sitting with people, but I don't have money, I am not a rich person," she said. "But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't use my political right. I am independent, I don't belong to any party, or to any political organization of this country - that doesn't mean that I am not powerful. I have the good reaction of people; I have the perception and accepting of people with me. And that is real democracy."

Although Massouda did not win, she placed well. She came in 6th among 18 candidates. Not bad considering a few short years ago, she would have never even dreamed it was possible.

The Drum Corp Outside My Door

The other day while working at my computer, sounds of a marching band wafted through my window. I got up to see where this phenomena was coming from. I live in a small city and marching bands don't pass through here...period!

Across the street, there was a line of folks marching along. At the front of the line was a couple of drummers from a local university. The people were of many ages. They carried signs that said Honesty, Peace, and Trust.

I don't know who they were or why they marched. But, I stood there with a smile on my faces as 50 or more people passed by. It was a pleasant surprise to see someone, anyone within my neighborhood organizing such a march. Whatever they were marching for, I know they touched at least one person whose path they crossed.

High School Valedictorians Share the Fame

For most schools, competition for the smartest kid can be tough. Often when a couple qualify for valedictorian, the choice is made by comparing SAT scores or some other tie breaking criteria. At San Lorenzo High School, the class of 2006 has six students who qualified. And, they decided to do something rare in today's competitive world...they shared the honor.

The group of six have known each other since middle school. Their academic achievements drew them together and they became friends. Since then they have been each others biggest fan. When one needed help another stepped in. Each earned the right to valedictorian, but none felt comfortable taking the honor from another who had every right to the title as well. So, they marched to the Principal's office and proposed their scheme. The Principal was somewhat surprised since any student who achieves such an honor usually wants it all to themselves. But, it only seemed natural that these six friends would rather share than cheat one of their own.

Each of the six is college bound. They are going to either Stanford or UC Berkeley. As far as I am concerned, they are already on the right track! In this dog eat dog world, it is nice to see peopl so willing to be fair to one another.

Why This Blog?

A few months ago, the daily news was really getting on my nerves. The newspaper and nightly news were filled with these stories...everything from the war in Iraq to local murders to politicians lies. It had been raining for weeks which added to the dreariness.

One day, I got tired of it all. I decided to challenge myself. My goal was to find at least one positive story in the news each day. They had to be there!

When I really started to pay attention, I realized there were alot of positive stories. Like anything else, they were drowned out by the glut of violence and mayhem that gets bigger headlines.

After collecting a few of these stories, it dawned on me that others might be interested in them. Perhaps others were suffering the same affliction and really wanted to hear about something good.

And, so "In Search of the Human Spirit" was born. Now, these are just "man save child then dies" tear jerker stories. No, these stories are about regular people and events...people who are doing something good with their lives, doing something different, widening their horizons, or going out on a limb for something they believe in.

It's easy to find something to whine and complain about. Heck, I do it all the time. It's much more difficult to find something good to say. I hope you all will enjoy these stories.