I want to try and run this year’s NYC Marathon on November 2, 2008, but the problem is multifaceted - logistical (travel costs) and even more important, unless you run for charity, you are not guaranteed entry into the race. I’d like to run for charity, specifically an NYC-based cancer research charity (Fred’s Team), but I need to raise $5,000. I will have more info to come, but if you guys know of possible donors I can reach out to who would want to support me helping the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center, specifically the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research, please let me know.
UPDATE
It looks like I have to register for the NYC Marathon first, then through the lottery and my joining Fred’s Team for cancer research, I am guaranteed a spot. Registration for the NYC Marathon is $200, so if anyone would like to donate to a good cause, head on over to Paypal. I have until May 26th.
As I was watching the Jazz beat the Rockets for a 2-0 series lead, this Air Jordan commercial came on. Say what you want about Michael Jordan, especially since he hosed the Jazz for two years, but the guy was flat-out crazy good. This commercial I think speaks volumes about the current state of NBA basketball. Pay attention to what he says at the end of the ad.
Thanks to Kathy for letting us stay at her house for the half marathon, we had a great time and she and her family, as always, are gracious hosts. Thanks also for coming to the race! The friendly faces among 7,000 participants was fantastic. I finished the half marathon in 1 hour and 43 minutes, one minute faster than last year. I finally broke the sub 8-minute mile pace and ran a 7:55 mile pace for the event. I finished 318 out of 3,819 half-marathoners and 40 out of 235 males my age. Overall, I’m pleased!
Just thought I’d post a picture of the new car. I’ll update it with a photo that actually has Sandy in the frame, just as soon as she gets home from gallivanting around Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, I’m going to go back to my bachelorhood and listen to “Hey, Jealousy” by the Gin Blossoms.
Robert McNamara, the former Secretary of Defense under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, had this to say about war when looking at the decisions he had made over his career. Very poignant and very apt to ponder as we roll into election season:
“What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe we should ever apply that economic, political, or military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we wouldn’t have been there! None of our allies supported us; not Japan, not Germany, not Britain or France. If we can’t persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better reexamine our reasoning.”
And finally, simple and true -
“I think the human race needs to think about killing. How much evil must we do in order to do good?”
This was in Parade Magazine this Sunday and I thought it was really inspirational, so I decided to post the actual video of the lecture (it’s an hour long). If you don’t want to watch, this is the gist:
