Monday, July 31, 2006

Happenings 7/31/6

I have been busy. I went to Squaw Valley Lake Tahoe to list for sale the property the company owns. It was fantastic weather and was nice to have a day up there. If you'd be interested in a magnificent home in California within a mile +/- of world class Squaw Valley ski resort, then let me know... $2,998,888 US.

Gregory Johnson and Ted Brown arrived back in cooking California over the weekend, I have now got my copy of "Anyone can say goodbye". It is a great album, and I'd like to remind those of you in New Zealand to buy it. The first single "Now the sun is out" is currently # 2 on the Top AC charts in New Zealand, way to go Greg and Ted.

My folks went to the ACT conference over the weekend and were impressed with what Rodney, the President and others had to say.. It sounds like the momentum is building for ACT in NZ, and that is good for everyone.... Lower Taxes...... Vote ACT.

The War in Lebanon and Israel is still happening.. I hope that an agreement happens very soon.

The Santa Monica Daily Press wrote a well informed front page story on the suicide of my dear friend and US Army Sgt. Ananda Das McClure. They interviewed his bride Laura for the true story which is still very sad to all of us here who know Laura and knew Ananda. Please read it and feel free to comment.
Hurting on the home front

2 comments:

Andrew said...

Good article about Ananda. A very real story.

Though I thought the journalist's comment that suicide is a "selfish act" showed that he really has no idea about the overwhelming experiences that vets go through during and after the war.

I am fiercely critical of anyone who thinks suicide is selfish. While I don't support it, it is understandable because everyone has their breaking point. The will to live is so fundamental and primal that someone has to be really overshadowed by some terrible experience to actually do the act.

And also I wonder about the people who deny (or even question) the connection between combat survivors and suicide. In my mind these people are like Holocaust-deniers. Only in this case it is denying someone's personal Holocaust.

To these people I say: Imagine your darkest hour and make it three times worse and then make it last months or years. Who wouldn't break? They say don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes.

Rob Good said...

Yes Andrew, you are right, while it is hard for most people to fathom why someone would take their life, and while I don't condone that sort of thing, you are right about the mile in the shoes. It can be perceived to be a selfish act if someone was to hold that sort of thing against you pre suicide. It is also a bit selfish in the fact that he left behind a bride and 2 children, but none of us had to walk in his or Ingrids shoes.