Human Decency

I've been feeling a bit starved for some displays of human decency, but today I am fulfilled with a story featured in the Washington Post about a community that mourned the loss of an individual that became an institution on the Washington scene.

Seems like a story that would run in any city at anytime. All cities have those prominent figures that everyone knows their faults and triumphs and at a time of loss would come together to mourn the loss of an extraordinary life.

This story was different. This story spoke with new feeling because the community was comprised of a diverse collection of business and political professionals as well as the family of a former illegal immigrant from El Salvador. The community pushed the boundaries of expectation and showed that human compassion and relationships form across stature, background, breed and social position.

This story is different because of the man. The day that Carlos Guardado did not show up for work startled many, brought tears from others and left an attorney at a loss for words. Mr. Guardado had been important in the lives of many because he was a kind and friendly person that others looked forward to including in their day. Mr. Guardado wasn't an elected official or likely to be invited to or crash the President's party. Mr. Guardado served coffee, snacks and burritos from his cart at Farragut Square with a side of friendship. At the age of only 48, he touched the people he crossed paths with to the point of audible gasps, shock and tears when his path would no longer cross theirs.

He cared. They cared. Basic human decency at its best. They also cared enough to collect $12,000 for a trust fund for Mr. Guardado's children.

Read the whole collection of comments and heartfelt images here. The update to this article is found here.

Love and Laughter

Greetings, 

I believe love and laughter are more powerful than hate and ignorance, so I am suggesting (to my entire address book nonetheless) to share some love and laughter tomorrow. Some of you are close friends and some of you are individuals I may have only corresponded with at one time or another. It doesn't matter because a small act of kindness can make the world of difference in one person's life and something anyone can give. 

 

Please, find time in your day tomorrow to make someone laugh, smile or feel loved in some way. Some ideas to get you started:

• Hold a door open and say hello to a stranger
• Bake cupcakes for a friend or neighbor
• Reconnect with a long lost frield or relatative
• Text everyone in your phone that you love them and they are important to you
• Buy a stranger a cup of coffee
• Share a joke (non-offensive please ;) )

Showing our friends, neighbors and even strangers a bit of love and happiness is the best way, in my opinion, to honor any innocent life ever lost to hatred and ignorance.

 

I hope you share my request and share some love.

 

All the best,

Sarah

--

 Sarah K. Kelley

______________________________________________________

Arlington, VA 22201

Gator Bait

It's coming down to all the marbles and I'm putting in my request for BCS math to shake out the following teams for the National Championship:


FLORIDA vs. TEXAS TECH

Why Florida...
Obviously, I want the Gators to have a shot at the title - come on, they're my team! They have a legit shot of actually deserving it too if they take a bite out of the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship. I have been spoiled this season with multiple 50 point games, so I wouldn't mind seeing that trend continue.

Why Texas Tech...
First off, at least Ohio State isn't even in a conversation, woo hoo! Okay, back to Tech...Their O-line plays like they're from the SEC. This is the closest match up to an SEC v. SEC for the NC. I think they could put up a challenge if they survive their conference. Plus who wouldn't want to see what kind of face paint Brandon Carter could come up with for the big game.

I want a vote

That's it - I want a vote in the AP poll. USC legitimately looked good this weekend (good for them taking over #1) however, Florida crushed a more worthy opponent by more points than either Georgia or OSU in their even bigger cupcake games. So, if we are going to start shuffling the cards, UF needs to at least hurdle Ohio State because honestly, OSU should have crushed YSU and they didn't.

Granted there is still plenty of time for this to work itself out, but this is perfectly set up so that the winner of the OSU vs USC game will be in prime solid contention to play in the National Championship against which ever SEC team shakes to the top. Kind of makes the rest of the top 25 seem useless if this scenerio unfolds.

USC leaps over Georgia, Ohio State into No. 1 spot

Associated Press

Updated: September 3, 2008, 10:04 AM ET

NEW YORK -- By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.

No. 1 always seems to fit USC.

Poll Positions

The top five teams in The Associated Press poll:

1.	2.	3.	4.	5.
For complete AP and USA Today polls, click here.

Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.

Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.

Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No. 3.

Packers/Bengals

I've never seen Packers fans so happy after a loss to the Bengals (spare me the preseason, it doesn't count message). It must be their new A-Rod...

Also, the Bengals did a great job of grabbing shoes on defense[see photo from AP story], this is going to be a fun season for the Steelers :)

Bye, Dunner

Rivals to Teammateshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

The Steelers signed Leftwich, an old MAC rival of Bens...

As someone that was tortured during the Marshall stay in the MAC, I've never been a fan of ol Byron, so this is going to be a rough go of things to see him out there as a Steeler.

Stay healthy Ben!!!

Seriously?

We have officially moved into a parallel universe to which Illinois is considered a threat to OSU and put in a statement to which infers the Big Ten is going to be challenging to it's traditional Queen.

More propaganda pushing on someone's part at ESPN...

re: Ohio State: “Depth, talent and experience. The Bucks seem to have it all, but the road to the BCS title (at USC, at Wisconsin, at Illinois) won't be easy.”

I’ll give you “at USC” ...but come one – we’re putting Wisconsin and Illinois in the sentence to make it look like they are going to be challenged in conference play? Seriously?

Sickening.