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It Was My Birthday

Richelle held a hell of a barbecue for me at my place for my 33rd birthday this Saturday (my birthday was Sunday). I am a blessed man. My growing family was there (welcome Cindy!). Friends I have made online, friends from work, and life long friends - who have known me from high school - were in attendence. Not everyone was there - but old relationships go thru their stages ya know. But for those that were - well we had a good time.

It started 3PM in the afternoon and went on till 3AM in the morning. Although, by that time, I was paying the price for getting very, very drunk. Probably as bad as my bachelor party. The meaning of this week, I think, in the back of my mind.

Katrina, like 9/11 before it, leaves you faced with the fact that time is very, very precious. Just a little needs to pass - and everything can change. How we spend it means everything.

After 9/11 I walked away from weblogging. I walked away from Philly Future. I devoted myself to spending more time with my family, more time with my friends. Bringing Philly Future back online, and seeing it grow as successfully as it has - well it brings everything around full circle. How am I spending my time? Is it being spent wisely?

The following links are of folks in my sphere of work that are doing things to help in the wake of Katrina:

Jeff Jarvis: Recovery 2.0

Doc Searls: Power to the People

Dave Winer: "It's 2005, we have mastered the technology, now let's deploy it"

Mike Watkins: Suggestion: Don’t write one line of code, not one XML spec, until you’ve worked a week in a Red Cross call center on family reunification tasks.

Boing Boing: Tech pros ask: how can we help with Katrina recovery?, Katrina aid idea: create cybercafe/free voip phone center at Astrodome?, Katrina tech aid ideas, continued

- Karl on Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Comments

birthday?! i don't remember saying it was your birthday!? happy a couple days after your birthday! i surely can't miss the next cookout.

Posted by: albert at September 6, 2005 8:51 AM

Happy birthday Karl.

I had a shot for you last night over at Club Oz.

Read about it at:

http://intothematrix1.blogspot.com/

(sorry for the shameless plus)

Seriously though, like a line in a movie I once watched said:

"Sometimes you have to go away for a little while before you can come back again."

Have a great day...

Peace

Posted by: Neo_- at September 6, 2005 10:37 AM

Happy belated birthday, Karl!

Posted by: Jessica at September 6, 2005 10:49 AM

Aww, you're just a spring chicken. Hope it was happy!

Posted by: Melissa at September 6, 2005 10:58 AM

PS. As an added bonus. I've linked you, philly future, sleeping angels, and daily mess.

Now where's my burger?

;p

Posted by: Neo_- at September 6, 2005 2:19 PM

3 a.m., huh? Maybe we should have stayed...

Posted by: howard at September 6, 2005 3:03 PM

Karl,
Many happy returns of the day!!! I remember 33 like it was yesterday ... sigh...

Posted by: Pax Romano at September 6, 2005 3:44 PM

Howard - At least you got a burger :(

Posted by: Neo_- at September 6, 2005 3:45 PM

Now that I think of it, I remember 33 like it was -- wait, I'm still 33...

Posted by: Howard at September 7, 2005 3:34 AM