Since the inception of this blog in March of 2002 Saturdays have, by tradition and policy, been devoted solely to good news. For one day each week, all else has been laid aside. No tears of rage, tears of grief. No words of fire, deeds of blood. Not here. Not from me. Not from anyone.
The ladies would put the baskets on the table
And the men would sit beneath a shady tree
The children would listen to a fable
While something else came through to me
The river got no end, just roll around the bend
Then pretty soon the women would all join in
On the river hymn...The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river
We are gathered here to give a little thanks, thanks
(The River Hymn)
It has been wonderful, but a change is gonna come. Is already upon us, actually.
This Saturday, as we stand in the shadow of Tisha B'Av, that policy is coming to an end.
Why? Because this policy needs a guardian. It's stuff you gotta watch. Taking up that role leaves one bound by love to discharge it - but bound nonetheless. As does the blog itself. The weight? It's real. Sacrifice? Sometimes, for all of us. And the day of reckoning has come.
You see, the rumour that I'm moving to the USA is true. Contingent upon the INS' approval over the next couple of months, I'll be moving across the great divide and joining my fiance near Silicon Valley, California. Somewhere down the crazy river, I'm going to become an American. That's my home.
Maybe it always has been.
The voice of the rapids will echo
And ricochet like an old water well
Who'd ever want to let go
Once you sit beneath its spell
It's dark and wide and deep, towards the sea it creeps
I'm so glad I brought along my mandolin
To play the river hymn...
This has been wonderful, truly. Winds of Change.NET has given me so much, not least of which has been the gift of true love. And it ain't over, not by a long shot. But it will change.
Toronto to California isn't a move to Japan, but it isn't trivial, either. All my odds and ends must be winnowed and then either prepared for sale, or packed to move with me. There are friends whom I haven't seen in too long, and may not see again for a while. Not to mention other affairs to settle. All around a daily blogging job with Defense Industry Daily, which is doing well and breaking 10,000 page views per day with some consistency now. It's going well, which is good because I'm going to have a responsibility to see to my longer-term economic future once I'm in America - a responsibility that isn't just about me any more.
This may seem as if it's something out of the blue. It isn't. I've actually been making the necessary preparations for a while now.
Winds has a fine team, become finer with new arrivals and affiliates. Its Marshals now encourage its better side with diplomacy and decency, and enforce order when necessary. There will be more changes, too, as Winds is opened up further. It will belong more to the team now, and achieving "group intelligence" (best stuff rises up, excellence prevails) as opposed to "groupthink" (nails that stick out are hammered down, mediocrity prevails) is a task that will now fall to the team and affiliates as a whole. They will be the guardians of its ideals, of its brand, and of each other.
And I shall be released.
"You can ride on it or drink it
Poison it or dam it
Fish in it and wash in it
Swim in it and you can die in it
Run, you river, run"
So, where do we go from here?
Our Saturdays have involved sharing wisdom from groups like the Islamic Sufis, Jewish Hasidim and eastern Zen Masters. We've highlighted the acts of good and decent people, laughed at humourous events, and pointed to amazing discoveries that could benefit humanity. Policy or no policy, there's still room for that on Winds.
Our watchwords remain what they have always been: Liberty. Discovery. Humanity. Victory.
Saturdays, or any day for that matter, will remain a chance to share your love, shine a light, and enter the spirit of the dance. If the team and readers wish to keep Good News Saturdays as a hard policy for all posts, and find it feasible under the new structure, then this post will be just a stop between trains. And if they'd rather be driftin' away from that approach, it makes no difference. The choice is theirs now, unencumbered by precedent or prior obligation.
I've been thinkin' out loud with the team now for a little while. I still have a few blogging debts left to pay, promises I've made to myself and others. They are being kept. There are also a few more changes and enhancements to be made re: the blog. They are being made. This is one. So, I'm not going anywhere just yet.
No matter what happens, there will still be lots of good stuff to read - and if the team members or readers really need me, we can talk. You might even catch me back in the rockin' chair once a while, even after all my debts are done.
One last time: Shabbat Shalom.
The last waltz, the last waltz
The last waltz with you
Don't mean the last dance is over
The last waltz, the last waltz
The last waltz was through
But that don't really mean that the party's over.
Best of luck with your new assignment! In some ways knowing that a living human being is better off is a lot heartwarming than wisdom from sages that are a bit difficult to relate to. Congratulations.
Always remember, Batou, whenever you enter the 'Net, I will be by your side.
;-)
Welcome.
America can always use a few good men and women.
Welcome aboard.
Now all we need to do is to teach you the language. :-)
Simon - voluntary American twice removed
Shabbat Shalom, Joe. Shabbat Shalom.
Im sorry, I guess I just assumed you were already resident here. We will be lucky to have you join us.
Somewhere on the Niagara that is the Net I recall reading of the story of the Hungarian refugees who finally escaped and made it to America. The father told the son "we are Americans - it is a cruel trick of fate that we happen to have been born in the wrong place"
Joe - you will make a fine American and we will be the better for it.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for all you've done to make WoC such a high quality site, congratulations on finally moving in with your sweetheart, and best wishes. Shabbat Shalom, Joe.
Overjoyed to have you in America, Joe. Devastated to see you leave WoC.
Uh, you have been warned about Santa Cruz, I hope?
Tocqueville marveled at how quickly new immigrants became "Americans." And then he realized it was because we are loyal to an idea, not to a fixed collective. You will be surprised at how different it is to live in the world's freest place,surprised at both the good and bad parts of it, surprised at the eternal conflicts that give us our unique energy.
But you belong here and we're thrilled you're finally coming where you've belonged all along.
Bill Whittle said something to the effect that there are Americans all over the world - they just didn't happen to be born here, but they should do whatever it took to get here, their natural home.
Welcome home, Joe.
America is truly the only country in the world founded and maintained upon an idea. Generation upon generation of immigrants have sacrificed nearly everything to participate wholeheartedly in that idea, and by so doing have become Americans.
For some of us, that has been for a very, very long time. In every generation for more than 300 years my family has brought forth both officers and enlisted men for the defence of that idea. One of my great-grandfathers signed the Declaration of Independence, and I am closely related to three Presidents, yet I am no more American than you will be, Joe, because you also "get" it.
So do two Nigerians, building a future for themselves in this rural Kansas town. And the Hungarian refugees from both '48 and '56. And the Mexicans who now seem to be everywhere.
In moving to Santa Cruz, you are moving nearly to the very maw of those who for more than a generation now don't get it. Do not let it colour your idea of the true America, nor wear you out. They are people already left behind by the tide of history ... confused angry radicals, dazed both by events and by the abiding love of country so freely expressed by so many people.
Welcome. You're one of us. Believe it. Even now.
L'Chaim!
I'll send you a Yankees cap once you've landed!
Congratulations, and welcome aboard!
Joe,
I don't think I can say what I want to say any better than the folks above have said it, but I'll say it anyway:
Great job, Joe, and welcome to America!
(Yeah, I'm the guy who asked you about the faux Hibernianism of "Winds o' Change" and suggested you check the availability of windsofchange.net)
Well, sorry to see your time here end, Joe, but wish you best with everything, especially the move to the States!
I haven't kept up around here as much as I used to myself, nor with my own blog, but you ran a great ship and I always wished I could be more of a part of it. And if that isn't a sign of respect, well, it's meant to be!
Great luck and Gawd speed you on your path.
Joe,
Good premises with your move to America! If you are interested in my thoughts on the Land of Opportunity, read my post, Forbes on Immigration.
All the Best,
Martin Lindeskog - American in spirit.
Gothenburg, Sweden
"You see, the rumour that I'm moving to the USA is true."
Since you're going to become One of Us (weclome!), you might as well start breaking those Canadian habits now: we spell it "rumor" down here. :)
P., I'm not the one who recently graduated from advanced infantry training... I think the heartfelt wishes of luck and godspeed should go the other way.
And though I mentioned it at the time, our readers should probably take another moment to silently thank Hale Adams for rescuing us all from Winds O'Change (windsofchange.com was taken, so I had picked up windsochange.com instead).
TC@LeatherPenguin: a YANKEES cap!?! Oh well, I appreciate the spirit of it. You know, there's a reason stadiums around the league play "The Imperial March" when they're introduced....
Finally, re: Santa Cruz. I know, I've been there. Actually it's a pretty harmless place, more surf-ey and New Agey than "angry Berkeley". If you can chuckle at the "magic crystals" stuff, it's fine. And you may be surprised to know that nearby Scotts Valley has a bible college. It's all shades of purple...
Finally, for visitors to the Santa Cruz area, might I also mention that they have this fantastic arcade on the beach with all the old video games I remember from my childhood (Ok, they missed "Joust," "Armor Attack," and "Wizard of Wor"). The complex includes a Lazer Tag facility, and there's beach volleyball right outside. You can forgive a lot of sins for that trifecta.
But INS probably won't let me get there in time to enjoy the beach volleyball :-(
Hey, hey hey!!
I'm a "Slug" (graduate of Santa Cruz) and still spend a bit of time there (visiting my buddy who's marrying Joe, among other things!)...it's more a bedroom community for upper-middle class knowledge workers from San Jose than anything else. But it still has that fringe - on both sleeves - identity that makes it interesting.
Joe's gonna have quite a time!!
Joe for Mayor!
A.L.
Hmm, reading over the comments, I should note that I am not leaving Winds of Change.NET entirely - merely stepping into a different role.
I will be seen rather less often around here once all my promises are kept, and making an active effort to be less present. But I will not be resigning my posting account, and may sit back in the old rockin' chair once in a while if it should become necessary.
Joe, thanks for all your support over the years. Without your help and generosity, Watch simply wouldn't exist today. Good luck and Bon Voyage!
All the best,
Mårten
Watch
Joe: all the best and good luck.
You'll enjoy the Santa Cruz area, especially the drive to nearby Pescadero.
I counted 20 different The Band* -related references... did I miss any?
*some guys who made the same move about 40 years ago
Aliyah, Joe. Aliyah. Have you forgotten your duty to your people? To your nation? Son, Zionism isn't a choice, it's a duty.
Be a mensch. Fulfill the destiny of the your people. "Rise up" -- make aliyah -- from the filth and degradation that is the Diaspora, leave the Galut and make common cause with your people.
Don't hide in America.
So what was so bad about Canada?
Dave (#23) - I wondered if anyone would notice that. I started toying with the idea after "The Last Waltz" popped into my head as a title, and then "The River Hymn" struck me as perfect, and I was off to the races. I found that it helped me say what I wanted to say and added a slightly poetic tone. Plus, it was fun to see hw far I could take it.
Song titles inserted, in order:
The Last Waltz
Tears of rage ("tears of grief" follows in lyrics)
Words of fire, deeds of blood
The River Hymn
A change is gonna come
Stuff you gotta watch
Bound by love
The weight
Sacrifice
Day of reckoning
Across the great divide
Somewhere down the crazy river
That's my home
Move to Japan
Odds and ends
Out of the blue
I shall be released
Where do we go from here?
Share your love
Shine a light
Spirit of the dance
A stop between trains
It makes no difference
Thinkin' out loud
We can talk
Rockin' chair
That's 26.
I thought about referring to Winds of Change.NET as "The Band," but figured after the "I shall be released" line that it would be forcing things too much.
FYI, The Band had a VERY strong Canadian dimension. Robbie Robertson came from my hometown of Toronto, ON and spent a lot of time as a kid with his Mohawk relatives in the Six Nations Reservation to the north. South of Six Nations is Rick Danko's hometown of Simcoe, ON. Stratford, ON, where Richard Manuel came from, is a couple hours to the west of my home and famous for its Shakespeare productions. Garth Hudson's hometown of London, ON is about another hour or so west.
I remember my first comment here. Porphy really tore into me, over what really was a misunderstanding. Of course, I responded in kind! I try not to add fuel to the fire now. Count it as a Winds lesson.
So Joe, thanks for running the show. As my moniker implies, I do more reading than commenting. Just know that this doesn't mean that I haven't appresciated what you have wrought. Winds is my first stop whenever I get on the Internet.
Welcome to the US! I know many lefties threatened to move into the Great White North (eh.) when Bush was reelected. Perhaps you are in the vanguard of the reverse migration? I don't remember reading of it in the newspaper though? Any chance you could bring Alberta with you? Calgary at the least?
Joe,
Maybe I just wasn't keeping good track. I noticed them all except for:
>Bound by love
>Sacrifice
>A stop between trains
Welcome to the US!
Well, Joe....I can only say that I hope you feel you are "home" as soon as your feet hit soil here. America will be a better place with you in it.
Welcome home
Joe, congrats on the move and good luck with whatever the future brings.
I'd like to nominate you for the Blogosphere Medal of Honour. You certainly deserve it.
Joe,
I was IN Santa Cruz this weekend for the summer Shakespeare program. My son just graduated from UC Santa Cruz (as did I 34 years ago), and my daughter goes there. Between bringing my son and daughter home from college, or helping them move around in Santa Cruz, the Shakespeare Santa Cruz productions, and concerts several times a year by the wonderful UC Santa Cruz orchestra and chorus, my wife and I have visited Santa Cruz at least a dozen times a year for the past five years.
My parents met in Carmel, at my grandmother's house, on VE day. My aunt still lives in Pebble Beach.
Have you been to Big Sur yet?
Don't sweat the INS, Joe. My wife just came over from Canada with a fiancee' Visa in May and we were married shortly afterwards. Maybe you know her? LOL.
Welcome aboard and best of luck.
QM