In death...
A fond farewell to Peter Jennings, who passed away Sunday, four months after announcing to the public that he was battling lung cancer. Any death is sad, a premature death from a horrible disease is worse, and the fact that he was such a public figure doesn't make it any better. Mr. Jennings, I hope you're not suffering any more. You taught us so much in life, but the biggest lesson to the public was taught in death. I hope that a new generation of newscasters and reporters will succeed as you have.
In life...
The space shuttle Discovery touched down safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California this morning. As the wheels skidded along the runway and the chutes popped open to slow the shuttle, I got a little teary-eyed. NASA is facing a lot of challenges as it struggles to keep up with modern technology, but we should never give up hope that new minds and talented scientists will create new technology that will bring new explorations of the universe beyond our atmosphere, as well as the seas beneath our feet.
In ink...
TLC's show "Miami Ink" is not just about a bunch of hooligans getting tattoos of skulls and roses, it's an interesting look at a fascinating art form that used to be only for sailors and motorcycle gangs but now transcends all cultural boundaries. One of the tattoo artists mused that perhaps 50 percent of all tattoos are designed and given in memorial of a friend or fanily member who died. Other people get tattoos to honor a change-of-life experience, such as breaking an addiction or having a child. The guys on the show are talented artists, specializing in Japanese art, creating one design from four different pieces, copying photographs into skin art, and more. It's fascinating to think that in 50 years, retirement homes will be croweded with displays of tattoos from drunken nights and long-lost memories, stretched earlobes and piercing scars on noses, navels, lips, and other body parts, as well as implants, surgery scars, gastric bypass rings, and other signs of body alterations. What a sight.
