The “Let’s Race Together” Conversations about conversing about race

I haven’t blogged about ‘issues’ for a long time but I follow this blog. Due to Starbucks recent brief policy to discuss race they went there and openly recorded conversations about it. The results were excellent. I invite you to listen to some or all of their conversation. I found it very refreshing.

The Last Civil Right

race togetherI went to my local Starbucks yesterday, to test out this race relations campaign that Starbucks has ended as fast as a Barista can make a double shot mocha frappuccino w/soy and no whip please.  I wanted to see how willing and frankly comfortable others would be speaking about race and race related issues.  I didn’t go to enrage but to engage, my intent was to start a dialogue and keeping in mind that a dialogue or two does not solve the social concerns in a nation, dialogues can enlightened and possibly even surprise you.  Dialogues is how relationships in communities are established, especially when does outreach such as myself on a daily basis and not always for political concerns but including community involvement.

Audio is as clear as possible and unedited, so pardon the background noise of the daily operations happening at this Starbucks as well as the piped…

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Code Talker by Chester Nez and Judith Scheiss Avila

[CATEGORIES: Book Review, WWII, veterans.] Subtitled: "The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII", by Chester Nez with Judith Schiess Avila. Code talkers were Navajo Indians who developed an unbreakable English-Navajo-English code used while fighting the Japanese in WWII Pacific. This book is great storytelling. I had the … Continue reading Code Talker by Chester Nez and Judith Scheiss Avila

Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Sunday

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] Sunday morning is the traditional memorial service for the WWII veterans of the 104th Infantry Division.  Sunday evening we have the formal banquet dinner and dance. We have 'official' speeches' by VA chaplain Ronald, Timberwolf vet Bob, and Pup Jerry.  Additional remarks are made by visiting Dutchwoman Esther, Belgian Vincent, and Maj. … Continue reading Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Sunday

Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Saturday Night

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] We should finish Saturday night.  The Beer Bust and Raffle. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) T.K. Moffat, former Commander of the 104th Infantry Training Division for 4 years and 2 months, is from Tupelo, Mississippi, the home of Elvis Presley.  Although the mellifluous tonalities of his singing escapes me he is one of … Continue reading Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Saturday Night

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl [Updated]

[CATEGORIES: Literature, Reading, Book Review] Check your pulse if you haven't heard of Anne Frank the young Jewish girl who kept a diary of her family's hiding in Amsterdam for 2 years (1942-1944) during WWII, only to be found and arrested less than a year before the end of the war, with most of them … Continue reading Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl [Updated]

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra Days, Prague. 17 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) The last day.  We've had a great trip but we'll be glad to get home. We love Prague.  Depends on what you like.  Outdoors architecture and history abound.  Students of Charles … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra Days, Prague. 17 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra days. Berlin-Prague Travel Day & Walkabout. 15 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) I'm a bloggin' maniac now.  I need the laptop for a download of all videos taken, but first I do a laptop-easy upload of 30 photos of the BER-PRG train ride … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra days. Berlin-Prague Travel Day & Walkabout. 15 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra day Berlin Part II. 14 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Halfway through our extra day in Berlin, post guided-tour, we leave the Pergamon Museum (previous post) and stop for lunch. . Next we march down the Unter den Linden (remember those … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra day Berlin Part II. 14 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra days Berlin and Prague. 14 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) If you have spent the considerable time and money to get to Europe for a guided tour you might think about an extra day or two at the beginning or end … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra days Berlin and Prague. 14 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013. PRG-FRA-CHI-DEN. Now, about that jet lag… 18-19 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] [See recent previous posts for what this trip was about.  I'm posting from a laptop now.  'Hopefully' this will be easier than I found my iPad2 to be.] ...what jet lag?  Oh, THAT jet lag!  After a customer endorsement at our local luggage store prior to our departure m'lady and … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013. PRG-FRA-CHI-DEN. Now, about that jet lag… 18-19 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Daily Posts & Extra Days now in Chronological Order. [Updated]

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) [Editing on the iPad was painful enough just to get this in reverse chronological order. ] [UPDATE] I'm on a regular laptop and have put the posts in proper order. [UPDATE … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, Daily Posts & Extra Days now in Chronological Order. [Updated]

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII footsteps in Halle Germany. 10 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) A beautiful Halle sunset 9 May will bring dawn on a brand new day. . . It was a busy day today. Our guide for the day was Matthias Maurer, founder … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII footsteps in Halle Germany. 10 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII footsteps Koln to Kassel. 8 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play a movie.) Here is a bit of photo catch-up for our cross-country travel day on Wed. 8 May. We left Aachen, actually east of Cologne, and traveled a windy route across Germany … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII footsteps Koln to Kassel. 8 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. Part II. 7 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Here are more photos and info for Tue. 7 May. After leaving Mareike and Peter at Frenzer Muhle (use Google translate) we stop by Indemann viewing platform for a quick look … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. Part II. 7 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Berlin, The Last Day. Mon. 13 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge.) Today is the final 1/2 day of the tour, though everyone doesn't scatter for return to the U.S. or extra days in Europe until tomorrow. As required by Berlin law we have an 'official' guide … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, Berlin, The Last Day. Mon. 13 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Potsdam & Berlin. Sun. 12 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Happy Mother's Day to all. Today we leave our wonderful visit in Halle, Germany and head for Berlin. . On the autobahn we stop at a very fancy truck stop run … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, Potsdam & Berlin. Sun. 12 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Torgau, Jesnitz, Trostitz, Puchau. 11 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Peggy suggested the theme for today was "Power of Place" and indeed it was. We visited many places Vets or Pup's fathers had been. Sometimes we had WWII pictures to compare. … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, Torgau, Jesnitz, Trostitz, Puchau. 11 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Halle Germany. 10 May Video sampler.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) It was a busy day again today. Following is a infintesimal taste of what the day was like. After an extensive morning tour by bus of important sites in the history … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, Halle Germany. 10 May Video sampler.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. Part I. 7 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] [UPDATE: Galleries were out of sync. Fixed. Sorry.] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) As it is Friday 10 May let's see if I can get photos posted for Tuesday 7 May. Hopefully you have seen the … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. Part I. 7 May.

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Kassel to Halle, 9 May.

[Categories: EUROPE, FREEDOM, Photography, Travel.] Let's see. I owe full posts for 7 and 8 May. I want to post more photos for Mareike and Peter's Frenzer Muhle we visited Tuesday the 7th. (Their website, previous link, is in German. I can probably use Google translate, or an app for that, when I take time … Continue reading Timberwolves Europe 2013, Kassel to Halle, 9 May.