Short Takes

Well, life has been hectic with work.  As you may of heard, these are interesting times at Best Buy.  So interesting, in fact, that Best Buy's CEO, Hubert Joly, has decided to move his office to my floor.  I have to say I find it strange to see him walk in each day off the elevator and speak French to the secretary.   But that just means there is never a dull moment as the turnaround is upon us (I hope).

I see that the "Frankenstorm" bashing the East Coast is playing havoc with much of the country.  Not only are millions of folks facing sudden hardship and trial, but everything is put into a political context.  Should Republican Governors in the storm's path say positively things about the President?  Will the President get a boost from appearing like a leader that has some likability to him?  Should Mitt Romney or his surrogates compare how the President is taking such care in the aftermath of the "Frankenstorm" and much less care concerning what happened in Libya where his ambassador was killed?  So many questions, so few answers.  Does it really matter?

I am still bummed out that the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is still on lockout.  Thus far, none of my concerts have been canceled.  Yet if an agreement is not reached by Wednesday, that could change in a hurry.  If I can't attend the concerts I purchased tickets for I will be very, very disappointed.

I heard Wednesday is Halloween.  Folks dress in costumes, beg for candy and act silly on that day.  Halloween is also known as Samhain, when the souls of the wicked who have died are supposed to come forth from their graves to revisit their former friends and family. Back in the day, the way folks kept away those souls from visiting your front door was setting out food to save themselves.  So based on that logic, when folks are setting out candy to children all across the country, they are celebrating Samhain.  Such a pagan holiday was so prevalent thousands of years ago that in 835 Pope Gregory the IV wrote, "If the pagan traditions cannot be forbidden, then let them be tamed."  Doesn't that sound familiar for so many pagan traditions of this day?     Rather, I recall that Wednesday is Reformation Day, when  in 1517 Martin Luther took his bold steadfast stand to nail the 95 debating points that changed world history forever in a positive direction in my myopic opinion.  But if one wants to put on a costume and beg for candy, as them to reflect on Samhain.