Stargazing and giving a terrorism a run for its money

"The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in."

                                                                                                                                — Robert Heinlein

"Terrorism is the tactic of demanding the impossible, and demanding it at gunpoint."

                                                                                                                           — Christopher Hitchens

AUBURN — Call us a couple of nerdy stargazers who enjoy scanning the universe for things that go bump in the dark skies above the Pine Tree State.

Actually, don't use the word nerdy when addressing me or you and I will have a big problem! It could get ugly.

For the past two nights, Anthony and I bundled up and stood outside our home, patiently waiting and watching for the International Space Station to pass over New England.

We learned online that it would streak across Maine at the usual 17,500 miles per hour to remain in orbit or plummet to earth. 

We kept a vigil despite the chill in the air, waiting for that fast-moving dot in the sky to race across the darkness and thrill a father and son who never miss an opportunity to check out a man-made object traversing the heavens.

Some people say studying the stars is a straight waste of mankind's time. I say bully for NASA, which put a bunch of brave guys on the moon and brought humanity closer to understanding the universe's randomness.

We as a species have always been adventurous and have taken bold risks to see what is over the next ridge during our evolution as human beings.

Space, like the ocean, is a new frontier that must be explored or man's quest for knowledge will become stagnant. There is enlightenment in the stars and all of us should keep looking up at the vast darkness known as the universe.

My son and I stood outside with our cameras and watched in awe as the space station passed above us from a height of approximately 255 miles.

I was hoping for a shout-out from the astronauts as they raced through the night. Sure enough, the station passed over us at 7:54 Eastern Standard Time and didn't disappoint two fans on two chilly, April evenings on a quiet street in central Maine.

Giving terrorism a run for its money

No matter how hard terrorists try, they can't repress a nation that raised the bar for all of humanity when our founding fathers wrote this one sentence in the Declaration of Independence: "All men are created equal."

That one phrase is why the Boston Marathon will be held on another Patriots' Day under the watchful eyes of 3,500 law enforcement officers.

All those pathetic and misguided brothers did was make a nation stronger. What I will never understand is how two young men could target an athletic event that defines peace. Runners from every walk of life and religion come to the Bay State to compete in an event that brings people together. 

There is no question America also has a past littered with dark moments in its history, but it is a nation that tries hard and still stands as the cradle of liberty.

When the starter's gun goes off in Hopkinton on Monday morning, we will be cheering for the runners as well as for a nation and a city that hasn't missed a step in spite of an ugly act of terrorism.

Oh, Boston, you're still my home, and my heart goes out to you

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it — always.” 

― Mahatma Gandhi

AUBURN, Maine — All that anxiety and fear that slowly faded away after the attacks on the Twin Towers 13 years ago resurfaced as my family watched the aftermath of two bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line on Patriots Day.

I thought I had safely tucked away those memories of that awful day in September until I saw all those injured souls lying on the street.

And I thought this was going to be a good day. 

I got the yard in shape for summer, my son had track practice and the sun was bright — just like that the frightful Tuesday morning when New York City was brought to its knees when the towers crumbled, killing nearly 3,000 people.

My wife learned about the bombings on the computer, and then our afternoon was spent watching the injured being rushed to hospitals and endless replays of the blast, which killed three people.

My son and I watched the horror and pandemonium that unfolded in Beantown on Monday afternoon. Turn back the clock 13 years ago, and my five year old and I were watching "Barney" when I decided to flip through the channels and suddenly witnessed the second plane rip through one of towers, killing Bates College All-American Peter Goodrich.

And now, three people have been murdered and dozens injured at an event that celebrates fitness and athleticism. It is a goodwill competition that features runners from around the globe.

The panic in Boston has spread across the nation as major cities have buttoned up and tightened their security, too. The bombings have put the White House on high alert, and the country is looking over its shoulder again.

Forget why or who did this, because when it comes to terrorism, there is no reasoning.

What happened in the Hub isn't on the same level of horror as 9-11, but the terrorists did what they set out to do — trigger fear and anxiety that makes us all feel vulnerable and helpless.

Watching Boston instantly become a city of mass confusion certainly reminded me of New York City. This was just another assault on an American city rich in history. Bostonians, who live for Patriots Day, are now being told to remain indoors.

I grew up five miles from Fenway Park in Boston. I am a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston.

My wife and I have visited the Boston Commons and the pub know as Cheers — where everyone knows your name. I accompanied my father when he received a coaching award in Boston.

I watched my father pace the aisles as he griped about Carlton Fisk taking his sweet old time at the plate at Fenway Park in Boston. My father smiled when his son yelled from the top his lungs, "Cheevers, please don't leave the nets" during a Bruins game at the old Boston Garden.

I have watched Larry Bird mess up several NBA teams at the old Boston Garden. The Beatles played just two miles from my home at Suffolk Downs in East Boston.

In 1987, I witnessed Toshihiko Seko win the Boston Marathon.

Boston was my playground as a young man, and I still believe it is the greatest city in the world.

The Hub is know for its groundbreaking hospitals and renowned universities, but whoever committed this nefarious act should be taken out for a walk.

Somewhere in eternity, a humble Peter Goodrich, and his beloved late mother, Sally, are probably shaking their heads over another absurd act of violence.

But I am shaking my fists today.

When common sense finally prevails

“Common sense is not so common.”                                                                                                                                   ― Voltaire

AUBURN, Maine - They finally figured it out that it was no longer worth going the distance to defend the running of the New York City Marathon this weekend.

It took them long enough to wake up and listen to the outrage from citizens along the eastern seaboard.

And all it took was Staten Island residents bawling their eyes out and pleas for help in front of homes knocked off their foundations.

Maine was spared from a storm that stayed to the south of the Pine Tree State.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg did an about-face and made the right call to cancel the event even though it took days for his office to decide to put the kibosh on the race. But that decision should have been made the moment after Sandy blew through the area and leveled thousands of homes.

Sure, it would be an economic and morale boost to a city devastated by Hurricane Sandy. But I am not buying the argument that allowing the marathon to go on would have been in poor taste.

This decision wasn't about taste. It is about resources which have been stretched to the limit in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Those areas hardest hit require a huge police presence to maintain law and order. New York City does not have the manpower to cover a race that runs through an area that was pancaked by a natural disaster.

Imagine runners sprinting through neighborhoods without running water and residents camped out in their yards waiting for the cavalry to arrive.

I shook my head when a marathon competitor whined about the race's cancellation on national television. I imagine he would have felt differently if it was his home that was washed out to sea or burned to the ground as helpless fireman watched from a distance. I guess he forgot that nearly 100 people lost their lives in a hurricane that was a 1,000 miles wide.

He doesn't have to go without water or look for his next meal. This athlete should act more like a marathon runner than a moron.

Now that this controversy has subsided like the raging flooding waters in NYC, the region can concentrate on helping displaced citizens recover from this destructive storm. In the long run, helping storm victims is what a recovery effort is all about.

After all, this was the cancellation of a race, but the real marathon will be about a tale of survival in the coming months, and this recovery will give all Americans a run for their money.