Congratulations Jonathon

As I anxiously await the news of election results, I was bouyed by the best news I’ve heard lately when I read Jonathon’s post late last night. Earlier he had posted an entry pointing oout the wide discrepancy between the price for the American copy and Austrailian copy of IBM’s Home Page Reader for blind users of the network.

I, too, was outraged when I read the original article, but I didn’t for moment believe that it would make much difference. I was delighted to find out I was wrong and that after his article was picked up in an Australian newspaper that IBM has decided to lower the price of the Australian version of the program.
In a world where large organizations seem to increasingly dominate our existence, it is bracing to know that sometimes one person’s ourtrage can make a difference.

Congratulations, Jonathon. Keep up the good work and the rest of us will try to remember that we can make a difference.

In the real, everyday world of grandfather’s taking caring of beloved grandchildren, I took Gavin to Toy’s R Us today to pick out a toy to play with this week. Oops, I haven’t done this for awhile and have forgotten the pitfalls that await the complacent adult. As we entered the door, Gavin picked up the eye-level, or waist-level if you’re an adult, Scoobey Doo candy dispenser. Nothing quite as cheering as a power struggle with a two-year old at the gateway of child heaven. Things didn’t improve noticeably until we finally found two toys that Gavin wanted, really wanted as opposed to just wanting, that is.

It was a tough choice between Lincoln Logs, grandpa’s preference, and the Thomas train set, but we ended up with the train set because that’s the one Gavin carried throughout the store. It will also fit in with his train set at home. For awhile I thought Dorothea was going to win this argument over the value of stubborness, but, once again, distraction proved more powerful than mere stubborness.

3 thoughts on “Congratulations Jonathon”

  1. Congratulations Loren

    it was a lot of work, i KNOW…but looks lovely…and comments will be such fun. also, i have to admit, i do NOT miss archiving each month by hand!! i have updated my link to you, wise man, and it seems to be working well. thank you for letting me know you are moved and settled. and thank you for listing me with those *real* photographers last week…brought tears to my eyes. really. peace to you.

  2. Loren, thank you for your generous remarks.

    I can’t help but think that Gavin made the right choice since I bought a Thomas the Tank Engine set for the grandson of one of my Japanese friends and, not only was he delighted upon opening the package, but I’ve heard since that he plays with it constantly.

    Is it true, as I recall reading somewhere, that the gene for stubbonness occurs in every second generation? In other words, grandparent to grandchild but not parent to child?

  3. i think “stubborness” is more a perception than a genetic quality.

    My daughter shows very little “stubborness,” she’s far too sweet for that, but she often times seems much more “persistent” that I am, as I’m easily distracted by new interests.

    My son likes to argue almost as much as I do, but he also seems much more flexible and changeable than I ever was.

    Sicne he’s a two-year old, though, it’s easy to see that Gavin is just plain “stubborn.” He’s perfectily willing to argue for ten minutes that he’s a “red popsicle,” not a “pink popsicle.” Of course, someone has to be equally stubborn in arguing the opposite view.

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