Christmas Letter 2005

Dear Friends, Family and Pastor Robertson,

After laying my heart on the line in last year’s letter, I am sure that many of you anxiously awaited this year’s. J Fortunately, for the faint of politik amongst you, I have had far less time to conjure this one up. BTW: the response to last year’s letter was overwhelmingly positive! Thanks for that. A recent poll ranking Seattle as the most literate American city, may explain some of my rant’s against W last year. This rank does not, of course, equate with intelligence, but it does mean we read enough to think we know what is going on and perhaps it also explains the ubiquitous Impeach Bush bumper stickers in Seattle.

Having established a tradition of sorts last year of handing out an award, I felt compelled to continue only because it helps prevent my being too depressed about the mess the country is in now domestically and internationally. This year’s choice for W award recipient, given out for bungling incompetence of the most ridiculous sort, was not easy. To be a contender one had to say or do something so stupid that it could easily become a Saturday Night Live skit. This year’s finalists were: 1) W himself for masquerading as a leader, 2) his horse judging buddy “Brownie” of FEMA “yerh doin’ a heck uv uh jobe Brownie” fame and 3) Pastor Robertson for pedaling theocracy. No surprise then that Mr. Robertson won, not for masquerading as Pastor, but for: 1) calling for the assassination of a democratically elected foreign leader and 2) condemning Dover, PA by assuring them that God will not answer their prayers because they booted the Intelligent Design promoting school board out. If you know anyone sending Mr. Robertson money, then please ask them instead to send it to their local homeless shelter where they can buy toilet paper and other necessities of life. If not for serious people out there pushing theocracy of the Taliban variety for the US, then this would be a joke. It ain’t no joke.

Speaking of right v. left….conservative v. liberal….my Dad “reckoned” to me during my visit home that many folk don’t even know the difference between liberal and conservative. I don’t recall what I said, but I do recall that there are many things one should not speak too ardently about in polite southern culture lest one insult one’s neighbors or family; e.g. winning the Alabama v. Auburn football game or politics. War Eagle! OK, so I’m a slow learner, but rules laws are made to be broken. Right,W ? .….So, I pondered how best to explain the difference. Given that it tizz the Christmas season, Jesus’ example popped right to mind. You’d better lash yourself to yerh bully pulpit Pat, cuzzz I gotta tell you the truth. Given what we know, Jesus was….ehrr….a liberal. J Of course most prophets are liberals. They present society with options to the conservative comfort zone. What Jesus promoted (helping the disenfranchised, e.g. prostitutes and the socially impoverished, and throwing money changers out of the temple) went completely against the conservative rules of society that kept, then and today, the poor and disenfranchised in their places.

In spite of their liberal parents, our wonderful boys David (9) and Graham (8) had a fairly conservative year in 2005. As in years past they went back to the farm in Alabama for a month in Summer; participated in cub scouts during which time I once again made both of their losing entries to the annual pinewood derby car race; studied Spanish; exchanged far too many plastic toys at birthday parties; cried wolf for numerous reasons known only to their developing senses of social etiquette; and of course played baseball in the Spring. I too continued my conservative ways (doing the same thing over and over again) at work which included writing grants most of which were not funded L; teaching graduate students – which has turned out to be one of the best things ever; lecturing in far off places (Japan, Sicily, Finland, Scotland, England, Canada, Spain) sigh! … near year’s end & in Scotland a 2^nd time, I cancelled on Germany – due to mental fatigue, and returned to maintaining order amongst the fifteen folk in our laboratory who insist on not getting along when you least expect it; and playing in our church’s praise band. Donna also continued many of the same old habits by working hard on the homeless auction board to run the auction, serving as chair of the board of trustees at church, working at the boy’s school, trying to maintain order while I was away and taking on the office duties for another of my ventures where I began work as an editor at Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry.

David had his musical debut this year when he played wood block with our praise band and again at school in the orchestra on snare drum where there were so many different rhythms I don’t know how he kept track. His pitching confidence improved over last year (see bubble blown during pitch in accompanying photo), but a hitting slump saw him throw a few major league type fits. His habit of slow straight throws across the plate got him lots of defensive plays off the mound most of which resulted in the runner being thrown out at first. BTW: this poise must come from his Pa Goodlett or his Mom. While he has said at times “Dad, I was so nervous….” and he is very shy, it never shows in his pitching. He is supposed to go up a league in Spring where 4^th - 6^th graders play and finally use real (i.e. hard like a rock) baseballs. We hope he can, but over this past year he has been losing weight which may hold him back. Tests show it isn’t Celiac’s disease. Nor is it any other obvious malady. So is it a genetic tendency to slow growth? I dunno. Genetics probably, because in spite of my current weight problem – I weigh 20 lbs too much L – I was a really skinny child as was his Pa Goodlett.

Graham on the other hand weighs about the same as his taller brother and dramatically improved his baseball skills, but oddly without practice. This kid really hates practice - of any sort. The improvement in skills came the same as riding a bike last year – seemingly from no where. After some nonchalant observations, he just started hitting the ball. Bingo! Thar yah go. What’s all the fuss about this coach pitch league? This Fall he started 2nd grade and was allowed to enroll in a 4^th grade sketch class at school where each child made a kind of cartoon flip-O-rama (a’ la Captain Underpants) movie booklet. He loves drawing and has a decent sense of perspective for someone his age, but continues to struggle to read efficiently. However, when pushed his math & spelling skills are as good as his brother’s. Rather than poise under pressure, the defining virtue of this fine young lad is that he feels no compulsion to demonstrate anything to anyone. This, plus other unmentioned evidence, makes me suspect some mild dyslexia, but also some honestly, inherited indolence J – and this from me. Oh yeah, he loves quoting from TV’s “My Name is Earl”, watching Survivor and any bug eating show.

After last year’s letter some of you may think we in Seattle are of the most left-wing liberal variety because we protest the war and support the troops, won’t let our boys have gameboys and embrace the non-hetero types among us. So here is one final story to set you straight. J A couple years ago, after all the older folk (i.e. octogenarians +) at church had become accustomed to non-hetero types sitting next to them in the pews, an odd thing happened that put us back in our mainline liberal place. It was a warm Summer morning for Seattle. And, with not a cloud in the sky it promised to reach the 90’s by the time church got out. Robin, not his real name, strolled in that fine morning looking like he had not shaved nor had a haircut in many years. As we have plenty of homeless who wander in for service no one noticed at first. Quickly that changed though as we all simultaneously realized that Robin, now halfway down the center aisle, was decked out in a beautiful, but far from opaque, lavender sun dress. Effeminate in demeanor, but looking manly in the beard, it was difficult for me to keep a straight face as I approached to greet him. But greet him I did, taking his witness of a woman trapped inside this body. “How could God get this wrong”, he asked? “Shouldn’t the ushers have stopped him gettin’ in”, I wondered? One pew back Miss Alice (90 + yrs old) probably thought she had seen it all since the church had come out of the closet, but she had a sick look on her face as she spied his tightie-whities through the sun dress. I’m sure that, had she gotten over being stunned by this spectacle, she would have lectured him on when to wear a proper slip. Fortunately, for us Robin never returned and we can call ourselves religious and social liberals – as in just left of the center, but not so far left that we meet right. Yuck! L

Google for “goodlab proteomics” and you’ll find my homepage. To find out what others of us are up to please contact us via goosci@msn.com or donnamgoodlett@msn.com or on my mobile at 206.465.6165 or Donna’s at 206.679.7096. BTW: as my niece Alex found out when she searched the University of Washington directory, you won’t find me. Two years after starting I have yet to find time to walk a silly piece of paper across campus. J Finally, and most sincerely, please keep W and his legal team in your prayers. They’ll need it in 2006 and given that Cheney is no Ford, we certainly don’t want a repeat of what befell “Tricky Dicky”. J God bless you all, God bless the world that lost 200,000+ people to natural disasters since I last wrote and God bless the free press’ of the world who are “workin’ hard” trying to keep government as honest as possible

………………..Ciao’ now from Seattle.