2014 isn’t going to be our year. Let’s just get that out of the way. After the excrutiatingly painful loss to Ukraine, it’s become clear that we’re in a rebuilding year, like we have been since 2006 or so.

But we’re not here to talk about that, are we? We’re here to set up a plan for the future.

Let’s talk big ideas:

1. Establish a Better Youth Development System — If you’ve read this amazing piece from The New York Times, “How A Soccer Star Is Made” , or if you follow European footy, you would know the huge emphasis placed on training our future stars from an early age. If we want to have a chance at a World Cup, we have to work on training our youth from an early age. Plain, simple. not so easy.

1. MLS — In order to be considered a top-tier American player, you have to have a European team stint on your resume. That might be fine for a few individuals, but it hasn’t worked in helping us build a stronger national team. Instead, MLS has to start attracting world-class talent in their prime(Sorry, Thierry and Becks), as well as retain top USA talent.
2. Let Go of the Past — Our 2014 year is essentially an homage to the vets of the USMNT. It’s time to start looking towards the future and investing in our future talent.

The United States government shut down at 12am this morning. Surely this is the beginning of the era Postus Apocalyptus. If Hollywood has taught me anything, it’s that the government shutdown will mean:

1. New clothing will be scarce; be sure to stock up on tattered denim and random bits of football gear. (Mad Max)
2. The potential for a large-scale outbreak has increased exponentially. Pick your poison — will it be a zombie outbreak that claims you and your family or a random virus that takes away your vision? (28 Days Later; Blindness)
3. Kevin Costner will rage a war to make sure that, no matter the cost, our mail gets to us. He will instill hope in all of us and bring out the best in humanity. (The Postman)
4. A higher number of nomadic men will set out on missions to save the world: one will have the last known copy of the The Bible; one will be traveling with his son just trying to make it to the ocean; and one will be fighting monsters in midtown Manhattan. (The Book Of Eli; The Road; I Am Legend)
5. Due to our ongoing federal government shutdown, states will band together to form 13 districts. When the new federal government emerges and destroys rebellious District 13, we will be forced to send 2 tributes, one male and one female, from each district to fight to the death. One teenaged-girl will save us all. (The Hunger Games)
6. Mankind will be forced to fight against the most dreaded foes of all: Robots. (Terminator Salvation)
7. Eventually, the US of A will be nothing more than a wasteland of trash, as we overweight Americans flee to space. Good thing we will leave robots behind to clean the planet. (WALL-E)
8. The rich will still live a life of luxury and use their wealth to: build a utopia that orbits above the earth; or turn them into a currency that the rich control. (Elysium; In Time)
9. Or, we will just wait patiently and prod our officials to work together to come to a bi-partisan solution and restart the government. Sadly, this scenario seems more unlikely than any movie.

Hollywood’s Guide To The Government Shutdown was originally published in I. M. H. O. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A note to my sons and daughter

Below are notes on how to live in a not - quite post-racial America.

Dress properly.

Tuck your shirts in and put away your baseball caps.

Do not make direct eye contact with authority figures.

Speak proper English.

Boys, don’t express anger in public because you will be labeled an angry minority.

Expect cops and security guards to follow you around malls, department stores, etc. It’s standard procedure.

Don’t forget to address everyone by “sir” or “ma’am”.

Please note: The world will tell you that there are places where you do not belong. Any attempt to enter these locations will result in strange looks, general bewilderment and, on occasion, a gentle escorting off the premises.

Any connection to your racial or ethnic heritage will be considered anti-American. Proceed with caution.

If you are bilingual, be cognizant of when and where you choose to use your skills.

Don’t walk alone after sunset.

Don’t cover your eyes with sunglasses. You will be labeled as threatening and defiant.

Do not travel in groups larger than 4 people. Groups larger than 4 will be referred to as gangs by the outside world.

You may be randomly stopped and searched because the color of your skin reek of suspicion.

People might choose to cross the street to avoid you.

Most important of all: Don’t forget who you are and your worth, even when others try to take that away from you.

Rules for Minority Living was originally published in I. M. H. O. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Nearly two years ago we received the bad news: Mom had breast cancer.

While we knew other people who had horrible and tragic things happen to them and their loved ones, we had lived quite a sheltered life, in terms of disease, that is. Sure, dad has diabetes and my grandfather died of West Nile Virus; those things were all natural, right? This was an oddity, an anomaly on a fairly normal track record of good health and good living habits. (I’m only kidding about the good health and good life habits.)

Mom wasn’t one for bad news; and if she had been more tech-savvy, perhaps she would have delivered it via text or email. Instead, she was left with a third, less technical, highly effective method: the telephone. It was comfortable, no eye contact, just a swelling of the voice that contained a noticeable and audible sense of sadness, anger and hopelessness.

And like that, Cancer was everywhere, spreading through our lives, attacking all facets of our existence.

“How do you think cancer will affect their lives?” my wife asked. And to be honest, I had no idea how it would affect their lives. My parents lived a life full of fairly regulated routines and this would be just one more routine to get used to. Every Friday, they went out to eat at their current restaurant of choice: Olive Garden. If they were adventurous, they might venture to PF Changs, and end the night with a movie at the Westminster Promenade or Olde Town.

Mom was lucky because they had found her tumor in between Stage 1 and 2, so there was a high probability that she would be okay. Like any Mexican son, I hid the shock with a false sense of bravado. Everything was going to be okay, we’d get past this and it would be as if it never happened. Life will move on.

And in some sense, life just moved right along. With her tumor removed and a successful round of radiation, mom was well on the road to recovery. But sometimes, cancer has lasting side effects.

My son Gabriel, was obsessed with dinosaurs, fixated on facts in much the same way that an aging male is filled with sports stats. Sure, he loved brachiosaurus, ankylosaurus (dad’s favorite) and triceratops - even the hipster in him was cool with Ornithomimus and Struthiomimus - but more than anything, his heart was devoted to Tyrannosaurus Rex. T-Rex was the king of the dinosaurs, and surely, any boy would love him. Dinosaurs are Gabriel’s life. Slowly, we acquired more and more and more dinosaur memorabilia.

One day, by chance, we happened to find a stuffed T-Rex at the local ARC. Immediately, Gabriel was in love. We brought the dinosaur home and played long hours with him before determining a name. Just prior to bed, Gabriel encouraged us to gather round. “I want to call him Cancer, “ he said, with a slight smile and a laugh. Lunacy. I was awestruck at his grand proclamation. The thoughts raced through my head. We can’t name him that. It’s insensitive! What will I tell my mom and dad? How can we avoid this situation?

And so, being a progressive set of parents, we let him keep the name:Cancer, the most tragic of all dinosaurs. Cancer goes everywhere with us; on vacation, car rides and long walks on the beach. Cancer takes a daily trip to school with Gabriel, a hidden passenger in his backpack. Once, while in timeout for poor choices, Gabriel screamed, “GIMME CANCER! I W-A-N-T CANCER!” Cancer is a sports enthusiast, and as Gabe will tell you, “Cancer loves to play football. We do everything together.” Cancer is truly integrated into our lives. On occasion, Cancer is naughty, but mostly, he is filled with the hope, dreams, joy and laughter of a now 6 year-old boy.

I waited for the day to arrive when someone would question us about the dinosaur’s name. Finally, our day of reckoning came. Our sons had been playing with another group of kids at the playground.

Mom #1: “Your boys are really sweet. They are so well-behaved.”

Me: “Thanks. “

Mom #2: “They are really funny. But tell me…”

I already know where this was going…

Mom #2: “Is his dinosaur really named… “

I interrupt before she can spit it out.

Me: “Yes, his name is Cancer and it’s because my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and Gabriel heard us talking about cancer over and over and over and thinking that it was, perhaps, something that we liked because we talked about it so frequently, he named the dinosaur Cancer.”

I take a deep breath and attempt to mask my embarrassment.

Mom #1: “ Wow, that’s really cool.”

Mom #2: “ You should have Cancer do the cancer walk. That would be cool.”

Me: “ Why yes. That would be cool.”

I nervously walk away, firmly gripping my sons’ hands. Disaster averted.

And so, we became accustomed to life with cancer. Cancer is still with us and, whether we want him to or not, will always be a part of our lives. We just have to learn to live with him.