Don’t Be Uncool, Be Cool: Spilled Milk #128

Weather. Tipping. And other things I'm thinking about this week.

1. Maui

It’s hot everywhere. As I write this, I am flying to Houston and Austin for a two-day business trip, and it’s going to be 107 degrees each day I am in Texas. I want to write about winter vacations for the snow lovers and the beach lovers. For those that can afford a vacation, now is the time to plan one, but the news out of Maui still has me down. There are 111 declared dead as of Saturday. And reports vary about the number of missing people — some say 900; other news organizations report more than 1,000.

But this is the inevitable truth: Some may be alive, but it has been two weeks. I know the number of people unaccounted for is challenging to track. Communication is a mess, and thousands of people are displaced. Only half the disaster zone has been searched. I am not trying to offend or be rude. But the truth is powerful. When all is said and done, this will be a disaster whose toll in human lives is unacceptable. It’s why we have to prioritize our humanity and treat our fellows with love, tolerance and understanding.

OK, moving on … well, in a second. A chef I know from Minnesota named Brian Ingram left for Maui last week and sent me these pictures of people helping people. It moved me. It was heartbreaking to see … and uplifting too. Life is complicated. Doing the right thing never is. Love is always the way to go.

2. Chocolate Cakes