Happy Halloween

Just a Happy Halloween from your friends here in Northern Virginia. I'm the mad scientist, my daughter Sarah Bravard is the Bride of Frankenstein, Big Mike, her hubby, is the monster, my son Kyle is Wolfman and of course, Mikey, the grand, is little Dracula. Just click the Happy Halloween at the top of the page and Enjoy!

A Week of Paradise and a Week of Hell

My new adventure did not last long and I find myself back in the arms of my family. The first week was wonderful; a long lost friendship blossoming into something extraordinary. But sometimes perfection is not at all that it seems to be and little voices start to question the obvious, doubt is introduced and emotions run amok. So it seems to be the case with Georgia. But as my dear friend in Australia pointed out, "if it seems to be to good to be true, it usually is".

So now I begin classes yet again as well as search for a job. The classes are going better than the job searching but it has only been three days. There is a lot out there actually, but there are many people who are looking for work as well. I have not lost faith or hope and am sure I will find something soon. Otherwise I'm moving to Canada.

Time to go....

I went for a walk with Mikey this evening. I was wearing my short cotton muumuu with nothing underneath. The warm breeze pushed the material gently across my bare buttocks and thighs and the humid air caused sweat to build under my breasts before it rolled down across my stomach and hips. I watched as Mikey played with a stick on the sidewalk but my heart was calling me other places. The whispering in my soul was telling me that it is time to move on.....Mikey stood, took my finger in his little hand and smiled up at me, his face dirty with the juice of a green popcycle. A jet flew over head and he pointed, calling out excitedly "jet, jet, jet". My heart swelled with this image, later to be added to my scrapbook of mental memories, but still, it is time to go.....

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

After today, the sound of children will fill the otherwise dull void of everyday sounds here in Chantilly. Michael Jr and I will make daily treks across the street to the pool where we will learn NOT to be afraid of the water even if the grandmother has to throw the child off the diving board and into the deep end. No, I guess I'll save that experience for his parents. It's also a time to pluck bits of arugula out of the garden and eat it whilst weeding and picking up the endless poop of which the dogs gift us on what feels like an hourly basis. I will have a much needed and very celebrated two weeks reprieve from my own academic endeavors and will spend the time doing as little as possible. I'm sure that plan will last all of five minutes for it is quite difficult not doing anything when there is a 16 month old running about getting into absolutely everything. But all in all, to include the recurring downpours that seem to plague us these days (though I shouldn't complain because it is much better than a drought), life is good, I feel blessed, and summertime is upon us.

God's Changing Vision - Conclusion

Today, many fundamental obstacles stand in the way of understanding and believing in God. Not only that, but those same fundamental beliefs prevent the three major religions under the guise of the “same God” from living peacefully with one another due to the different beliefs in their chosen faith. To compound the equation, with the advancement scientific discoveries of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, atheism and agnosticism have risen leaving some questioning the existence of God as well as wondering if another prophet will come to reiterate belief and faith. This makes me ponder the idea of another coming. Since we have grown mentally, is it not time for the arrival of another savior who is on the same intellectual plane, who can explain more fully the universe and our reason for being in it? Following the previous paths taken, many small gods evolving into one god as well as the prophets or teachers of one god taking so many forms in order influence the masses, one can only concludes that the world is ripe for a new age of enlightenment. This is the perfect opportunity for God to reemerge and let his presence be known again, to reintroduce himself in a new and yet unconventional manner, to convert the nonbelievers. For those paths that were previously laid are now lost in the rubble of selfishness and intolerance, not only of one another but of the universe as a whole. With all the different religions involved in all the violence, against one another and within their own denominations, where wars are started and fought in His holy name, is it not time for a resurrection of faith without the Armageddon. Or does the Armageddon not actually mean the death of the world but the death of the sinful ways of life and the resurrection of the core of understanding; where those nonbelievers are not sent to the bowels of Hades but rather given a vision in the New Coming? For example, today, the common God has taken his three strongest religions, all equally important and worthy of man’s belief, put them in His holiest place on earth, and given them a test. Unfortunately, we are failing that test miserably. And because we are failing, are we not ripe for another lesson given by a new teacher?

God's Changing Vision Part 7

Pagan Arabs were not the only inhabitants of Mecca and the surrounding areas. Christians and Jews lived in close proximity and many Arabs of the day converted to one of these faiths. Sometimes entire nomadic groups turned (Katsh, [1954] 1980). This caused Arabs of the area to feel “an acute sense of inferiority: it seemed as though God had left the Arabs out of his divine plan.”[1] Also, this was one of the last remaining bastions that had not completely converted to monotheism so there was an expectancy of an Arab prophet (Armstrong, The History of God, 1994).

Somewhere around 610, an Arab merchant in the city of Mecca had an experience similar to those of hundreds of years before. And though the man had never had the opportunity to read the Bible, his visions were uncannily similar to Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In his dream an angel told him to recite the words of God. When Mohammad refused the angel hugged the man so tightly that Mohammad could barely breathe. When the angel made the request again, Mohammad still refused to capitulate. It was after the third request that he found the first words of a new scripture which was to become The Holy Qur’an.

[1] Armstrong, Muhammad, 45-46[99

God's Changing Vision Part 6

Another transformation of God occurred around 30BCE. “When Philo was illustrating his Platonized Judaism in Alexandria and Hillel and Shammai were debating in Jerusalem, a young, charismatic healer was starting his own career in the north of Palestine.” [1]

At this time Jews were extremely devout monotheists who expected the Messiah to be an ordinary man. Forty years after his death is when the first full account of the life of Jesus was written down by Mark. In it, he presented Jesus as a perfectly normal man from a family that included brothers and sisters. Angels did not sing over his crib and his infancy and adolescence was not remarkable in any way. It was not until he was baptized by John the Baptist that it was proclaimed he was the son of God.

“No sooner had he come out of the water than he saw the heavens torn
apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came
from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests upon you.’”[2]

It was not until after his death that his followers deemed Jesus divine. He spread “faith” and the promise of salvation. With forgiveness came strength that allowed them to see their frail, mortal lives transformed into something stronger and bigger. The powers of God were present and active in the world of the Messianic Kingdom. And this teaching was so powerful that his followers could not abandon it after his death.

It was Paul who traveled to Turkey and Greece. He believed it was his mission to convert the non-Jews into members of the New Israel. Ultimately this New Israel, inspired by the life, death and resurrection, would become a Gentile faith that would evolve its own distinctive conception of God, belief, and faith.[3] By 235 it had become one of the most important religions of the Roman Empire; so important that Emperor Constantine himself converted in 312 and legalized the religion the following year. For the next 300 years it continued to grow and proper spreading across continents. Developments through the Synod in Nicaea under the rule of Constantine became doctrine. The Holy Trinity and the books of the Holy Bible were decided upon and devoutly followed as well as argued about for generations through today.

[1] Armstrong, The History of God, 1994, pg. 79
[2] Mark 1:18, 11
[3] Armstrong, The History of God, 1994, pg. 80

God's Changing Vision Part 5

With this widespread enlightenment came a new understanding of the “all-powerful”. Though each deity of the time was different, their variances combined to give rise to one higher being and that being was Yahweh. This merging is a major factor in the possibility of the in-depth, rational understanding of this new god and the place He had in the extended history of what began in this area of the world, the Cradle of Civilization (Smith, [1990] 2002).

But with this new god came new rules and Yahweh was a very strict and vengeful, if not wrathful God. He demanded his followers comply with his wishes or burn in damnation and hellfire for eternity. This was usually following his wrath on earth which may have been plague, famine or flood. But, he also promised paradise, a heaven free of the ugliness that was known in society at that time. The only stipulation was to follow the rules set forth by Him.

God's Changing Vision Part 4

Soon the idea of many gods was eclipsed by the rebirth of monotheism. Previously, this was tried during the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton’s reign. He was considered an innovator by most standards but his enlightenment only lasted his lifetime. Upon his death polytheism was accepted once more. And monotheism did not come into being again until around 742 BCE when, some believe, a member of the Judean family had a vision of Yahweh in the temple which King Solomon had built in Jerusalem. Whether these are actual facts or theories is still fodder for debate but there can be no arguing that a single god found his way into mankind at approximately this date.

And, it is believed, this new Yahweh of the Axial Age was not just a tribal deity who was biased toward one or another tribe. Instead, this new god was for his glory and could no longer be confined to the Promised Land but rather spread across the east. From southern Italy to China, this rapid alteration happened and was recorded in the writings of Confucius, Zoroaster Mahavira, the authors of Hindu, Pythagoras, Lao-Tzu, Buddah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel (Stark, 2007).

God's Changing Vision Part 3

The history of religion begins with the history of man. Through archeology we have found that there were idols and symbols that were worshiped and glorified. Some were magic and some were religious. They coexisted with one another (and continue to do so today in some “religions”). These symbols and idols ruled daily life for the primitive nomadic man and briefly continued into the life of the agrarian man.

With the understanding of life’s cycles, the idols became less impactful whilst the gods grew more powerful. It was soon understood that a symbol of a corn cob was a very small piece of the puzzle that was agriculture; therefore there must be a god that looks after the whole rather than the piece. Though little is actually known of these people and it is more speculation from the findings than certainty, we do know that for thousands of years burial sites included these grave images. One conclusion is that these images are the discovery of gods in primitive societies (Stark, 2007).

The belief in these gods either began simultaneously or spread like fire throughout the kingdoms making that time period, named the Axial Age[i], the first age of enlightenment. Careful studies of the humans of this era have given rise to the fact that they needed to give divinity to common place things: e.g. fire in the hearth became Agni; thunder, lightning and rain was Mithra; the creator of the world was Dyas Piter; just to name a few (Armstrong, The Great Transformation , 2006). And these gods needed to be appeased or fed in order for prosperity to occur or be maintained.

[i] The Axial Age is a term developed by Carl Jaspers, a German philosopher, and pertains to the similar thinking that simultaneously spread through India, China and the Occident.

God's Changing Vision Part 2

One might venture to say that most people believe in God or a god of some kind. This appears to have been the case throughout the history of human beings. But with the birth of the sciences and the growth of scientific intellect, there are many who reject these very spiritual ideas and feel the existence of God is a delusion. One such person is the author Richard Dawkins who defines the “God Hypothesis” as the existence of a super-human, super-natural intelligence that designed the universe and everything in it. He goes on to counter that belief with his own theory that any creative intelligence comes into being only as the “end product of much involved and extended process of gradual evolution”[1]. He feels that seeing and trying to understand the reason for life and man’s existence in it are what initially created the concept of the “all-powerful being” (Dawkins, 2006).

Rodney Stark, a professor of social sciences at Baylor University feels that Dawkins and his ilk (atheists) claim that religion and the belief in God are survival tactics. They feel that faith is ambiguous and obstructs man’s natural power to reason. Stark argues that it is the human’s capacity to reason that allows man to understand and appreciate more about the truth of God than was comprehended in earlier times (Stark, 2007). Harold E. Lurier and others cited the teachings of the German Philosopher, Rudolf Otto, in A History of the Religions of the World. Otto coined the term “Numinosum” in his book Das Heilige (The Idea of the Holy). This is loosely defined as the intense, ingrained feeling of knowing that there is something powerful that cannot be seen. And this “It” led to the varying beliefs in deities, the supernatural, the sacred, the holy, and the transcendent (Lurier, 2002).

[1] Dawkins, The God Delusion, 2006, pg 31

God's Changing Vision through the Eyes of Man

INTRODUCTION

With the acceptance of God as the creator of all things comes the trust, without viable proof, of His existence. To believe something does not necessarily take faith, but faith cannot be reached without belief. Faith is trusting in something. Belief is regarding something as truth. On these two concepts hang the very idea of God. The different religions centered upon His presence require both of faith and belief. But herein lays the grey area that differentiates one religion from another. Though the faith in God as the “all powerful” exists, the beliefs vary exponentially.

To grasp the nature of the different religions and to comprehend the varying ideas that abound in each, one must study how man’s need for God affects the beliefs in the different doctrines. But before one can assimilate these different beliefs, one must explore the intellectual growth of man and how it parallels with the changes in the idea of God. One must go back to the beginning when God created man, or man created God, and follow the chronological history of the both Man and God to truly grasp the understanding of what belief and faith entail.

School Continues

I have been busy with my education so I have not "blogged" in awhile. I also haven't painted but I will return to that shortly. I have, however, been writing. I am working on my final paper for my Advanced Writing course and I would appreciate critique and criticism, so as I write I will publish what I have done thus far here.

First is the outline of my writing project. It is following a template provided by my instructor and I hope to follow the path I've laid out as I write my paper.

My second post of the day are the introductory paragraphs and thesis. Please feel free to make suggestions. As always, Caroline

I. Introduction
A. To ascertain the distinction between belief and faith
B. To explore the nature of religion and how it affects man’s need for God
C. Following the path of man’s intellectual growth, the parallel of who God is and what He represents has altered to fit the needs of man at the time.

II. The understanding of man’s need for a religious experience.
A. Seeing and trying to understand the reason for life and man’s existence in it, the concept of an all powerful being(s) grew (Dawkins, 2006).
B. The invention of transcendental beliefs to express the necessity of “It” (Lurier, 2002).

III. In the earliest civilizations, the path of man’s belief in magic led to the worship of many gods.
A. The history of religion was an orderly development in which all people passed from magic to religion through stages, each progression taking place when a proper intellectual level had been attained.
B. Though little is actually known of these people and it is more speculation from findings than certainty, we do know that for thousands of years burial sites have included grave images. One belief is that these images are the discovery of gods in primitive societies (Stark, 2007). From 1600 to 900 BCE the careful study of the Axial people has given rise to the fact that they needed to give divinity to common place things: e.g. fire in the hearth is Agni, thunder, lightning and rain is Mithra, creator of the world is Dyas Piter, etc. (Armstrong, The Great Transformation , 2006) and these gods needed to be appeased or fed in order for prosperity to occur or be maintained.

IV. Many gods eclipsed into the rebirth of monotheism which was born throughout the land at approximately the same time.
A. There was a rapid transition into a monotheistic society and that conversion quickly and simultaneously spread throughout the Near, Middle and Far East.
B. From southern Italy to China, this rapid alteration happened around the sixth Century BCE and has been recorded in the writings of Confucius, Zoroaster, Mahavira, the principle authors of Hindu, Pythagoras, Lao-Tzu, Buddha, and Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Stark, 2007).

V. With this rebirth of monotheism came the introduction of Yahweh and Judaism in ancient Israel.
A. Yahweh was borne out of the deities at the time.
B. Yahweh clearly came out of a world of the gods of the ancient Near East, so that kinship relations to these other deities are there from the beginning. The development and typology of convergence and differentiation is a major contribution to the possibility of a complex but coherent understanding of the origins of Yahweh and the place that deity had in the extended history of Israel up to the exile (Smith, 2002).

VI: As foretold in the Old Testament, the need for a savior as well as a kinder, gentler, forgiving God led to the birth of Christianity.
A. By 30BCE Jews were devout monotheists who did not expect the Messiah to be divine but rather an ordinary person.
B. At the same time as Philo was expounding his Platonized Judaism in Alexandria and Hillel and Shammai were arguing in Jerusalem, a charismatic faith healer began his own career in the north of Palestine (Armstrong, The History of God, 1994).

VII: Seeing other people who had not experienced Monotheism, God spoke to the Arabs and Islam was born.
A. Although Muhammad had definitely never read the Bible, he had a dream similar to those experienced in earlier years by prophets of the Old Testament.
B. In about the year 610, an Arab merchant of the thriving city of Mecca in the Hijaz, who had never read the Bible and probably never heard of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, had an experience that was uncannily similar to theirs. He had a vision of an angel telling him to recite the words of God but when Muhammad refuse the angel hugged him taking the air from his body. The angel requested he recite again and still Muhammad refused. This happened three times before Muhammad found the first words of a new scripture (Armstrong, The History of God, 1994).

VIII: Today, thanks to education in science and logic, many fundamental obstacles stand in the way of understanding and believing in God.
A. The inability to understand the true lessons of God prevents the three major religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam from accepting each other for the similarities and differences found in each teaching.
B. God has taken his three major religions of today and put them in the holiest place on earth to see if they have actually embraced his teachings. Unfortunately, man still places himself above God and they have yet to learn to live together. It is a test that we are failing.

Works Cited
Armstrong, K. (2006). The Great Transformation . New York: Alfred A Knopf.
Armstrong, K. (1994). The History of God. New York: Alfred A Knopf.
Dawkins, R. (2006). The God Delusion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Lurier, H. (2002). A History of the Religions of the World. Westchester, NY, USA: Xlibris.
Smith, M. S. (2002). The Early History of God. Grand Rapids: William E Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Stark, R. (2007). Discovering God. New York: Harper Collins.

My First Portrait

I have completed my first portrait and I believe I did fairly well. I cannot say that it was easy, but it was comfortably challenging. After drawing the initial sketch, I added the first washes of skin color.

Next I darkened the eyes and began the shadowing. Unfortunately, the hands got a bit muddy, but I tried cleaning it up as best I could.

Next came the blue of the Pamper's Diaper that he had placed upon his head. Then the highlights of the white of the diaper.

Finally, shadows throughout the pictures. It was at this step that I realized watercolor isn't as unforgiving as I'd initially assumed, A little dab of water and a paper towel to dry off the brush is all that is needed. Now, I couldn't get all the "mud" off the hands, but I was able to clean them up quite a bit. Soon the contours of the face developed before my eyes, and staring at the photograph, I could actually start to see where the colors lightened and varied naturally.

This photograph is following the final brush stroke. It was such a fun thing to do and I can't wait to begin my next project. My stepmother is sending me photos of landscapes that she holds dear so I am sure I will be busy for the next couple weeks. Hopefully I can give her one for Christmas. By the way, painting is truly addictive as well as soothing. I would suggest giving it a whirl.

Sunshine

After eleven straight days of rain, I am happy to announce the arrival of sunshine. I can hear George Harrison singing "Here comes the sun, doo-n-doo doo. Here comes the sun, and I say, it's alright". I always assumed that song was for Eskimos since they have so many months of darkness and the arrival of the lost and far away orb must be cause for celebration. I understand the ecstacy of feeling the warmth and seeing the bright rays after so much darkness. I. personally, will be celebrating the warm arrival today. Fertilizing, reseeding, washing of vehicles, sweeping decks, and building planters will occupy most of my afternoon, and I'm excited to be able to do all (or some) of these things. Isn't funny how the simplest things in life hold the most joy for the longest period of time. I hope you all have a wonderful sun shiney day!

Something to Ponder

President Obama went to Mexico. Swine flu broke out in Mexico. Coincidence or conspiracy? Germ warfare? Just something to think about.....

Watercolor

I felt as though my creative juices were turning to sand. I was still enjoying writing, but there were other things I wanted to do with my hands besides peck at a keyboard. I don't have a piano so I can't play; my guitar needs new string; I do not own a sewing machine. Where else to go? Then I discovered an old bag full of everything I need to have in order to learn watercolor.

I read and looked at pictures and did internet searches before I braved paint to paper. I practices brush strokes, mixing colors, drawing on watercolor paper, and then I decided I would actually paint something. I love Georgia O'Keefe and her perspective, flora at close range. So I decided to try my hand in it and the above is my first attempt. Copied from a card, I think I did okay with these tulips, especially since I'd never touched watercolor before last week. I will say my daughter, the artist, was impressed (so I gave it to her for her birthday). She placed a request for anothe rpaining which you see the progress of below.



The basics are completed above and I've begun doing details. This painting almost killed me and I couldn't see half of what I was doing (the light is not condusive to this kind of project), but I kept at it and my daughter was full of praise as I made my way across the canvas.

And here is the completed project. Two paintings down in a week and I am already moving on to my next canvas. I'm doing a portrait of my grandson. Flowers at a close range are one thing, people are something else entirely. I hope I still like to paint by the time I'm finished with him.

A Blank Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

I haven't posted in awhile but only because I could not think of a thing to write. Trying to follow my friend Tony's good example of keeping to the positive, I have had a difficult time finding good things of which to write. Not that there isn't a lot of good out there, I just can't seem to put it into words or think of it to begin with. My mind is blank, words are not available, thoughts do not coagulate. This is most frustrating and I can only blame springtime and pollen counts. Claritin is part of my daily diet and I believe it may be having an adverse effect on my thought processes, which were not acute to begin with but I've learned to live with that short-coming.

So here I sit, pondering a fairly blank screen and wondering what words should muddy the surface without sounding negative and biting. Arlen Spector is now a Democrat...President Obama has passed the 100 day mark....warm weather graced us for a short reprieve....grass is growing in my backyard....Mikey's parents gave him a Mohawk (oh that's right...I'm supposed to keep this positive so let's try that again)...Mikey's mom cut his hair...I'm learning to paint watercolor...and tomorrow is payday. Without going into detail of any of these things and therefore stirring up the bad as well as the good, I will leave it short and simple and focus on the positive. Thank you for setting such a good example, Tony!

One of the Best Movies I've Seen

Last night I took the opportunity to watch a movie that has long been on my waiting list through Netflix. I knew it was supposed to be good, but I was extremely surprised at the quality of writing as well as acting that took place in this picture. I was even more surprised to be reminded that it was not nominated for any Oscars as it was most definitely the best movie of 2008. All I can ask is...didn't those people watch it?

Set in South Carolina, one of the many places I have been lucky enough to call home, in 1964 in an area rife with segregation and hatred. And though it is illegal to persecute blacks, this does not stop radical whites from treating black basely. This white child with a cross too heavy for one so young to bear, runs away from an abusive situation, breaks her best friend (who happens to be black) out of jail and hightails it out of town, searching for a place that calls to her heart.

Not a huge fan of Queen Latifa's acting, I was blown away by the extent of her charisma on the screen as well as the perfect mold she took with her character. Dakota Fanning is a star, and this movie should be a large step to building upon her career as a young adult. Jennifer Hudson proved herself to be first rate in her last film, and takes it even further here. Alisha Keys and Sophie Okunedo are just as polished as all the others. Finally, Paul Bettany (who played the Alibino in The DaVinci Code) played the part of Dakota's abusive father perfectly. Though you never like him, you come to understand him in the end.

For any of you who have yet to see it, check it out on imdb.com, the link is in the title of this blog. Then rent it through netflix or redbox, or whatever. It's a wonderful, feel good movie and it will make you want to run to the library to read the book...which is what I'm getting ready to do right now!

Can we Trust the CIA Reports?

Former vice president Dick Cheney, the puppet master of the Bush administration and instigator for the adoption of torture as an interrogation technique, dared President Obama to release more reports (from the CIA) chronicling the "success of the effort." My question is, are these reports written by the same people that avowed there were WMD's located in Iraq even though the UN failed to find them? And could we TRUST these so called reports to be honest? Somehow I doubt it...don't call his bluff Mr. President. I'd like to say just prosecute him, but he's a slippery eel. He'll get out of it like a greased pig. There is only one punishment for people like Dick Cheney and it's not here one earth but in the afterlife.

A GREAT WEEKEND!

And so the weekend began. The dog is standing on my freshly tilled soil, a hard clay that is saturated with night crawlers and earth worms. It wasn't difficult to turn but it took all afternoon. When Michael got home, he saw all my hard work and decided to remove the huge, pine tree's stump that occupied most of the center of the back yard. I didn't think he would accomplish this feat so quickly but I came downstairs Friday morning to this view. When he puts his mind to something, he accomplishes it!

As you can very well see, this stump is not small bit of a ball and its branches reached wide and far. Using every tool imaginable (to include car jacks and wedges) they (Michael, Josh and Jeremy) worked dilegently into the night and were able to get the stump out before midnight. How these men did so much in the dark is beyond me. So now the clean-up begins.

I tilled the remainder of the yard, and, after work and a crazy run to the pediatrician (another blog I'm sure), Michael filled in the large pot hole in the yard using the many rocks that they dug up with the root. Because it was not quite full and the ground was not even, he decided it needed top soil. I decided I had done enough and pulled out the old hookah, lit the fireplace and ordered pizza. We spent a very nice evening in front of a fire and enjoying all the hard work that we did.

Saturday meant more work! We turned more soil, weeded around the fence, pulled the junk up from the side of the patio, realigned the bricks around the tree in the front yard, and weed-eated around the driveway. Mike finished his filling of the pot hole then blew up the baby pool (barely seen on the left) as well as put the half tent up in the yard (not sure why he did the latter). I took some tough beef and marinated it all day, so the Weber came into the yard and we grilled steaks and potatoes in the early evening. Another day down!

Sunday dawned grey and chilly. We stayed out of the yard for most of the day, having other things as well as extremely sore muscles complaining of overuse and abuse. But late this afternoon we decided to clean up, sweep up and move and remove and so we now wait for grass to grow. If it doesn't (two week limitation here) it is time to get about 600 sq/ft of top soil and start again. The season is young and we can probably have grass by the end of summer. Mike said he is more excited about this project than any other as he has never had a grassy backyard in his life. The simple joys are the most pleasant and loved. I can't wait for our first crab fest of steamed crabs and Frogmore stew with biscuits and coleslaw. YUM YUM!

Spring has Sprung

What an absolutely glorious day! Unfortunately, tomorrow I will suffer for my enthusiasm. First some background information...I am living with my daughter and son-in-law in the townhouse where Big Mike spent most of his life. There were three boys and a dad in the home and none were very big on taking care of the place. When Mike's dad died, soon followed by his older brother, it soon became a frat house of which it remained until they moved into it last summer. (To say it was a pig sty is an insult to the pig.) But slowly and with great creativity and ingenuity, it has become a very fun little abode for this family.

The front and back yards, however, continue to be an eyesore as well as a death trap. There was a huge, dead pine tree gracing the back which is now nothing more than a stump. And there was no grass whatsoever. So today I got a wild burr and decided to overturn the yard, one large patch at a time. I guess Bravard told Mike because he came home with some great grass seed and the need to dig out the old stump. All I can say is "wow". Mike is not generally motivated to take on endeavors such as these, so it was a real surprise and as well as a push for me to do more. Hence the sore muscles....

Hopefully by Saturday, I'll have the entire yard turned and new grass seed planted...then it is off to the front for some much needed TLC. I can only hope my arms hold out long enough for me to complete my tasks in a manner beneficial to the household.

Another Positive Story!

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I believe I can positively say that she even surprised Simon, though he denied it. This large, square Scottish woman with a bad haircut belted out something that would have shone bright even when compared to Elaine Paige, the woman Miss Boyle would like to be. She just proves once again that looks can be so deceiving and we shouldn't judge books or bookish women by their covers. Inside are words, stories and voices of such depth and magnitude that we are often surprised by their beauty. Yes, it truly comes from within, and is not necessarily reflected in what we may look like.

Hats off to you Susan Boyle. For the readers who have not experienced this phenomenon, click on her name and watch the YouTube short. If you are not amazed, I will be very surprised.

Celebrate!

I have a definite cause for celebration in that I have finished my Algebra course with the completion of my final exam today! I missed two answers giving me a grade of 97 which made my class average 94%. I am both elated an exhausted with this accomplishment. Algebra took up the better part of my life for these last 8 weeks and I am not sad to see this completion. It will be good to wake up tomorrow and not have the onus burden of another batch of numerical homework and the dark cloud of an exam hanging over my head. I may actually get a full night's sleep tonight as I cannot count the number of times I awakened at 4:00 am to do math. Why? I was dreaming about it, of course. I will enjoy these next 10 days of nothing but Nutritional Science and writing in my blog. Yes, it is time for the happy dance, so until next time I post I will be twirling wildly about my bedroom!

The Bailout is Starting at the Wrong End

It is my childlike and somewhat juvenile opinion that the bailout of America is starting at the wrong end of the spectrum. While government has decided to give large companies money, the average citizen still doesn't have the money to spend on the product. That being said, wouldn't it be more beneficial to all if money was given to the citizens instead of to the large companies?

The population in the United States is approximately 303,824,640 and out of that about 80,000,000 file tax returns. The stimulus/bailout package is running at about $747 Billion (that is nine zeros following the original three). So, by my math, if that money was instead divided between the American taxpayers, they would receive $9,837.50. Even if everyone just spent 1/2 the money and hid the other half in their mattress, that is still almost $400 Billion going back into the economy. With that much money being spent, it seems our economy would get the kick-start it so badly needs. Do you think the people running the country even thought of this? Wouldn't it be easier than what they are doing now?

Too Bad George Wouldn't Understand This!

So here it is, my paragraph with all my new words. Will take comments and suggestions.

In this time of recession, the resulting lack of spending/playing money is ubiquitous. The hubris of the last administration is no more apparent than in the present market place where the recession is so blatantly "in your face". Having ignored all the signs regarding the financial down slide that the United States was about to take in order to finance a "war on terror"was arrogance in itself. But to be so didactic as to foist our beliefs on people who do not necessarily think or process in the manner in which we do was the ultimate in egocentric behavior. There is nothing so parsimonious as the unfair nonacceptance of differences of opinions or values, especially when these are not necessarily individual but rather those of a whole ethnic group. To perceive that they would even want the types of freedoms that we have is above the pale, and to take whatever order they had and give them freedoms they do not understand was fecund ground for terrorism to REALLY take affect. And we and our troops and contract workers that are still there are left mendicant for retaliation. We should have been more sophrosyne, like the French. It probably gets in the craw of some to admit that the "frogs" were actually correct in their surmise of the Middle East situation. Thank the voting gods that we now have not only another man in office, but another party. Hopefully, he will be able to extemporize using good sense and circumlocution to not only get us out of this useless war in Iraq but to bring about some positive results in the American financial market. If he can't I fear the next election will be nothing but an osculation good-bye for the Democrats

New Words

About three weeks ago I decided to start compiling a list of those words I had to look up whilst reading blogs or newspaper articles. Never one with a huge or impressive vocabulary (my younger sister has hubris regarding her mastery of verbiage) I have always had some difficulty retaining the meanings or spellings of words. Being dyslexic as well as ADD did not help in my youth, but these things were overcome with years of practice as well as quietly relying on dictionaries, thesauruses and the spell-check option. So here is the list. I am sorry I did not write down the original sentences. I will definitely do that in the next go round. Also, these are in the order in which I acquired them, thus meaning they are in no order whatsoever. How many do you already know?

1. Didactic–teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson
2. Sophrosyne-moderation; discretion; prudence
3. Hubris-excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance
4. Osculation-kiss
5. Mendicant–begging
6. Circumlocution-verbiage
7. Fecund-fertile
8. Parsimonious–stingy
9. Extemporize-improvise
10.Ubiquitous-to be everywhere

I suppose my next assignment would be to use each in a sentence in a blog. Maybe tomorrow....for today I shall concentrate on completing my Algebra assignments for the week and studying for my Nutritional Health quiz on Friday. When I have the time for my creative juices to begin to flow once again which will allow me to develop an entertaining yet witty editorial, I will tackle the task of using the above words. Until then....

Taking another new road, yet again!

I went to my first Pampered Chef party about 15 years ago. I thought, at the time, that it was something I could sell, but I didn't know if my lifestyle would be condusive to building a busines. Afterall, I moved every eighteen months to three years so how could I possibly establish myself with such uncertainty? You know, we make some stupid decisions as children but the ones we make as adults are so much worse! But everything in its own time.

Being a stay-at-home grandmother and taking classes doesn't offer me much opportunity to make extra money, and the job market being what it is presently, no one is hiring for work 1 day a week. Having a home business seemed like the next best solution. I received my box of paperwork and was immediately overwhelmed. So much to do, so much is expected, so much to organize, and my immediate reaction was "Have I bitten off more than I can chew?" Probably, but I have a pretty big mouth and it takes a lot to choke me. I do, however, wish I had taken this chance AFTER completing my algebra course, but it's too late now.

So, here I am, off on yet another adventure. I am a good salesperson so that aspect will be a no brainer. I love entertaining so I can handle that part of the job. I was a theater arts major so standing in front of a crowd performing and selling won't be too hard. Having a son that is attending culinary school, having a background in entertaining, and having once worked for Williams-Sonoma and knowing products shared by both businesses, I feel as though I have a foot hold that most might not, so product knowledge should not be a problem. But where do I find my customer base...yikes. It's too late for second thoughts now and not willing to quit so easily when faced with a challenge, I will conquer Pampered Chef as well. If anyone out there would like to purchase Pampered Chef products, please let me know!

Over a HUGE Algebraic Hump

Well, it took me over a week, but I finally passed my Algebra exam and I can move on to...well, more algebra. I don't know what had me so befuddled and confused, besides all the a's, c's, j's, h's, x's, etc. and how I was supposed to find their lines after putting them in proper order then doing actual math. All I do know is I was stuck, plain and simple, and I was ready to pull out my own teeth with tweezers. After three days of intense studying I finally braved the 20 problems put forth by my teacher. Low and behold, after saying prayers to the Algebra gods, I only missed two problems...and they were typos, my typos. By the time I checked my work the third time, I was cross-eyed. But I'm very happy with my 90%.

I am sure there are times I have had to use basic algebra in my life. Figuring out percentages, for example, when I was in retail. Also, there is quite a bit of math in cooking. But can someone please explain to me why I need to know how to figure out 1/9(x-3)+1/3(x-12)=x-7? Or why I need to find Y if given four numbers? And what is the use of a quadratic equation in everyday existence?

But, alas, now I can concentrate on Nutritional Science. Did I mention there are only 3 1/2 weeks of this left? No? Well, thank the heavens above that I'm halfway through with this grading period. I look forward to the next one when I can take another creative writing course. Then I'll be using the side of my brain I understand and to which I can relate!

Something to Ponder

Beating myself up for blowing an Algebra exam...again...I decided to abandon my mathematical woes and travel down the internet highway to see if anything interesting caught my eye. Now, I don't know where I've been the last three months, but apparently it is out of the loop because I had no idea that "earth hour" was upon us or how I could become more involved. But more involved I shall be (hence passing the word through my blog) for I have not missed it the fun.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is asking everyone to turn off their lights at 8:30 PM local time and keep them off for one hour. This action is not so much to save energy as it is to make a statement to our governments' leadership that global warming is a real and pervasive issue that needs to be taken seriously. To switch off your lights is to give a vote for earth. Also check out the WWF site and make a donation or purchase one of many interesting and culturally expanding gifts there.

At Earth Hours one can now follow last year's "Earth Hour" celebration as well as see how the dimming of lights this year is progressing. The 60 hours of darkness has already begun but it will be awhile before it hits here in the United States. I will be participating and I hope you will as well.

The Remaking of Another Classic

Yes, the Farley Boys are at it again. News is out that they have closed the deal and MGM is taking the job. A project that has been years in the planning will now come to fruition, according to Variety. But the most exciting part of the entire adventure is the cast that is coming into play. Some have qualms regarding the Farley and MGM choices of actors, but this blogger is quite animated at the prospect.

Jim Carrey will be weighing in for the part of Curly. I am sure he will embrace the role of the ever irrepressible gagster by expanding on his own unusual physical dexterity. As for Sean Penn, could a more perfect match have been chosen? Penn's talent and generosity to films of late will not doubt take this picture to a new height for Farley fans. As for Benicio Del Toro, I am not personally acquainted with his comedic talents, but have been reassured by those that are that he will lend credence to such a project.

It is my understanding that this will be a behind the scenes view of the life of these three confused, talented and alcoholic men. Though it will most likely have incredibly serious undertones, aspects of Farley movies that some viewers miss completely, it will most assuredly be projected in a manner full of the slapstick and silliness associated with those lovable Stooges of yesteryear. Carrey and Penn have already signed onto the production and it is being reported that Del Toro is in negotiations as I write. What an interesting undertaking it will be.

Production will begin sometime in the fall of this year and hopefully the release will be in 2010. As an old fan of these black and white Saturday afternoon fun-fests, I cannot wait until this production is in the cinemas. I am sure it will be a must DVD to add to my ever-enlarging collection of movies.

A Little Sunshine on a Damp and Cold Day

On a day that is overcast and gray in a country suffering from a recession that fills all news sources with blurbs that are as dark as the skies outside, the Today show aired a wonderful little vignette that lifted my spirit and my lips while making a few tears paint my cheeks. Forty years ago, this baby's family was killed in an apartment fire. Since she was an early teen, she has wondered about this man who was kind enough to give her his breath of life, as her stepmother reminded her. So she went on a search and finally found him.

My daughter, who is 25 and still so naive in many ways, has had a very privileged life. She grew up in the military so was not taught prejudice. She travelled the globe living in far off, exotic places and was raised both here and abroad so she does not comprehend racial hatred. So therefore, as this news piece was airing and I was as still as a cat in a room full of rockers, she was quite unaware of the significance of the story. She could only see life being given to a child. What is not depicted clearly above is that the child is black.

At a time when racial tension in the country was at it's peak, this white, Irish Catholic firefighter from Boston, an area that was rife with tension and hatred between blacks and whites, held this small negro infant in his huge, gentle, yet capable hands and kissed her with the breath she so desperately needed in order to survive. That is the miracle, that is the heart of the story, that is why we have hope. I would like to think that any firefighter would have had the honor and compassion to do what he did, but having been alive during that time period in history as well as having highly educated extended family members that hate black people just because they are black, I can imagine there are some that would rather have let her die then place their own mouth upon her. But not Firefighter Carroll who did what he knew was best. And thank heavens above he did.

I don't know if it took forty years to find him, or that long to get the nerve to find him, but find him she did. And the reunion was special and heartfelt...and by the looks of it, her children have found new members to add their extended and extending family. Blessed may they all be.

We Need Your Help!

Photo: www.virginiamason.org

I follow several blogs, and sometimes I like what I've read so much I feel the need to mention it here. This, however is not a post because I liked or enjoyed the blog, it is a sincere request to follow the link and read about a place in Seattle, Washington that is the comfortable and comforting stepping stone between the here and the hereafter. This is a place where hopelessness and helplessness are overcome through guidance, friendship and love. The staff are angels that go above and beyond the typical call of duty for those in their field. They take pride in their work and they gain strength from the love they give as well as receive. Unfortunately, they are in the same monetary bind as so many non-profit organizations in the United States today. But even in my dire financial straights, I can find $5 or $10 to donate to them that may allow their doors to remain open for a bit longer. I sincerely hope that you can as well.

Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Obama on Leno

I was surfing the blogs trying to pull thoughts together when I ran across a blog by Mr. Stiles at Stiles Point. He was "very disappointed" in a comment made by President Obama on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno regarding his bowling skills which Obama compared to being worthy of the Special Olympics. Now, I must say that the comment is definitely not "politically correct" and any politician should remember that they must appear to be pure as the driven snow once they reach office (even if they did inhale) but comparing it to Imus and his "ho" comment is taking it just a little too far. Calling someone a HO and speaking of Special Olympic bowling skills are, at least in this readers eyes, two different types of insults, not that I am making excuses for such a fax pas.

Even comparing it to the previous President is a bit of a far reach. Let's see, which is the more stupid comment, "...bowled a 129...it was like Special Olympics or something..." or "I am the Decider"... well never mind. One was trying to be funny and the other was funny without trying. But Stiles is probably correct in his field day comment regarding the media. If the former President had said something so self-abasing, it would have surprised us all and the liberal media would have jumped at the chance to make him look the idiot....again. Whereas when Obama made such a blunder, only the Conservatives were jumping for joy....wait, this sounds strangely familiar...isn't this similar to the last 8 years, and the 8 years before that, and the 4 years before that, and the.....Funny what changing shoes can do!

I will admit that I do not believe it was his most brilliant comparison but I doubt if Obama had said "my bowling would make Caroline look good" the rest of America would have gotten the joke. He could have compared himself to a brown bear, but the animal rights activists would have been up in arms. Who knows, that might even have provoked the NAACP as well. Okay, maybe he could have said, "I should have been playing with the one-armed paper hangers" but I'm sure someone who knew someone missing that appendage would have been outraged. Well, maybe he could have said, "Man I SUCK at bowling" but that kind of language coming from a President of the United States is deplorable. So, I suppose his best avenue would have been to keep his mouth firmly closed regarding his lack of bowling technique and skills and just continued with the basketball comment which, I did notice, did NOT cause great furor in the African American community (or any community wanting to raise and eyebrow and a ruckus). Is it because Leno is NOT a politician?

I suppose, once reaching an elected office, it is best not to attempt to have a sense of humor of any kind any more. Allow the common folks like me and you to make the blunders, fax pas, and stupid jokes. I wonder, though, when did we begin to expect such exalted perfection in our leaders? I thought we saved that for God.

Rewards for Failure

I look at this picture and understand exactly the want to put fingers around another's neck and choke the living daylights out of them. In yesterday's Washington Post I read and reread Mr. Libby's editorial explaining the reasons bonuses were paid to certain employees. In "Repairs, and Repayment", he makes this profound statement:

"Mistakes were made at AIG, and on a scale that few could have imagined possible." He goes on to state, "...AIG has made a set of retention payments to employees based on a compensation system that prior management put into place...I would never have approved the retention contracts....It was distasteful to have to make these payments. But we concluded that the risks to the company, and therefore the financial system and economy, were unacceptably high."

In today's paper, I read that he asked that the awards be returned. Some employees did so while others grudgingly kept their take. When asked by Congress for the names of these people, Mr. Libby balked and used the excuse that these certain employees are too good to lose. My only comment after mulling over his excuses for bad behavior was "WTF?"

I don't know about the rest of the United States but this simple citizen is so sick of the questionable choices made by upper management regarding outrageously high bonuses for poor decisions, unethical choices, and basic bad behaviour. Why should we settle for excuses? Then, he goes so far as to comment that he didn't want to lose these employees who would have walked if not given their compensation? Let them walk! In our struggling economy do you think they will actually leave a company that is still paying their salary? Does he not understand the job market today?

It is attitudes such as Mr. Libby's that have gotten us in the financial and moral crisis in which we find ourselves today. But this is the way we have raised the present generation. These employees are the same people that went to birthday parties for others and expected to take home lots of treats themselves. These are the same people who were raised to believe that EVERYONE is a winner, EVERYONE gets chosen for the team, EVERYONE gets a star. They have not learned that there are no rewards for making a muck of something. They have not learned the lesson of true failure. And until we take a step back and LEARN from our mistakes rather than be given bonuses for all the bad choices we make, we never are going to get it and the downward spiral will continue.

10 Things About Me...in Music Titles

(Image courtesy of Miss Fipi Lele)

Because I really am trying to begin focusing on the positive aspects of my life, I decided to write something that would lift my spirits, so to speak. I sat here with my face in the palms of my hands giving my mind free access to wander at will across the years, over the cloudy residues of the past. It stopped in Mr. Hincher's 9th Grade math class.

Mr Hincher was THE most boring teacher in the world. The nicest man you could ever meet with a vivacious wife and two precious children that I would babysit for whenever they needed me, but dead boring. He was an accountant who should never have decided to teach math to ANYONE, let alone high school students. (Can you see where this is going?) So there I was in his class learning to....you got it...graph.

I have no idea how long I was there, but the experience made me want to poke out my eyes. So instead of focusing on something positive, I shall tax my musical skills and try something creative. Coming up with songs or song titles for 10 things about me. I hope you enjoy this because it should be a fun list to produce!

1. Me: Crazy by Patsy Cline

2. Favorite color: Yellow by Coldplay

3. Favorite vacation: Spanish Moon by Little Feat

4. Biggest disappointment: D-I-V-O-R-C-E by Tammy Wynette

5. Biggest success: Kids from Bye Bye Birdie

6. Best friend: Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac

7. Favorite Past-time: Love in Vain by Eric Clapton

8. Adulthood: Time to Pretend by MGMT

9. Family: Hard to Handle by Grateful Dead

10. Childhood: Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz or Yesterday by the Beatles

Who would have thought?

I never would have suspected that Algebra and Nutritional Science would be the final culprits. I won't blame it entirely on school, I mean I had a lot going downhill before these classes, but I believe they have pushed me over the edge and I'm free falling into the no zone. Can someone please explain to me why I, at 50 years of age, need to know how to graph x and y? Isn't it enough that I just figure out what they are? My eyes are bad and I can barely see the graph on the computer that needs my input. I'm off by one number every time, damn my eyes. I bet Marty Feldman had better vision than I do, but his eyes were bigger and jutting 6 inches out of his face so EVERYTHING was closer.

Nutritional science I get, it's just got a lot of research, which I don't seem to have time to do considering I spend every free moment trying to do these freaking graphs. (See, this is what happens when you start getting over confident...the "egg on your face" gods set you back on the humble track.)

I think I need sleep. Except when I sleep I dream about Algebra. Isn't it bad enough that I have to do it during the day, but at night too? Why didn't I finish college when I still had working grey cells?

Calgon (or Sam Elliott) take me away!

Enough Already

I am so completely sick of hearing Limbaugh vs White House I think I will scream! Hey people in the White House, shut up already and do not answer to the Republicans who are trying to stir conflict. This type of discussion is debasing and further remarks from you only add fuel to an unnecessary fire.

I will say I enjoyed someones comment saying that Obama should accept Limbaugh's gauntlet of a debate but only if Limbaugh accepts Obama's challenge to a basketball game...one on one....may the better man win! HAHAHAHA! That would be something I might enjoy watching if I liked seeing slugs get squashed. Shoot, considering the slug I may make an exception. Call me when the challenge has been thrown and met!

Maybe the debate should actually be between Limbaugh and Moore. Those two fat bastards can duke it out between them (neither would get a word in edgeways), though of the two I would choose Michael Moore over Rush Limbaugh hands down. I feel Moore, at least, is for the whole and not the individual.

Notice how you didn't hear much from Limbaugh the last 8 years? Keep that in mind and ask yourselves..."do you really believe he wants to see Obama fail?" Crikey, if the Republicans were voted back into power in 4 years, he would be unimportant, once again, needing to depend on the bad publicity of drug dependence to get into the spotlight. It ALMOST makes me want to vote Republican....almost!

Jon Stewart is THE MAN!

I don't follow television regularly. Though I have a set in my room, it is there for dvd's as it is not connected to the dish or cable. And because I spend most of my time up here when the baby is down for a nap or his parents are home, I have weened myself of the necessity of daily visual overstimulation that having a television set on constantly supplies. When I do have the opportunity to peruse what may be airing, the television is usually set to something more focused toward toddlers than adults, so it becomes a background grey noise rather than food for thought. Alas, how lucky I was to be channel surfing today whilst the baby was being entertained by his mother. I ran across a rerun of a most entertaining bit of...well, you decide.

The Daily Show has always been a favorite of mine. The manner in which Jon Stewart disects the news and newsmakers is comically, yet painfully honest and forthright. And his recent mastication of Rick Santelli is a high point of this type of comedic blindsiding. Jason Linkins, of the Huffington Report, wrote a commentary as he too was impressed by Stewart's verbal gauntlet to CNBC. He, Linkins, went so far as to say "Stewart eviscerated CNBC". And he was not kidding.

Hopefully I have whetted your appetite for a little "Stewart-ship". Enjoy!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Limbaugh - an intellectual?

Rush Limbaugh is the "voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party". If Limbaugh is indeed the "intellectual force' behind the party, it's time for the party to change. He's an arrogant, rude, loud, obnoxious entertainer who takes himself too seriously. There are so many other voices in the party that are worth listening to as well as much more pleasing to the eardrums, so why does the Republican party continue to allow him such leverage?

Maybe it's my mistaken definition of what I believed an intellectual to be. I thought he to be a person who is erudite, attaining this elite threshold when education and scholarly pursuits had gelled leaving a mind polished and a person effaced of all rudeness or incivility. Someone who was well read on many a subject matter, not just reading and holding fast to one side's opinions, but rather being able to turn his brain around to be able to comprehend the other side of the debate.

If Rush Limbaugh is an intellectual, so is Howard Stern....

Isn't it funny how history has changed? There was a time when Democrats were loved by the "crackers" of society, those uneducated and ignorant individuals who couldn't think past their own back yard. And the Republican Party was the exemplification of the educated masses.

Makes me glad to be an Independent!

Go for your yearly and Get the flu!

Why is it when a perfectly healthy person goes to the doctor for a physical, the result is usually something that death would alleviate? Why don't doctors have a separate office and lab space for people who are healthy and don't need to be exposed to everything from a mere cough to pneumonia.

Last week I go for my regular and, of course, they need urine and blood. I was careful in regards to what I touched, where I sat, and how close I stood. I was armed with my Mr. Monk antibacterial wipes and thought I was safe from contamination. WRONG! I spent the entire night on my knees praying to the porcelean god of vomitusion and he paid no heed to my dire requests to cease and desist. I must say that the whole thing only lasted 12 hours though it felt much, much longer. My headache still persists on sticking around but it is much more appreciated than those other symptoms. And I think I lost five pounds!

Maybe this was a virus sent to me via internet from my good friend Niki! And I was hoping she was feeling better.....hmmmmm.

By working hard, old man, I hope to make something good one day. I haven't yet, but I am pursuing it and fighting for it . . . .” Vincent Van Gogh

I accomplished quite a bit this week. First I completed my final project for my computer course which included a memo to my fictitious boss expressing the need to improve an IT program that had not been updated in 12 years, spreadsheets of computers, costs, services, etc., so comparable analyses could be done and a power point slide show to present my findings. (As if that weren't enough to give me a headache.) I am someone who doesn't do anything by half measure and began the research on this project weeks ago, finding true and accurate material so that I could draw an educated conclusion from my studies. Yet, this week someone in my class asked the following question, "Do we have to look this information up or can we just make it up as we go?" Imagine my surprise when the professor answered, "You can make it up. The final project is about being able to prepare Excel spread sheets and Power Point presentations, not about the research." Well, F*@& me! Wonder if I'll get extra credit for the research....

My second project was the final draft of my persuasive essay. I was having a rather difficult time coming up with something I needed to persuade others to believe. The night before it was due I remembered the essay we had to read by Jonathan Swift in which he suggested that the Irish eat their young in order to alleviate the famine problem in their country. It was a bit gruesome but a valid argument nonetheless, and led me to begin my exploration in regards to changing adulthood legally to occur at 21 (my previous post). I will not bore you all with my final project but I found more research, I perfected my arguments and I completed my assignment with several days to spare. I find that I do not like spending three or four weeks on one small project such as a persuasive essay. I get bored and lose interest...makes me question whether I could actually be a writer of novels if I can't concentrate on a freaking persuasive essay....

Finally, today, I completed my computer class final exam. It only took me 2 hours and 15 minutes of the allotted 3 and a half hours, but I managed and I believe I did well. Up until this moment I was running on a 100% in that class. I doubt if I made a 100% on the exam, but wouldn't that be a boost to my flailing ego. But even completing the course with an A would solidify my now jellied belief that I AM smarter than this machine.

So I step back from my educational pursuits for a week, taking a much needed cerebral break to recharge and prepare for the next block of courses which include Algebra and Nutritional Science. Heehaw! Now doesn't that sound like fun? If these two classes don't drive me to drink, nothing will!

Twenty-One, A Government Mandated Age of Maturity

It began in the 1970’s when states took it upon themselves to change the legal drinking age from 18 for wine and beer to 21 for all alcohol. Students and young adults across the nation were angered that this Rite of Passage was denied them after so many years in anticipation of its forthcoming. Petitions were written and protests were formed, both sides having valid and strong arguments for their defense of what they felt was right. These arguments were put forth and have been debated on a regular basis since the first legal limit was changed. But it is my belief that we are fighting to change the wrong law. Let us keep the twenty-one year old drinking age in place and use it as a guideline for everything else. In other words, have the government mandate the age of maturity as twenty-one years and make it law that all adult responsibilities and pleasures are limited to only those who have attained this legal age of permissible adult rights and privileges.

One of the biggest privileges as an adult is the right to vote. To have the honor of choosing our leadership should be limited to mature and responsible human beings. The voting choices placed in front of an individual can be overwhelming especially if the voter is not old enough to fully comprehend or appreciate this heavy responsibility. The drinking law proves that the government presently does not feel an 18 year old is responsible enough to make the right decision when it comes to alcohol (not just wine or beer but any alcohol) so therefore it can be assumed that the government does not feel an 18 year old is responsible enough to make any major decisions to include voting for an elected official. This is further stressed by our own Constitution that states no one can serve in an elected position until the age of 25. The logical course would follow that even our own government believes only those old enough to make decisions are intelligent enough to make the right decisions. Hence, the 21 years old Government Mandated Age of Maturity (21GMAM) would apply to the legal age of voting and the right to choose any and all elected officials in every State of the Union.

Another grossly debated point made in this continued under-age drinking argument is the fact we have 18 year olds (and younger) serving in the military. Some of these young people have had the sacred honor of fighting (some sacrificing their very lives) in wars in order to keep us and the rest of the free world safe, a grievous burden that should not be placed on the shoulders of these teenagers. And these same young adults who dedicate their lives to the protection of American freedom cannot even partake in a pint of beer after blasting the brains out of our enemy. This problem can be completely eliminated by the 21GMAM which would not allow anyone under the age of 21 to serve in any of the armed forces. That law would work twofold by eliminating the entire old enough to carry a gun but not old enough to drink argument and as well as guaranteeing that only our adults are getting killed serving in our military. Our children would not have to be sacrificed for our freedom. It also may increase the number finishing high school and maybe, continuing to higher education which in turn would make for a more productive and educated adult society decreasing the need for such things as government supported services aimed at those persons under the age of 21.

And to continue on the decreasing need theme, the driving age should be changed to 21 as well. Insurance premiums for teenage boys 18 to 21 are higher than those of adults (though it usually decreases for both sexes at 25). Why not save money and expense across the board and not allow anyone under 21 behind the wheel? This would limit insurance companies’ abilities to set premiums due to age and sex as 21GMAM would verify adulthood and responsibility for both males and females. This law would also rectify a plethora of other issues to include (but not limited to) fewer vehicles (all those driven and/or owned by teens) on the highways, teens talking on cell phones while driving, teens laughing and chatting with other teens in the vehicle while driving, teens searching for the songs on iPods and radios while driving, teens texting teens while driving, and teen drivers racing vehicles against other teen drivers. Circumstances such as these are factors resulting in the following statistics; “motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-20 year olds” and “77% of teen crashes involved avoidable driver errors” (as posted on the Arizona Driving School website). These types of fatalities can be completely eliminated under the 21GMAM Law. And finally, this law would prevent teens from using their vehicles to partake in sexual activities.

This works as a great segue into another issue that is rampant in society today and could be eliminated with the 21GMAM; underage sex and its financial and social ramifications. These would be decreased if only individuals of legal adult age could partake in the pleasures of the flesh. It should become law that no one under the age of 21 be allowed carnal knowledge of another without the threat of physical incarceration of the teen and monetary fines to be paid by a teen’s parent(s). Any child conceived from such an illegal means should be put into homes sponsored and paid for by Pro-Life and/or religious organizations. This would lower teen pregnancies, would slow the advancement of STDs among the younger generation, and therefore have a positive effect on the population, sexual health and moral problems plaguing society today.

I realize that the 21GMAM would mean that we would need special facilities to house these types of criminals; after all, one does not want to put an underage drinker or sexually promiscuous teen in the same facility as a hardened, violent criminal. But I feel they could be put into the public housing being utilized by those welfare adults and their families who refuse to find employment that are burdening our society. The orphanages, now sponsored by pro-Life non-profit organizations, can reopen to house the children born to those giving birth under the age of 21, which in turn would provide jobs and housing for the unemployed who used to live on food stamps and welfare in the government housing now being utilized by criminals. The children in these facilities can be raised to take low-income employment (construction, manufacturing or leisure hospitality jobs) which would eliminate the illegal immigration problem that is rampant in our country. It is true that the automobile industry as well as the oil industry would suffer as the number of vehicles on the road would decrease drastically, but the result would be lower toxic emissions in the atmosphere and a greener America which would put a smile on the faces of the left-wing liberals who would probably find issues with the 21GMAM law. And finally, our children would not be dying on foreign soil in a war begun by a leadership voted into office by legal, mature, responsible, twenty-one year old adults.