Opus the first

Read the Book, Don't Wait for the . . .

2011-02-17T17:44:00.001-08:00

So Borders entered Chapter 11. I don't mean of one of their tomes, either. Three local stores will be closing. I did get a very nice email from the CEO telling me that just because they can't make it in this economy doesn't mean they won't still be selling books. You can visit here for more information. They blame the economy and the electronic reading devices for the failure of the brick-and-mortar stores. People just aren't reading the way they used to. Sure, they read, just not paper. There are some old-fashioned holdouts like me who like paper copies. It's partly because I like the tactile experience, but more because I'm cheap. Sure some e-books are free or not expensive to download, but I don't want to pay for the reader. Not when I can buy library discards at 5 for $1.50 like I did a couple days ago.
I was also pondering: I had a conversation with someone recently about children who are more likely to read. If a family has many books, a child is more likely to read, even above children who are taken to the library. The logical conclusion is that books must be important if one is going to keep them around. Even more important if you bring copious amounts home only to take them back within a couple of weeks. So what does this mean for a person whose library is inches thick? I could download all 3,000+ books, without taking an inch of shelf space; I've paid for them, but is my child going to see that? Hmm. . . Just pondering.

Your Wife's a Phenomenal Asset

2010-08-06T06:38:00.001-07:00

Why do I suddenly have the lyrics for "Rainbow Tour" from Evita running through my head? And why would you go overseas for your husband's birthday--without him? Maybe I just don't understand politics.

What's the Deal?

2010-07-16T06:21:00.001-07:00

Deals just aren't what they used to be. Remember the days when a restaurant coupon was "Buy one dinner (and maybe 2 drinks) and get one free"? Like, say, last year? Now it's buy one, get one for $4.99, $5.99; something that isn't much of a deal at all. I'm not an economist, but I'm guessing that the driving factor behind these poor deals is the economy. They need to make money, too, and giving away free meals isn't going to do it. On the other hand, in such an economy, a person is less likely to take up the offer. Five bucks when it used to be free? No, thanks.
Now comes the worst deal I've stumbled across yet: Hometown Buffet charging for drinks. Sure, again they've got to make money, and this is a way to not raise the buffet price but still make money. Honestly, though, adding an Icee machine and a cappucinno machine to a formerly free beverage bar doesn't seem to justify the $1.79 (plus tax). Now you can blame me, we went there, we paid for the buffet and the beverage bar. On the other hand, I had a coupon the terms of which, incidentally, stipulated that one had to purchase the beverage bar to recieve the advertised price. What a deal.

A Refugee, Slain

2010-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Coming from a war-torn country to America. You'd expect this story to have a happy, prosperous ending in the land of the American Dream. This story broke my heart. A family flees a war-torn country only to have a 15-year-old son gunned down in a drive-by shooting.
Parts of the story stuck out in my mind. "Many of them don't have dads, but [the refugee students] write about them as if they were still alive." Here are families who had dads, but they're dead, not dead-beat. Widows and orphans.
"All sought the roomy and cheap accomodations of the apartment complex. . .in a neighborhood that did not always welcome outsiders and is known for its violence." The refugees have struggles finding housing for their large families without credit or work history, so they take what they can get.
"Those close to [the victim] described him as the self-designated man of the house and an honor roll student sho talked of college and eventually going back to Eritrea to improve his home country." Here is the kind of person who wants to work to make the world better.
Why did it take a whole month for this incident to get front page press? You can put on your "Visualize World Peace" and "Coexist" bumper stickers, but until we face the realities of strife, we cannot solve it. This incident happened not "somewhere over there" but within my own metro area. Sure, it's easy enough for me to sit in my little suburban home and blog about it. Let it be known that my indignance is enough for me to sit here and blog about it. What will it motivate you to do? One person's motivation can be another's and another's and another's. I hope it will motivate someone to welcome a refugee instead of shooting them. Forget that which divides us and let's start living as people in a civilized country where we are above gunning down teenagers who fled warfare in an uncivilized country. I'd put that on my bumper sticker, but it won't fit.

Spare and Spoil?

2010-04-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

To spank or not? A new article affirms not. Spanking, it asserts, is ineffective. My generation (Gen X) was one that was hit-or-miss with spanking. My parent's generation, that was another story. Yet, my parents' generation was more respectful (on the whole) to their parents than mine. Was it because we weren't spanked? Not really. It was because our parents had that "question authority" period known as the '60s to change their minds. Is it any wonder their kids began to question their authority? "Who are you to tell me what to do?" The reaction was not, "because I'm the parent" but rather, "I guess I can't make them do what they don't want to, that's not fair/nice/reasonable." Over the years we've paid for it--just look at school discipline--when I was doing teaching practicum in college, a student at one of the practicum schools threw a desk (no kidding)! Would a spanking have helped? He probably would have called the authorities and accused the spanker of abuse. Resentful kids know all the tricks.
Here's a thought, though: If you aren't going to spank, DO SOMETHING. (Pardon the all caps, but there is still discipline between spanking and nothing.) Kids will not behave on their own. They need guidance. Not lectures, not empty threats, not letting it go until it gets to a point where it can't be ignored. Here's my shameless plug: try Love and Logic. My parents didn't know about it, but they followed many of the principals without knowing it. Sure, they spanked too, but they knew a spanking was not a cure-all for every misbehavior. Let me tell you about the pile of rocks we picked up because we were misbehaving--on second thought, maybe I shouldn't admit so much.

Vocation

2010-02-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

I am not desirous of disparaging our brave military personnel. They put their lives on the line every day to protect freedom.
I will, however, bring up the question of women in the military. I think of the line from The Pirate Movie where the father says, "With women leading our armies, we'll never have another decent war again." I'm not saying women don't have the ability; however, is it something they should be doing? Take this case: why should women have to choose between family and military? I don't think we should point the finger at the military, however. One who enlists basically knows what they're getting in to, and families will have to be left behind. There seems to be a growing trend of single moms enlisting because of the economic benefits; yet, what about the children left with others while mom goes into potentially deadly situations. Sure, dads do that too, but usually there is a surviving parent. Not so with single moms (ok, sure the dad may be around somewhere, but obviously not involved with the child's life).
Those who push for women to be equal to men (not equality but EQUAL) would reject this antiquated notion, but just because "we girls can do anything" doesn't mean we should. Maybe that's just another sign that my thinking hasn't evolved.

My Pick for Oscar

2010-02-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

I want Up in the Air to win. Mostly because it was filmed locally and has a story line apropos to the times. I have a feeling that Avatar will win because it has all the special effects and the story line leans more to the direction in which those voting for the awards prefer.

I can't truly say which movie has more cinema qualities like acting and story line and the like, as I have not actually gone to a movie in a theater since 500 Days of Summer, which was the first I'd seen since I don't remember when. Hence, I can only base my opinion on the reviews I have heard and read. Maybe that's a poor reason to pick a movie for an Oscar, but it seems that some of the best movies always just miss winning the Oscar. Perhaps Mr. Clooney can remember that when the largest grossing movie of all time takes the little statuette.

It's Called The Job, Sir

2010-01-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

With all due respect, Mr. President, you might want to get used to the fact (or inform your media buddies) that you are not a private citizen for the remainder of your term. You can't always expect a restful Chrismas vacation. I know everyone hates comparing your administration to the the previous one, but do remember that even he couldn't go read stories to little Floridians without being interrupted with news about plane crashes. It's how the job goes.
I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt: it is not you complaining of no R & R on vacay, but your media buddies. Maybe they're the ones complaining that THEY couldn't get rest over the holidays because of some nut job trying to blow up a plane. Sorry guys, news happens when it happens. I know, maybe we can encourage the terrorists and idiots around the world who want to kill Americans to do it on a more convenient time frame, and not over the holidays. Maybe talk to Fox News and see if they can get that word out, as they're not really doing any real news coverage; therefore, they have time to work on that.
Now if you'll excuse me, the baby is crying, the washer is out-of-balance, and the phone is ringing, so I can't have a restful blog-typing session. Maybe next time.

Rememberies

2009-11-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

November 10, 1483: Martin Luther's birthday.

November 10, 1975: The Edmund Fitzgerald sank.
These two incidents are completely unrelated, and I remember neither of them; however, it is good to reflect on their historicity.

Another anniversary is the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. I do remember this event fairly well, as well as its historical impact on the world. I met a German once who had photographs of the Wall coming down, as he lived in Berlin in 1989. The pictures were exactly like the magazine pictures, postcards, and news footage we saw in America. I pondered what it would be like to be at such an historical event.

There are pieces of the Berlin Wall everywhere these days. In the years after 1989, pieces were packaged and sold on the streets of Berlin. I purchased one when I was over there. Larger sections of the wall were sent around the world. A major section can be seen at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. Then there are these sections in Las Vegas. It is a tale of irony and sarcasm. The formidable wall which once meant death to those who attempted to cross it and symbolized the divide between communism and capitalism is now reduced to this.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. . .

Cover, Wash, Repeat

2009-09-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Our school has been getting emails about H1N1 and how to prevent the spread thereof. Part of prevention is covering one's sneezes. Crook of the arm, people--not the hand! Does there need to be a demonstration?

Part of prevention is handwashing. Okay, fine; I have a request: Make handwashing better for the public when it comes to public restrooms.
First, if proper handwashing is lather for 15-20 seconds, replace silly push-top or twist-and hold on faucets. A proper handwasher just gets soap all over the handle. Then if they don't stay on, the germs one has just lathered off gets right back on when the faucet has to be turned back on. In a similar vein, have spigots that are not all hot or all cold. Have a lukewarm setting. After 20 seconds of lathering, the hot often gets too hot, and then one has to germify the hands again to turn on the cold to keep from getting scalded.
Second, please replace the air dryers with paper towels. Proper handwashing indicates turning off the faucet with paper towels. It's difficult to do that when there are no paper towels. I don't care how many trees or landfills are saved. Try replacing the styrofoam containers instead of taking paper towels away.
Third, please make the door push on exiting the bathroom, not a handle to pull. It defeats the purpose of handwashing. Either that or put a trash can near the door so that a proper handwasher can pull the handle with a paper towel and then have a place to properly dispose of it without having to throw it on the floor or do some yoga-like stretching exercises to hold the door with one foot and reach the trash can.
Remember: Only you can prevent the flu. We need to eradicate H1N1 lest healthcare reform impact flu coverage.

The Illusion Shattered

2009-08-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've come to the conclusion that Facebook can be--not a bad thing, not a negative thing--I guess it's a disillusioning tool. It is disillusioning in the sense that there are people from my youth who have become more or less characters; a person to be mentioned in a story the way Dave Barry might mention a kid on the block from his past. Characters don't grow up and have Facebook pages. They stay static. So when one comes across one of these characters and discover they have become an adult just like the rest of us and have an actual life, it's like finding out that Superman has become a flabby, middle-aged journalist and doesn't feel like running around saving the world when his allergies are flared up. I guess it happens to the best of us.

I'm Fine, Thanks

2009-07-29T17:43:00.001-07:00

I've discovered that telling someone I'm pregnant is rather like when I was in college and told someone I was from California.

Telling someone you're from California always elicits a response such as these: "Oh, my (cousin/brother/niece/sister-in-law's best friend's boyfriend) lives in California in (random town one has never heard of);" or "I visited California on vacation--I hated/loved it;" or "I was stationed there when I was in the military." No matter what, there is ALWAYS a response; but tell someone you're from a random midwestern state and they'll say, "Oh."

Being pregnant elicits a gamut of responses ranging from "when I was pregnant" to some horror story that could curl hair. Nowadays I mostly get more free advice than I can ever process. I am constantly answering the questions, "How are you feeling?" and "Do you know what you're having?" Here are my answers--mark them down--"Fine," and "A baby." Okay, the last answer is a little glib, but we are waiting until birth to find out if it's a boy or girl. Old-fashioned, sure, but hey, if it was good enough for our parents. . .

Maybe I shouldn't be so testy; after all, all this attention cancels out the problem I seem to be having lately: invisibility--but that's another post for another day.

I Thought I Smelt Something Odd

2009-05-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
So what is going on in that region called California? The water has been shut off to save the fish at the expense of the people.
There is no question that the Central Valley of California is the agricultural nerve center it is only because irrigation has turned what is technically classified as a desert into farmland. Without water there are no crops, jobs, or food for much of the country.
Environmentalists have been at odds with California issues for decades. The legend says that John Muir died of a broken heart because of the dam built on the Hetch Hetchee which flooded one of his favorite valleys in Yosemite. It may be fact, it may be legend--I don't know. Then there was the spotted owl crisis. I distinctly remember the prevention of the development of a piece of property due to a kit fox living there. Now the water will not flow because of an endangered fish.
I do not encourage deliberate harm to the environment. I don't think that the draining of Tulare Lake was the best idea. I think it is important to save endagered species like the condor. It is right to save the environment at the expense of the people? Yes, yes, I hear you--what good is saving the people if they have no place to live? Let me pose the opposite--what good is saving the place to live if there are not people to live there?
There are tens of thousands of people out of work and food prices are bound to climb. In this economy the government which is pumping billions of dollars into the country to help pull its people out of a recession/depression is the same government which has deepened the economic crisis in the Central Valley by turning off the water.
Ebenezer Scrooge told those seeking philanthropy ". . .if [the poor] are to die, then let them die." Later the ghost of Christmas present says tells Scrooge that before he makes statements such as these, he might want to know who the poor are before he makes a blanket statement. Maybe those who fought to shut off the water should also consider the people who are being deprived of their livelyhood--or make other plans to pump water to vital crops.
Perhaps people just aren't important to some people, and that's the problem more than 3-inch fish getting caught in pumps.

Just Joking!

2009-04-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: All in Fun. . .
Do NoT tRy To AdJuSt YoUr CoMpUtEr. It Is ApRiL fIrSt. . .
You may not be able to adjust it anyway, as it may have crashed--thanks to the Conficker worm.
I'm not really a party pooper--I like a good joke; however, I guess I've never understood the point of April Fool's Day. I once read that historically it goes back to the old calendar and the new year began on April 1, not January 1. People who continued to celebrate April 1 as the new year were called "April Fools." I don't know if that's the truth; it's certainly plausible. I am just too lazy to look it up.
Still, what's the point of pranks? A good prank now and then is sure to get a laugh; in fact, I'd love to "get them good" for once. Who? Anyone, I just can never pull it off with a straight face.
Still, the April Fool's Day pranks seem futile. It starts with the elementary school children: "You have a spider on your shoulder." Yeah, yeah, that one gets old after about 5 minutes.
They tend to become a little more elaborate in junior high and high school, but with more elaborate comes the tendency to be more mean-spirited as well.
Aside from newspaper comics and some TV shows, do many adults pull April Fool's Day pranks (aside from the afore-mentioned malicious Conficker worm)?
Fortunately, it lasts only a day.

Book Confessions Meme

2009-03-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

I saw this on a couple of different blogs, but since McCain (Paul, not John) said that if I read it I was tagged, I guess I must. To quote him: "Bibliophiles unite! Enjoy."
Book Lovers True Confessions MEME
Book Confessions Meme
1. To mark your page you: use a bookmark, bend the page corner, leave the book open face down? If the book requires much thought, I will use a bookmark. If the book is a novel, especially one I have previously read, I generally remember my spot; ergo, I will not mark it with anything. I will place it open face down if I will be back briefly. Never do I bend the corner. The book corners tend to rip off that way, and I loathe that.
2. Do you lend your books?Sometimes. I may have to bug the person to get them back.
3. You find an interesting passage: you write in your book or NO WRITING IN BOOKS!I If the book is mine, I may or may not write in it. I frequently wrote in my college textbooks.
4. Dust jackets - leave it on or take it off? Generally I leave them on. If I want to take the book with me and the dust jacket may get messed up, I will take it off and replace it later.
5. Hard cover, paperback, skip it and get the audio book? I prefer hard cover, but I'm too cheap to always buy hard cover.
6. Do you shelve your books by subject, author, or size and color of the book spines? Yeah, right. My books are loosely shelved by subject. I may shelve them by author if I can. Often they go where they fit.
7. Buy it or borrow it from the library later? Usually buy, but recently someone reminded me that the library is cheaper. I could always buy it later. . .
8. Do you put your name on your books - scribble your name in the cover, fancy bookplate, or stamp? I sometimes write my name in the cover. I'd like to label them eventually.
9. Most of the books you own are rare and out of print books or recent publications? I don't have much rare. Some are out of print, most are either recent publications or reprints of older books. Some are ones I picked up cheap or free.
10. Page edges - deckled or straight? Deckled seems pretty cool, but aren't those a little more expensive?
11. How many books do you read at one time? Often two at a time, but sometimes as high as three.
12. Be honest, ever tear a page from a book? Never on purpose.

Something-versaries

2009-03-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

Rating:MS

What does one call the anniversary of something negative? There is no joy in remembering the anniversary of tragedy. Somber events should be remembered in soberness and meaning. To call it an anniversary seems somewhat incongruous. To call it an un-niversary seems rather trite. What then should one call it? It seems it should have its own nomenclature.

You Never Know

2009-02-24T18:38:00.001-08:00

I was thinking the other day (shocking, I know) about people of whom I esteem. Then I thought about the average person crossing paths with these people, and I wonder, do they know them? Then I thought about the people with whom I might cross paths and wonder--are these people who are highly esteemed? For example: Could the person I'm honking at because they are not going quickly enough be a college professor? Could the person standing behind me in line at the big box store be a well-respected artist in her field? Might the person sitting near me in a restaurant be a retired Boeing engineer who developed some supersonic something-or-other that I may never understand? It's interesting to ponder. . .

Did I Say Too Much?

2009-02-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

I found the following poem scrawled on a piece of paper. I forgot I had written it.

The Full Stop

Period.
End mark.
Just a spot
Which tells us
We should just
Stop.

Pondering the News

2009-02-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

Rating: NSS
Today would have been the day--too bad Congress did something about it. The DTV countdown would have expired, had it not been prolonged. Perish the thought someone might miss an episode of their favorite reality show. Ah yes, the government is requiring the switch and does not want anyone to not have access to important information. All well, fine, and good, yet we all know that the news is not top television viewing priority for many.
In other news, GM and Chrysler are cutting around 50,000 jobs. What can one say? I suppose I could make a glib comment about the triumph of capitalism, or I could make sarcastic remarks about bailouts. I could, but when it comes to 50,000 jobs, something gets lost under a sardonic tone.
A school district in the metro St. Louis area has "seclusion rooms," according to the local evening news. Part of me says, "Gasp!" Part of me says, "What were they thinking?" The teacher part of me says, "I'll believe 50% of what comes to school if you, the parent, believes 50% of what comes home." Don't get me wrong: Putting children in a padded room is not an acceptable form of discipline. Still it leaves me to wonder: what recourse does a teacher have these days to discipline a disruptive child? Teachers are caught between "you can't make me" and parents who defend their children to a fault. Love and Logic calls them helicopter parents--ones who swoop in and save their children whenever times get tough. Forget your homework? I'll fax it to you. Tardy again? I'll make your excuses for you and tell your school how they should understand how it is difficult to get to school on time. Get in trouble? It must be because your teacher is mean. Sorry if I sound exceedingly cynical, but the 50/50 rule (see above) is exceedingly applicable.
I suppose it could be worse: A train station in England has posted "No Kissing Signs"to avoid traffic congestion. No smooching your sweetie goodbye. . .

Happy Balemtime's Day.

2009-02-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Rating: MS
It’s strange—I’ve been told I’m a romantic, yet I dislike Valentine’s Day. I mean that over-commercialized, wear red, created-to-sell-cards holiday which falls just before the ides of February. Maybe my bad attitude stems from elementary school when all my classmates gave out paper valentines AND boxes of conversation hearts or the cool Lifesaver suckers while all I gave out was paper valentines because we couldn’t afford more. Perhaps my negativity comes from junior high when we were no longer compelled to give out valentines equitably. We still gave to all, but some people got “better” valentines. Possibly my dislike of Valentine’s Day comes out of my high school experience of “Val-o-grams” where, for a minimal cost one could buy a carnation tied to a pre-printed card and it was delivered to a recipient in the school. It was quite obvious who had friends and who did not. The teachers hated them because they were a disruption; I disliked them due to my lack of receiving them. (Sore Loser Alert!) I suppose it’s silly to dislike a harmless day due to what happened when I was younger. Maybe it is because I am a romantic and yet never had a romantic Valentine’s Day. All I can say is this year, at least we get a Friday the 13th first!

Those Were The Days

2009-01-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

Rating: NSS
I’m not close to retirement age yet, but I still find myself bugging my students with “back-in-the-day” reminisces. Of course, they remind me of my age sometime. Just try singing “California Girls” to a bunch of 5th and 6th graders. A plethora of blank looks (and not because of my singing, mind you).
The other day Radio Heartland’s blog “Trial Balloon” had a post on TV and its humble beginnings. I don’t remember when television was new, but I vaguely remember getting a color set. I remember having 5 channels from which to choose—ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and one independent. Most of the time the independent station and ABC came in clearest. The other three, not so much.
This got me reminiscing some more about the time I was in elementary school. Lutheran Schools have and have not changed a whole lot over the past 20(!) years. The school I went to is now down to about 5% of the student population it was in my day. Still, the education was good, and my teachers taught me much more about the Lutheran faith than I realized they were.
Technology has changed, but the struggle for Lutheran schools to keep up hasn’t changed. Our school had purchased two computers—Apple 2Es—and put them on carts so that they could be rolled around to classrooms. We could use them during free time. Our favorite game was “Oregon Trail.” The point of the game was to get from Independence, MO, to Oregon without dying or starving. There were no graphics; a player actually had to read the screen to figure out their progress. To hunt, one had to type the word given. It’s amazing how quickly I learned to type “blam.” Ah, the good old days.I’m not close to retirement age yet, but I still find myself bugging my students with “back-in-the-day” reminisces. Of course, they remind me of my age sometime. Just try singing “California Girls” to a bunch of 5th and 6th graders. A plethora of blank looks (and not because of my singing, mind you).
The other day Radio Heartland’s blog “Trial Balloon” had a post on TV and its humble beginnings. I don’t remember when television was new, but I vaguely remember getting a color set. I remember having 5 channels from which to choose—ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and one independent. Most of the time the independent station and ABC came in clearest. The other three, not so much.
This got me reminiscing some more about the time I was in elementary school. Lutheran Schools have and have not changed a whole lot over the past 20(!) years. The school I went to is now down to about 5% of the student population it was in my day. Still, the education was good, and my teachers taught me much more about the Lutheran faith than I realized they were.
Technology has changed, but the struggle for Lutheran schools to keep up hasn’t changed. Our school had purchased two computers—Apple 2Es—and put them on carts so that they could be rolled around to classrooms. We could use them during free time. Our favorite game was “Oregon Trail.” The point of the game was to get from Independence, MO, to Oregon without dying or starving. There were no graphics; a player actually had to read the screen to figure out their progress. To hunt, one had to type the word given. It’s amazing how quickly I learned to type “blam.” Ah, the good old days.

Important Notice

2009-01-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

Rating: CNS

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog to inform you that one of the ads on my email today was for a french fry Spam casserole. Out of curiousity, I looked at the recipe, which included the following ingredients: frozen french fries, cream of chicken soup, cubed Spam, and crushed corn flakes. Don't get me wrong, I like all of those ingredients, but I can't picture them concerrently as a casserole. Sounds like an excerpt from the Jeff Foxworthy cookbook. . .

How Did It Get To This?

2009-01-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

Rating: MS
So I've been trying to lose weight. I've done pretty well, so far, but I've found that now that I'm down to where people notice and I feel rather impressed with myself, the motivation starts to slip. I've blamed it on the holidays (see previous post); I've blamed it on the weather. Who wants to get up and exercise that early in the morning when the choice is a cold house or a warm bed? It's a classic battle of will power. Which will win? Laziness or Fitness? I'm rooting for fitness, mostly because I like the way I look and I gave away all the other clothes!

Christmas Dinner

2008-12-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

I think I gave up the diet for Christmas--at least this, I believe, is the reason I put pencil in hand and composed this little poem to the tune of Jingle Bells.

Turkey, turkey, ham,
Green bean casserole
Pickles, olives, yams,
Butter on my roll,
Gravy on my mashed
Potatoes, if you please,
Darling, pass the cranberries,
And the bowl of peas.

Gingerbread, gingerbread,
Peanut butter kiss
Raisins in persimmon bars
These cookies never miss

Now some mincemeat pie,
And the apple too.
Pumpkin with fresh cream
Whipped up with love by you
I am really stuffed
I won’t eat for a month!
That was Christmas breakfast—
I wonder what’s for lunch. . .

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Radio Unexpected

2008-12-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

Rating: NSS
More than once I have found myself staying in the car in the driveway to hear the end of the song on the radio. I have even stayed in the car listening to a song I own on a CD--to this I could listen anytime. Yet, there is still something pleasingly unexpected about hearing a favorite song on the radio. Radio will not lose its appeal for me for this very reason--never knowing what one may hear next. CDs are a little too predictable.

Random Stuff (sorry, Mrs. Mills)

2008-11-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

Rating: NSS
If you run out of ideas of things to look up on the internet, here are a few (with editorial comments).

First stop, this quote of Albert Einstein from Quotations Page: “If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.”

Apparently I need more Z in my life! (That's Z, not zzzzs.) Ergo, I have TWO blogs. . .

It was theme song day on 106.5 the Arch yesterday. At 5:32 pm they played “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, which is the theme song to Issues, Etc; at 6:37 they played “Who Are You” by the Who, which is the theme song to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Check it out for yourself. Just type in 11/20/2008 and 5:32pm.

I bemoaned the fact that The Morning Show on MPR was ending in December. Apparently they’re planning on keeping the format as a webcast and on an HD station. Whew. The good news is, it’s not going away; the bad news is, it will be a 24-7 format. Sorry, people in my office!

If you’re truly bored, you can read the news story and watch the newscast segment about the first female “Catholic” priestess to give birth. Apparently she is part of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, which is not recognized by the pope. The priestess’ husband is a pastor at a United Church of Christ congregation, which makes their son truly ecumenical.

The Last of the Season?

2008-11-16T14:42:00.001-08:00

Rating: NSS
I took probably the last bike ride of the season around Forest Park today. It was a bit chilly, but an otherwise lovely ride. I did see a few unusual things on my trek around this metropolitan park.
I saw a dog with no hind legs. It had its hindquarters in a sling-like contraption with wheels. I almost hit a duck crossing the path. I told it to move, but I guess the duck didn't understand English. I know the ice-skating rink opened for the season recently, but it did seem odd to see ice skaters out on a pleasant afternoon.
A lovely fall day for the waning season.

Whoa! Didn't See THAT Coming!

2008-11-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

Rating:?
I've had two Mondays in a row this week; not good. It continues to grow more bizzare. Maybe it is an indication that should just call it a day and hope tomorrow isn't another Monday.
The straw on my second Monday is that crazy Facebook again. Let's just say that it isn't always so great to catch up with old friends. I know I grew up in a very liberal state. I know that many of the people I knew in high school were very liberal. I know that I am not very liberal, or even just plain liberal. I am perfectly aware that not everyone is like me. [Thank goodness, that'd make life boring.] I still find it difficult to face the fact that my former friends have such polar opposite ideologies. I don't know even how to approach the idea. It's easy to point and say "those people" are "that way". It's much more difficult when "those people" were at one time named "friend". Alas. . .

It's Proven

2008-11-08T13:54:00.001-08:00

Rating: NSS
Scroll down to the bottom and you'll find the outcome of my accent test. I guess I still have my California accent. I still say "cot" and "caught" sound the same. Now how does one measure the Minnezohtan that still slips in from time to time?

Dual Entendre Intended

2008-11-05T03:42:00.000-08:00

Rating: It's a toss up. . .
The result of Tuesday's election? Obamanation.
[Take it in the sense thou wilt. . .]

The Morning Show

2008-10-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
I think I've had a bad run with radio programs lately. At least Issues, Etc. has come back on the air. Now if Garage Logic goes away, I may give up radio entirely. Okay, not so much. I'm just disappointed that, as I alluded to in my previous post, the Morning Show on Minnesota Public Radio is ending on December 11. It doesn't help matters that the hosts continue daily to remind us that the show is ending soon.

I really enjoyed listening to this show when I lived where I could hear it on real radio; now I listen most weekday mornings via internet. I continue to ask myself whatever will I do in the morning without Jim Ed and Dale serving up the eclectic smorgasbord of diverse music?

I have purchased at least two CDs thanks to this show. What other radio program plays Moxie Fruvous? How else can future generations learn to love Throat Culture's song "Easter Island Head?" Where else can on hear showtunes, klezmer, Celtic, Leo Kottke, Nancy Griffith, and ads for Bowzer Beds all woven together in a miscellaneous mix which can inspire or (gasp) remind one that it is Bosses' Day?

So many memories. Near Labor Day I will ever strain to recall the words to the State Fair song. I will always consider a move to Memphis when I see a road sign for Memphis. I will always think of "King of Spain" whenever I see a zamboni. I will ever chuckle when I drive under the sign near the merge of I-44 and I-55 in St. Louis which reads, "Downtown Illinois" and remember Ann Reed's song, "Where the (ahem) [Heck] is Boston?". You can't buy stuff like that.

Dale, Jim Ed, I will miss you terribly.

It's Been an Up/Down Day

2008-10-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

Rating: ?
Today has had its share of smiles and frowns. It's been like riding the kiddie coaster. No real huge highs and lows; just the minor ones.
I had much to ponder during Bible class--smile
I heard that the Morning Show on MPR is ending in December--frown (a big one)
I have an organ fill-in date for Sunday--smile
My students were not so good today--frown
I got paid and on time!-- double smile
It was a rainy, gloomy afternoon--frown
I got to listen to Issues, Etc.--smile
I discovered a crack in my windshield--frown (a big one)
I suppose that all-in-all everything balances out to make it another average day.

The Princess Bride

2008-10-14T19:04:00.001-07:00

Rating: Just-for-fun (yeah, I made up a new rating; it's my blog, I don't care)

I found this Princess Bride meme at the blog Drowning Myself Whenever I Can, and I had to post in like manner. Let me just say at the outset: I LOVE The Princess Bride. It is my favorite movie of all time. In fact, people refuse to watch it with me anymore because I can quote pretty much the whole thing. This is why it was difficult to find one quote, so I picked a whole scene because it has a few memorable quotes including Westley's line "Drop--your--sword." What women doesn't swoon there? So here is my favorite, um, scene.

Prince Humperdinck: First things first, to the death.
Westley: No. To the pain.
Prince Humperdinck: I don't think I'm quite familiar with that phrase.
Westley: I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon.
Prince Humperdinck: That may be the first time in my life a man has dared insult me.
Westley: It won't be the last. To the pain means the first thing you will lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose.
Prince Humperdinck: And then my tongue I suppose, I killed you too quickly the last
time. A mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight.
Westley: I wasn't finished. The next thing you will lose will be your left eye followed by your right.
Prince Humperdinck: And then my ears, I understand let's get on with it.
Westley: WRONG. Your ears you keep and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing?" will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
Prince Humperdinck: I think your bluffing.
Westley: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.
Westley: DROP— YOUR—SWORD. . . Have a seat. Tie him up; make it as tight as you like.
Prince Humperdink: Oww!

At Least it Wasn't Torched

2008-10-13T15:00:00.001-07:00

Rating: NSS

They vandalized our yard sign--again! The first time I slandered the liberals, in my mind, mind you--mostly because I was displeased over finding out a certain someone I knew keeps their blog on Obama's website. Not that people can't be Democrats or liberals, or Obama supporters; don't misunderstand me here. I was mostly displeased because first, I thought this person was someone other than what they were professing to be; second, what they had written was just spouting the media's retoric. Very disappointing to me. So to find my yard signs had been torn down the day after the above unpleasant discovery, my reaction was understandable. Still, I did not call the police. I just picked up the two signs, put back up one as it still had its metal holder intact.

Last night there were reports of yard signs in a nearby suburb getting vandalized and even burned on their metal holders.

Today, my remaining yard sign was torn down again; the metal holder missing this time. I called the police (not 9-1-1, just the non-emergency number). They took down the information, which is all I expected. I didn't figure them waging a large-scale manhunt for yard sign vandals. Just know--stay out of my yard, you leftist-liberal-Obama-lovers! For all you rightist-conservative-McCain-lovers, stay out of their yards too! Elections are stressful enough without resorting to petty vandalism. Keep it on the level, not stooping to pettyness.

Tips on What NOT to Do

2008-10-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
Just a few tips during Debate Season.
#1: If you post a comment on a blog, you might want to know the spirit in which the blog post was written.
#2: If you wish to debate in posting of said comment, avoid using"texting" language while stating your argument. [Scroll down to the anonymous comment.]
#3:While you are debating, please state your argument in logical terms, not emotional terms; and please don't insult your audience.
#4: If you are planning on robbing a bank, don't rob the one closest to where the Vice-Presidential debate is being held; and definitely DON'T have your escape route being TOWARD the Vice-Presidential debate venue. You know the place is swarming with police. You don't stand a chance.
I merely want to help.

Follow Up

2008-10-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Rating: S
I've upgraded the rating, since I was the patsy on this one. I'm following up on a previous post with reiterated advice, which borders on a warning. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT post something of major, life-altering information on MySpace or Facebook before you tell your family. I'm pretty sure my principal did not want to hear from the school secretary (me) or church secretary (unbeknownst to her followed up my faux pas) that his son is now engaged. For crying out loud, tell mom, dad, siblings, etc. FIRST. Then share the happy tidings with the internet.

Check and Recheck. . .

2008-10-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS

I found this ad in the phonebook (the phone book was expired; don't worry), and I found it funny. Then I read it more closely. Um, here's a hint, folks, if you're going to talk about people reacting to "hey stupid," you might want to make sure your grammar is correct. By the way, slower is an adjective. It's modifying respond, which is a verb. Verbs are modifed by adverbs, therefore it should be more slowly.

Ain't got no learning?

2008-09-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
Why is it that everybody wants (expects) an education, but nobody wants to be educated? Schooling is required in America until one is 16, parents push their children when they are babies to get a head start on learning, finanical advisers help families save for college, and high schools report how many in their graduating class go on to higher education.
With all this education, people are still reluctant to look educated. Don't use big words, don't continue learning, don't make serious talk--small talk, please, etc.
I'm slightly provoked, realizing that there is so much out there that I will never learn.

Bicycle Courtesy

2008-09-17T17:46:00.001-07:00

Rating: S
Just a few tips for sharing the trail.
1. If you're on a bicycle/jogging trail and someone wants to pass you, let them pass.
2. Keep it on your side of the trail--that would be the right side here in America.
3. I know you want to walk or ride with your buddy or buddies, but remember that there will be faster people who may pass you, so try not to overlap the middle too much.
4. Don't have your music so loud that you cannot hear people announce that they are passing.
5. Use common sense and courtesy.

Thanks.

Teachers Teaching Teachers

2008-09-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
I was pondering in the shower this morning. (Why is it always in the shower and me without a paper and pencil?) I was thinking how one of my former students is in graduate school and might have a teacher of one of his teachers. Then I thought how I could think of at least one other student of mine who has the possibility of having one of my former teachers as his teacher.
How strange is that? The student I had now having a teacher I once had. . .hm. . .
It is interesting to think that the same people who taught me may now be teaching the students I taught. Usually one doesn't think of it running that way; rather, they think of the students teaching others who teach others and so on.
I wonder what those teachers think of my students. I hope to be a credit to my teachers, and I hope they don't think, "Who taught you this stuff?"; or worse, having them think, "Didn't anybody teach you this?"
Conversely, I hope I can do my teachers the honor of having our mutual student say, "Oh yeah, that sounds like what Mrs. Laun taught me."

We'll Miss You, Thomas

2008-09-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS [and a warning that some of the links may be a touch questionable for the faint of heart]

I found out just today that our friend Joe Kudla passed away on August 11, 2008. He was better known as Thomas Snot, the second half of Puke and Snot. These two hilarious, yet off-color (if you can't figure that out from their name), chaps entertained crowds at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. I understand he is being replaced with another actor, but he can never be replaced in our, well, um, nose? At least I have the CD.

My Pick for Prez

2008-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

Rating: S

I know that the McCain campaign got an immense boost with his announcement of running mate. I've heard it said that people like her better than they like him. Don't get me wrong: I think Sarah Palin was a good option, but I like John McCain too.

Unless something MAJOR happens, I plan on voting for McCain. I was pretty sure, even during the primaries that I was voting for McCain. Why? Well, It goes back to the event I attended. Presidential election years always get one thinking about presidents. I attended this event at which John McCain spoke. I knew at the outset that he did not always toe the party line; he is a bit of a maverick (yes, that word's being tossed about frequently nowadays), but I listened to what he had to say. I don't remember word-for-word exactly all he said, but I did walk away thinking that what he had said was good and that he would make a good president.

Oh, yes, what was this event at which I saw and heard John McCain? The Minnesota State Fair, September 2004--when he was stumping for Bush.

Here are some more pictures of McCain, MN governor Tim Pawlenty, and the mayor of Garage Logic, Joe Soucheray.

A Questionable Vaccine

2008-09-04T18:32:00.001-07:00

Rating: S
I’ve seen the commercials for the vaccine, and I know that some of the local doctors are vaccinating teens now—even some of the students at our school have had the vaccination. I don’t like it.
The vaccine is for HPV, the human papilloma virus. Young girls are encouraged to get it so that they can be protected against cervical cancer. The vaccine actually does not protect against cervical cancer, but against HPV, which is known to cause cancer and is a sexually transmitted disease. (Yes, I know hand/feet warts are a form of HPV, but then again, canker sores are a form of herpes, too—these aren’t considered STDs.)
Now, who wouldn’t want to prevent cervical cancer? Not me. I’m all for finding a cure for cancer and encouraging prevention thereof.
The problem is not cancer prevention. The problem is inoculating against HPV. I’m not one of those people you hear of who are anti-vaccine because they are anti-government or feel that vaccines weaken immune systems or something like that. I think children should be protected from contracting polio, smallpox, and the other debilitating disease for which children receive vaccines. No, my objection to the HPV vaccine is that there is a no-cost way to prevent contracting HPV. Don’t have sex before marriage, marry someone who did not have sex before marriage, and remain in a monogamous relationship.
The commercials show vibrant youth who say, “I want to be one less. . .” one less woman to have cervical cancer; then the commercial encourages people to protect their daughters. Protect them? Absolutely! By giving them a shot and saying, “You won’t get HPV now, so just remember to not get pregnant now as you have sex with anyone you choose. . .”? Absolutely not! If we truly want to protect our daughters and granddaughters, we will encourage them to save their bodies for marriage. Additionally, we will persuade our sons and grandsons to do the same. Love waits, not takes before the right time.

Faulty Logic?

2008-09-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Rating: It's a toss-up between S and CNS
So the anti-war protesters are protesting in St. Paul by burning cars and rioting. Um, excuse me, is it just me, or does something seem WRONG there? We're for peace, let's prove it with violence. Why on earth do these people not see their behavior as being in direct conflict with their actions. You know, the "talk the talk and walk the walk"? If you want peace, start by looking in a mirror. When you can sit down and talk calmly and rationally (with a particular emphasis on rationally), then you can expect the leaders to do the same. Until then, practice behaving yourself and maybe we'll take you seriously.

Musico-Syncracies

2008-08-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
The first time it happened was in college. I was visiting a friend's room and the TV was on but muted; music was playing on the sound system (I don't recall if it was radio, CD, or other). Then it happened--the television show went to commercial and the music playing happened to synchronize. The song and the commercial fit together quite well, and those of us in the room happened to notice. The one commercial ended and the next began, but the music still fit. The commercial was an airline commercial. As the song came to an end, a person in the commercial struck the cymbals dramatically above his/her head. We all laughed at how seamless the picture and music had been.
This incident has happened again more than once. It's been in mostly restaurants where there are televisions on and background music. It hasn't been as dramatic as that day in the dorms, until today.
I was in a restaurant today when a Diet Coke commerical came on. The music fit so unbelievably well that if I hadn't known in advance that it was background music, I would not have known it was not the music for the commerical.
It has me wondering: is this merely a coincidence when it happens, or is it that there is something about pop culture that makes visual/auditory fit together well, or is it that we have been conditioned by the media culture where our mind automatically makes the connection for us? It is just something that makes me go hmmm. . .

Everything on a Stick

2008-08-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS

It's happing now and I'm missing it! The greatest event of the summer, and I am taunted by the realization that even though it continues for the next week. I was taunted yesterday by the radio--or at least the computer broadcast, as The Morning Show broadcasted live from there. I was going to go, but it was blocked by the Republicans--at least their convention.

What is this place, you ask, this event, this not-to-be-missed spectacle of food, fun, people, wonder, and awe? It's the State Fair of all State Fairs, of course. Some say it's not the greatest in the country, some say it's too expensive, too crowded, too--whatever. I say bring it on!

Food on a stick? Sure! Live TV broadcasts? Yeah! Getting to see your favorite radio show live? Of course! Animals, baby animals, midway games, barfelous rides, every 4-H project imaginable, free entertainment, chocolate chip cookies in a bucket, ethnic handicrafts, display upon building of display? Yes siree! What is a better way to spend a summer day than at the fair? Sigh.

Did I mention the butter sculptures?

Guess What--You’re NOT Entitled

2008-08-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Rating: S
Our newspaper has rotating advice columns in the “Everyday” section. Today it had Miss Manners, Dr. Donohue (for some reason that one never rotates), and Annie’s Mailbox. Annie apparently went to her mailbox to publish responses to the question of why men have affairs. Read the article in its entirety—it’s enough to vex anyone. Here are some quotes from married men around the country: “. . .it’s all emotion and hormones.” “The problem is sex. . .I found relief with a woman in my office. The sex is passionate and varied.” “She never made me feel important.” “When a young gal paid me some attention, it boosted my self-esteem like you would not believe.” “I am in the process of finding a woman I can have a physical relationship with.” “Every few months I pay $150 for an hour with someone who takes care of me and doesn’t tell me I’m wrong about everything. That hour lifts my self-esteem so I can continue in the marriage.”
Wow. Bad grammar aside (a preposition is not something to end a sentence with), these guys should have their man licenses revoked. Real men don’t whine about self-esteem. Real men wake up and realize that married life is not all about being young, virile, and sexy. Real men take seriously the vows of “for better and for worse” and “forsaking all others.” You’re not entitled to have a wife that fulfills your every whim. If you don’t like the situation, here’s a novel idea—try talking to her. Get some marriage counseling if you feel you can’t deal with it. Don’t give up on her and walk away. That’s why our society is falling apart. People think everything is supposed to be idyllic and hearts and flowers. They have to persistence when life gets rough. So guys, be men and take care of your women. They need you more than you think.
If marriage shows us how Christ relates to his bride, the Church, thank God Christ doesn’t give up on us when the chips are down, or we would have been condemned long ago.

Clothing Wars

2008-08-16T05:11:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
I read an article in the Lifestyle section of this morning's paper entitled "Grandma, tween debate clothes." It talked about a grandmother who took her 9-year-old granddaughter clothes shopping. The article spoke of the two trying to come to some sort of mutual agreement when it comes to purchasing clothing that is a compromise between the child's style and the grandparent's allowability (if that's a word).
There were a few lines in this article which stuck out--"sexed-up tween fashions" and "Often, the kids have a stronger say in the purchase"--but one sentence really struck me: "Which is not to say that parents should impose draconian standards that strip any individuality or experimentation out of their child's control." Perish forbid.
[Okay, I admit, I had to look up draconian first because all I could think of was the character Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter books--draconian means "excessively harsh" in terms of laws.] Yes, the studies show that parents who are extreme in being too strict or too lax will have problems controlling their children. The children with too many rules will rebel, the ones with not enough rules will never learn better. That's aside from the point.
Any parent reading the line about not stripping individuality will read into that as "don't tell your kid what to do." No. . . Love and Logic talks about shared control. Sure, give your child a chance to pick out what he/she wants to purchase to wear; just remember, you're the mommy or the daddy and you have veto power. You, as a parent, have the right--not to mention the responsibility--to say, "no way."
Maybe the easiest way to solve back-to-school-shopping woes is to encourage your school to invest in uniforms. They're cheaper, cover more than some of the trendy fashions, and contribute to a better learning environment.

Little House the Musical

2008-08-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
It seems as though there is a new musical for the old (and not so old stories) these days. There’s one for the Wicked Witch of the West, one for Mary Poppins, even one for Elle Woods and her trip to Harvard; therefore, it is no surprise that there is a Little House on the Prairie musical.
According to MPR, the show is doing well in Minnesota; again, no big surprise as Laura Ingalls Wilder is revered as a Minnesota author, even though she lived there for fewer than 10 years when she was young and did all her writing in Missouri. It was pretty clever of them to cast Melissa Gilbert as Ma. The musical’s creators plan to take it on tour before taking it to Broadway. If it comes to the Gateway City, I’d like to see it.
I wonder if any of the convention attendees will buy a ticket or two at Labor Day. . .the Guthrie is only on the other side of the river from the Xcel Center, you know.

Don't it Seem That Way?

2008-08-14T12:41:00.001-07:00

Rating: CNS

I think that some people I know would agree and wear the tee around me!

Check it and other interesting stuff at this fun-loving website. Remember: Don't take life too seriously--no one ever gets out alive!

Growing Older

2008-08-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
Dave Barry says that there comes a time when you should stop expecting people to make a big deal over your birthday, and that time is 11. I stopped a long time ago, but I think I'm subconciously still hoping. I guess I've always been a little neurotic about my birthday--I think it's a birth order thing. (That and the fact that my grandparents always left town about the time of my birthday every year when I was younger.)

I turned 30 with much kicking and screaming, figuratively, that is. I don't like getting older, thank you society, so being past 30 is not a treat for me. They say it's better than the alternative, but I don't know. I liked the book The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I just can't imagine it being made into a movie.

I've given up cake anyway; it's not on my diet--that isn't to say that I won't use my free Coldstone coupon, let's not get ridiculous. I just don't expect certain siblings to call, that's all. Oh well--we can't always get what we want; otherwise I would have my Darth Tater by now. . .

Where is that?

2008-08-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS/NSS
I am watching the parade of nations in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I have the globe at hand, looking up the countries as they come in. That must mean I am a visual person. I sometimes have to rely on the little globe on the bottom of the screen, or I listen to the commentators explain where the country is if it is an obscure one. But now I know where Vanuatu is; likewise, I know that Mauritania and Mauritius are not near each other. Who says Americans don't know their geography? Now maybe I'll go to the great state of Chicago--it's capital is Illinois--I know this because the sign on I-44 says "Downdown Illinois."

Whose Space?

2008-08-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
Warning: I'm feeling ornery. You've been duly warned.
I'm not going to comment on the My Space suicide (although I guess I sort of just did). I am a Facebook user myself, and I do not have a My Space account. This is only because I don't want the hassle of keeping track of two such accounts. I keep up with many people through Facebook--former students, high school/college friends, people from church--and I find out much about them. When a former student announces an engagement or pregnancy, I'm happy for them (unless they are too young to get married or unwed and shouldn't be pregnant--but that's another blog for another day).
Then my husband happened to set up a My Space account, primarily because of his job. He happened to stumble across the fact that I'm going to have a new niece or nephew. Here's the thing, I don't mind finding out such news by computer. I don't mind finding out such news about far-away friends by Facebook. I DO mind finding such things out about family by accident. I wonder how long it might have been before they told me if I didn't happen to see the post and search for the answer.
Here's the advice part (you knew it would come): Do the right thing and tell your family yourself. Don't let them happen to stumble across it, and don't forget how to spell assume when you assume they'll find out via family grapevine.

Huh?

2008-08-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
I've heard the commercial twice now. It for a Brides Against Breast Cancer gown sale.
I think this is a nice idea. I just have one question about their commercial--at the end it says, "Help make a memory come true." Huh? A memory is remembering something that happened. How can it come true? It's a pretty-sounding platitude that takes ad jargon and organizes it in a way that makes a sentence.
This is the way advertising works. Who else caught that statement? Maybe we need to pay more attention to ads. Take the Sound Room universal remote commercial. The poor guy with multiple remotes has an utterly messy room. The guy with the universal remote has a tidy room. Hm. How it pulls us in when we're not paying attention. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the Brides' gown sale or don't shop at the Sound Room. I'm saying that we need to think a little more about the sights and sounds aimed at us, getting us to buy.

Customer Care Advocates?

2008-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
I had to place an order today, so I called the 800 number. I reached the usual “. . .thank you for calling our company. . .” message and then, of course, there were the touch-tone options following the welcome message. Option #2 was if I wished to speak to a “customer care advocate”. I waited for more options, and #3 was to place an order, so I pressed 3. Then I got hold music and a recorded voice said, “All advocates are busy; please hold.”
What is a “customer care advocate” anyway? I understand “customer”. It is a person who purchases a product from a business. I understand “care”. It is to take concern or interest in and acting accordingly. I understand “customer care”. It is a business taking concern or interest in a person who purchases a product from a business and said business acting accordingly.
I mostly understand “advocate”. It is either a person who stands for a cause, or a person who acts as a go-between to plead a cause for someone else. I don’t understand “customer care advocate”. Is it a person who stands for taking concern or interest and acting accordingly for a person who purchases a product for a company? Is it a person who goes between the business and the person who purchases a product from a business and the person makes sure the business takes concern and interest and acts accordingly toward that person who purchases a product from the business? Confused yet?
This is when fancy titles become obfuscatory. Trash men became garbage collectors became sanitation workers. Waiters and waitresses became wait staff became servers. Stewardesses became flight attendants.
I expect any employee of the company will take care of me, the customer—this is what is called customer service. Why does any employee need a title of advocate? Maybe they don’t realize that an employee who is engaged in customer service should care for their customers and work to take care of them. This is the problem with customer service today. Companies would rather give out fancy titles to give the impression of doing their business well, instead of actually doing such.

Local Protest is all in Fun

2008-08-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Rating: CNS (because sometimes you just gotta laugh)
So there will be a World Naked Bike Ride in St. Louis this weekend to protest rising oil prices and oil dependency. “Come as bare as you dare,” the organizers say, since there are some indecency laws that may be enforced by police who are willing to come close enough.
If you want to ride, it begins at Tower Grove Park at 9pm on Saturday. If you want to watch, and who wouldn’t?!, bring binoculars. The riders will be the lightish (or multicolored—if they participated in the pre-ride paintapalooza) blobs against a dark night. If you don’t have a bike, you may rollerblade or skateboard.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay is pleased to host this event. He says that while they mean well, their methods “should be looked at more closely”. I wish I could link you to the page from where the Mayor’s quote comes, but I heard it only on the radio news on 106.5 The Arch.
So for all you protesters, bicyclists, and clothing haters, come frolic and have the most fun you can have on wheels! We hope to see you out, especially if we are driving our gas-hogging SUVs, because it’s really hard to see bikes in the dark from up that high. . .
Oh yes, organizers remind all participants to wear helmets--safety first, folks!

Archeological Layers of Self II

2008-07-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
I've upgraded the rating, mostly because I'm not feeling as silly as before. I also inform you that I found some of the poetry for which I was looking. I know you were worried. I was right; I found it when I wasn't looking for it. Now I'm not sure if I'm glad I found it. Glancing through some of the pages I thought, "Man, did I actually write that?" Yep, I had. I also realized I have an irritating habit of writing on whatever paper is available. I found a stack of church bulletin inserts with comments and thoughts written all over them. I have a similar stack elsewhere. Some of these thoughts lead places, others just get set off to the side. Maybe I should try carrying a notebook--or not going anywhere near writing implements!

Archeological Layers of Self

2008-07-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Rating: CNS
What was I doing? Cleaning—or rather it falls under the broad sub-category of cleaning (sorry, honey). Honestly, I was looking for some of my poetry. I can’t seem to find it when I want it—only when I’m totally not looking for it. Instead, I stumbled across random files from the past. I found high school choir notes and lists, a story written by a college boyfriend (with the names changed to give the thin guise of fiction), and some random thank you notes. Some of the items made me smile—pictures from a conference, some of the items made me frown—the B- that I received on the essay about Hugo Distler, and some items led to confusion—why did I even keep this?
All this brought me to two conclusions: 1) I really need to clean my basement. 2) Only illiterate people should clean basements or attics. There is too much stuff to stop and look at and read to ever accomplish the task of cleaning. I suppose even the illiterate are not immune if pictures are involved. Maybe the best thing to do is never clean the basement or attic. Sounds good to me!

Kmart Ads

2008-07-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
While reading the newspaper--okay, while taking the newspaper out of the plastic bag and putting it directly with the recyling--I came across a Kmart back-to-school ad. Normally, I'd merely stick it in the recycling and pay no attention to it. But for some reason I decided to look through it.
On the cover it shows 8 elementary and middle school-age students. At the top it reads, "Hey Mom, How well do you know your kid's style?" It then invites moms to take the back-to-school quiz inside.
Inside the ad, moms are supposed to figure out which style listed is most like their little darling, and then buy everything back-to-school accordingly.
Here are the categories from which to choose. . .
For girls:
Rocker Chic (which looks like what was popular in the '80s)
Miss Powder Puff
The Homebody (pajamas)
Ms. Dynamite
Urban Pop Star (all High School Musical wear)
Retro Diva ('70s wear)
Girl Next Door

For Boys (I don't know why they have only 2 categories):
Chick Magnet
Too Cool for School
So I ask--what is Kmart thinking with these labels? No problem with stereotypes here.
One word: uniforms.

My Tour

2008-07-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

Rating: S
I had the privilege of visiting the John G. Neihardt Center in Bancroft, NE on Monday. If you come up from the south on I-29 and cut over on whatever state highway it is, be wary of the bridge between Iowa and Nebraska. It is highly unpleasant driving and a toll bridge ($0.75) to boot!
I was the first visitor to the center that day--I arrived at 2pm--and the kind lady turned on the lights for me and set up the short video. She was very kind.
I watched the video, looked at the exhibit, briefly examined the research library (room) and toured the grounds which include a garden and Neihardt's old studio where he wrote.
If you have never heard of this author, pick up Black Elk Speaks. It's a good read, but my favorite is Indian Tales and Others.
His theology is slightly off (I'll say no more now), but his craftsmanship is phenominal.

Quick Thought

2008-07-23T05:56:00.001-07:00

Rating: MS
Crossing bridges you didn't know you'd come to is one thing, burning them is something completely different.

You're Joking!

2008-07-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
I must protest! How on earth can Entertainment Weekly create a list of 25 best movie musicals and make two major gaffes? First of all, how can any thinking person place anything related to "South Park" in the top ten, especially when it is placed next to (and higher) than "Meet Me In St. Louis"?
Second of all, how can they completely omit from the list "Hello, Dolly"? What can be greater than Dolly Levi walking down the staircase at the Harmonia Gardens to singing waiters, except when she gets to the bottom and there is a Barbara Streisand/Louis Armstrong duet? Not to mention Michael Crawford as Cornelius Hackl. Please, how can "You killed Kenny!" even compare to that?
Bah.

Chill Out, Dude

2008-07-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
When I was a kid, we would often go to air shows. There was even one at the local airport. The worst part of these events were that they took place in the summer when the temperature topped 100 and, being at an airport, that meant absolutely no shade--unless one hunkered down under the wing of a bomber. Other than melting in the summer sun, I enjoyed the shows. I especially loved the Blue Angels. Once I even got to see an aircraft that was just out of being top-secret. It was flat and weird-looking. It was supposed to be undetectable by radar. Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about. Anyway, I didn't know I was being brainwashed by these displays of military might. I didn't know my father's boss was a horrible militant for having restored an old Sopwith Pup and flown it in the local airshow and demonstrating a dogfight between it and a tank on the ground. Ah, how naive I must have been, not knowing that these were merely a display of "how pervasive militarism is in American society."
According to MPR, there will be a group protesting at the airshow in Duluth, MN, this weekend. They are protesting the military bent of the airshow, saying it is no longer a celebration of aviation, but a show of military might.
The woman quoted said, "It's part of our schools. It's part of our education. It's part of our leisure. It's television. It just seems to be everywhere. We became a military industrial society a long time ago. And when you become that it becomes your identity. And so, many us are questioning, 'is that how we want to be known in the world, as a militaristic society?'"
If she is asserting that it is part of our schools and education, why are the schools also leaning toward teaching that our policy on Iraq is wrong? Sounds like we'd rather confuse our kids.
It seems to me that if people want to truly fix what is wrong in our country and world, they would aim their efforts elsewhere. Protest teaching our children that sex outside of the context of marriage is wrong. Promote peace by not destroying someone's character on My Space. Encourage racial harmony not through tolerance but through recognizing that we are all God's beloved children and that should be the basis, not which holiday one celebrates at Hanaramakwaansmas.
Maybe I sound like an idealist. Maybe I sound like a raving lunatic, but I think that many people who are working for change are actually making the division worse by creating problems where no one would think to look for one. It's one thing to protest (PEACEFULLY) outside an abortion clinic. It's another thing to protest outside an air show. One has the clear and present danger. The other is just a place for families to go and enjoy seeing loud aircraft, and the largest dangers are sunburn and hearing loss.
I guess the peace activists don't remember that is wasn't the pacifists who won them their rights of freedom of speech and assembly.

Sell Me Something

2008-07-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
One billboard and two TV ads have caught my eye. The first is a billboard for the BMW Championship at Bellrive Country Club. The original billboard had a picture of Tiger Woods and said that all the big players will be there. Recently the billboard changed. The wording is still the same, but the picture has changed. Instead of Tiger, there are two pictures of some golfers that golf fans would know, but I do not. This change amused me, as we all know Tiger Woods is out for the remainder of the season.
The two TV ads I found equally as interesting. The first is a car ad which begins by showing an action-type movie scene where the men are shooting at each other with water guns and tossing water balloons instead of real guns and grenades. Then it switches to a car and the announcer says, what if we could replace something dangerous with water? It then goes on to promote the vehicle which emits water instead of greenhouse gasses. It got me to thinking that if a person compared the two concepts, it would look like this: Guns are dangerous, so replace them with water. Greenhouse gasses are dangerous, so replace them with water. Would this not mean that greenhouse gasses are as equally dangerous as guns? Hmm.
The second ad showed a large semi with smooshed aluminum cans spilling out the back end. A worker (he's not a real worker, he just plays one on TV) in a hard hat explains how Budweiser recyles more aluminum cans than they produce through their beer sales. I believe he said for every 4 they produce, they recycle 5. After this comment he holds up a can of Budweiser and says that the lucky ones get to re-live the dream. Clearly implying that every aluminum can's dream is to hold Budweiser's beer. This ad I find amusing in light of the InBev buyout of AB. Let's show how wonderful AB is for 1)recycling more than they manufacture 2)making the greatest beer to put in the lucky recycled can. Maybe we'll feel better now about the sale.

More Incongruities

2008-07-16T06:47:00.001-07:00

Rating: NSS

I don't know why, but odd things amuse me, as indicated by this picture. I'm not too keen on fish for breakfast myself. . .

I know radio stations cannot help what advertisers pay for air time, nor do they specifically pay attention to when the ads air, but hearing why "Issues, Etc." is great immediately followed by why Dolly Parton's Dixieland Stampede is great did amuse me.

Speaking of amusing radio, I was listening to 106.5 the Arch yesterday and the song playing was "Should I stay or should I Go" by the Clash. It was immediately followed up by "I will Survive" Gloria Gaynor. I guess the answer to the Clash's questions is "Go, walk out the door." Sorry, guys.

I guess this is why I also like "The Morning Show" on Minnesota Public Radio. Where else can one hear "Precious Lord, Take my Hand" followed up by "Country Girl" which is like country heavy metal? . . Eclectic? Without a doubt.

Ordination and Other Music Stuff

2008-07-14T11:45:00.001-07:00

Rating: NSS
I often post church-related stuff on BO, not Opus the first, but I think this fits better here, as I am not really pondering any theological content.
I attended an ordination and installation recently at a rural church. It was a service fitting a rural Lutheran church. The men's choir sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" and it was VERY old-school Lutheran.
My husband and I often remark how much the Concordia choirs have a unique sound--listen to any River Forest or Seward recording from any era and compare it to any other era; it all sounds like the same people--but this men's choir made me realize that pretty much any rural Lutheran men's group sounds like the next. I suppose it is due to the barbershop sound. This is not a bad thing, mind you; however, I found it eerie. The song took me back 20 years to the church in which I grew up. I could have sworn (except I don't) that in the balcony was my father singing away with 3-4 other people (whom I will not name here) from church. It was nothing short of astounding.

Happy Fourth

2008-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
It was a fantastic Fourth of July weekend. It was the greatest weather one could hope for. It was in the 70s to 80s with low humidity and tons of sunshine. We spent much of the 4th, 5th, and 6th outside. We wished Grandpa a happy 90th, shared croquet and badminton games, and even (no kidding) told ghost stories around the campfire. We took in the Cherry Festival airshow and was able to see the Blue Angels fly over the bay. We took in a baseball game where I received a tshirt for being a loud fan (amazing, isn’t it? Me, loud?)

Incongruities Part II

2008-07-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
Maybe I was a bit ahead of myself with the oddities. I have a few more to add to the previous. As I was leaving to head up north, I was heading east on the interstate at rush hour. The traffic heading west was backed up for miles due to a traffic accident. Stuck in that traffic jam, I noticed the entourage for John Mayer--two bus/motorhomes and multiple semis. I guess even music stars have to deal with the daily grind.

Incongruities

2008-07-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
I have experienced a smattering of incongruities and other oddities of a sensory nature in the past few days.
It all began when I was mowing the lawn (that's French for "cut the grass," as my father would say)--this blog, not the oddities. The first of recent days was on Sunday. I was visiting some friends and as I sat on their sofa, their dog snoozed on me. Not odd, unless one considers the fact that the dog was stretched between the edge of the sofa and my crossed leg some 2-3 inches off the edge of the sofa. I guess it was one of those "had to have been there" events.
Next came the return of Issues, Etc. Not that it was odd in itself; it was slightly odd to hear it back on the radio after its three-month absence, er, spring break.
Then it was High School Musical at the Muny. The musical itself was pretty good; however, the most odd part was during what, I suppose, was the romantic song I was distracted by a family of raccoons which decided to go for a late-night stroll across the network holding up the lights above the stage.
Another oddity was watching the organ extraction. A group of men were dismantling the organ console in the church's balcony.
Yesterday it was a smouldering trash can at the Metrolink station at the airport. I also experienced a wonderful oddity: Evening P a rare experience; that is, rare if one has never been to a Higher Things conference. It was odd also in the sense that shortly before I left for Evening Prayer, the discussion on Issues, Etc. dealt with the liturgy. It seems as though I can think of at least 800 high schoolers who aren't in favor of contemporary worship, but that's a topic for another blog.
Today it was Madonna's song "Material Girl." Not odd unlesss one is on their way to worship. Makes it seem more shallow than ever. Also as I was traveling to Morning Prayer with the HT conference participants, I saw a man at the bottom of the highway exit ramp. He was holding a sign, so I thought he was a panhandler. Nope. His sign read, "Smile it won't hurt." I smiled and waved.
On the way back to work, I saw two workers on the side of another highway ramp who were trimming back flowers (weeds) with chainsaws. Hm. . . I also saw the military jets flying. Okay, not odd, especially around here; I just like watching the military jets fly.
Finally, the mowing the lawn. I saw a squished spider on my hand! GROSS! I didn't know I had squished it until I looked down and saw spider guts splayed across my palm. Not to mention the fact that my hands are still tingly from the mower's vibrations. Which brings me to the end of my oddities. I bet someone else who drove past while I was mowing the lawn is now writing their blog which says, "I saw the oddest thing today: a fat, strangely dressed woman in a weird hat mowing her lawn."

Don't Blame George

2008-06-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS [for sarcasm]
Now they're (at least the Miami Herald) is trying to blame President Bush for Gloucester--in a round-about manner. The article asserts that the decline of teen sexual activity during the 1990s levelled off between 2001 and 2007, and teen pregnancy rates rose 3% between 2005-2006. This, incidentally coincided with the implementation of the Bush administration's abstinence-only policy for groups receiving federal funding. Yeah, and drowning deaths go up as the rate of ice cream consumption goes up--anyone can make any statistical correlation they see fit.

According to the abstinence-only policy, ". . .any groups or states receiving federal funds for pregnancy prevention not discuss contraception and must teach that sex outside marriage will lead to harmful psychological and physical effects. In other words, they cannot talk about sex or help children who do have sex to protect themselves. They can only tell them to say no." Obviously, it is not acceptable to teach teens to NOT have sex. We know they're going to, so let's help make sure they're safe. I guess we should eliminate all "Say No to Drugs" campaigns on the same reasoning. Let's tell the children that if they want to pop prescription pills, it's okay; and if they want to cook meth let's give them resources to make sure they don't burn down the house and neighborhood. No, it's not any different. Sorry to inform you, but AIDS can kill a person as can drugs--one happens to work on the body more slowly--and the best way to not get AIDS is to have monogamous sex with a spouse who does not have AIDS. Same goes for not contracting other STDs (and no, the HPV vaccination isn't the answer either).

The Herald article has a snappy conclusion which says, "We already know where it started. We already know who the father is." The obvious implication is Bush. Sorry again. The dysfunctional father is none other than Alfred Kinsey, the "inventor" of modern sex education. This man asserted that everyone, even children have the right to sexuality. (See the Lutherans for Life document, "The Failure of Sex Education," for more information, as I cannot quote it because I seem to have misplaced mine.) This includes all manners of sex, including bestiality and pedophilia. His teachings, along with the teachings of the founders of Planned Parenthood, have steered the curriculum of sex education in public schools for the past few decades. Couple this with the second Humanist Manifesto which states: “SIXTH: In the area of sexuality, we believe that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, unduly repress sexual conduct. The right to birth control, abortion, and divorce should be recognized. While we do not approve of exploitative, denigrating forms of sexual expression, neither do we wish to prohibit, by law or social sanction, sexual behavior between consenting adults. The many varieties of sexual exploration should not in themselves be considered "evil." Without countenancing mindless permissiveness or unbridled promiscuity, a civilized society should be a tolerant one. Short of harming others or compelling them to do likewise, individuals should be permitted to express their sexual proclivities and pursue their lifestyles as they desire. We wish to cultivate the development of a responsible attitude toward sexuality, in which humans are not exploited as sexual objects, and in which intimacy, sensitivity, respect, and honesty in interpersonal relations are encouraged. Moral education for children and adults is an important way of developing awareness and sexual maturity." Voila! You have a sure-fire argument for asserting that sexual freedom is a right for all. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble: A mature person knows what is safe and what is dangerous. A mature person makes wise choices. A mature person knows that with freedom comes rules. A 12 year old cannot legally get a driver's license. A 17 year old cannot legally vote. A 19 year old cannot legally drink alcohol. Why? They have to learn to make mature decisions before they can have the privilege. Same with sexuality. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

We need to teach our children that freedom comes with responsibility. I cannot live on my own if I am not responsible enough to make a house or rent payment.

The next time, Miami Herald, you point your finger, remember what your mommy told you: Three are pointing back at you. What have YOU done to prevent STDs and babies born to single, young, immature mothers? I don't think that advertising condoms was it.

The One In Every Restaurant

2008-06-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS

It happens without fail: We end up seated by "the one in every restaurant." Sometimes, we are with "the one", but more often we end up at a table near "the one". What is "the one in every restaurant?" you ask. It is the person who knows everything about every subject and informs the people at their table (loudly) of their opinion on everything from aardvarks to Zzyzx Road (it's a road near the NV/CA border).

Case in point: about 10 years ago we were dining at a restaurant near the St. Louis airport which is now closed (the restaurant, not the airport; but the way airlines are going these days, it may be the airport soon--that's another story) and were seated near "the one." There were only a few tables in the restaurant which were occupied, so we were actually not at the table next to the one. We were a few tables over, but that did not prevent us from hearing the conversation. We were not eavesdropping; we could not help hearing. The woman was going on and on about her whole family and telling her companion who Uncle Al was and "you know, his daughter/niece/stepmother was so-and-so" to which the other lady would nod as though she knew what the other was talking about. We felt sorry for the poor girl who sat through the whole conversation because she looked as though she was a foreign exchange student on her way to/from home and was subjected (as we all were) to this unending, one-sided dialogue.

More recently we were enjoying a lovely evening at a restaurant on the Hill, and were seated near a group which I believed was "the one." We still wonder why they were speaking so loudly, unless one member of their group was hard of hearing and didn't wear a hearing aid. Much our our chagrin, they were not "the one," for the real "the one" was seated on the other side of us shortly afterward. This man was informing the three other people all he knew about many subjects. Loudly and assertively. The one couple at his table were just going along with it. At one point, (again, not eavesdropping--he was speaking loudly enough so that we could hear every word) he spoke of how he and his wife stayed up past midnight to watch NBC's rebroadcast (they must not own a VCR) of Tim Russert's memorial service. He was waxing excitedly about how wonderful this service was, how wonderfully his son spoke, etc., and commented about the amphitheater it took place in. I just wanted to interject, "Um, it was in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, sir."

Someday, in an ideal world, I will go to a restaurant and not be seated next to "the one". Until that day, I hope that I am not "the one!"

The Water is Wide

2008-06-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Rating: S

The flooding is bad, just not here. The "Big Muddy" overfloweth, and has breached some levees. The worst is Iowa and points north of St. Louis. We became gawkers the other night and drove down to the Arch grounds to see Old Man River out of his bed. It's not as bad as '93 here, but it is still a sight to see. Lenor K. Sullivan Avenue is completely flooded, and the water is creeping up the arch steps. The sign which indicates the riverfront is on the other side of the avenue and quite off the river bank on normal days.

We pray for all those people who have lost property and possessions and for those who still stand to lose property and posessions. We thank those who have given of themselves to help.

Small Prank or Big Problem?

2008-06-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Rating:S
There is a story on Fox News about teens who are taking pictures of themselves nude and sending them on their cell phones to other teens. The people they interviewed on Sunday night discussed the ramifications of this action. The first point the people interviewed made was that these teens are the first to have the technology to do this. There is no precedent here. The second point brought up was that these teens could be charged with possession of pornography, specifically child pornography, and if charged and convicted could be classified as a sex offender. This would stay on their record for life; additionally, they would have to register as a sex offender. Pretty long-reaching effects for an act that many would consider a “silly high school prank.”

Why are they doing this? According to Fox News, “Psychologists said the phenomenon reflects typical teenage hormones and lack of judgment, with technology multiplying the potential for mischief. It also may reflect a teenage penchant for exhibitionism, as demonstrated on MySpace and countless other Web sites and blogs.” Good explanation, but I believe it goes beyond that.

Where do these kids get these ideas? Sure children and teens get ideas from many sources—family, friends, TV, internet, school—but why on earth take nude pictures and plaster them on cell phones and internet? It’s because they haven’t been taught that they shouldn’t, and I would venture to say that they have been subtly encouraged to do so.

“Give them an inch, they’ll take a mile,” is the old saying. We’ve given our children and our society too many inches. Read the Humanist Manifesto, Humanist Manifesto II, and Humanist Manifesto III documents; and you’ll see that we’ve slowly, subtly encouraged this negative sort of behavior in our culture over the last 75 years. We say that the old way of doing things is bad and wrong. We encourage them to do whatever. Then when things go out of control we wonder why.

Take for example this “teaching” written in Humanist Manifesto II: “Traditional moral codes and newer irrational cults both fail to meet the pressing needs of today and tomorrow. False "theologies of hope" and messianic ideologies, substituting new dogmas for old, cannot cope with existing world realities. They separate rather than unite peoples.”

I hate to point it out now, but traditional moral codes held people in check for thousands of years. When humans define morality based on a solid foundation it holds a person in check better than when morality is based on a fleeting emotion or opinion. Then morality is boiled down to a sound bite of “if it feels good, do it.” Well, that doesn’t hold out in the long run.

Another “teaching” of the Humanist Manifesto has led us to nude cell phone pictures. It discusses sexuality: “SIXTH: In the area of sexuality, we believe that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, unduly repress sexual conduct. The right to birth control, abortion, and divorce should be recognized. While we do not approve of exploitive, denigrating forms of sexual expression, neither do we wish to prohibit, by law or social sanction, sexual behavior between consenting adults. The many varieties of sexual exploration should not in themselves be considered "evil." Without countenancing mindless permissiveness or unbridled promiscuity, a civilized society should be a tolerant one. Short of harming others or compelling them to do likewise, individuals should be permitted to express their sexual proclivities and pursue their lifestyles as they desire. We wish to cultivate the development of a responsible attitude toward sexuality, in which humans are not exploited as sexual objects, and in which intimacy, sensitivity, respect, and honesty in interpersonal relations are encouraged. Moral education for children and adults is an important way of developing awareness and sexual maturity.”

The teens were just expressing their sexual proclivities and we should be tolerant. Or maybe there was nothing sexual about it and I am merely intolerant. The last sentence makes me ask, what are we basing our moral education on since we have eliminated moral codes?

Every secular humanist will now rail on my shallow, intolerant, backward-thinking mindset. I apologize only for asking people to think. This teaching has been in our public school system far too long under the guise of forward thought. I was in high school over 15 years ago, and it was there then, as I now recognize. Then I was criticized of being closed-minded. Now I realize that people who want to teach others to be closed-minded will always criticize those who think and assert that the thinkers are the closed-minded ones.

I encourage everyone to read these three Humanist Manifesto documents and dare to question.

A Lovely Evening

2008-06-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Rating:MS

It was a lovely day--not too hot, not to humid. It lead to a lovely evening. We attended the second of the carillon concerts at Concordia Seminary. [Every Tuesday in June at 7pm, if you care to join us. Bring your own chair and picnic.] It was a pleasant evening with nice weather, a great concert (although I can honestly say I've never heard Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" played on a carillon), and good food and wine. Very relaxing and a great way to spend a June evening. By the way, the picture is one taken from this evening from my husband's camera phone.

Images

2008-06-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
I am reminded every so often of the conversation I once had with a friend who attended St. Olaf. I pointed out how I enjoyed the smell of the Malt-O-Meal plant, and how privileged the college students were to be able to smell it often. My friend remarked that it was a nice, comforting smell on chilly winter days, but on warm humid days it was not so nice.

So the wind was blowing up from the Chinese Restaurant today, which is what reminded me of my friend’s comment. It is, according to the Weather Channel, 89 degrees with 51% humidity (making it feel like 93 degrees) and winds SSW at 19mph, gusting up to 33 mph. With the humidity and heat, the smell of the restaurant was not exactly pleasant, nor would one immediately think of moo goo gai pan or some other delectable dish upon smelling it. The smell made me think of back when I lived in the Valley (not that valley, the other valley) and the local stop-and-rob—that’s a 7-11 type quickie-mart for those who need a definition—would often smell of fried fat; usually some sort of greasy animal parts not fit for human consumption. The odor caused my mind to think of fried chicken, mojo potatoes a.k.a. potato wedges, and all sorts of other artery-clogging food. Then my mind jumped to hot, sunny, dry-as-a-bone summer days with not a cloud in the sky; the dominant color being a golden sandy brown. The sun dazzles the eyes, nothing is green except for a random palm or dark green oak, the heat swelters like a dry sauna, and one wishes for less fried chicken and more ice cream.

A Blaze

2008-06-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
I never thought it would happen, but it has. Universal Studios had a fire on the back lot on Sunday, and some famous movie backdrops burned; additionally, there was some damage to a vault which contained videos and film reels. Fortunately, there wer copies stored elsewhere. It would be a great loss to lose so much of our culture. Some may say that it is no loss, but movies are, in a way, the literature of our time. I wouldn't compare it to, say, a fire in Stratford-on-Avon, but it is a loss, nonetheless.

I admit to being a native-born Californian. As such, I freely admit to having taken the backlot tour at Universal Studios. I also freely admit that having grown up in the state of fruits, flakes, nuts, and O.J. can make reality seem surreal. Knowing Universal Studios and Disneyland and knowing that they are mere fascades made traveling to Europe slightly strange. I had to constantly remind myself that the historic buildings I saw were actual buildings which were used for actual life, not just a soundstage or a backdrop. In that sense, Universal Studios was a sham, a show.

I also admit to being a teacher. I understand the importance of history, I know the importance of literature--written, heard, viewed, etc. In this manner, Universal Studios has significance.

I have to ask this: If they rebuild, how will that affect the backlot tour? "Now we are passing through the place that looks like the set of --- movie. . .?" I don't think it'll have the same effect.

I'm not the only one with Issues

2008-05-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Rating: CNS
I'm having more computer issues at work. I truly think the computer is taking by background which says "I have Issues" personally. It did it again today! I was almost done typing a test review, I turned to assist someone who came into the office, and then my computer said, and I quote, "Blomp!" (in a musical sort of cross between exasperation and laughing at me) and popped up an error message that said something to the effect of "HA! and you thought you were almost done!" Actually the error message said something about a problem with a disk. That's when I began yelling and saying things like, "You stupid idiot, of course there's a problem with the disk--you're reading from the stinking hard drive!" At which point it threw up its figurative hands and informed me that if that was the way I was going to be, it would just close. Fortunately for me, but not for my students, I sort of saved the test review. Of course when I got to class with the worksheet, I was informed (sorry, Mrs. Mills) that there was a mistake in this part and that part. I then did what any decent person would have done: I blamed the computer. I hope nobody tells the computer--who knows what it might do to me tomorrow when I edit the test!

Friday the 13th on the 16th, or, Is it a Full Moon Already?

2008-05-17T05:32:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
What was in the water on Friday? What a crazy day! It started with a hunt for a substitute teacher. After getting the 11th “no”, we begged, stole, and borrowed a teacher from the preschool. (If you want to be added to our sub list, just give me a call, I’ll put you on it!)
The 2nd graders were going on a field trip and one forgot his lunch, so I kindly begged the lunch lady to make a sack lunch for me. The minute I delivered it, I was informed (sorry for the passive again, Mrs. Mills) that another kid forgot his lunch, so I spent a couple more hours off and on trying to rectify that.
I am exasperated with my computer. It keeps looking for some sort of network connection that doesn’t exactly exist, so it’ll do vexing things like telling me it has an error reading from the file, it’s sorry, it must close. Only it won’t do that at convenient points; it will do it only when I’m in a hurry and almost done making changes to the test, of which I hadn’t clicked save yet; consequently, it makes me start all over. I think it just likes to see me cry. Or maybe it’s offended by my “I have issues” background and thinks it’s a personal affront to its computing abilities.
To top off the day, the 4th grade teacher calls from 4th grade camp telling me a kid has a snake bite (don’t worry, he’s okay, it wasn’t a poisonous snake), and the 1st grade teacher calls from the zoo saying that they’re all okay. They were locked down in one of the buildings for a while because the zoo had a bomb threat. The teacher had wanted to inform me that everything was copasetic in case a panicked parent phoned. Thanks.
Oh! I won’t even mention the other incident. Let’s just suffice it to say, please don’t take your cell phone in the bathroom with you!
There was a funny one that happened, however. Apparently kindergarteners tend to be very proud of their boo-boos. One little girl had scraped her elbow on the cement and was wearing her three band-aids very proudly. Two of the bandages had blue squares and she kept her sleeve rolled up and her elbow prominently sticking out for all to see. It was very funny in a cute, 5-year-old sort of way.
All I can say is what a day!

The Things Misunderstood

2008-05-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

Rating:CNS
So apparently the 5th grade student doing his work has never seen his uncle’s cats names in print. He said he liked playing with Takilla, Calua, and Yager. I hope he doesn’t know the cat’s names are properly spelled Tequila, Kahlua, and Jager or at least what their namesakes are!

Field Trip

2008-05-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS

What a fun field trip we had today! I don't think I've had a field trip this fun since I took my American Lit class to the Mongolian Barbecue--I mean the James J. Hill House.

We attended chapel at the seminary, took a tour (thanks to really cool tour guide Sam), climbed Luther Tower (see picture), ate lunch in Forest Park, and wandered around the art museum. Free pens and Monet--what could be better?

Cake Season Opener

2008-05-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
When we lived in the city of Amablu, there was the peculiar season which I dubbed “cake season”. (If you have read or heard this phrase from a certain free-lance Minnesota writer, I coined the term; she informed me that she was going to use it.) The season opener for cake season was confirmation Sunday, where we would go from open house to open house and consume copious amounts of confirmation cake, usually one from the local grocery store. After about 3-4 such parties, we would give up on the cake—one can take only so much of the same frosting which, after a couple of pieces tends to taste mostly like sugar blended with Crisco. It was rare the house which served anything else, although I still fondly remember the family which had no cake but several flavors of four-layer delight (crust, cream cheese/Cool Whip, pudding, more Cool Whip)!

Cake season would continue through the round of high school graduations and wrap up at the final wedding of the summer. Sometimes it would begin early or end late due to a baptismal dinner or a wedding after summer. It got to the point where after cake season I would be yearning for pie.

Now we have neither high schoolers nor confirmands who would invite us to their open houses--although we’ve found the open house tradition, at least in the case of confirmation, is tapering off. Cake season in the land of Tilt-a-Whirl began last weekend, and the home opener is tomorrow. I may celebrate next weekend, depending, and the next chance might be the end of the month with 8th grade graduation. For now, I guess I’ll have some carrot sticks and save my calories for some bedding foam with sugary Crisco, or as we like to call it, grocery store cake.

Stupid Does

2008-04-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Rating:NSS
If stupid is as stupid does, then the the dumbing down of America is working. Just take a look at people who forget their babies in the car and leave them in the heat, or women who do things such as date a married man and then marry them after they've left their first wife for woman #2! (Here's a hint. . . if he cheats on woman #1, then woman #2 should be on the look-out for woman #3.)
Teens always try stuff that make one shake the head and say, "What were they thinking?" I've known some teens who try to get a buzz by choking themselves to the point where they almost pass out, just to get the light-headed feeling. Brilliant! Why not just try blowing up a really difficult balloon--I'm sure you can get the same effect! Okay,Here's a new one. Three teens snorting powdered Crystal Light. WooHoo! A nutrasweet rush! Let me cough and sputter! Here's my question: What's next on the list of snorting--crushed astronaut ice cream? Hmm. . . that could be interesting. . .neopolitan nostrils. Yum.
I once heard a student teacher comment, "That kid is too stupid to live." I was never sure what that meant, but I have now seen some kids and realize that every day someone disproves the theory of survival of the fittest.

Aw, forget it.

2008-04-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Rating: NSS
So sometimes there are times where I do something stupid (stupid is as stupid does, and I does something that is stupid). I did something the other day where I made myself look slightly idiotic. We're not talking blithering idiot--just a little something where someone might say later, "Whew, that person was a crayon short of a full box." I won't elaborate on what it was that I might have done or said, but suffice it to say, it was slightly stupid.
There are some other times in my life where I've done something equally stupid, but I find it difficult to forget these times. Oh, the details may be a bit sketchy, yet the time and place and the embarrasment are still readily remembered when the memory brings it up like a long-lost high school buddy who says, "Hey, remember when?" So now I pose this question--does that make me human, or just plain crazy?

Call Day

2008-04-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Rating: MS
It was 9 years ago that I learned the meaning of angst. It was 9 years ago today when I heard 5 little words that changed my life. It was a district of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a city and state. I remember thinking, "Where?"
Tomorrow, many men at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and Wednesday at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne will hear other district names and other cities and states. Each of them will have their lives changed by a few words. Definitely angst.

Anniversary

2008-04-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Rating: S
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is remembering this day the 9th anniversary two tragic events in America's life.
The first is, of course, the shootings at Columbine. We remember this sad event and remember all the families affected by this violence. Unfortunately, on many of our campuses the underlying causes have not diminished. It is not enough to tell our children to all get along--there is more to it than that. It is education. Not learning about our difference, but learning about who we are and valuing life and understanding that is not about ourselves. That, however is a different subject for a different day.
The second is the annversary of the rape and murder of Callie Jo Larson in Waseca, Minnesota, on the same day as Columbine. We also remember her family and the 12-year-old who never got to see 13.
I wish we didn't have to remember these events, for I wish they never happened at all.

The Sequel

2008-04-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Rating: S
Earthquake update: We had a 4.5 aftershock at 10:14. I think we'd better remember the drill, folks. When you start to feel the earth move under your feet, head to the nearest doorway. Some say to duck under a desk or table. Nope, head for the doorway because it's built to hold things up and not fall. We're all okay here, just a little rattled. (Maybe I should rate that last line as an MS.)

Shake and Quake

2008-04-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Rating: S (only because earthquakes always freak me out)
I awoke at 4:30ish this morning to find my bed shaking. The dog had popped up off his bed as if something was wrong. I thought at first it was an earthquake, being the oversensitive Californian that I am, but then I thought that was not possible. After all, this is Missouri, so I figured that it was a really loud clap of thunder and the shaking was a rumble of thunder or maybe the cat decided to wash herself and I was feeling motion from that.
It was later that I found out it was a 5.2 earthquake I felt. Let me just say that I dislike earthquakes, regardless of how many I’ve felt. My husband, on the other hand wants to feel one, as he never has. Here’s the irony: He was out of town this week and missed it.

RSS-Reader Seriousness System

2008-04-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of not giving offense, I will now rate my blogs with the following system just to let readers know if I’m kidding or not (it’s hard to tell, you know). S=serious (as a heart attack) MS=mostly serious (take with a grain of salt) NSS=not so serious (take with a whole container of salt) CNS=clearly not serious (lighten up, folks) Therefore I rate this blog MS.

We always knew it!

2008-04-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, why is it that every time some person goes off the deep end and commits some crazy act of violence the news interviews the person's neighbors who say, "We never expected this from him/her. He/she was always such a quiet person"?
Just for once I'd like to see the next door neighbor say when interviewed, "We knew from the first time he burned down the house that he would end up this way; we just weren't sure when," or I'd love to hear the person's first cousin once removed say, "He was a jerk, we always knew it, I expect nothing more than this," but you never see it.
Sure, we can't probe the deep topics all the time. . .

BREAKING NEWS!!!!! (or not)

2008-04-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

GASP! Did you know that in February 2009, your TV will stop working? NO! IT'S TRUE! Since they are switching from analog to digital broadcasting, if you do not have cable or satellite, your TV won't receive signals anymore.

HELLO! We know! You've told us a million times, and tonight when I watch the news, it will be a million and one (and I don't think that's hyperbole anymore).

So why don't you tell us that our driver's license may not be enough to get us on a plane starting in May under Real ID? Why don't you tell us things that are important instead of running the same news story twice?

Maybe, for some, not having the TV work will not be such a bad thing.

Note to some people: Chill out.

Don't Taze Me, Bro! AKA Girls Gone Feral

2008-04-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

We knew it would come. A school resource officer had to use his tazer on a girl at Maplewood Middle School last Thursday here in the St. Louis Area. The tazed girl and another were fighting, the tazed girl resisted and ZAP--we're back to John Kerry speaking at the University of Florida.

Get real people! She's just a middle school girl, what harm can she do? Oh, wait, I forgot about the young budding movie producers who decided to do a remake of Mean Girls and filmed themselves beating up another girl.

Since when did teen girls become boxers? Forget being lady-like. I guess women's lib beat that out of us. I guess being a decent person is passe. Agression in Iraq is one thing, agression on the playground is another. Let's teach our children that they CAN act decently.

Mike Tyson Does Chile

2008-04-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, not Mike Tyson himself, but apparently his cousin from Finland had a run-in with the police in Chile.
According to the news story, Marko Kulju wanted to take home a souvenir from Easter Island. He decided that the statues were also tourist shops a la the Berlin Wall or Eckert’s where you can just help yourself to a bit of a keepsake.
Here’s a hint, Mark-o. Keep your hands off the Moai. Just because you want a head like the heads you see on Easter Island, doesn’t mean you can play Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane and hack off an ear. I think you owe more than $17,000 and an apology and deserve more than three years’ banishment from the island.
He states that his attempted theft was, “the worst mistake of my life.” No, you’ll probably be stupid enough to have a worse one; here’s your sign. I guess they shouldn’t complain about American tourists.

A rant of a different sort.

2008-04-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

We are talking about the dumbing down of America here. It is truly a tragedy on many levels.
(Note to readers--I'm switching my topic drastically here.)
A two-year-old boy in East St. Louis died on Tuesday, and the suspect in his death is the child's four-year-old brother. Apparently the older boy choked the younger boy when he was trying to re-enact wrestling moves that he saw on TV.
The end of the news report reads, "The victim's mother says she's convinced exposure to professional wrestling played a part in the tragic murder." Um, excuse me?
I'd like to propose that the mother played a part in this tragic murder. Why would you let a four-year-old watch WWE? They cannot distinguish TV from reality. How can a four-year-old realize that wrestling is big guys doing stage fighting, not strangling their brothers?
Meanwhile, many people are nodding their heads, agreeing that wrestling is evil. Concerned citizens all over the metro area are encouraged to take a stand to get wrestling removed from existance. It makes me think of an article I read called "TheTaliban are Coming to Your Local Supermarket." We are going to place the blame in a direction that essentially points away from the place where the blame should fall. "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."
Granted, I do not know the family, the boys, or the mother personally, but it seems to me that yes, professional wrestling did play a part in the tragedy, but not the main part.
My sympathies to the family on their loss. I hope we can all learn a lesson and not let the child have died in vain.

A Tribute

2008-04-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

It is the beginning of week 3 without Issues, Etc.

I was a Johnny-come-lately to the Issues, Etc. listenership. I listened the first time a couple Novembers ago because a relative happened to be a guest on the program and asked me to listen, which I did. I then wondered what they were going to talk about later, and I became hooked. When the same relative was a guest again, I listened via the internet mainly because I wanted to hear the interview live and because I didn't know what St. Louis radio station carried the Sunday Night broadcast.

Soon I became a regular listener. I listened in the car. I listened to archived broadcasts at work. One afternoon I remember switching back and forth between Garage Logic on my computer and Issues, Etc. Then I called in with a comment. It was quite unnerving to be on the radio and hope my comment didn't sound ignorant. I once received a mug (only weeks before the show was eliminated) for an on-air comment.

I had heard a friend or two as guests on the show. I was pleased and a mite jealous when my husband was asked to be a guest. What an honor to be on Issues, Etc. I remember going with him to and from the broadcast live from University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis. I was excited to actually see the show live. It was a great show that day. I find it very peculiar that exactly one week after that show the bridge under which we drove to return that day collapsed. I don't think that it means anything, for it was merely coincidental. Yet where did I turn to hear commentary? Issues, Etc.

I have been mentally working on a postmodern project for some time. I often turned to Issues, Etc. as a resource library. Some excellent nuggets of knowledge came from it. I heard of books, people, and topics to use as resources.

I looked to Issues, Etc. for commentary on all sorts of matters, but I loved the show for its unabashedly Christ-centered, scriptural, doctrinal content. It always reminded me that is it about Jesus. (Another mental project is it being all about Jesus.)

Now what do I have to listen to on the drive home? Rock and roll. I like it, but it doesn't give me much to think about; it just gives me cerebreoredundogram (big, long word for getting a song stuck in one's head). I wish I could listen to Issues, Etc. again.

I'm sure this is just one more post for Issues, Etc. that you probably don't want to hear my little emotional rambling, if there is anyone out there even reading this. If no on is reading, just add it to the pile of statements about how much the show meant to us all. I know that for me, this is more than a show of politics. It is personal.

Still Missing Issues, Etc.

2008-03-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Not that I didn't think the Issues, Etc. plot wouldn't thicken, but I did not guess the firestorm it has provoked.

I wish I could say all that I want to about the fact that this show is off the air, but I do not feel that I am glib enough or can add any pithy comments to all the comments that are floating around about cyberspace.

Still, I cannot reconcile or justify myself to its disappearance, and my fear is that even if it returns in whatever form, it will not be the same Issues, Etc. that I have come to know and respect.

I love Garage Logic (a radio talk program from Minnesota) and listen to it online. Yesterday a caller called in on the topic of whatever it was about which they were talking and said, "They have gone from wanting to challenge things to shutting it down." It is so unbelievably true in our world in more ways than one. I point no fingers anywhere; I am merely observing.

Todd, Jeff, we miss you.

I have Issues

2008-03-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

I have issues, or rather, up until today I had issues. That is not to say that these issues have been resoloved. No, my favorite radio program is now off the airwaves. Issues, Etc. has been yanked. The website reads, "Issues, Etc. is no longer available."

If this were merely a case of a radio program going off the air, I would not feel compelled to write anything about it. This, however, is not the case. I first learned of the cancellation of Issues, Etc. from a phone call from my husband saying that he heard from someone who heard from a good authority that the show was being discontinued. I did not realize that he meant TODAY. I was thinking that the show would end sometime in a few weeks or months. NO, when I turned it on at 3 o'clock, it wasn't there. The website for the radio station was down (HTTP 400 bad request), and that was it.

I later heard that at 10 o'clock today the host, Todd Wilken, and the producer, Jeff Schwarz (I'm sorry if I misspelled that) were fired, ". . .for the good of the station. . ." Let me go on the record as saying that that is a crock of baloney! You don't fire someone when their show is doing well. You don't eliminate a person whose show carries the entire radio station. It is one of the few (if only) nationally syndicated radio show produced by KFUO radio. It is heard around the world. I know of three people personally who live in foreign countries and listen to Issues, Etc. online.

If you have never heard of Issues, Etc., let me give you a little idea. . . It is a conservative, confessional radio program that discusses all sorts of issues. It's talk radio for Christianity. They talk about current issues, historical figures, religious issues; basically they run the gamut. Sometimes I would wait and wonder what Todd had to say about this, that, or the other issue, such as the St. Stanislaus debacle here in St. Louis.

Little wonder then, that certain people wanted him off the air. I mean, come on, can you truly belive that his detractors would let him stay on the air, when some of his strongest detractors are the ones in charge?

Again I reiterate, if it were merely the passing of a favorite show, I wouldn't be so hurt. I am not certain of any facts, but I suspect there is politics involved. It saddens me. I would write to those responsible, but I'm not sure how to word my statement to show them the importance of the show and the sadness I feel for it's elimination.

I just want to add as a final thought: Thanks, Todd, for my Issues, Etc. mug. It is now my most favorite.

LAF, pronounced laugh

2007-10-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Why is it that at conferences and other places they often advertise that Lost and Found is in room such and such, but when one goes there, Lost and Found is never there? Only once have I been at a conference and found that Lost and Found is in the advertised room. It is a question I would like to pose to the two members of Lost and Found, if I could.

If you have never heard Lost and Found, I highly recommend you check them out, especially if you are a fan of good Christian music. One caveat, however; you will either love them or not. There's not really any medium. I would consider myself a fan, though.

They are different from many Christian bands in many ways. 1) There are only 2 guys (no, one isn't lost and the other found, the name is a paradox). 2) They have created their own genre of music called speedwood, which is like speed metal, only they use acoustic instruments, ergo the wood part. 3) They write solid lyrics that are not trite but full of awesome imagery. 4) They have not been sucked into the vortex of the recording industry, but have remained true to their craft.

I am so excited that they are coming to my area soon. I never get tired of going to their concerts. I have been to many of their concerts, and the jokes never get old (of course, that could be my bad sense of humor coming to light), nor the songs ever become redundant. I remember one concert of theirs I attended where Michael, the guitarist had a cold and could not sing much, yet it was one of the greatest concerts I had ever attended. They made up a song about the town on the spot and they performed for an hour and a half! Their stage presence is fantastic.

I highly recommend you check these guys out.

Stein auf and DTBL!

I am now into the 20th century

2007-10-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

How intimidating to be here! I, who love being read, is un-nerved about being this exposed to the world. Especially since I share the view of author Dave Barry that I have not much important to say. I'm feeling drawn to express myself, not that you maybe care in the slightest. I guess this is my way to indicate myself as techo-savvy but also to air my comments in a public forum.

Maybe that 's where the terror comes from! Intimidating comments--because as much as I value my own opinion, I worry about what others think of me. It's like standing in public in a bathing suit. I hope I look good, but I know there is someone out there saying, "Gosh girl, try lipo!"

To heck with it. I guess I'll be me, and you can love me or not. I can live with that, but deep down, I hope you may agree with me or at least have something to ponder.

I have frequently thought to myself, "If I had a blog, I'd write about this!"
One of these things is stupid people. You know the type: they are educated, possibly even well-read, but dang it if they aren't just lacking in common sense. It makes me say with C.S. Lewis, "Logic! Why don't these schools teach them logic?" They say and do incredibly ignorant things.
Like a former student; on the first day she was in my class she said to me, "My mom broke up with my boyfriend because he was sleeping with my sister." Okay, Too Much Information. I cannot fully blame her for her her stupidity, clearly it was genetic. Oh! Harsh! You might say, but children learn what they live. What hope is there for a child if his/her mother and/or father can't figure out what will bring stability to their own life, let alone their child's life?

I see the most stupid people in parents. I cannot truthfully say that my parents were the most perfect parents in the world. They're human. They have their own faults (It's not for me to judge, and it's not for you to know their faults.), but I think that they did a pretty good job getting me to this point. I'm not so sure I can say that for some, even the most well-intentioned parents.

Hello! Your child is not perfect. You may pretend that they are, but as much of a nice person you are, your kid is human, as are you. You may or may not believe in original sin, yes, I'll say sin, but try walking into a day care. I know there are parents who do not teach their children to deal with others by bonking them on the head with a hard plastic toy, yet, sin leads them to that. Why don't people want to admit that as much as we want world peace and love and harmony, there are always going to be people out there who would rather cause problems than solve them?
I think that if just a few people would look past their own self and see what kind of children they want to put in this world, they will use a little logical discipline and instead of beating up the teachers, the police, the caretakers, the everybody elses and take responsibility for their child so that their child can learn to take responsibility for himself or herself. No excuses, no lies, just it was I, I did it--then maybe we can get a little bit of peace and some respite from stupid people. DTBL