Job-hunting Sucks

They say that the job search should be your full-time job if you are actively seeking employment.  I am not currently having trouble with this, but I keep wondering when I will run out of jobs postings.  What stinks is that my selection is from the major health systems in the area.  It is hard to find the little clinics, and, if I did, I don't know that they would pay me enough.  However, the problem with the major health systems is that they aren't really going to personally look at my resume and be willing to give me a chance.  I'm kicked out by a computer program for lack of experience and a sketchy work history.  Sorry for my lack of experience, Mr. Computer, but I am a recent graduate of a program teaching me the job for which I am applying.  Without a job from you, how can I get the experience you require?  Why don't you just hire me and brainwash me to do things the way you want?  I could get to the job if I could get to the interview.  I know because one of our teachers, Eileen, brought in a friend, Ann, from the ski patrol she was on.  Ann is a manager of the area Fairview clinics and thus responsible for the hiring.  She was telling us what to put in a resume and how to act in an interview, what she would want to see if she was interviewing you.  She wasn't saying much other than what she was brought to teach us, except at the end.  She said that there were 3 of us in the room that she would hire.  I was one of them.  I kept asking questions and making eye contact.  I smiled and gave genuine answers.  The sad thing is that she hires for Fairview and I have been applying to Fairview.  She liked me and would probably actually give me a shot, but she'll never see my application because of some stupid computer program that weeds me out.  What happened to the days when a human decided which resume was worth investigating?  Does anyone new to the field for which they are applying have a chance anymore?  I'm all for technology, but does it have to make every decision?

Well, blow me down!

I was outside removing the car seats and cleaning the van to put them back in their spots.  Their assigned spots were changing and that was part of the reason for removing them...that and they really know how to trash the van with all their wrappers and cereal.  I was under a deadline and paying most attention to Baby Girl and my progress.  I was amazed I was able to unhook those seats considering the strength Doug uses to hook them in to keep our children safe.  I was speeding along and hopeful about the new seat assignments.  Jericho can't kick Gabriel if they are on different bench seats, one in front of the other.  No one can try to get out of sitting in their booster seat with the excuse that they are going to entertain a baby.  Each older kid will share a bench seat with a younger kid.  There will even be more room for me if I have to sit in the back while Doug is driving when we all go somewhere together.

Clouds were coming near, but I wasn't worried.  The forecast said 10% chance of rain.  Do you know what we get when it says that?  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  I grabbed Avigayil to bring her inside to put her in her car seat because we needed to leave.  As I turned around to look at the clouds, they were interesting and I wanted to grab a camera, but I didn't really have time.  One had this weird cone shape, but it was pointing parallel to the ground.  Really weird, I thought.  I wasn't worried about it because its position in the sky was a place where the rain would skirt around us.  Besides, it wasn't pointed at the ground.

I need to learn to trust my double-takes.  I hadn't closed the van doors because I intended on putting the children right into it.  I hadn't gotten around to closing the garage door yet or bringing in the vacuum.  All of a sudden, the house got slammed by wind and rain.  When it stopped blowing the house door closed so forcefully, I ran outside and shut the van side door, which hadn't shut because it was a slider, closed the trash can lid (both had toppled over), ran into the garage, shut the garage door and made sure it went down all the way, and re-entered the house.  The cardboard box the boys were playing with knocked out the post on the porch and covered the vacuum.

After the rain stopped, we had to go outside and see how our poor plants fared. The zucchini was flipped.  The peppers were laying on their sides.  I mean the plant, not the pot.  The flowers on the hill and all the grass there was flattened; well, a 30 or 45 degree angle, anyway.  It must have been a 50mph wind like the storm watch said, the storm watch I didn't notice because I was cleaning the van.  All I can say is: wow.

separation of church and state?

This is your progressive re-education lesson for the day. Pay close attention or you will be branded a purveyor of hate and hate speech! Pay attention now...

You must cater to Islam. To do otherwise would be insensitive and politically offensive. However, to conform to the progressive agenda, you also MUST discriminate against Christianity and remove all Christian symbols, lest you offend a liberal. And a business must not be true to the Christian values of its founding, but MUST speak out loudly in favor of homosexual rights. The mayor of a city should be allowed and even encouraged to keep a business out of HIS city (e.g. Rahm Emmanuel) if said business is not a progressive-led entity or happens to be Christian. The mayor's ideology is an acceptable guiding principle for making business decisions if said decision discriminates against the evils of Christianity or furthers the Progressive religion's objectives.  Government operates under the Progressive religion with a sub-sect known as Climate Change.  End of lesson.

Now, my rant:  Do what you want in your bedroom, but don't force it on the 97+ percent of the populace who disagrees with you! There is NO constitutional protection against being offended. Get over it, P.C.-obsessed whiners! Furthermore, there is NO statement in the constitution that says anything whatsoever about separation of church and state. NONE! Justice Black invented that because he hated Christianity.

Next lesson:  In a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, Thomas Jefferson discussed freedom of religion and talked about the wall separating government and religion. But what he was talking about was ensuring that government does not encroach on religion!! He was NEVER talking about freedom FROM religion and he was not favoring some ridiculous wall to keep Christian views out of public spaces.  Those who say otherwise are grossly misrepresenting the words and the intent of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. The American system of governance is BASED on Judeo-Christian principles and therefore, removing the Ten Commandments from public view is denying our own historical underpinnings.

And finally, the constitution mentions religious freedom in this vein:  The FEDERAL government could not establish a state (national) religion. The individual and several states COULD establish a state religion. For instance, Pennsylvania, among others, did have a state religion at one point. That was back when the states were the masters and the federal government was the servant. Citizens who disagreed with the statutory structure of a state could vote with their feet and move to another state.  That was how it was intended. The states were a loosely amalgamated grouping of individual nation-states that were affiliated with the federal government for the purpose of defense and for levying tariffs. At that time, the government levied tariffs on imports and that is where the funding for the government was derived, not from a national income tax that weighed heavily on the people and on internal economic development.

Abraham Lincoln is largely responsible for killing the supremacy of the individual states. That was what the Civil War was about, the right of states to secede from the union should the federal government become tyrannical. The Civil War was NOT about slavery. It was about keeping the states under the thumb of the growing federal government, which has since become a NATIONAL government. Do you think that Abraham Lincoln was a great president? Modern pop-history would tell you that he was a fine president. Did you know that he suspended a number of individual liberties, including the right of habeas corpus (the right to appear in court or before a judge)? Lincoln imprisoned over 13,000 people without trial, because they disagreed with his views. Most were journalists but some were wealthy business owners and others, outspoken citizens who opposed his administration.

Why doesn't anybody know any of this history??? I mourn the late, great United States of America, one nation under God.

I feel guilty

In this internship at an adult foster home, sometimes I feel like I'm learning more about dealing with disabled people than about MA skills.  I walked into the men's house leary about working with men.  I really didn't want to deal with the really personal parts of caring for a disabled person.  I had started getting used to the women after being there for a week.  Millie, my supervisor, told me I had to got to the men's house when I returned on Monday.  Vitals were easy.  I only had to do it on 2 people, Tom and Mark, and Tom did half of it by himself.  Charlie, a guy disabled and crippled up by 2 strokes, laid down in his bed at 3pm, so a staff member went in his room to feed him in bed.  Mark, a man blinded by 2 strokes, only needed a really big spoon and a description of his plate based on a clock.  I had nothing to do, so I sat down and talked to Tom and Mark while they ate.  I did this every night this week.  I also sat with them at lunch.  And then there were the appointments.  I went to 3 appointments with Mark on Tuesday that turned into 4 and caused me to spend approximately 9 hours with him instead of the 5 that it was supposed to be.  Mark is kind of lonely though you wouldn't know it because he avoids the group because he hates the loud noise.  We talk the entire time we are together and I'm not afraid to share things about me and my life.  I think part of the reason he likes me is that I'm not far off from the age of his daughter.  I'm not that dumb and I could tell he liked talking to me.  But I didn't realize how much he liked me talking to him until I said goodbye tonight.  He asked if I would be back tomorrow.  I said, no, I wouldn't, because Millie thought she needed Fridays free to do paperwork.  He asked if I would be back next week.  I told him that I didn't know what Millie's plans were for me.  It didn't occur to me until on my way home that I was filling his need for attention and setting him up for disappointment when I was told to work at the women's house or when my internship ended.  I feel guilty.

Uncertainty and knowledge

I hate uncertainty. And sometimes knowledge sucks. A very important man in my life, the uncle who was head pharmacist at University of Loyola Hospital in Chicago, is in the hospital with hernia complications and a systemic infection and hasn't woken up in 3 days. My Uncle George, the man our second son is named after, found my parents the best neurologist and neurosurgeon when it was discovered that I had a seizure disorder caused by a rare childhood brain tumor. I was one of the first people in the United States to undergo this surgery and my uncle found the best man for the job. Uncle George was always a great guy anyway, but he also played a special part in my childhood. Too bad I'm so far away and can't see him and Aunt Susan and my cousins more often.

I say that sometimes knowledge sucks because my parents got the story from the nurses that they found more dead bowel in him from his hernia and that leached poison into his system so he is sleeping to heal better. While it may be true that his body shut down to heal, the fact that he hasn't woken for 3 days bothers me. I keep waiting for the "coma" declaration. The only thing that comforts me is the fact that they are only giving him oxygen, not breathing for him.

It seems like just yesterday that my maternal grandfather died, the last of my grandparents. That was a killer. Ask my husband. I broke down in his arms at the funeral. I still miss Grandpa Ernie. Heck, my Aunt Pam, his daughter, died a long time ago from complications of Lupus, and I still really miss her vibrant personality. My biggest fear is that Uncle George is never going to wake up, never recover, and I won't be there to see him again before that happens. Even more than that, I won't be able to say my last goodbye. I'm an overnight drive away from Chicago and I'm 33 weeks pregnant. Every OB/GYN at my clinic is going to tell me that I can't go on a trip longer than 2 or 3 hours. I can pray all I want, but it is ultimately God's decision to call him home when He wants. I have to accept that it was the right time according to God's will, no matter how much I don't like it. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

An Odd Experience

The boys wanted to go to a park today. We didn’t really want to watch them playing on the swings for a couple hours, and Gabriel wanted to be outside, so we compromised. Afton State Park had an open house so entry was free and we figured we would walk down to the St. Croix River. The weather was good, so it seemed just like the thing to do.

High-tension electrical towers run though the state park and Afton Alps, the adjacent ski resort. We drove under the power lines and through all the parking areas to the very last one, nearest the path to the river. I parked near the walking path and we got ready for the hike. Gabriel was walking ahead of me, but everyone else was still standing by the van. All of a sudden, Gabriel yelled “Ow!” and said his neck was hurting. His neck was red on one side and the neck muscles were tightly tensed up. I was thinking it was a food allergy or a bug bite or something of that nature, but I was confused about the instant, intense pain. I touched his neck to see if it was swollen or rashy and he screamed and jumped.

I asked him some questions to figure out what was causing the redness and pain. Then I touched his neck again and noticed something I felt the first time I touched his neck, but somehow didn’t understand enough to really consider, something that I would describe as a vibration. I could feel Gabriel’s body vibrating, literally vibrating. What in the world? Here we were, just standing in the parking lot, with grass and wooded land all around us, taking in the natural surroundings when, out of the blue, Gabriel’s neck started to hurt with intense pain, and I could feel his body vibrating.

I told Heather to come right away and check him out, because I was confused about what I was seeing. So she came over and put her hand on his neck, and he screamed in pain and jumped again. Heather said the same thing; she could feel Gabriel’s body vibrating. By now, he had tears in his eyes and he was obviously scared. We just didn’t know what was going on, but he was clearly feeling intense pain and discomfort. Parents want to protect their children, and we were trying, but we couldn’t understand what was happening.

Then, it dawned on me. We were standing in the parking lot, directly under the high tension power lines. Could that somehow cause this??? I studied electronics and worked on electromechanical equipment for more than 20 years, but I never saw anything like what was happening here. Years ago, I learned that electrical conductors and power lines are surrounded by electromagnetic fields and electrical resonance. But I never heard of anything like this! I told everyone to walk to the other side of the parking lot, away from the power lines. Literally, immediately after we walked away from the vicinity of the power lines, Gabriel said his neck wasn’t hurting anymore. He could touch his neck… no pain, no discomfort at all.

Okay. This is an eye-opening experience for me. Sure, everyone has heard the story about some guy taking a fluorescent light and standing beneath a power line and the bulb lighting up. If that actually happens, I don’t know; I never tried it. But, this I can assure you: I never heard of anyone standing under a power line and experiencing a feeling of being electrocuted and the accompanying physical symptoms, e.g. muscular tension and cramping caused by contact with electricity. Maybe Gabriel is just particularly sensitive to such effects. I have no idea… that is purely speculation on my part.

I am still thinking it over, but I don’t entirely understand this. Why didn’t I feel this electromagnetic or electrical field? Why didn’t it cause me any discomfort? I can only figure it had something to do with our shoes. Maybe when we stood under the high tension power lines, Gabriel’s body somehow picked up an electrical potential, but his shoes were not well-grounded because of the rubber soles. As soon as Heather or I touched his neck, he screamed in pain and we could literally feel his body vibrating the way you feel an electrical power transformer vibrate. I figure that our shoes had better conductivity and so the electrical potential in Gabriel’s body was discharging because of our shoes, or some variation of that scenario. I am unsure why neither Heather nor I felt the electrical field effects but we both felt Gabriel’s body pulsating like electricity was passing through him.

I hated seeing Gabriel in pain, especially not understanding what was happening and how to make it stop. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this. I don’t understand how the electrical power lines caused this, but it is clear that somehow, the power lines definitely did cause it. That makes me wonder about the possible negative health-related consequences of exposure to the powerful electromagnetic fields that surround high-tension power lines.

Thank goodness we don't live particularly close to any of those gigantic high-tension power transmission towers.

Most of my drive to school is uneventful. If I have an 8am class, I don't go much above 55mph on the 2-lane stretch of Hwy 55 (Courthouse Blvd), because there are 2 cops that cross paths routinely between 7:30 and 7:45. I'm going to get seen by one of them. When it turns into a freeway, I immediately get to the left-hand lane to avoid the feeling that I'm about to get smashed by the truckers entering the freeway from 117th Street. You'd never know I drive a full-size van. Then it is a straight shot to school. All I have to do is turn down Northland Drive and cross Pilot Knob Rd. The traffic on Pilot Knob is controlled by a stoplight a little farther south, though, where there is an exit to 494. So, if you want to cross this 4-lane highway at Northland Dr, then you need to find a break in traffic and blast across or sit in the center waiting for the break from the next direction to get the rest of the way across. I hate intersections like that and what I saw today is why:

I have my usual uneventful drive until I get to the Northland/Pilot Knob intersection. As I get closer, I notice the object of my fear: a car crash and a cop directing traffic to go around the 2 cars and ambulance sitting in the median. One car isn't so bad and has pulled up on to the median on its own. The other car is pretty smashed up and is sitting up on the curb in the break in the median for turn lanes. I'd usually just shake my head and thank God it wasn't me. But usually what you see is just a couple of people exchanging insurance information and waiting for the police officer's accident report. I wasn't sure where the driver of the less-smashed car was, but that car wasn't dented enough to be concerned. To get to school, I had to go around the cop who was parked in front of the smashed car, protecting it as he directed people around and tried to help other emergency workers at the same time. I was nervous because I couldn't see around the cop that well and wanted to give him as much space as possible, like I was taught. That feeling was trumped by the incredible sadness at the scene that my eyes could not avoid: they had draped white plastic over the driver's window so no one could see the scene inside. I had the horrible feeling that the driver had died since nobody seemed to be scrambling. I cried. I don't know why, other than I was tired and it really affected me. The thought ran through my head that I was glad I wasn't studying emergency medicine because I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with what I thought I saw in front of me. While waiting for a string of cars to pass, I watched the cop and stared at the window. I saw an arm move and looked more closely. In the back seat was an emergency worker in a very uncomfortable position with his hands near the head rest. I realized that he was attempting to put a cervical collar on the driver's neck. I was relieved, though this made me cry too. I finally saw enough of a break in the traffic that I decided to go. I sent up a prayer for the injured person and the safety of the brave people trying to help him, while the scene stayed in my mind all through my first class.

I don't know why it affected me like that, other than the fact that a scene like that is exactly why I look both ways twice and race across that road to the safety of the other side. I guess I have a healthy awareness of the possible results of my dash across a relatively busy road.

Quick Post

Today I am heading to Danbury, Wisconsin for the public opening of a casino to replace Hole in the Wall. The new location will apparently be called St. Croix Casino and Hotel Danbury or something to that effect. Honestly, I am glad that I have an opening to attend. I am not really in the mood to work in the office, so this comes at an opportune time. Since Heather works tonight, I forced myself to not bring my camera, against my better judgment. If I have my camera in hand, I may not make it home early enough for Heather to make it to work on time. I know, I know... but if I see a photo opportunity, I have to take it. If I don't bring my camera, I am absolutely certain I will miss something I want to shoot. On the other hand, traveling for one day without my camera manages my temptation to photograph for hours. It does feel like I left a part of me at home today. [sigh...]

I heard somewhere that if the first thing you want to do in the morning is to grab your camera, if the last thing you want to do at night is to photograph the sunset, then you are meant to be a photographer. The thing is, I don't just want to grab my camera... I have to do it. I just can't help myself. I need to photograph the world!

Thank God I am a photographer!

On the Road Again

I am in a hotel in west central South Dakota. My destination tomorrow is Deadwood where two of my techs work. I can't complain about traveling, because some employees travel more than I do. Further, I do not travel as much as I did when I was a field tech. I miss our beautiful boys when I am traveling. The good thing is that coming home is always a sweet reward. I will see Heather and the boys Friday, so that is cool beans, as Heather would say.


I had a reservation at this hotel. I even contacted the hotel to let them know that I would have a late check-in. When I showed up here, my room was given to someone else. Fortunately, there was a single room still available. Unfortunately for the hotel, it was the king Jacuzzi suite and I got that room for the cheapo rate charged for a standard room. Good for the payer, bad for the payee. For me, this is a "Whoohoo!" moment. I get to enjoy this one facet of being on the road, especially since I was driving most of 12 hours today. The stinky part is that Heather is busy with classes, and the boys are with a sitter during the day while Heather is in class. As a result, I am on the road without my family. But my techs have to be away from their families, so I shouldn't necessarily expect anything different. I manage better by not being too far removed from the things that the techs go through doing their jobs. That is what I think.


That doesn't remove the fact that I am far from my family. I don't like it, but it is a necessary part of the job. I know, I know... homecoming is much sweeter because I am out here on my own.


Time to wrap up my final for this class and call it a night!

The First Week is Almost Over and I am Sticking With It (So Far)

Okay, I know that it has only been six days, but so far I have really stuck with it. Should I be impressed with myself? I think not. In the past, I have tried this and stuck with it for a week or two. This time, I am showing Heather what I am doing and she finds my food intake interesting to see.  Heather is very supportive! The ironic thing is that all the whole foods I am eating make me feel like I never stop eating! I still want to make some changes in my diet, but one step at a time, I am doing that. I look forward to my knees feeling good and being able to keep up with my sons for years to come!

I am heading on a road trip to the Dakotas tomorrow for five days to visit the techs and customers in Deadwood, South Dakota, with a few additional customer visits during the drive. I will be dining in restaurants and from a cooler. I really hope that I can stick with it during this week. I feel like this will be a good test for me. The fact that the program has both a browser-based site and a mobile-based site is helpful.  I can check the food out from a smart phone OR from a computer, before or after I eat.  The plan database is comprehensive, with 50,000 food listings.  I do wish that the database had more foods for Perkins, since I will likely encounter those more than any restaurant. This program forces me to plan ahead so I know what I can eat and remain within my guidelines for that day. I could go over if I want, but I don't want to exceed my program guidelines. I have stayed true to the program for six days, and I don't want to exceed the parameters. I feel that if I do it once, it gets easier to ignore the guidelines in the future, and becomes a slippery slope to failure. I just don't want to go there!

Today, I went out to dinner for the first time since I started the program (to Perkins), courtesy of my mother-in-law for a belated Fathers' Day meal (thank you, Mom/Laura!!!)  I did pretty well, or at least I hope I did. I kept it to 750 calories for the entree (salmon dijon), the bread and rice (I wish it was brown rice, instead of white) and the salad, with dressing. Why do they always serve the refined white rice instead of the vitamin-rich and fiber-gifted brown or wild rice? The funny thing is that about halfway through my food, I started thinking that I had an awful lot of food to eat. I used to live for the Chinese buffet and at least 3 plates of MSG-loaded food. I hope my stomach is shrinking and telling me not to eat too much!

I wonder if I will ever look at buffets the same way again? Honestly, I kind of hope not, though when I go to the store, I see so many food temptations everywhere (mostly the refined sugar junk food, chips, and chocolate) that I really love to eat. I will start eating those foods again, but in much smaller doses, and not for a while, probably not until after the tempting, calorie-intensive Christmas holiday season this year. I know, everyone says that you have to allow yourself to eat junk food or you will want to binge. For me, the best approach is to avoid the foods completely until I get that junk-food mindset completely reprogrammed. That is going to take a while, and I am on-board with this health kick as long as it takes to meet (and exceed?) my goals! Honestly, if I want to really watch what I eat, especially the calories, I have to continue with the program. I am moving in the right direction so I think I am going to stick with it!

To the people who have been positive and supportive, thank you!  This approach sort of reminds me that this is a marathon, not a sprint.  Nobody wins by quitting in the middle! 

On to week two of the program...

Doing Something New and Taking Care of Myself

Today I started doing something new.  I began using this program basead around an online community of people trying to get fit and trim.  You can share as much or as little as you want about yourself.  I am sharing just enough to allow helpful interactions with other users who only know me online. On the other hand, telling a few people in my life about it creates an additional reason to succeed. Who likes to fail at something like this? Nobody!  Telling a few people in my life creates an awareness and a spotlight that creates accountability.  I can work with this, knowing that at least a few people are paying attention.

So, this is the program and how it works, in a nutshell. You keep a food diary, listing every single thing that you eat every day.  The diary breaks down your food intake to include the basic nutrients you are taking in, and details include calories, fat (total, saturated, and trans), cholesterol, sodium, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein and calcium.  The program also makes recommendations for your calorie limit for the day. The site has enough interactions with users that it keeps you focused on where you are going and why.  For instance, to move from the first levels (Bronze 1 to Bronze 2 and 3, and then on to Silver and Gold), you have to complete certain tasks. These tasks include listing barriers to healthy eating and triggers for junk food eating. On the flip side, you create short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals and motivators. The program regularly fires off emails to you to get you to participate so that you can advance and stay motivated. 

My initial reaction is that this really can work.  But it only works if a user commits to doing this, and I mean, really, really commits to it, day in and day out. When you log your food on a diary, it causes you to be accountable and to really think, not just about your calorie count but about how you view food and eating.  It creates a "big picture" mindset and make you consider the food you eat... or overeat.  The program doesn't hound you if you exceed your calorie recommendation for that day. For each participant, it is your program, and your gain or loss if you are not sticking with it. I am trying to view this as the beginning of a new mindset about food.  I want to stick with this for a long, long time... at least until I rewire my mind and body to stay fit and strong.  My sons are growing so fast, I will not be able to keep up, so I need to kick it into gear!

The Political Persuasion of The Daily Show (Part 2)

A classmate stated, "I can definitely agree that he [Stewart] does not have a political agenda, because he spent the majority of his time making a mockery of politicians."  That declarative statement begs for critical analysis:   Are you sure that he does not have a political agenda, despite the fact that he mocks politicians? To answer that question with a degree of veracity requires some study to establish a trend. Watching the show one day probably does not give adequate exposure to the content to declare that he either does have a political agenda or he has no bias. What I would suggest is that to rule out the possibility of a clear bias or to establish the slant of his bias, if any, a quantifying study of content would be needed.

A study of this type would consider the political party of all guests who were politicians and all stories focusing on politicians. It would need to be conducted over a period of time, perhaps a month or a season of the show. Maybe Jon Stewart was a bit grouchy one day, and his sarcasm was over-the-top on that occasion. To rule out things like the influence of mood (since Jon Stewart is human and subject to human nature), the study would need to compile this information over an extended period of time, not a single day.

Even one day can help to make a somewhat informed decision in search of a political agenda for the purpose of discussion, but lacks credibility because of the variability of human condition to which Jon Stewart is subject. However, a single day of viewing lacks the content immersion required to establish a trend that lends credibility to a declarative statement that a TV host is clearly pushing an ideological agenda as a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate the viewers.

After the study is completed, it would be instructive to see quantified results. For instance, if Jon Stewart picks on Republicans like Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Haley Barbour, and Michelle Bachmann day after day, month after month, but never gives a modicum of equal time to lampooning Democrats like Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, or Nancy Pelosi, can a person say that there is clearly no political agenda because Jon Stewart spent the majority of his time mocking politicians? Does he fairly distribute the mockery among prominent politicians without regard to political affiliation or ideological bent?

To echo a statement from part one of this discussion, the challenge is in judging what constitutes bias. How do a TV host and his viewers collectively establish a centrist perspective that would be completely apolitical? One person’s bias is another person’s reality.

The Political Persuasion of The Daily Show

In my current class focusing on media influence on society, we are discussing sarcasm and irony used by the media as part of healthy political discourse in society. One of the prime examples of irony given by the facilitator is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This is part of my discussion with the class about that program. What do you think?

From my viewpoint, it is difficult to dispute the fact that Jon Stewart does have a political bias. I don’t really have a problem with it, because the bias seems clear to me and I can filter my perceptions about the show using my acknowledgement that the program is partisan. On the other hand, it is a comedy show and uses satire and irony for entertainment. The show routinely exaggerates for comedic purposes so I don’t blame the producers and Stewart for creating that bias. The tongue-in-cheek nature of that comedic exaggeration is sometimes evident when you see that Jon Stewart is trying to stifle a grin. The same thing was obvious on the Weekend Update segments with Norm MacDonald. MacDonald's exaggeration was sometimes so over-the-top that it was clear that he was ready to bust a gut laughing at himself and the irony of the stories.

When I read in interviews that Jon Stewart has no political agenda in doing the show, I understand. I believe that he thinks he applies no bias. However, since bias is a subjective perception of self, what may seem nonexistent to him may seem clear to the viewer. The difficulty in judging partiality is that both the host and the viewer have to acknowledge subjectivity, because each person is different. When people watch the Daily Show and get annoyed because of the messages that appear to be part of a political agenda, maybe the viewer misses the point that it is comedy and involves satirical humor and irony. The other challenge is in judging what constitutes bias.

How do a TV host and his group of viewers collectively establish one centrist perspective that would be completely nonpartisan or moderate? One person’s bias is another person’s centrist reality.

This week's classroom discussion: The American Melting Pot

In class, we are debating the "American Melting Pot" versus the Salad Bowl. The idea is that in the salad bowl that they are trying to use as a replacement for assimilating and becoming an American, everyone embraces their ethnic diversity first, and becomes an American as an afterthought, really. That just doesn't work for me and sounds backwards.

All this talk about multiculturalism is so euphorian and politically correct, such nonsense, especially when individual cultures and Americanism can co-exist without the need to erase ethnicity. Some of the reasons that the "Melting Pot" is endangered include the strong emphasis on valuing multiculturalism over assimilation. I see no reason why I cannot celebrate my German heritage at the Oktoberfest back home where most everyone is German, and still be an American. I am not a German-American. My ancestors came from Germany (more or less), but I clearly am not a German! If I must be a hyphenated American, then I am an American-American... I didn't originate in Germany, after all. Whatever my ethnicity, in the end, I am still me, simply an American.

I do not ask others to forget their heritage, but I think that Americans have to remember that they are Americans first. To strengthen the American culture, loyalty has to be to the United States first and with a greater bond than ethnic diversity can ever lay claim. Even becoming a naturalized American, loyalty should be to your new country first, with nods toward the heritage of your origins. I believe that diverse cultures are very interesting and make life more dynamic, but I do not believe that sharing cultural flavor has to diminish the uniqueness of being a flag-waving American. Look at what America offers. There is more freedom to do what you want and to take chances to become who you want here than anywhere else. That is what distinguishes Americans from the rest of the world, the great extent to which freedom of expression and thought sets us apart from most of the world. If Americans of every race, color, and heritage would join together to express pride in being free, proud Americans, that is half the distance to the goal, I believe.

Now, I can see that last statement being taken too far, and that is a danger as well. How far do you have to go toward preserving the American Melting Pot before you become jingoistic or drunk with nationalistic fervor? History has shown countries that started out trying to unite, especially in hard economic times, and then took it too far, when a charismatic leader took the people to nationalism with an eye toward world domination (think of German and Axis powers and a serious superiority complex). So, what do we do, as Americans, to unite and embrace what it means to be an American first? Simple. Celebrate being an American, not a hyphenated American whose ancestors happened to come from some other country! Then, get together with your neighbors who happen to be of a different race or color, and share your cultural experiences and your ethnic cooking. I see this as a raison d'etre that can join people together. Sharing their cultural differences and learning how those things fit together in America can unite people under the banner of American pride. I know that all sounded like a pepfest for American cultural superiority, but America has no originating culture of its own.  At it's core, being American is itself a blend of world cultures, all melted together. That is the essence of the American melting pot.

 

If you are a native-born American, be proud of it and embrace it, because you are mighty fortunate to have been born in this great country. If you happen to be a naturalized citizen, shout out your allegiance to America first! Assimilation is not a curse or a mistake. Be proud to have melted into the stew that is American culture, a mix of the whole world's ethos, only this is better than any individual culture.  Celebrating American cultural pride comes with a great, big helping of freedom on the side. Now what is wrong with that?  

Ethnocentrism: Part 2

I was thinking about ethnocentrism and needed to think of a positive side, because the negative side was making me feel really melodramatic and pessimistic about the human race collectively ever getting it together. I still have big concerns in that regard, but that is what it means to be human, I guess. We make mistakes. But a positive side of ethnocentrism came to me... beer!

Okay, let me explain. I grew up in southern Minnesota. There is a city of about 15,000 people nearby called New Ulm. Sounds very German, and it is very, very German. The people living there could not be prouder about the colorful, festive side of that German heritage. They have a big, old beer party every October and they call it... what else? Oktoberfest. One of the oldest privately-owned breweries in the United States is there, making Shell's beer. They set up huge tents and have ethnic music, people wearing lederhosen are everywhere, and believe me, you have never seen so many yodelers in one place! As a student of history (and communications, of course), it is impossible for me to forget that Germany also had a very ugly period of nationalist fervor that got so far out of hand that it spawned two world wars and tens of millions of people died. I cannot forget the indelible stain that is part of modern history. But living decades later, I can see that there are parts of German heritage that are fun, colorful, and bring people together for good times. That type of ethnocentrism is a positive thing and worth celebrating.

A Post Driven by My Classroom Discussion of Ethnocentrism

This is one of my posts to my class today regarding ethnocentrism:

 

In 2009, there was a news story about how Congress was debating whether or not to pass a resolution telling Turkey that the Armenian genocide that took place in 1915 was, in fact, genocide and a crime against humanity. The debate centered around several things. I don't think that anyone in Congress really believed that this was NOT genocide, but to a degree that is speculation on my part. I would guess that the debate about whether or not to tell Turkey in a formal resolution that a bad thing happened there over 90 years ago is actually driven by concerns over access to Turkish air space and military staging areas for U.S. military maneuvers in the Middle East, especially in Afghanistan.

Now, to keep this relevant to the discussion of ethnocentrism, why is it so important to put it out there and state, without equivocation, that the Holocaust was genocide, that the KKK committed race-based crimes, that what happened in 1915 in Armenia was ethnocentristic genocide? The debate I mentioned above was also driven by the idea that to turn a blind eye to radical ethnocentrism is to empower it and allow it to continue in the future. I am absolutely certain that is continuing in various places in Africa and other locations worldwide, even in places that consider themselves to be civilized by some definition of their own choosing.

So why is it the business of America to say that the Armenian killings were genocide? I think it is a debate that is important for the entirety of humanity to discuss. If you have a pulse, you are qualified to discuss it, in my opinion, the same way that the Holocaust debate is not reserved just for Germans and the Jews. I think that in the rear view mirror of history, it usually becomes more clear that genocide has happened in the past... it becomes less debateable when respected scholars and historians say that it is an objective historical fact. I admit that I struggle with the idea that some people still debate whether genocides such as the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide have taken place. How much evidence does one need to understand that radical ethnocentrism never has a positive outcome? Ethnocentrism at its most fundamental happens when one group of people believes that another bunch of people does not have a right to be. It would be nice to pin down a fixed definition of ethnocentrism (though I agree that this is often subjective) so that in modern society, people do not stand by while one race wipes out another.

Gabriel lost his first tooth!

Gabriel lost his first tooth last night as he bit into a nectarine. He was very excited. He had it in his head that the Tooth Fairy brought a "lollipop". I explained to him that the Tooth Fairy was a lot like the dentist: he wanted you to take care of your teeth. He said "A penny?" I said that I was certain it would be something like that. We stuck his tiny tooth in a sandwich bag and put it under his pillow. The Tooth Fairy took the tooth and deposited 4 quarters in the bag. He proudly showed me his bag of loot this morning.

The Job Summit, Adventures with a Babysitter, and Hell in a Dentist's Chair

Can you believe all of this happened in one day? Well, two of the stories are related. The boys had a babysitter because I was going to the 1st annual MNSRA Job Summit at the Mall of America.

First: my fun. I parked in the parking ramp and managed to find my way back to the van at the end of it, but that just means I was smart enough to right down minute details of where I was parked. I got into the mall and had trouble figuring out where I was supposed to go. I figured, what the heck, at least I know it is on the 4th floor. I got on the elevator and pressed 4. Lucky for me, it was such a big to-do that I didn't have trouble figuring it out from there. I went over and wrote my name on a nametag that wouldn't stick to my polyester suit jacket, picked up a pack of stuff, and made my way over to the booth of only temp agency that was handing out plastic bags. I got their info and handed them my resume (lot of good it will do me) and shook hands. I made my way to another booth. All of these booths, except 2, were temp/temp-to-hire/direct-hire agencies that found work for clerical, customer service, technology, light industrial, and some banking and management positions. Maybe I have a shot if they don't require experience for light industrial or I prove that I'm knowledgable enough in Microsoft Office. Too bad I'm not Doug.

I went into one of the first presentations. It was on what employers are looking for on a resume and in an interview. It is a good thing I sat for that, because I didn't make into the LONG list of those getting a resume review. I liked the interview tips, but I can't get that far, so I need help in a different way. During the break, I found a booth of a company called Gradstaff. They place recent grads in entry-level positions. I asked if they would place a not-so-recent social work grad in an entry-level position. They said they would do that, so I gave them my resume. I am feeling slightly hopeful about that, because they obviously are not looking for experience.

They referred me to their presentation, which I didn't make it to because I couldn't figure out exactly where it was. I got caught in another one that was starting. It was kind of a happy accident, though. I ended up in a presentation by a motivational speaker for a company called FISH. This guy wasn't the founder, but he might as well have been. His passion came across to the entire audience. I know...that's his job...but he really did believe the principles. The principles of this company were based on behavior observed at the Seattle fish market, and were meant for helping companies succeed, but he applied them to jobseekers. It was really fun and uplifting. I even scored a stuffed toy fish for laughing at the guy's jokes. I laughed the loudest once. Afterwards, I even got a nice compliment from a guy. He said I had a wonderfully contagious laugh. Every time he heard me giggle, he laughed. :-) I'm glad I made someone happy. I also got some laughs from the people surrounding me when I told an old guy walking over, looking for a seat with a little uncertainty as to where to go, that I didn't bite.

During another break, I walked over to a table that caught my eye simply because of the word "community" on the brochure. I started talking to the employee running the booth. I asked what they do. She was telling me about the programs and I told her what attracted me and why. She said she is there to talk about their men's program but handed me her business card and told me to email her. I felt like I scored as much from that one as the Gradstaff booth. I hope she can help me.

When I got home, the children were sitting outside on the chairs with DeAnn, the babysitter. They seemed to have had fun, and that was confirmed when I heard about them going out for a walk, discovering the cemetery, talking about the crosses on the headstones, conning car salesmen out of balloons filled with helium, and bringing me back some fake flowers found blowing in the cemetery. DeAnn was really cool with them. They hugged her when she left. I'm sure I'll contact her again, especially since she is the closest babysitter I have met so far.

It was about 1 p.m. when I got back. Doug left his office for his dental appointment around 2:30. He told me the work was only supposed to take 45 minutes so he thought he would be home by 5 p.m.. I was waiting. By the time 6 p.m. came around and I didn't hear from him, I started to worry. However, I figured that the dentist's office had my phone number. I would have heard something if there was really an emergency. I finally got a message from him at 6:30 p.m. that he was done and coming home. He arrived in the doorway swallowing blood, swollen, and in major pain. I had to go to the pharmacy near his office to get some prescription pain killers and amoxicillin. (The darn insurance will only let us get medicine at CVS now.) I left right away because I saw the pain. He told me he didn't like being "a learning experience". Though the doctor was not new, Doug was special. The dentist had his assistant. After some struggling, they brought in the dental assistant of an oral surgeon who was a friend of the dentist. When she couldn't help, they brought in the oral surgeon himself. Eleven shots of Novocaine and two shots of some other "-caine" later, Doug was finally done. He was allowed to take a ton of pain killer, was restricted from many foods and any brushing for awhile, and had to chomp on gauze and ice his cheek. That was hell and I know that without even having gone through it. Poor Dougie.

What Comes Next? Longevity of Power Assured

So what is next? Universal voter registration. Before summer is out, this will be proposed and quite possibly will be the law. This will automatically register people to vote, using DMV records, income tax returns, welfare rolls, unemployment lists and government databases, and the CENSUS (counting citizens AND non-citizens). Why? To ensure the controlling party in 2010 remains in control in perpetuity. No ID? No problem!

Jericho picks out his own clothes

Gabriel has been picking out his clothes for ages. That is why he frequently goes places and doesn't match. Gabriel started helping Jericho get dressed in the morning not that long ago. He was even helping him go to the bathroom. Jericho has been getting more and more independent. About a week ago he started getting his own clothes and randomly going to the bathroom by himself. It is funny watching him struggle to get his pants and pull-up or diaper down and then getting on the toilet. He sits backwards so he can watch the pee hit the toilet and maybe aim it right to get lucky enough and make bubbles. When I say random, it really is random. We definitely don't have the potty-training thing down pat. I've decided to try and bribe him with M&Ms now. We'll see if it works.

Lola plays fetch

We took Lola out of her cage to play with her. Gabriel always wants her, but Lola always flies back to me. So I patiently stood in the kitchen with Lola on my shoulder so Gabriel could play with her. He took a clip out of her cage that I use to hang up sprigs of millet. He held it out for her to grab and she took it. The thing is rather chunky and metal and has a tiny whole in the middle of the parts you grab and squeeze to open the grabbing part. She grabbed that and then dropped it. Gabriel thought that was fun and gave it to her again. About the fourth time of doing it, she actually flung it. You could tell. We weren't sure before that if it was just accidental, but that really made it obvious that she was intentionally dropping it. Gabriel rolled with laughter. He said he was training her. On the inside I was laughing. I let him think what he wanted, but I knew the truth: the bird was training him. Our Sun Conure really is smart. I can't wait to do it again. I've never seen her actually do a trick. I usually put on music for her, but I think I'm going to have to put on those training CDs and see if she ever says a phrase. I'm still laughing that the bird trained my son to play fetch.

Jericho says his name?

The kids were outside sledding on the last bit of snow. It really is nice out. They disappeared around the side of the hill and I didn't know where they were. When I called out to them, Gabriel reappeared first and said that they made a friend. He also said that Jericho said his name. I've never once heard Jericho say his name. Many people have asked him, and he always sits there in stony silence. So I didn't personally hear him, but I guess I'm inclined to believe Gabriel. I just wish I could have heard what it sounded like. Maybe I'll hear it some time in the future when someone else asks him his name.

My animals visit zoo animals

Doug had lots of school work to do and the boys were loud and obnoxious. We needed to leave. We hadn't been to the zoo in awhile, so we went. I wasn't excited to visit animals in the cold air, so we hit the indoor stuff, the trails. The first thing you come upon is the Tropics Trail. I like that one. We saw all kinds of stuff: fish, turtles, birds, lemurs, red pandas, a hedgehog, and various other animals. The gibbons were on maternity leave. Then we went through the Minnesota Trail. It is partly open air. We saw beavers, mountain lions, wolves, a bald eagle, otters, more fish, and stuff about owls. They have these papers with squares with the names of certain animals, like the paddlefish, and paper embossers. Kids match up the drawing next to the embosser with the drawing next to the squares on the paper, put the correct square up in the slot, and press the handle as hard as they can. It puts a cool imprint on the paper. The boys had to do it. When we came out of the Minnesota Trail, you end out where you see the Tropics Trail, so I was lead that way again. When we came out of there, we went through the Minnesota Trail again. Of course, they had to do the paper thing again. I guess they had fun.

Jericho is racing a big dump truck across the kitchen floor from entrance to entrance. "One, two, three...'tum" (here I come). He gets to the end and says, "I wose (lose)! Yeah!" I'm laughing my butt off!

Gabriel amazes me again

Sometimes my kid really amazes me. We just finished watching Horton Hears A Who and he asked me: Mom, does the Grinch live on a speck? Not only did he connect the fact that both are Dr. Seuss stories, but he also realized that both main characters are voiced by Jim Carrey.

Busy Week

There is a lot going on this week, not all of which I can go into publicly at this time. So there! We are trying to clean up the house and get organized, but that is kind of a fool's errand, most of the time. The boys tend to scatter the toys as fast as things get picked up. Sometimes I manage to get them to help pick up. I think we need to institute a rule that they have to pick up their toys daily or we will downsize their toy collection (an idle threat... ) Then again, the boys are 4 and 2 (next Sunday) and one cannot expect them to act like little adults. Still, they are interactive critters and we can work to get them involved in the process (sometimes).

Barring awful weather, it appears we are going to the first night of Moondance Jam, courtesy of Raul and Rosalyn. I told him that I wanted to take pictures close to the stage. Not sure if that will happen, and I have a million other things to do, so part of me says that I really don't have the time for that. If/when we go, Raul's two teens would watch the boys. Raul would spend half his time in VIP and the rest of the time with us and the rest of the commoners. The last four shows include Jethro Tull, Journey, Sheryl Crow, and Kansas. The earlier shows are people I haven't heard. I am not sure how that will play out, largely because the last show goes really late. I think it starts at 11 p.m. You have to ride a shuttle back to Northern Lights to get to your car, so that would probably put us home at 2:00 a.m. or something. Heather really wants to go to see Journey, though, so... who knows? Then again, it might get rained out.

Speaking of that, Tuesday night, it rained like mad. We got 3.18 inches of rain in 90 minutes, and according to my weather station at the house, we got 1.98 inches of rain in one hour. There was a car floating in the water on the service road over by Target, so it did rain like mad. We needed the rain, though, so I am not complaining, and I honestly would like to see more rain after this soaker has had a few days to do its magic and get into the ground, so to speak.

I am installing a VPN upgrade at Northern Lights this morning. Time to get to work.

Connection

Gabriel wandered into our bedroom around 6:30 or quarter to 7 this morning, fully dressed, and crawled into bed with us. He started out laying at my feet, but cats kept getting in the way. He wormed his way up between me and Doug. Doug asks him what he is doing awake and tells him to go back to sleep. Gabriel curls up to me, as I expect him to, in a little ball. He's just like me in that way: falling asleep on his side all curled up. Doug asks him if he is cold and covers him with the blanket I always use because I'm cold because Doug wants a window or 2 open and the fan on medium. Doug lays back down, turning towards us, stretching his arm over Gabriel and putting his hand on my back. I can tell it is not Gabriel from the size of the hand, obviously. These feelings of warmth, calm, love and contentment wash over me. I instantly relax more. It is a simple connection, but that is all it takes.

I can't believe it!!!!

OH MY GOD!!!! I get to Prairie Bay and start dishwashing. About 10 minutes into it, the machine runs out of detergent. No big deal; it happens all the time. I go to the rack over where the mop bucket, broom, gigantic floor squeegee and other things are located. There should be some of this stuff there. There is none to be found. I look every place I can think. I ask the cooks on the front line. They can't think of any place that I haven't already looked. I ask Shane, the current bartender, if there are any management-types around. He tells me that he is the only one. I tell him that there is no dishwasher detergent anywhere, unless he can figure out where it went. One of the cooks tell me to just start washing stuff by hand. I'm starting to panic. The dishes are piling up. I fill the sinks with the commercial handwashing detergent and no-rinse sanitizer. I end up having to switch sinks that stuff is in when I realize that one isn't holding water. I use that one for the water rinse before the sanitizer. I start going nuts on sautee pans. The cooks need them. Time keeps passing and there are so many plates and bowls that I have to start handwashing them, too. I'm feeling like I did in school during a very important test or when attempting to start an essay that was worth many points: muscles extremely tense, my heart racing, inability to sit still to the point that I could to sprint 100 yards and MAYBE calm down. K. T., the only female cook and the only female in the kitchen aside from me, tells me that Black Bear Grill and Saloon may have something. She tells me that she would run to check it out but she doesn't have her license. I go as fast as I can legally get away with down the road to the restaurant. I walk in the front door in my men's size large white commercial uniform shirt and an apron tied around my waist and ask the hostess if I can talk to the kitchen staff. She leads me to the kitchen and say that I'm from Prairie Bay and they mentioned that might have some dishwasher detergent I can use. They show me their machine and I recognize immediately that the dispenser is the wrong one. I politely thank them for trying and head back. I tell K. T. that they didn't have the right stuff. I go back to my own version of hell and look at the glass racks that are filling up, wondering how I am going to manage to handwash those. I'm still washing plates when Jeff, this big tall Lurch-type who is constantly teasing me, comes back and hands me the very important commodity. I tell him, with this huge grin on my face, that I could kiss him. Applebee's was the restaurant where they finally found it. They called just about every place in town before locating it there. I stick the stuff where it belongs and load up racks, sending them through the machine. K. T. comes back and helps me out. I finally make it through the night, leaving a bunch of big stuff for the morning. I get off of work still extremely stressed out. That was one of those moments I never imagined I would have to experience.

a crazy dream

Doug reminded me that I forgot to post about, and completely forgot about, (my memory is so bad these days) a dream that I had that was totally off-the-wall. It was right before I woke up and I didn't remember all of it. I remember being in the middle of this Star Wars- type scenario. It was outer space, and we were kind of floating in space. We had the ability to move though, like flying like Superman. The bad guy was firing a laser gun at me. I was defending myself with these huge sheet pans (kind of gigantic cookie sheets for those unfamiliar with a restaurant kitchen). I was deflecting laser shots with them like a knight would deflect sword blows with his shield. When I told Doug about this, he laughed and said that I have been spending too much time at Prairie Bay (a really classy restaurant in town where I am the dishwasher). I suppose I would have to agree. I have fun in that kitchen, though. :-)

Gabriel's prayer

We were watching Horton Hears a Who this afternoon. We, of course, emphasized the pro-life message in it: "...a person's a person, no matter how small." We noted something I don't even remember from the book: the mayor of Who-ville has 98 daughters and 1 son. In fact, I don't think that is in the book. Anyway, Doug, of course, told Gabriel to tell me that he wanted a baby sister. I laughed and thought about my usual comment to that statement: I can only contribute an X. It is up to Doug cause us to have a girl.

Anyway, after the movie, Gabriel and I went to the store to get the milk that always seems to be running low. Gabriel got on the end of the cart. We didn't need one, but he insisted. I pushed the cart through the doors toward the fresh fruit and vegetable section. He was hanging on the end of the cart with his head bowed and his fingers interlaced. When he lifted his head, I asked him if he was praying. He said he was. I asked him what he was telling God. He said he was asking God for a baby sister. I swear to you, I started crying right there, pushing the cart down the isle toward the milk coolers. I told him that God would be the One to give him a sister or a brother. God is the One who gives us life. Maybe He will answer his prayer.

There are times when children can really take your breath away. This was one of those times.

The first dream in a LONG time

This was kind of strange, and that is why I'm sharing. I was a teacher at this school that was an elementary school with a preschool, kind of like what Gabriel goes to, but not religion based and very activity oriented and creative. I was friends with many of the teachers, loved the children, and was really happy there. I think it was in a slightly tropical setting. The grass and plants were abundant and very lush and green. The children spent lots of time outside, learning about botany and other sciences in real life applications. Each classroom was its own little building that was almost like a hut. Class size was small. There were stone paths between the classes and a stream nearby.

One day, as Doug and I were about to go to sleep, the room became invaded by animals that were not usually found in the immediate area: turtles and crocodiles. Even more strange, they seemed to be coming into the room through a drain pipe that was exposed because an appliance was removed and the hole wasn't covered. A crocodile started chewing gently on my arm, though, honestly, it looked a lot like the one Gabriel has that expands in water. We wrote it off in confusion until it started chewing on my arm and I felt that it had small, real teeth.

This was when I woke up because Jericho started crabbing. I wish I could have seen where it would have gone. It was odd and interesting. The scenery is still sticking in my mind.

tongue twisters

Lately, we've gotten into this bedtime routine of lots of books. There are certain ones that are favorites for Gabriel, it seems that we read them every night. The books that top the list are: Pizza Pat, Are You My Mother?, A Fly Went By, and Fox in Socks. See what I mean? Lots of rhythm and rhyme. I'm enjoying it, though. It's fun and a challenge sometimes.

"These are the sausages, spicy and choppy, that sat on the sauce, all gooey and gloppy, that covered the dough, all stretchy and floppy, that lay in the tray that Pat bought."
Pizza Pat by Rita Golden Gelman

Bedtime is fun. I love tongue twisters.

"Socks on Knox and Knox in box. Fox in socks on box on Knox." Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction (And What We are Witnessing with Obamanomics)

"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years."

Senator Padmé comments: "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause."

I weep for the future of America and for my children, with great justification and disgust at how almost all Americans are sitting idly by as America is becoming the U.S.S.A. Your freedoms are gone. Much of the power grab, AIG and other corporate bailouts, the public school system, the IRS, open borders, the Federal Reserve (which is not even a federal agency, in case you didn't know that), social security, federal government eminent domain, affirmative action, and so much more, NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY ALLOWED. Why are so many people so ignorant, not realizing that this is a nation of states that allows a federal government to exist? Until the Civil War, this nation was called THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Why? Because the United States is a nation with a federal government, not the other way around. The individual states are sovereign entities, and the federal tyrannical machine must bow to the rights of the states and to enumerated powers.

These dangerous, pathological winds of change are only temporary, and I can already see that the people are getting angry and dismayed. The pendulum will be swinging back to its proper place, favoring liberty, though even to wait for a few years will be too long, when the constitution doesn't mean a thing to these so-called constitutional experts in Congress and in the White House.

Mark my words... we will regret this vote for change. We already are regretting it. Less than two months, and Mr. Obama has taken more power for himself than any nation's leader since, uh... you figure it out. Think 1933.

Today would be a good day to say some fervent prayers to God for America and for our children. God help America. The U.S. turns its back on Him, and I regret that this nation does not deserve His favor.

Quick Comment on Muslim Claim

I wonder when there will be a response (or more likely, a disparaging retort) from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad regarding a news story that I read today. According to the German newspaper Bild, the original blueprints revealing the ominous 1941 expansion plan for Auschwitz have been found in Berlin. The plans included a room marked 'Gaskammer' (translates to gas chamber) and, according to Bild, "also include a crematorium and a "L. Keller" — an abbreviation for "Leichenkeller" or corpse cellar." The release of the blueprints for Auschwitz prove that the Third Reich planned to systematically kill the Jewish people of Europe. It will be revealing to see what Ahmadinejad has to say in the coming days, given that he has repeatedly stated that the Holocaust never happened. "These documents reveal that everyone who had even anything remotely to do with the planning and construction of the concentration camp must have know that people were to be gassed to death in assembly-line fashion," Bild wrote.

Given that Auschwitz was the largest death camp in Germany, and more than one million Jews were killed there, the idea that anyone who claims to be intellectually honest can deny the Holocaust in this modern age is ludicrous. This newly uncovered documentation proves beyond a doubt that the Nazi's "Final Solution" was underway before the United States stepped in to prevent the genocide of the entire European Jewish population.

Gee, maybe there is a lesson for the future in there somewhere, if we remember that by studying the past, we can prevent a repetition of the same grave errors in the future.

G. W. Exotic Animal Park (part 3 of 3)

This morning, Josh and I went back to see the ligers and tigers again. We went earlier, so that we could get in the cage with the 10-week old cats. The ligers were really wound up, but we managed to get them to lie down near us. Mostly, the cats crawl up on your lap and then start chewing on your shoes or each other. I got some pictures of Josh, and of the ligers chewing on my shoes, or just lounging beside or on us. This is the information I was given by the handlers: Even though they are small cubs now, these are still wild animals, and will some day be huge cats that weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds. The liger shares the characteristics of both the lion and the tiger. Because of its hybrid characteristics, the liger can be larger than a lion, and is possibly the largest cat in the world! Amazingly, while standing on its hind legs, a liger can stand approximately 12 feet tall. That is a big cat!

Okay. Here are the pictures of Josh and I, and the 10-week old liger cubs.

This was a very cool experience! Maybe next time, I can get some pictures of the adult cats, but not quite so close without a zoom lens!