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Friday, March 20, 2009

Albino Moose

I got these in an email from my niece. Beautiful & interesting pics of some albino moose. As long as I have lived in Alaska, having moose come all up in your yard & on the porch and such, I have never seen this. Come to find out, these pics were taken in Michigan. According to the email (I sure don't know), it's rare enough to see ONE of these moose, let alone two of them. Nice though.










Thursday, March 19, 2009

Totally Random Riff

  • Every now & then, I like to put brown sugar in my coffee. I like the different kind of sweetness that I get with it.
  • No matter how broke I get, I always keep Ambi & Oil of Olay Rengenerist on hand. I mix them and use every morning and night.
  • I hate my hair right now. Too dry. Too unpredictable.
  • I belong to too many sites online. Can barely keep up.
  • I think people with dimples are cute.
  • I have no idea who "Nas" is, but I like reading about him & his wife on the gossip sites.
  • I think Anderson Cooper is hot. I read somewhere that he is gay. I hope not (and how selfish is that? Like I'll ever meet him anyway.)
  • I love sardines.
  • I hate anchovies.
  • I get daily Bible verses by email & sometimes I delete them without reading them.
  • I'm really jealous of Beyonce (but, well, who the hell isn't?)
  • I think that Steve Harvey is hot. He has dimples, damnit.
  • I had a secret crush on a minister once. A married minister. (Not so secret since my husband knew. He told the minister I had a crush on him.)
  • I'm always ordering things out of ignorance in restaurants. Once I ordered Crudités because the name sounded cool. I didn't know they were raw veggies. (I also had to look up the word because I'd forgotten how to spell Crudités.) My mother was with me & she laughed through the whole lunch.
  • I have a weakness for pickled beets. And also garlic stuffed olives. I'm a garlic-aholic. I can't wait to try garlic ice cream.
  • I often boldly criticisze things that I later end up liking. Example One: The Show "American Gothic." Example Two: The Harry Potter books. Example Three: liver and onions.
  • I don't like pictures/paintings of people in the bedroom walls. I feel like the eyes are following me.
  • If I am really tired, I will sleep "ready roll." My husband hates this.
  • I have insomnia.
  • I am slightly manic-depressive.
  • I don't like to walk on dirt, mud or grass. Even with shoes on.
  • I have never smoked pot, but I got a really deep contact high when I was young. Scared the crap outta me.
  • I'm very picky about my alcohol. I only like very sweet wines, Corona beer, but I can't drink any whiskey straight. And I love cognac.
  • I'm addicted to sunflower seeds. Salted and in the shell.
  • I've never lived alone for any long period & I have a fear of it. Can't sleep, hear noises. Will usually stay awake all night & day sleep.
  • I'm extremely generous when I have anything to give, but I can be selfish with my time.
  • I'm a loner.
  • I'm no rocket scientist, but I find smart men very sexy.
  • I got so drunk one time that I thought I was going to die. Well, not really, but I kinda hoped I would die.
  • I have a big family & I love it. I don't like everyone in my family, but I love everyone in my family...
  • I love to cook. Sometimes I can really mess up a recipe.
  • I love cheesecake, hot biscuits with butter and apricot-pineapple preserves.
  • I don't know why I shared all this, but I feel better.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Motivating Women

So... I tagged Soulfull & the sister came back strong with her post on the "5 and 5" list I tagged her with. Let me tell you something: this chick has her stuff so together that she sent out motivating vibes to me.  Any woman, any mother, any daughter - y'all should go check her post. (We are both on Twitter, so I'm gonna get to thank her today! Does anybody else reading this Twitter???)
 
Everyone has a vibe. You can be around some people & start to feel dragged down. You can be around other people who make you feel pumped up and energetic. Some vibes are weak & some are strong. I have the feeling that Soulfull is one of those people who gives off a power vibe. You know, she can make other people want to feel ready to get things done.

A long time ago, when I had first started working in the customs brokerage industry, I had a female boss named "J." At first, I really looked up to this woman. She was smart and efficient and I wanted to be just like her. For the first 6 months or so - while I was learning the basic ropes of the various duties - "J" was really cool. She acted as a sort of mentor to me. I caught on to the job quickly (probably because I enjoyed it so much) and was promoted from clerk to department supervisor. This brought me to the attention of J's boss. He seemed to be pleased with the job I was doing in one department and within another six months or so, he promoted me to head a larger department. Of course, I was thrilled. Like I always had before, I would turn to J for advise about different situations I had to handle. Funny thing: the better I became at my job, the less pleased J seemed to be. Instead of offering advise and constructive criticism, she began to act peevish about anything I did. She stopped dropping by during the day to chat and she no longer emailed me to point out helpful articles and information.

J eventually relocated out of state to another division. I stayed with the company for over 15 years. I worked under a lot of different bosses - male and female. Some of them had mentoring personalities and some didn't. A lot of them made it clear that they were just passing through to the next rung on the ladder.

The thing is, J had started out being such a motivating and energizing presence in my professional life. The way she dimmed her enthusiasm really affected the way I related to co-workers (above and below me). For one thing, I learned how to mentor and be consistent in my approach. But I also learned how much we can affect the people we come into contact with. We can be motivating, apathetic or damaging.

Ever since those first days in that job, I always watch for the kind of energy people give off. I don't mind working with people I might not personally like, but it's a real effort to deal with people who are a drag on energy. It's not productive and it can spread through a workplace like a virus.

Hopefully, in my life, I will meet more people like Soulfull. Because of my old boss, I can deal with people like J, but I prefer positive energy.

Go check out Soulfull's blog & try to soak up some of that motivation (then go out and spread some around).

Peace
--Free

Monday, March 16, 2009

Playing Tag

Two things led me to do this post:

1. I read about Altovise Davis (Sammy Jr's widow) passing away. She was 65. 
2. I got to wondering what "middle-age" is. Found out it is defined as being aged between 40 and 60 years. (So...I've been middle-aged for SEVEN damn years & didn't realize this???)

That all kind of depressed me until I realized (modestly, of course) that no one who meets me believes I am over 35. That helps a little on most days. But, damn - I'm considered middle-aged! And not just middle-aged, but almost 10 years in... Wowwwww.

So. The post is going to be about 5 things I absolutely want to acheive before I die and 5 things I'm happy I have already done. Then I'm going to tag a couple of folks that I haven't messed with in a looooooong time. (Just because the idea of playing tag - even online - sounds young and fun!) Here we go:

5 Things I Wanna Do Before Dying
(sounds like a Tupac song, huh?)
  1. Lounge on a boat in the middle of a beautiful lake on a beautiful day. (Doesn't have to be a big boat - shoot, it can be a raft!)
  2. Take a cruise. (I don't know why exactly. I've never learned to swim because I'm afraid of deep water. And of drowning.)
  3. Walk on a beach at sunset. (A real beach - not the sandy, litter-filled trench that is called Goose Lake here in Anchorage...)
  4. Spend a night on a screened-in porch, talking and listening to night sounds, drinking something warm and comforting.)
  5. Walk around Paris or Rome just people-watching.
5 Things I'm Glad I've Already Done
  1. Held a newborn baby, smelling their skin and watching those little movements they make.
  2. Spent long evenings with my mother, laughing and talking about her childhood.
  3. Made up with my father & had wonderful times with him before he passed away.
  4. Gotten dirty and dusty and played for hours with my cousins on both sides of the family.
  5. Had a grown-up slumber party with a bunch of girlfriends.
I'm going to tag Supa and Soulfull and Mz Newy... Hope they catch it; I been out of touch for a long while! Go get it, sistas"

Peace
--Free

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Real Battles

I have a very, very close girlfriend who is going through some major relationship drama. I mean her drama makes my situation seem like a two-bit stumbling block. So right now she is very down - feeling like her world is coming apart (anybody been there before?) and we were talking about ways to use your faith to get through.

Anyway, we got on the subject of the fear and anxiety and depression she is dealing with (yeah, when I say she is going through some stuff, I do mean through some s t u f f!) and using our faith to combat all that. I remembered some books I had read that dramatize how demons prey on us. There was a series written called "Chronicles of the Host" that tells the story from the war in Heaven to the Crucifixion and Resurrection - but all through the eyes of angels. The other books were Frank E. Peretti's. He told stories of people (and ideas) under attack from demonic forces and he showed the battle between angels and demons.

The point I wanted to encourage my friend with is this: we are not just random things here on earth. We are created beings and there really is a war going on over our souls. We just have to remember that we have a choice in getting and hanging on to our faith that there is a God in Heaven Who does love us. The demons aren't little pointy-tailed imps with pitchforks. The demons are Despair, Pain, Misery, Fear... You know - all the things that keep us focused on darkness. But God is there always. Sometimes, we get so surrounded by our problems that the darkness shrouds us, but even so, there is always that light of our faith out there. The light might at times be just a pinprick of light, so dim or seeming so far away that we feel like we aren't ever going to be close to and warmed by it again - but it is there.

Anyway I was trying to encourage my friend to just try to stay focused on that light. I (yeah, me, with my sad, depressed behind!) wanted her to keep in mind that in life or in death, that darkness can only overtake us if we give up on the light.

I guess I needed to say all that to her to hear it for myself. As I was talking to her, I was thinking how low I have let my faith get.

So, everyone out there, pray for my friend (and for me). Pray for all the women and men who are in those relationships that are dangerous, unhealthy, unloving - whatever. Don't criticize, but just try to offer up some love and comfort.

And those books I told you about? Please do take a look. Those authors were writing under a blessing.

The Chronicles of the Host
that's the author's site
Here is where you can peek at Book 2 of 4
Here is where you can peek at Book 3 of 4
(by D. Brian Shafer)
***
This Present Darkness
The author's site
sneek peak here, or here
Piercing the Darkness
sneek peak here
(by Frank E. Peretti)

**If for some reason the links don't work for you, just Google Booksearch for them**

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Words Just Fail Me

I wandered over to Hot Ghetto Mess to see what it was all about (because I'm always hearing about it), and one of the first pics I saw was this one:


I just.... Oh, my, my, my. I have no idea what to say. These people here - they must be just so... confused? Drugged? In a cult????

Think about it: they actually got up and got dressed and got themselves down to a studio to have this picture taken. On purpose. By a person who could see them. By someone probably trying their damnedest not to fall over laughing.

Is this photo now being displayed somewhere in someone's home? Where anyone can come in and see it??? (I bet you money that I don't even have right now that the studio uses this picture in some way - either as an example of how NOT to pose or just as a good laugh-inducer.)

Foolishness. Just plain foolishness. And don't blame this on the "ghetto." This is just pure mess. Ghetto has nothing to do with this kind of shameful ignorance.

Oh, Lord, someday we all will be free - just not today.

**smh** sigh.....

Peace
--Free

Friday, March 13, 2009

Rest in Peace, Dr. Shannon

I wanted to express condolences to the family of this wonderful doctor.

Too often, we don't hear about people who do worthy things with their lives and careers. This man did so much. And I love the fact that he had a passion separate from his work. I'm glad that he spent his last days enjoying himself dancing and spending time with his wife.

The man was only 55 years old, and I can't help but think "Why?" Why someone like that, with so much to give and live for? Things like this make me question how God deals with us. Not to be fatalistic, but I did immediately think: "Lord, I'm not curing people. I'm not even handling my own life in the best way. So why take this man. Why take someone with his drive and ambition and abilities to do so much good?"

Well, I just wanted to note his passing. Make people aware that there are so many amazing people out there, doing good and living life the way it's meant (I guess) to be lived. I didn't want to NOT note the death of someone like this. (And, of course, the writer in me wonders what on earth caused his death. I mean, is this going to turn out to be something strange and mysterious?)

Anyway, rest in peace, Dr. Shannon. I wish comfort and strength to your family and friends.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Pet Peeves & Mood Swings

I have a bunch of pet peeves, but I have learned that there are bigger things in life to concern myself with than the petty stuff - so I usually ignore my pet peeves and just thank God for my blessings.

But.

I have two pet peeves that just hang with me -

Number One: people who ask you something just so they can argue their own point. You know what I mean - the person who asks something like, I don't know, how you like A-line dresses. Then when you say that you like them fine, they look all right - or whatever you have to say about A-line dresses - the person who asked your opinion proceeds to tell you all that is wrong with A-line dresses and why THEY prefer wrap style dresses with less of a flounce...

What the hell??? You didn't start this conversation with them. And you don't really care which style dress they like. But. THEY asked YOU YOUR opinion. So why then are they going to get into a pissing match with you about it?

So that's my biggest pet peeve of all because before you know it, the person has got this self-satisfied SMUG look on their face while they shrug you off and turn to the clerk and ask to be shown all the A-line dresses in stock. And, of course, it looks as though YOU were challenging their opinion...

Why do people play these games? Boredom. Unhappiness. Spite. Passive-aggressive issues to do with their feeling of importance? Bad day at the office? What? What they hell causes such mean-spirited bullshit?

**shrug**

My peeve was more personal to me, but the next one is maybe more irritating because it can happen anywhere to anyone.

Number Two (and this is one that a blog buddy & I have emailed back and forth about since she had some issues in her life): People who don't know the meaning of "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" (or however the actual saying goes).

Blog Buddy (BB) and I had a good laugh over a co-worker of hers who just LOVES to point out the faults of other people - when she has some of the exact same faults. For instance - and this is the one that had BB really heated up - the time when Ms. Critic had the nerve to say that another co-worker was ..... wait for it, wait for it.... "too critical." Yeah. And this is after she had sent another co-worker to the bathroom in tears after ranting about how poorly she had done a particular duty. (BB says that the tearful co-worker is one of the sweetest folks you'd want to work with.) Of course, BB is no timid Milly. She had to go off (just a little) and point out to Ms. Critic how insensitive she was. BB reminded this chick that she tended to be a little bit nit-picky herself. Of course, Ms. Critic couldn't see this at all. BB says the woman looked absolutely stunned to think that anyone saw her as being "critical."

Amazing. Throwing stones, caught HOLDING the damn rock with shattered glass all around your feet, and still being surprised when someone calls you on it. "Who? Me? Why, nooo, I was just cleaning up these stones and all that pesky glass...."

BB is now on a mission. She says that she talked Ms. Critic into thinking that it will be for her own good if someone is kind enough to point out to her when she is being a little critical. And BB has appointed herself as the lucky "someone." Kind of has Ms. Critic backed into a corner, huh? The whole time BB is smiling at her, Critic just knows she's waiting to pounce whenever she makes a nasty move. Brilliant.

Like I said though, people just amaze me. I guess they don't ever remember every good Mama's rule of thumb about treating people the way you want to be treated. Nasty is as nasty does, and all that. I mean, do people think they're always going to be the one with the upper hand? Don't they ever stop and think that the power, money, position - or whatever it is they have is not just a blessing but also a test? I mean, if you can't be a decent person when things are going well for you, what the hell kind of person are you going to be if things get tough for you?

I just don't understand people. Oh well, that's why I have my blog. I can get all this kind of stuff off my chest and I don't go nuts. I pack all this away in my little notebook on the study of Why People Do The Things They Do and call it another lesson in the course on humility that God is putting me through - hahaha...

So, Blog Buddy, maybe we should do a post together one day on all the rest of our pet peeves?

Peace
--Free

Tent Cities, Rolex Watches, Apathy... Ignorance?

I have not been watching much of the news lately and it wasn't until last night that I became aware of the tent cities in California.

Tent cities are springing up in California as thousands of people hit hard by foreclosures and big job losses say they have nowhere else to go.
A friend called me and we were talking about our own tough times. I was crying to her about this and that when she reminded me that there are people so much worse off than I. Then she told me about the tent cities. My heart just broke.


Where will all this end? So many people losing everything. So many people just trying to find a way to hang on. And then I see stuff like this item about Miss Lohan (doesn't she live in California), on a shopping spree. She can spend $50k on watches? Her money, but has SHE heard about the tent cities? How much food or water or toiletries would $50k buy for the people living in the tent cities?

But I can't just point at the celebrities. There are businesspeople, other artists, etc, who have vast amounts of money - and who live right there in California. Don't they see the problems? And, yes, I know it's not just California - the financial pain is being felt everywhere - but the state that is such a symbol of fame and wealth... That's just sad.

Here's the thing. The friend who was telling me about the tent city in the first place is just an ordinary woman. She is single and doing okay financially. She was thinking of taking a vacation to California in a couple of months. When she realized what was going on with the tent cities, she came up with the idea of spending her vacation handing out food and water and (she's an animal lover) pet food. She thinks that maybe she can buy some diapers and toiletries, some second hand cookware and give it to these people. She thinks that she would not enjoy a regular vacation when she could be doing something to help those hurting people.

Okay, so if SHE can think about how to help - she, who is not anywhere near wealthy by any means - why can't some of those people who get to live in such luxury?

Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe there are wealthy people trying to help. Maybe. I don't know. Haven't heard about that, but I will try to find some examples.

Remember Mr. Diddy - from my post yesterday? Well, when he was on Ellen's show, he talked about how he likes to Twitter out "positive messages" of encouragement to his followers. Okay. He says he has over 100,000 followers on Twitter. Maybe he could send out a message about taking some positive action and helping those less fortunate. Just think, if Mr. Diddy asked each of his followers to donate at least one dollar to help the poor, that would be some serious help for those in the tent cities. Look where they could help.

I don't know. It all depresses me. It depresses me that I missed the story. It depresses me that people who didn't miss the story aren't speaking up more. It depresses me that there has to be a story. The California mess is just one of many that I am sure is happening all across the country.

Anyway, I am going to be thankful for my own blessings. I'm down about as far as I ever thought I would get, but I'm not living in a tent city. Yet.

I don't have money to give, but I can and will try to remember those people in my prayers. I will pray as much for their minds as for their bodies because I know that one of the "side effects" of a financial crisis is depression. When you get depressed, you lose a lot of the energy it takes to pull yourself back up & believe that you can help yourself.

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Cold-Blooded (or maybe not)

Got a call from my brother down in AZ. He says he was over at the unemployment office (thank God, just to give a friend a ride there and back) and saw the funniest (or saddest) thing happen. Some brother was up in there and tried to "talk" to a woman who was there in line with a friend. Apparently, this woman got a little bit offended that a man would try to pick her up in the unemployment office. My brother says she looked this man up and down and went into a Broadway act.

"Lord Jesus, I KNOW I asked You to send me a man. I KNOW I've been praying for a man to come into my life. But Lord, LORD, I didn't mean for You to send him to me from the unemployment line!"

My brother says he just about fell over trying not to laugh. And I guess when the embarrassed REJECTED man slunk off, the woman still wasn't finished with her lament. She went on and on to her girlfriend standing there about why somebody would have the nerve to be up in the unemployment office scrounging for dates.

"What can he do for me? And what can I do for him? I have kids to feed with this money. Neither one of us has a job? And he's gonna come all up on me in the unemployment line?"

My brother says that the woman finally let her girlfriend calm her down, but - DANNNNG! That's embarrassing. I mean, can you imagine? And, according to my brother, the guy didn't even leave the office - he just went over and sat in a corner trying to look innocent.

Now. First off, I wanted to laugh at the guy. But then, I started thinking: this could have been like one of the moments in a Tyler Perry movie. I mean, the guy is out of a job (obviously), but he sees an attractive woman and tries to make conversation. Could turn out that they ended up being an encouragement to each other. Could be, she's the rock that holds him steady while he gets on his feet in life.

Yeah. Right.

On the other hand, that is a little pushy. Asking someone out when you need to be concentrating on getting yourself together. I mean - the unemployment office? Really?

So, I did think it was funny (although, knowing my brother, he probably exaggerated some of the story...)

What do you think? As a man, would you ask someone out while in the unemployment office? As a woman, would you be offended? Anybody feel sorry for this guy & think this woman was a little bit harsh?

I don't know what I think. I'm still just kind of shaking my head... **uh, uh, uh** Kinda made me think of the TLC song about "I don't want your number and I don't want to give you mine."

Peace
--Free

Saturday, March 07, 2009

In The Deep

Describes just the way I'm feeling today.
Thanks, Bird York for a beautiful, beautiful song.




Thought you had
All the answers
To rest your heart upon.
But something happens,
Don't see it coming, now
You can't stop yourself.
Now you're out there swimming...
In the deep.
In the deep.

Life keeps tumbling your heart in circles
Till you... Let go.
Till you she'd your pride, and you climb to heaven,
And you throw yourself off.
Now you're out there spinning...
In the deep.
In the deep.
In the deep.
In the deep.

And now you're out there spinning...
And now you're out there spinning...
In the deep.
In the deep.
In the deep.

And the silence,
All your secrets will
Raise their weary heads.
Well, you can pin yourself back together,
Well, who here thought you would?
Now you're out there livin'...
In the deep.
In the deep.
In the deep.

In the deep...

Now you're out there spinning...
Now you're out there swimming...
Now you're out there spinning...
In the deep.
In the deep.
In the deep.
In the deep...


Sometimes, it's good to be in the deep; that's when you learn how to swim.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Not My Mama's Church

I don't know what I'd do without C&D pointing out this kind of foolishness to me. I'm still not sure if this is really a church or just somebody's creative rent party...





See, that right there is what's wrong with some churches today - not Christians and not Christ, but the churches. This is embarassing and sickening. Why not just invite Beyonce and her dancers in to do the singing while wearing something provacative? I just. don't. know. what. to. say. about. that. mess.

This makes no sense at all. None. I watched this and had to grit my teeth. I just wanted the Lord to show up right when acting a fool got so good to that choir "director." I don't know what makes me sadder - the fact that this happened or the fact that they took it so far. When did singing praise to the Lord start being about the singers glorifying themselves, or about the choir director showing her moves? And, by the way, those were some pretty sorry moves. Looked like she was having what my mother would call a 'conniption fit.' And by the other way, did that singer really believe she could sing well? Sing at all?

SMH

First of all, if they were going to put on that kind of show, those girls could have put on some good bras and girdles for that little walking-in number. All I saw (other than that really bad choreography) was bouncing titties and guts. Then, I could hear people actually laughing. Laughing like they were up in some kind of juke joint or something instead of a church.

Was this a real church? Where was the pastor or church mother or even just a regular person with some sense of reverence for a house of God?


If I am wrong - if I am being too judgemental or if I am missing anything worthy at all here, somebody let me know.

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Book Alert

Just a quickie post to shout out:

Please hit the link on the title to this post. I want you to check out the excerpt from "Stigmata" by Phyllis Alesia Perry (and remember that name!) because it is the most readable, wonderful story I have read in a long time.

Once again, here is the link to the excerpt.

Peace
--Free

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Two Traveling Angels Story

Two posts today - because I am singing because I'm happy! I finally found the angel story that I had referenced in this post. It's a nice lesson.

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it."

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you need to trust that the outcome has a purpose. You just might not know it until some time later...

Peace
--Free

We Are More Than Conquerors

 "I sing because I'm free!"

I've been on such a hard long road & I have such a long hard road ahead of me.

I am asking God to be with me as I start out on a long road of "starting again." I have worries and fears and plenty of anxiety about what life will bring, but I don't doubt God.

A while back, when I was angry about things that have happened in my life, I thought that there was no good in any of it. My mother used to say that God has a reason for everything that happens. I am just now realizing that. I'm not saying that I'm glad for the things I have been through, I'm just more aware that they have changed me for the better.

A few years ago, I was complacent and apathetic about a lot of things. I went to work, spent money, paid bills, ate more food than I needed, bought things I could have done without, and went to sleep not worrying about whether I would wake up.  I took so much for granted. I have since learned how precarious everything is: food, shelter, comfort, laying down to sleep with no known worries. I guess I'm back on the "This Too Shall Pass" thought!

When I get scared about tomorrow or even the next hour, I try to think about people who have been through the valleys and made it to the peaks to praise God from there: Maya Angelou and Tyler Perry come immediately to mind. Now I understand why Mr. Perry is so very thankful.

If you are out there, comfortable and feeling safe in your life, know this from someone who has been there: you should be ever so thankful for every single moment of peaceful rest and daily contentment that you have. Thank God every day for your blessings because it will make you stronger for anything that might come to test you.

I have been (am being) tested every moment right now, but the best way I can give glory to God is to not give up. He knows me, He knows my troubles, and I believe He is with me. I know that He won't let me get so low that I cannot get back up.

But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows. (Luke 12:7)

My current test is to remember that His promise is for daily bread - not a week's supply or more, not a pantry full, but just daily bread.

So, the following is my favorite promise from the Bible:

Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.    Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.    For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,   Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

Keep this blogger in your prayer.

Peace
--Free

Monday, February 23, 2009

Bailey Quarters

Baby, if you ever wondered, wondered what became of me...

I was watching WKRP In Cincinnati today on Hulu & something occurred to me. You know how whenever you watch a show from the 70's or 80's, you notice how not only the general fashions have changed since then, but even the way people seemed to look and act. Well, if you take a look at the character Bailey Quarters (played by Jan Smithers), you might notice that she has a look that didn't really go out of fashion. Her hair, her make-up - and even, most of the time, her clothes - would all fit in today. She was naturally pretty & didn't need a lot of make-up or hairstyling to enhance her looks. Maybe that's it.

You can see what she looked like in this pic.

Anyway, once I noticed that character, I started to really pay attention to the others. Loni Anderson's Jennifer Marlowe was, for that time period, the sexy one, but looking back, the character's look is so ...seventies.

Of course, once I got started (what can I say, I needed a 15-minute diversion from stress), I went ahead and looked for current pics of the ladies. Not many very current ones of Smithers, but from the ones I saw, she still is a beauty. What I didn't know was that she had once been married to James Brolin... Hmmm. And Loni Anderson still looks great. I mean, these ladies have to be in their 60's, right?

I checked out Gary Sandy (he played Andy Travis - remember, he had the great hair?) and he seems to have aged well too.

With all the TV Land & Nick At Nite (and Hulu and Joost), we get used to seeing these people frozen in time, playing those characters from 30-some years ago and it's hard to think of them as aging along with us. WKRP started airing the year before I graduated from high school & I KNOW I've aged (nicely, I'd like to think!), but it's still such a time-warped kind of feeling.

Just think - in 20 or 30 years, my little nieces and nephews are going to be talking like this about the Disney kids they are so into now... Time does just go on, doesn't it?

Peace
--Free

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Easy To Connect

It's amazing to me how easy the internet makes it for people to connect.

I was checking out some links for my other blog (yes, this IS a plug for Trudy's Tracks!) and I ran across the Yahoo-run MyBlogLog. (The funny thing is, I have had a Yahoo account for at least 6 years & I'd never heard of MBL.)

Anyway, while signing up for MBL, I was offered the chance to include all my other web "connections." There was a long list of sites - Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, etc - that, if I was a member of them, I could show that on MBL for others to connect with me. Like I said, there were the usual, well-known sites listed, but there were a bunch of other sites I'd never heard any word of: Bebo, Bright Kite, Dopplr... It's a long list. There was even an alternative to Twitter (Google's Jaiku).

Of course, I checked out the sites and added links to them over on Tracks, but I am still kind of amazed at the variety. If you are searching for real estate - there's a site. If you want to share your travel tracks - there's a site. If you are a DJ and want to be listed in a directory - there's a site for that too. If you want to list a product or service, share stuff you find online, network with gamers, or if you want to help people out with micro loans - there are sites out there for ya. It just goes to show, if you have an interest in something, you can always find other people with the same bent. The web just makes it nice & easy for us all to connect.

One of the sites that really caught my eye was Shelfari - a networking community for book lovers. Wow.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up about the kinds of things you will find over at Tracks.

Peace
--Free

Friday, February 20, 2009

Talking About In The Nick of Time (happy endings)

Just when I was thinking what a miracle it was for a woman to be saved from gunshot by her dang hairweave... I was so happy for this guy. He was in a coma and about to have his life support turned off - just before he woke up...

Wowwww.

Nothing else to say about this one really except I spotted it on my Google Reader and then discovered a site called News Monster. An interesting site, this one. Along with the coma rescue story, I noticed one about Hitler connection to the occult (yeah - big surprise there, huh?) and links for other "weird" news. You might want to give the site a look-over.

Ann Coulter Is Worrisome

I watched Joy Behar's interview of Ann Coulter on Larry King Live. I'm not sure what hits me wrong about ol' Annie. Well, actually, it's that so much about her is wrong or somehow "off." As I listened to her, some things flashed through my mind:

1. She does not really take herself seriously. She does what she does for the status and the money and the thrill of it all.

2. If she'd been born in a different time, she might have been a Hitler mistress or one of the plantation women who hated and lusted after the slaves.

3. She takes herself seriously. (That right there frightens me.)

4. If she woke up changed into one of the types of people she likes to criticize (let's say, black or Jewish or a 911 widow - ooh, or maybe a single mother) she'd never be able to survive the hardships they all have.

5. She is ignorant in morals and compassion while being book-smart. (And there really is a difference in being "book-smart" and intelligent.)

6. She is dangerous.

7. She has a hard time admitting any truth that does not fit with her opinions.

Yeah, so... I thank God that Annie is at least well-known because undercover haters can do a lot more damage.

Here's the interview I saw:

Embedded video from CNN Video


Peace
--Free

Thank You, BLOGGER GUIDE!!!

Just a quickie post to thank the the dude over at The Blogger Guide. What a life-saver.

I needed to widen the columns of my blogs - Being Free & Lotta Laughs. Well, this is no easy trick if you are a ME and have not a tech bone in your body... I went right over to Blogger Guide and he had the instructions (blessedly dummy-proof!) for changing the width of both templates (I use a Minima on one & a Scribe on the other) AND, get this: if I hadn't found the details for the templates I do have, I could email him for more. Whatta guy! Whatta nice, nice (and SMART) guy.

So, a big Thank you to The Blogger Guide Guy (BGG). He's the second person on my Tech-Hero list (Kim Komando was the very first).

If you need to fiddle with your blog, I suggest you go over and check out BGG. He's got info on adding and changing columns, customizing colors & fonts, and all kinds of other stuff to either jazz up your blog, promote it or keep track of what's happening with it. Go on over there and get schooled by the best!

Peace
--Free

Thankful

A while back I heard the story of 2 traveling angels. They stayed one night with a poor but nice family who were having a lot of troubles & spent another night with a wealthier and not-so-nice family who also had troubles. The junior angel was puzzled that the senior angel helped the wealthy family and not the poor family. The senior angel explained that things are not always as they seem and the poor family turned out in the end being blessed most of all. I don't really remember the story better than that, but I did get the lesson. Sometimes we should realize that the very things that annoy us are really blessings. My niece Gwennie sent me an email with the following that illustrates that very nicely:

I am thankful for the wife
who says it's hot dogs tonight,
because she is home with me
& not out with someone else

For the husband
who is on the sofa being a couch potato,
because he is home with me
& not out at the bars

For the teenager
who is complaining about doing dishes,
because it means she is at home
& not on the streets

For the taxes
I pay,
because it means I am employed

For the mess
to clean after a party,
because it means I have
been surrounded by friends

For the clothes
that fit a little too snug,
because it means
I have enough to eat

For my shadow
that watches me work,
because it means
I am out in the sunshine

For a lawn
that needs mowing,
windows that need cleaning,
& gutters that need fixing,
because it means
I have a home

For all the complaining
I hear about the government,
because it means
we have freedom of speech

For the parking spot
I find at the far end of the parking lot,
because it means
I am capable of walking
& I have been blessed with transportation

For my huge heating bill,
because it means
I am warm

For the lady
behind me in church
who sings off key,
because it means I can hear

For the weariness & aching muscles
at the end of the day,
because it means
I have been capable of working hard

For the alarm
that goes off in the early morning hours,
because it means I am alive

And
I am thankful
for the crazy people
I work with,
because they make working interesting & fun!

And, finally,
for too much email,
because it means
I have friends who are thinking of me


P.S.: I even like the tags at the bottom of the email. One reads: "Live well, laugh often & love with all of your heart!" The other reads: "Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is SERIOUS!" (I may have to take one of these as my blog motto!)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Genevieve (she's a dog, people!) & Gizmo (he a dog, too)

My niece has had her shitzhu, Gizmo, for a few years. He's a character, truly. He is the only dog I know that 1) "talks" back (he does this little bark/yowl thing when you are fussing at him) and, 2) can sit straight up on his butt for the longest time (this is usually when he is trying to beg you out of something). He's a little piece of my heart.
 
Gizmo has been an only pet for all this time, so when Gabby - my niece - got another shitzhu, Gizmo was wary - but he's trying to be nice:




Giz is the bigger, lighter-colored pup. Genna is the little brat acting like she doesn't want Giz sharing HIS bed with HER...

Genevieve (Genna, for shorts) is also a character. For one thing, she looks really sweet and timid - but she's NOT. The first time Gabby brought her over, she looked so lost and helpless (you know, getting used to the big fam and the other dogs and a cat) that you just thought, "Awwwww..." Yeah. Until one of the dogs tried to take away her treat.

You do not want to tick off this little doggie. But she is a cutie:

 
  
  
See what I mean? "Awwwwww..."


Anyway, Gabs has been going through all the minor adjustments of having a second dog in her home. Genna and Giz have their jealousy issues, they compete for Gab's attention and the toys, etc. Genna is pretty opinionated & if you think a dog can't be opinionated, you will understand when you see this pic Gab sent me the other day. She had just bathed Genna and the subject of the email the pic came with said it all: "She's pissed":


I love it.

Poor Gabby.

Showmanship vs Salvation

I saw this over at C&D and I thought it was going to be a little bit humorous. Shame on me.

I'm not sure how I feel about this "sermon." I mean, there is a message and their seems to be a lot of sincerity, but... Does it really take all that? I grew up going to the Holiness church, so I'm used to the style of preaching, but when they rolled that casket out... and then when he made his "re-entrance," all I could wonder was, was he preaching to reach people for Christ, or was he just showing out? (Imagine the conversations later when people are talking about how he "Sure did preach today!")

Lately, I've been through some major stuggles and changes in my life. I have been crying out to God and literally putting my face to the floor in prayer. When I see this over-the-top kind of theatrical preaching, I'm thinking that's not what people need in these tough times. People need a pastor who is touching them in a way that matters to their situation. If I'd been sitting in that congregation, I'd probably have wanted him to stop all that carrying on and just put his hand on my head in prayer. Or preach about getting through trials. All that acting out that he did would have probably sent my nerves right over the last edge. We have to start getting real here, folks, times are really rough and souls are in pain - even Christian souls - and if I want a show, I can go to a movie. Church is for faith and strength and encouragement to hold out in this race we are in.

I know that some of you are going to think I'm being too critical, and maybe I am. I just don't know how this one makes me feel. Take a look for yourself.



Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Lotta Laughs

I am just such a glutton for punishment. I had an old defunct blog (actually, I never posted anything on it!) and I deleted it today. Could I leave well enough alone? Nooooo, not your girl. So, I replaced it with a new one. This makes, what? My second new blog in a week?? Yeah.

Anyway, the new blog is Lotta Laughs. Because I always find something hilarious when I am darting all over the web. Lord knows, in these rough times, we can all use more laughter. So. Skip over and check out the new spot. I found a new fave blog to visit: Cake Wrecks (you'll love these guys) and I put in a nod or two at a couple of blogs that poke fun at celebs.

Please enjoy. Oh, and check out a site called Feedjit. I love that they feature blogs regionally. I found some gems over there today.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Words By Maya, Lesson By Life

I do so love Maya Angelou - she and Countee Cullen are two of my favorite poets. I ran across a piece Maya's poem, "Alone" the other night:

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty


Wow - "Where water is not thirsty." That made me think of Heaven and the promise of faith. (It's even better when recited by a skilled reader.)

And, in the mood I've been in lately, there is this one by Pablo Neruda, "Clenched Soul."

We have lost even this twilight.
No one saw us this evening hand in hand
while the blue night dropped on the world.


Indeed.

But I will go back to the main source of real comfort. 2 Peter 3:10-11, 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous crash, and the [[a]material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.

I've heard it said that this was the inspiration for the following poem.

This, Too, Shall Pass Away
Author: Lanta Wilson Smith

When some great sorrow, like a mighty river, Flows through your life with peace-destroying power And dearest things are swept from sight forever, Say to your heart each trying hour: "This, too, shall pass away."
When ceaseless toil has hushed your song of gladness, And you have grown almost too tired to pray, Let this truth banish from your heat its sadness, And ease the burdens of each tring day: "This, too, shall pass away."
When fortune smiles, and, full of mirth and pleasure, The days are flitting by without a care, Lest you should rest with only earthly treasure, Let these few words their fullest import bear: "This, too, shall pass away."
When earnest labor brings you fame and glory, And all earth's noblest ones upon you smile, Remember that life's longest, grandest story Fills but a moment in earth's little while: "This, too, shall pass away."

Beautiful. This, too, truly shall pass. Thank You, Father.

Peace
--Free

Monday, February 16, 2009

New Site O' Mine

I can't believe I didn't mention it here (or maybe I did & in my recent state of craziness, I don't remember), but I have yet another site.

The new site is called Trudy's Tracks & it's nothing but links. I created it because the most popular posts I did on this site was one filled with links for writers. When I created BLinks, I didn't get the same kind of response & I figured it's because the links got lost in the posts I would do. So. I created the new site with very little posting and just a ton of links under various categories. Of course, the biggest set of links are for writers and researchers (since that is still my main love), but I included a bunch of stuff for other interests.

There are links for doing cool stuff with your PC (like tweaking some functions or getting free protection), shopping (so far, a lot of cosmetics, but a bunch of bargain sites and some tech sites too), some of my fave blogs, and lots of other stuff, including networking sites for us "older" folks.

The site is turning out to be a lot of fun for me. I get to share links of all the various places I seem to run across all the time and, of course, I am forcing myself to discover things that I might not have otherwise. One of the more interesting categories I worked on was for the networking sites. Like a lot of people in my age group, I knew about the Facebook/MySpace sites, but I was surprised to find that there are similar sites geared to different interests. I found sites for Baby Boomers and people looking to hook into family... Oh! And I added some genealogical sites. That was another favorite category.

Right now I am working on transferring some of the sites listed on BLinks over to Tracks. Eventually, I will be deleting the BLinks blog. Let's face it, I have way more blogs than I have time to deal with them! And it's not like I get a bunch of traffic on them. I figure if I concentrate on the content of one or two blogs, I will get more response because of the better content. Makes sense, right? Right!

Anyway, try to get over and take a look. Probably I need to change the headings of some categories, but I'll get to that later. For now, just browse through and check some out at random.

Peace
--Free

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Alone-ness

I thought that marriage was going to mean never feeling alone. You know - even at the worst of times, financial, emotional, worry, joy, tears, laughter - all that would be shared. I thought that being married meant having someone who understood you better than anyone had since you were a child & your mother could tell your mood just by glancing at you. I thought that I would feel somehow more complete.

I don't think I have ever felt more alone than since I got married.

When I was single, I never really felt alone. I guess because I realized I was single & didn't have the expectations of a married woman. I had friends and family and my writing - and that was all I counted on. But to count on another person only to be disappointed... I guess that's what the saying "You don't miss what you never had" means - except in my case it would be, "You don't miss what you never hoped for."

Now, these days, I often contemplate leaving my marriage so that I can be more fulfilled. Or at least have a reason for feeling lonely.

Wow.

But I am trying to hold on just a little bit longer. Mostly because I take my marriage vows so seriously, but partly because I am afraid of leaving just when things might actually get good & marriage might just become what I had hoped.

Isn't the mind a funny thing?

Peace
--Free

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Rescued on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day almost sucked, but then a friend sent a poem written just for me.

Self-esteem is such a huge part of human survival. Lately, my feelings of worth have taken such a beating that I sometimes can't remember how joyful I used to be; how beautiful I used to feel. So I am very grateful that there is at least one person out there who cared today.

Thank you (& you know who you are).

Peace
--Free

Monday, February 09, 2009

I Can't Stop Myself

I've gone and done it again. I have another - yes, ANOTHER - blog.

I wanted to improve on my concept of offering useful links. My BLinks blog wasn't feeling right to me. Now I have Trudy's Tracks (and, yes, I know I need to improve on the name; I'll keep working on that. In the meantime, tho, I am really pleased with the content.

Check it out HERE and then let me know if you have suggestions for more links or categories.

I believe that fellow writers and researchers are going to like the new blog.

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Christian Bale Needs to Get a Grip (No matter what Whoopi says)

Apparently, Joy Behar has more common sense than Whoopi on ths subject of Christian Bale. The ladies discussed that maniac's rant & Whoopi had this to say: “If I have to jump out of character to tell you something you should know?” Goldberg later continued. “You’re in a zone and it’s crazy.”

Yeah, it's crazy all right because it's just a movie!

You can try to defend Bale all you want, Whoopi, but he's still a jerk. And if you think what he did was okay, then you're buying into a whole selfish argument that being an artist comes before being human. When anyone behaves the way Bale did, what they are saying is, "I am so important that I can disregard being mature or decent or in control of my temper. I am important, damnit."

In a zone, my a**. He's in a fog of his own ego dust.  He should try getting out of his zone and realizing that his "zone" doesn't over-ride anyone else's zone.

Whoopi, Bale acted like a jerk. You are being silly when you try to defend his behavior by calling him an "artist." Like artists cannot be expected to behave decently. And you have the nerve to talk about being "professional"... C'mon, that's such a joke. What Bale should do is put himself into the shoes of the guy he went off on. What if that guy had things going on in his life (and not just his "art") that Bale didn't know about? What if when Bale's rant came on a bad day for this guy and made him feel more depressed or despaired or worthless than he may already have been feeling?

I don't know about you guys out there, but I've had days where a smile or decent word from someone (even a stranger) is the only thing that kept me going for a while longer. I've also had days where I was really feeling good only to have a Bale-like jerk be rude and ruin my sunshine.

Here's what I want to know: does Bale just have anger and control issues? I think I remember hearing about his bad temper from other incidents. Hmmm... Maybe he was just being a professional then too - no, wait, the last time I heard about him going off, it had to do with his family. Want to explain that one, Whoopi?

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Christian Bale Needs to Get a Grip

What a jerk.

I just listened (over at Perez Hilton's site) to Bale's tirade. Man, this guy makes so much money to do something that he supposedly likes doing, but he has to act like that big of a jerk when something pisses him off? He couldn't just be pissed off and done with it? He has to rant and rave and be that self-important over a scene in a movie? It's a freakin' movie, jerk - not a cancer research project, not a world-hunger-solving problem, not anything but a damn MOVIE.

If you want to put your anger where it counts, take it to Congress and argue for better healthcare. Stand in line with a homeless person who is trying to get a life together away from the streets. Stand up to someone JUST LIKE YOU who may be acting rudely to some LIKE THE GUY YOU WENT OFF ON.

Get the hell over yourself and just be thankful that all you have to be pissed about is someone "ruining" your scene. At least you don't have to be worried about where your next meal is coming from, or how to pay your kid's doctor bills, or ... Well, you don't have anything THAT life-important to worry about. Guess that's why you have energy to bust an artery over a scene in your movie & yet you lack the guts to do something more useful with yourself...

Agh!!!

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Where the police wrong? Should this woman be compensated?

There is a local story in the news here about what happened to a woman back in 2004.

This lady was out shopping in a mall with her son. There was a robbery at a bank in the same mall. The police showed up looking for a female suspect of a certain description (a heavyset African-American female in her 30s wearing a dark blue shirt, dark sunglasses, a black headband or bandana, tennis shoes and carrying a dark bag). The police detained the female shopper (45 at the time, was smaller and wearing a white, nylon jogging suit with a light blue shirt underneath. She was carrying a purse and a white Sears bag, and was with a child) - cuffed her, searched her, refused to let her son use her phone to contact his father.

This all happened in view of one of the busiest roads in town. People gawked, there was news footage, and a couple driving by recognized the woman being detained as someone from their church.

Eventually, the police determined that the woman they had detained was not the suspect. They released her. No apology.

The woman later sued. She lost (well, she won a part of her suit and was awarded $1) and now owes court costs and attorneys' fees of over $45,000. The judge thinks the lawsuit was frivolous. The jury was an all white jury.

By the way, here is how the news describes the innocent female shopper: 
  • Anchorage businesswoman and mother of two
  • She and her family were immersed in a church conference in the days leading up to the incident. 
  • She was at the mall shopping for something to wear to a church banquet
And her husband was, at the time all this happened, on active military duty (the police found the female's military ID).

The real robber was found later that evening, dressed as she had been described, hanging out in a seedier area of our town.

So, what do you think?

Peace
--Free

Friday, January 30, 2009

Funny, Funny

Okay. So many of us have been having a crappy, depressing week that I thought it was time for a giggle or two or...Well, just to have a laugh. I found some funnies to share.

One-liners:
  • Someday, we'll look back on this nervously and change the subject... (courtesy of Hilarious Quotes- as is the next line...)
  • I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
  • On the keyboard of life always keep one finger on the Escape key (link here)
Bumper Stickers:
  • Never give yourself a haircut after 3 margaritas
  • Who lit the fuse on your tampon? (Bit o' fun)
  • If you're going to ride my ass, at least pull my hair & make me scream
  • If you're not a hemorrhoid, get off my ass
  • Eat Right, Exercise, Die anyway
  • Damned if I do, Damned if I don't...so, damnit, I will!
  • Horn broken - watch for finger
If you hate your job sometimes:
  • I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead
  • Difference between the Pope & your boss: The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring
  • Work: it isn't just for sleeping anymore
  • The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off due to budget cuts
  • If at first you don't succeed, try management
Just cute & funny:
  • Take my advice, I don't use it anyway
  • Even crime wouldn't pay if the government ran it
  • It's not how you pick your nose, but where you put the booger
Confucious Say: (Thanks again to Bit Of Fun!)
  • Crowded elevator smells different to midget
  • Virginity like bubble - one prick, all gone!
  • Man who scratches ass should not bite fingernails
  • Man who drive like hell bound to get there
  • Panties not best thing on earth, but next to it
Why...? (Bit Of Fun)
  • ...Is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid with real lemons?
  • ...Don't psychics ever win the lottery?
  • ...Do we drive on "parkways" and park on "driveways?"
  • ...Do we choose 2 people to run for President & 50 for Miss America?
  • ...If "love is blind," why is lingerie so popular?
  • ...Do you press harder on the remote control when you know the battery is dead?
And, even though I know it's wrong...
Yo Mama Jokes:

Your mama is so ugly...
  • ...When she joined an ugly contest, they told her "Sorry, no professionals."
  • ...When she tried to take a bath, the water jumped out 
 Your mama is so old...
  • ...Her social security number is "1"
  • ...When she was in school, there was no History class
  • ...Her birth certificate is expired
  • ...She knew Burger King when he was a Prince
And, okay! That's enough of a giggle for the day. I feel a little bit better - how about you?

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Undiscovered Yahoo...

I learned something about Yahoo completely by accident today.

My husband - who HATES using a computer - actually got himself an email account. Well, actually a young guy he knows set the account up for him. Tim wanted me to send him a pic of myself (get ya minds out the gutta, folks!) and since he never can access the ones I send to his phone, we decided to try the PC this time.

ANYway... when I got the email address from the guy who set the account up, it was a "Ymail" account. I was like, "What the hell is ymail???"

Ymail is Yahoo's apparent answer to Google's Gmail.

Now, I've been trying to tell you peoples about the beauty, simplicity and mostly-spam-free wonders of Gmail, but y'all are just hard-headed. I don't think one of my friends or family signed up for a Gmail account since I mentioned it. I heard excuses like, "I'm used to my **fill in name here** email account." Or: "I don't want to deal with all the signing-up hassle"... Yeah, yeah, yeah... Whatev...

Well, I guess the folks over at Yahoo were paying attention to the folks like me who LOVE Gmail because they decided to do something similiar-sounding, similiar-looking, and (though it remains to be seen) similar-acting to Gmail. They did start with the biggie that Gmail had going for it: Unlimited storage...

Ta-daaaa!!! We have Ymail.

The deal is, Ymail is Yahoo Mail, except instead of being whoever-ever@yahoo.com, a user would be whoever-ever@ymail.com.

Also, when you do get a Ymail account, you have to sign in with the whole shebang (whoever-ever@ymail.com) instead of just being able to use the whoever-ever user ID like with old Yahoo mail. That's a little tedious if you share a PC or for other reasons have to sign out and back into your email often. (Not so bad for a user who can stay signed in.)

Now, a nice little perk is that when you DO sign up for a Ymail account, you get the options to do something I never noticed with Yahoo mail where you can "Connect" with people you select via your Profile. (As far as I know, with old Yahoo, this was mainly done via Yahoo 360 - which I hate because of the inability to delete page...)

What I like about the connections/profile thingie on Ymail is that you can share (with the folks of your choosing) such things as your presence on the web in various circles: Twitter, Blogger, Picasa etc. For instance, since some of you lazy-assed boogers don't check this blog often enough, you can now see it on my Ymail Connections page (that is, IF you bother to connect!) I like that you can limit who looks at what. You do these little invites or just open up your page to "anybody."

Once I signed up for the Ymail account and "updated" connections, profile, info, etc, I signed back into my old Yahoo email to see that the Ymail changes/functionalities had transferred over. In other words, I was able to do the "connect/update" thingie from my old account also. Interesting (and kinda fun!)

It doesn't stop there. I guess when you sign up for Yahoo now (as a new user or as someone just adding another ID), you have a choice of selecting which of 3 Yahoo domains to use: Yahoo, Ymail, or Rocketmail. **shrug** (I'ma leave Rocketmail alone for now!)

So. My man - in a roundabout, accidental way - led me to something new on the World Wide Web.

Peace
--Free

Monday, January 26, 2009

Just So Sad

I wasn't going  to blog today, but this just made me so sad.

  • How is it that no one was checking up on a 93 year old man? How lonely he must have been to have no one close enough to care at least that much.
  • How is it that an electric company can turn off (oh, excuse me - "limit") power IN THE WINTER, in a place known for cold temps. How can they do that without more of a process to ensure things like this don't happen?
  • How is it that (if & when the employee went out to attach the "limiter" device to the home) that employee didn't check on the old guy? Maybe if he'd done a courtesy chat, he'd have realized the guy's age and factored that into the decision for limiting power (or passed the info on to someone in charge).
  • How is it that we have come to this kind of tragedy?
  • Will it even make a difference? Will people who have elderly neighbors now check on them more often? Or offer assistance? Share some time and a meal with the old people? Or maybe refer helping agencies, churches or other caring individuals to that person who may be in need?
Lord, Jesus, when is the misery going to end? I guess it has ended for one elderly person, but how sad that life ended that way for someone who must have survived so much else. This old guy made it past 90 years. Now he can't share anything of what he learned with anyone else. Now he can't pass along wisdom and knowledge or just observations about life. Now he can't remind anyone of a time (if there ever was one) when his tragedy just would not have been allowed.

This is the United States of America. We are human beings.

I'm just so sad right now.

Peace
--Free

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Three Spottings In Blogosphere

No real post today. I'm writing (yay!!!). But I cruised around and this is what caught my eye:

Ridiculous


Interesting & a little scary


Cute

Peace
--Free

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I Don't Disagree With Bill Cosby, But...

I watched a clip from the Rachel Maddow Show where she talks about the possible influence the "Huxtable Effect" had on the election of Barack Obama. The idea is that becuase Cosby presented this fictional family on television that the American public was better able 20-some years later to accept a black man as a leader. I guess this has to do with social trends influencing people's perceptions.

Ms. Maddow interviewed Mr. Cosby and his collaborator Dr. Poussaint. I admire both of these men a lot for what they have achieved and for the fact that they are trying to reach out and educate others. And I agree with them (to an extent) about education and conformity to positive social norms being important to success.

But.

Here's the thing: not everyone, whether from a "normal" home (that is, with two decent parents) or not, is college material. Not everyone is going to be able to fit in with the current standards and offerings of higher education. Some people would be better suited to recieve affordable and viable training in a trade or business. (And I know that it's been said that a basic college education is absolutely required to compete in our "global market." I don't now if I agree with that. There will always be jobs that people can be trained -outside a 4-year college - to do. I think that there will always be labor jobs. If not, then it's not just going to be a problem for non-college educated folks; it's going to be a problem for whichever groups of people who fall short of the very top percentage of any kind of education.)

Let's say that you are a good worker in your field of choice. Let's say that you would be perfectly happy and productive if you could just work your average job, pay your average bills - nothing out of reach - and, if you wanted, be able to send your children on to higher education (if that's what they are suited for). What's wrong with that?

Well, what's wrong with that - or has always been - is that, if you are black (or any other kind of social minority), you were often not even allowed that. Because in most organizations, those in a position to offer those jobs were so many times white people who didn't have your job security as a priority over other white people. Or - even worse - sometimes black people in higher positions were just as much your on-the-job enemy as a white person. (These black people probably feel like you should have gone to college like they wanted to and did.)

It's all about the way people feel. Someone sees a white person who is content to toil away for years at a low- or middle-level job is seeing someone "hardworking," and "reliable," They say that people like that are the "backbone" of America. But if you see a black person in the same position, you hear things about their lack of "ambition," lack of education. Again - it's all about the way people feel. We all tend to base our actions on our feelings.

If you stop and think about it, you will probably come to realize that there are a lot of people who don't yearn for a big office to work in, business cards with a nice title printed on, or the ability to talk expense accounts and corporate travel. There are a lot of people who don't care to have a large or expensive home, the latest and greatest automobile. There are a lot of people who would just like to work, feed themselves and their family, have reliable transportation, be able to go to a doctor when needed, come home, enjoy their family time, and go to sleep at night knowing that life as they know it is fairly secure. There are a lot of people who don't sit around thinking about how to live off the government without working.

See, so many people don't want anything but to have a place in life and in their society. What's that old saying? About happiness being "something to do, something to love and something to hope for?" Well, we don't all aim to do grand things or love the same people as others, and we don't all hope for the biggest and brightest. Some of us have simpler joys and hopes.

I guess I'm on a rant because whenever one group or another talk about success, they talk about it only from their perspective.

So, Mr. Cosby, I never went to college, but I (and so many other who are currently in despair) would be a success if you and the rest of society appreciated my definition. You and I are not that different in our core beliefs about human nature and responsibility. I don't have out-of-wedlock children. I worked everyday on a job that I was good at. I paid my bills and didn't live "above my means." When my nieces needed to be cared for (with no help from the State or Government), my sister, mother and I took care of them. We didn't do it because of anything other than the fact that this is what family meant to us. When my mother got sick, my sister and I took care of her (and, by the way, so did those nieces - because it's what they learned at home). When times got tough, we tightened up and stuck together. We didn't steal, lie or cheat. We didn't ask the government for any undue help - unless my mother's SSI and other benefites of the elderly, like home weatherization counts.

And you know what happened when my employer was bought out by another company? Even though I was a good worker (the better of two in my position if you looked at performance reviews and other accounts), I was the one demoted down. The other worker, a white male - who had iffy reviews at times and much less positive feedback from co-workers - was kept on in the same position and even promoted soon after.

So maybe when we talk about "bettering" ourselves, we need to address bettering the society we live in. If it helps to make the point about our society, let me tell you something interesting: I got sick a few weeks ago. Being single, child-less and uninsured, I could not afford health care. One agency I called for help explained to me that if I had a dependent child or if I was receiving "benefits" (translation: "welfare benefits"), I would be eligible for some kinds of programs to help pay for a clinic/doctor visit. 

You can make certain arguments for certain people. You can always say that some people are lazy, immoral or criminal or that they simply lack a sense of conformity to polite society. But what do you say about the rest of us? What is offered for the rest of us? I never thought it should happen that having children out of wedlock or collecting welfare would be to my advantage when I needed help to see a doctor. But maybe that's just me.

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Thank You, Jesus!

After I watched this video today, I just had to take a moment and stop to thank my Lord Jesus. I had to ask His forgiveness for my recent self-pity and despair. I asked God to give me in MY circumstances just a little bit of the faithfulness and joy that this beautiful man has in HIS circumstances.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Voices From Slavery

I do love YouTube. As a writer/researcher, I have found more information YT than almost anywhere else.

This video is interesting (wish I'd taken Fountain's advice!):





Peace
--Free

Spelman's Oral History Project

On this extrordinarily notable day of history, I wanted to mention something that's being done to record history.

Check this out:




Peace
--Free

Friday, January 16, 2009

Very Interesting Film...

I watched the most interesting film tonight: The Lazarus Phenomenon. It starts out with information about Near Death Experiences, then goes into the story of a Nigerian man who was dead for three days before coming back to life again. There is also an account of another man's experience, but the first story was the most compelling to me.

I found the film on more than one site - some loading and playing better than others - and here is the link to the Google video version. The best-playing one is found here as Part 1 and Part 2 - the only problem being the small screen size making it difficult to read captions clarifying what the Nigerian speakers are saying.

I came across the film while looking for Christian films to view online. I have seen a lot of the more common Christian videos so I was surprised that I had never heard of the Lazarus film. It's a pretty amazing story & the main effect that it had on me personally was to make me realize that I need to be more forgiving of people who have hurt or offended me. You will understand this when you watch the film for yourself.

In case you are interested in seeing more Christian films, TBN has some on their site that you can watch and/or download. Also, check out Premier TV - "Christian TV On Demand." Let me know if you find others online.

Peace
--Free

Thursday, January 15, 2009

The End Is...Close???

I was raised inthe "Holiness" church (yes, people called us "Holy Rollers!"). I believe that the Holy Bible is the Word of God. And right now, I'm beginning to believe that we are living in the last days and times spoken of in the Bible.

The Bible talks about "wars and rumors of wars," and the newspapers talk of wars and rumors of wars. The Bible talks of people being "without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good," and we can look at the world around us and see the evidence more and more everyday. In Matthew, we learn that one of the signs of the nearing endtimes will be famines - just like in all of history, but more so. We read in the news about millions of starving people. We are told that knowledge will increase. Everyday, the scientists and wizards of business and technology come out with something new. As soon as one technology comes out, somehow it is being improved. The Bible tells us that the gospel will be spread all over the world. I don't even have to pull out my printed Bible to look up passages - I just pull up chapters and verses right on my PC.

*** and, yes, it's interesting that the famine link I used is from a "globalization" site***

I also believe that Israel plays a huge part of prophecy. What's going on in the Middle East right now? Well, what isn't going on there?  Israel is a part of God's heart and there are people who hate the nation.

So. I am sitting here, observing the turmoil in society, politics, the weather... And I'm thinking of something my mother used to say: "God is trying to talk to us." We're not listening.

And the biggest sign of all (at least, in the way I've always thought of it)? When people start cryinng out, "Peace" when there will be no peace.

I do believe we are living in the "end times" and I just pray for all of us.

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Alaska Living Today

Well, I may not want to be here after over 30 years, but I can't say life in Anchorage is boring. (Okay, yes, I CAN say that because it often is, but...)

Woke up this morning to the news that schools are closed because of the icy roads. That almost NEVER happens here. It is Alaska, after all - all we've got for most of the year is icy roads. So you know it has to be a nice mess for things to shut down.

We had days and days and days of below zero temps. When it warmed up yesterday to around 18 degrees, we damn near celebrated with patio parties... Then at some point, the temps shot up to the high 20's. THEN... freezing rain.

So, yeah, I guess the roads are bound to be a little bit icy. I'm hearing news updates about certain roads being shut completely down. One of my nieces - who has problems with her nerves when driving on SNOW - is talking about taking a taxi to work. My sister is missing dialysis this morning because she can't transfer from her wheelchair to the SUV and we don't want to risk getting in a wreck in the car we use. Such a mess.

I hate this damn place.

And even better (or worse), for the lucky souls who would be eligible for those famous Permanent Fund Dividends - well, turns out that the Fund is bleeding money. Rumors yesterday were that there may be no payout to the citizens this year. Doesn't bother me. I screwed up my eligibility by moving. Now, I was bothered as hell about this when those high-paying checks came out last time. I was so depressed then that I couldn't bear going into WalMart and Costco, watching people throwing that money around when I could have been paying off bills with it!

So, life in Alaska today...sucks. Sucks, blows chunks, stinks like a sulfur wind, and just plain makes me bitter. Couldn't even write a decent post!

Peace
--Free