Thursday Thirteen

Today I thought I'd make a list of 13 people who are no longer with us (at least not physically) who I would like to have interviewed at one time or another, and what I might ask.

1. Jesus. Obviously, the Son of God needs to be interviewed! I would ask him about the importance of religion and why it is necessary. Also, God, could you explain once and for all why there must be evil and suffering?

2. Shakespeare. I would ask the greatest playwrite of all time how he came up with his ideas and where he found the time to write. And tell me, Sir William, what do you think the future holds for your profession?

3. Joan of Arc. She has always fascinated me and I would love to know what those voices really said. How did it feel to lead armies, Joan, when you were but a child?

4. Amelia Earhart. Lady daredevil and interesting woman. Tell me, Mrs. Earhart, exactly what did happen to you when you attempted to fly around the world, and then vanished?

5. Mother Teresa. She was a vision of purity and goodness, ministering to the sick and the impoverished. Mother Teresa, how does one obtain a truly spiritual existence?

6. Thomas Jefferson. He was a brilliant, if eccentric, man, full of many ideas and enlightened thoughts. As one of the writers and signers of the US Constitution, he has a lot to answer for. Mr. President, can you tell us exactly what was meant with the first and second amendments?

7. Mary, Queen of Scots. As ruler of Scotland in the 16th century, and enemy of the Queen of England, who ultimately beheaded her, Mary had a life of intrigue. Like Joan of Arc, she led armies into battle. What do you most regret, Madam Queen?

8. Leonardo DaVinci. As one of the most famous thinkers ever, he would certainly have something to say! He was a great inventor and painter. So tell us, Leo, just who posed for the Mona Lisa?

9. Franklin D. Roosevelt. As the president who implemented the New Deal and lead the US during World War II, he was either a pretty smart fellow or a great statesman, or both. So FDR, what do you think of the country now?

10. J.R.R. Tolkien. The creator and author of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit ushered in quite an era of fantasy. Mr. Tolkien, can you tell us where your ideas came from, and how do you feel about folks who continue to use worlds that look very much like Middle Earth in other works?

11. Ludwig Van Beethoven. There must be some music in my life somewhere, and what better place to start than with a master? Mr. Beethoven, how were you able to continue to compose even after you lost your hearing?

12. Jane Austen. This great author would be a delight to speak with, I am sure. Ms. Austen, what do you think of  current stories that have reworked your own work?

13. Jane Addams. Jane founded Hull House in Chicago and was a famous sociologist and social reformer. She recognized the need for shared responsibilites in society and advocated for the good of all, not just a wealthy few. Ms. Addams, what do you think of our society today?



Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 188th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

House for Rent

I have an older farmhouse type home available for rent. If you know of anyone interested, please send them to this page!

The house has over 1,700 square feet. It is private and sits on two acres of land.

Books: The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The Five People You Meet in Heaven
by Mitch Albom
Copyright 2003
Unabridged adiobook read by Erik Singer
5 hours

Meet Eddie. He is 83 years old and the head of maintenance at Ruby Park, an amusement pier along a beach somewhere in the northern U.S. On his birthday, he is killed when a car from a ride plunges to the ground and lands on him as he tries to pull a little girl from harm's way.

Eddie goes to heaven. He finds it is not the Garden of Eden but instead a place where one must revisit his life in order to understand the things that happened on earth before the soul can move on.

His life is explained to him by five different people, some close loved ones and some people he hardly knew. Each, though, contributed to major turning points in his life.

All of his life, Eddie considered himself a "done nothing" who made few contributions to society. He was raised by a loving mother and a neglectful and physicially abusive father. Aside from marrying his beloved Marguerite, he felt he had little to show for his 83 years. And she had died young, at the age of 47, so his last years he had spent alone.

If nothing else, the book indicates that all lives are worth living, and that no one is a "done nothing." As John Donne said, "No man is an island," and this book emphasizes that type of thinking - that we are all connected, we are all in this together, we are ultimately none of us alone even though loneliness can sometimes be overwhelming and it feels like the entire focus of our existence is forestalling that empty feeling.

This is not something I would have sat down to read, but I am glad I listened to it whilst driving (which is when I listen to all of my audio books).  It is a book that made me think, for sure.

Albom is the author of Tuesdays with Morrie. Folks might be a little more familiar with that book.

View of the Farm

My husband and I took a walk today out across the hill on the farm. This is a little video showing you the scenic views. Enjoy!

The Meme Thing

I found this over at Sweet Virginia Breeze and thought I'd play along. It's a holiday Saturday and I'm tired from cleaning house, but wanted to put up a post! It's an alphabet meme.

A. Age: 47

B. Bed: queen

C. Chore you dislike: cleaning the toilets

D. Dogs: None at the moment, but I had oodles (and poodles!) growing up and one as an adult.

E. Essential start of your day: a cup of tea, a walk on the treadmill, a shower.

F. Favorite color: purple
G. Gold or silver: silver

H. Height: Apparently I'm shrinking, but the last check was 5' 2". Very short.

I. Instruments you play: It's been a while so I might not be very good at these any more, but in my time I have played piano, guitar, flute, banjo, mandolin, saxophone, piccolo, dobro, dulcimer.

J. Job title: freelance writer, college student, homemaker

K. Kids: None

L. Live: Southwest Virginia

M. Mom's name: Mom!

N. Nicknames: None that I will admit to.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Age 5 to remove a large mole, 6 times for operations for "female trouble," culminating in a hysterectomy at the tender age of 29, once for e-coli, once for chest pains, once to remove a lodged piece of hot dog from my esophagus. The last three were spent in the ER but I was there for almost 24 hours each time.

P. Pet peeves: people who say they are going to do something and then do not.

Q. Quote from a movie: "What's taters, Precious? What's taters?"

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: One brother

T. Time you wake up: The alarm goes off at 6 a.m. every morning.

U. Underwear: Yes. Eewww if you don't.

V. Vegetables you don't like: rhubarb, okra, chives, rutabagas

W. What makes you run late: very little. I'm generally early.

X. X-rays you've had: Dental x-rays, MRI, arm, legs, esophagus - lots. It's a wonder I don't glow.

Y. Yummy food you make: chocolate lush from my grandmother's secret recipe

Z. Zoo animal favorites: lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

Books: Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen
by Janet Evanovich
Read by Lorelei King
Copyright 2010
Playing time: 7 hours
Unabridged

Janet Evanovich seems to have returned to form with Sizzling Sixteen, or else I'd just been away from the books long enough to find them entertaining again. Since Twelve Sharp I'd felt something was missing from the books, some unspoken spark, but I did not feel that so keenly this time. Publisher's Weekly calls this one "tepid," and reviewers on Amazon blast it to pieces. So maybe I am feeling generous at the moment.

Stephanie Plum must rescue Vinnie, her boss and cousin, as he has gotten himself into deep trouble. She has also inherited a "lucky bottle" that she is carrying around. For some reason this one thing reminded me of Wicked Appetite, another Evanovich book that I listened to recently (and confused at times with the Plum series).

There is a lot of Lula and Connie in this book. While I was rather glad to see more of Connie, Lula grew a bit tiresome. However, she's a fun character so I didn't mind it too much.

Stephanie and Lula run into an alligator, there are stink bombs, a funeral home, fire bombs, and dead people.

Basically, business as usual.

Ranger and Morelli make appearances, but if you're looking for resolution to Stephanie's love life, you won't find it here.

Take the book for what it is: light-hearted entertainment.

Thursday Thirteen

Last night I was thinking about the many things that have changed in my lifetime. Admittedly, that is a number of years - not quite 50 but getting closer - but it seems  a very short time when I look back on it. However, the world is certainly a lot different now. I wish I could name a single most important thing that has changed, but I am not sure I can.

1. Attitudes. I think if I were to name a big one, this would be it, although I think the attitudes have been there, just not quite so vocal. I think the thing that strikes me most in the current era as opposed to previous one is how pervasive and all-encompassing the fear seems to be. Everyone is afraid of everything anymore. This loss of courage has manifested itself as a resistance to change and a strong move toward individualism, which has resulted in a great loss of community and connectedness.

2. TV. When I was growing up, I could only watch one channel - ABC. It was all the TV would pick up. Now I have a satellite dish and it has 250 channels on it and nothing to watch.

3. The Internet. I could break this down into 13 things alone - paying bills online, email, online communications, etc. This has been a major change in the way people relate to one another and I personally believe has helped with #1 above. The Internet can promote fear and isolationism. It doesn't have to but it does. On the other hand, the Internet is good for the same reasons - it can be a very helpful tool. This technology has shrunk the world.

4. The loss of independent media. While I know some people think the media is liberal and left-leaning, I believe it is right-leaning and has been for the last 20 years or so. Media is now about profit, not news, and as a result the real stories, the ones that matter and effect change in a society, are not being told. The loss of the media as government watchdog has a direct correlation to all of the corruption in government today. If no one is paying attention, they can do what they want. And our media is not paying attention. Maybe in the long run this will be a good thing, but I don't see how.

5. Computers. This probably goes along with the Internet but actually computers do a lot more than allow Internet access. Computers are great for many daily tasks - organizing schedules, word processing, accounting, playing solitaire. It is being dumbed down to "apps" but a good computer and a strong program can be one of the best tools a business person has, if used properly.

6. On a smaller level, video games came into being in my lifetime. Pong was invented in 1972 and look where we are now - games that encompass entire worlds and take on lives of their own. I am not sure this is a good thing, to be sure - video games are a big issue in psychological circles, where it is recognized as an addiction and lots of playing is symptomatic of other issues. While I am not a psychologist, as a journalist I have heard many of stories of older workers who find young people don't want to work, they only want to play video games, and resent any time spent away from their screens.

7. Changes in way of life from rural to industrial and now to service. Fifty years ago, life was a bit more rural, and there were more farmers. There wasn't an "eat local" movement because stuff was local. But that soon changed and the small farmer lost importance as big business and corporations took over. As with media, when it became all about the money instead of about feeding people and caring for the land, the lifestyle and focus changed. I don't know if this is better or worse, but it has changed.

8. Health care. The days of receiving an aspirin in exchange for a basket of eggs have long been gone, and I'm not sure they even existed in my day. What did exist was health care that actually cared about you and not your wallet. I had a doctor for 20 years who was an old-fashioned fellow who would listen, hold my hand, give me a shot if I needed it, and who generally took good care of me. He spent more than 10 minutes with you and tried to help. I have been hard-pressed to find another since he retired. I think American health care is terrible and have for years. However, there has been some progress, such as ways to save heart attack victims, so I can't degrade the whole process.

9. Pharmaceutical advertising. This used to be against the law, but that changed (must have been too much regulation for some, I guess), and now we're bombarded with ads every day for purple pills and other remedies.

10. Books are still with us, but now we have e-books. I don't have an e-reader yet but I suspect I will in the near future. Books have changed in price - they cost a lot more now - and they have changed in quality, too. For example, my textbook came with the pages uncut on the bottom. Very poor production quality. Many books go to market with typing errors, too.  You used to never see this kind of thing but somewhere along the way someone decided that quality didn't matter to the bottom line. The poor quality is definitely not better. I think in the long run I will like e-books, though.

11. Music. To my surprise, my young nephews listen to MY music. They don't seem to have music of their own. At the local ball games, the teams and spectators hear "We will rock you" or some other Queen song over the loudspeakers. Music apparently has evolved into something that the current generation cannot grasp and absorb as its own. Also, there is a loss of connection because no one listens to the same thing anymore. Music helped create community when I was growing up, because we all listened to American Top 40 and heard the same songs. With iPods and CDs and all, no one need listen to the same thing, so music is no longer a major topic of conversation.

12. Cellphones. I can remember talking on a party line when I was a child - we had to wait until other people - the neighbors down the street - were off the phone to use it. Now everyone has their own telephone and can be reached any hour of the day. I confess, I leave mine in the car. I prefer to be reached only when I want to be.

13. Education. I hate to say it, but I think we're not as smart as we used to be. Fewer people are in college and have degrees. I am not sure why this is.

There you go. Thirteen things that have changed in the last five decades.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 187th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Shopping Remembered

A very long time ago, Roanoke sported stores called Lazarus, Heironimous, and Leggett. Leggett eventually became what is now called Belk.

Heironimous was located downtown and Lazarus at Towers, though it might have been downtown as well. Both stores might have been at Crossroads Mall at one time, too - I am sure Leggett's was there. I cannot recall if either store made the move to Valley View Mall when it opened in the mid-1980s.

Heironimous, apparently, opened in Roanoke around 1890 and the downtown store closed in 1996. The store was located at the corner of Jefferson and Church Street.

I enjoyed shopping for women's clothes at these stores because you actually were helped. Twenty-five years ago, the clerks appeared to me to be little ol' ladies who wore pearls and dressed elegantly, but I feel sure that is faulty memory. Most likely they were ladies about the age I am now.

However, these clerks actually helped you pick out clothes.  When I worked downtown, I could visit Lazarus or Heironimous and all I need do was tell the clerk what I needed. "Something for work," or "something to wear to a wedding" or "something to wear to a play," and poof . . . the appropriate item appeared magically in their hands, usually in the right size, too. And if not, then I could go in a dressing room and they would fetch and carry, ooh and ahh if I stepped out of the dressing room (or tell me, "no dear, that really doesn't flatter you, let's try something else,") and I generally left with a great purchase that fit well and looked good on me.

These days, I'm lucky if I can find someone at a cash register to check me out of the store. And help in picking out clothes? Better bring a friend, because the clerk's are useless. Only once in the last ten years have I been helped out by a clerk who went beyond the call of duty and helped me with my purchases. If I remember right, I ended up spending several hundred dollars that day because she was able to find the right clothes for me. That was at Belk at Valley View, and might have been while it was still Leggett.

My point? A clerk who helps me out when I need it is a huge asset to the company. I bet, though, the company does not consider this particular selling point at all anymore. People are so expendable, you know.

I'm not sure why I'm feeling nostalgic for a decent shopping experience, except perhaps it is because I really need to go buy clothes again and I dread it. I wonder if others feel the same way.

The Vulgarities of Language

I swear.

I mean, I really do swear. Sometimes I can curse like a sailor who just had his leg chopped off by pirates welding machetes.

I don't mean to, but those words just pop right on out of my mouth. I remember having my mouth literally washed out with soap and water when I was young, usually by my grandmother. Apparently the lesson did not stick. But my mother also could swear a blue streak and did so frequently. I think it is an inherited trait.

I try very hard not swear when it matters - in school or on the job, for instance - but sometimes the words flow without any awareness on my part. Sometimes the vulgarities are not even what we might consider swear words, but words that have crept into our language and are now in frequent use.

You know, words like:
suck
screw

Those words in and of themselves are not bad words, but when you use them as a rude verb then the vulgarity kicks in. However, I believe some of these uses are now so commonplace that when someone says, "That sucks," the meaning is simply "that's bad or terrible or not good" and opposed to the more indecent use of the terminology. The dictionaries may disagree, however.

Most vulgarities should make me rather indignant as a woman. Words like "b#tch" and "b*st*rd" are inherently feminine in regular use and thus reflects more upon women than upon the person being yelled at. The two "s" words above are still not great and still reflect upon the female, you know. I am hard pressed to come up with anything that is equally profane that is masculine. The general "dick" just doesn't quite do it; neither does "bull" or anything similar.

Blasphemy goes along with this, too. You know, all of those "Oh my God," and "Jesus F Christ" that people say. Although generally I do less of that, unless I am simply not hearing myself say it (which is always quite possible).

Interestingly, I very rarely use vulgar language when I write. My characters usually don't curse, unless I happen to be writing one who does that with great frequency.

So how about you? Do you try to watch your mouth? Do you have to, or do you have such a good handle on it that you never let it fly?

Herding The Cows

See Farmer James round up the cows!

Books: Home to Holly Springs

Home to Holly Springs
By Jan Karon
Audibook
Read by Scott Sowers
Unabridged
Copyright 2001

Some years ago, a friend suggested I read Jan Karon's books. I looked at them several times but never felt like they were right for me. For one thing, they were a series known as the Mitford books. That meant I wanted to start at the beginning.

They also came across as a little "preachy" from the back covers. So I always put them back.

However, this book was billed as "The First of the Father Tim Novels," so I thought I would try it when I saw it in the library. At least it was at the beginning of a series, and since the character was a church leader I rather knew what to expect.

This sweet story surprised me. It is a story of going home after a long time away. Father Tim is a retired minister who decides to return to his boyhood home after he receives a mysterious note with only two words: Come Home.  He leaves his wife to her work as a children's book author and he and his dog head out.

Along the way he meets quite a number of characters, some young and therefore unknown to him, but also quite a few who remember him when he was a lad. A few of the chance encounters are a bit incredulous but I guess even ministers have miracles.

I liked that the book was interesting without being stressful. No one was being stabbed or murdered, there were no autopsies of dead bodies, and I had little fear that a main character was suddenly going to die. The book was not overtly religious (though there was a bit of that), and it did not preach too much (though it did a little). Given the lead character's profession, what was there seemed appropriate, usually. I can be quite put off by books that hit me over the head with their religion. This did not.

I won't hesitate to listen to a Jan Karon book again (though I still prefer to start at the beginning!).

The Botetourt County Chorus

Last night we went to hear the Botetourt County Chorus present the Swingin' 60s. Tonight (April 16, 2011) they play at Central Academy Middle School at 7:30 p.m.

Do something different! Check them out.

Thursday Thirteen

April is National Poetry Month. It is also National Women's Month, so I thought I would share with you a few female poets. Or maybe that's poetesses. Anyway, check 'em out. These are in no particular order.

1. Sharon Olds. If you have not read any of this poet's work, you have missed out. Olds has great imagery and depth in her poems. Satan Says fascinated me the first time I read it and continues to do so upon subsequent readings. You can read one of her poems, called After Making Love in the Winter, at the link on the title.

2. Mary Oliver. My freshman English professor introduced me to this poet. She's an intimate writer who sees the world with open eyes. You may read some of her poems at this link.

3. Anne Singleton aka Ruth Benedict. I recently studied Ruth Benedict in her work as anthropologist, but she was also a poet. A genius of a woman. You may read one of her poems at this link.

4. Emily Dickinson. It would be rather hard to leave her off this list, wouldn't it? I Felt a Funeral, In my Brain, found at the link, is one of my favorites.

5. Annie Dillard. Best known for her Pulitzer Prize winning book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Dillard also writes interesting poetry. She's an alumna of Hollins University, where I received my undergraduate degree and am currently working on a master's. You may read one of her poems at this link.

6. Nikki Giovanni. She's a professor at nearby Virginia Tech. After the Virginia Tech shooting a few years ago, she was inspiration. Her poem, The American Vision of Abraham Lincoln At This Moment, may be read at the link.

7. Jeanne Larsen. She's a professor at Hollins and I had her as an undergraduate student. She is one of my favorite people not only because her poetry is so wonderful but because she is friendly and kind and has a great sense of humor. Her poetry inspired me for a long time and for a while there I thought I might become a poet, too. I suppose it is not yet too late. You may read her poem, My Aging Lover in My Arms, the Dharma, at the link.

8. Natasha Tretheway. Another Hollins grad; her father, also a poet, is a Hollins professor. Natasha won the Pulitzer for poetry in 2007. The local library had her in for a reading about the time she received her prize and I heard her read there. You can watch a video of her reading one of her poems at the link.

9. Margaret Atwood. Surprised? Thought she was a novelist? While The Handmaid's Tale might be one of the best books ever (and certainly one that is on the verge of coming true, alas), she also puts her pen to the poetry. At this link, you may hear Atwood read a number of her poems. Poems are meant to be heard as much as read.

10. Erica Jong. She writes more than Fear of Flying. Her website opens up with her reading a poem called Conjuring Her from her book Love Comes First. You can find a list of poems on her website at the link.

11. Gwendolyn Brooks. Her poem, We Real Cool, is one that has always stuck with me. It was written in 1966. Things haven't changed much.

12. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . . hey, we all know that one, right? You may read some of her other poems at the link.

13.  I don't proclaim to be a poet, and I certainly am not in the same league as anyone I mention above, but I thought I would leave you with a poem of my own. I don't think this one's ever been workshopped or otherwise seen the light of day:

Blackberry Weather
By Anita Firebaugh

The hayfield's cut across the road,
eleven rows of orchard grass
await the hay rake's caress.

Another twenty acres wave emerald
in a chilly May breeze, waiting for the slice
of the mower's blade.

When new leaves whoosh with wind,
the tulip poplars spit blooms,
and the cardinal cries 'wetchoo'
from the blue spruce,
it's mowing time.

Clouds, sun speckle the sky,
crows cry from the pines.
Blue Ridge Mountains reach out,
grab the green hills in a hug.
Sunlight dances across Stone
Coal Gap -- remember that story
of the long lost gold?

The hay smells sweet, mixed
with honeysuckle. I taste the blade
of grass when it's caught
in a whistle. Touch the blackberry
brambles, filled with pink and white
flowers. If rains bring plump berries
this summer we'll make wine.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 186th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Scenic Spring 2011

A Generic Rant

This is a rant. I don't do these often, but please feel free to bypass this blog entry if you wish.

About five weeks ago, I picked up my prescription for my blood pressure medication and brought it home.

The pills were different. I called the pharmacy. Did you give me the wrong pills, I asked. No, we changed our generic supplier and didn't tell you.

Cue now to today. My blood pressure has been creeping steadily upward over - you guessed it - the last five weeks. It has culminated in a major headache and high and somewhat scary blood pressure numbers. I am counting the hours until I can get in to see my doctor. All of this so the pharmacy can save a few pennies while I feel terrible and die a slow and agonizing death.

My insurance company, of course, won't pay for the name brand medication, and the pharmacy won't sell me the name brand medication because I have insurance. How's that for a nice catch-22?

Changing generics wouldn't be a problem if the generics were actually the same as the name brand medication. However, I have found this is not so. This is not the first time the pharmacy has changed generics with my blood pressure medication and I have had problems. It is a problem I have with nearly all of my medications when I am switched from brand name to the supposedly the same but not generic. It's a well-documented problem that no one is doing anything about.

But we don't want no government regulations in this country! We can't have any one tell us what to do. What the hell? Why is it better that some idiot in a private healthcare company tell me what to do than the government? What damn difference does it make? I'm still being told what I can and can't do and I'm still suffering for it! I'm paying over $7,000 a year for the privilege of being told by some high school beauty queen that the medication my doctor prescribes for me isn't the drug they want me to take.

Is this better because I have the choice of which stupid insurance company to use? Well, guess what, I don't really have a choice. I am on the insurance provided by husband's place of employment because we can't afford anything else. Neither can anyone else I know.

Better yet, the laws are already in place that keep me on this insurance AND HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS OR SO. I can't switch because apparently by law I have to be on the insurance provided by my employer. I happen to know I can go to an insurance company down the road and get the exact same policy with the exact same provider for half the price, but because my husband's company offers it, I have to get it there. That is what the insurance agent told me. They can't sell it to me. It's the law and it has been since Ronald Reagan, that great Republican god of commerce and industry.

And this is better? This is great? This is American health care, capitalist style, because all we furking care about in this country is the big green great Goddamn almighty dollar. We live in a society of hooray for me and furk you and I am sick of it.

I am sick of being told that a stupid piece of paper with George Washington's picture on it is more important than any single person's health. I am sick of being told that piece of paper is more important that helping people with mental illness, or putting roofs over the heads of people who are living in their cars.

I am sick of hearing that this stupid piece of paper is more important than education, than health care, than you and me. It's a stupid furking piece of paper! It is not more important than any single living soul on this planet. Stop worshiping money, people! Stop it stop it stop it! It is not the Holy Grail. It is not the reason to live.

The reason to live is to have relationships, to love, to honor, to feel, to care, to provide for yourself and others in the best way you know how. It's not about collecting stupid pieces of green paper! It is not! Why do we think it is?

And why when someone wants to live for peace and brotherhood, and goodness and kindness, why do we rip that person apart? We are one screwed up society. We're a bunch a freaking mental cases running around. The sane people can't be heard because the lunatics are screaming so loud no one can hear anything else.

Let me tell you something. I believe in people. I believe in putting people first, dollars second. I believe in government regulations and taking care of people.

If the fact that I care about you more than I do the dollar bills in my wallet makes me a socialist, then fine, I'm a socialist. Call me names if it will make you feel better. You know I'm right in the long run.

Now excuse me, I'm going to take some generic acetaminophen that probably won't help this headache because it isn't as good as the name brand.

Prevent Child Abuse

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in the United States.

The statistics are sobering.

Every 84 minutes in this country, a child is abused or neglected.

Every 8 days, a child dies from abuse or neglect, often at the hands of a parent. In Virginia, every 6 days a child under the age of 19 is murdered.

Every 5 hours, a Virginia child witnesses an act of domestic violence.

In Virginia, over the most recent one-year period for which information is available, 48,915 reports of child abuse were filed with Social Services. Over 6,200 of those reports were substantiated, meaning there was plenty of evidence to support a determination of abuse. Maybe not so bad, you think, but that means the rest were marginal enough to cause concern to somebody.

Also:

• 55.31% of the maltreatment was due to physical neglect, a failure to provide food, clothing, shelter or supervision to the child to the extent that the child’s health was endangered.

• 25.86% of the maltreatment was due to physical abuse.

• 13.39% of the maltreatment was due to sexual abuse.

• 2.05% of the maltreatment was due to medical neglect.

• 2.10% of the maltreatment was due to mental abuse/neglect.
 
Of those reports, 65 % of the victims were white. Thirty-two percent were black.


In 2010, 44 children died from abuse in Virginia. Of those 44, 40 were aged four or younger.

Child abuse costs the United States $258 million per day.

What constitutes child abuse?

• non-accidental physical or mental injury, including, but not limited to a child who is with his parent during the manufacture or sale of certain drugs.

• neglect or refusal to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, emotional nurturing, or health care.

• abandonment.

• failure to provide adequate supervision in relation to the child’s age and level of development.

• committing or allowing to be committed any illegal sexual act upon a child including incest, rape, fondling, indecent exposure, prostitution, or allows a child to be used in any sexually explicit visual material.

• knowingly leaving a child alone in the same dwelling with a person who is not related to the child by blood or marriage and who is required to register as a violent sexual offender.

Child abuse is not usually just one physical attack or just one instance of failure to meet a child’s most basic needs. Usually child abuse is a pattern of behavior which takes place over a period of time. The longer child abuse continues, the more serious it becomes, and the more difficult it is to stop.
 
Isn't it time we stop this madness?

Sunset on Friday, April 8, 2011

The Giant Hands

On April 1 in Daleville, two gigantic hands appeared on the horizon above the Botetourt Commons.

As of yesterday, when I finally had my camera with me and could stop and take a photo, the truck advertising the "giant killing service" and the hands remained.

I believe this was the product of Mark Cline, who created the Foamhenge display near Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County. I knew he was looking in the area because he had contacted a friend of mine who has road frontage on US 220 but ultimately went with the location near Kroger.

I thought this was a great prank, but I wonder how many people even noticed? It received a little publicity but not as much as I would have thought. So many people are so intent on what they are doing and where they are going - intent on themselves - that they don't pay much attention to what is going on around them.

At least one other local blogger pointed it out, though. Way to go, Tanya!

Anyway, I wanted to share it with you all, my gentle readers, and I hope you get a good laugh!

Thursday Thirteen #185

Today it's the positive 13! This year, during the first Thursday of the month I am looking back at the previous month to recount 13 good things that happened the month before. I can be a bit negative sometimes, so I am trying to take the time to remember that all is not bleak and bad!

So here are good things from March:

1. I received an A on my first "real" paper in Sociology. I was quite pleased. The paper was on Harriet Martineau and her book, How to Observe Morals and Manners. I also received an A on an oral presentation on the Chicago School/Hull House (early 20th century "settlement" established to learn about and to assist the less fortunate). I have always been a good student, and I am glad that age hasn't changed that!

2. My allergies stayed under control, for the most part, thanks to a new steroid nasal spray, VeraMyst, that I started using regularly.

3. It's spring! Thank goodness. Warmer temperatures, flowers (ah . . . ah . . . choo!), green grass. Time to put the heavy coat back into the closet!

4. I walked on the treadmill 12 out of  31 days of the month. (I keep a record.) That's not as frequently as I would like - better than nothing, of course, so I will celebrate that! I want to do at least 20 out of 30 days. I will offer up a pulled muscle as a reason for not at least walking every other day, as I had to take a little rest for a few days to let that heal.

5. A new friend from class, someone 20 years my junior, has given me much to think about. I have enjoyed getting to know someone in her age bracket. I think it is good to learn to listen and talk to people of all ages.

6. I had a massage. I try to have one a month because it really helps my back. I highly recommend it for stress reduction and overall good health.

7. Reiki is a "Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing." It's a kind of energy healing, like a laying on of hands. I have found this helpful in the past, and so I tried out a new Reiki practitioner in late March.

8. I think I have settled on a topic for the 50+ page thesis I must write in order to obtain my master's degree. I am pretty happy with the ideas I have.

9. Someone backed into my car  - twice -  while it was parked, which was not a very good thing, but I am quite thankful he had insurance and the company has agreed to fix the damage.

10. I had lunch a couple of times with good friends. I am always so thankful for the people in my life.

11. I read these books: The Walk, by Richard Paul Evans, Every Day by the Sun, by Dean Faulkner Wells, Women & Economics, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The latter, written in 1898, was for my sociology class. Very thought-provoking.

12. We had a little snow in late March, but fortunately it was gone by lunchtime. My kind of snow!

13. I watched the super moon of March 19 set behind the mountains, and took a video of it. You can see that here if you want.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 185th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Women Writers: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) is perhaps best known for her short story/novella, The Yellow Wallpaper. This is a story which details the onset of madness. The narrator, a woman of means, is placed into her bedroom and told to stay there "for her health." This "medical treatment" ultimately drives her insane. It is a graphic and illustrative account of why women who are stuck at home when they don't want to be there go crazy. Monotony and boredom exact a terrible price.

Gilman, who was also a sociologist, wrote the story to illustrate how society has created a lack of automony and self-sufficiency for women, and how detrimental this is to their health and wellbeing. Gilman also wrote a book called Women and Economics, which was highly lauded in its day, because it points out how women are enslaved and prostituted by marriage and by their inability, through societal pressures and processes, to become creative, happy, productive citizens. The book says that women's economic dependence upon men has been detrimental to all of humanity and has, in fact, crippled mankind as a whole.

The book goes on to point out that men are crippled now by this arrangement, because society has trapped them into caring for this female they have taken on. Gilman envisioned a better society wherein each spouse has an equal role, with most household chores left to others (though one wonders what the "others" think of this society; she did not address this and it seemed to be one of the largest flaws in the book).

Gilman was a prominent lecturer and speaker of her time. She was very active in feminist and reformist organizations. She called herself a humanist and a "reform Darwinist" in that she believed Darwin neglected the female half of the population in his theories (isn't that always the case?). She claimed that society was androcentric (male or masculine point of view) and that this needed to change to better balance the roles of females in society. Her contention was that people are people, regardless of sex, and women are no worse than men.

The author published several thousand pieces of work. She married twice and had one child. She committed suicide at the age of 75 after a three-year battle with breast cancer.

Security

This morning I found myself pondering the meaning of security. It's an interesting word.

Security can be had in many different ways. There is security of your surroundings, such as when you're locked up in your home. You feel safe because no one can harm you.

There is security in a crowd, perhaps. With many people around, you might feel safe because you are not alone. Someone else, though, might not feel so secure because there are so many people around. Depends on the crowd and your frame of mind, I guess.

Maybe you need to see a policeman in the crowd to feel secure. I think some people would like it if the army patrolled the lands - that might make them feel secure, although it would make me feel afraid.

That brings us to national security, doesn't it. Apparently many people are willing to lose their freedoms in order to feel that they are secure when they fly or otherwise move about. These folks applaud when their pocketbooks are searched at the civic center, when teenagers are stopped and questioned simply because they look suspicious, or when someone who is "other" is profiled on the highway. I guess these people think the bad guys are everywhere and you're guilty until proven otherwise. Our last president established an office of Homeland Security to keep the "mother land" safe. That kind of talk gives me the willies but apparently it makes other people feel more secure.

There is financial security that might come from knowing you have $20 in your pocket - or having $20 million in the bank (don't know the feeling of that one). If you don't feel financially secure, and these days I don't know many people who do, then I suspect you feel quite anxious much of the time. Securities are also things one might purchase in the financial world, a type of investment policy, maybe something like a life insurance policy. Social Security is a program that was put in place to keep people who are older or who might be a little different from the norm from eating dogfood and sleeping in a box under the overpass. Some people don't like for others to have this type of security.

Computer security might come from having a good virus program. Or maybe never plugging the thing into the Internet. That would certainly work!

It important to keep all of your personal data safe these days - it must be secure so that no one can steal your identity or get into your accounts and abscam with your money. This can be kind of tough in a world where evildoers are always trying to hack into things.

Job security, I think, is a thing of the past. Historically, a person could obtain a decent job that they did well and liked, and stay at it for 30 years. Now, people move from place to place and no job is secure. Companies let people go for no reason at all. Just like that, you're out the door.

You might feel secure in your love for your spouse and children, or your god. That might bring a feeling of spiritual security, which I think is something one might strive for. Maybe that is all love security? Perhaps if we have this we don't need the other kinds of security.

I wonder how many people feel secure these days in all parts of their lives. I am betting not too many. How about you? Are you secure, or is there something lacking in some parts of your life?

In the Year . . .

The other day I was out and about and a person I was speaking to informed me that next year begins the Age of Aquarius.

This was a new one for me. I had heard about the doomsday scenarios for 2012 but not this.

In case you are wondering what I am talking about, apparently next year will be one of great change. The main reason for this is because the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012. According to some, the world is going to end on this day. Other believe it will be greatly changed.

At least one fellow begs to differ and he says it is going to end on May 21 around 6 p.m. That's this year - not quite two months away. Are you ready?

Anyway, whenever the world is going to end, apparently a lot of people believe it might be happening soon.  Apparently at least a few of what I call Rapture Christians believe they will be lifted up to heaven, bodies intact, and their clothing left behind.  That's because this will be the Apocalypse, the coming of Christ.

A lot of other people simply think the world will end. Maybe a big asteroid will hit the planet, or the sun will explode, or something. Maybe the magnetic poles will reverse and the earth will rotate backwards. Or perhaps the moon will blow up.

Others think the aliens will finally put in an appearance.

In the Age of Aquarius, according to the person I was speaking with, there will be peace, love, and harmony. The age is already upon us and people who aren't filled with peace, love, and harmony are dying in droves, I was told. Sort of The Celestine Prophecy type of thing, I think. Except not.

Of course earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and nuclear radiation are all precursors to the main event.

A great many people are ignoring all of this, of course, because they are too busy trying to eek out a living, feeding and clothing their families, to pay much attention to this hullabaloo. It's not like anyone can do anything about it anyway, if it is going to happen.

What I see as the problem with this sort of prognosticating and prophecy is that generally, it can be perceived however someone wants to perceive it. However, some people get pretty upset about it and they do weird things. As far as I am concerned, that means that something will happen in 2012 because it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. People will expect something to happen, so it will. They will take actions, even unwitting ones, that will bring about the result they expect.

Every event in 2012 will be weighted with these prophecies, which are now in the mainstream in some fashion. My guess is that doomsday plays better than peace and love; hence, we have movies about the world ending, TV shows about history and other prophecies, etc. This means that the self-fulfilling prophecy likely will not be the peace and love one but rather the destructive one. Maybe not end-of-the world destructive, but something unfortunate.

I fear this is going to impact everyone, regardless of what one believes, whether its through additional economic hardships, hardball politics, or plain stupidity. So I must ask again: are you ready?

I Am Me ... And I Am Okay

A very long time ago, a young girl ran across a poster. It looked exactly like the picture above.

It featured a short little epistle by Virginia Satir. Now, the young girl had no idea who Virginia Satir was, but she liked the words on the poster very much.

So she bought the poster and hung it in her room.

She read the words on the poster frequently because they resonated so with her. Here is what the poster said:

I am Me.

In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me.

Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine,

because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me:

my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions,

whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies,

my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and

successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own

all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me.

By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts.

I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and

other aspects that I do not know -- but as long as I am friendly

and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look

for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me.

However I look and sound, whatever I say and do,

and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time

is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded,

thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard

that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new

for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do.

I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive,

and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things

outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and

I am Okay.

I am not sure what made me think of this today; perhaps a copy of a desiderata plastered on the wall of a health care provider this morning.

What happened to that young girl, who stared so hard and long at the poster from so very long ago? Where did she go?

I have no idea. I guess she grew up to be me.

Virginia Satir (1916-1988), the author of the saying above, was a American psychologist, author, and educator. She was keenly interested in self-esteem issues. She was key in the development of family therapy.

She was born in Wisconsin, the daughter of a farmer. She received one of her several degrees from the University of Chicago School of Social Service. She went through two divorces, and adopted two children, both of whom were adults or nearly adults at the time she took them in.