Another "Objectionable" Book

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

By John Green & David Levithan

Audiobook 8 hrs

Copyright 2011

YA, ages 14 & up

One thing the folks who are objecting to homosexual books in the local library have done is to get me to read books I otherwise would have overlooked. I don't read a lot of YA unless it's fantasy.

This book was one of the books they challenged, and when it came up as available while I was skimming for something new to listen to, I chose it.

It's not great literature, but I also didn't find anything objectionable about it. There were curse words, and yes, young men fell in love, they masturbated, they kissed. I was more upset with the fat shaming in the book than I was with anything else. One of the main characters, Tiny, is a huge overweight fellow and his size is commented on frequently. He is also a flamboyant homosexual who writes a play.

I found the book rather sweet in that most of the youth were accepting of these characters (some were not, but they weren't overly hateful), and it had a rather unrealistic but loving ending. If only people really were so accepting of one another.

In this story, two young men are both named Will Grayson. They do not know each other but eventually meet. They are quite different people. One Will Grayson is Tiny's best friend; later, the other Will Grayson becomes Tiny's boyfriend, though not for very long.

 

The story revolves around the growing up of these young men and how they handle themselves and deal with those around them. Neither is a jock, class clown, or superstar, but Will (1) has a better grasp on himself, his life, and his family than the other. He comes from an upper middle-class family. Will (2) lives with his mother and suffers from depression. The family is not poor but not middle class, either. He has no friends except for a person he has met online and a girl he doesn't want to talk to.

When Will (2) ventures into Chicago to meet his online friend, he instead meets Will (1) and discovers his cyber friend is not who he claimed to be. 

Throughout the story, Tiny's efforts to write a musical play and stage it forms a backdrop. The play is about love and acceptance.

Since I listened to this instead of reading it, I can't address issues I saw in some of the Amazon reviews about sentence grammar and such. I know there is a lot of instant messaging, chatroom talk, and emails in the book, which at times were hard to follow while I was listening. On the page they may not be so bad. I cannot address that aside from noting that it didn't take away from the story.

I do not set out to read books about homosexuality. It is not my thing. However, I also do not find it distasteful, sinful, abhorrent or anything else. What people do is their own business, and these books serve as an introduction to a lifestyle with which I am not familiar. They have, if anything, made me more aware of what the folks are dealing with and going through, and have made me more empathetic towards them. 

More accepting, even.

Maybe that's what the objection is: some people don't want others to be accepted.

Timber!

Over the last several years, as the ash borer beetle made its way through here, we have lost numerous trees. They died seemingly overnight. One year they were fine, the next, they were dead.

While most of these were ash, we have also lost a few red oak trees. This may have been because of something called oak wilt, which can cause red oaks to die in weeks. It is a disease spread by beetles, so perhaps it is no coincidence that these trees are dying or have died around the same time.

We have removed most of the dead trees around the house, but a giant red oak just over our property line remained. It was on my husband's mother's property.

We finally had it removed this weekend.

You'd think out of the 30,000 photos I have there would be a picture of this tree before it died, and there probably is, but I couldn't find it.

This is what it looked like before it was cut. Imagine it all nice and green, blocking the sky.

Tree before it was cut, next to an 8 x 10 shed.

Sorry to see you go, old friend.

The view after the tree was cut.

Compare the stump to the size of the guys.

My husband said it was about 3 feet across the stump. The tree wasn't hollow, either.

When the poison oak has died out in the fall, I may go down and see if I can count the tree rings. I'd like to know how old it was.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?

A. The appropriate ecological answer would be ride a bike or a horse, but I haven't been on a horse in 50 years, and I haven't been on a bike in about 40.

2. Who is your favorite author?

A. I don't have a favorite. I like different authors for different reasons. 

3. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why?

A. I would rather vacation in Hawaii, because it would be warmer there (probably too warm for me) and there is lots to see that I haven't seen.

4. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?

A. I would go back and watch the founding fathers write the U.S. Constitution so I could come back and explain what the 2nd Amendment is really supposed to mean, since no one seems to understand it.

5. What's your favorite zoo animal?

A. I don't have a favorite "zoo" animal. I like the exotic animals - lions, elephants, tigers - if they're not going to eat me.

6. What's the tallest building you've been to the top of?

A. Good question. I don't know the answer. It might be the local hospital. I have been to New York City and to Paris, but I didn't go to any tall buildings in either one that I recall. I know I didn't go up in the Eiffel Tower; it was pouring rain the day we were supposed to do that with my group, and no one wanted to do it so we went back to the Louvre instead. I am fairly sure I haven't been in the Empire State Building, but not 100%. I was there when I was 14 but I don't remember what all we did.

7. How often do you buy clothes?

A. Maybe once or twice a year, if that. 

8. What was the last thing you recorded on TV?

A. My husband records car shows. I don't remember the last thing I personally recorded. Maybe Everything Everywhere All At Once. I haven't watched it yet.

9. What was the last book you read?

A. The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han, was the last audiobook I listened to. The last book I read was The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. I am currently listening to Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green (it's on the banned book list, I am working my way down them), and I am reading Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

10. What's your favorite type of foreign food?

A. Chinese, I guess, although I strongly suspect what passes for Chinese food around here is quite Americanized.

11. What kitchen appliance do you use every day?

A. The refrigerator and the microwave.

12. How old were you when you learned Santa wasn't real? How did you find out?

A. I was 5 when I found out. I was dusting for my mother and ran across a dish full of 50 cent pieces. The tooth fairy had just brought me a 50-cent piece for a tooth that I'd knocked out of my head in a fall. I quickly deduced that the tooth fairy money came from this dish, and that this dish belonged to my parents. From there it was a quick leap to knowing that my parents were the tooth fairy, and also the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. I confronted my parents, who admitted such to me, but asked me to pretend for my brother. This I did, and I think he was close to 9 or 10 before he realized Santa did not exist.

13. What was your favorite subject in school?

A. English, although I also enjoyed history, civics (which given the state of things must not be taught anymore), and science. About the only thing I didn't like was phys ed.

14. What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?

A. Escargot. Or maybe a random bug.

15. What's your favorite family recipe?

A. Chocolate Lush.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Saturday 9: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (1991)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Lenny Kravitz sings about all the tears he's cried over this relationship. Scientists theorize that human tears fall into two categories: emotional and irritant. "Emotional tears" are most often shed over physical pain, empathy, compassion, depression, and anger/frustration. Think about the last time you cried. What triggered your tears?

A. I was upset because someone had insulted me.

2) We also cry "irritant tears," which means we well up when a foreign particle gets in our eye. Over-the-counter drops can help. What's the last thing you bought at the drugstore? Was it a medication (OTC or prescription) or something else entirely?

A. I bought medication and gum.

3) TV actresses have played a big part in Lenny Kravitz' life. His mother was Roxie Roker, who played the neighbor Helen on The Jeffersons. His wife (and the inspiration for this song) was Lisa Bonet, who played one of the daughters on The Cosby Show. Their daughter, Zoe Kravitz, appeared in the HBO series Big Little Lies. What TV series do you never tire of, and could watch again and again? 

A. We rewatch The Big Bang Theory a lot. I also could watch MASH, Gilligan's Island, Little House on the Prairie, and Band of Brothers multiple times. I'm sure there are others but those are the ones that come to mind.

4) Thinking of Big Little Lies . . . Zoe Kravitz co-starred with Nicole Kidman. Shortly after Kidman divorced Tom Cruise, she dated Lenny Kravitz. Have you ever been curious about a partner's past love?

A. I'm on my 40th year of marriage. That is all that matters.

5) Lenny Kravitz and Today Show weatherman Al Roker are second cousins (their grandfathers were brothers). Do you turn to a TV weatherman for the forecast? Or do you check a website or app?

A. We watch Brent Watts on WDBJ7, mostly, or WDBJ7 weather/news. Sometimes we compare predictions, but not often.

6) Also a talented photographer, Lenny's work has been displayed at the Leica Gallery in Wetzlar, Germany. What's the most recent photo you took?

A. 

My brother and his girlfriend.

7) In 1991, when this song was popular, Murray Bicycles were the top seller among younger set. Popularity is fleeting, though. By 2004, the company filed for bankruptcy and no longer produces bicycles. Was your bike a big part of your summer when you were a kid?

A. Yes. We rode them all over the place. We stayed with my grandmother in the summers until I was 12. Up the block from her, the National Park Service had a small acreage filled with pine trees, and we made paths all through them. We were pirates, detectives, superheroes, cowboys and Indians, and anything else we could think of in that little patch of trees.

8) Also in 1991, Gene Roddenberry died. Mr. Roddenberry is best known as the creator of Star Trek. Who's your favorite Star Trek character?

A. Captain Kathryn Janeway, from Star Trek: Voyager. 

9) Random Question: How do you think your high school classmates remember you?

A. It depends on the classmate, I imagine. Some may remember me fondly, others not so much. Some may not remember me at all. I was quiet but also a little wild at times, so some may remember me as a bit unpredictable.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

We Have a News Vacuum

Nature abhors a vacuum, and the vacuum left by the loss of good media coverage is rapidly showing itself locally as well as nationally.

One side of the vacuum is attempting to be filled by what I shall gracefully call "misinformation monsters" who whine, moan, complain, ad nauseum, about every little thing the local government does. There is about as much truth in what they whine and complain about as is in the tiny little tip of my little finger, and the rest is conjecture, conspiracy crap, and fascist bigotry.

The other side is filled with, well, next to nothing, unfortunately. The local newspapers - the daily and the weekly - are not covering the county government in depth and detail. I know because that's what I used to do. I still do it with an online news outlet that I write for, but those stories do not have puppy dogs on them and aren't widely read. The online news outlet gets better hits from stories about kitty cats, trucks that get stuck in town trying to make turns on narrow streets, and other things that in the long term don't matter.

The county, in an effort to fill this vacuum, has created a "facts4u" page. They see the misinformation monsters on social media doing what they do best and try to correct the record. This is admirable, but it's not working well. The misinformation monsters are like the people the former guy could shoot on 5th Avenue. They'd go out bleeding to death and admiring his aim with their last gasp. They'd never believe he actually shot them.

This is a national problem. People are getting their "news" from opinions, from their friends, from, well, anything but an actual news source, apparently. And the news sources tend to grab a headline and beat it until something else catches their attention. (The recent unfortunate sinking of the Titan as it went to view the Titanic being a case in point. I am sorry those folks died, but I was sick of hearing about it. There are other things going on in the world. I mean, about 500 other people died in a Greek shipping incident at the same time, but they were immigrants, so I suppose they weren't worth as much coverage as the lives of billionaires.)

The local papers can't do what they need to do because they're understaffed. But even if they weren't, I have to wonder, now that we have all become social media junkies and everyone's a scientist, an expert on book banning, or an experienced pilot even if they've never been behind the controls of a plane, if it would make any difference. If the local media printed stories that covered topics in depth and explained what is going on with growth, economic development, the school system, book banning, etc., would the stories reach the people they need to reach?

I think not. Those people are no longer reachable by anything that does not echo in their brains as a compliant agreement with what they are already thinking. They seem unable to synthesize new information unless it agrees with their worldview.

Battling social media misinformation is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed. The main way I deal with it is (a) I go slow and do not share information unless I have fact checked it myself. (The way I know most of the local misinformation is misinformation is because I have listened to and/or attended meetings, or talked to a primary source, not a secondary one.) and (b) I am skeptical of everything I read unless or until I have verified it. Many things do not interest me, so I ignore those. I certainly don't share them. If I have interest in something, I fact check it before I share.

I think before I post. I wish others would.

  Yale offers up these six ways to deal with misinformation:

 1. Trust the source, not the sharer.  A recent study found that in deciding what to trust and share on social media, individuals were more attentive to the sharer than to the original source of an article.  This is a mistake.  Reputable news sources have fact checkers and strong incentives to report facts accurately; they also have editorial practices that allow them to correct their own errors.  They are, for the most part, trustworthy.  Confused about a current event?  See what the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, or the Washington Post says.

2. Remember that your reaction to an event isn’t the only one.  In response to a political or social event, you might find yourself surrounded by a storm of outrage, or a warm glow of approval on social media.  Researchers have found that networks of retweets and interaction about moral content on Twitter are highly segregated by political affiliation.  These researchers also found that people are generally more likely to share emotional content.  For this reason, social media is inadvertently selecting for the content that most drives polarization.  Be wary when friends share highly emotional moral content, and remember that elsewhere in the social network, other perspectives are likely being shared and you are not seeing them. 

3. Fight confirmation bias.  People tend to trust evidence that confirms beliefs they already hold and ignore evidence that pushes against these beliefs.  If you find yourself only trusting and sharing things that you already believed, you may be falling into the confirmation bias trap.  Along these lines, be wary of articles that report on a controversial topic, but where it is entirely unclear why anyone would hold the other position in the controversy.  Such articles are designed to get clicks and shares by appealing to confirmation biases.

4. Watch out for surprising scientific findings.  In general, people have a bias towards novelty.  We are fascinated by things that are surprising or new.  This translates into likes, click-throughs, and shares on social media.  And this means that journalists are incentivized to cover the surprising and novel, including in coverage about science. But in science, surprising findings are also often wrong or misleading.  Not every study reflects a true effect, and some studies fail to replicate. Studies that fail to replicate, though, are more likely to be reported on, and more like to be shared on social media, presumably because they are more surprising.  This unfortunately means that if you’ve heard about a scientific finding on social media, it is more likely to be false than one you haven’t heard of.

5. Read and share science journalism that covers a whole literature, not a single study.  One solution is to read, trust, and share scientific articles that report results from an entire literature, rather than focusing on a single study. Because scientific evidence is probabilistic, any individual study can be misleading. But an entire body of evidence, gathered by many scientists, replicated, and critiqued within a scientific community is less likely to mislead. Ignore sensationalizing articles about one study.  (And no, wine isn’t better than exercise for your health.)

6. Remember, the agents of unfriendly nations are out there. We are unfortunately in a media environment where we are regularly brought into contact with content created and spread by foreign actors trying to manipulate public beliefs. These agents are extremely savvy about what will be shared and liked. One major goal seems to be to polarize and divide the US electorate and to erode trust in the US democracy. For this reason, it is not safe to assume content created by sources you have never heard of is safe or reliable—even (or especially) if it tends to support beliefs or positions you already accept. Cultivate a skeptical attitude towards social media content, and use verified sources to check scientific and political facts before trusting, liking, and sharing.

I don't know what one does about people who pay no attention to this because it comes from a higher education source, or those who mistrust trustworthy sources.

*Bing images.

Thursday Thirteen

1. My lack of empathy is showing. I have no particular feelings about the people missing in the Titan, the little explorer that 4 people paid anywhere from $40,000 to $250,000 to take a seat in, only to go down to see the wreckage of the Titanic. Now the Titan is lost, and the U.S. Coast Guard, ships from Canada, and another from France, are searching for the missing.

2. People like those lost in the Titan - sightseers who aren't doing anything that contributes to the value of society - put others at risk. Now all of those folks out searching for them are endangered. Boats sink. The average base salary for a member of the U.S. Coast Guard is $84,000 annually. Do you think they could afford to ride in the vessel they're searching for?

3. This lack of empathy is coming, I imagine, from being married to a firefighter. He put his life in jeopardy numerous times to save others. He was trained to do this, so he was able to remain (mostly) unharmed during his long tenure with the fire department. Most of the time, his work was unavoidable - houses go up in flames, people have car wrecks, stuff just happens. But sometimes you have someone with grandiose ideas who thinks they can scale a 10-story building (and then get stuck) or something. It's rather like driving your car through deep water or kayaking during a flood. It's a stupid thing to do and it puts other people at risk.

4. The good thing about this thing with the Titan is that it shows we still value human lives. Even I, dismissive as I am, would not leave the folks in the Titan to die if I had some capability to help. However, I do not, so I can sit back and be a keyboard judger. I should be more empathetic about the plight of these souls. They have people who love them, just like I do. I know I'm wrong to feel this way. Knowing that, I now must find the reasons why I am wrong and reverse course to retain my empathy towards others.

5. Here's why we save people*: human life possesses intrinsic worth and dignity, regardless of individual characteristics, accomplishments, or circumstances. Recognizing and honoring this value promotes a just and compassionate society.

6. Additionally, respecting and preserving human life acknowledges an individual's right to make choices, pursue goals, and experience a range of human experiences. By saving lives, we ensure that individuals have the opportunity to exercise their autonomy.

7. Saving human lives helps prevent unnecessary pain, suffering, and premature loss. Each life saved can potentially alleviate immeasurable grief for families and loved ones.

8. Honoring human life contributes to the pursuit of justice, fairness, and equality. Treating all lives as valuable ensures that each person has an equal opportunity to thrive and fulfill their potential.

9. By honoring and saving human lives, we set a moral precedent for others to do the same. We create a culture that values and protects life, fostering a society built on empathy, compassion, and cooperation.

10. Human life is intricately interconnected, and preserving it strengthens the fabric of society. Each life saved can contribute to the well-being and progress of communities, creating a positive ripple effect.

11. We have a duty to preserve and protect the lives of others. Acknowledging this responsibility implies a commitment to uphold the fundamental right to life for all individuals.

12. Every human life holds untapped potential and unique contributions that can enrich the world. By saving lives, we preserve the chance for individuals to make positive impacts, foster innovation, and create a better future.

13. Valuing and saving human life ensures the preservation of diverse cultures, traditions, values, etc. of other cultures and ensures the broad range of the human experience remains available to everyone. We live in a deeply interconnected world. Saving human lives contributes to the well-being of society as a whole, fostering social stability, harmony, and progress.

Just an FYI: this is how I learn and reinforce a value. I value empathy, I realized I was lacking it in this particular instance, I went searching for reasons to confirm not that I should lack it, but why I should instead feel more compassion toward the people in the Titan.

*ChatGPT helped.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 813th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Insides of a Septic System

My husband retired from the fire department to install septic tanks, which was a second job he worked with his father until his father passed away.

These are photos of the insides of a septic system. Or some of it, anyway. The tanks are not shown; they're already buried. City dwellers have no clue about such things, but they're common out here in the sticks.

My Mother's Birthday

She would have been 79 years old today.

She died when she was 56 on August 24, 2000.

Mom about 1994

1966, with my brother

My mother and father, about 1996

Mom about 1950+

Mom in 1981. This is my immediate family
at my wedding. Mom, Dad, me, my brother.

Two Books

Girls They Write Songs About

By Carlene Bauer

Read by Cady Zuckerman

Copyright 2022

9 hrs

The Princess Bride

By William Goldman

Copyright 1970, et al

450 pages

I am not sure when I have managed to deal with two such totally opposite books at the same time. As I was reading The Princess Bride, I was listening to Girls They Write Songs About.

And they are very different books, written 50 years apart.

I did not like The Princess Bride. I'm not sure I would have finished it except for the glowing reviews friends had given it, and my sense that I'd somehow missed this piece of pop culture and should fill in that gap. (I still have not seen the movie.) I mean, the fellows on The Big Bang Theory quote from this book in one episode (and somehow I knew what they were quoting - thank heavens I read a lot). I'd been told it was funny, but I did not see the humor. I didn't like the author asides, or his personal side story that constantly interrupted the fantasy/fairy tale. I did not like Buttercup (the heroine, although the men were the heroes of this story) at all, who could have been a cardboard cutout, so little fleshed out was her character. I suppose the fact that this is a tale within a tale within a tale had something to do with it; as a device I didn't like it. I felt like I was dealing with an unreliable narrator, and I have never liked books with unreliable narrators.

And then there is Girls They Write Songs About, a feminist manifesto about friendship, betrayal, and women who take from other women without a second thought. In this book, Charlotte and Rose both want to be writers; they are different people, but they were people I used to be, of a sort. The author's literary prose flows through the pages, and I could relate to characters who would talk books for hours or discuss the merits of a song even if they could not sing it. She tossed out references to Anne of Greene Gables, Little Women, and other books as I once did, way back when I was in college, and the narrator (Charlotte) used the big words that I have been chastised for knowing and told not to use in either my writing or my verbal expressions, at least, not around here. I use them anyway, sometimes, but I am rusty. I envied the author the ease and flow of her style, and I do hate it when that little green monster of jealousy rears its vile little head.

The book also takes to task those of us who want to be writers but end up being something else. Like Charlotte and Rose, I had a freelance career, I have published extensively, but I've never written a book, never written much of importance, really. I have catalogued my community and left an impression, I suppose, but to have been a graduate of one of the most prestigious women's colleges, one with an extraordinary reputation as a college for writers, I must surely be a disappointment to some professor somewhere, should one remember me. 

The women in this book were fully drawn, perhaps overly drawn, while the men came across as caricatures, not as cardboard as Buttercup in The Princess Bride, but certainly not deftly drawn out to be anything more than men of certain types.

Politically, both books had something to say, as well - and they basically said the same thing. In The Princess Bride, the patriarchal desire for power and autocracy is greatly in play, as Buttercup's wedding to Prince Humperdinck is solely a device the prince is using to create a war between his country and a neighboring one. Men rule in this world; women have very little say and frankly, do not matter except as something to use. The only woman with any depth at all is deemed a witch, married to a man with the power to revive the dead. Doesn't this say a lot about how the sexes are perceived by some groups?

Politics is scarcely mentioned in Girls They Write Songs About, but it is there, nevertheless. And again, it's the patriarchy at play, the fact that despite the fact that these young women are second generation feminists, they are still, when it comes down to it, merely pawns to men, doing the bidding of men, keeping the houses for men, spawning the children, and losing themselves and their souls as one becomes the housewife and the other moves on to become the mistress, her body always a weapon for good or ill. It is not her words, her work, her productivity that make her a person, it is sex and sexuality, and motherhood. The settling, when the fight finally goes out of us, that most women end up with, because it is exhausting to try to fight a system that is so plainly and clearly set up to beat the shit out of us simply because we have no penis, as if that little piece of a body part actually matters. How did it come to rule the damn world?

Rose and Charlotte do not remain friends. This is not a spoiler, as the author has Charlotte say this plainly in what is probably the first paragraph of the book. One reads the book to find out why these two, so alike, so concerned for one another, so loving to one another at various times, are no longer friends, and even after learning the why of it, six hours into the book, one finishes the book with a secret hope that one or the other will pick up the phone and make the call that will bring them back together.

In the end, I must wonder, are we all only cardboard cutouts to one another? Where do we click? Where do we find ourselves when we cannot reach each other, when humanity sees only "other" and not "someone like me?" When we lose ourselves and look around for a mirror, and see that the world has changed, is the landscape of today the only answer to the politics of the patriarchal society that has ultimately created so much hatred and so much death? Does it ever actually perpetuate love, in all of its many forms, or does love scrape against that grain, and the love that we feel for one another, for however long or however short, however thin or thick, is this love the thing that fights the patriarchy as hard as it can? Do we overcome the many negligences of today by reaching out to a friend? And when we do save someone else, what or who are we saving them for? 

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1) What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

A. Reading or watching TV with my husband.

2) What do you look forward to every week?

A. Going to the grocery store.

3) Name three pet peeves you currently have.

A. People who are stupid, people who don't return phone calls (I'm looking at you, repair people), and the lack of rain here, which is not something anyone can do much about, but it still peeves me.

4) If you were to win an all-expense paid vacation for two weeks to anywhere in the world, where would you choose to go? What are some of the things you would like to experience while you were there?

A. I would like to go to Scotland and visit the castle of Mary Queen of Scots. I'd also like to visit Loch Ness. Maybe I'd see Nessie. 

5) What was one of your favorite toys as a kid? Did you save any special things from your childhood that you still have today?

A. I liked to play with Johnny West dolls, which were hard plastic dolls featuring Johnny West, Jane West, General Custer, Geronimo, Chief Cherokee, horses, a wagon, etc. I do not have any of those items; they were in my grandmother's basement and went out in a flood. I still have some things from my childhood - a small jewelry box my grandmother gave me, for instance. But not those toys.

6) What is your favorite holiday? What is your least favorite holiday?

A. My favorite holiday is Halloween. My least favorite holiday now is Christmas. I used to enjoy it, but I don't anymore. Too many people suck the joy right out of it.

7) Have you ever met anyone famous? What concerts have you attended?

A. Isn't this two questions? I have met a lot of politicians. I haven't met any famous musicians or actors. Concerts I have attended include The Commodores, Styx, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Juice Newton, and Loretta Lynn.

8) Are there any expressions that people use that really annoy you? If so, what are they?

A. "It is what it is."

9) Do you like your name? Are you named after anyone? Is there a story how you got your name? Would you change it if you could? If so, what name would you give yourself?

A. I like my name although I don't think it's a writer's name. I am not named after anyone. However, my grandfather thought I was named after him with my middle name (according to my mother that was not the case, but she let him think that). My father refused to call me by my name and called me a nickname, which I no longer use. In second grade my teacher said they did not use nicknames and after that I was who I am. 

10) It is said that it's the little things that make life worth living. Name five of those little things in your life.

A. Sunsets, love, the seasons (spring, summer, fall), good food, and stories.

Sunset

*Bing AI created the picture of the woman in the grocery store, the Johnny West picture came from the web someplace long ago, and I took the picture of the sunset.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Beautiful Boy

Saturday 9: Beautiful Boy (1980)

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here.

1) Paul McCartney has said that "Beautiful Boy" is one of his favorite John Lennon solo songs. What's yours? (This link will take you to his greatest hits.)

A. Watching the Wheels.

2) Lennon wrote this for his son, Sean. Father and son share an October 9 birthday. Does anyone in your life share your birthday?

A. Yes. My uncle, who is a year younger than I, was born on my first birthday.

3) John asks Sean to take his hand before they cross the street. Name another song that references holding hands.

A. Reminiscing, by Little River Band ("That's the way it began/We were hand-in-hand/Glenn Miller's band/Was better than before/We yelled and screamed for more")

4) Today Sean Lennon is in his late 40s. He lives in Greenwich Village, creating art and music from his elaborate home-based music and film studio. Are you into the latest in electronics?

A. I have an iPhone 5SE, which is about 6 years old, for my cellphone. I have never gone out and bought the latest and greatest. Let them get the bugs out, first.

5) In Thailand, Father's Day is observed on the birthday of the current King. Are you celebrating any birthdays this month?

A. We celebrated my brother's birthday, my husband's birthday, and my birthday. Were they still alive, we'd also celebrate my maternal grandmother's birthday, my paternal grandfather's birthday, and my mother's birthday.

6) Crazy Sam vividly remembers her long-ago high school days when her father gave her driving lessons. Do you consider yourself a good driver?

A. Yes. 

7) Sam's dad is a stickler about car maintenance and reminds Sam to change her air filter regularly so her a/c and heater can run efficiently. Share a car maintenance tip.

A. When a woman says the car she drives all the time is making a funny noise, men should not ignore her. She knows what she is talking about even if she doesn't know how to fix it. Also, clean the dirt off of the backup camera occasionally so you can see out of it.

 

8) When he fills up the car, Sam's father also stocks up on his favorite candy: Life Savers. He always has a bag in the glove compartment. What's something you don't leave home without?

A. My driver's license and a bottle of water.

9) Random Question: How long can you go without checking your phone?

A. I have been known to go all night, the next day, the next night, and into the next morning before remembering I have it, so a while. If it weren't for texting, I'd probably forget it more often.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Thursday Thirteen

Being a supportive person to another person is not always easy, but it can make a big difference in someone's life. Here are some ways to be supportive to someone:

1. Listen to them without judging or interrupting. Sometimes they just need someone to vent to or share their feelings with.

2. Validate their emotions and experiences. Let them know that you understand what they are going through and that it is okay to feel whatever they are feeling.

3. Encourage them to seek help if they need it. Whether it is professional, medical, or spiritual, help them find the resources they need and support their decision to get help.

4. Offer practical assistance if you can. For example, you can help them with chores, errands, or tasks that they are struggling with or overwhelmed by.

5. Be there for them in times of crisis. Don't abandon them when they are facing a difficult situation or a major challenge. Stay in touch and check on them regularly.

6. Celebrate their achievements and successes. Congratulate them on their accomplishments and praise their efforts. Show them that you are proud of them and happy for them.

7. Respect their boundaries and preferences. Don't pressure them to do things they don't want to do or make decisions for them. Let them have their own space and autonomy.

8. Give them honest and constructive feedback. Don't sugarcoat or lie to them, but don't be harsh or critical either. Help them improve and grow by pointing out their strengths and areas of improvement.

9. Be loyal and trustworthy. Don't gossip about them or betray their trust. Keep their secrets and confidences. Stand up for them when they are being mistreated or misunderstood.

10. Show them affection and appreciation. Give them hugs, compliments, or gifts. Tell them that you love them and that you are grateful for their presence in your life.

11. Have fun with them and make them laugh. Share jokes, stories, or memes with them. Do activities that they enjoy or try something new together. Make them smile and forget about their worries for a while.

12. Inspire and motivate them. Share your own goals and dreams with them and encourage them to pursue theirs. Challenge them to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. Remind them of their potential and capabilities.

13. Be yourself and be consistent. Don't pretend to be someone you are not or change your behavior depending on the situation. Be genuine and authentic with them. Show them that you are reliable and dependable.

*Bing AI created the images.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 812th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.