Types of government
1. Tribalism is a governmental system based on a small complex society of varying degrees of centralisation that is led by an individual known as a chief.
2. Monarchism is a governmental system in which the government is headed by an agreed-upon head of the nobility who is known as the monarch, usually in the form of a king or emperor (but also less commonly a queen or empress). In most monarchical systems the position of monarch is one inherited from a previous ruler by bloodline or marriage, but in other cases it may be a position elected by the nobility themselves, as was the case in the ancient Roman Kingdom and the medieval Holy Roman Empire.
3. Republicanism is a governmental system where laws and governmental policies are considered a "public matter." The citizens of the society, whoever they may be, decide these "public matters." Most modern nation-states are examples of republics, but other examples include those of ancient Rome and Athens.
4. Despotism is a governmental system where the laws and resources of a nation are controlled by one individual, usually a monarch or dictator, who holds absolute political power. Examples include the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and the Roman emperors.
5. Feudalism is a governmental system of land ownership and duties common to medieval Europe. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom belonged to the king. However, the king would give some of the land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. These presents of land were called manors. Then the nobles gave some of their land to vassals. The vassals then had to do duties for the nobles. The lands of vassals were called fiefs.
6. Colonialism is a governmental system where a native group (or their lands and resources) is subjugated by an external political power for their own economic and/or political benefit.
7. Capitalism is a governmental system where the means of production (machines, tools, factories, etc.) are owned by private individuals. Workers then negotiate with those individuals to use those means of production in exchange for a portion of what they produce, usually in the form of capital (money). The owners of the means of production are entitled to whatever portion of the products of the workers' labor that is agreed upon by the two parties. The capitalist system is usually accompanied by a Welfare state which plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life.
8. Minarchism is a variant of capitalism which advocates for the State to exist solely to provide a very small number of services. A popular model of the State proposed by minarchists is known as the night-watchman state, in which the only governmental functions are to protect citizens from aggression, theft, breach of contract, and fraud as defined by property laws, limiting it to three institutions: the military, the police, and courts.
9. Distributism is a variant of capitalism which views widespread property ownership as fundamental right; the means of production are spread as widely as possible rather than being centralized under the control of the state (as in state socialism), or a few individuals/corporations (as in what proponents of distributism call "crony capitalism"). Distributism fundamentally opposes socialism and capitalism, which distributists view as equally flawed and exploitative. In contrast, distributism seeks to subordinate economic activity to human life as a whole.
10. Socialism is a governmental system where workers, democratically and/or socially own the means of production. The economic framework may be decentralized and self-managed in autonomous economic units, as in libertarian systems, or centrally planned, as in authoritarian systems. Public services such as healthcare and education would be commonly, collectively, and/or state owned.
11. Anarchism is a governmental system that advocates self-governed societies based on voluntary institutions. These are often described as stateless societies, although several authors have defined them more specifically as institutions based on non-hierarchical or free associations. Anarchism holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and/or harmful.
12. Communism is a socialist system in which the means of production are commonly owned (either by the people directly, through the commune, or by a communist state or society), and production is undertaken for use, rather than for profit. Communist society is thus, in theory, stateless, classless, moneyless, and democratic — it is usually regarded as the "final form" of a socialist or anarchist society.
13. Totalitarianism is a governmental system in which the land and resources of a nation are controlled by a centralised authoritarian state that holds absolute political power, usually under a dictatorship or single political party. Examples include the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
Information from Wikipedia.
______________
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 557th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
My Mother's Birthday
Today is my mother's birthday. She would have been 74, but she died in 2000 at the age of 56 - just one year older than I am now.
She had pancreatic cancer, which is a terrible cancer and one that is almost always fatal. You know if even Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs can't beat it, with all the money they must have had, it's not something the average person has much chance of surviving.
This is a "Glamour Shots" photo of my mother circa 1993:
She would have been 49 when this was taken. Who would have thought she wouldn't be with us just seven years later?
I was 37 years old when my mother passed away. My experiences with death at that time were few - only my grandfathers and relatives who lived out of state and thus not exactly "real" to me anyway. I would like to think I would handle it better now that I am older, but there is no point in second guessing such things. You do the best you can at the time with what you have, and if that doesn't suit, it was still the best you could do so the outcome would not have been different.
She would not have liked to have been an "old woman" so this is pretty much the way she will always be remembered, looking beautiful as she approached 50. Forever young.
She had pancreatic cancer, which is a terrible cancer and one that is almost always fatal. You know if even Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs can't beat it, with all the money they must have had, it's not something the average person has much chance of surviving.
This is a "Glamour Shots" photo of my mother circa 1993:
She would have been 49 when this was taken. Who would have thought she wouldn't be with us just seven years later?
I was 37 years old when my mother passed away. My experiences with death at that time were few - only my grandfathers and relatives who lived out of state and thus not exactly "real" to me anyway. I would like to think I would handle it better now that I am older, but there is no point in second guessing such things. You do the best you can at the time with what you have, and if that doesn't suit, it was still the best you could do so the outcome would not have been different.
She would not have liked to have been an "old woman" so this is pretty much the way she will always be remembered, looking beautiful as she approached 50. Forever young.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
It is Who We Are
*Update* The news is reporting this morning (06/20/2018) that we have withdrawn from the U.N. Human Rights Council. The people running the country now are inhumane and isolationism is not the answer in a global economy. The more I read about this, the more I despise the current administration.
_________________
Written 06/19/2018
My Facebook page is littered with images and comments about the issue of the current administration's stringent policy of separating children from their parents at the border. Since I mostly only see liberal writings on Facebook, there is a lot of hand-wringing and cries of, "this is not who we are."
There are also commentaries from my non-liberal acquaintances, who, as best I can tell, think anyone who doesn't look like them is a little beast that deserves to be locked up. Those commenters are, I suppose, part of the 35% who agree with President Trump regardless of what he does. (At the moment about 65% of people don't like the separation of children and parents policy, 35% approve.)
I have refrained from commenting or posting about this issue not because I don't care about it (I certainly do) but because I tend not to have knee-jerk reactions to things and prefer to figure out what is really going on before I do make a declaration.
At the end of this piece, you'll see a list of recommended reading and you will find links within this blog post. These are resources I have looked at this morning in an effort to better understand this particular issue. You will note that I went outside of the US for some of my information, and some of it comes from senate hearings on immigration issues, and yes, even Fox News. (I will read stuff from Fox News but I am not fond of their website, which is full of video. I don't want to watch my news unless it is the local stations. I don't watch videos from many news organization. I prefer to read my news. And unfortunately the commentary from Fox News anchors is incredibly biased. They shouldn't be offering any commentary at all and simply let the issues speak for themselves. I don't care if you agree with me on that or not, that is real journalism and the commentary from Fox entertainers (I can't really call them journalists) makes me shudder.)
For the record, as a moral stance, I don't think parents and children who are having to wait for any length of time for a hearing on their immigration status should be separated. If you can warehouse children in a former Walmart building, you can warehouse the whole family there. I would think it would be cheaper to keep them all together.
I also fear that this type of action serves only to create hostility towards the US and that somewhere among the thousands of children currently not with their parents we are creating little terrorists who will one day blow something up, or the parents will do rash things to try to get their children back. We have already read of one man who killed himself after being separated from his wife and child. Love is a strong force and not to be underestimated.
But this issue, like any issue with the government, is complicated. For one thing, this does not all lay at Mr. Trump's feet (though much of it does). As much as I would like to place it there, because I do not like the man, as a former journalist I simply cannot do that.
The government has struggled with immigration policy for decades - or, if you really care to go back into history - for as long as the USA has existed. We are, after all, a people who separated native- born Americans from their parents and sent them to boarding schools to assimilate them.
We are also a people who put Japanese families into interment camps during World War II.
We're a people who hated Irish immigrants in the 19th century and didn't really care if they had no potatoes.
So to cry about current policies is a bit hypocritical if you haven't had the issue on your radar before now. If you're only upset about it because you dislike Mr. Trump, then I suggest you go find a corner and think about what it is you're really protesting. President Obama struggled with this. Presidents Bush and Clinton struggled with this. All administrations have.
As best I can tell, the current situation has been ramped up by a zero-tolerance policy enacted by the Trump Administration earlier this year. Over the last 20 years, the system of immigration has evolved and stems from at least three things: (1) a ruling known as the Flores Settlement Agreement (1997), which ensures that children who are removed from parents are treated humanly and given "food and drink, emergency medical assistance, toilets and sinks, adequate temperature control and ventilation, adequate supervision, and separation from unrelated adults whenever possible;" (2) the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and (3) The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.
The 1997 act came about as a result of a legal settlement and thus did not go through Congress - it is a ruling of law and Congress has not changed it. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 went through Congress and was signed by President George W. Bush. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, (which renewed a similar law from 2000) also went through Congress and was also signed by President Bush just prior to his leaving office a month later.
I do believe that the current reading and understanding of the Flores settlement which requires "separation from unknown adults" may be giving rise to some of this, and gives Mr. Trump's efforts to double down hard a semblance of legitimacy even though congressional leaders this morning are saying it is merely administrative policy pushing this. (Update: Here is a Snopes article claiming that the Flores settlement has no role in the current situation, meaning it is the current administration that is solely responsible for the "break up" of families. Also, here's a Washington Post article that discusses how this is Mr. Trump's policy, not a matter of law.)
One of the most alarming items among the many things I read this morning was a statement given before the Senate Committee that Mr. Trump is seeking to undo the Flores agreement, meaning, I suppose, that children would not have food and drink, etc. What does he expect to do with them, then, if you do not treat them humanely? Does he plan to put them in hot abandoned Walmart structures and let them die? This perplexes me and I'm not sure why one would seek to undo something that ensures appropriate care of children.
A major question I have, not that it matters from a moral stance, is whether these are all people who are trying to cross the border illegally and sneak in or whether some of these separations are between people who are going through the process legitimately only to see their children removed from them. Nothing I have read this morning actually clears this question up for me. I suppose for some people any person who is not a US citizen who steps foot on US soil is an illegal immigrant even if they are standing in line to go through the appropriate hearings and processing. It doesn't really matter; I don't believe this separation of families is defensible regardless of the situation.
There is speculation that this policy has been enacted to force financing of the border wall, a big expensive structure that would cut across the borders between Mexico and the United States. (I have to wonder, given Mr. Trump's disgruntlement with Canada, if building a wall there won't be next.)
I don't believe in walls. They didn't work in Germany and they aren't going to work here. I see it as a big waste of money to assuage the ego of bigots and racists who prefer lily white subdivisions and who don't want to hear foreign languages spoken when they are shopping at Sam's Clubs. I would rather the money go to social programs that would make these same people, many of whom are on disability or living off of Social Security, feel a little more secure in their life. It is hard to feel secure if you're living on Social Security and the government, as it has for about 20 years, constantly says Social Security is broken and must end. But giving these folks some sense of security isn't going to happen. A fearful populace is easier to lead around by the nose.
The point of this little article is get to some version of truth of the matter (and offer a little opinion along the way - it is a blog, after all, not a newspaper.). The truth as best I can determine is that (a) Mr. Trump has escalated an already-existing issue to prove some point or to get something, or to rile up his base because it makes them happy to see others suffer or for other unknown reasons, (b) some of his administration believe we are a country ruled by the Bible and not the U.S. Constitution and law, which somehow justifies doing things that Jesus Christ himself would abhor, and (c) for me personally I find the separation of immigrant families an abhorrent abuse of power but, having not taken notice of it in the past, I really have no standing to raise my fist about it. I can say I don't like it but I also have to acknowledge that ultimately, this is merely a reflection of who we are.
I also don't like the changes to other immigration programs, the one that means children of illegal immigrants can be sent to countries they've never seen, and I don't like the fact that such enforcement has increased exponentially since Mr. Trump came into power. As The Guardian puts it:
When it comes to the undocumented population living in the US, in the administration’s eyes, there appears no longer to be any distinction between violent criminals and people who have been living quietly without legal status for decades.
From October 2016 to September 2017, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) said, it had apprehended nearly 38,000 individuals who had no criminal convictions – a 146% increase from the previous year.
I freely admit that I dislike the current administration and its policies. I do not like Mr. Trump as a person, and I do not like the people he surrounds himself with. I am not defending him here, (though I am afraid it might sound like it) but I am trying to understand a difficult subject with some objectivity.
The fact is, Americans are not nice people. We never have been. We like power, we despise change, and we all want to be rich. Not a bit of that is good. None of it is Christian. It may be a stereotype, and I know there are many exceptions, but the exceptions are not the rule.
Our current leader and his policies are a reflection of that.
Recommended reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/19/families-border-separations-trump-immigration-policy
http://www.aila.org/infonet/flores-v-reno-settlement-agreement
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McCament%20Testimony.pdf
https://www.aclu.org/files/pdfs/immigrants/flores_v_meese_agreement.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/us/politics/trump-immigration-germany-merkel.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/trump-doubles-anger-grows-child-separation-policy-180619075717557.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/19/sessions-rebukes-critics-who-compare-border-situation-to-nazi-germany-fundamentally-were-enforcing-law.html
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/family-separation-trump-republicans_us_5b28499be4b0f0b9e9a421f1
_________________
Written 06/19/2018
My Facebook page is littered with images and comments about the issue of the current administration's stringent policy of separating children from their parents at the border. Since I mostly only see liberal writings on Facebook, there is a lot of hand-wringing and cries of, "this is not who we are."
There are also commentaries from my non-liberal acquaintances, who, as best I can tell, think anyone who doesn't look like them is a little beast that deserves to be locked up. Those commenters are, I suppose, part of the 35% who agree with President Trump regardless of what he does. (At the moment about 65% of people don't like the separation of children and parents policy, 35% approve.)
I have refrained from commenting or posting about this issue not because I don't care about it (I certainly do) but because I tend not to have knee-jerk reactions to things and prefer to figure out what is really going on before I do make a declaration.
At the end of this piece, you'll see a list of recommended reading and you will find links within this blog post. These are resources I have looked at this morning in an effort to better understand this particular issue. You will note that I went outside of the US for some of my information, and some of it comes from senate hearings on immigration issues, and yes, even Fox News. (I will read stuff from Fox News but I am not fond of their website, which is full of video. I don't want to watch my news unless it is the local stations. I don't watch videos from many news organization. I prefer to read my news. And unfortunately the commentary from Fox News anchors is incredibly biased. They shouldn't be offering any commentary at all and simply let the issues speak for themselves. I don't care if you agree with me on that or not, that is real journalism and the commentary from Fox entertainers (I can't really call them journalists) makes me shudder.)
For the record, as a moral stance, I don't think parents and children who are having to wait for any length of time for a hearing on their immigration status should be separated. If you can warehouse children in a former Walmart building, you can warehouse the whole family there. I would think it would be cheaper to keep them all together.
I also fear that this type of action serves only to create hostility towards the US and that somewhere among the thousands of children currently not with their parents we are creating little terrorists who will one day blow something up, or the parents will do rash things to try to get their children back. We have already read of one man who killed himself after being separated from his wife and child. Love is a strong force and not to be underestimated.
But this issue, like any issue with the government, is complicated. For one thing, this does not all lay at Mr. Trump's feet (though much of it does). As much as I would like to place it there, because I do not like the man, as a former journalist I simply cannot do that.
The government has struggled with immigration policy for decades - or, if you really care to go back into history - for as long as the USA has existed. We are, after all, a people who separated native- born Americans from their parents and sent them to boarding schools to assimilate them.
We are also a people who put Japanese families into interment camps during World War II.
We're a people who hated Irish immigrants in the 19th century and didn't really care if they had no potatoes.
So to cry about current policies is a bit hypocritical if you haven't had the issue on your radar before now. If you're only upset about it because you dislike Mr. Trump, then I suggest you go find a corner and think about what it is you're really protesting. President Obama struggled with this. Presidents Bush and Clinton struggled with this. All administrations have.
As best I can tell, the current situation has been ramped up by a zero-tolerance policy enacted by the Trump Administration earlier this year. Over the last 20 years, the system of immigration has evolved and stems from at least three things: (1) a ruling known as the Flores Settlement Agreement (1997), which ensures that children who are removed from parents are treated humanly and given "food and drink, emergency medical assistance, toilets and sinks, adequate temperature control and ventilation, adequate supervision, and separation from unrelated adults whenever possible;" (2) the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and (3) The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.
The 1997 act came about as a result of a legal settlement and thus did not go through Congress - it is a ruling of law and Congress has not changed it. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 went through Congress and was signed by President George W. Bush. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, (which renewed a similar law from 2000) also went through Congress and was also signed by President Bush just prior to his leaving office a month later.
I do believe that the current reading and understanding of the Flores settlement which requires "separation from unknown adults" may be giving rise to some of this, and gives Mr. Trump's efforts to double down hard a semblance of legitimacy even though congressional leaders this morning are saying it is merely administrative policy pushing this. (Update: Here is a Snopes article claiming that the Flores settlement has no role in the current situation, meaning it is the current administration that is solely responsible for the "break up" of families. Also, here's a Washington Post article that discusses how this is Mr. Trump's policy, not a matter of law.)
One of the most alarming items among the many things I read this morning was a statement given before the Senate Committee that Mr. Trump is seeking to undo the Flores agreement, meaning, I suppose, that children would not have food and drink, etc. What does he expect to do with them, then, if you do not treat them humanely? Does he plan to put them in hot abandoned Walmart structures and let them die? This perplexes me and I'm not sure why one would seek to undo something that ensures appropriate care of children.
A major question I have, not that it matters from a moral stance, is whether these are all people who are trying to cross the border illegally and sneak in or whether some of these separations are between people who are going through the process legitimately only to see their children removed from them. Nothing I have read this morning actually clears this question up for me. I suppose for some people any person who is not a US citizen who steps foot on US soil is an illegal immigrant even if they are standing in line to go through the appropriate hearings and processing. It doesn't really matter; I don't believe this separation of families is defensible regardless of the situation.
There is speculation that this policy has been enacted to force financing of the border wall, a big expensive structure that would cut across the borders between Mexico and the United States. (I have to wonder, given Mr. Trump's disgruntlement with Canada, if building a wall there won't be next.)
I don't believe in walls. They didn't work in Germany and they aren't going to work here. I see it as a big waste of money to assuage the ego of bigots and racists who prefer lily white subdivisions and who don't want to hear foreign languages spoken when they are shopping at Sam's Clubs. I would rather the money go to social programs that would make these same people, many of whom are on disability or living off of Social Security, feel a little more secure in their life. It is hard to feel secure if you're living on Social Security and the government, as it has for about 20 years, constantly says Social Security is broken and must end. But giving these folks some sense of security isn't going to happen. A fearful populace is easier to lead around by the nose.
The point of this little article is get to some version of truth of the matter (and offer a little opinion along the way - it is a blog, after all, not a newspaper.). The truth as best I can determine is that (a) Mr. Trump has escalated an already-existing issue to prove some point or to get something, or to rile up his base because it makes them happy to see others suffer or for other unknown reasons, (b) some of his administration believe we are a country ruled by the Bible and not the U.S. Constitution and law, which somehow justifies doing things that Jesus Christ himself would abhor, and (c) for me personally I find the separation of immigrant families an abhorrent abuse of power but, having not taken notice of it in the past, I really have no standing to raise my fist about it. I can say I don't like it but I also have to acknowledge that ultimately, this is merely a reflection of who we are.
I also don't like the changes to other immigration programs, the one that means children of illegal immigrants can be sent to countries they've never seen, and I don't like the fact that such enforcement has increased exponentially since Mr. Trump came into power. As The Guardian puts it:
When it comes to the undocumented population living in the US, in the administration’s eyes, there appears no longer to be any distinction between violent criminals and people who have been living quietly without legal status for decades.
From October 2016 to September 2017, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) said, it had apprehended nearly 38,000 individuals who had no criminal convictions – a 146% increase from the previous year.
I freely admit that I dislike the current administration and its policies. I do not like Mr. Trump as a person, and I do not like the people he surrounds himself with. I am not defending him here, (though I am afraid it might sound like it) but I am trying to understand a difficult subject with some objectivity.
The fact is, Americans are not nice people. We never have been. We like power, we despise change, and we all want to be rich. Not a bit of that is good. None of it is Christian. It may be a stereotype, and I know there are many exceptions, but the exceptions are not the rule.
Our current leader and his policies are a reflection of that.
Recommended reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/19/families-border-separations-trump-immigration-policy
http://www.aila.org/infonet/flores-v-reno-settlement-agreement
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McCament%20Testimony.pdf
https://www.aclu.org/files/pdfs/immigrants/flores_v_meese_agreement.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/us/politics/trump-immigration-germany-merkel.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/trump-doubles-anger-grows-child-separation-policy-180619075717557.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/19/sessions-rebukes-critics-who-compare-border-situation-to-nazi-germany-fundamentally-were-enforcing-law.html
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/family-separation-trump-republicans_us_5b28499be4b0f0b9e9a421f1
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. List five ways to win your heart.
A. (1) Be honest with me. (2) Don't use me. (3) Show me you care by calling me occasionally. (4) Give me something special. (5) Be kind.
2. Name something you feel strongly about.
A. This:
America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.
3. Give the title of a book you love.
A. The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
4. List five pet peeves.
A. (1) People who tailgate when you're driving. (2) Trash along the roadways. (3) Smoking (it sets off my asthma). (4) The fact that my husband thinks my kitchen counter is his depository for anything he brings in the house or has on his person. (5) Dogs in stores.
5. What did you eat today?
A. I have had a rough morning as I have TMJ and I woke up with my jaw locked up. It has finally returned to normal but it will be a soft food day, so I've had a Boost drink and an egg.
6. How important do you think education is?
A. Education is the most important thing a person can do for himself/herself and for society. Education is how you learn to tie your shoes, catch fish, and drive a car. It is how you frame your morality and how you understand the world around you.
7. Name five people you find attractive.
A. (1) My husband. (2) George Clooney. (3) Viggo Mortenson (though not so much when he's clean shaven). (4) The young Patrick Swayze (as in Dirty Dancing). (5) Sean Connery.
8. What did you wear today?
A. I have on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.
9. Name something you always think “what if” about.
A. "What if" I had never met my husband?
10. Note something you’re proud of.
A. I have a nice long list of published articles - thousands of them, actually. I worked very hard to bring information to my community and to educate the public on topics that should have been of interest to them in order for people to make informed decisions and to better our area.
11. Name five items you lust after.
A. I don't "lust" after anything. I don't even particularly want anything.
12. List five words/phrases that make you laugh.
A. (1) Taters? What's tater's, Precious? (2) What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? (3) Don't call me Shirley. /// I can't think of anymore.
13. Give a quote you try to live by.
A. Do no harm.
14. Tell something you like and something you dislike about yourself.
A. I like that I am smart. I don't like that I am overweight.
15. Tell us about a problem that you have had.
A. Everybody has problems. One minor problem I have is that my driveway is nearly gone, thanks to heavy rains, and I almost wrecked the car yesterday when it slipped off what is left of the driveway and into a ditch. Fortunately I corrected appropriately. We really need to get a load of gravel in here.
__________
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.
1. List five ways to win your heart.
A. (1) Be honest with me. (2) Don't use me. (3) Show me you care by calling me occasionally. (4) Give me something special. (5) Be kind.
2. Name something you feel strongly about.
A. This:
America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.
3. Give the title of a book you love.
A. The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
4. List five pet peeves.
A. (1) People who tailgate when you're driving. (2) Trash along the roadways. (3) Smoking (it sets off my asthma). (4) The fact that my husband thinks my kitchen counter is his depository for anything he brings in the house or has on his person. (5) Dogs in stores.
5. What did you eat today?
A. I have had a rough morning as I have TMJ and I woke up with my jaw locked up. It has finally returned to normal but it will be a soft food day, so I've had a Boost drink and an egg.
6. How important do you think education is?
A. Education is the most important thing a person can do for himself/herself and for society. Education is how you learn to tie your shoes, catch fish, and drive a car. It is how you frame your morality and how you understand the world around you.
7. Name five people you find attractive.
A. (1) My husband. (2) George Clooney. (3) Viggo Mortenson (though not so much when he's clean shaven). (4) The young Patrick Swayze (as in Dirty Dancing). (5) Sean Connery.
8. What did you wear today?
A. I have on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.
9. Name something you always think “what if” about.
A. "What if" I had never met my husband?
10. Note something you’re proud of.
A. I have a nice long list of published articles - thousands of them, actually. I worked very hard to bring information to my community and to educate the public on topics that should have been of interest to them in order for people to make informed decisions and to better our area.
11. Name five items you lust after.
A. I don't "lust" after anything. I don't even particularly want anything.
12. List five words/phrases that make you laugh.
A. (1) Taters? What's tater's, Precious? (2) What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? (3) Don't call me Shirley. /// I can't think of anymore.
13. Give a quote you try to live by.
A. Do no harm.
14. Tell something you like and something you dislike about yourself.
A. I like that I am smart. I don't like that I am overweight.
15. Tell us about a problem that you have had.
A. Everybody has problems. One minor problem I have is that my driveway is nearly gone, thanks to heavy rains, and I almost wrecked the car yesterday when it slipped off what is left of the driveway and into a ditch. Fortunately I corrected appropriately. We really need to get a load of gravel in here.
__________
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.
California Cousin
My father's family moved to California when I was about 6 months old. He stayed behind in Virginia while my grandfather, grandmother, and my father's two older brothers and his younger sister headed west.
I grew up not really knowing that side of the family. I never met my father's younger sister, who passed away a few years ago. I have cousins out there I don't know and probably will never meet.
My grandparents were people who visited with years in between - people who sent me presents at Christmas and infrequent voices on the phone. While I tried to change that when I became an adult with a lot of letter-writing to my grandfather, distances like that can be difficult to overcome.
My cousins out in California knew my grandparents much better than I ever could have. They saw them more frequently and spent lots of time with them. That side of the family has different experiences than I did.
So anyway, my first cousin, Steve, and his wife, Lisa, came out this past week for a visit. They went to the beach with my father and stepmother, so I did not see much of them. But here are a few shots from our brief visit.
I grew up not really knowing that side of the family. I never met my father's younger sister, who passed away a few years ago. I have cousins out there I don't know and probably will never meet.
My grandparents were people who visited with years in between - people who sent me presents at Christmas and infrequent voices on the phone. While I tried to change that when I became an adult with a lot of letter-writing to my grandfather, distances like that can be difficult to overcome.
My cousins out in California knew my grandparents much better than I ever could have. They saw them more frequently and spent lots of time with them. That side of the family has different experiences than I did.
So anyway, my first cousin, Steve, and his wife, Lisa, came out this past week for a visit. They went to the beach with my father and stepmother, so I did not see much of them. But here are a few shots from our brief visit.
 |
| Steve's wife, Lisa. I had not met her before though we are Facebook friends and have had a few brief chats. |
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| This is my 1st cousin, Steve. He is my father's oldest brother's son, i.e., "Uncle Ken's boy." He worked for my father for a while back in the early 1990s and he and my husband shared a passion for NASCAR, so I did get to know him a bit. |
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| My father and my stepmother, Rita. |
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| Steve and Lisa. |
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| Lisa taking a funny photo of Steve wherein he has horns coming out of his head. She said he looked like Shrek in the photo. |
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| My father, my stepmother, and cousin, Steve. Can you see a family resemblance between my father and his nephew? |
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| My father, Lisa, and Steve. |
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Saturday 9: Cat's in the Cradle
Cat's in the Cradle (1974)
This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here. (I always loved this song, though I find it rather sad.)
1) This song began as a poem, written by Harry's wife Sandy before the couple even met. Have you ever tried your hand at writing poetry?
A. Yes. I've even had a few poems published.
2) The lyrics include a reference to "The Man in the Moon." The original Mother Goose rhyme ends: "It's time for the children on earth to think about getting to bed." Do you remember what time your childhood bedtime was?
A. Around 8 p.m.
3) When did you go to bed last night?
A. After 10 p.m.
4) In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the proclamation that made Father's Day a holiday on the third Sunday in June. Can you name all 45 Presidents? (No, you don't have to list them here.)
A. I doubt it. It's not something I've made a point of committing to memory. I can tell you they were/are all white guys except for Barack Obama, FDR was a saint, and Lincoln was a visionary.
5) Since Sam's father is particular about his Cole Haan loafers, her Father's Day present to him is always a DSW gift card. Who on your gift list is especially easy to buy for?
A. My friend Leslie, who is not a father because she's a woman without kids, is probably the easiest person I buy a present for during other occasions.
6) Sam's father is a voracious reader. So much so that the local librarian knows him on sight and by name. When did you last visit your neighborhood library?
A. Wednesday.
7) Back when Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. Do you consider yourself a good driver?
A. Yes.
8) He is a stickler about car maintenance and reminds Sam to check her car's air filter regularly, because a dirty air filter can reduce mileage. Share your own car maintenance tip.
A. Don't rev the engine at stoplights.
9) Whenever he fills up the car, Sam's father also stocks up on his favorite candy: LifeSavers. So Sam is celebrating Father's Day by giving everyone a roll. Would you prefer Wild Cherry, Butter Rum, Winter Green or Peppermint?
A. Winter Green, please. Thank you.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here. (I always loved this song, though I find it rather sad.)
1) This song began as a poem, written by Harry's wife Sandy before the couple even met. Have you ever tried your hand at writing poetry?
A. Yes. I've even had a few poems published.
2) The lyrics include a reference to "The Man in the Moon." The original Mother Goose rhyme ends: "It's time for the children on earth to think about getting to bed." Do you remember what time your childhood bedtime was?
A. Around 8 p.m.
3) When did you go to bed last night?
A. After 10 p.m.
4) In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the proclamation that made Father's Day a holiday on the third Sunday in June. Can you name all 45 Presidents? (No, you don't have to list them here.)
A. I doubt it. It's not something I've made a point of committing to memory. I can tell you they were/are all white guys except for Barack Obama, FDR was a saint, and Lincoln was a visionary.
5) Since Sam's father is particular about his Cole Haan loafers, her Father's Day present to him is always a DSW gift card. Who on your gift list is especially easy to buy for?
A. My friend Leslie, who is not a father because she's a woman without kids, is probably the easiest person I buy a present for during other occasions.
6) Sam's father is a voracious reader. So much so that the local librarian knows him on sight and by name. When did you last visit your neighborhood library?
A. Wednesday.
7) Back when Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. Do you consider yourself a good driver?
A. Yes.
8) He is a stickler about car maintenance and reminds Sam to check her car's air filter regularly, because a dirty air filter can reduce mileage. Share your own car maintenance tip.
A. Don't rev the engine at stoplights.
9) Whenever he fills up the car, Sam's father also stocks up on his favorite candy: LifeSavers. So Sam is celebrating Father's Day by giving everyone a roll. Would you prefer Wild Cherry, Butter Rum, Winter Green or Peppermint?
A. Winter Green, please. Thank you.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Thursday Thirteen
Around the Courthouse
I can't travel far or fast these days, but I did manage a little stroll around the area of the county courthouse recently. Here is what I saw.
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| The Douglas Building sits across from the county courthouse. It has served as a motel, tavern, law office, and who knows what else. Someone told me it was haunted. |
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| A sign commemorating the fire that gutted the 1848 courthouse. Note that this fire impacted the entire state: because of it, the Virginia General Assembly passed an act requiring permanent storage of vital records in the Library of Richmond. |
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| This beautiful old car was in the parking lot. The man who eventually drove it off told me it was a 1964 vehicle that he bought himself the year he'd graduated high school. |
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| The county courthouse. I don't know when someone painted the letters gold. They used to be black. |
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| The Civil War monument with the former "old post office" building in the background. The building currently houses the voter registrar's office. |
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| The remains of the old Hayth Hotel, now private housing. |
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| Cattycorner to the courthouse sits this vacant building. It once was the Fincastle Drug Store - a title it held for nearly 100 years, I think. I wish someone could find a use for it. |
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| This marker marks the fact that the Lewis and Clark expedition sort of began in Fincastle. |
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| This marker, which is on a big rock on the courthouse grounds, is dedicated to those who served in WWII. |
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| The old Fincastle jail. It once was the Fincastle Library. Now it is the Chamber of Commerce office. |
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| These two buildings once were part of a hotel complex. Now they serve as offices for the Virginia Cooperate Extension Agency and county services. |
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| The county seal sits high on the courthouse. |
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| I've always loved the wrought iron fence around the courthouse. Isn't it grand? |
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 556th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
My Young Helpers
Because of health issues, a few household chores are difficult for me now, even ones that I used to tackle with ease.
The worst are mopping and using the vacuum, both of which utilize the abdominal muscles. My abdominal muscles are all messed up thanks to multiple surgeries and simply don't want to work properly anymore. While I'm much better than I was even six months ago, I still have trouble when something requires those muscles.
Coming to my rescue are these lovely young ladies:
These two young entrepreneurs started their own cleaning business about two years ago. They call themselves Peace, Love, and Cleaning. Isn't that a great name? Click here for their Facebook page.
I have used them for a number of chores. They help me with general cleaning as well as those pesky sometimes-tasks, like clearing out the garden after the season is over, or putting mulch around the roses.
They are cheerful, always willing, and seem to enjoy doing the unconventional - like helping me rehang curtains or clearing out a room that needs it (you should have seen my office before they started helping me tackle that! Yikes.). They even do windows.
My brother uses their services, too, and they are very good with his dogs. Yes, they will pet-sit or walk the dog or whatever you need.
They aren't fond of spiders and I think I grossed them out once when I had them clean dead stink bugs out of the fireplace, but they were troopers and worked through it. (Where did these stink bugs come from?)
I like that they are respectful and don't spend their time texting or otherwise gazing at their phones while they are working. When they are here to work, they work. They've become fairly speedy at doing things - I once watched in total amazement as they reorganized some cabinets for me. Zip, snap, and they were done.
They genuinely like people, I think. While I am technically old enough to be their mother, I told them to think of me as the crazy aunt. They liked that. We also have some common interests - Haylee plays guitar, as I do, and Megan loves Lord of the Rings. (We all know how much I love Lord of the Rings.)
Megan and Haylee are my go-to girls when something comes up that I can't tackle on my own. I recommend them to everyone I can, and they tell me they have a fairly full schedule now. I'm glad they are doing so well.
The worst are mopping and using the vacuum, both of which utilize the abdominal muscles. My abdominal muscles are all messed up thanks to multiple surgeries and simply don't want to work properly anymore. While I'm much better than I was even six months ago, I still have trouble when something requires those muscles.
Coming to my rescue are these lovely young ladies:
 |
| Haylee and Megan. |
I have used them for a number of chores. They help me with general cleaning as well as those pesky sometimes-tasks, like clearing out the garden after the season is over, or putting mulch around the roses.
They are cheerful, always willing, and seem to enjoy doing the unconventional - like helping me rehang curtains or clearing out a room that needs it (you should have seen my office before they started helping me tackle that! Yikes.). They even do windows.
My brother uses their services, too, and they are very good with his dogs. Yes, they will pet-sit or walk the dog or whatever you need.
They aren't fond of spiders and I think I grossed them out once when I had them clean dead stink bugs out of the fireplace, but they were troopers and worked through it. (Where did these stink bugs come from?)
I like that they are respectful and don't spend their time texting or otherwise gazing at their phones while they are working. When they are here to work, they work. They've become fairly speedy at doing things - I once watched in total amazement as they reorganized some cabinets for me. Zip, snap, and they were done.
They genuinely like people, I think. While I am technically old enough to be their mother, I told them to think of me as the crazy aunt. They liked that. We also have some common interests - Haylee plays guitar, as I do, and Megan loves Lord of the Rings. (We all know how much I love Lord of the Rings.)
Megan and Haylee are my go-to girls when something comes up that I can't tackle on my own. I recommend them to everyone I can, and they tell me they have a fairly full schedule now. I'm glad they are doing so well.
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| Megan helping out with dusting. I love it when they get the whole house looking great. |
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| Haylee with the vacuum. Go Haylee! Go! |
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
My Lovely Rose
Come live by me, my lovely rose
whilst I bad poetry must compose.
Your smell so sweet, your petals so dear
fill me with longing when you are near.
Your beauty bids a sunflower blush
and makes an evil wind fall hush.
For none compares to your fragrant kiss
To love a rose is to live in bliss.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Newborn Calf
This little one was born in the field in front of the house recently. The baby had a drink, took a nap, and then mama moved him to someplace safe.
Cows usually "hide" their young for three days, taking them to the shelter of cedar trees or sometimes a brush pile (though I am not sure a brush pile - which has to be full of snakes and bees and other critters, is a safe place).
Afterwards, mother and calf join the herd. If there are other mamas with calves close to the same age, sometimes they babysit for one another. It is very cool to watch.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. What brand & flavor of toothpaste do you use?
A. I use a prescription toothpaste.
2. What is your earliest memory?
A. My mother passing out and my father calling an ambulance.
3. Hot dogs or hamburgers?
A. Hot dogs.
4. If you could bring any one famous person back to life, who would it be?
A. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
5. What is one thing we would always find in your fridge? What one thing would we never find?
A. You would always find mayo in the fridge, but you would never find freshly caught fish.
6. Did you have to go and look for the answer of #1?
A. No.
7. Why don't watermelons grow on trees?
A. Because they weigh too much for the tree branches to hold them.
8. What is something that you own that you should probably just throw in the trash, but you never will?
A. My journals.
9. I push you into a room and lock the door. I leave you there for 6 hours. The walls are chalkboards and in the middle of the room there is a box of colored chalk. What will be written/drawn on the walls when I let you out?
A. Words.
10. When was the last time you changed the oil on your car?
A. The service station changed it in October.
11. In your extended family, who has been married the longest?
A. One of my uncles, I suppose.
12. Name one thing that is so normal to you now that someone who was your age 50 years ago would think was abnormal.
A. Having a back-up camera in the car.
13. Have you ever wanted someone or something so bad that it hurt?
A. Yes.
14. What do you dip your french fries in?
A. Ketchup.
15. What was the last picture that you took?
A. Flowers.
__________
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.
1. What brand & flavor of toothpaste do you use?
A. I use a prescription toothpaste.
2. What is your earliest memory?
A. My mother passing out and my father calling an ambulance.
3. Hot dogs or hamburgers?
A. Hot dogs.
4. If you could bring any one famous person back to life, who would it be?
A. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
5. What is one thing we would always find in your fridge? What one thing would we never find?
A. You would always find mayo in the fridge, but you would never find freshly caught fish.
6. Did you have to go and look for the answer of #1?
A. No.
7. Why don't watermelons grow on trees?
A. Because they weigh too much for the tree branches to hold them.
8. What is something that you own that you should probably just throw in the trash, but you never will?
A. My journals.
9. I push you into a room and lock the door. I leave you there for 6 hours. The walls are chalkboards and in the middle of the room there is a box of colored chalk. What will be written/drawn on the walls when I let you out?
A. Words.
10. When was the last time you changed the oil on your car?
A. The service station changed it in October.
11. In your extended family, who has been married the longest?
A. One of my uncles, I suppose.
12. Name one thing that is so normal to you now that someone who was your age 50 years ago would think was abnormal.
A. Having a back-up camera in the car.
13. Have you ever wanted someone or something so bad that it hurt?
A. Yes.
14. What do you dip your french fries in?
A. Ketchup.
15. What was the last picture that you took?
A. Flowers.
__________
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, June 09, 2018
Saturday 9: No Gettin' Over Me
Saturday 9: (There's) No Gettin' Over Me (1981)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Ronnie Milsap sings about how worrisome it can be when you realize you forgot to pay a bill. It's happened to all of us, hasn't it? Tell about a time you accidentally missed a payment.
A. We missed an insurance payment back in January. My husband and I both had some kind of virus thing and the bill was overlooked.
2) He also references a dream that keeps him awake. Do you have any recurring dreams?
A. I haven't in a while, but for a long time I used to dream about a bathtub full of blood.
3) He sings about the face you see in the crowd. Tell us about someone you see regularly, but don't really know.
A. The grocery clerks - several of them - all talk to me like I'm a friend (I think because I am always nice to them). I don't know them at all though I know one of them is 38 years old and had a bad car accident and another spent 3 weeks in the Philippines this spring.
4) He mentions the book that you just can't put down. What's the last book that you finished?
A. The Girls of August, by Ann River Siddons
5) Ronnie Milsap is a big fan of new technology, and believes the advancements make both his professional and personal lives easier. What about you? Do you embrace new technology? Or do you long for the good old days, when we weren't so connected to personal devices?
A. I'm conflicted. I like technology and love my gadgets and doodads. But I think the social media aspect of it has created a vacuum that is being filled with garbage.
6) As a child, Ronnie used to surreptitiously listen to late night radio, especially gospel broadcasts. When you were a kid, what rule did you break again and again?
A. We used to slip down to the river when I was at my grandmother's, even though we had been told many times to stay away from it.
7) Country star Blake Shelton says Ronnie Milsap was a big influence on his music. Do you watch Blake on The Voice?
A. I don't watch that show.
8) In May, Ronnie appeared at the Choctaw Casino in Grant, OK. Do you enjoy games of chance?
A. I've never played one for real but I would like to give it a try. Well, we play the lottery sometimes. I suppose that is a game of chance.
9) Random question -- When did you last "do it yourself" and repair something around the house or yard?
A. Does painting count? If so, then just a few weeks ago.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Ronnie Milsap sings about how worrisome it can be when you realize you forgot to pay a bill. It's happened to all of us, hasn't it? Tell about a time you accidentally missed a payment.
A. We missed an insurance payment back in January. My husband and I both had some kind of virus thing and the bill was overlooked.
2) He also references a dream that keeps him awake. Do you have any recurring dreams?
A. I haven't in a while, but for a long time I used to dream about a bathtub full of blood.
3) He sings about the face you see in the crowd. Tell us about someone you see regularly, but don't really know.
A. The grocery clerks - several of them - all talk to me like I'm a friend (I think because I am always nice to them). I don't know them at all though I know one of them is 38 years old and had a bad car accident and another spent 3 weeks in the Philippines this spring.
4) He mentions the book that you just can't put down. What's the last book that you finished?
A. The Girls of August, by Ann River Siddons
5) Ronnie Milsap is a big fan of new technology, and believes the advancements make both his professional and personal lives easier. What about you? Do you embrace new technology? Or do you long for the good old days, when we weren't so connected to personal devices?
A. I'm conflicted. I like technology and love my gadgets and doodads. But I think the social media aspect of it has created a vacuum that is being filled with garbage.
6) As a child, Ronnie used to surreptitiously listen to late night radio, especially gospel broadcasts. When you were a kid, what rule did you break again and again?
A. We used to slip down to the river when I was at my grandmother's, even though we had been told many times to stay away from it.
7) Country star Blake Shelton says Ronnie Milsap was a big influence on his music. Do you watch Blake on The Voice?
A. I don't watch that show.
8) In May, Ronnie appeared at the Choctaw Casino in Grant, OK. Do you enjoy games of chance?
A. I've never played one for real but I would like to give it a try. Well, we play the lottery sometimes. I suppose that is a game of chance.
9) Random question -- When did you last "do it yourself" and repair something around the house or yard?
A. Does painting count? If so, then just a few weeks ago.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
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