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August 24, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Books, Business, Business Management, Cancer, Cap and Trade, Children, China, Climate Change, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Communism, Community, Computers, Congress, Contributor's Audio/Video, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Diet, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Energy, Entertainment, Environment, Environmental Issues, Faith, Family, Fiction, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Freelance Author, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Global Warming, Governance, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Heroes, History, Homeland Security, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet, Internet Advice, Interview, Islam, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Legal, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Marriage, Medical, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Mexico, Military, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Music, Native American, Nature/Wildlife, Non-Fiction, Nutrition, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Philosophical Genres, Poetry, Politics, Publishing, Question of the Day, Recovery, Relationships, Religion, Republican, Rhyme, Satire, Self-Help, Sex, Short Stories, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Television, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Travel, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Weight loss, Wellness, Women's Perspective, Women's Rights, Working Women, Workplace, World Issues, Writing Essentials
 Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...]
August 10, 2010
A weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed. [...]
August 9, 2010
Feel free to use it yourself. [...]
May 20, 2010
 The year escapes me when I try to remember it but the events never leave my memory for long. It was well past midnight and I was still in grade school when my journalist father came in drunk. It was the only time in my life that I saw him like that. He was brought home by a friend who happened to be one of the first black Atlanta policemen. Together they had traveled to the execution of a black man who had been convicted of raping a white woman in a poor white area called Cabbagetown. The woman said her attacker was a well dressed tall light skinned black man. The man they arrested and eventually executed was short and dark. He was a minister as well. The only thing I knew for many years was that my father came home drunk and ended up crying that he had failed to save this man. I was peeking out of my bedroom door watching and listening as my siblings slept and my mother plied him with coffee. Years later I wanted to write about what happened to make my father drink. It became a novel entitled “No Death by Unknown Hands.” Continue reading The Evolution of “No Death by Unknown Hands”
April 6, 2010
High school sucked for me, there’s no better way to put it. The funny thing is I didn’t realize it until after graduation. Maybe it wasn’t high school specifically, maybe it was more like adolescence sucked for me. But looking back on it now I have also realized that it could have been much worse. At least most of the time it felt like I had someone to talk to.
When you’re sixteen years old, the most important thing in the world is to feel included, especially if you’re a girl. I read an article this afternoon– printed in the New York Times on March 29th– about a teenage girl who had committed suicide because of bullies at her high school. Most of the parents who’s children attend that high school are clamoring for the superintendents removal and very strict anti-bullying measures to be put into effect. Those teens who where guilty of the harassment are being charged with felonies, but I feel like some people are missing the point. Yes, the school is responsible for every student within its walls, but how can parents expect the staff to catch every act of discrimination? In my experience, most teenagers are pretty intelligent when it comes to getting away with stuff they shouldn’t. They’re intelligent enough to know how not to get caught, even after repeated offense, and smart enough to completely understand what they’re doing. The high school in question is partially at fault, but I blame the students themselves. By the age of sixteen a person is old enough to know better. What I cannot understand is how those teens could think that treating a fellow student in such a way would ever be okay or acceptable. Frankly, it is disturbing. But they learned that behavior from somewhere. I’m not saying it was television or video games or books (if they even read them) that taught them that was a cool thing to do, but they got the idea from somewhere. Continue reading Sometimes That’s All it Takes
March 23, 2010
I think I am finally beginning to understand that this is not easy. Any of it. I been so busy scrambling for a hold on life that I’ve hardly had a chance to write. I was flicking through bits and pieces, trying to find something to inspire me to post for this website before Bob asked me to leave (thanks for your patience Bob!) and I came up with pretty much nothing. Well, not nothing perhaps, but not anything I thought would be worthy. Sometimes it’s so hard to believe that I will get anywhere worth being. And that’s the worst of it. I’m so hard on myself that I never get started. So. Here I am, pissed off and PMSing and taking it all out on my keyboard– along with whomsoever attempts to make sense of where I am going with this. If it’s going in the direction I feel like it’s headed, that would be nowhere. But simply here is somewhere, isn’t it? And if I can make up my mind and decide that that’s precisely where I want to be, then I’ll be content with my life and move on. But that’s the problem. I can’t seem to take that simple step forward. (And maybe I’ve been reading too much Lewis Carroll)
“‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. Continue reading Moving On (an Ode to the College Student)
March 23, 2010
Yesterday, my daughter bounced off the bus, grinning. She ran to grab the dog and smother him with kisses, then looked up and said,
“Oh, hi, Mom. Guess what? I had the best day. We did math.”
What???
My elder daughter has ADD (yes, a label, but one that helped us learn how to understand her better) and has always had a paralyzing fear of math. She used to burst into tears at the word. Anything to do with math was overwhelming. I was never a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination. I never really cared how well she did in it, so long as she was trying. But to see her so torn up was horrible. It started in kindergarten/primary and continues today, now that she is twelve years old. She and I have spent hours together, working out the little figures, fitting them where they should go, with me constantly hoping to see the light of discovery brighten her eyes. And, usually, by the end of our session, she’s laughing. I’m exhausted, granted, but she’s happy. However, by the time she gets to her class the next day, she has forgotten everything and is miserable again. Continue reading Math CAN be fun!
March 11, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: Accountability, Attitude, Children, Commentary, Economic Crisis, Education, Family, Governance, Habit Change, Homeland Security, Legal, Opinion, Politics, Social Issues, The Economy
Today, like every weekday, I got in my car, after work, and head for home listening to NPR. I’ve been thinking about this for some time now and today, after hearing a piece on NPR about Kansas City, Missouri’s school board approving a plan to close 26 schools in one district and Cleveland, Ohio’s school board approving a plan to close or move 16 schools, I had to give voice to my thought which is, Our country is broken and bleeding. We are loosing our safety, loosing our jobs, our homes, our way of life and even our schools. Not only can’t we house and feed our children we can’t educate them either. I’m at a loss. I’m lost because I can’t see a fix.
This week, here in South Carolina, a Columbia city council member who has held office representing the same district (The City of Columbia’s District 2) for 27 years, resigned after pleading guilty to federal tax evasion. According to reports, the man failed to pay more than $25,000 in federal income taxes in 2004. Before this revelation we learned that two convicted felons were trying to run for mayor of the city of Columbia and we have a governor that was hiking the Appalachian Trail in Argentina. Continue reading s it just me or, is there something wrong with this picture?
March 10, 2010
I was never a history buff. I was the kid in high school who got caught napping instead of listening. “So?” I would ask. “Why does this matter?” Now my tweenage daughters ask the same question and I struggle to explain why.
“Because,” I say. And it’s not one of those “Because I said so’s”. It’s because now I “get it”.
I experienced my first taste of Scottish history a few years ago, when I devoured the “Outlander” series by author extraordinaire Diana Gabaldon. After I finished the books, I became lonely for rolling r’s and sword-wielding Highlanders. I wanted more. So I wrote my own book. In order to do that, I had to delve into a different rolling r: rrrrrresearch. Not my strongest asset. But I started digging. I took out every book the library carried on the subject and then, after major physiotherapy on my back, decided to surf the net. I googled historic websites and got in touch with the people who really know their stuff, the re-enactors. These people are often obsessive about their craft, and were the absolute best sources for research. I was lectured ad nauseum about sword lengths and hilts. About garrons vs horses. I was laughed at for my pre-conceived notions. And from those often borderline abusive comments grew my understanding and love of history.
I joined the Calgary Highland Games committee with the purpose of listening to Scottish brogues so I could incorporate them into my book. I listened to the pipes, learned about the dances and tried not to hyperventilate over the Heavy Events athletes. I watched Scottish actors (obsessively, some might say) and wore out my cd player listening to Celtic music. I gleaned information on my ancestral clans of Graham and Ferguson, imagining what life might have been like. Continue reading The Future of History
March 1, 2010
I am the descendant of slaves and white slave owners. I did not melt into the pot that is America. The pot melted into me. Back in the later 50s and early 60s no one I knew wanted to admit to that. To be a descendant of a slave meant you were less than a second class citizen, it meant being someone uncivilized from the jungles of Africa. It often meant being told by white people that you looked like monkeys and apes. Of course none of this is true but back then black baby boomers were taught that our history contained one thing- slavery. We didn’t want it to mean that our lives led no where because of this ancestry. For most of us to move on it meant pretending we had no history. Continue reading Being Black and Proud
February 8, 2010
Chapter 7 – Dealing with Schools
For most of us dealing with the teachers and administration at our child’s school can be a difficult process. Many of us approach this important task with needless trepidation or false conceptions.
We were once students ourselves and may have built up a habit of obeying or even expecting punishment or derision from teachers and administrators.
This is a non productive attitude for parents. Teachers are not gods, many of them are hardly even human. Before engaging in any discourse with your child’s teacher, ask yourself these questions:
- Did this person find teaching as a calling in kindergarten, dedicating the rest of their lives to the education of children? Or was this the only job they could find after graduating with a useless degree in Grecian philosophy?
- Is this person a master educator or a product of “if you can’t do, teach.”
- Does this slimy wanker think they’re in charge? Or do they recognize that theirs is to serve in a difficult task as best they can. Parents, always ask yourself, are they “the boss of me?” Continue reading How to get your child through school successfully – a parents guide
February 7, 2010
I can already see the shock on your faces, the blood leeching from your veins, the rolling of your eyes.
Such a dysfunctional attitude might be catching. It might be socially and irresistibly viral. As parents, we spend every day combating even the hint of its symptoms, like ‘flu and cancer. “But you must go to school,” we glare, “and there is an end on it.”
He certainly has bad educational genes. I hated school, although I was quite good at it (I have four university degrees). My wife loathed it too, as did many in my immediate family.
But one of our sons is worse than that.
He gets asthma every night. He actually stopped breathing last week during his exams. School makes him miserable and it even risks killing him.
Universal education is an extraordinary achievement, driven for the mass of the population to feed the new industrial bureaucracy that was emerging in the 19th century which required factory and office workers, and driven at higher levels of society to develop colonial administrators and government officials. Continue reading We have a son who hates school
January 28, 2010
Is Experience more important than Education? Is Education more important than Experience? Is there no difference between the two?
We welcome your thoughts and comments.
December 11, 2009
Posted by AngelaPoseyArnold in: Biography & Memoir, Education, Faith, Family, Freedom, History, Inspiration & Motivation, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Non-Fiction, Personal Experiences, Relationships, Religion, Short Stories, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Spirituality, Women's Perspective
Christmas 1947-Alabama (Not so much unlike Christmas 2009–Alabama—same heart–same spirit)
By Angela Posey-Arnold
“What are you getting for Christmas this year, Jimmy? I think I’m getting a record player. I picked one out at Elmore’s.” Bonnie said to her friend and classmate at lunch.
Jimmy swallowed the last bite of apple, “A record player? That will be neat. I’m hoping to get the .22 Winchester I asked for. I need it for hunting. I think I will get it”.
“I can’t wait for the class Christmas party tomorrow. The best thing is being out of Haleyville Junior High School for the Christmas Holidays. Mother made some cookies for our eighth grade party. Oh, by the way, we want you to go with us to town this afternoon. And stay with us for the Tree Decorating Downtown tonight. Can you go if my Mom picks you up?” Jimmy asked. Continue reading Christmas 1947
December 9, 2009
 Everyone has wished they could go back in time to change something. You didn’t study for a test or maybe you messed up a relationship with someone. It’s only natural to want to change whats been done. In your dreams, changing the past is possible, while in reality changing the past is not at all possible. There are several theories supporting this, as well as common logic.
Common logic tells us time travel isn’t possible for one big reason; the past is the past. If one were to go back in time and attempt to change the past, nothing would happen to their timeline. What would happen is a “universe hop”, where the traveler would transfer themselves over to universe, or alternate reality, where the thing they changed occurred. This would leave the traveler’s home timeline intact, while creating another, completely separate, timeline. Use the following example:
Frank has just built a time machine. He wants to go back in time and prevent 9/11 from occurring. Frank turns on his Time Machine, hops in and goes from a crazy ride. Assuming he survives the physical trauma of traveling back in time, he appears exactly where the time machine was when he embarked, only several years earlier. He warns the pentagon and Airline services and successfully prevents the attacks. BY this time, frank has actually transferred timelines. He is now in one where 9/11 never happened, not in his own timeline. This change occurred instantaneously the moment he started his travel. As you can see from the illustration below, instead of returning to his regular home in the future, he is intercepted and sent to an alternate future, where the events of 9/11 never occurred, and thus any events caused by the 9/11 attacks. Because of the Butterfly Effect, every action affects every other action, Frank will probably end up in a completely different home. Continue reading A Brief Introduction To Time Travel
November 24, 2009
In our city, like a lot of other places, we have a recycle bin that we put out every week with our trash. Using this as an idea – my daughter who is a teacher for the 7th grade gifted program in her middle school – gave her students a project. They were to collect the [...]
November 6, 2009
The invitation came via the Internet as most things do these days and I almost choked when I saw that it was for the 40th year reunion of my high school graduating class. I hadn’t felt old before I opened that I email but once reading it I felt like an aged troll sitting at my desk, glasses sliding down my nose, streaks of gray hair reflecting the extra light that I needed to see any damn thing. The class of 1969 of Charles Lincoln Harper High in Atlanta, GA was being called to account for itself for a December 18, 2009 class reunion. Continue reading Memory from the Class of Harper High 1969
October 30, 2009
I would like to share with you the Valedictory Address delivered by my daughter 2 years ago…it may have been 2 years ago but her achievements will always be fresh in my memory… She wrote this herself. =================================================== Colleen Marciel F. Rosales Class Valedictorian, 2007
Members of the administration, faculty and staff, beloved [...]
October 7, 2009
Posted by TimKellis in: Advice, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Books, Communications, Current Events, Education, Family, General Topics, Health & Fitness, Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle, Marriage, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Philosophical Genres, Relationships, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Spirituality, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Wellness
 Carl Jung Now here is another brain teaser for your therapist, or should I say mind teaser, the notion of curing someone with depression. Sadly, this is one of the most common causes of problems in marriages, and while we look for help from the professionals they take advantage of that vulnerability with a platform that doesn’t get to the root causes of depression. All the while, we spend about $12 billion a year on therapy and $15 billion on pharmacology drugs to treat “mental illnesses”, particularly depression.
I even find it hilarious that there is an ad on TV promoting a drug called Abilify that begins by stating that 2/3rds of people suffering from depression still have depression symptoms after taking traditional “medicine”, in essence admitting the inability of the medical approach to curing people. After all, our “mental illnesses” are biologically based, hence the medical approach to a “cure”, and there is really nothing that can be done mentally.
But there was a psychologist who actually did cure people, the one-time heir apparent to Freud by the name of Carl Jung. I refer to Jung as the greatest psychologist who ever lived basically because of the fact that his objective was to cure his patients.
Let me relate to you one of his patients whom he did cure, a patient suffering from depression. Ironically, the professionals of his day actually diagnosed her with Schizophrenia. Boy I can imagine the response from the professionals if I would have titled this post “Curing Schizophrenia”, because as most people realize after 100 years of propagating the biology conclusion, Schizophrenia is incurable. Continue reading Curing Depression
September 18, 2009
Posted by TimKellis in: Advice, Book Marketing Online, Books, Communications, Current Events, Education, Family, General Topics, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Inspiration & Motivation, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Marriage, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Non-Fiction, Personal Experiences, Philosophical Genres, Relationships, Self-Help, Social Issues, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Wellness, Women's Perspective
 Equality: The Quest for the Happy Marriage If you would like to get your therapist’s head spinning ask him or her what it means to be cured and watch as your therapist struggles to answer that question. The unfortunate reality is the psychology industry, with its biological foundation, has not yet defined what it means to be mentally cured. What makes this notion even more amazing, is the rest of us as a society knows the answer to this question, to be happy with yourself. To clarify, though, individual happiness has nothing to do with the level of wealth or looks, but is an internal quality where the individual finds balance in his or her perception of self against the backdrop of the rest of society.
I wanted to discuss one psychological problem to demonstrate my point, the notion of alcoholism. Modern medical definitions describe alcoholism as a diseaseand addiction which results in a persistent use of alcohol despite negative consequences. The Journal of the American Medical Association defines alcoholism as “a primary, chronic disease characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking.” According to Wikipedia it is estimated that 9% of the general population is predisposed to alcoholism based on genetic factors.
In other words, alcoholism is defined as a biological disease defined by the genetic makeup of the individual. Alcoholics Anonymous’ basic text, known as the “Big Book,” describes alcoholism as an illness that involves a physical allergy and a mental obsession. And of course the mental obsession occurs because of the biological makeup of the brain. Because of this definition there is no attempt on the professionals part to “cure” the alcoholic. In fact, the 12-step program in AA basically teaches people that they have a disease and must give their lives up to God to manage their disease, despite the fact that the fourth step involves clarifying those experiences from the past that have caused the mental problems in the first place, in what is called the “moral inventory”. Continue reading Curing Alcoholism
September 15, 2009
Posted by psuedowriter in: Accountability, Current Events, Democracy, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Environmental Issues, Family, Finance, Geopolitical Events, Latino & Hispanic, Opinion, Recovery, Social Aspects, The Economy
In the greater scheme of global brotherhood and advancement, all of the aims of these “special schools” are wonderful things. In the meanwhile, the taxpayers of today are suffering, and I don’t think most of us like it. [...]
September 15, 2009
“No man but a blockhead wrote except for money.” Samuel Johnson was referring to all of us, regardless of gender. Beyond penning Post-it® Notes, shopping lists, family correspondence and ‘duty’ writing, humans with basic writing skills should theoretically be able to write professionally and be paid to do it. In the distant past—going back virtually to the dawn of formal education—such skills were taught, tested and expected of most students. Standards have declined.
Johnson meant that writing skills deserve respect. Those skills measure education and life experience, imagination and intellect, knowledge and wisdom, plus other valuable characteristics such as persistence in the face of challenges and energy sustained over long periods, often with little recognition or reward, also known as the writing life.
Worthy minds from history agree: “In the Beginning was The Word” goes back a few years; then there is: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
Writing skills you must demonstrate daily—communicating what you have seen, done, are doing or intend to do, with accompanying rationales and analyses—calibrate careers in virtually every profession. They determine your effectiveness via email, letters, memoranda and reports that drive your everyday activities. They measure your skill and vision in longer documents and proposals. They reflect your ability to create effective presentations and voice them. Continue reading Thoughts on Writing from John Joss
September 12, 2009
At thirteen, I was sent away to public school which meant that it was a private school anybody could attend whose parents were very, very rich. It was called ‘public’ because it was open to anyone (whose parents were very, very rich), not closed (in favour of whom exactly?). What is ever closed to the very, very rich?
I had been prepared. I had spent six years in a ‘preparatory’ school. Preparing me for what? Preparing me for life? No, preparing me for hell.
Well, not exclusively me. The British public schools were set up in the mid-nineteenth century in the main (a few significantly earlier) to equip a chap to find himself administering the British Empire sitting at a makeshift trestle table in the middle of a field in the middle of a tree plantation in the middle of India or some other Fuzzywuzzyland, dispensing Christian civilisation as he faced a bunch of angry natives, without the sage solace of an honoured pater or the consoling arm of a doting mater, without even Pinkers and Chimpers and God-knows-whom, staring down the barrel of a machete or the blade of a gun. Shit, I would have been pissed too. Continue reading My first pang
September 11, 2009
On September 9, President Barack Obama addressed Congress to discuss health care. The news media has focused on that speech, giving scant attention to his address to the nation’s school children one day earlier. Despite the dire predictions of the right-wing, the republic is, regardless of that speech, somehow still standing. No doubt the Rush Limbaughs of the world will explain how that is possible. But there is no need to wait! This writer has seen through Mr. Obama’s words. He was crafty: we must read between the lines to understand how he fostered his socialist agenda in his remarks to the United State’s students this week.
Space does not permit a line-by-line translation of the speech, so only some of the most salient points will be covered here.
What Mr. Obama said:
“When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.” Continue reading Education, Health Care and Hypocrisy
September 10, 2009
When I was 15, somebody read out in chapel a diatribe against the young as being lazy, disrespectful, sloppy etc.. The diatribe dated back to Rome in the first century BC.
This is no reflection on the male writers who contribute to this site, all of whom are lively and intelligent and challenging even if they are no longer in their teens, but, let’s face it, men (in particular) over 50 tend to be slow in speech, slow in thought, arrogant, pompous, reactionary, abrasive, and functionally deaf to argument. It is not surprising that we are shown a certain amount of disrespect from people who are surfing the leading edge of everything.
If pupils are texting during lectures it is because those lectures are probably boring. Those same pupils almost certainly do not text during exciting films or during sex on a first date (although they may do so immediately afterwards).
For computer-literate teenagers, the traditional format of schooling and university are almost laughably inappropriate. Why on earth should they sit listening to some mediocre bumbling buffoon when they could just as easily watch a film presentation to the highest standards of entertainment from the liveliest presenter, based on the latest ‘knowledge’ around, at a time and place which suits them? Continue reading We don’t need this education
September 9, 2009
Posted by TimKellis in: Advice, Books, Communications, Education, Family, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle, Marriage, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Morality, Non-Fiction, Philosophical Genres, Relationships, Self-Help, Sex, Social Issues, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Women's Perspective
 International Professional Surrogate Association I am sorry to be so hard on the psychology industry but some of their practices done in the name of “science” bely belief, and I have discovered another concept ridiculous to the point of being hilarious.
Before I go into that concept I do want to discuss what had been my all time favorite, and shows really the lack of understanding of the psyche of the individual.
One of the most common “disorders” is a notion referred to as obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, where an individual becomes obsessed with a thought pattern, followed by a compulsive behavior. A “treatment” for this “disorder” is referred to as Exposure Response Prevention Therapy, or ERP Therapy, where the individual is exposed to his or her obsessive thought, followed by the prevention of the subsequent behavior.
Wikipedia defines ERP as follows:
Behavioral therapy
The specific technique used in BT/CBT is called exposure and ritual prevention (also known as “exposure and response prevention“) or ERP; this involves gradually learning to tolerate the anxiety associated with not performing the ritual behavior. At first, for example, someone might touch something only very mildly “contaminated” (such as a tissue that has been touched by another tissue that has been touched by the end of a toothpick that has touched a book that came from a “contaminated” location, such as a school.) That is the “exposure”. The “ritual prevention” is not washing. Another example might be leaving the house and checking the lock only once (exposure) without going back and checking again (ritual prevention). The person fairly quickly habituates to the anxiety-producing situation and discovers that their anxiety level has dropped considerably; they can then progress to touching something more “contaminated” or not checking the lock at all—again, without performing the ritual behavior of washing or checking. Continue reading Sex Surrogates: The “Logic” of Professional Psychologists Part 3
September 8, 2009
 President Obamas speech–victimized again by television
by Bill Hazelgrove
 Television may appeal to what is banal and base and it may be low art but it should not be used to hurt our democracy. We have been victimized again. Talking heads on the left and the right have hacked it out over the Presidents speech to school children. We now have parents keeping their children home, protesting against indoctrination by the Obamaites to socialism. What is going on? Where does this post McCarthyism come from?
It comes from that blue box in front of you. We take the passive act of watching television for granted but we do not register that is has been hijacked by people who do not have our best interests at heart. Television is selling. It is all about selling. Ever since RCA did field tests in 1936 they knew that this would be a sponsor based entertainment medium. Ratings. There must be ratings to sell the product. Ratings are produced by drama. Drama is produced by exaggeration. This is true in fiction as well. Continue reading President Obamas speech–victimized again by television
September 7, 2009
Saturday morning we packed a van to take our youngest daughter back to school. Although classes don’t start at her university for two weeks she had to move in because this year, her senior year, she will be working as a Resident Advisor for one floor of a very large dorm. The packing had been intense for she had to take everything she might need for at least two months, even though she is two states away. As an RA she won’t be able to come home on weekends if she is bored. She has a job and a job gives life more restrictions. In other words, she has grown up. Continue reading Growing, Growing, Gone
September 5, 2009
By Alan Caruba
So the President wants to get the school year off with a speech to all the kids from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Under normal circumstances, this would not arouse my comment although it must be said that I do not recall any previous president doing this.
I do not recall schools announcing they would not let the President’s speech be heard by the children in their care and, most certainly, I do not recall parents saying they would rather keep their children home that have them exposed to the President’s message.
I am not aware of what that message would be. There has been speculation that President Obama just wants to encourage children to stay in school, study hard, and listen to their teachers.
The real message, however, is more subtle than that and people don’t like it. They don’t like the way, in the midst of a major recession, the President began his term in office by flying off to foreign lands, apologizing for America in one fashion or another, and saying strange things like America was not a Christian nation. Continue reading Here Comes the President. Hide the Kids!
September 5, 2009
The Lottery
by Steve Sangirardi Bard715@aol.com
One of my worst experiences as a teacher occurred while I was doing “The Lottery.” It was back in the late 80s at a certain Catholic high school in Queens, New York. I decided that my 11th-grade class, which met during 3rd-Period, was going to experience firsthand the inhumanity that Shirley Jackson depicted in her story. There were 30 guys in the class, so I folded up 30 slips of paper, made the infamous black dot on one of those slips, and then put them in a small box. One by one the students came up to my desk and drew from the box as I held it up high so that no one could peer inside. The boys were not to open the slips until I gave the signal. Because we had read the story in class the day before, there was a certain anxiousness in the atmosphere. Little did they know what I had in mind.
I gave the signal; the slips were opened. As fortune would have it, the kid I least wanted to “win” drew the black dot: Sean Colson. He was a quiet, somewhat awkward and introverted boy, and not the owner of many friends. As soon as he saw the black dot, his bottom lip began to quiver, but I did not turn back or modify my plan. I had the rest of the class make a circle around Sean and his desk…with their desks; then I let the stoning begin. Instead of having the others crumple up their papers and throw them at the victim, as one of my colleagues had done in his class, I chose a different route. One by one the other boys were told to throw verbal daggers at poor, encircled Sean, to insult him and rank on him, to fling at Sean whatever information they knew about him, anything to make him cringe in pain there in the middle of the circle, this helpless scapegoat, in the best tradition of Shirley Jackson’s tale. Continue reading The Lottery
September 1, 2009
Posted by Antonio de la Vega in: Cancer, Education, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Latino & Hispanic, Lifestyle, Medical, Mexico, Native American, Nature/Wildlife, Nutrition, Religion, Self-Help, Sex, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology
Recientemente la Universidad Autónoma de México (U.N.A.M.) presentó el resultado de un esfuerzo monumental, consistente en la construcción de una enciclopedia multimedia especializada en la medicina tradicional mexicana. [...]
August 27, 2009
You can probably tell from the number of posts I that I love to write. It was a joy I picked up at the age of five when I first learned to read and write poetry, a talent I inherited from both my parents. Writing is a therapy to express all my feelings and I have learned to use it well. Over the years I have discovered that writing is something that not everyone can do well. Those of us who have worked on our talent for years should feel obligated to help others write well. Or at the least better. Continue reading Helping Others Write Well. . .Or At Least Better
August 26, 2009
 By Alan Caruba Today, we shall talk of wheat. Yes, wheat!
Since 98% of Americans have no connection to farming beyond a visit to the supermarket, most give no thought to how food products get to the shelves.
However, if you do a quick inventory of the foods you eat on a daily basis, you will discover that a significant number have some connection to wheat. Pizza crust is a wheat product. All cereals and all pastas begin as wheat.
All breads. All cookies. All cakes and pies. All pancakes. Donuts, too. Hhhhhmmmm, donuts!
Born and raised in the suburbs, I never gave any thought to farming until my work as a writer and photojournalist took me to the fields of farmers around the nation to document aspects of their work. It was a revelation.
Indeed, as revelations go, if you are at all familiar with the Old Testament, you should swiftly begin to add up the many references to this king of all grains. From “give us our daily bread” to “cast your bread upon the waters” wheat has played an essential role in the development of civilizations dependent upon it or which thrived based on its export. Continue reading Wheat, Yes, Wheat!
August 24, 2009
 Where are the Parents?
by Lloyd Lofthouse
There is nothing to envy about many American families. They are in worse shape than the economy.
My wife is Chinese. She lived in China the first twenty-eight years of her life. She is now an American citizen. In China and other Asian countries, family is important.
If you study Confucian philosophy and the Five Great Relationships, you would understand. For the most part, the younger generation respects, honors and obeys the elders, and the elders are responsible for preparing the younger generations for a prosperous life. I did not say a happy life. I said prosperous. That means hard work.
What does that have to do with family? Everything.
I taught high school English, journalism and reading from 1975 to 2005. Facts about American kids and their families were drummed into my head in one workshop after another at the high school where I taught. During those thirty years, I worked with more than six thousand students and met with hundreds of parents.
One of the most common questions parents asked was, “What can we do to get him to read and do his homework? He won’t listen.” I said, “Turn off the television and any computer linked to the Internet. Learn to say no and mean it.” Most never followed that advice. Continue reading Where are the Parents?
August 24, 2009
 What Academia Doesn’t Teach
by Peggy Klaus
It’s back-to-school time once again. Here in Berkeley where I live and work, I always enjoy watching the annual return of the students as they move into dorms, say good-bye to parents, and fill the streets with their eager faces. Last weekend, after seeing two Cal freshmen struggle to move a couch up a set of stairs, I recalled my own college years and thought about what these students will be learning—and not learning! —during their next four years.
In my work as a communication and leadership coach for firms from Silicon Valley to Wall Street, I frequently hear senior managers complain that their newest employees severely lack the personal and “process” skills critical for success in the business world. Whether it’s making pitches and presentations, giving and receiving feedback, or speaking and listening effectively, college grads rarely show up at their offices already trained in these fundamental areas. Even business schools—from which students are expected to glide seamlessly into corporate America—are not touching on these real-world, must-have skills. But business schools are not the only institutions turning a blind eye. They are joined by everything from law schools to medical schools, from doctoral programs to engineering programs.
So why does traditional academia disparage personal and communication skills as “soft science?” Tell me, please, what’s soft about peddling a start-up company to a skeptical group of venture capitalists, convincing a potential client to let you manage her $50 million in assets, or communicating with staff and the media during times of crisis? Continue reading What Academia Doesn’t Teach
August 21, 2009
Posted by dacipha in: African-American, Attitude, Education, Family, Health & Fitness, Inspiration & Motivation, Latino & Hispanic, Mental Health, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Weight loss, Wellness, Women's Perspective, Working Women
Smooches, my beautiful ladies! Please understand that I am not the fitness connoisseur. I speak as a concerned woman. This article is to encourage you to be the beautiful woman that God has called you to be. My desire is for you to be emotionally, mentally, spiritually, socially, physically and financially whole. It is very important for women to focus on their health. I am exasperated with the obesity issue that is sweeping the nation. It sickens me. I honestly do not want my fabulous sisters facing high risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension and strokes. I would have it that you all will prosper as your soul prospers. To be quite frank with you, your physical appearance is a reflection of your mental condition. Please do not misunderstand this statement. I am not saying that you must wear a size two! I am not proclaiming that being skinny is superior and that being an awesome size ten is sub standard or second rate. You can be marvelous regardless of your body form or figure. The essential detail is that you are a healthy size two, eight or even fourteen.
My main focus is that we learn how to take care of ourselves just as well as our children, husbands and families. We are very important too. I have learned that if I am ‘no good’, my children and significant other is at a total disadvantage as well. Your well being is more important than a job, business or situation. You are the most important being in your life and your health should be top priority. Continue reading Get In Shape, Girl
August 21, 2009
The Meaning of an Education
by Lloyd Lofthouse
Words are cheap. Actions speak loud. The best way to learn about another culture is by comparing and contrasting that culture with yours to see any similarities and differences.
Emperor Constantine lived 280-337 AD. He ruled the Roman Empire and accepted Christianity as the state religion. From that time, Christianity, more than any other influence, set the tone for morality and ethics in the West.
One of my primary Biblical sources is a Concordance of the Holy Bible given to me by a student teacher in 1982. When I checked to see what that Concordance had to say about the importance of an ‘education’, I found nothing in the index under that word (education). I then looked up the word ‘learning’. Six passages mention something about ‘learning’. I also looked up ‘teacher’ and there were a few references but nothing significant.
Here’s what the Bible says about learning:
__________
Proverbs (Old Testament)
1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
16:21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
Daniel
1:4 children in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chalde’ans. Continue reading The Meaning of an Education
August 21, 2009
Posted by James BlueWolf in: Accountability, Attitude, Children, Current Events, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, General Topics, Habit Change, Native American, Opinion, Social Classes, Social Issues, Television, The Economy, Uncategorized
It’s soccer season and suddenly the circle has come round and my wife and I are re-creating our lives from the early 1980′s. Instead of five children, it’s three children and five grandchildren. But times have changed and where we originally had to scrape and scurry to come up with money to sign them up and buy shin-guards, this year we faced higher signup costs, uniform and cleat costs, shin-guards as well as being asked to buy four balls—one for each child—and all mandatory for participation. The total cost approached $400.00 and we haven’t paid for pictures yet (or the balls). None of our grandchildren could have participated without our support.
It got me thinking. Last year I was amazed at how many times during the year our granchildren came home from school saying they had to have two, three or five dollars for this or that. Field trips required a contribution. Class photos and participation in book-buying or candy sales, fund-raisers and pledge drives all required that we pitch in financially. After all, no one wants their child to be the only one in class with no signatures on the pledge form and who doesn’t purchase a class picture or individual photo? Of course, I don’t want to forget the holidays and events throughout the year–the County Fair, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, other kid’s birthdays, school plays, costs to attend High School sporting events, etc. etc. For parents living way below the poverty line, who can’t rely on grandparents support, these costs can be overwhelming. We can provide anecdotal evidence that some families use monies originally earmarked for rent, utilities, clothing or food to cover these costs to protect themselves and their children from embarassment, ridicule or denial of particpation. I know what many of you are thinking–sticks and stones and all that. Rent comes before food, food before entertainment, and to all these superfluous expenditures one should “just-say-no”. After all, aren’t home budgets about deciding on priorities and shouldn’t those who are unable to stick to solid economics be deserving of ruin? That’s representative of the traditionally conservative economic line most of my generation grew up with– “if you can’t afford it, don’t spend it!” Continue reading The Power Of Social Pressure
August 18, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: African-American, Democracy, Education, Freedom, Governance, Latino & Hispanic, Minorities, Morality, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues
Each post will be less than 700 words.
This is the first entry—an introduction.
There will be several more on this topic.
By Lloyd Lofthouse
During America’s Civil Rights era, laws were enacted with the intent to correct wrongs in America. I strongly agree that it was wrong to segregate schools and provide an education for people of color inferior to the education offered to whites. It was wrong to make people walk in the gutters because the sidewalks were reserved for whites. It was wrong to have one bathroom for people of color and another for whites. It was wrong to deny someone the right to a job due to color or religion. It was wrong to deny someone the right to rent or buy a house or apartment because of race or religion. It is still wrong for violent, racist groups like the KKK and white supremacists to terrorize and victimize anyone they do not approve of. To fix those wrongs, government organizations were created to enforce these new laws.
Today, most people are terrified to publicly express honest opinions about topics that fall under political correctness and what has gone wrong with the complex system designed to correct those inequalities. Since this column is going to cross that line, there is a strong chance I will be criticized for what I write. There may be incidences where what I write will be taken out of context.
Because I am white, I may be the wrong person to write this column. After all, to many, I’m already guilty due to my skin color. It doesn’t matter that my father was a second generation American and my grandfather was born on the boat inside the three-mile limit. It does not matter that my mother’s ancestors arrived with the Pilgrims and started out in the New England states as indentured servants. Continue reading Political Correctness Gone Wrong # 1
August 17, 2009
 What Makes a good book GREAT & Read, Read, Read to Your Kids!
by Robert W. Walker
Not a week ago this question came up on Facebook-”What makes a book a great read for you? What makes a book not just good but GREAT? My reply on Facebook got a lot of interest and add on responses, so I then took it to KindleKorner, and as I got more and more folks responding extremely positively to my response, I placed it elsewhere, and one such place was DorothyL where I hang out a lot. I thought that was that as days passed by but then I heard from Cathy Strasser, who wrote me the response this blog will end with. Here is my post and Cathy’s responses – as she responded twice with moving emotion and a great story.
  My definition of a truly great book may also be the same definition as what constitutes a classic–hold on, stay with me now. It’s like this. A book or story is only as good as the lasting effect it has on a reader’s mind–for instance, I can visualize in my mind’s eye just about every scene in To Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and many of the most powerful and poignant moments in James Herriots’ All Creatuers Great and Small, and all his works. In fact, Herriot, for my money is the closest thing we have in literature to Mark Twain since Twain, a writer who can move you to tears and laughter within the space of a single heart beat. When James Clavell was opened up to me–King Rat was my first Clavell and onward to Shogun, I was swept away by the compelling storytelling of this master. Anything by Leon Uris as well. But in effect that is what is for me great reading, when the images an author posits in the mind have a powerful and lasting effect, so strong as to leave an indelible imprint in the mind. I can see Ahab as he strides the deck in Moby Dick any time I wish to conjure him up, and I can hear Huck’s voice in my head any time I choose to hear him speak. In the final analysis, a story is only as great as the level of impact it makes on a reader. Continue reading What Makes a good book GREAT & Read, Read, Read to Your Kids!
August 15, 2009
SOFT SKILLS TRAINING GOES TO SCHOOL!
by Peggy Klaus
Middle school students at a New York City public school are learning what many business professionals tell me they wish someone had clued them into much sooner in their lives: SOFT SKILLS!
A six-week pilot program— Soft Skills 101: Lessons for Teens on Getting Ahead at School, at Work, and in Life–recently launched at the Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem (TYWLS East Harlem). Approximately 60 students in the sixth and eighth grades are participating through June 19th.
The Young Women’s Leadership Network, which oversees TYWLS East Harlem, intends to offer my soft skills curriculum to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at the Network’s additional schools in New York City and Philadelphia and also at the Network affiliate schools in Texas and Illinois. I have plans in the works to also extend the program to public and private schools nationwide.
The curriculum focuses on seven soft skills areas: Continue reading SOFT SKILLS TRAINING GOES TO SCHOOL!
July 31, 2009
 By Alan Caruba
It’s horrible enough to think of the way school children have been deliberately and unnecessarily frightened by the teaching in American schools about “global warming.” Since the 1980s it has been part of the curriculum in schools throughout the nation, convincing a lot of children that the Earth was doomed.
It was difficult enough to grow up as I did knowing that the Soviet Union could annihilate most of the population with nuclear missiles or that their brand of communism could destroy the liberties Americans take for granted.
Ever since Jimmy Carter created the Department of Education, the nation’s educational systems, once among the best in the world and answering directly to local school boards, have produced a dismal record of general failure to teach the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic. It was taken over by the National Education Association, a union, and a curriculum of liberalism has existed ever since.
American children grew up learning that the Founding Fathers were slave owners. They were forced to learn “fuzzy math” and “whole words”, two systems that left them unable to add or subtract sums without a calculator in hand and to read without some difficulty.
Schools became increasingly dangerous places, often requiring the fulltime presence of a police officer. In sum, schools, i.e. administrators and faculty, increasingly sought to place themselves between the student and his parents as the primary authority.
Now we learn that the Obama administration is imposing “education reform efforts” that will adopt “internationally benchmarked education standards.” They will become national standards. The incentive will be federal “stimulus” dollars. There’s more to learn about this at http://www.edwatch.org/, Continue reading Teaching U.S. Kids the U.N. Way
July 27, 2009
 By Alan Caruba
I was talking with a friend about the latest hot topic involving Prof. Henry Lewis Gates of Harvard and the arresting officer, Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department.
We both agreed that some of the stupidest people we have ever known were PhDs who too frequently turned out to be over-educated fools.
In this country, we have been taught to revere anyone with the title of doctor, starting with physicians and working our way through the maze of doctors of law, education, music, library science, and the long list of fields of a study that grant these degrees.
These days physicians leave medical school owing about $100,000 on the average and, if the president’s healthcare reform passes, they will never be able to pay it back no matter how long they are in practice. Having to pay $200,000 for insurance against malpractice every year has done more to drive up the cost of medical care than anything else.
I used to work for an institution of higher knowledge, a well-respected institute of technology and, while I came to respect the technical achievements of those pursuing engineering or architecture degrees, I also learned that many of those teaching these ancient skills and modern technologies often displayed all the personal failures of judgment and deportment of those far less educated than they. Continue reading Why Some PhDs are Jerks
July 21, 2009
You Are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring by Paul Hawken
Paul Hawken’s commencement speech at the University of Portland, Oregon, on May 3, 2009, is one for the record books.
Paul Hawken is a renowned entrepreneur, visionary environmental activist, and author of many books, most recently Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming. He was presented with an honorary doctorate of humane letters by University of Portland president Father Bill Beauchamp, C.S.C., on May 3, 2009, when he delivered this superb speech.
When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” Boy, no pressure there.
But let’s begin with the startling part. Hey, Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation – but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement.
Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.
This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, and don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food – but all that is changing.
There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done. Continue reading Your Are Brilliant, and the Earth by Hiring Paul Hawken
July 10, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Advice, Business, Business Management, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Finance, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet Advice, Interview, Literature, Marketing, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Publishing, Self-Help, Social Issues, Technology, The Economy, Uncategorized, Women's Perspective, Working Women
Do you plan to give up your job and start a new business of your own? What would that take? What would be your new responsibilities? Probably more than you planned. In new business, your security is the biggest thing you give up. The idea of having a paycheck in the same amount you can count on every week is gone. The benefits you get now, your insurance, or whatever it is that you count on is gone. When you work for someone else you have set responsibilities, when you work for yourself, you are responsible for everything. Scary huh?
Failure? The myth that nine out of ten businesses close in their first year may or may not be completely true. According to more recent Dun and Bradstreet data, 76 percent of new companies were still in business after two years, 47 percent after four years, and 38 percent after six years. These estimates are substantially different than what is still commonly believed.
These business survival statistics are based on the number of new business licenses applied for each year, which are not renewed on following years. The licenses could be for a person selling crafts at the swap meet on Saturdays, or someone in a temporary business, or just as a tax shelter. Some of these “failed” businesses could have been sold or transferred to another individual. These estimates are hard to prove either way, but realistically, most new business does fail. Continue reading Start a Business? Are You Ready?
July 5, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Advice, Attitude, Business, Business Management, Cap and Trade, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Finance, General Topics, Habit Change, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet Advice, Interview, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Men's Issues, Motivation, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, The Economy, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Women's Perspective, Working Women
No, we won’t begin with “Do you have a master’s degree?” Although education does matter, higher education is not a requirement for starting or succeeding in a new business. In fact, according to a 1992 United States Census Bureau report, only 5.3 percent of business owners have a Master’s degree or higher education. 9.4 percent had less than a high school education—some only up to the eighth grade. Oddly enough, only 17 percent had any business education. The founder of Dell Computers was a college dropout. Starting out of his garage, he managed to excel above all of the world’s top computer manufacturers. One in three computers sold today is a Dell.
What you will need is more commonly known as “street smarts” or common sense. In addition, you will need to have certain individual qualities, or personality traits. Most individuals who are successful in business and in “life” possess these traits. Take the quiz and see how many of the following questions you can answer with a confident “yes.” Continue reading Am I Ready to Start a Business? 10 personal questions to ask yourself before you commit
July 5, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Advice, Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Books, Creative Writing, Education, Entertainment, Family, Fiction, Freelance Author, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Interview, Journalism, Literature, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Philosophical Genres, Self-Help, Short Stories, The Media, Writing Essentials
Nearly 81 percent of people say they have a book inside them. It’s in their hearts, minds, and soul; but unfortunately, it never seems to develop in pen. Most of these people feel their life story or an event in their life is worthy of becoming a book—and they may be right.
Why then don’t we write our special and unique story? Are we afraid of failure? Do we feel we just don’t have the time? Whatever the reason, we can overcome it. So what if it does take you five years to complete your manuscript? And what is failure anyway? If you sit down and spend one hour a week writing what’s been festering in your heart for years, would you consider that failure? I would define it as true commitment, a healthy outlet, and an expression of your being; far from failure.
Writing doesn’t have to be a full-time job; in fact, it shouldn’t feel like a job at all. Set aside an hour a week to write. You have a story to tell and there is sure to be someone who would be interested in reading it. Even if you never publish your story or make it available to the public, writing it will be an accomplishment to be proud of. Continue reading Should I Write My Life Story?
June 30, 2009
 By Alan Caruba
As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, we will hear about our Founding Fathers, about those who fought our wars to preserve and safeguard our nation, and other men and women who contributed to the nation’s greatness.
It is good to look back, but future generations will look back as well and wonder how such a great nation became such a silly nation, the object of scorn and ridicule around the world, challenged by every gangster nation that shares the planet; attacked by Al Qaeda, threatened by North Korea, mocked by Venezuela, insulted by Iran, and sustained by the wealth of China and other lenders.
What other republic is governed by fools who voted without reading “climate” legislation whose 1,200 pages of rules and regulations will enrich a few and leave the rest scrambling to pay the light bill? That is, if the light turns on. If passed by the Senate, it will be the largest tax increase in the history of the nation. It exists to “save the planet” from a “global warming” that is not happening.
What other nation would systematically ensure that its vast resources of coal, enough to power plants to produce electricity for the next hundred or two hundred years, not be used because no new plants will be built? Fully fifty percent of our electricity comes from coal, but this nation is about to waste billions of dollars on wind and solar energy—so called “clean” energy—which accounts for about one percent. Continue reading America, the Silly Nation
June 22, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Books, Creative Writing, Education, Entertainment, Fiction, Lifestyle, Social Classes, Sociology, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
Read an article in the New York Times about the current generation not getting A Catcher In The  Rye. “Why doesn’t he quit whining and take his Prozac,” some fifteen year old whined in some classroom discussion. The Times surmised Holden was dated and not relevant to our mega teen culture and that his disaffection might not happen today. Please. The Ritalin generation should be so lucky with their teenage suicide and obesity. Take your Prozac Holden? Well of course they said that because that’s how they deal with their problems. Take your Ritalin Prozac pacifier and stay on course baby. Holden seems pretty well adjusted with his booze and cigarettes about now.
The real problem with this type of thinking is that Salinger’s book is about the very conformist reaction this generation is having. The main says stop whining or what a loser this prep school guy is or get a job, take your Prozac, just shut up. Similar reactions are always voiced by the main on any novel presenting an antihero. On the Road, Catcher in the Rye, Revolutionary Road, Bright Lights Big City–these novels all present an alternative view of the main. People generally react negatively to these type of novels–that means the novels are doing exactly what they intended to do–giving us the unsanctioned viewpoint. Continue reading The Ritalin Generation and The Catcher in the Rye
June 17, 2009
As we approach Father’s day I have become aware of the young men who befriend my husband and ask for advice. They come from all racial backgrounds and all economic ranges seeking counseling about wives, children, jobs, getting jobs and, more than a few about education. When you live in an economically diverse area like Harlem you run across a lot of people who never bothered to finish school. They are children of the hustle, born into an era where it was hard for blacks to get jobs as well as an education and trained to take care of themselves without the aid of a diploma or a GED. But as the days of getting by on one’s wits become fewer and the job market gets tighter they are starting to see the need for more formal than street education and wondering what to do. Continue reading The Under-Educated in the United States
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Not Everyone is Meant to Be a Winner
This trend started some years back that baffles me. In a world dominated by fierce competition schools, sports teams, and even some youth clubs were giving awards to every child- just for being a child. There was no spirit of competition, no desire to become the best. And although it is sad when children get left back socially because they didn’t get picked for the team what is sadder is the growing number of people who think mediocrity is something be rewarded. Continue reading Not Everyone is Meant to Be a Winner