Just me, a hub, dad, grandad --who thinks young, acts like an adult (most of the time), who thinks technology is wonderful. A transplanted Canadian who has dual citizenship, but pays taxes to the US...works in DC lives in Northern Virginia.
Amberley on Fom.....Yeah, that's...
limine on From...Another Sadne...
mafidl on From...This and That...
mafidl on From...Another Sadne...
limine on From...This and That...
Amberley on From...This and That...
limine on From...Very Sad
greeneyes on From...Very Sad
mafidl on From...What the Hell...
mafidl on From...Very Sad
today
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Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)--you ultra right wing, kill all the trees and fish, blowhard (maybe the wrong word here) you just confirmed the old adage I have said most of my life...AT SOME POINT AT SOME TIME, THE SOB'S OF THE WORLD GET THEIR'S!!!! (see story here.)
What a hoot--and welcome to the world of Jim Bakker, Mark Foley, and all the other hypocrites in our religious and political realms!!
Through the sea oats at Surfside Beach SC
Got back home late last night from the beach, tired, but very relaxed. Got a lot of reading done, but geez it was hot. And the older I get the more I realize that hot sun and I really don't get along. Thank god for beach umbrellas. All in all the weather was great, though. One thunderstorm and that was while we were eating dinner.
Had quite a bit of time for reflection and some of my future posts will reflect that.
Hope all of you are having a good summer!!
Taking a short interlude now as I head for the beach for a week tomorrow....going to Surfside Beach just south of Myrtle Beach....got a place for less than half of what is usually rents for---right on the water, sleeps 10 with a pool to boot....We are leaving at 4 tomorrow morning...wanta miss much of that I-95 traffic, so will be in bed early tonight!
Thank god Hurricane Dean is too far south to hurt us...
So back in a week or so good people....will be thinking of you...:
I just made a comment on Mafidl's post about "googling" and realized I didn't capitalize it---question for English majors--should I?
But the thought just occurred to me--- I wonder if Google is going to try and prevent people from using their name as a verb? You know, the Xerox company has a bird when anyone says they are "xeroxing" something--it is "photo copying." So does Kleenex, when anyone refers to any kind of tissue as "kleenex.". Aspirin lost their trademark because they allowed people to call any kind of pain relief pill "aspirin". And the Coca-Cola company spends millions every year to patrol restaurants making sure that if you ask for a Coke that you get Coke and not Pepsi or any other kind of cola. That is one reason why if you go into a restaurant and ask for a Coke they will always say "we have Pepsi" if they don't serve Coke. And if you happen to be a rep from Coke doing the asking and they don't tell you it is Pepsi, the poor restaurant owner ends up with a "cease and desist" order from Coke's lawyers.
Meeting canceled, and I just thought of a final one to complete my meme....
8. I can hardly wait to retire. But I have decided to enter into it gradually. Within the next few weeks I plan on only working 3 days per week. My Board has approved it. Besides giving the organization more cash to deal with (right now we are not in good financial shape) it will allow me time to start up a new venture which involves research, newsletters, another blog, and a website. I have been planning this for some time now and anxious to get going on it. Will keep you informed of the progress.
So that's it. Stuff you didn't know about me. I am not sure who to tag now. Maybe nobody. But why doesn't everyone on Motime do this---good way of getting to know people. Ya know, I am a member of a number of groups on Flickr, the photo site which you can get to by clicking on the flicker thingie on the left column here. One of the things I really enjoy in the groups is that there is always a thread where people go in and introduce themselves and tell a bit about themselves. Motime has that profile stuff, but I think allowing people room to get into as much detail as they want is kinda cool.
Coop tagged me a while back to list out 8 things about me that you don't know. As I told him, I am doing this in installments, having done the first 4 a few days ago....so if I want to not have to deal with the wrath of Coop, I better damn well get it done. For these, I took inspiration from one of Coop's friends, Coffeypot, who originally tagged Coop for the same meme...
5. On my physical appearance, since I have not met most of you (hell I haven't met anyone of you in real life), I have a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt. In fact, I have a rather hard time walking down the street without all the ladies clamouring over me to get a piece of my hair. But I digress...I do lie a lot, and have high expectations for myself. Actually, I am around 6ft tall, weigh a tad over 200 lbs., wear those hip wire rimmed glasses (I tried on a pair of my old glasses the other day and my grandkids burst out laughing--- I was one of those "old guys with big glasses" that David Letterman talks about---can't believe I wore those things.) My hair has turned completely silver (not gray--that is for old people) but I have plenty of it. And like many younger older adults, some of my body mass has gravitated south....yeah, it have somewhat of a pounch (is that a word?)
6. Coffeypot in his meme talked about getting polyps out of his nose. Well I didn't get that far north for removal of polyps. Mine were found in the mid section area where the only entry is through the, uhmmm, wellllll----you know. The first time I had it done I watched it live on color TV. My doc brought in a ravishing young resident with him to watch the procedure, and I have to tell you...to see some young 20 something beauty watching intently the inside of your bod is rather....embarassing. But I survived, forgot about her, and got engrossed in the TV show. The second time I had it done they knocked me out. Not sure why they did that, as the first time I had it done it didnt really bother me---no pain at all.
7. I moved to the US at the age of 32 into a job as a senior executive with a national organization-- got nailed by a head hunter. Most of my work in that job involved working with faculty in colleges and universities, and I talked almost daily to, and became good friends with, most of the top names in our field. To be working that close with folks who wrote the textbooks I used in college was mind blowing, and one of the most satisfying jobs I have ever had.
OK, one more....and will do that one later. Gotta get to a meeting...
Looking for seashells....
Mom called this past weekend, and is usually the case we got into a discussion on American politics. The woman amazes me. She will be 87 in a couple of months, yet her mind is as sharp as a tack. And she knows as much, or probably even more, about the nuances of the American political climate than any other person I know---and she lives in
Given all that, I had to stand up at attention when she said that 1. She could easily become an aetheist, given all the damn crap religion has gotten us into over the past number of years (this coming from a woman who I remembered when I was growing up as being a staunch Anglican, never missing a Sunday at church); and 2. that
The last point in particular was the one that really got me to thinking. I suppose the same thought had been in the back of my mind for quite some time. For if you really look at it, what have been the main issues that almost every politician for the past umpteen years has used as their main platform---- here are just a few---abortion, stem cell research, gay marriage, creationism vs evolution, prayer in school, etc etc. All of these are driven primarily by the religious right, and those who aren’t of that political persuasion have been hammered into dealing with those issues--- to not do so would encourage the wrath of the red staters, and the likes of Falwell, Dobson, Rove, and, yes, Dubya himself.
No other country in the world has allowed these “faith based/family value” type issues to invade their political world. In fact, most other countries look at us and wonder how such a great country can allow such drivel, and not deal with such issues as health care, the environment, caring for the aged, education, care of the infrastructure, research and development, and the myriad of quality of life issues. My bet is that most Americans also want to hear what the platforms are of the candidates on the same issues, but too many of the same candidates are either too chicken, or just plain ignorant, to get into that arena.
What I really have found interesting lately is that the governors of a couple of states—namely Florida and California, both with Republican governors, are moving away from such religious type extremes and into many of the areas that the federal politicians simply won’t deal with ---greenhouse emissions and universal health care coverage being perhaps the best examples.
Talking about such things usually allows one to cement ideas which will eventually become policy. So one of the things I plan on doing to any candidate running for office in my neck of the woods is to ask them their stance on these issues----- and to kick in the ass anyone in the audience who asks about abortion, stem cell research, or prayer in the school. The constitution separated out church and state---let’s keep it that way.
I don't know about Motime. I am beginning to develop a love/hate relationship with it. I have been a loyal "member" since Sept. 2003---with different renditions of my blog between now and then..and occasional threats to move...ok so sue me. I enjoy the writing on here (more on that later), but lately I see fewer and fewer folks writing posts, and way fewer even reading mine. Most days I am lucky if 1-2 people read it. Not saying that by switching to another blog site would increase my readership, but it might attract more people who are interested in the same things I am. We'll see.
I also tend to think that I really can't compete with some of you folks. My god there are some great writers on here---if you are not writing for a living then you really have missed your calling. I go to each of them every day and although I don't comment all that much, I have to tell you that I really admire your craft...and that's what it is. I mentioned in a post a few days ago that I flunked freshman English three times in college.....so you can see what my writing ability is like. I try hard though. But take a look at some of these fellow Motimers....Coopergreen, you are a stitch. Did you write for the Ubyssey? If you did, it is probably the reason why it was a tremendous college paper! Limine, it is about the lack of capitalization....but to hell with that, I love your expression, your wit, and your wisdom. Mernie....your prose about your England trip were (was?) wonderful. I am planning to go there sometime in the next year and your posts have really encouraged me to begin planning now. In My Life...again the wit, and the wisdom, and the trials and tribulations of being a college teacher are must reads. That you and Mernie both returned to college at a "later age" is very commendable---my mom did the same thing, going back to college in her late 40's and actually living in the dorm with kids who were younger than her own! DJ Groovy Slug....magnificent. If you didn't graduate summa cum laude you were robbed...brilliant insights, humor, leaving me with much hope for the future of the country in the hands of young adults like you. Mafidl, love your stuff and the stories of your cats....seems like a lot of Motimers have cats.... unlike a lot of men, I too like cats...had them all the time when the kids were growing up and so much easier to take care of then dogs-- although I like dogs too. Yoshick...you and Limine would be a good duo for a two-author newspaper column. Find a lot of commonality in your writings. Greeneyes....enjoy yours a lot, but hurry up with the Vancouver pics!!
And so it goes. But where the hell are Lastsplash, Likewise, Calgal, Merserne and the others I used to read regularly.....they have simply disappeared. And that's not fair to us who like them....oh well, c'est la vie.
We are in the midst of a drought. My poor lawn is an ugly shade of brown and crunches when you walk on it. I try watering it every evening, and it helps a bit, but nothing like a good 2-3 days of solid showers. I am struggling to save a couple of my big oaks, they are showing signs of distress. The only good thing about it all is that my tomato crop is booming....I will end up sometime this week making some tomato sauce to freeze as there are far too many to eat whole. And next week I am off to the beach for the whole week, and have told my neighbors to help themselves to the tomatoes...better they eat them then the squirrels.
The other thing about the lack of rain and the dryness is that everything is really ugly....a drab picture of browns, and drooping leaves. Went out to take some photos the other day and really couldn't get any really good ones....... guess I will have to wait until fall.
Just announced that Karl Rove is leaving the White House later this month......why can't he take Dubya with him?
And this was one of my favorites...
The DJ fell 387 points today-----good god.....my poor investments. Maybe I need to change everything to gold!!
It is TOOOO FREAKING HOT! Enough already....almost makes one wish it was mid January......
Well.....maybe not....
Cooper Green tagged me a short time ago to shell out 8 things (secrets) that you might not know about me. My life right now is very hectic, so I might take a few posts to get them all out, but that is ok. Then when I am finished, maybe I will amalgamate them all into one post. So here goes:
1. Like Cooper, I was born in the midst of WW2. My Dad was a pilot with the RCAF--actually was one of the graduates of the first flying schools developed by the Air Force at the start of WW2. Since there was a shortage of pilots for the war effort, almost all of the graduates were used as flying instructors, which lead Dad to an air force base in the frozen north of Saskatchewan which is where I came into the world. Mom said I was a healthy baby, due to the fact that I took my naps all wrapped up in a million blankets in the baby carriage on the back porch in the middle of winter with the temperature at 0 degrees F, or colder. And yes I was healthier, but boy did it effect my mind---still trying to thaw my brain out, and I often use that as an excuse for my peculiar behavior!
2. I grew up in the desert dry interior of British Columbia, where the temperature in the summer will exceed 100 degrees for a number of days at a time. So you can see that the combination of the winter cold of Saskatchewan and the dry hot heat of interior BC really had an effect on me.
3. Again like Cooper (geez we have a lot in common) I attended the Univ of BC in Vancouver--but Coop--I graduated. However, you must have done much better than me in English because your writing is so much better than mine---I ended up taking English 100 three times. Damn course held me up and it took me 5 1/2 years to get out of there--never mind that I changed my major 3 times. I also blame the "Peruvian Chicken" they served us at Fort Camp for part of the problem--- it was perfectly fine fried chicken smothered in peanut butter, can you imagine such a thing, which all of us hated and ended up piling on a table in the middle of the cafeteria as sort of a rebellion. They never served it again.
4. I do have my share of scars from childhood--did I mention my brain freeze? I mean physical scars.... when a pre-schooler, I hid one time under the kitchen sink where I proceeded to spill Draino on the back of my ankle. I don't remember it, but apparently the whole neighborhood heard me scream...and I proudly show the scar to my grandkids to show them how tough I was. Then there was the time I was carrying an armload of pop (boy that word will tell you where I am from) bottles and tripped over a rock, breaking a couple of bottles and slicing open my throat a quarter of an inch from my juggler vein...another scar I proudly show my grandkids. Then there are the three broken noses and probably about 25 or so stitches in my head from my ice hockey wars. Started playing when I was 5 cuz in Canada if you are not playing hockey by the age of 5 you are disowned....I had nowhere to go so I played...and loved it!
OK....enough from this go round..... and have I told you yet that I have a hammer toe? Just found that out--and it hurts like hell!!!
It is blistering hot in DC today (over 100), and it doesnt seem possible, but schools throughout the country will be back in session in just a couple of weeks. So here are some suggestions of must reads to all teachers, regardless of whether they teach in elementary schools or in colleges/universities. Being a former teacher (high school and college) myself, I found great relevance in each of these....and the questions that should be asked by each teacher after reading them is "what does this say about education and learning in this country and what are the implications..." And once you have answered that question, you must ask yourself "how must I, a teacher, change?"
First...read A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink. (here is his blog.)
Second...read The World is Flat, by Tom Friedman
Third....read The Assault on Reason, by Al Gore. (see excerpts here and here.)
And finally, and maybe you should see this before you read any of the books above, go view this on You Tube or go to the Powerpoint presentation here (and here is the link to the website of the guy who put this together, Karl Fisch.)
If you aren't willing to change your teaching, and if you are a parent and not willing to demand changes in our education system after reading/seeing all these, then we are in a heap of trouble!
As a former competitive swimmer in high school and college, I absolutely loved this story
Reminds me of the time not that long ago when I entered a fun swim meet at our neighborhood pool and WON...beating kids half my age and younger!
Hmmmm...maybe I should start training again......NOT...
Just heard on CNN that Senator Harry Reid is saying, in light of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, that we have to do something about our infrastructure or face more such catastrophes.
Duhhhhh......I think it is called " a day late and a dollar short." As I quoted in my last post...A lack of political will because of fear of raising taxes is mainly responsible for the shortfall,..... what do you think of that Sen. Reid?
I really wonder where our values lie when I see this kind of story (and I get really pissed about this kind of thing when I hear that Dubya is going to veto the childrens' health insurance bill). Go see this.
The amazing thing is that the administration has no qualms about spending almost $20,000,000 PER MINUTE on a war we had no business starting.... yet they threaten vetos over the children health insurance fund because of the "high cost."
The immoral bastards.... all the more reason for impeachment.
(If you can't see the graphic linked above, here is a summary of what it says...
Annual cost of Iraq War to the US-----$200 billon
Annual cost for universal health care for all people in US without it----$100 billion
Annual cost for universal preschool--half day for 3 yr olds, full days for 4yr olds---$35 billion
Annual cost for carrying out the security recommendations of 9/11 Commission- $10 billion
Annual budget for cancer research-- $6 billion
Annual cost of immunizations for the worlds children against measles, whooping cough and more--$0.6 billion
And in light to of the collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis yesterday, and the 100+year old steam pipe explosion in NY City a couple of weeks ago--- for what we have already spent on the Iraq War ($1+ trillion), we could have repaired the entire infrastructure of the country and brought it up to standard--that means all the highways, bridges, sewers, waterlines, dams,,etc etc. (estimated cost of $1.6 trillion). According to this WSJ article, the reason we won't spend the money to fix our infrastructure is this...A lack of political will because of fear of raising taxes is mainly responsible for the shortfall, Well we sure had the "political will" to go into Iraq...even though the reasons given were a bunch of lies...
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