Let the "Games" Continue - NOT

The primaries are over and the usual suspects are in place.  Now the "games" begin in earnest.  The "games" are especially heinous here in Arizona.  This state is populated, politically, by closed-minded, bigoted, misogynistic, racist, money-grubbing, idiots who have Masters Degrees in Hatred! (read Republicans/Teabaggers.) They also have rings through their noses, to be led around by the Kochs and their minions; the Goldwater Institute made up of a cartel of right wing nut jobs who stick their noses up everybody's asses; and ALEC - that bastion of secrecy filled with self-serving global corporations and state legislators who conspire to rewrite laws to suit their needs and screw the local electorate.

During the primary 'season' all political ads I saw were full of nothing but crass, misleading, nasty, disgusting information which usually was untrue, shady, and full of non-information.  Those who mentioned what they would do for the state put forth ideas that never could possibly be implemented, mainly because those ideas were so far-fetched as to be laughable.  But, they were filled with buzz words, those words that prick the minds of the mindless, those sound bites the unintelligent throw around as if they know what they're taking about.

We will be bombarded with this gd-awful drivel for the next two months through TV ads, radio ads, newspaper ads, awful signs popping up everywhere like poisonous weeds on every street corner.  The few cogent and intelligent candidates who are running can only hope they will be heard amid the crap that will be spewed from every direction (read Republicans/Teabaggers.)

And the voices of the women, the elderly, the poor, the children, the Hispanics, the Blacks, the Native Americans, the workers, the 98%, those who are LGBT and the Dreamers will not be heard unless they start screaming louder than those (read the 1%) who want to wrest our democracy right out from under us.

This is a pathetic state of affairs.  It is way past time for Progressive Liberal Democrats and Independents to take a stand, say "ENOUGH" and make sure they get the hell out and vote the regressive and repressive Republicans out on their asses.

Arizona is a gorgeous state.  It would be perfect, except for the politics.  It's time to complete the perfection and make Arizona BLUE!

My friend, the Lamed Vovnik

The term LAMED VOVNIK is a Hebrew term referring to thirty-six righteous men in every generation whose merit saves humanity. But through the stories that have come to us through scripture, "men" are not the only righteous ones.  The thirty-six are hidden among us and are not known to anyone, even themselves.  They are humble, work tirelessly to do for others, have compassion and lift up those around them.

Aha, but I know of one lamed vovnik personally.  She is not only my very dearest friend, she is a most amazing woman.  For as long as I've known her, she has done everything for others.  She has taken care of numerous elderly people in her neighborhood: shopping for them, driving them to doctors, repairing things in their houses, gardening, collecting their mail, watching over their homes when they've been in the hospital, bringing them meals, shoveling snow paths to their doors.  

She is an expert in "conchology", the study of seashells, specifically seashells of the Eastern Seaboard and has done free educational programs in schools.   

She interviewed several veterans, asking them what the American flag meant to them.  She then compiled their answers and paired them with different photos of the American flag that she took.  She then had all this made into a book which she self published.

Currently, she is working to get a ramp installed on the house of a veteran.  He has tried to get the ramp built for five years and has run into a stone wall with the VA, the American Legion and several other groups.  She managed to save her own money for the lumber and she is now scraping and painting the veteran's porch.  She is looking for volunteers who will actually help to build this ramp.

She has cared for her mother and step-father for years even when they lived over 62 miles away.  

When you look up the word compassion, you'll see her face.  When you talk about love for your fellow human being, she will be the one you talk about.  When there are thoughts about the goodness of humanity, she is the one in those thoughts.  When there are tears to be brushed away, she will brush them.  She comforts, she teaches, she protects, she helps.  She gives of her time, her energy, her compassion and her love.  And by doing so makes the world a better place.

She is, indeed, a Lamed Vovnik and I love her because she gives me hope that the world has not gone completely crazy.  She is wise. She is humble.  She is beautiful, both inside and out. She is kindness personified.  She is, indeed, my Lamed Vovnik.

© 2014. Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved

The stupid and nasty sector of America is growing.

Here is just a small sampling of the increasing stupidity effecting the United States.  How do these people know how to put one foot in front of the other while breathing?


A North Carolina Republican compares gays to pedophiles.

And the Lt. Governor of North Carolina wants the country to be ruled as a theocracy and to hell with the Constitution.

Senator Charles Grassley blames President Obama for something that his own staffer did.

Now Boehner is thinking up stuff to file  a lawsuit against President Obama for "not faithfully executing the laws of this country.  How about we file a lawsuit against Boehner for dereliction of duty?

A Pennsylvania school director wants kids to learn the Tea Party science of global warming denial.

Louie Gohmert says the kids coming over the border are "vermin ridden."  Perhaps his brain is riddled with vermin!

And who could forget Todd Akin of "legitimate rape rarely leads to conception" fame?

Now Rick Santorum told listeners during a radio interview that anti-gay marriage Christian business owners were being sent to re-education camps for refusing to provide their services to gay customers.  This guy is certifiably crazy!

Ann Coulter.  What can you say about a COMPLETE moron?  The vitriolic hate-monger deserves a special place in hell for the bitterness, prejudice, repulsiveness and malevolence  she continually spews.

Oh yes, Fox news resident doctor moron, Keith Ablow, says the World Cup is President Obama's plot to distract people from the issues of the day.  Ah, like Benghazi?

And poor Maine, saddled with an addlepated governor who says Social Security and Medicare are welfare.

Well, there are so many more examples of such hatred, stupidity, vitriol, abhorrence, and loathing expressed by so many Republicans, especially tea party members.  As long as people like these are spotlighted in the media and continue to denigrate anyone who isn't like them, this country has no chance to be what it is supposed to be:  a land of equality and opportunity for all, peopled by those with compassion, intelligence and an understanding of what's right.  It will continue to be a war-mongering nation which steps on the rights of all who are not white and Christian, who are old, sick, poor, female, and every other minority.  This is not the great nation it is supposed to be.  The crazy Right wing is killing it.

We appear to be heading to third world status.  I don't know if there is hope that this can be turned around.  But if something isn't done soon to turn this around, our demise as a respected country will be faster than the blink of an eye.

If I sound quite negative, it's because I'm pragmatic...realistic about what's happening.  I know there are a lot of good, intelligent people who really care about what happens here but somehow their voices always seem to get drowned out.

So, what do you think?  Got any hope to give?

How I engage in the process...........

I get so pissed, frustrated and angry when I read such stupid, uninformed, deliberately lying comments emanating from the mouths of Republicans*, all because they intensely hate President Obama, among other things.

Some examples:

1.  Ken Langone, the founder of Home Depot says people in the 1% should be proud to be there because, "while money doesn't buy happiness, try poverty.  That doesn't do very well, either."  Does he think those in poverty are trying it out to see if they like it?

2.  Remember Joe the plumber?  The favorite peabrain of the Republicans!  He had this to say to those families  whose kids were killed on the UCSB campus:  " Your dead kids don't trump my Constitutional rights."  I can only envision what he'd think if one of his g-d guns took the life of one of his kids.  I feel sorry for his kids, knowing they rank behind their dad's guns in importance.

3.  Dr. Ben Carson, a conservative Christian, said on Fox news that the VA scandal is a "gift from God," and placing the blame directly on President Obama.  Never mind that because of two unjust wars, the VA is overloaded with vets who need help.  This can clearly be laid at the feet of the Bush/Cheney cabal.  Now, President Obama has to clean up this damn Republican mess.

4.  Ted Cruz, purported to be a Senator from Texas, but in reality is a lying lunatic posing as a Republican.  His latest dustup:  He claims that Senate Democrats will be voting on a constitutional amendment to repeal the First Amendment, thereby muzzling the political speech rights of U.S. citizens.  The man is giving the Mad Hatter a run for his money.

5.  Blake Farenthold, R-Texas congressman told veterans who lost their disability checks due to the GOP government shutdown that they had make sacrifices!  This extremely fat jackass apparently hasn't made any food sacrifices.  But he has sacrificed the use of any brain material he might have had.

There are so many more examples but a few names should remind you all of the amply moronic utterings of some really stupid, sly and mean people:  Louie Gohmert, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Phyllis Schlafly, Rand Paul, Mary Fallon, Bobby Jindal and the incomparably brain-deficient Sarah Palin.

Reading about these people day after day (there's no escaping it) can really make me crazy, frustrated and highly angry.  BUT, at my stage of life, what can I do about it?  I tweet (after doing research), I sign petitions and add personal comments to them, I write to my Congressional delegation (and get only automatic replies that have no meaning or connection to what I wrote), I tweet to these same people and let them know my positions, I write and tweet to government entities like the FCC and the FDA and let them know where I stand.  I used to share a lot of political stuff on Facebook but I'm trying to cut that down and keep that stuff on Twitter only.  And I BLOG!  This is where I feel I can vent.  I read voraciously and research everything so I don't sound as if I've shooting from the hip.  I support those who I feel have the intelligence and the ability to do the most good for the most people; who care about all U.S. citizens, not just the rich; who will uphold the Constitution (and not reinterpret it with their own narrow-mindedness)  and keep religion out of government; who will make sure women are treated with equality; our veterans are cared for.  You get the idea.

I don't think I can get physically involved (canvassing for signatures, hosting a meeting, etc.)  so, if any of my tweets, petition signings, letter writing and/or blogging help to educate, elucidate, and or clarify the myriad issues I'm interested in then I've done my job.

And then my attention gets turned to all the good things that are in my life.  And I revel in the wonderful family I have:  my two magnificently wonderful sons and my fabulous, comedic husband; our extended family in Chicago, Massachusetts, Nebraska and California; our incredible friends in Connecticut, Virginia, New York and Florida.  And the best furry friends in the world.  Ah, life is good.

And I want life to be good for everyone so I will continue to speak out, to write and hope that someday the unintelligent, highly partisan, narrow-minded, misogynistic, bigoted, racist, lazy nut jobs that make up Congress and many governorships will disappear to be replaced by those whose education embraced science, technology, the arts, social studies (not just white history) and a working knowledge of how the world actually works and endeavor to do what's right for everyone, not just a select few.

A caveat: *Republican
When I refer to Republicans, I'm talking about the really crazy, Tea Party types, NOT my Republican friends who are erudite, thoughtful, intelligent, kind and don't go along with the extremely far right wing of their party.  They are usually described as moderate and have valid concerns and positions.  I value their friendship.

Will it show up?

I know what sentimental value is.  I know it is priceless.

For decades I have worn a simple chain around my neck with a Torah charm hanging from it.  It was a Chanukah gift from my sons so many years ago.  I rarely took it off.  It was a part of me.  Earlier this week, after it fell off my neck twice, I took it off to have the clasp repaired.  I placed it on my bureau until I could get the repair done.  It has simply.......... disappeared!

I have torn the house apart looking for it, checking the pockets of everything I have worn in the past two weeks, moved the bureau,  dusted and mopped everywhere, opened and checked every drawer, checked every pocket in every purse, looked in rooms that I KNOW it wouldn't be in.  It just is not anywhere!

To say I am devastated is an understatement.  First of all, I treasured that piece of jewelry because it was a gift from my sons.  Secondly, how does something disappear into thin air, for gawds sake???

Unfortunately, this is not the first time I lost something so dear.  Just before we moved to Arizona, we were out with friends and I had on a very unusually designed pearl ring that my dad had given to me when I was 15.  I lost that ring that night.  And even though we scoured the car, the restaurant, the sidewalk to and from that restaurant, it, too, just disappeared.  I am still heartbroken about that because my dad gave it to me.

Neither of these items are very expensive.  But their sentimental value is beyond measure.  The ring is a lost cause but the Torah on a chain?  Maybe it will turn up when I least expect it.  That's what Warren keeps telling me.  Gawd, I hope he's right.

Mother's Day

The last time our 3 year old son saw my mother was on Mother's Day, May 12, 1974.  It was in the hospital as she was struggling to recover from a variety of medical problems.  But on this day, she was able to walk to a visiting area where we all sat down to visit.  She was surrounded by everyone in our respective families who loved her.  The picture of that day is indelibly etched in my mind's eye and I treasure it.  I was pregnant with our second son at the time and I was so grateful that she knew another grandchild was on his way.  She passed away on May 22nd, just eighteen days after my dad passed away, on May 4th.

So, Mother's Day presents conflicting emotions in me.  It was difficult for years after her passing.  But after a while, the difficulty gave way to enormous joy because I was the mother of two extraordinary sons and my happiness and pride knew no bounds.

Mothers can be incredible people.  But I don't think it's necessary to set aside a day to celebrate them.  It has been reduced to such a commercial holiday, driven by the flowers and gift industries to generate  enormous amounts of money for these companies, a whole load of sadness for those who have lost their moms (or other special women who have made a wonderful impact on their lives), and a huge amount of guilt for those whose mothers didn't live up to the sappy verses on Mother's Day cards.

My sons give me love and tremendous joy all year round.  I don't need a special day to feel what they so freely give all the time.  Having said all this, I want to share, again, a blog I wrote about my mother on October 6, 2009.  It is a love story of sorts.  And it's one way I like to remember my mother, of blessed memory.

http://www.lifeismorethansoundbites.blogspot.com/search/label/Tikkun%20Olam

or

http://bit.ly/1ivKemh

Okay, my head just exploded

With the latest crapola from The Supreme Court, you know, the decision that allows the uber rich to buy Congress which will now be referred to as "the Koch-sucking groveling wretches," I'm hearing the sound of democracy swirling down the toilet.  This decision makes the United States no better than all those countries with moneyed, despotic rulers and slave laborers.  We are less than a third world country now.  The citizens of the US have been sold down the river.  Bribery has been made legal.

And now, the Human Rights Committee of the U. N. issued a report that has labeled the United States as "cruel, inhumane and degrading" to those who are poor and homeless.  Being poor and homeless has been criminalized here so now we are in the same company as many of the countries we, ourselves, denigrate and berate for the same reason.

We have never witnesses such vile, heartless and dishonorable individuals as the Republicans.  It's not Democrats, Progressives, or Liberals (or for that matter anyone with a heart and a working brain) who want to get rid of every program designed to help the working poor (and who blame people just for being poor) by getting rid of unemployment compensation, food stamps, Medicare, Social Security, pensions and unions.  It's not the Democrats who insist on feeding the huge corporations, Wall Street and the military with billions of our tax dollars, giving the rich tax breaks allowing them to pay NO taxes while the rest of us bear the brunt of making up what the rich don't pay!  Enough already!  And it's not the Democrats who spit on anyone who isn't white and male.  Every single issue that favors the average citizen is spat upon by the GOP.

It seems that evil has triumphed, courtesy of the Republicans.

I believe that Senator Bernie Sanders said it best:  "The great political struggle that we now face is whether the United States retains its democratic heritage or whether we move toward an oligarchic form of society where the real power rests with a handful of billionaires, not ordinary Americans."

I don't want to live under an oligarchy.  And the United States will become one soon if ordinary citizens don't revolt against a Republican Tea Party hell bent on destroying democracy as we have known it.

"Social Action" is not meant to be a sound bite

When you think of doing something that would uplift members of society who are less fortunate than you are and then act on that thought, you are taking a small step toward "Tikkun Olam", literally repairing the world.  It is a lofty ideal, to repair the world.

If you have a heart and were raised as a mensch, you wince, you cry, you gasp when you read about our veterans who are homeless, teenagers who age out of foster care and have no place to go, really poor families who work their hearts out at more than one job and still can't afford rent and/or food, young children who go to school without eating breakfast and not having the means to buy much for lunch, seniors on such limited income they are frequenting food banks and second-hand stores for their needs.

So, those of us who have the means and/or the wherewithal must step forward to help.  That help can come in the form of donating money, of course.  But more importantly, donating your time and/or expertise can be so much more satisfying.

In light of the horrendous conditions that so many in this country are facing, (much of it because politicians seem to care only for themselves and their wealthy masters), the rest of us have to step up and actively volunteer, get involved in the myriad opportunities to treat others with compassion, pursue social justice, accept responsibility to lift up our neighbors, perform acts of lovingkindness and try to heal our little corner of the world.

Action, in any form, is incumbent on all of us if ALL of us are to have a shot at a decent, safe, educated, healthful and promising life.

This is where I stand............

The following list, in no particular order, is by no means complete.

I'm not okay with transvaginal  probes.

I'm not okay with white men making laws determining women's health issues.

I'm not okay with the f*** stupidity coming out of the mouths of moronic Republican Tea Party members of Congress and state legislatures. You know what those comments are.

I'm not okay with the continuous lies and misinformation the GOP spits out daily. Example: The Koch brothers ads against the ACA which have been proven false.

I'm not okay with lobbyists.  Lobbying is legalized bribery.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party continually defending the welfare given to wealthy corporations. And that's what it really is: tax breaks for the very rich and billions of money going into their coffers, none of which ever trickles down to their workers.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party's war on women. Example: taking away abortion rights, sticking their noses into healthcare decisions that only women should be making, defining rape and blaming the victim.

I'm not okay with slashing unemployment compensation benefits when lots of people are applying for every job.

I'm not okay with the SNAP/Food Stamp benefit reduction making it difficult for very poor people to have enough to buy food.  Starving children and the elderly should be crimes against humanity.

I'm not okay passing laws making it next to impossible for people to vote. Example: cutting polling places, hours and days, especially in areas serving minorities and the elderly.

I'm not okay with Gerrymandering.

I'm not okay with fracking.

I'm not okay with the damn Keystone XL pipeline.

I'm not okay with dark money paying bribes to Congress. And that's exactly what it is---bribes.

I'm not okay with Citizens United.

I'm not okay with GMOs.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party Congress not passing a jobs bill.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party shutting down the government because they didn't get their way.

I'm not okay with corporations making billions of dollars and not paying any taxes.

I'm not okay with wealthy individuals and corporations stashing their money in offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes.

I'm not okay with tax loopholes allowing the rich to thumb their noses at the rest of us.

I'm not okay with businesses paying such low wages that their employees have to apply for food stamps and can't afford health care.

I'm not okay with corporations sending jobs overseas.

I'm not okay with polluting corporations and none of them paying for or even acknowledging the damage.

I'm not okay with the damn NRA and no responsible solutions for gun violence.

I'm not okay with "open carry."

I'm not okay with Stand Your Ground laws.

I'm not okay with teaching creationism as science.

I'm not okay with the dumbing down of America.

I'm not okay with forcing teachers to teach to the test and not being able to do "real" teaching.

I'm not okay with Republican Tea Party morons insisting this country become Christian.

I'm not okay with religion getting anywhere near politics.

I'm not okay with Christians trying to legislate using their religion.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party undermining the United States because they don't like the black guy in the White House.

I'm not okay with the blatant racism, bigotry and misogyny running rampant in this country.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party trying to take this country back in time instead of forward.

I'm not okay with millionaires buying legislation.

I'm not okay with our veterans not getting the help they need when they come back from war.

I'm not okay with veterans and their families having to reply on food stamps.

I'm not okay with the Republican Tea Party Senators blocking the Veteran's Benefits Bill!

I'm not okay with there being ANY homeless people in this country.

I'm not okay that food banks have to serve thousands of people who can't afford food! Hunger like this just should not exist.

I'm not okay with tax dollars going to private schools.

I'm not okay with college students burdened by enormous debt.

I'm not okay with the damn military-industrial complex.

I'm not okay with starting a war for no good reason, not paying for it and blaming President Obama for the deficit and recession left by that little imbecile, GW Bush.

I'm not okay with the middle class being jackhammered into poverty by the Republican Tea Party and   corporations.

So, if any of you are okay with any of those things I've listed above,  if you think compromise is a dirty word and you dislike people who are different from you (and you try to hide it), you are no friend of mine.  You are what's part of the problem. This is not a "You have your opinion and I have mine" situation.  This is humanity and the future of this country.  I don't want the United States becoming an oligarchy or a fascist country but that's what the Republican Tea Party is pushing us towards.  

None of these things I've mentioned represent what the United States is supposed to be, a country of freedom, tolerance, opportunity, justice, equality, humanity, kindness, consideration, philanthropy, compassion, sympathy, generosity, humaneness.

Arizona Senate passes SB1062, another bigoted piece of crap

I live in Arizona only because both my sons went to Arizona State University and they decided to remain in the warm southwest after graduating.  Granted, this state is one of the most beautiful states in the nation with its magnificent scenery: majestic mountains; gorgeous deserts; incredibly amazing cactus vegetation; natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and the many, many National Parks and recreation areas.

But what's ruining the very existence of a decent life here in this state is the incredible hatred, bigotry and racism spewed forth daily by the Republican Tea Party in this state.  The latest salvo in an ongoing war with those who don't march in lockstep with this group of insanely repugnant individuals is the passing of a bill by the Arizona Senate that effectively makes it legal to discriminate against anyone whose lifestyle conflicts with their own religious definition of  "what's right."

While the bill never specifically mentions the LGBT community, it's abundantly clear that the bill was designed to impact that group through an expression of one's exercise of religion.  What this means is that business owners have the right to deny services to anyone they regard as not being in compliance with their view of religion. It also will have an impact on women who use birth control. 

I am just so outraged by this.  I want to tear my hair out at the gross inhumanity of these people.  They can yell all they want that they're just making sure that everyone can exercise their religious freedom but it doesn't take a scholar to know that these hateful, mostly Christian people want to reduce the lives of those who are different to a second, third or fourth class existence in this country.

SB1062 is a horrible, hateful, disgusting attempt to foster intolerance of and hate for the LBGT community, women and frankly anyone.  I simply cannot stand this and my appreciation for life in Arizona is just gone.  Humans are humans and if these Republican Tea Party members don't understand that, then they are less than human and should not be in a position to legislate anything.

Some examples of the craziness of this law could see a pharmacist refuse to sell birth control pills on his/her religious grounds.  Hoteliers and store owners can refuse to accommodate gay customers, Jews, Muslims, blacks or anyone they don't like, all in the name of their religious beliefs.

If SB1062 is signed into law by that craggy-faced, witless governor, Jan Brewer, the lawsuits will start flying and Arizona taxpayers will be footing enormous bills to fight this and they won't win.  This has got to be unconstitutional.  Religious rights must not trump human rights.

Contemptible Republicans and their loathsome ideas

Sometimes it's just easier to show you than write about the really moronic, crazy, stupid, unintelligent, hateful, greedy, asshole maneuvers the lunatics of the GOP are known for.  These were all grabbed from postings on Facebook.  Ah, there are so many more but for now, enough said!

This is a short one......I'm pissed!

I am SICK AND TIRED of being asked to log in with FaceBook or Twitter or other such sites in order to follow other blogs or make a comment on an article or continue reading some particular site.  SICK, SICK, SICK of it.  Each one wants to access my friends list and be able to otherwise manipulate my sites.  Who the hell do they think they are!  I'm done with that!

Instead I'll sound off on my blogs (this one and on Wordpress) and NAME NAMES!  Pissed, I tell you.  Just pissed!

Apple, my Apple

So, thirty years ago today, Apple ran the first commercial introducing the Macintosh computer.  In 1987, I was introduced to the world of computers at the radio station where I worked.  I sat down and faced a Macintosh.  It didn't take long to get the hang of it and every day I learned another trick it could do.

When I decided to buy my own 'home' computer, I found very few programs that were written for the Mac and everyone told me to get that PC thing because I'd get more use out of it.  So I did.  For the next 17 years I struggled with that thing at home and in my husband's law office where I also worked.  It was great when it worked but those dreaded blue screens and warning screens, and screens that froze drove me crazy.  I had a "fix-it" guy on speed dial.  I offered to get a cot for him to sleep on in our office and promised to feed him if he'd just stay around.  It was inevitable that one or more out of the seven computers in the office would require his attention more than once a week.

When we finally decided to close the office and move out west to be close to our sons, we knew we needed a computer to take across country with us to keep up with ongoing business.  Both sons asked us to go to the Apple store (which was 50 miles away) and play with the laptops.  I did, twice and I ended up buying my first MacBook Pro.  I have never looked back.

I'm on my second one and love everything about it.  I've never had any trouble with it.  When I have questions I go to the Genius Bar and get them all answered.  I've had individual lessons on how to do things with it.  I use all the tutorials to find things out.  I love my iPhone and iPod and iPad.

I bought my husband an iMac and he has a PC for specific programs that were never written for a Mac.  When he has a PC problem and asks me to fix it (it happens often) I cringe, mutter under my breath, try not to gag, and hope that whatever I click on will clear it up.  Doesn't always work and when it doesn't I just throw up my hands and tell him to dump the PC.  His Mac doesn't give him any problems, just the PC.

I am an unabashed Apple products lover, period!  So, happy birthday (sort of) Macintosh.  You are my favorite toys!

Arizona State University's problem

Arizona State University has a problem with one of its fraternities, Tau Kappa Epsilon.  The ASU chapter held a party off campus on Martin Luther King Day but among the things that upset many people was the fact that the partygoers wore hip-hop clothing, used cups made from watermelon that had been scooped out and photos were posted to social media. 

The issue has become one about the First Amendment.  Many in the community want the students who attended the party and whose actions they think were racist thrown out of school.  Others think expelling them would be going a bit too far for participating in what's being termed as an offensive activity where students were just being stupid.  A lot of the intense feelings against this fraternity, known as TKE, is the result of their history on this campus.  In November of 2012, TKE members were involved in a fight with a member of a different fraternity who was an African-American.  That individual was beaten and ended up with a concussion and broken nose.  TKE was already on university probation at the time this party took place.

The African-American community wants them punished.  The question is, do the students have a right to dress the way they did and do the stupid things they did?  What's the penalty for being unbelievably stupid and racist?

Frankly, college fraternity students have never enjoyed a reputation that clearly marks them as having an abundance of good sense.  While I personally think their actions were reprehensible, expulsion of the students involved isn't called for.  

I think the Tau Kappa Epsilon national office should yank the ASU chapter's charter.  That saves the university the trouble of kicking the fraternity off campus.  It's time for ASU to cut their losses when it comes to a "rogue" fraternity like TKE.  In addition, perhaps it's time for ASU to convene a campus-wide discussion on the absurdity, stupidity and despicable nature of the kind of behavior that has aroused the ire of so many people and increased racial tensions in the community.

And perhaps it's time for university students to understand how hurtful their actions can be and how those actions will haunt them throughout their lives, courtesy of the Internet.  Potential employers won't look on those actions as particularly beneficial when it comes to hiring.  And finally, I'd like to see the university take some disciplinary action against all those who were part of this sickening story, enough disciplinary action to make those kids fear that if they step out of line again, there will be no guarantee of an ASU diploma in their future.

Fraternities and sororities should and can be a good influence on young minds.  They do perform a lot of good deeds by participating in social action causes and foster a sense of community for young college students.  But absurd and hateful pranks should not be part of the culture as it seems it was at ASU's TKE chapter.  It's time for them to pack it in.

How to comment on my blog

I think I found the way that readers of my blog can comment without having to go through an email.  At the end of each blog it says "posted by....... "and at what time.  Then there should be the word "comments".  It may say no comments or # comments.  If you click on the word comment, there will be a underscore and that will take you to another screen with that particular blog only and a box below it to post a comment.

Okay, everyone, try it and see if it works.  I'm still trying to see if there is another, easier way to do this but, at least, this should work.  The operative word here is "should."  Leave a comment so I can see if it works.  

Thanks...........

Blogspot or Wordpress

I've been blogging here on Blogspot for a while now and find it to be enjoyable, interesting, cathartic and a good place to "pen" my thoughts when the urge strikes.  The one thing I don't think I have is many people who follow me or read what I write.  I'm not very good at getting traffic here and I can't seem to get people who do read my blog posts to comment on them.  Some let me know in other ways but I would prefer that they leave a comment here.

I have some friends who write their blogs on Wordpress so I went to that site to check it out.  I created a blog there with the same name as this one but I think I created it too quickly without checking out what it was offering.  So, I've written four posts and each is automatically posted on my Twitter account.  The free site doesn't offer much in the way of design, font selection, colors, set-up or ease.  I was able to apply one of my own photos at the top but that was pretty much the only thing I could do to make it my own.  However, for a price they offer several options............ most of which are offered free here at Blogspot.

So, since my mom did NOT give birth to a complete idiot, I think I'll be sticking with Blogspot and writing here most often.  Maybe once in a while I'll return to Wordpress........ or I might just delete that blog altogether.  Don't know yet.

But, if you're reading this please make a comment at the bottom.  Look people, do I have to beg????? Here's a lovely bouquet.  Will that help?

A bit of this and a bit of that

1.  It seems to me that every utterance that comes out of a Republican mouth is simply mean or astoundingly stupid or vindictive or condescending or misinformed or racist, or misogynist.

2.  I haven't heard one kind word about anything from the Right.

3.  It appears that it is a requirement, when applying for a job at Fox news, that one must leave their brains outside.

4.  Christmas is not my holiday, consequently I save a LOT of money not going crazy buying STUFF.  It's really become a huge mercantile event.

5.  How much money do rich people need before they get a conscience?  Is someone whispering INFINITE?

6.  I can't stand being waited on in a restaurant by someone with a tongue piercing.  It makes me want to vomit.  I almost have the same feeling when I see those huge black things making big holes in earlobes.

7.  I dislike people who declare their religion publicly every chance they get.  It's usually Christians because I don't see, read about or hear Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Baha'is, Sikhs, Wiccans, atheists, etc., yelling about the war on WHATEVER, or yelling that this is a WHATEVER nation and trying to legislate their point of view for the rest of us.  I prefer religion to be a private affair.

8.  So, I'm not a six year old kid anymore.  I grunt when I have to bend down to pick something up off the floor!

9.

     Yes, I was.  It is good to be a New England sports fan!  And that includes UCONN Women's basketball, too!

10.  I wish someone would tell the crazy gun nuts that the correct way to hold a gun is with the barrel pointed at their stomachs. I was going to write hearts but they don't have any!

11.  Why does my passion for chocolate never subside????

12.  We are such a war-mongering nation.  And it all comes down to GREED.  War is a money-maker.  They fact that it snuffs out so many young lives is of no consequence to those who supply the war machine.

13.  Women are still second class citizens in the United States.  Just ask any fr***** white, male Republican member of Congress or any white, male, Republican a**h*** elected to state office.

14.   The ads asking for everyone to give money, food, gifts for kids at this time of year are legion.  So what happens during the rest of the year?  Do people think the poor disappear until the next holiday season?  And my point is why do we have so many really poor people needing life-sustaining help in what is supposed to be a very prosperous country?  It's crazy, it's a shame and it's unconscionable.  We have to do better by RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE to a decent living wage.  

15.  I have never seen The Nutcracker ballet and frankly, don't have any great desire to see it.

16.  Years ago I decried the lack of intelligence in public life.  Alas, it has gotten so much worse.  And I don't want to be represented by people with such low IQs!  Have you read the crazy, meshaguss coming out of the mouths of members of Congress?  Did they all snort themselves throughout their formative years?  Most of them are Republicans.  Do they have a diseased gene in their pool?  Sigh............  They are meshugeh ahf toit (crazy as loons).  It sounds better in Yiddish. 

17.  Best job I ever had: radio talk show host in Connecticut.  Had different guests on every day: authors, politicians-state and Congressional, entertainers, people involved in every social service agency in the area, an inventor, musicians, a Native American sculptress.  I had so much fun interviewing the myriad guests who came on the show.   It was lively, funny, entertaining and informative and a joy to do.  Interviewing, asking the right questions and getting interesting information is something I do really well.  Wish I could do it again.

18.  I wish I could just twitch my nose and make everything right with the world.

19.  It remains to be seen.  Will the bad guys ever really get their comeuppance?

20.  Does anyone want the ice scrapers I still have?  I don't need them here in Arizona's Valley of the Sun!!!!

Hey, if you're reading this, please leave a comment at the bottom where it says: post a comment. I'd really appreciate that.  Thanks.

Life is good if you have a dog living with you.

I confess I am an absolute lover of all things DOG. When I was a child I desperately wanted a dog but was told that my brother was "allergic" so we didn't have dogs in our house.  My friend, Nancy, who lived up the street got a dog she named Tippy and Tippy became my substitute dog. Tippy and a friend roamed the neighborhood streets and the two were always around for pats, hugs and play whenever I was outside and called them.  Oh sure, we had parakeets for pets and I loved them a lot but they weren't dogs.  It was only many, many years later that I found out that my mom had been attacked by a German Shepard when she was little and was extremely afraid of dogs.  The "allergic" story was not true.

When my husband and I moved to California, after settling in at Edwards Air Force Base for several months, I came home one day with a bird, a bronze-winged Beebee, kind of a cross between a parrot and a parakeet.  It was adorable and VERY loud.  We taught her to eat grapes and cherries.  She'd peel the skins off and throw them against the wall.  She walked around the house rather than fly.  She was the queen of the house. She was a lot of fun, sounding like a machine gun when she opened her mouth.  But, she wasn't a dog.  We had Bubee the Beebee for a long time.

One day someone told us about a litter of puppies in the neighborhood and we "casually" strolled over to see them. By the time we got there, one was left. It was a black long-haired cross between a short-haired brown dachshund (the mom) and a high fence jumper!  He was just adorable and he came home with us. We gave him a name beginning with the letter S (which I won't divulge because it's so unusual) and S just entwined himself around my heart and never let go.  I loved that dog with such intensity from the moment I laid eyes on him to the moment he took his last breath and beyond.  He moved with us from California to Texas to Massachusetts to Virginia and finally to Connecticut.  He lived with us for 11 years and it just wasn't long enough. But he started my long love affair with these four-footed furry friends who have inhabited our homes ever since.

After S, came 5 other dogs, most were mutts (one was a Tibetan Terrier and a show dog during the first 2 years of her life) and all had names beginning with the letter S. It just worked out that way.  Every single one was different from all the others and each one captured our hearts so completely.  We had S#2 and S#3 together, one a schnauzer-pug and the other a poodle-schnauzer. Poodle died suddenly at the age of 9 and pug was never the same after that.  We lavished love on pug and he lived to be 18!

A year later our #4, a Tibetan Terrier named Sallie, (we changed that name) came into our lives.  We were her third household and she was 7 at the time.  She had the longest eyelashes I've ever seen and she was just gorgeous.  She followed me around everywhere.  We started to bring her to the office every day and soon our (law) office had dogs everywhere since we allowed everyone who worked there to bring their dogs in, too.  We could have answered our phones with "Law Office and Doggie Day Care!"

At the age of 12, "Sallie" became very sick and we spent the next several weeks running to an animal hospital in Providence and spending thousands of dollars trying to save her life. It was not to be.  She had contracted a very rare kind of cancer not usually found in animals.  We took her home on a Saturday and all her doggie friends were brought over to be with her during her last day.  We said goodbye that night near midnight with a very compassionate vet who came to our house.  We were devastated.

It was almost 2 years before we even started to think about getting another dog.  I did my search on Petfinder.com.  And that proved to be a good thing.  I had chosen a few but they were taken by the time my inquiry came in. And then one of the people who told me my choice was already taken included a photo of another that had just come in and hadn't been included on the site yet.  She was just so cute.  I was asked if I might be interested and I said "yes".  A few weeks later we were waiting in a Home Depot parking lot in Springfield, MA waiting.  A car drove up and parked along side ours.  I got out and a little head popped up from the back seat.  I just gasped at the little ball of cuteness. And Snuggles, our#5, a maltese/shi-tzu, came into our lives.  Wow, she is such a sweetheart and she captured the hearts of everyone in the office.  Four months later, we closed the office and the three of us were on our way to Arizona.  

Five months after moving to Arizona I was at it again.  I felt Snuggles should have a companion so I took to Petfinder again.  And moving in with us on my birthday was Sterling, an adorable and feisty bichon frise-poodle.  

Both Snuggles and Sterling are rescues.  And we couldn't be happier with these two.  We have dog toys and dog beds all over the house.  Our sofa is covered with a blanket for their sleeping comfort.  Their welfare comes first before we make any plans to do anything. They are lavished with love and it's returned ten-fold.

Our son finally gave in to his longing for a dog and he rescued a lab/shar-pei!  And we get to dog-sit for him a few times a week.

The love all our doggies have given us has been immeasurable. They make a house a home.  If we could, we'd fill the house with more rescues.  


Isn't your heart just melting now?

         Sterling and Snuggles with their favorite toys.

When I Taught, Part 2 (see Part 1, 6.10.2013)

After my initial teaching experience in my hometown, the place where I spent a good portion of my own money providing food, school supplies, haircuts and such to those of my students who needed these things, I found myself in a completely different educational environment.  I landed a teaching position with the Muroc Unified School District at Edwards Air Force Base in California where my husband was assigned to the Judge Advocate General's office, his first assignment as a JAG officer.

The school building I was assigned to, on the base, was brand new and housed only sixth and seventh grade classes.  I was part of a team teaching effort and taught the sixth grade social studies/sixth and seventh grade girls physical education component.  Everything I needed or wanted was either housed in the building or could be brought in within a day.  My students were world travelers  by virtue of their parents being stationed at Air Force bases all over the world.  They came to my class armed with knowledge gained from living in other countries and around the United States.

All were well dressed, articulate, eager to share their experiences.  It was exciting to teach kids who didn't have hunger issues or all those issues that come with broken homes, low income or other family problems. I didn't have a plethora of paperwork to do.  I was able to be extremely creative with projects designed to give my students a reason to be enthusiastic about what I was teaching them.  It's the experience I expected to have when I became an elementary school teacher.

That teaching experience at Edwards had the kind of educational atmosphere every public school in the United States should provide.  But that was an exception.  My first teaching job in my home town and this one at Edwards were worlds apart in every sense.  

After Edwards, I took time off to have our sons and I stayed out of teaching until they got into school.  My next teaching experiences were different, weird, and unusual to say the least but that's for another time.

C'mon people. Share your thoughts with me!

I know people are reading my blogs.  What I can't understand is why they don't leave comments.  They sometimes indicate on Facebook that they've read it but that's not the same.  They've even mentioned it to my husband.  How come they never mention it on the blog itself or to me directly?  

I really like to write about all kinds of things.  It's what I do best, I think.....well, besides doing research on topics that interest me and interviewing people.  When I started my talk show on the radio in Connecticut I really did my homework on every guest I interviewed.  Researching each guest and coming up with the most interesting and germane questions for discussion really got my juices going. And I loved writing up the  stories I broadcast when I worked as a radio news reporter.      

Getting feedback on what I write is important to me as it would be for anyone who writes.  I just wish I didn't get comments second-hand.

So, I'm asking those of you who do read what I write, let me know what you think by posting your comments at the bottom of the blog entry.  I'm not asking for a long dissertation, just your thoughts on my efforts.  Thanks.

Screwing America, the GOP way.

"I support the troops."  These have become empty words with no real meaning anymore.   We have the Republicans to thank for that.

This phrase has no meaning at all to most Congressional Republicans and the Tea Party. It's just a slogan, a propaganda piece.  What support?  Our troops are not paid a living wage yet they are away from their families for months at a time, living in the worst of conditions, worrying about their families, worrying about their comrades in arms, worried about getting seriously injured or killed.

Now, with the GOP shut down of the government, supporting the troops has given way to "screwing the troops".  And not just the troops.  Screwing the country is what the GOP is after.  And make no mistake, this IS the fault of Congressional Republicans.

From the moment President Obama was elected, to this very minute, their goal was to take down the United States Government (and the Black guy in the White House), trash the Constitution they profess to believe in (but have no idea what it actually says and means) and place a "jackboot" on the necks of all those who are not white, Christian and European-descended.

Republicans' actions amount to sedition, a stirring up of rebellion against the government and that's a crime.  It is subversion of the Constitution. In my view, what the GOP is doing is plain and simple:  domestic terrorism.

Anyone with a working brain understands that the GOP hates the fact that they lost the last two elections to President Obama, that the ACA was part of that victory, and that Americans want that affordable health care.  They just can't stand that the deficit is going down, the economy is improving after the trashing G. W. Bush gave it.

The GOP-Tea Party:  whiny, kvetching bullies, filled with intense hatred for our elected President, inhumane, racist, bigoted, liars, utterly ignorant, anti-science, anti-education, anti-elderly, the sick and the poor, anti-women, anti anything that isn't just like them, narrow-minded religious fanatics intent on making this a Christian nation, easily duped, devoid of critical thinking skills.  They are all mamzers (Yiddish for untrustworthy bastards).

Ah, there are so many more descriptive words I could use but if you're not a right-wing Republican, you already know what they are.  What we need to do is get these Tea Party crazies out of Congress, out of any elected office and out of our hair.  They are killing the American dream and killing the reputation of the United States.  They are the worst of humanity because they don't care for humanity. As my sainted mother would say to these mamzers: Ich hob dich in bod! (Use your imagination)!

Paying it forward

On our local CBS station here in Phoenix, they have a weekly segment called "Paying It Forward" on their 10 o'clock news.  The stories are always heartwarming and I enjoy hearing about these wonderful people who "pay it forward".

It works like this:  Someone contacts KPHO (CBS affiliate) to tell them why they'd like to help someone.  The stories are so varied: an elderly person who doesn't have air conditioning, a disabled person who needs a ramp, a kid whose bike was stolen, a sick little girl who wishes for a doll, a person who volunteers at a food kitchen even though that person is homeless, kids who don't have money for school needs, or someone who is doing good in the community even though that person has very little, etc.

So, a letter is written to KPHO explaining why the letter writer would like to help out, the station provides $500 to the letter writer and together, they seek out the recipient to present the money.  It's always in cash.

You have no idea how much this gesture means to those who receive the money.  The expressions on their faces is something to behold.

What this segment does is highlight the good done by not only the person making the request, but by the people who are on the receiving end.  Many of these quietly live their lives, doing good things in their neighborhood or community, helping others even though they, themselves, have little or no resources.  A $500 "windfall" is truly a gift.  What many do after receiving the money is ply it right back into helping others.

"Paying It Forward" doesn't have to include money.  A helping hand, an offer of a ride for errands or a doctor's appointment, an offer to pick up groceries for a homebound person are all ways to "pay it forward'.  It's an easy thing to do and it does your heart good.  Try it.  You'll feel so good.  

Friendship vs. Acquaintanceship

Distance takes its toll.  I really miss my Connecticut friends and the wonderful times we spent together.  We forged a special bond with each which we treasure beyond measure.

But it's not the same here.  We've met such wonderful people but they are not exactly the same kind of friends.  They are lovely acquaintances.  We met through a common organization and do things together because of the organization.  'Socializing' or just getting together as friends do is not something that occurs.

Life doesn't often offer the chance to create a family of friends.  We've lived around the country and in almost all the places we've lived we met people whose friendships we cherish.  Most of those 'family of friends friendships' have lasted for decades.  As we moved from place to place it was unbearably difficult to leave people we had come to love.  I can count on both my hands who these people are.  And we've been fortunate to have that many.  

The problem is they are not here.  Yet the closeness that we once shared has not been broken by the thousands of miles that separate us now. But they are not here, not close by, not close enough to share holidays, activities, trips, life.  Sometimes I wish I could freeze the picture I carry in my mind and heart of those days. 

I am a Proud Liberal. How did I get this way?

I am a child of the beat generation.  I am a child of the 60's.  I am a child of the era of free love.  I am also a child of the working poor. And I am a child of a diverse city of ethnic differences.

In recalling all those years, I never saw "color", I never saw "wealth", I never saw "ethnic differences".  All I saw were kids who were friends, acquaintances, popular and not so popular.  We liked doing the things kids do together, whether at school or at camp or at the local "Y".  We had a community center where everyone mingled and, in doing so, we got to know each other pretty well. There was no room for hatred because of skin color, religion, or ethnic background.

I grew up in a city of Jews, Catholics, Protestants, black, white, many from Eastern Europe or Ireland, Holocaust survivors, rich, middle class, poor and struggling, all hard working families with an interest in making the city a great place to live. The diversity was never an issue.  No one disparaged anyone else.

I was surrounded by good people, people who cared for those less fortunate, who demonstrated caring, compassion, and understanding.  I was brought up to be kind to others. Sometimes it was a tough lesson but a lesson learned, nevertheless.

Given my background, is it any wonder that I grew up thinking that most everyone, at least in my city, got along for the most part.  I, personally never encountered bigotry, racism or anti-Semitism.  Is it any wonder why I grew up to believe in the liberal, progressive philosophy, respectful of individual rights and freedoms, open to new opinions, free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant with a liberal attitude toward others.

And now, I look at what this country is becoming and I weep at all the outright hatred and loathing a whole segment of the population shows to others.  I look at the Tea Party section of the Republican Party and cringe at their utter bigotry, racism and complete stupidity, their utter lack of respect and compassion for those who serve: military, firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses; those who are poor; the elderly; the sick; children; the low wage workforce.  Their thinking is so convoluted, so utterly lacking in compassion or understanding.  They are fed lies which they believe because they have no desire to check facts out for themselves and they have no critical thinking skills.  Life, to them, is summed up in sound bites that they get from nasty, bigoted, homophobic, religious nut jobs.  They don't understand that LIFE IS MORE THAN SOUND BITES.       

Childhood food memories

My husband and I were having lunch and eating some salmon mixed with onions, mayonnaise, and capers. As we were eating I asked him if he remembered his mom making salmon croquettes.  He did and I remember my mother making them, too.  They were made with onions, an egg and fried until crisp.  It was a delicious memory.

Then the memories of food our mothers made started flooding in.  My mom made mashed potatoes with carrots, butter and milk or eggs.  Warren's mom made them without the carrots.

There were two things we utterly disliked that both our mothers made.  One was called "Kasha varnishkes".  Our recollection was that it was made with bow ties (a pasta) and groats and probably something else to keep it together.  Yech, disgusting, we both thought.  But the really gross thing we both remember was something called "Putcha".  I don't even know what it was made from but the smell was obnoxious, disgusting and made me want to vomit.  Whenever my mom made this, my brother and I didn't even want to be in the house.  Warren couldn't stand it, either, when his mother made it.  We both remember our mothers delighting in making this.  But Warren, my brother and I never could stay in the house, much less the same room where this stuff was being served.  Even thinking about it now, I get that "Yech" feeling!

We talked about going to the bakery.  I used to walk to the Revere Bakery in Cary Square to get a challah, some Russian bread which I always watched going through the 'slicer' and occasionally picked up a couple of "half moons".  Yum.

The Revere Bakery was next to Goldstein's Market which was next to Eddie the Butcher.  My mother would go in there where the cases were practically empty.  She would ask Eddie for a chicken and he would go in the back and cut it up for her.  Then, he's grind her some meat for hamburger.  All the good stuff was in the back, never in the cases.

On Saturday mornings, we'd go down to the Revere Smoked Fish Company to buy some lox pieces, the stuff they discarded when slicing the beautiful pieces, (probably 59 cents a pound then) and she'd buy some "lox wings" to make a savory soup with potatoes and onions, and she'd get some whitefish, sable fish, kippers and smoked mackerel.

Warren and I had a good time reminiscing about our childhood food memories.  But my very favorite memory is what my Gramma Gertrude used to make for me every morning.  She lived downstairs from us and I used to sleep there to "keep her company".  Every morning she would make me a "finekochen", a scrambled egg mixed with cottage cheese.  My G-d, I loved that and I loved her..... a lot.  What a sweet and loving memory.

What the hell are we celebrating today?

What, exactly, are we celebrating today?  That women's rights are being decimated?  Women are becoming second-class citizens? That Christian religious beliefs are being shoved down our throats? That the right to privacy has eroded?  That the US is becoming Taliban-like? That Republicans have never found a war they didn't like? That Republican politicians even exist to make lives miserable?  That the cloud of utter stupidity, imbecility, and viciousness has surrounded and engulfed the GOP?  There is nothing to celebrate when homophobia, misogyny, bigotry, racism, religious scapegoating, gerrymandering, and new Jim Crow laws are engulfing this country. 

I've been around awhile and I've been through the fight for women's rights.  I am more than enraged when Republicans, especially MEN, stick their noses where it doesn't belong, practice medicine without a license, denigrating everyone who doesn't agree with them or look like them (read white males), changing the rules to wipe away the voting rights of those they look down on, chuckling as they wipe away help for the downtrodden, enriching their own pockets with blood money from corporations who take obscene profits by sending their operations overseas.

This is, indeed, a horrible country when the Republican/Tea Party is allowed to even exist since their only reason to be is to dominate every aspect of our lives, private or otherwise and to return this country to the 18th century when women were treated like property, blacks were enslaved, and white men had all the rights.  Insanity reigns supreme in this country now because the Republicans/Teabaggers are full of intense hatred of President Obama (read the black man) and everyone (read Democrats) who doesn't agree with them.  Their hatred, though they think it's disguised, is plain to see by those with critical thinking skills. The GOP doesn't believe in great education for everyone, they don't believe in science, technology, women's equality, freedom of/from religion or the Constitution.  They are bound and determined to kick this country into oblivion.  And they're doing a damn good job of it.

But, GOP, be warned.  You will rue the day you think you have won.  The time is coming when your craziness will be stopped and your party will implode.  It can't come too soon for me and every single person in this country who has a good heart and a working brain.

So, what are we celebrating today? Nothing but a good time. And I am celebrating the promise of kicking the hell out of the GOP in 2014.  I have two words for you, GOP, that will make you shudder:  Hillary Clinton!  2016 - She'll beat the crap out of you!

When I taught, Part 1

When I began teaching, my first assignment was a third grade self-contained classroom.  The city I lived and worked in was a working class, blue collar city.  The children in my class came from a variety of backgrounds.  Some came from one parent families, some from extremely poor families, some from more middle class families with more income than others.  All the kids, however, were eager and happy at the beginning of a new school year.

I looked at my motley crew, laughing and happy, and thought how wonderful they looked and how grateful I was to be able to share my new teaching skills with them.  During the course of the school year I learned things about each student that played into how I taught each of them, individually.  I didn't learn this stuff in college.

One young man, George R. (I still remember his name) came to school many times wearing pajama tops kept together with a piece of rawhide and sweatpants. He seemed to always be hungry and couldn't concentrate. He told me he had several siblings, many with different last names.

Another young girl came in, day after day, with her hair all matted and not smelling clean.  She always looked a little sad.  Her brother was also in my class even though he was two years older.  He looked scruffy most of the time.

Another young girl, however, came to school each day wearing exquisite clothes, diamond studs in her ears and smelling of Je Reviens perfume. I had to ask her mother what the scent was.

Teaching was fun.  Most of my pupils were willing to learn and as the year advanced I could see that they were succeeding, for the most part, in their lessons.  But there were times when my heart was breaking.  My little matted-haired girl came in one morning, looking so sad.  The day, for her, didn't improve.  At the end of the day, I asked her to stay behind for a minute after everyone else left.  And we talked, softly and quietly. She told me the family had no hot water in the apartment and she couldn't stand taking a bath in cold water, that the family didn't have a lot of food, that her dad liked to run his fingers through her hair and a bunch of other ugly stuff.  I managed to get her hair washed and cut, found some clean used clothes for her and made sure I had food for her in school.

George was in a similar situation at his house with not having enough food.  And yes, there were others experiencing the same problems.  I started loading up my desk drawers with packages of food, crackers, nutrition bars, etc. and told these kids to come up to my desk at any time and take whatever they needed or wanted.  It cost me a lot during the year but there was not an agency I could find, at that time, where I could get help for these kids.

Over the course of my teaching career, I shelled out a lot of money on school supplies and food.  And I never begrudged that money.  It was necessary and vital to the well being of my pupils.  Schools have NEVER had enough money to provide sufficiently for all the needs of their primary reason for being, the kids who attend.  They are entitled to excellent educations, taught by well-compensated teachers and having the essential materials to foster that eduction.  Every single kid in every single city, town and village in this country deserves the very best education we can give them.  It should never be based on a family's ability to pay.  Public school should be as great as any private school.
"Wouldn't it be nice of the military had to hold bake sales and schools were totally funded?"  That saying has been round for a very long time and is still relevant.

Ah, but there's more.  But that's for a different time. 

The Advertising Game

My brother was an advertising man many years ago, working for some of the top agencies in New York and Boston.  Of his craft, he told me the one and only reason for advertising to exist was to get everyone to buy the product, regardless of how cheesy, awful, crappy, grotesque, dangerous, or useless the product was.

Now we can apply those adjectives to the ads/commercials themselves, along with some others I bet you can come up with.  There is no dearth of dumb ads.  Pepsico, which owns the Mountain Dew brand, created a commercial that turned out to be not only outrageously offensive to African-Americans, women and, perhaps goats everywhere, but its premise, in my opinion, was unbelievably stupid and ineffective.  And even though the commercial was never meant to air on television, it still made its way to the Internet.  There have been other ads which were recently yanked because of clearly offensive ideas.

What gets into the minds of those creating these kinds of ads to sink into the morass of questionable taste?  Okay, it's not just questionable taste.  It's downright sleazy, racist, pandering, misogynistic and/or vulgar.  What audience does this stuff play to?

This is not a plea for politically correct advertising. But companies want to sell their stuff, not have it associated with trashy ideas that get a lot of the public turning against them.  The ad men/women who think this crap up are in the wrong business.  And those company idiots who okay the ads are clearly derelict in their duties.

Not many ads/commercials get me to buy the products but I do appreciate the creativity when an ad makes me smile or laugh or is very clever.  I get totally turned off ads that denigrate, assume the public is stupid and/or is so esoteric that it makes no sense.  Unfortunately, the majority of ads fall into this category.  I particularly dislike ads for pharmaceuticals.  The disclaimers are so lengthy, listing all the awful possibilities of things that can go wrong.  Why in gawds name would anyone EVER buy any of those things. Very little can cure but they sure can kill.  Consequently, the mute button on my TV remote gets constant use and I'm so happy to record shows so I can fast forward through all those horrendously awful commercials.

My advice to ad houses?  Just the facts without the meanness and stupidity.

I AM BOSTON

I was born and raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts, just outside the city of Boston.  Whenever anyone asks where I grew up, my normal answer is Boston, not Chelsea, because Boston is THE FAMOUS city near where I lived.  And 'Boston' seems to encompass many of the surrounding areas.

I lived the first twenty-three years of my life there.  Then I married, moved away and lived in several other states, returning to live, temporarily, in Massachusetts and then settling in Connecticut for many years before moving to Arizona.  Through all these moves, my heart has always been in Massachusetts.  It's where I grew up, went to school and college, met my husband, and where most of my relatives lived.  I worked in Boston to pay for college.  I spent countless hours at Boston Common, the museums, enjoyed the downtown shopping, the theaters, the Red Sox games, the Celtics, the Freedom Trail, the shopping, the restaurants, the shopping (okay, Filene's Basement was the best shopping hunting ground ever....eveh, if you're from Boston).  It was just the place to be if you wanted to do ANYTHING. Boston's history is the history of this country.

Boston people are wonderful:  brash, wicked friendly, really smart (smaht if you're from Boston), glad to see you and crazy for their sports teams.  Anyone who comes from the Boston area originally or moves there finds that the Boston "aura" wends its way around your heart and you are foreveh changed!

The Boston Marathon tragedy was a horrific blow to Boston, to Massachusetts, to the sports world, to all those who were injured but especially to those whose lives were lost and their families.  The authorities, with the full weight of the Federal, state and local governments, will find the perpetrator(s).  But the first responders were incredible, the firefighters, the police, the EMTs, the doctors and nurses, the National Guard, even many citizens who had been watching the race all rushed to help with little regard for their own safety. They are the heroes of this senseless attack.  Thank goodness Boston is blessed with an abundance of first rate medical facilities who tended to the injured.  And kudos to the local residents who opened their homes to house those who couldn't get back into their hotels and had nowhere to go. It was the ultimate affirmation that people are good.

Boston will recover because its citizens are a resilient people.  But they will never forget about those who were hurt and killed.  Lessons will be learned from this tragedy, especially about security, and the Boston Marathon will continue.  We are a determined people who will find a way to keep our freedom without being shackled by fear.  That is another lesson this tragedy will teach us.

I may live in Arizona now, but I AM BOSTON.

Some parts of "back then" were really good

When I was a child, growing up in Chelsea, Massachusetts, I lived next door to the YM/YWHA, the Young Men's/Young Women's Hebrew Association: in other words the local Jewish community center.  My life revolved around the activities held in this building.

My mom worked there, as an Executive Secretary.  I went to their summer day camp,  Camp Menorah, for many years, right through high school.  And during the school year, the center ran after-school clubs: music, arts and crafts, dance, games.  Those who led the clubs were college students who came in from area colleges, mostly though, from Boston University.  And so, when I became a college student at Salem State College, I, too, became a club leader.  I also was a Camp Menorah counselor during my college years. The other counselors who worked with me came from all over the country and so I made friends with people from New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles.

During the school year, the"Y" as it was known, ran evening programs for kids. On Monday and Thursday evenings, from 7-10 p.m. juniors and seniors in high school had the place to themselves where they enjoyed music and dancing, could play pool, ping pong, basketball or just hang around and socialize with each other.  On Tuesday evenings the sophomores in high school invaded the place for the same kind of activities and on Wednesday evenings, the junior high kids from grades 7 through 9 came in.  All these programs were run by two very capable Jewish educators.

On Sunday mornings, the "Y" hosted two Jewish boys and girls organizations:  the AZA boys and the BBG girls.  A Sunday school class of Jewish history was also held for youngsters, ages six to ten.  And at all times when the building was open, adults took advantage of the sauna and steam rooms, the basketball court and attended organizational meetings.

Now don't think that Saturday nights were left out.  This was a Jewish community center serving hundreds of kids every week.  So, we had what could be termed as Shabbatons, a study/social weekend event and invited kids from other Jewish community centers around Massachusetts and Rhode Island to come and spend Saturday afternoon at the "Y" with us singing and learning. Then we enjoyed a dance in the evening and the out-of-towners slept over at kids' houses till Sunday, then back at the "Y" for a last bit of socializing until it was time to go back home.  We had kids come from Springfield in Western Massachusetts, from Marblehead on the North Shore of Massachusetts, from Quincy on the South Shore, from Cape Cod and from Providence, Rhode Island. And, of course, the kids from Chelsea visited these cities for the same purpose.  It was a wonderful way to meet new Jewish friends from out of our area.  The experience was priceless.  When these weekends were not held, dances for the local kids were planned.  Kids came in from the surrounding towns and we rocked and rolled till 10:30.

We even put on variety shows which were performed for our parents.  Tables were set up in the gym making it look like a night club.  Our performances took place in the middle of the floor.  I remember dancing with my partner, Stephen Witten, doing the cha-cha and the mambo.

Then something extraordinary happened.  The powers that be decided to bring in a semi-professional variety show producer and dance instructor from Boston to produce a variety show with the talents of most of the members of the "Y", adults and teenagers.  What a surprise to learn that so many people I knew had gorgeous voices, could really dance and deliver jokes like professionals.  The second year we put on the play, "Pajama Game."  Both shows were hits and were so much fun.  Perhaps that experience was the unwitting impetus when I went with a friend who was going to try out for the college play, "The Tender Trap."  I was asked to read and was selected for a part.

The point of all this 'history' is that my childhood memories bring me so much happiness, a time when things were safer, calmer, more innocent, not so alarming, maybe more fun, filled with interesting and fun activities.  Many things back then were really good.......... really good......... really good.