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 |  I blog therefore I (r)am(ble). |
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Poems, Prose, and Promises. My name is
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Given to me by susanL  --- Created by kelly1202I write songs
I write poetry
I write short stories
I'm in love with susanL
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Due to the holiday weekend, I'm extending the writing prompt in the last entry until Noon (WDC time) on Wednesday, July 08, 2009. For those who didn't like this one or who simply weren't inspired by it, I'll have a new prompt up later on in the week. Once again, here are the words: Famous person - Betsy Ross Strong verb - implicate Common noun - bottle Uncommon noun - hoarfrost Adjective - triangular For the rules of engagement, read "Invalid Entry"  |
| Some of what I consider to be my best work has come from external writing prompts. I'm not sure if it's because of the challenge involved or because the prompt was a result of someone else's brain patterns, but there's something about a writing prompt that can speak to our inner muse in an almost magical way. On this vein, I have an offer for everyone who stumbles across my blog. This month, I'm going to offer a variety of writing prompts. Thomas's July Writing Prompt Gala  Each one will consist of a famous person, a strong verb, a common noun, an uncommon noun, and an adjective. Use all five in an essay, short story, or poem of 1000 words or less and I'll give you some GP (haven't settled on the amount yet.) In addition, I'll give out a grand prize of either an awardicon or merit badge -- or perhaps both -- to the author of what I judge to be the best piece of all of this month's writing prompts.  If the response is great enough, I'll add more prizes such as: Most efficient use of prompt, Funniest piece, Scariest piece, Best extended metaphor, and the like. The full name of the famous person doesn't have to exist in your writing, but I do need to be able to easily grasp the connection between your theme and them. If you have to explain it to me outside of your story then the connection isn't strong enough. To keep this moving along at a steady pace, you have three days for each prompt to post your piece of writing -- or a link to it -- as a comment to this blog.So without further adieu, the first prompt, due by 12:30PM on July 5, 2009, consists of: Famous person - Betsy Ross Strong verb - implicate Common noun - bottle Uncommon noun - hoarfrost Adjective - triangular |
| Once a year or so, our local writer's group, Writer's Ink, hosts a writing recognition exercise for members only. We all agree on a writing prompt and a time limit and then we get to write whatever we like. Some throw together a short story, some play around with poetry, others write an essay or other piece of non-fiction, and still others pen the words of a sweet song. Most years our prompt has been a sentence or a phrase so for a change, this year we went with a list of words. caveat fishing guide scarecrow lace coach facetious singed reflection susanL wrote a powerfully dark short story about a deeply disturbed individual who could be living right next door to us at this very moment. 
I dare you to read it.  For my piece, I started work on a short story about a high-society lady who finds herself, after thirty years of isolation, in peculiar demand among her peers. Unfortunately, the story was going to take a lot more work than I originally envisioned and so I decided to go a different route. Here's what I came up with: The Willful Paragraph caveat, fishing guide, scarecrow, lace, coach, facetious, singed, reflection Along with the caveat that tender feelings are easily singed like satin lace, one of the benefits of being facetious, is that the scarecrow effect it has on one’s friends affords plenty of time for reflection, like a baseball coach during the winter or a fishing guide out of season. The second paragraph stared at the first and then glanced at the word list. “Whew!” it thought in a derisive and semi-envious tone, “I’m glad the author already used all the words. I sure didn’t need any of them mucking up my sentence structure.” The third paragraph nodded in agreement. Expounding on the virtues of the well-chosen word, the fourth paragraph, definitely the most scholarly of the entire thesis, heartily agreed with both the second and third paragraphs while alluding to the awkwardness and juvenile simplicity of the first. With a self-incriminating smile, the fifth paragraph, never a follower though never quite a leader either, included one of the words from the list in a facetious attempt to upset the other paragraphs. |
| "Citi continues to examine ways to ensure its employee compensation practices are competitive in this very challenging market environment," -- Some Moron From Citigroup1 The above quote was released by Citigroup, one of the companies who have received TARP loans from the US government to weather the financial crisis it helped create, regarding why they were raising the pay of some of their employees by up to fifty percent. Let me say that again: fifty percent raises during a recession. Ummm, excuse me? The issues this practice and statement bring up are myriad. First of all, why would ANY company need to worry about retaining employees in this "very challenging market environment?" Our economy is hemorrhaging jobs left and right and yet Citigroup -- and it isn't just Citigroup, but the banking sector as a whole -- is claiming they need to increase pay and give bonuses to retain employees? Where are the employees going to go? Seriously. The bigger issue is that Citigroup and other banks received help from the government, from our tax dollars, when things looked bleak and now are celebrating like there never was a financial crisis. Meanwhile, those whose taxes paid for the bailout are still unemployed and living on a fraction of their former wages. This is a slap in the face to everyone who is suffering from the financial crisis and DEFINITIVE PROOF that the banking sector is under-regulated. Footnotes |
| 2I understand people's frustration over what's going on in Iran. I'm frustrated too. It bothers me that there are so many people like Khamenei in the world and it bothers me that there are so many people like John McCain, and others, who would love to just jump right into the fight with out thinking things through properly. But not everyone is like that. Iran isn't any worse off today then it was two weeks ago -- it's the same government, but with a people who are willing to stand up and fight for themselves. I remember reading about another country that stood up to oppression a couple hundred years ago. They were tired of not having a voice in their governance and were tired of sending the lion's share of their wealth to rulers who didn't care about them in the least. That country succeeded eventually. They declared their independence in 1776 but didn't ratify their constitution until twelve years later in 1788. It wasn't an easy road and it surely wasn't a bloodless road but ultimately, the American colonies became the United States of America. Iran is doing the same thing now. Will it happen this year? Will it be from this election? There are many unanswerable questions at this point, but we do have a wealth of history to help us make good decisions. We are coming out of a time period where our leader announced publicly that Iran was part of an axis of evil. Besides the obvious insult, we said that it was part of this "axis of evil" with it's most hated enemy, Iraq. So it wasn't just an insult to call it evil, it was also an affront to say it had joined forces with a country it despised. It was a short-sighted comment from a short-sighted administration. We aren't under Bush anymore and we now have a leader who is capable of looking at the greater picture, seeing beyond black and white, and making decisions based on merit rather than party affiliation. He's taken about as much slack from the far left as he has from the far right and the reason is that he's not a fanatic. He recognizes that for two hundred plus nations to get along on a relatively small piece of land like our earth, we have to make compromises. We can't always get our way. And we can't go galloping from continent to continent, telling everyone else what to do. We're not cowboys and this is not the old west. The Iranian government is wrong on a lot of issues, but one thing they are very skilled at is turning outside interference into a battle cry that rallies the troops. The one thing the reformists have right now is public support. If we get too much involved and allow the clerics and Khamenei to turn this into an "us against the west" issue, they are going to lose the public support and this thing is going to die before it has a chance to succeed. The whole situation is frustrating because everyone wants to do the most possible to help those who are suffering, but we can't fight people's battles for them. By standing back a bit and letting this be about the Iranian government against the protesters, we give the protesters the best chance at success. We don't steal their fire and we don't give the clerics any justification to redirect that fire to a different enemy. Yeah, it's frustrating, but we have to let the protesters have their day. We have to let the Iranian people see that it's their own government who's repressing them and not an antagonistic and imperialistic United States. The Iranian people are smart people. They are well-educated. They'll know exactly what to do once they know for sure where the bullets are coming from. So yeah, it's frustrating, but this one, we have to sit back and let the protesters fight their fight. Iran is on center stage right now and the Iranian government is making all the wrong moves. The world can see what they are doing. Iran's credibility is at stake and while it's frustrating, the best thing we can do for the Iranians is to not give their government any opportunity to turn us into the villains. Officially, we need to sit this one out. Officially, we need to let the Iranian government show its hand. Then, once the government has been exposed to friend and foe alike, once the protesters have been allowed to see who it is that wants to keep them down, then there will be overwhelming global support for change. And it will succeed. Footnotes |
| Social Networking Fatigue -- What Is It? We have more ways to communicate to those we love -- and those we don't, but more on that later -- than ever before. From the cellular phone's rise to ubiquity -- and its addictive texting feature -- to the plethora of must have social networking sites found on-line, it's very easy to become overwhelmed with all the options and responsibilities. Responsibilities? How could an increase in options, meant to make our lives easier, increase our responsibilities? For many people, this writer included, the increase in social networking options has changed people's expectations. If I miss a blog entry, a twitter comment, a text message, or one of those old fashioned voicemails, I run the risk of offending someone and our relationship can transform from social networking to a social nightmare. And it wouldn't be fair for me to suggest that it's just other people who think like this. I find myself offended or even upset when someone who used to comment in my blog stops. So instead of making our lives easier and our communication more fluid, the dramatic increase of social networking options has increased our social responsibilities and introduced a new ailment - Social Networking Fatigue The Situation We all maintain various friendships throughout our lives. Some of those friendships are compatible and intermingle effortlessly, deepening our relationships, while others are more like ketchup and ice cream and are simply never going to come together without bringing down the flavor of the other. Unfortunately, the increase in social networking options brings us in the middle of these ketchup/ice cream squabbles more than ever before. "I can't believe you're still commenting on his blog." "Did you read her latest Twitter? It was just a veiled attack on me." "She hasn't texted me in three days -- I don't think I still want to be friends." The above comments may sound like something you'd hear at the campus of a junior high school, but they were actually made by adults. And while there may be a certain level of immaturity involved, the main culprit for the hurt feelings and irrational thinking is Social Networking Fatigue. Social NOTworking Every social networking environment has those who crave attention and who'll go to any lengths to get it. From spamming the same message over and over in a chatroom to leaving caustic and hateful comments about another poster or a specific group, these people find their pleasure by creating chaos. Until they get the help they need or until they do something to lose their on-line privileges altogether, these people need to be taken with a grain of salt. Most on-line sites now have ignore lists that you can add the repeat offender to. The Signs Do you find yourself wondering whether someone still likes you when you notice they haven't commented on your latest blog entry? Do you find yourself overwhelmed if the number of blog comments you receive drops significantly? Or even slightly? Do you find it hard to motivate yourself to go through the blogs on your follow list? Do you sometimes wish you didn't have a blog follow list? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may be feeling the effects of Social Networking Fatigue. The Solution It may sound simple, but the solution to Social Networking Fatigues is remembering what social networking was supposed to do for us in the first place. It was supposed to make it easier for us to communicate with our friends and family, freeing us up to do more of things we enjoy. If it's not making your life easier than you need change its priority in your life. How can you do that? Set a specific amount of time to spend reading blogs each day -- or each week -- and then stick to it. When the time runs up, move on to something else. There are some things you can do to make the transition from unlimited commenting to regulated commenting easier. Leave smaller comments: You don't have to touch on every issue raised in the blog. Find one that jumps out at you and stick to that. Skim longer blogs: If you simply don't have time to read an especially long blog entry, skim through it until you find something you want to comment on. Create your own entry: Write an entry in your own blog, explaining that you have less time to devote to blog commenting. If people know that you're busy, they are less likely to think you are slighting them when you don't comment in their blog. But remember, they probably follow some of the same blogs that you do too. If they see you have time to comment in many other people's blogs, but never have time to comment in their's, they're going to eventually take the hint. Take charge of your life: If following someone's blog constantly leaves you angry or depressed, stop following it. You may want to drop the person an email explaining why you don't feel like following their blog anymore, but don't feel obligated. Nobody owes anybody else friendship. We stay friends with those we believe in and admire, those whom we can find common ground with and those whom make us feel safe and appreciated. If someone consistently makes you feel the opposite of that, you have every right to ditch that caustic relationship. The Bottom Line The definition of insanity is doing the same thing while expecting different results. So if social networking has stopped being fun or rewarding, the solution is to make some changes. Don't let Social Networking Fatigue keep you from enjoying and benefiting from this wonderful form of communication. |
| ...read the transcript of Obama's speech3 in Cairo, Egypt yesterday, I think you should. Or perhaps you'd rather watch it4 instead. Here are some of my favorite parts: A Call for Tolerance and Understanding I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings. Stereotypes on Both Sides are Wrong So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. (Applause.) But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. (Applause.) Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words -- within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum -- "Out of many, one." Obama Is Strong Against Terrorism In Ankara, I made clear that America is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam. (Applause.) We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security -- because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people. The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals, and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice; we went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with. Obama Supports Israel America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed -- more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, it is ignorant, and it is hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction -- or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews -- is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve. But Compromise is Necessary For decades then, there has been a stalemate: two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes compromise elusive. It's easy to point fingers -- for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought about by Israel's founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond. But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. (Applause.) That is in Israel's interest, Palestine's interest, America's interest, and the world's interest. And that is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience and dedication that the task requires. (Applause.) The obligations -- the obligations that the parties have agreed to under the road map are clear. For peace to come, it is time for them -- and all of us -- to live up to our responsibilities. Firm but Reasonable Regarding Iran This issue has been a source of tension between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is in fact a tumultuous history between us. In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians. This history is well known. Rather than remain trapped in the past, I've made it clear to Iran's leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. The question now is not what Iran is against, but rather what future it wants to build. I recognize it will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude, and resolve. There will be many issues to discuss between our two countries, and we are willing to move forward without preconditions on the basis of mutual respect. But it is clear to all concerned that when it comes to nuclear weapons, we have reached a decisive point. This is not simply about America's interests. It's about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path. Women's Rights The sixth issue -- the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights. (Applause.) I know –- I know -- and you can tell from this audience, that there is a healthy debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. (Applause.) And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous. Now, let me be clear: Issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world. I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons. (Applause.) Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity -- men and women -- to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. And that is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams. (Applause.) Obama's Response to Those Who Prefer Division I know there are many -- Muslim and non-Muslim -- who question whether we can forge this new beginning. Some are eager to stoke the flames of division, and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort -- that we are fated to disagree, and civilizations are doomed to clash. Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There's so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith, in every country -- you, more than anyone, have the ability to re-imagine the world, to remake this world. All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort -- a sustained effort -- to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings. His Conclusion We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written. The Holy Koran tells us: "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another." The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace." The Holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Applause.) The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth. Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.) My Take I have never been more proud of my choice to support a political candidate in my life. In his speech, he refuses to gloss over our shortcomings and refuses to demonize those who think differently than us. He's promised retaliation against those who have attacked us and who continue to attack us, but demonstrated by pointing out the many connections that our country has with Islam and quoting their holy book, The Koran, that we do not have any fight with Islam or the Muslim world. The quotations I've listed above are just a few highlights from Obama's speech. To get the whole message and the complete flavor, I highly recommend you read the transcript or watch the video. Both are contained in the footnotes of this blog entry. Footnotes |
| Thank you everyone who has sent emails and c-Notes and what have you. I appreciate the concern very much. Here's the overview of what happened to me. Last Monday at work, I started to feel sore although I hadn't done anything strenuous at all. I've had lower back problems since around 2002 when I had a major fall in Mexico, so I thought it was just a flareup related to that. Tuesday, when I woke up, I couldn't rotate in bed without intense pain. I had to fight to pull myself out of bed and by the time I made it to the bathroom, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to go to work. I called in Tuesday and Wednesday was more of the same. By taking ibuprofen though, by Wednesday night I was feeling a lot better. I thought for sure I'd be able to go to work on Thursday. But when I woke up at 5:00 in the morning on Thursday, I couldn't move at all. I tried to turn on my side to try and fight my way to my feet, but the pain was too intense and I ended up having to stay in the middle of the bed. Stubborn as I am, though, I kept trying and finally, by about 6:30 or so, I was able to pull myself up on the book shelf near our bed and make it to the bathroom. I was very depressed and frustrated though as since I work for a temp agency, I don't get sick days and I don't have health insurance. I had come to terms with two days without pay, but three made me scared and sad and feeling a bit worthless. Susan came home from work and I was fighting to try to get ready for work. I could barely work but I was trudging along gathering up my clothes and trying to get in some position so that I could work. I ended up taking a long bath, which hurt like hell to get into and out of, but that made me feel a bit better afterward, but it still hurt to turn and I knew I needed to go to the emergency room. So even though Susan had worked all night, she came with me to the emergency room and I was seen by a doctor. They took x-rays and checked my reflexes and such and determined that I didn't have a slipped disc or any structural damage whatsoever. What I do have is the onset of rheumatoid arthritis tied too severely strained lower back muscles. The doctor prescribed me Valium and Oxycontin. I've been taking the Valium, but I have a deep-set fear of one day becoming addicted to painkillers, so I haven't been taking the Oxycontin. Instead, I'm taking Advil and I have to say, I am for the most part pain free. The Valium leaves me a bit loopy though and I can't drive when I take it so I haven't been doing much of anything other than playing computer games, but I am getting better and I appreciate all the concern. And as I stated above, I'll answer each and every email that you wonderful people have sent me. And in case I haven't trumpeted her praises enough, Susan is the most amazing person to have on your side when you don't feel good. She has taken care of me in every way imaginable while still taking care of her own needs. What a treasure she is. |
| How many worthwhile things are easy? I'd venture to say none, but maybe there's an exception out there somewhere to prove the greater truth. At any rate, being a step-dad isn't easy, but it is fascinating -- even exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and rewarding. The past week or so, Sarah, the youngest, has decided to test her wings of self-governance and fly away from the pack. Her method of flight? A two-fold flapping attack of willful stubbornness to follow her mother's orders and a devastating blow of I-don't-see-you-so-you-don't-exist directed at yours truly. If I wouldn't have been one of the unwilling participants in the attack, I very likely would have stood up and applauded the bravura and acumen of her two-legged assault. Instead, I had a moment of crisis where I wondered if maybe being a step-parent was outside my assemblage of abilities. Being ignored by a 14 year old, especially one you're not even related to, shouldn't hurt but it does. Especially considering how conscientiously I've worked to make this transition to a new man in her life and in her house as painless as possible. I've tried hard to make sure that Susan's girls have had their space and privacy while still making it abundantly clear that they can come to me or their mom about anything they need to -- anytime. If something needs addressing, we'll address it and hopefully grow closer as a family in the process. So when this past week, Sarah decided that listening to her mother was optional and that I simply did not exist anymore, the first emotion that went through my mind and heart was pain. Sitting at the dinner table Saturday evening was tough. I tried to be upbeat, but it was difficult because I knew that something had to be done, but I'm a firm believer that you can't make people love you. If she really felt she had a valid reason to not want me in her mom's and thus in her life than maybe she was right. So I was sad and it hurt when she was pretending like I wasn't there. After dinner, Susan and I prepared to do the week's laundry. We loaded up the SUV and headed to the laundromat. I was still feeling a bit sullen, but Susan kept reminding me that Sarah's behavior had more to do with her being a 14 year old than anything I had done. I felt better but not completely because while I understood that her behavior was about her, I wondered what it would be like if we were to become that family where the step-parent was tolerated at best. Yes, it was an irrational fear, but I was hurting and I hadn't come to terms with that pain yet. After doing the laundry, I was feeling a little better but still frustrated. We decided to go to Caribou and get a frozen mocha drink. There, Susan and I talked some more and we agreed that we needed to have a family meeting and address the current issues. I hope I'm not down-playing how amazing Susan was to help me grasp the bigger issues and to see that I had no reason to be down on myself. She's an amazing mother, woman, and friend and I don't know what other people do, but I know that I wouldn't be what I am without her. Anyway, at the last family meeting, I let Susan do most of the talking since they are her girls, but this time I felt that I needed to set the tone. So once we'd all set down, I looked at Sarah and said, "I'm not sure where the idea that listening to you mother is optional came from, but it's stopping today." I was calm, calmer than I thought I would be as I brought up the negative behavior I'd been witnessing recently. I reminded the kids of all that their mother does for them and reminded them that neither of us particularly liked to go into work every day but that we do it so that we'll have money to pay the rent and to buy the foods they like and the clothes they've asked for and other stuff. I told her that we both enjoy providing for the girls but that in so doing, we need them to maintain a certain level of conduct that includes following their mother's requests without complaining and eye-rolls and treating all adults in the house with respect and courtesy. I reminded them of the trip we're to be taking to Mall of America this coming weekend and of the new computer that's on order. I reminded them of the clothes shopping trip we went on last week and how each of them received the coats they wanted and the shirts they liked. I wanted it to sink into their hearts that they are much-loved and that the following of rules was not too much to ask for. During the course of the evening's discussion, I had to open myself up more than I was comfortable with and I had to let them know that it hurt me when they treated me like I wasn't a valuable member of the family. I had to offer myself up and risk their rejection as someone who was an important part of their mother's life, but in the end, the levity that had formerly been a staple at our dinner table had returned. Being a step-dad isn't easy. Nope, it isn't easy at all. But with a wonderful partner like Susan, it's fascinating, exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and rewarding -- mostly rewarding. |
| "If I don't speak out, then where do we find ourselves? ... Then the critics have free run, and there isn't anybody there on the other side to tell the truth," The above words were spoken by Dick Cheney on CBS' Face The Nation this weekend. Apparently, the least visible vice president in history, the man who was locked in an undisclosed cave for eight years, is the newly inspired utterer of truth. With his background, one can only wonder if someone, somewhere isn't torturing it out of him.  |
| Earlier this year, in a number of blog entries5678, I've pointed to signs that our economy is at or near the bottom, recession-wise, and on track to show growth again this year, 2009. During that time, there have been many economists and pundits who see things getting much worse before they get better, predicting catastrophe-level conditions for everything from the banking sector to Wall Street to the automobile industry. Once again, I disagree that the sky has fallen or is going to fall. Things are tough right now -- recessions are like that. But there are no signs that we're headed for a depression or that things are even still worsening. Technically, our economy is still in contraction, indicated by a PMI9 of less than 50. But since the PMI has increased each of the past four months, while we're still in contraction, we're not still contracting. Here's a list of positive developments in the past week:  Chrysler and Fiat agree on merger.10 This is awesome news even though Chrysler has filed for bankruptcy protection because 1)Fiat has a slew of smaller, energy-efficient cars and 2) Chrysler has a large customer base. Now that its filed for bankruptcy protection, it can focus on introducing these much-needed and much-wanted cars to the American people. And since Fiat doesn't already have a presence outside the high-end sports car market in the US, they have everything to gain by helping Chrysler succeed. Pending home sales have jumped 3.2 percent.11 Some of this may be from of a first-time home-buyers tax credit that came into effect, but that's what the tax credit was supposed to do. Construction spending rose for the first time in six months.12 Instead of falling a predicted 1.5 percent for the month, construction spending rose a surprising 0.3 percent. That's a difference of 1.8 percent from analysts' forecasts. Consumer confidence is on the rise.13 Preliminary figures point to a 12 point gain for April. With consumers more willing to open their purse-strings, recovery is on its way. Federal Reserve chairman, Bernard Bernanke sees the recovery coming later this year as well.14 He still sees bumps in the road and predicts that the level of growth this year will be small, but he does see our economy turning around sooner rather than later.We still have a ways to go and we still have a myriad of problems to solve, but thanks in no small part to President Obama's dutiful efforts on our behalf, we're on track to economic recovery starting in 2009 instead of standing on the precipice of another Great Depression. Footnotes |
| In his blog on April 24th15, alfred booth, wanbli ska wrote a Five-Line poem from the prompt wrote on pink nakins. He then tossed what he wrote as a prompt to his readers. I've never written on pink napkins before, but the phrase did remind me of when I was working at this sandwich shop. The job was very tiring and it required I be awake at an hour that for most of my life I had still been sleeping. To cope, on my break I would grab some brown paper napkins and write poetry about my horrible, sleep-deprived life. Here is the poem that I wrote from Alfred's prompt. Napkin Poetry eyes barely open as minutes pass for seconds on a tiny corner table where I scribe my poems subdued lighting and neutered calls from over-caffeineated teenaged chefs surround me recycled-paper brown napkins filled with intelligible-only-to-me scratchings rest under my tired hand fifteen second-minutes later I return to watch hour after tedious hour slither slowly from the clock the big hand finally points toward salvation and I take my coat and gloves and poems home to read what my soul has spilled a smile makes a rare appearance as the tenuous words on the napkin take form and bring meaning and relief to my tired heart Footnotes |
| susanL worked two shifts yesterday. It's her last night having to do that as she has now switched fully to her new job. It's going to be weird for awhile since she's working nights, but that is the shift where she's the most awake and it will afford her a greater opportunity to write. We'll still have Friday and Saturday nights together and since she doesn't work until Sunday night at 11:00, we'll actually get eight more hours to be together on the weekend. I'm going to miss her on the nights that we're not together though. Here's a poem to show how much. Watching Susan Sleep "hey little bunny," I think as I watch you sleeping, "what's keeping your eyes moving like that?" your lips are pursed and your brow's wrinkled and your forehead's crinkled from whatever's dancing across your brain I hear your breathing and see you wiggling like a worm, squiggling inside your corner of the bed you then say something quiet, unintelligible -- am I eligible to understand the words? the sounds keep coming from your pursed lips quivering, almost shivering but I still don't know that's when you smile and say "Tom I love you" -- my heart turns to goo and I spoon your back my movements wake you up from sleeping and nothing's keeping you from spooning too |
| In a recent blog post16, alfred booth, wanbli ska offered a list of six writing prompts to his readers. the walking song tears of marmalade the sound of tree falling alone in the woods colors of the oracle enrapturing temptation electric fog One of the prompts caught my eye and this is the poem that I left as a comment in his blog. Enrapturing Temptation It started with a cookie -- oatmeal and raisin, soft and moist like a May strawberry. Mom said, "wait." But waiting didn't taste as good as stealing. Cookies came and went -- grade school turned into high school and lessons turned into tests. The teacher said, "study hard." But studying wasn't as much fun as cheating. Graduation day arrived -- as class Valedictorian, my speech brought my classmates to tears. I said, "Don't ever sell out." But selling out is easier to do than laboring. I started my career -- working in Corporate America. Easy money schemes abounded. The boss said, "don't break the law." But bending sometimes leads to breaking. Sentencing day arrived -- convicted on nine counts. I'm eligible for parole in fifteen years. The judge said, "resist temptation." But resisting doesn't satisfy like enrapturing. Footnotes |
| I've been posting blogs on the economy for a few months now and most of the comments I receive are from people who think I'm way too optimistic in my views. I can understand people's reticence to believe that our recovery is just around the corner -- considering how widespread and deeply seated the crisis has become -- but once more, I feel the need to focus on why I think better economic times are going to be here sooner rather than later. By sooner, I don't mean next week or even next month, but I think we'll see the US economy start to grow this year, possibly even third quarter, instead of waiting until 2010 or even later. And one of the main reasons that I think recovery is going to be here sooner rather than later is China. China has recently implemented a rather large stimulus program. Similar to the one recently instituted in the US, this stimulus program has already started to turn China's economy around. While our recession is still flailing around in search of the bottom, China's has already bottomed out.17 One of the aspects of China's recovery is a resurgence in lending. China's state-owned banks have turned back on the flow of money, resulting in new loans for the first quarter totaling almost six-billion dollars -- more than the amount the Chinese government has spent on their entire stimulus package. The increase of loans has helped to stabilize China's property and equity markets, helped companies restock, and also increased confidence. What does China's recovery have to do with our own? For one reason, China's economy is tightly connected to ours. China is one of the largest foreign holders of US dollars. And since the US is the largest foreign consumer of Chinese goods, China has a large stake in not only the stabilization of our dollar, but our recovery as well. Our economy has not turned around yet. The bailouts to the banking sector have not yet created a resurgence in domestic lending. However, thanks in part to the recovery taking place in China -- as well as the stimulus package signed into law by President Obama -- our economy is on the verge of returning to growth this year. Footnotes |
| Things are slow here. Actually, it would need to speed up to be slow. They'd have to install turbo chargers and nitrous oxide tanks and we'd have to get a favorable wind at our backs for things to just be slow. We'd welcome slow. Slow would be celebrated. Little kids would carry colorful banners and wear funny hats while they blew into their noisemakers and squealed with delight at the festival we'd throw over the return of slow. Frightened businessmen would wipe their brows shakily and let out a semi-satisfied sigh as they realized that things had finally sped up to the often debated and much anticipated speed of slow. Nope, we're not slow here. We're not anywhere near slow. I hope it does get slow, though, so I'll have something to do. |
| OK everyone. Get ready. Here comes a pseudo quasi-representative faux diatribe18. I'm tired of people telling it like it is. I'm tired of people saying what they mean. Where's the joy in understanding? Where's the challenge in effortless comprehension? From this moment on, I think we all should endeavor tirelessly to communicate as ambiguously and imprecisely as possible. Think of the potentialities! As I sit here at my informational way-station19 with an energy-enhancing apparatus20 in hand, I can't help but ponder how much more exquisite the cognitive transformation of energy through biological processes and chemical reactions21 would be if we were to focus our resources more towards redundancy and superfluous exchanges of banal expressions instead of sagacity and perspicacity. Why be clear when we can disconcert, confound, and obfuscate? So come on! Grab a mug of your favorite incompressible concentration of vapors at equilibrium22 and unite with me in a salutation to promote the proliferation of beclouded verbal dissemination. Footnotes |
| I had a very busy weekend. Between taking my dad to the emergency room, throwing out my back, having my mom and brother over for Easter dinner, catching a small cold, and having to change a flat tire on the SUV, I'm way behind on things such as blog comments. I love all of you though and I'll try to at least get to everyone's latest entry.  |
| Is the stimulus package working? Either that or it's merely a coincidence that the economy continues to show signs of improving. Initial unemployment claims dropped last week.23 This might not seem like such a big deal, especially when you consider that continuing unemployment claims are at an all-time high, but many feel that this is a sign that job losses are finally peaking. We'll have to wait and see, but if this does portend that job hemorrhaging has stopped, the recovery really is just around the corner. Wells Fargo has predicted a three billion dollar profit.24 That's 55 cents a share and way ahead of what Wall Street was expecting. It's also a sign that the banking sector is nowhere near as fragile as we had once feared. Add this to the positive reports from Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase25 and we see the picture of a healing financial sector coming into focus. The US trade deficit shrank to its lowest point since 1999.26 One reason for this is that the global recession has created a smaller demand for goods and services. That has caused our imports to tumble. The good news is that while our imports tumbled, our exports increased slightly. One of the reasons that our exports have increased is the stimulus package that China has implemented. Which leads us perfectly to our next point. General Motors China sales increased 24.6 percent.27 China's stimulus plan is working. It's as simple as that. China instituted a strong and far-reaching stimulus package that is working. It's working in China and through our exports, it's even working here. Every week we receive more and more signs that the economy has already started to turn around. Every week we see more and more industries and sectors show signs of strength. This recession, arguably the strongest and longest since the Great Depression, has knocked the world to its knees -- but it hasn't knocked us out. Just like all of the other disasters in our nation's history, we'll get through this and we'll come out stronger for it. Footnotes |
| A couple days ago, alfred booth, wanbli ska sent out a challenge to write a poem with the prompt, "if I wake before I die" -- a take off on the children's prayer, if I die before I wake ("Invalid Entry" ) Scarlett  , NOVAcatmando , Iowegian Skye , DL Bach , and yours truly all responded. Here was my entry:REYARP by Thomas Harper "If I wake before I die," I thought before I woke. "If I'd think before I'd speak," I thought after I spoke. Oh what a world of wonder waits for those who take the time, to utter only needed words and not speak just to rhyme. |
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