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  My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| w I just have to wade into something controversial once in a while. I have mixed feelings on teachers and guns. I don't advise any educator or school employee who's never handled a gun before to rush out and get a license and buy one. There are many issues here, and they all need to be addressed. I do believe that teachers, coaches, principals, etc., who are former police officers or military veterans who want to carry a gun should have special permission from the school district to do so. They need to be legal weapons, the license to carry should be current, and gun safety classes should be re-taken every few years. The next question is concealment and storage. If the teacher doesn't wear it in a hidden holster or in a boot, it would need to be in a locked place with the key on the teacher at all times. Students don't need to know which teacher or where the gun is kept. (Another license for a concealed weapon is required.) No one needs to know which teacher or if any teachers have guns, except the particular school principal and vice-principal, any police officers assigned to that school, the head only of HR, and the district superintendent. If the knowledge got out, they would know who leaked it. Some large schools might have 5 or 6 armed instructors, while others in the same district would have none. I have believed for a long time that we keep kids in school too long. The world has changed, even before cell phones and PC's. Kids need to be out of school before their senior year. They need to be in vocational school, military, job training, or college prep, or straight to college. In many ways they grow up faster, or at least have more privileges, without the responsibilities, which is an important part of growing up. Right now, by the time they finish school, a large percentage aren't prepared to do anything but be teenagers. They aren't ready to move into their own futures, and it's not the school's job to prepare them. When schools were set up for 12 grades, kids had outside jobs and chores at home. I've been an advocate of universal service since I was 18. I know not everyone is physically fit for military service, but there are other ways a person can serve his or her country. As soon as their junior year is up, they opt for a program that suits until one accepts them. It can be military, National Park Service (they'd learn ecology, law enforcement, wildlife management, even maintenance). state museums or libraries (for physically challenged). They'd learn some life skills, might want to continue in that venue, or go on to college, but all would feel they had made a patriotic contribution. I agree that teaching how to deal with active shooters is wrong for school age children. I have worked in places that taught that to their employees (teens and up). It was okay for adults. Even high school students could take it. But you don't want to scare kids under 13. They should feel like a school is a safe place. I have also felt like parents should be more involved in the schools. Parents should not work in a classroom with their own children, but they could monitor the halls, the cafeteria, playgrounds, stairwells, and all large areas. I'm not saying they should be armed. But their presence could be a deterrent; their alertness and a cell phone could be vital. |
| I thought I might make a few day trips and take one of the children in my family with me. The ones who are potty trained and well-behaved, of course. I have one who doesn't use a car seat any longer. She attends public school. I mentioned it to the 5 year old nephew when all the other kids had gone, and that was a big mistake. I have to take my dad who's almost 90 every where I go. He can't ride for more than two hours at a time with out a long break to avoid back problems. He gets worn out, even though he sleeps in the car. I pictured getting him out of the house, and me, too, within a two hour radius. We could sight see, spend the night somewhere and come back the following day. But the boy already had something in mind for "vacation". He wants me to take him to LEGO-LAND in Florida. We're talking a two day drive. My dad isn't going to fly, and I don't think the train will work for him. I suggested Uncle Gary go with us, and he was very excited about his favorite uncle going and building something out of Lego. I was picturing someone to convince Dad to get in the wheelchair and help me push him around.( Dad's dignity won't allow him to use a wheelchair, even though he can't handle extensive walking any more.) But I spoke too quickly. Uncle Gary has failing health and might be too tired on any given day. So after his father, my other brother, suggested throwing in Disney World, I suggested taking his Mom and Dad, too. No, he doesn't want them to go. I told him that his mother has never been apart from him for more than two days; she wouldn't be able to handle it yet. Finally, his father said he didn't know if he could go a whole week without him. The next problem, after logistics and parental separation, is patience. In a few months doesn't cut it with a five year old. "Can we go tomorrow?" "No, we have to plan. We have to pack. We have to have the car checked. We have to let Grandpa do eyelid surgery and rest for a while afterward." "In a few days?" "No." . . . Apparently, a kid in his neighborhood had just spoken with him about LEGO-LAND. So when I opened my big mouth, he just jumped on that opportunity. So I might have my vacation goals set. Just how do I pull it off? A five year old is not the boss. And the old man's welfare has to come first. As for me, If I've got to spend that kind of money, I'd rather go to South Dakota and explore. |
| Just got back from the museum, over an hour away. I don't much about Chinese history, so it really was a foreign subject to me. I learned that these famous soldiers were commissioned by the first great emperor of China just as he was taking the reign. He was preparing to make great changes, but was also concerned about his immortality. From the very beginning, he planned the massive mausoleum complex and the army that would see him into the afterlife. Although he did many things to unite and fortify China, he is best known for joining all the lengths of the Great Wall and his army for his burial. The name is too hard to spell. I think I can say it okay. The exhibit is by partnership of several American museums and the Chinese. Our state museum is free, but to enter this exhibit, you have to pay. Most of the crowd (thousands? on a Saturday?) soon realized that we know little of ancient history, much less the Chinese states or dynasties. The many artifacts pointed to minute detail on everyday objects. A wine bottle would have script and intricate illustrations on it. The same for a bell or a food bowl. Even the water pipe had small details carved into it. The roof tiles had pictures on each one. As for the soldiers, they made a complete set: an archer, a charioteer, an armored general, a horse groomer, and so forth. Even horses were included. We saw a sampling. The original set had over 2000 full size figures. While I was there, I made a whirlwind tour through some of the American art collection and some of the modern art group. A few exhibits were closed for restructuring. I didn't have time to do the Faberge or Russian collection, or others. I was in a group and not driving. Outdoors, I took photos of some large sculptures and some modern works while waiting for our van. We had lunch in a deli before heading back to our town. While there, I took a lot of photos on my cell phone. I couldn't operate my camera without a flash, which is prohibited. I plan to use these photos with my family kids. Some of the modern art looks like larger versions of what the kids do. As for the sculpture made of propellers from boat motors, I think my brothers could do that. I want to plant the seed of museum visiting in these young kids, as well as encourage their artistic expression. Some of the things I saw looked more like craft projects than art. But that can open up the discussion about defining art, even if they are sort of young. You're never to young to start the conversation about good things. |
| g I haven't seen it. It's not something I particularly care to see each year. But the SI Swimsuit issue has been an annual event for quite a long time. Men of all ages consider it a "sport", and now women are getting becoming "followers". They have tried to remain relevant by using larger size models, by using body paint instead of fashion (I've pondered how two little scraps or strings of cloth can be considered fashion for years now). This year, I've read, they're even showing a wee bit of cellulite. You might celebrate that as real women, the kind in most abundance and available for live viewing. This year they're even boasting of an all female crew and staff for the photo shoot. All from a woman's point of view, I guess. However, I wonder if in this "me too" culture, does something like the SI Swimsuit issue have a place? Does it encourage the dehumanization of women and set them up as targets to be assaulted and exploited? Do these photos encourage men to see women's bodies as public property, rather than unique and personal and very private? Do they encourage women to entice or tease men in whom they are not interested? It seems like we're trying to have it both ways. We've got to figure this out and start taking more responsibility. Men always have exercised power over women, but we no longer consider it understandable or acceptable. But women have to be sure they aren't contributing to the problem. There's a lot of angles to examine. First, women raise and train men. It starts with what little boys get away with. Mothers have to train little boys, as well as girls, to be thoughtful of other people's rights and feelings. Next, girls and women need to know how to protect themselves. When a man, or a date, starts to get out of line, he needs to be told or pushed away. Granted, these days an old-fashioned slap in the face might bring equal or worse in return. But a woman can make it clear what is acceptable and what is not, especially in a work or business situation. But how does someone know what is acceptable the first time she encounters a troublesome situation? How does she learn to trust her own instincts? How do parents teach young women that if something doesn't feel right, they should back off without sounding hyper and prudish? And in our current culture, women are not encouraged to fight back or stand up for themselves. They are encouraged to be promiscuous and free. If a girl wants a boyfriend, she has to let him do whatever he wants. Is it different when she applies for a job, or auditions for a chorus line or a part in a play? Or if she works for a powerful politician? How does she handle difficult circumstances now, rather than come clean twenty years later? And why do some men believe that they are different from the mighty men who have fallen? When they see other illustrious careers crash so publicly, why do they believe that they can get away with the same behavior? Did they never learn that success and power do not insulate you from the consequences of your actions? Where were the masses of parents and educators and preachers for the last several generations? I watch a lot of old movies and old TV shows. I have become disgusted at quite a few for the way women are misrepresented and dehumanized so frequently. These legendary actors may be only playing a part, but the public sees them pushing women around, tearing their clothes, forcing them into relationships they don't want, or otherwise demeaning them. There are so many directors who seem incapable of portraying women as human beings with feelings and sensibilities and backbone. Many of those movies were box office hits and were critically acclaimed. nd what is a horror movie unless it has voluptuous naked women? Maybe it's time for "Hollywood" to examine the ways it portrays women more closely. What about better roles for women? If you're not a Katherine Hepburn or a Susan Sarandon, you have to simulate sex or take off your clothes to land a role. Television, which is in every home, could deliver more responsible programming. Even the comedy shows could emphasize more respect for other people, allowing people to stand up for themselves. Instead, they seem to want these child stars to grow up so fast and make sex so carefree and easy and unconnected to love and caring. These shows could be dealing with kids admitting to funny feelings about teachers or coaches before anything happens. They could deal with the adults dealing with their feelings before they do something they'll regret. Back to Sports Illustrated. What are they doing to encourage young athletes to stand up for themselves, to report inappropriate behavior of trainers and coaches without making false reports or damaging an innocent person's career? How can these swimsuits or the body image issues they seem to be dealing with help or improve the current toxic culture? I don't have the answers, only some questions. But we all need to give it some thought. |
| After much to-do, I have a new computer installed. I have replaced my Internet modem and upgraded my broadband connection. It's not perfect, but it's an improvement. I have new filters for the phones, so I have full phone service again with the broadband. Now, I have two steps left. I have to connect the printer I bought last summer to the new computer (sorting out all those wires). And to buy new Office software. The old hard drive with its outdated system is still good for home use, like writing. It has Office 2007 and tons of photos. I have to find a second hand monitor for it, so we can use it without the Web. I have lots of things to catch up. I want to preserve all those photos. I've also received recently some old photo albums from a cousin. They contain a lot of photos of people I don't know--great aunts or uncles when they were young or my grandmother's cousins. If only they had written names on the back. I can look up my research to figure out who they were, but faces without names mean nothing. There were lots of pictures of my dad as a boy and teen with his late brother or sister. And, there were letters from my grandfather in France in 1918. One letter was from 1917. Others were from the 20's from the naval shipyard in Virginia written by my dad's uncle who died young. I didn't know he was in the service, so I have to research that. It was a treat to read those letters to sisters and mother mostly. One complained that my great aunt Ruth had allowed some girl to see a picture Uncle Kenny had sent of some girls he met in Baltimore. The girl must have had feelings for Kenny because she got mad and wrote him a harsh letter. He wrote back to Ruth to ask, "Can't you take better care of my business back home?" I guess his sister had to be his conspirator. It struck me as funny. I was thrilled to hold a letter in my hands that was 100 years old, or almost that old in a few cases. That glimpse back in time made me realize future generations will not be able to do that. Who saves an e-mail or an Instagram or a Tweet? Cell phone photos, no matter how good, will be thrown out when the phone is replaced. How will they put any family history together? No letters, no paper photos. All things are on the Web which is constantly evolving. |
| Today I attended the funeral of an older friend. I've only known her about 8 years or so. She's been suffering from Alzheimer's the whole time I've known her. She's gradually gotten worse. Yet she continued to sing in the choir, attend women's basketball games at the local university and go to concerts with her husband. In choir, we had to help her find her music, put on her robe, get to her seat, find her place in the music before we sang, and so forth. She interrupted rehearsal consistently to ask questions, but it became habit for all of us to take care of her. It reached the point where her husband could no longer watch over her at home. She went to a care facility without any balking. She couldn't remember who he was every day; yet, some days she remembered great detail. She was never hidden away or denied anything. He visited with her daily and took her out as often as she agreed to go. When the final decline came, it escalated. She went to hospice only a few days after being out and about. A week later she was gone. I knew this was her second marriage, and a long one at that. They both had been married for a long time and widowed before getting together in middle age. I had learned recently that she had been in the military when young. I did not know until today that she had been a nurse. Except for close relatives, I always learn something new about people at their funerals or memorial services. I used to find myself thinking I wish I had known this person better. Now I realize we can never really know everything there is to know about a person. Almost everyone in our realm of influence we could stand to know a little better. Today, with sleet tapping on the canopy at the grave site, military honors were performed. The muted bugle played, then the soldier with the folded flag knelt before the widower for the presentation. No matter how many times I hear it, it still brings a lump to my throat to hear the soldier say after his formal salute and slow kneeling, "On behalf of the president of the United States. . ." This isn't just a ritual. The deceased served his or her country in an active, and sometimes sacrificial way, and his fellow citizens are grateful. Perhaps because it is so formal and so final, that this part of the service is so moving to me. I will miss Kaye. I will miss helping her and testing her memory of old songs. She couldn't remember anything about the game she had just enjoyed a few hours before, but she knew all the words to any old Broadway musical. She couldn't remember which song we were performing today, but once the music started. she never missed a note. She was outspoken and smiled a lot. A lot of people will miss her. |
| Still struggling. Got a new computer. New modem. Too long a story. Phone service down. Lost another blog. |
| My internet connection is so bad this week, I'll have to save after every few sentences. Some days it's great, but it's so unreliable. **I also discovered that if your Internet is off and on like mine, if you hit "Save and Edit" you still lose everything. I may have to forget my super bowl experience until I get this straightened out.***Lost the mood for blabbing about the Bowl after trying three times to post and losing everything. |
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