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My musings, my rambles and I welcome you. |
   LIVE WITH INTENTION.  WALK TO THE EDGE.  CHOOSE WITH NO REGRETS.. DANCE IN THE LIGHT APPRECIATE MY FAMILY & FRIENDS.  |
| I have a confession. I understand car lust. My first car started it all. The car I paid for myself with my first job. The one that I drove to college. The one that took me to my first real RN job was a Mustang. A 1977 green V8 which meant it could fly. For the first time, I understood my brother's need for speed. The power that car had...eat your heart out Andrettis, Mario, Michael and Marco. I grew up in the Mid-West and the land is very flat, so we have straight-a-ways. A cop once clocked me at 95mph in 55. Come on, though. It was 4:00 a.m. after a long 16hr shift. I just wanted to get home. And those horses could move. I didn't even try to get out of the ticket. I was too tired and too angry at getting caught (ah youth). "Miss, do you know how fast you were going?" said the cop in a professional manner. "Yes sir. I do." I replied. "You were going 95. Where's the fire?" "No fire sir, just got off shift and I want to get home. I have to work later today." He glared, I swear, glared at me for a long time. "You work at...R?" "Yes sir." "Well slow down or you'll be back sooner than you like." He sees my uniform and gives me a ticket for going 65 instead of 95. Very nice of him (although at the time I was not happy) because it meant less points and a lesser fine. Anyway, I have loved Mustangs ever since, but they are not practical especially where I live now. One day though, one day. My car is probably scrap somewhere. I drove that Mustang until it needed a bullet in it's radiator to put it out of it's misery. What my car looked like back in the day "1977 Mustang"   |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY By know everyone has heard of Susan Boyle or should have after 5 million hits on YouTube. And every major news organization showing the clip and interviewing her. Thanks topsey for bringing her to my attention before the media frenzy. Ms Boyle is the 40 something lady who wowed the Britian's Got Talent audience with her beautiful voice. Something not expected from a frumpy, middle-age "never been kissed" woman. But more than her voice, I think that her character needs to be celebrated. Ms. Boyle put her dreams of singing professionally aside to take care of her mother. When you listen to her speak in her interviews, Ms Boyle is not bitter, resentful or angry. She is accepting and nice. Niceness doesn't seem like a virtue we celebrate anymore. There is an article here that says it better and more indepth than I can. Susan is a reminder that it's time we all looked a little deeper. She has lived an obscure but important life. She has been a companionable and caring daughter. It's people like her who are the unseen glue in society; the ones who day in and day out put themselves last. They make this country civilised and they deserve acknowledgement and respect. http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresopinon/display.var.2501746.0.The_bea... I just have one prayer for Susan Boyle and that is that she is now wise. That a media conglomerate doesn't come along and wrap her up six ways to Sunday with contracts, overexpose her and squeeze her of her money and talent. Yes folks I'm a cynic and a realist. I hope her friends at the pub where she sang really do watch out for her. |
| I thought this was interesting. from April 6 It is often said there are more people writing poetry than reading it – and our Ink Sweat & Tears chapbook experience shows this is true. Altho we never thought we'd make any money out of this, we did at least hope to get some (note the word some) sales & possibly even break even in the mid-term. from April 12 * Following on from the demise of Ink Sweat & Tears' own chapbook publishing venture, we've been discussing this issue with a number of other publishers and the general opinion is that print publishing (of collections and magazines) in the poetry/literature field is dead – the only exceptions are: self-publishing by writers themselves; heavily subsidised publishing..... I was struck by the "more people writing poetry than reading it" line. Do you think that is true? And that "the print publishing in the poetry/lit field is dead?" Wow. So if Poe or Austen or even Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends) were to try to start today, it would be almost impossible? Newspapers are dying a slow death. Does it follow that magazines and real books are next? I'm not ready to send up the white flag yet, but who know which way technology will flow. What do you all think? http://ink-sweat-and-tears.blogharbor.com/ |
| I have just barely gotten used to the idea of blogs. Almost pure freedom of speech, when Facebook and other social networks appeared. I have resisted assimilation but who knows for how long? "Resistance is Futile" comes to mind, especially now that Twitter is here. I really don't understand it. I'm not sure I want to understand. ( I guess fogeyism is creeping in) Anyway, for my one or two readers, here is a good answer to all those Tweets or is it Twits? http://current.com/items/89891774/supernews_twouble_with_twitters.htm Beware the Fail Whale!  postscript: Flutter Is this for real or are they pulling my leg? I can't tell any more. http://current.com/items/89961551/twitter_too_wordy_try_flutter.htm |
| http://charlestonteaparty.org/default.aspx The kind of tea party they threw in Boston in say 1773? I can't make it. I'm working, but hubby and in-laws will be there. So will our Congressman, Jim DeMint. Rumor has it the governor will be there, but he has his own troubles right now. http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0409/611131.html The next question is will the media cover the event? Well, there will be protesters to protest the tea party so maybe the media will show. Right now, only Fox News has been covering the grass roots anger that is slowly growing across the nation. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509445,00.html. "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." ...Margaret Thatcher Yep, I guess its true. I'm a libertarian."Snideology quiz" Okay ready for cheers and jeers. |
| "SHREWD Application" Society for the Hiring and Recruitment of Entrepreneurs in Wicked Deeds "Because even Supreme Overlords must start somewhere." silverfeathers   has created a survey/application form for future overlords of universe. It's very funny. Check it out.The first thing I thought of when I read it was Dr Horrible and his application to the League of Evil.http://www.hulu.com/watch/28343/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog The junk mail disclaimer was especially funny. (Note: If, on the other hand, you believe that you are receiving this communication in error and that your name does not actually belong in the WWAO database, please fill out and return the enclosed self-addressed, stamped postcard so that our office may correct this oversight. You may then wish to get all of your worldly affairs in order as quickly as possible so that there will be no further complications when we dispatch a ninja hit-team to your place of residence to ensure the continued secrecy of our organization. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and we apologize for any inconvenience.) The rest of the application hits every aspect of the overlord: ego, ambition, superheroes,downtime etc. Its all done in the language of organizations everywhere. Dry, serious, but so funny because of the subject. The Ambition section really makes this point. 13. Ambition. Of course, the greatest driving force behind any super villain is that over-arching ambition that defines the shape of our very existence. It can be as consuming as greed, as diabolical as ruler of the underworld, and as obsessive as being the sole possessor of all the original Beatles albums in their authentic vinyl form. Although such lofty dreams are, of course, incomprehensible to mere law-abiding mortals, SHREWD understands; our career counsellors will be happy to tailor your sponsorship to your specific aims. Please use the following space to tell us of your goals. (R) I don't want to reprint the whole application so head over to silverfeathers site and read. And enjoy a laugh and maybe find you inner Overlord. |
| It seems to be my year. It's the March 12th entry. Now I guess the next goal is to get paid. http://ink-sweat-and-tears.blogharbor.com/ |
| There is an interesting opinion piece on Fox News. http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/03/05/diamond_taxes_obama/ Here are some highlights Fortune magazine’s Shawn Tully has called these people “HENRYs” –aka “high earners, not rich yet.” They are doctors, lawyers, consultants, managers and small business owners who have prospered in recent years. At first glance, the president’s plan to make the rich pay a bigger share of the nation’s tax bill would seem to make sense. The only problem is that the HENRYs are not rich. As Tully explains, “‘Rich’ means personal wealth, or net worth, not income.” Raising taxes on HENRYs at a time when much of the value of their assets–their homes and retirement portfolios–has evaporated, could have unintended negative consequences for the economy and the president’s plan for recovery. Why? Because the HENRYs are big spenders. They are “the bulwark of the professional and entrepreneurial class that drives the economy,” writes Tully. Well I don't make what the HENRYs do, but I have no debt, no property other than my house, no tax deductions so I am comfortable. I can give to charity. I can spend if I am careful especially for things like a new heating system for the house or a new transmission for the car. The problem is I was bumped up a tax bracket 2 years ago. I paid quarterly estimated taxes last year above what was coming out of my pay check. I shudder to think what will happen when Mr. Obama and Co. decide that they need to lower the definition of rich again. I applaud the president for ramming through a massive stimulus package to kick start the economy into recovery. But his idea to fund it by raising taxes on the very people who will need to pick up where the stimulus package leaves off, is myopic and dangerously misguided. Japan proved during its so-called “Lost Decade” that raising taxes during an economic downturn has a negative effect on consumer spending. “To counter mounting debt created by government stimulus packages,” observed former Secretary of the Treasury (and State) James Baker in Monday’s Financial Times, “Japan increased taxes in 1997. Consumption dropped and the country’s economy collapsed.” The Japanese experience holds an ominous warning for President Obama. Harumph! I don't applaud the of ramming anything through. Something needs to be done, but not at ramming speed. It makes me think that the Congress and media are trying to pull a fast one. They may be surprised especially if the Japanese experience of the Lost Decade is not taken into account. Now awaiting your jeers and cheers |
| It's a day of celebration and honor here in SC. Today is General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion Memorial Day. My hubby and I celebrated the Revolutionary War hero by shooting in the swamp of the Francis Marion Forest. Its' reputed to be some of his old stomping grounds. There's a gun range in the park. No animals were harmed just targets. Later, we plan to watch "The Patriot" (said to be loosely based on the old Swamp Fox) and make fun of the "hills of Charleston." http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/marion.htm p.s. Still having writer block, but sometimes something is better than nothing or not trying. |
| There is an interesting article on the website "Plugged In." Its called Oscar Yawn. Its not about the actual night, but about the movies chosen. Here is an excerpt: These are movies the Academy thinks you should watch. But there's a real and ever-widening gulf—a culture gap, if you will—between what Hollywood needs you to watch and what you want to watch. While the entertainment industry loves its chilly, bleak tales of woe (even the relatively upbeat Slumdog is filled with harrowing scenes of poverty and violence) moviegoers often would prefer to see stories that reflect their lives, their loves and their values. We like happy endings. We like stories with morals. And that can leave us, come Oscar time, with that one telling word on our lips: "Huh?" http://www.pluggedinonline.com/read/read/a0004517.cfm Personally, from all the trailers and commercials I've seen, I'm surprised The Dark Knight wasn't nominated. The only Best Picture Nominees that sound interesting to me are Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The only movies I've seen recently are Traitor and Wall*E. Both movies were date nights, because Action Adventure and Sci/Fi are what we can agree on. Both were excellent movies and made money. I plan to rent The Dark Knight from iTunes. I haven't seen too many movies this year. I'm not sure why. Partly money, partly hubby traveling and partly other things to do. Or maybe waiting for them to come out on DVD and iTunes makes me more selective. Or maybe the article is right, Hollywood is not putting out what I want to see. P.S. To the guys on the other forum Congrats on Ms Winslet winning a "major award" and no longer the "bridesmaid" of the Oscars.  |
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