Planet Shortbread

Green, Threa, and Science-Fiction Books

2008-03-06T13:43:00.003-05:00

Devastating cataclysmic events such as floods, fires, tornadoes, and earthquakes along with seemingly minor weather occurrences like the wave after wave of storms packed with heavy rain, high winds, sleet, ice, and snow. And, what about the temperature roller coaster? In Northern New Hampshire, we literally went from 20 below one week to 50 above the next. As for snow, we're 120 inches and counting - five feet above normal. Global warming? Some say, "I don't think so!" I do believe these are the people who take everything "literally" and believe everything the government tells them. The environment, whether we want to admit it or not, is changing. I don't think there is anywhere within the contiguous 48 states that haven't experienced phenomenal weather this winter.

So what does this have to do with Green, Threa, and Science-Fiction? - These are all wonderful settings utilized by the science-fiction author, or if you prefer, the speculative fiction author. To be environmentally friendly - or to be environmentally irresponsible, green products versus ecologically damaging ones, total devastation or self-discovery and healing - an endless realm of possibilities for the science-fiction writer to weave into plots intent on educating the reader - to engage critical thinking, to realize that all actions have reactions, some of which occur instantaneously while others far into the future. Cause and effect happens in science-fiction. We are responsible for our actions. Science-fiction is a genre ideal for science-fiction authors to question social mores and standards, political issues, and government policy. Writers such as, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and George Orwell are widely known. A new science-fiction author to try is Jayne Lytle and her first science-fiction novel, Euroswydd's Caverns. This science-fiction adventure contains current political issues - among other things. This book can be purchased through places like Barnes and Nobel and Amazon; however, the cheapest price is directly from the publisher - Streaking Donkey Books where the book is only $9.95 plus $2.81 shipping and handling. I dare you to go on a journey to a planet called Threa where you may find yourself...well.... Find out for yourself.

Don't be Threanoid.
by

StreakingDonkeyBooks

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Sale! $4.00 off T-shirts

2008-03-03T18:03:00.002-05:00

Quick! It will be over before you know it! Zazzle is having a sale on T-shirts - $4.00 off of EACH by entering the code: ZAZZLESTPATS! Hurry - this offer ends, Wednesday, March 5th. Cruise on over and check out the Zazzle lineup. I've pictured two of my favorite designs here: Mort by Streaking Donkey Books and "If it's illegal to raise a child in an unsafe environment, then why is it okay to expose that child to a contaminated planet?" by Snoflake8892.

What would Mort do? - T-shirt
by

StreakingDonkeyBooks

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Illegal to raise child in unsafe environment
by

snoflake8892

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Euroswydd's Caverns

2008-03-01T15:45:00.003-05:00

Euroswydd's Caverns by Jayne Lytle is a 352-page science-fiction novel published by Streaking Donkey Books.
ISBN: 978-0-615-18840-9

The synopsis on the back is as follows:
All appeared to be going according to plan when signals of unknown origin were detected on planet Threa's surface. A surface believed devoid of life. The Four Caretakers - natives of Casyo - must locate, identify, and neutralize the threats without compromising Threa's violent attempts to return to health or the safety of the deep sea Caverns and their unique inhabitants. In addition to aquatic Beings of unexpected sophistication, off-world Beings able to transmit through Threa's maelstrom join forces with the Casyoan shape shifters to resolve the crisis. Will chaos triumph and take over - dooming to failure the rescue operation known throughout the connected Universes as Euroswydd's Caverns?

Though listed as science-fiction, this novel is more speculative fiction - that is, it inspires thought and intrigue without the tantamount bludgeoning of the reader through excessive violence. Current political issues are prevalent - including the environment and living harmoniously with others, the planet, and oneself. Lytle's background in marine biology, Reiki, and herbs provide a strong foundation for her plot.

If you like and appreciate the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean and care very deeply about the health of the planet, give this book a try. You might be pleased that you did.

This book can be found in a number of locations including Amazon, Alibris, and Barnes and Noble; however, the cheapest copy comes directly from the publisher - Streaking Donkey Books. They sell their copies for $9.95 plus $2.81 shipping and handling - in the USA. This independent book publisher is also creative in their advertising. They've created a number of products associated with this book, including T-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons, magnets, and aprons on Zazzle. If you need to be intrigued a bit more with this title, visit their Zazzle Store - don't worry, none of the products give the story away!

Don't get your wool in knots
by

StreakingDonkeyBooks

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Be Green

2007-12-11T17:16:00.000-05:00

Time flies when you're working on self-sustainability! Since my last post, my partner and I moved to our new home (actually, an existing one) on 4.3 acres in northern New Hampshire. We have also obtained two miniature donkey weanlings; they will be our main garden fertilizers, built a small barn, put up a fence using trees and downed limbs on the property, chipped a LOT of mulch for use as barn bedding from all the tiny twigs we didn't chop for firewood or use as fencing, and winterizing the house. Busy, busy, busy! Next spring will be the building of a chicken coop, buying chickens, and marking the property boundaries; however, game trails for the deer, moose, and bear will be open for their use. It's not just our home!

Slowly, but surely, my partner and I are realizing a dream - to become self-sustaining. Proceeds from book sales and from sales garnered from Cafe Press and Zazzle contribute to this dream. Interested in helping someone "go green?" - click a link and browse. Thanks for your support.

From the home of Planet Shortbread to yours, Happy Holidays!

Wolves, Ignorance, and the Oh-Holy Dollar

2007-03-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

While sitting in the library I thumbed through the magazine, Alaska. It seemed like a good idea at the time - after all - I lived in this wondrous place as a child. I flipped the pages to the "letters" section and read with horror ". . . let the wolves die. . . . I go to visit Alaska to see moose and caribou not cowardly wolves." I blinked in horror. The author, a resident of Tennessee, went on to explain how "those conservationists" have had the audacity to reintroduce wolves and, heaven forbid, rattlers, to the Tennessee landscape. It's against the law to shoot them I'm informed by the author, but by golly the tax paying citizens of Tennessee get to reimburse ranchers and farmers for the livestock killed by these horrible creatures. I then read that wolves are, apparently, entitled to lamb chops and steaks and that the author is just sure that those conservationists live in 7-story condos [rules out NYC] where there aren't rattlers or wolves!

Not only was this letter appalling, it was frightening in its depth of ignorance. First - it is fact that the more habitat humans destroy or claim, the less there is to sustain other forms of life. This reduction often leads to the disappearance or even extinction of wildlife species. Second - we live in the time period of greatest extinction rates. We destroy hundreds of acres of rainforest daily, raze forests for logging and building, drain swamps and lakes, and dump pollutants in the air, water, and soil in the form of car exhaust, pesticides, herbicides, and manufacturing waste - all in the name of humanity and "progress." Yes, humans do impact life on Earth, and have been doing so since we hit the savannah on two legs. We are living beings who happen to reside on this planet. As such, we are highly successful - being able to adapt to different environs and over-power or kill other living creatures for our survival. From the earliest days of pastoralism in Africa at the Dahkleh Oasis in Egypt, wild beasts were kept away from watering holes and wild herbivores kept away from lush grasses so that the pastoralists' livestock would be safe and fed. This practice lead to the disappearance and extinction of several species. In the American West, great herds of buffalo were slaughtered in the name of Indian annhilation - in affect, whites chose to starve the competition. The added bonus for the reduction of buffalo was that locomotives could travel unhindered across the vast plains.

Humans are part of Earth's ecosystem; however, if people are supposedly "advanced, superior," and are to have "dominion" over plants and animals - perhaps we should recognize our responsibility and stop acting like spoiled children who feel they are entitled to whatever they want all in the name of the oh-holy dollar. I had the great fortune to see the Grand Canyon as my grandfather saw it; watched moose nibble bark off a tree in winter; watched bears eat wild berries, saw eagles soar on invisible air currents, and heard the eerie - yet majestic - call of wolves. God bless capitalism, egotism, corporations, and the church of Wal-Mart. Death to wolves! Amen.

Live harmoniously with nature. Appreciate Her beauty.

Evolution and and the Cultural Relativist

2007-03-08T17:04:00.000-05:00

As I wandered through my collegiate education, I encountered the discipline of philosophy. One of the courses I took in this discipline concerned itself with the question, "What is art?" These three little words strung together in the form of a question entertained our thought processes for an entire semester. One by one we were introduced to various hypotheses as to how this question should and could be answered. Each time, I raised my hand, and said, "What if the people who created the object we call art, didn't think of it as such?" My professor, chuckled with a smile after I presented him with a picture of a Hopi Katchina while indicating that it's original purpose was ideological, not artistic. With a smile and a nod, he informed the class, that I was a Cultural Relativist. I smiled in return and replied, why of course, what anthropologist isn't? A cultural relativist takes the ethics of anthropology quite seriously - they view the world through the eyes of the culture or society in question. Everyone's world view is shaped and colored by what we are taught - by our parents, our community, our teachers, our friends, our religion, our government, books, TV, and radio. In other words, the world view of the Buddhist monk in Tibet will differ from that of the business man working on Wall Street. The cultural relativist tries to appreciate and respect the views of all peoples from around the globe.

Evolution. "Raise your hand if you're a cultural evolutionist," my professor asks. Two of us raise our hands. I receive glares from the student sitting in front of me. The professor then asks why we think the way we do. He started with the anti-cultural evolutionists. I heard arguments that it is a racist view.

Then, it was my turn. I smiled at the glaring faces and requested a piece of chalk - yes, in those days, we still used chalk and chalk boards. I then approached the board, drew a circle and several dots within it. I turned to my classmates and spoke, "Evolution simply means that change happens and that the way of being that is best adapted to any given situation survives." I pointed at my drawing. "Let me demonstrate. This circle is the Teotihuacan Valley in Mexico prior to the rise of Teotihuacan. These dots are small villages." I drew another circle, fewer outlying dots, and one dot in the center - slightly larger. I turned back to the class, "As time progressed, Teotihuacan's influence increased within the valley. People from surrounding villages moved into Teotihuacan, hence, there are fewer surrounding villages." I drew a third circle, a large dot in the center, and four outlying dots. "This is Teotihuacan at its height. The surrounding population is absorbed by this city which now has a population estimated at up to 200,000 people. The surrounding dots mark key resources such as obsidian. Teotihuacan has full control of this valley." I then draw a circle filled with many little dots. "This is the valley after Teotihuacan's fall. There is a power vacuum - so the people revert to a previous way of life - one that is simpler. This is the evolution of the Teotihuacan Valley. When Teotihuacan was powerful; it controlled the area - like Rome in Europe. Probably like Rome, there were armies for protection; life was predictable while Teotihuacan held sway. When the central power falls, a vacuum ensues. Society then evolves to fill or adjust to this vacuum - in this and many other cases, society reverted to a simpler way of being. You see this as well after the fall of Rome." I put the chalk down, wiped the dust from my hands and spoke, "Nothing in this world is static - including society. All things change, that is, they evolve. Whether those changes survive is due to its success in adapting to the situation at hand." No one continued to glare at me.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

2007-03-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

Having lived in the Southwest for many years and seeing firsthand the destruction of wild fires, I fully support forest thinning. Nature thins forests naturally through lightning strike induced fires thereby reducing combustible fuels such as over-crowded trees, leaf litter, pine needles, and thick stands of bramble. Without thinning, forest fires burn hotter and devastate all. With thinning, forest fires stay close to the ground and burn at cooler temperatures.

Then there's clear cutting, or to put it bluntly, razing. Flying over Washington state can give anyone a clear picture of what this entails - the literal removal of any and all trees over a vast area, usually on mountain slopes. Clear cutting is akin to unethical fishing techniques that entail dragging the ocean bottom thereby rendering that biome a lifeless moonscape for hundreds of years. Considered a "renewable resource," trees take several decades to grow. Clear cutting exposes the Earth's surface to direct sunlight which increases ground temperature. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that when it's hot outside, the temperature is cooler in the shade. Without root systems and foliage, torrential rains erode nutrient-laden soil - soggy soil moves down slope in the form of mudslides. Finally, trees produce more oxygen than any other plant. Most living creatures on this planet, humans included, breathe oxygen, not carbon. If you think you can handle carbon, you'd be able to breathe your car's exhaust without ensuing medical emergency or your death.

So, just because one can't see the forest for the trees doesn't mean that the forest should be razed.

New Hampshire and the View Tax

2007-02-06T17:23:00.000-05:00

I admit that I don't like taxes. I would rather keep my hard-earned money for myself. However, I must admit, that sometimes taxes are necessary.

Since taxation appears to be the thing to do, especially to the low and middle classes in this country, I am not surprised with things like sales tax, income tax, or even a bed tax. But, what about the so-called "View Tax?" Yes, this is an actual tax brought about by the governing thinktank in New Hampshire. Now, it sort of works like this - if you have a view that is worth seeing, it is to be taxed more than your neighbor's view of something not so interesting. This subjective tax gets more interesting when you throw in the "Potential View" aspect; that is, if you cut down all the trees obstructing the view to something worth looking at, that's okay, the state will tax you extra for this potential view.

What if the tax assessor comes around and thinks EVERYTHING in New Hampshire is absolutely gorgeous; does this mean that one's taxes will go up? What if the next assessor thinks you have a lousy view; will your taxes go down? Seems a bit subjective to me.

To say that many are up in arms would be an understatement. This absurd tax, I'm sure, has something to do with New Hampshire refusing to impose a sales tax. Instead, property owners foot the entire bill...along with renters. Keep raising property taxes and rents, this state will make it impossible to live here. Perhaps, law makers see this as a way of keeping New Hampshire 'green'....no one here....more trees, but then again, if you cut down all the trees, you'll have a wonderful and highly taxable view.

Repeal this idiotic law, New Hampshire!

Nurses, Needles, and Pain

2007-02-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

I, like most people, have had the opportunity to visit a medical facility and be ushered about, poked, and prodded by a nurse. Many of them are actually nice and try not to make the experience worse than it already is. Then there's those who like to "torture" the unlucky souls who have entered their door. Case in point, way back when, in other words, when I was in high school, I needed a tetanus shot. I hate shots. I can't watch them pierce my or anyone else's skin. I waited nervously for the nurse to jab me with the needle, depress the plunger, yank the needle out of my arm and release me to the safety of the great outdoors. But, no. Not this nurse. She grabs my tricep, squeezes it, and says to me, "For some reason, tetanus shots hurt the worst." I turned toward her horrified and tensed. At that moment, she jabbed the needle home. So, yes, in this case, that was one of the most painful injections I have ever had; my arm throbbed for a week.

Well, time has passed, my arm recovered, and I avoid medical facilities with all my might. Recently, a high school friend graduated from nursing school. I can assure everyone that she is a kind soul and would never "torture" anyone on purpose. Her new career field inspired me...along with the evil nurse from so many years before, to design a bumper sticker for nurses...everywhere....

Sustainability and Global Warming

2007-01-27T11:14:00.000-05:00

Most people are aware that our home - Earth - has gone through cyclical changes of cold to warm and back again. Along with these normal changes to our planet, her poles have also shifted and wobbled (archaeologists use these wobbles as a dating tool called archaeomagnetic dating). Since our planet is going to warm and then cool anyway, what's the big fuss? The fuss is the amount of carbon being released into the air - amounts higher than any other time in this planet's history. Most people are aware that humans and many other animals do not breathe carbon dioxide. We need oxygen. Plants breathe carbon dioxide. Why do I bring this up? Well, because the human obsession with capitalism and money has lead to the rapid destruction of the very "machine" which provides us one of the most important resources we need - oxygen. Team this with our desire to operate machinery dependent upon fossil fuels increases the amount of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

My partner and I recently purchased property in New Hampshire with the intention of self-sustainment. Gardens, solar green house, a couple chickens and ducks, solar panels, compost piles, environmentally friendly toilets and water collection equipment - leading toward our goal of sustainability. No, humans can never eliminate carbon emissions - just by breathing we pass off CO2; however, we can become more responsible with our actions - particularly since we are increasingly aware of the consequences. I may not have children of my own, but I feel obligated to leave a healthy planet for yours and for the other sentient beings who reside here.

I have designed a bumper sticker with a simple, yet important message - Support Sustainability. If you like this message, feel free to click the image for more details.

--Namaste

Comcast and American Service

2006-12-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

We have a web site hosted by a very reliable company called Netfirms. We've been with this company for two years now and have had only two issues with them. When we contacted Netfirms with the problems they were resolved quickly and professionally. This is one reason why Netfirms has so many awards for hosting small businesses. I would never hesistate to recommend Netfirms as a web hosting company for this reason. This company knows what service means.

Then there's Comcast - the cable and internet service corporate monster taking over America. I didn't choose Comcast as an internet service provider; I started out with Adelphia. No matter where I lived - New Mexico, Florida, and now New Hampshire - I've had nothing but problems with them as has many friends and acquaintences. Shortly after moving to New Hampshire Comcast took over Adelphia. Surely Comcast works well somewhere in this country! Ummm, no. A friend in Florida has Comcast and she could never get her e-mails to us. Now that we have Comcast, we can't send e-mail to our web site addresses either. What does this mean? If you have Comcast as your internet service provider and you've been e-mailing businesses and haven't received replies from them, but bounce-back messages. Comcast is most likely the culprit.

When it was determined that even I couldn't send e-mail to our web site, I first contacted Netfirms. They checked their system, asked me to get some information from Comcast. I then contacted Comcast, who told me how to get the required information myself. They didn't check their server. Because Comcast sent me incorrect information the first time and a day or two had passed, Netfirms, on their own had double-checked that no blocks for @comcast.net ISPs were on their server. They then checked their server and discovered that Comcast ISP based e-mail got through intermittently. They tested their system.

I have yet to hear from Comcast regarding this issue with the latest round of gobble-de-gook. Will they, once again, give me information that can be found in their Help menu, or will they actually do the job they're paid to do and check their system for problems? I doubt it. Now, that's American Service in full corporate style!

Diplomatic and Human Relations 101, George Bush - F

2006-11-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

The New York Times is delivered to my happy little abode every Sunday. This is a wonderful time for my partner and myself because it is associated with sipping good coffee, perusing the Times and relaxing for a few hours clad in our favorite jammies; it is a day of relaxation and no expectations. A recent article outlined President Bush's tour of Vietnam. Apparently it was at whirlwind speed. The president stopped five minutes here and eighteen minutes there, delivered a lame speech that failed to impress, and continued on his way. But that was okay, remarked his aide who said that President Bush was "in touch" with the Vietnamese people because he "waved to them from his car and they waved back". In touch? Apparently the aide - never mind Bush - has never had a Human Relations class, an anthropology or sociology class, or common sense; "in touch" is meeting, greeting, and getting a feel for the people. I read on, amused by this President's continued display of arrogance; thereby, further solidifying my impression of him as an arrogant, self-centered, imbecile who has no regard for anyone or anything other than what benefits himself - whether it strokes his ego or lines his pocketbook.

Not only did he deliver a speech that failed to impress the locals; a local man made the comment that it sounded just like a comment made by Bush Sr., but apparently Laura Bush also made a visitation faux pas by failing to visit a famous silk shop. This silk shop has pictures of wives of dignitaries and country figureheads - doing what? Buying silk and having outfits made. It's called Diplomatic Relations 101. No show for Laura Bush. Am I surprised? No.

Throughout the article, a comparison was made between the Clinton presidency and the current Bush administration as to how the Vietnam Tour was conducted. Where Bush spent minutes pretending to peruse, Clinton spent hours. And while Laura Bush failed to make an appearance in the silk shop, Hillary bought herself a couple outfits and 10 silk shirts for Bill. The store was so pleased by her visit that they renamed the collar on the shirt the Bill Clinton Collar. I don't think it's much of a "brainer" to guess which president has better human and diplomatic relation skills.

President George Bush's human and diplomatic relation skills grade - F.

Monday Wake Up Call and First Impressions

2006-11-07T15:44:00.000-05:00

Intermittent blasts of the buzzer penetrate my sleepy haze. Is it really time to get up? Fine. With annoying wake-up call silenced, I slip out of bed and into my slippers. All is usual, right? Blinking repeatedly to keep my eyes from staying shut I dodge three wide-awake cats, and a frenetic overzealous dog down the flight of stairs. Yes! Another morning descent without squashed tail or crashing human. With door held wide, the dog races out into the cold, nose searching for clues. I rotate the thermostat to 65. Ahhh, there it is, that oh-so-satisfying clicking noise of the furnace signaling it's start-up. Back to the door, dog races in. Calm down! Calm down! I whisper harshly. Tail wagging like a chaotic wrecking ball, he follows me across the room. Meanwhile the three cats have been waiting...impatiently....in the kitchen, swirling, and meowing in unison. With a sigh, I take down cat bowls and dog dish and fill each with "breakfast". I turn on the stove top in order to heat my coffee water and scan cupboard for breakfast items...for myself and my partner. Oh look, a cat has finished and he isn't satisfied. I give him some crunchies...round two after his "appetizer" of squishy, and resume my scan. The kettle, whistling insistently, tells me my water is ready. With water poured into the press, I take down the box of Cream of Rice and begin preparations. After pouring milk into a pan, I place blueberries in a container and place it in the oven...blueberries on top, yum! Now what? A door is rattling fiercely and meowing squalls emit from the bathroom. Aaagghhh! Why can't she eat like a normal cat? She's the fattest of the lot and thinks she's starving; hence, she must eat in a separate room. Since the other two cats are finished eating, I let her out...after removing all scraps from the kitchen. Turn around and, CRAP! The milk has foamed to the top of the pan. Can I remove it from the burner in time? No. Milky fingers now expand across the stove top...except where the hot burner is...that milk is now cooked to a crisp. Kitchen smells...well...disgusting. In the middle of cursing to the stove and wiping up spilled milk, the phone rings. Now what? Why does Milford High School think I have an appointment with them today? Huh? Oh shit! It's not Milford; it's Wilton and they've rescheduled my job interview to 10:00! You know what they say about first impressions.

I got the job.

Being Patriotic

2006-10-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

November 7 - the day of political climax, that is, if faulty voting machines or procedures aren't involved (perhaps we should disqualify the results from Florida and Ohio right now)- is when liberals and conservatives will watch voting tallies and either sigh in relief or groan in despair. The boxing gloves of voting citizens will come out of the closet all in the name of democracy!

Okay, I'm being a bit over-zealous; this is the United States where citizens don't realize that part of their social obligation is to research (this doesn't mean just finding out party affiliation...this means researching political history) candidates and cast a vote. Of course, those citizens old enough to vote and have no clue what the Bill of Rights are, frankly, shouldn't vote. It's like handing a drunk car keys.

Be a patriot - read the Bill of Rights, and vote to protect them.

Cycles

2006-07-31T11:58:00.000-05:00

Brilliant sun beating, burning rock-hard clay
Cracking, drying, splitting Earthly skin
Life-giving rain falls not in this place
Water drops, full and round, plummet with hellish force
On landscape satiated beyond need
Rivers of mud descend, a roaring ferocity
Camoflauging all that was in permanent embrace
Icy landmass fades beneath fiery eye
Frigid fingers disintegrate in ocean waves
Veins of heat penetrate
Conquering watery womb
Storms, hunger, float on high
Furious twisting clouds of fury
feeding lust with rising heat
Insatiable in need
Focussed eye, unblinking, a killer's stare
Bears down on Coastal State
Ripping, tearing, smashing, crushing, uproofing
dispersing
Earthly turmoil boils
Molten fire churns in gassy spasms
Pressure building, pressing, seeking
release
Fissure of weakness, fiery escape
Explosive outburst
Liquid fire, melting, consuming, burning
A Mother ravaged by toxic cancer
Spreading, devouring, destroying
She is dying
Painfully dying

The First Amendment, Dixie Chicks, Conservatives, and Liberals

2006-07-22T15:27:00.000-05:00

While searching through scores of blogs, it amazed me at the rhetoric I encountered; that is, the viciousness of it. Over and over again, it was basically this: think as I do or you are unpatriotic. But wait! Surely those spewing forth such clipped and often downright abusive speech aren't from the United States. I'm positive no red-blooded American familiar with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would NEVER infringe on the rights of another American...right? No. Sad, but true, most Americans haven't the foggiest idea what the Bill of Rights contain, including the First Amendment which basically states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the eople peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The Bill of Rights became effective in 1791. I am a liberal; I am an environmentalist; yet, I do NOT deny the freedom of expression of those I most disagree with - the ultra-conservatives. Why? Because, it is our Constitutional right to express ourselves in this country. By denying that right to anyone, you have opened Pandora's Box of possibilities - that is - the removal of our rights and freedoms....our government is doing it, one right at a time. Why must we, ourselves, take them away as well? Instead of denying our freedom of speech, perhaps the narrow-minded individuals from both sides of the spectrum should sit down and have a decent conversation.

Planet Shortbread Tracks A Buttery Trail

2006-07-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

Shortbread – the buttery treat associated with Scotland comes to mind for most cyber-surfers, not a place of commentary and observation. I have noticed that I have caused several shortbread devotees to land – in error – here. As a token of apology, I offer the following information for you; after all, I am also a lover of shortbread….

Shortbread is a biscuit-like cookie that has a sweet buttery taste and crumbly texture. The name, shortbread comes from the shortening (butter) used as a principal ingredient. Though this treat is typically associated with Scotland, it can also be found in Denmark. This is probably because shortbread, in Scotland, dates back to Medieval times, which coincidentally, is when the Norse decided on a “long-term” visit of the British Isles. Originally, in Scotland, shortbread was baked in a large round and then cut into triangles prior to serving. This may be related to Scandinavian New Year sun cakes which were baked with a hole in the center and had lines radiating out – triangular shaped – from the center. These radiating lines represented the sun.

The traditional recipe is: one part sugar, two parts shortening (butter) and three parts flour (originally fine oatmeal – but now wheat flour).

So, the next time you open your tin of shortbread, grab a “finger”, and poise it over your tea, give a toast to the sun – since you are honoring her return after a long winter’s nap.

The above information was obtained from Wikipedia and Australian Consumer’s Association – CHOICE.

-cheers

Coyotes and Feral Cats

2006-07-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

My head shakes from side to side as I read a short letter to the editor stating that Leon County should capture two coyotes from neighboring counties and release them here. Why? Because Leon County, like most counties in this country, has a feral cat problem. The author of this article exemplifies his dislike of cats when he states that "...coyotes kill their prey instead of playing with it like cats do." He goes on to say that coyotes would "cure" this ecological problem. Perhaps, it actually isn't the cat's problem. Perhaps, owners should spay, neuter, and take care of their pets.

This author's take on the cat issue reminds me of another Floridian who wanted an alligator cut open to see if that particular one ate his dog. Perhaps the alligator was being an alligator and he was hungry. Perhaps the owner, knowing that alligators reside in Florida's waterways, should have kept an eye on his dog.

Population explosions and ecological impacts. These issues, as usual, are never placed in the proper court of blame - people. Because of our exploding numbers, we have "stolen" and degraded millions of acres of natural habitat - bulldozing the home to plants and animals, not to mention watersheds and "natural" septic systems like marshes. We spew our sewage into the ocean, spray toxic chemicals on our fields with the resulting run-off contaminating aquifers and streams, build dams that prevent sediment from streams to naturally build our beaches, construct homes on the waterfront, we fill in marshes, drain swamps, and topple rain forests, we spew millions of pounds of toxins into the air, we kill any animal we deem "unworthy".

Humans are the greatest destroyers of this planet. We are selfish, spoiled, creatures who not only seek to destroy each other, but our home - Earth - as well. We, as a species, appear to be incapable of seeing or realizing that our actions leave a string of reactions - to each other and to our environment. But since this world isn't governed by brains or hearts, but by corporate cash and fear, we can call our actions - Progress.

Politics as a Keyword

2006-05-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

There are times when I scratch my temple with the high hopes of tickling the grey matter beneath - willing my mental core to release something, well, fantastic. Since it is Memorial Day weekend, and apparently, my brain has taken a siesta, I decided to improvise. I went to www.buildtraffic.com and played with their "free tools" - specifically - I played with keywords. Apparently, meta tags are out and keywords are in. I decided to type in "politics" to see what the 10 top searches were. They are: real clear politics (hmmm), religion and politics, office politics, news politics, woman in politics (yup, there must be one and only one!), government politics, american politics, texas politics, california politics, and international politics. As you can see, some of these little gems appear to make sense - even grammatically - then there's others. Now, here's the challenge - can you write something using all of these keywords and phrases? Okay - we'll give it a try: If you thought California politics were corrupt, think again! Texas politics top the corruption list with many conservative politicians - currently in office and recently resigned - clogging Capital Hill with their ten-gallon hats emblazoned with lone stars and the words, Real Clear Politics! American politics in general, as well as G. W. Bush's blunders with international politics has caused quite a stir of frustration from liberal-minded voter-card carrying citizens and foreigners alike! There's nothing like government politics interfering with company policy regarding corporate office politics and pension denial. It has been voiced by conservatives and liberals alike that news politics, whatever that means, is the surest path for a woman in politics, yes, count it folks, one woman in politics to make it to the position of Vice President of the United States by the year 2984, a full 800 years after every other country around the world and on every other planet in the solar system has had at least thirty women presidents - each. Perhaps this lack of female ability in the realm of politics has something to do with the patriarchal fist that rigidly controls the general population within the United States through a combination of religion and politics, and let's not forget, laws which apply to the masses but not to the male members of the governing body - it is said that they have Constitutional rights and are beyond the reach of criminal investigations. If you are not a bona fide member of the masculine majority on Capital Hill, that gold-mine of government politics, or that One woman in politics who will eventually become Vice President of the United States, you will be held accountable for everything you say or do and will be punished to the fullest extent of the law or imprisoned indefinitely at a Black Site or Guatanamo Bay for endless hours of tortuous activities with your very own personal CIA or military interrogator.

Social Complexity, Human Nature, and Religion

2006-05-25T06:55:00.000-05:00

There are times when I sit back and look at civilization through time. Occasionally, I become fixated on certain variables. Take, for example, religion. There was a time when religion, as we know it, didn't exist. Instead, "religion" wasn't that at all, it was a way of life - a philosophical way of being. One wasn't separate from nature - you were a part of it - part of the Earth and her cycles. This spiritual way of life wasn't a tool that others used for control; it was a personal path to follow.

As civilizations "advanced" and moved away from a hunter-gather subsistence lifestyle and began to embrace agriculture, and later, industry and corporations, the spiritual philosophical way of being - on a personal level disappeared and was replaced by group worship. With this step, naturally, a leader of these activities would be needed - a priest. It doesn't take one long to realize that over time, the spiritual way of living one's life - a beautiful practice held in harmony with all living things - transforms into a corrupted way of population control. It doesn't take a college professor to see that people have been stoned, burned, drowned, stretched, and flayed for not agreeing with religious authorities. If one isn't able to question religious authority, then religion is used for subjugation of the masses - so that the population lives and does the authorities bidding. How else were large cathedrals, pyramid-shaped tombs, and empires built?

When one is in total control of others, that governing official or officials tend to abuse their power in the form of deceit, corruption, and abuse of the general population. Tithing, paying taxes to the lord or king, being placed in jail - or killed - for simply disagreeing, or being treated less "royally" than those with power - examples of authoritarian abuse dot the historical landscape from Inquisitions to hangings. Come now, why don't members of the American governing body receive social security like their constituents? Why do they receive their regular pay plus cost of living advances once they're out of office? What about the taxes, or lack thereof, that they pay? All the while, American constituents are barely able to make ends meet or even to afford health care. I won't even mention, that a decent education isn't available to poverty-stricken areas. To govern, whether it be under religious or political pretense, is power, and with power comes corruption and the feeling that one is "above" it all, untouchable, and owed something for their services.

So, what about the church? Organized religion, like the American governmental machine on Capital Hill, is run by ordinary human beings who have ordinary human drives. Being human, these leaders are not perfect, but must make decisions on a regular basis. Many of these decisions affect them personally, and like any living creature, hurting oneself is not high on the priority list; therefore, most are corruptible. Whether they are demanding money for their coffers, stating that homosexuality is wrong, birth control is a sin, or molesting children, they are demanding the blind acquiescence of the masses. They are "vessels" or representatives of or for their deities. These mortal, humans often have the power to condemn and to forgive. How many Hail Mary's will it be today?

This corruption and condemnation of the personal path to spiritual fulfillment feeds into basic human nature. Like other animals that reside in groups - no matter the size - a leader emerges and others follow. Nothing has ever been truly egalitarian for humans or other primates simply because it isn't in our nature. It is the degree of cooperation that is the key. A cooperation of roles where each person functions as part of the whole and where no job, whether leader or follower, is seen or viewed as being less important than any other job. All segments of society are viewed as vital for the overall survival of the group. Bees and ants live harmoniously with each other each and every day. Without workers, drones, queens, and attendants - there is no colony. Each job is as important as any other; they are equal.

There will always be leaders and there will always be followers. It is the degree of accountability and overall control of the population for continued leadership that changes with increased social complexity. In less "complex" societies, bad leaders - leaders who abuse their power - are removed - at times by brutal force when the masses band together. In other words, the sheep stop following blindly - instead they band together and become wolves.

Anthropology Reminiscence

2006-05-24T06:41:00.000-05:00

Often when I'm teaching my students, they attempt to derail me and get me to talk about something other than the subject at hand. These devious souls, I say that with a smile - I afterall, did the same thing at their age - know they stand the highest degree of success by bringing up anything related to anthropology - a subject that I am very passionate about. I have to admit, the 12 years tromping about the Southwestern deserts and pouring through anthropological journals have provided me with a wealth of interesting, and often, thought-provoking material to share with my students; information that adds the "humanness" to any subject. Yesterday, it was ergot - a fungus that has tainted rye on an occasional basis since rye was domesticated; this little fungus is also the main ingredient in LSD. My class - drug awareness, education, and prevention - what did we discuss? How this little fungus has played major roles in the shaping of history (we specifically discussed witch hunts, a "nifty" Christian document called the "Witches Hammer", and the desire of the Christian church to convert those they deemed "heathens").....Yes, we discussed how ergot poisoning can cause the body to convulse, the hallucinations that can occur - often creating nightmare visions, the sensations of things within the skin, diaries from individuals describing people going through ergot poisoning, and that the developing brain of children are much more susceptible to drugs than that of an adults.....Did we hit a human side to ergot as well? Yes. I smile, as usual. Anthropology can, and does, touch upon the human phenomenon of any subject. When my students become very quiet and I see a classroom full of attentive faces aimed straight at me, I know I'm intriguing them. I'm educating them. I've hit a cord.

Anthropology is the most social of the social sciences; it is, literally, the study of people - or as I think of it - the study of the human phenomenon. It is the study of what makes people - human. Every aspect of the human animal - from our genetics and evolution, cultural changes through time, religion, social interaction, the rise and fall of civilizations, and language, to name a few - are studied by individuals in this profession. For an anthropologist, human variation - whether genetic or a cultural construct - is absolutely beautiful. I think of it as the tapestry of humanity and if you sit back, remove your personal cultural constructs for a moment, you would see exactly how beautiful this tapestry is. It is a discipline that continually strives to add the "human" element - those hopes, dreams, thoughts, feelings - to other subjects. History should never be a boring ramble of facts, dates, and numbers. Instead, it should reflect the people who created the history in the first place. History should include laughter, tears, celebrations, hopes and dreams, wars, and disease. Things of yesterday, in other words, isn't as different from today as we think; many history teachers just portray it as a boring segment of sterile facts devoid of the human element, the spark that makes history what it actually is. We also forget that who we are today is based upon who we were yesterday....

Need an Enlargement - Pump It Up!

2006-05-23T06:48:00.000-05:00

At times I wonder at the amount and type of spam that clogs my e-mail - things like getting paid to take surveys, prizes I've supposedly won, invoice #1234, and yes, the penis enlargement. I've always found this unwanted mail aggravating as I whisk it away with a press of the delete key. But, penis enlargement? Since when did I acquire one? I would think that by now I would have noticed that I had one...even if it were teeny weenie. Perhaps it's so small it's an inny? Hmmm...perhaps they are advertising dildos or phallic socks...should I go to the local "toy store" and acquire one and "pump" it up to full extension?

You'd think these mindless e-mailers would target, at the very least, men. Or, do they not have the "balls" to face their audience? Perhaps they should invest in some large, globular, firm to the touch, prosthetic testicles. Or, since they lack "balls" in the first place, perhaps they should acquire a pair of ovaries.

The U.S. Senate and the Gay Marriage Ban

2006-05-18T14:28:00.000-05:00

I shake my head in disgust as I read the article. The U.S. Senate has voted 10-8 to place the Gay Marriage Ban Constitutional amendment before the Senate for a debate. It disgusts me that this country, the place where I reside, is still petty enough to judge others by traits other than human compassion. Slavery was okayed for decades because it was mentioned in the Bible. Placing Asian Americans - mostly Japanese - in concentration camps during WWII was justified because...well...they were probably plotting something "evil" against us. I won't mention that women weren't allowed to vote until the 1920s, or that blacks were denied a decent education and the pleasure of sitting whereever they wanted to in a bus. As I shake my head from the bigotry that still thrives in our government and amongst the masses, I angrily think back to the horrible treatment this country has administered to Native Americans - from massaquering them, giving them small-pox infected blankets, denying their freedom to practice their religious beliefs, to gather in celebration, or even to speak their native languages. I'm sure it was for their "own good". Now this. When will people learn that the ability to genuinely care about another person has absolutely nothing to do with race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation - it depends upon that person's basic core character.

I would propose to our government officials - that if a constitutional ban on gay marriage is considered, perhaps you should try banning all marriage ceremonies - they are after all, sanctioned by God, and there is a stipulation that states that there will be a separation of Church and State. To deny the beliefs of one is not abiding by the separation of church and state - an important little saying which allows all individuals who reside within this country to be able to freely practice their religious beliefs. For some religions, the marriage between same-sex partners is allowed. To ban this partnership through Constitutional means is allowing our government to once again - be hypocritical.

If I am not allowed to persue happiness, speak freely, gather in public places, or enjoy the freedom of my religious beliefs when the constitution of my country "says" that I am able to, then our Constitution is simply a false document that should be burned. Our governing officials disgrace this document on a daily basis - they lie, cheat, mislead the people, spy domestically, remove peaceful demonstrators, and start wars to bolster their personal egos. I'm sick of it. I'd rather pay my taxes to a government who sees me as a worthwhile human being, not as a blasphemous freak of nature.

Tis Thyme for Herbs

2006-05-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

May is here and as the ol' saying goes, May flowers should be bursting forth! Of course, here in Northern Florida, flowering plants - including those providing massive amounts of pollen that drive my sinuses nuts - bloom year round.

When most of us visualize flowers, we fail to envision the beautiful blossoms bestowed by herbs - the pinkish-purple tops of echinacea, the lavender of...lavender, pinks, whites, yellows - WOW! Lightly pass the leaves of herbs between your fingers then sniff...amazing. These wonderful plants enchant the senses and contribute to everyday health. Even if one thinks that using herbs for health benefits is "bogus", the doubter would have to concede that dishes bounding with an influx of herbs is more flavorful. Can you imagine Italian food without oregano or basil? Or, Mexican food without cilantro? Unless you live in an area where spices solely consist of salt and pepper...food without herbs in the family kitchen...is bland.

So, what if you're interested in herbs that are commonly used for cooking and aren't sure how to grow, store, and/or use them? What if you want to learn more about these culinary delights from an organic point of view? For a book, try Herbal Rhythms: Deciphering Herbal Codes by Jane Lytle. This book discusses fourteen herbs. These herbs are some of those most commonly purchased and used by the average gardener/cook in this country. The historical, medicinal and culinary attributes, optimal growth conditions, harvesting, recipes, and projects for children and adults alike are provided for each herb discussed. Included in each chapter are various different hints and suggestions regarding cultivation, storage, and utilization that pertain not only to the herb being discussed, but to all herbs.
The fourteen herbs discussed are: Basil, Coriander/Cilantro, Dill, Ginger, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Licorice, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon, and Thyme.

For other general herb information: Let your eyes wander to the left and follow the Le Noire Chat Herbal link (or click here).

Happy Growing!

Imagine

2006-04-28T06:45:00.000-05:00

Imagine a world where your backyard - your home is destroyed by others - buried beneath a sea of concrete and new homes - unlike yours. Imagine being imprisoned because you think and live in a manner different than others. Imagine being forced to fight - where the loser dies - for entertainment. Imagine being dragged behind a vehicle, having body parts cut off, or hung. Imagine being hunted down and shot for the sole reason of existing in the first place. Imagine being part of an experiment - one where you had no choice but to participate. Imagine being given a deadly virus so that others could watch you die. Imagine.

These cruelties are played out each and everyday. When we commit these atrocities to each other, humanity weeps. When we commit these acts on animals, it is called progress. We are the most destructive animal this planet has ever seen, and like a virus we overtake and destroy the body in which we reside.

Highlight to Illuminate

2006-04-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing what highlighting text can do? Nifty little trick. I like to think of it as being similar to a car using its headlights when it's dusk out....or foggy....or when there's poor visibility in general. A beam of light - announcing your presence to other vehicles and illuminating the road before you. It always seemed like a good idea to use headlights when visibility was limited. But then again, that's common sense, and as we all know, common sense is a rare commodity.

Sometimes I wonder if the lack of common sense in relation to driving has anything to do with the color of the vehicle driven. At least in my current neck of the woods, it appears that there is a correlation. Not only will you come across vehicles driving in poorly lit conditions without headlights, you will also find that these very same vehicles occur in colors such as black, dark blue, gray, and brown. Are the owners of these poorly illuminated vehicles burglars in their spare time and are used to creeping around without light? Perhaps. But then again, perhaps not. Like black text appearing on a black background, they blend in with their surroundings. Trying to figure out how to read what I've written here is a mere inconvenience, having a head-on collision is deadly.

Incapable of Self Thought, Buy a Robot

2006-04-24T06:42:00.000-05:00

"Family Locator" cell phones. These handy little devices can be given to your children and with a click of the button you can monitor their every movement. Advocates say it's a more dangerous world out there and these handy devices will help keep kids safe; they may help keep kids off drugs because parents will know where their kids go. Is today's world actually more dangerous than before? I don't think so. There has always been rapists, serial killers, child molesters, kidnappers, hate crimes, and those who vie to destroy the world. As for drugs, they've always been part of the human experience. If it isn't meth, it's cocaine, heroine, or opium. There will always be something we, as people, shouldn't delve into. So, I ask, what are we teaching our children? We are teaching them that they are irresponsible, untrustworthy, and incapable of thinking for themselves - incapable of making decisions. When the time comes in the near future, when these children - raised through the eyes and will of Big Brother - enter the world of adults - unable to make decisions on their own - fail to question the removal of yet more Constitutional rights, refuse to stand up and tell their leaders that domestic eavesdropping is illegal, stand back and allow, yet another American to be held in jail without legal representation, and lack the ability to question the motives of foreign policy - don't be surprised. After all, this was how they were conditioned to respond - with complacency.

Children today, like children of yesterday, need to explore their surroundings and test their parameters. It is true, that yes, they like children of the past, may fall and get hurt. However, it is the occasional bump and bruise along the way that opens their eyes to the realities around them. If you want an unthinking child, perhaps you should invest in a robot.

Earth Day

2006-04-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

Today, April 22, is Earth day. This is the day that we bulldoze mountains, extracting lumps of coal, allow oil to pool upon the ground below the metronome-like bobbing of oil wells, spew thousands upon thousands of pounds of carbon monoxide into the air, and dump toxic materials into the water! Wait, I have this backwards. That's what we do EVERYDAY! For this one day, stop and look around. Observe the blue of the sky, the feel of rain upon your face, take wonder in a rainbow, the song of a bird, the wisp of the breeze, the texture of grass, the roughness of bark, smell the earthiness of soil, be amazed at the flight of the dragonfly, see the joy in a young child's eyes, smell the sweetness of a flower, feel the soothing touch of sand between your toes, dip your hand into the river, and watch the fish swim by. This is Earth day - She gives us beautiful gifts each and every day; the least we can do is appreciate them.

The Preventable Death and the Law

2006-04-20T06:45:00.000-05:00

Nestled in northern Arizona surrounded by mountains and pine trees, is the sleepy little town of Flagstaff, Arizona - population 50,000, where in June 2000, a 17-year old boy shot and killed a police officer - the first officer killed in the line of duty. Why am I mentioning this? Because this young man was diagnosed by both the prosecution and defense as being a paranoid schizophrenic. His behavior had begun deteriorating a year before - he began drinking only bottled water because he thought the city water had lead in it; he thought both his parents and the citizens of Flagstaff were aliens; he stopped playing sports - dropping the dreams he had of becoming a professional athlete. He remarked that the only way to stop the aliens was with bullets. His mother had him tested for drugs - negative. Later, he got arrested for drinking and drug possession. His parents tried to commit him - so he could get help. However, the state declared that he was not a threat to himself or to others. Committing him was denied. June 21, 2000, this young man stole his brother's truck and drove around a neighborhood in the middle of the night with the stereo blasting. Understandably, the police were called. Shots rang out, an officer fell. An officer that believed in community service - he chopped firewood for people who were unable to do it. He did it because he wanted to.

At the trial, the judge admitted that this young man is delusional, yet in the same breath declared that he was sane during the act of murder. He is now charged with first degree murder and will go to prison for life.

Unfortunately, there are no winners here. The family of the teenager wanted to get help for their son. They were wondering what was wrong. The family of the officer, a father to one, is grieving. The community lost a valued member. This could have been prevented if only a young man had been committed and received the help he required. Now, two lives are lost.

Gas and the American Bloat

2006-04-16T14:28:00.000-05:00

Imagine: gas prices over $4.00 a gallon. Four dollars. Wow. Just two years ago, upon my arrival in the Southeast, gas was a "mere" $1.45. Two dollars a gallon was an eyebrow archer. Summer projections of more than $3.00 a gallon, hurricane season around the corner, a radical leader in Iran, Chinese progress, ethanol additives, a never-ending war in Iraq, and let's not forget, the American need for speed, convenience, and super-sized vehicles, yep, $4.00 is around the immediate bend.

Four dollars a gallon. Now, if you have a large SUV that you fill once a week, with let's say, 15 gallons of gas, that will run you $60 every week, $240 every four weeks, $3,120 a year. That is, if the price stays at the new low price of $4.00 a gallon and your driving habits don't change. We won't even discuss car insurance, registration, inspections, emissions, and maintenance. Between the cost of fuel and required accoutrements, one could take out a small loan just to operate these vehicles.

I began to wonder - how many Americans have actually thought about how much they will be spending on fuel, and what they're doing to reduce fuel costs. I admit that I've seen more hybrid vehicles on the road; however, I also know that these vehicles are out of the price range for many Americans - myself included. So, what can we, here in the US, do to reduce fuel consumption? I for one have slowed down and turned off the A/C (a difficult thing to do in Florida). I don't stomp on the gas when lights turn green. I maintain a constant speed and I regularly maintain my car. My little Kia went from around 25 mpg to 31-32 mpg. What do I see around me? I'm passed by motorists driving way over the speed limit - including school zones, wild weaving in and out of traffic, and jackrabbit starts at lights. Perhaps these individuals don't care about the cost of fuel, the ever-dwindling supply of fossil fuels, the increasing toxification of our environment, or the lives devastated by wars fought for the control of energy resources. I ask myself, "Why don't they care and do something about it?" Have they forgotten the gas lines of the 70s? Were they even born yet? Why the complacency? Then a thought strikes me: many people in the 70s paid with cash, not credit. They were in-touch with the amount of cash they had. These people put money aside for gas money, for trips, for the new television set. People, today, particularly individuals from my generation - X, and generation Y, are governed by plastic - the facade of economic success - branded with the names Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. The true impact of gas prices doesn't seem to cause a ripple in the thought processes of individuals today. Is it because we can always pay for it with plastic? And, then when the statement arrives, we don't need to pay the entire balance. Why should we? The minimum amount will do. There is always tomorrow in our little private plastic utopian towns. All that matters is our external image. I have a big screen TV. I have a big SUV. I have a killer stereo. I am better than you. See how "successful" I am.

Herbal Rhythms: Deciphering Herbal Codes

2006-04-15T06:12:00.000-05:00

Herbal Rhythms: Deciphering Herbal Codes, 198 pgs, published March 2006. By Jane Lytle and illustrated by Dawn Frost (me!). Our book is now available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and Publish America. A blurb from the back cover: This book discusses fourteen herbs. These fourteen herbs are some of those most commonly purchased and used by the average gardener/cook in this country. I've attempted to provide a wel-rounded picture of each from its place in history, medicinal and culinary attributes, optimal growth conditions, harvesting, recipes, and projects for children and adults alike. Included in each chapter are various different hints and suggestions regarding cultivation, storage, and utilization that pertain not only to the herb being discussed, but to all herbs.

The 30 Inch Inseam

2006-04-10T06:37:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went shopping with a friend at the local mall. For what? Jeans. Due to expanding age and waistlines, it was time for a new pair...or two...of jeans. This should be easy. We wandered into Sears, headed toward the men's department, and scanned the wooden bins for the dimensions: W30, L30. Ahh! There it is...all the bins on the TOP shelf. I take a step back...in order to scan with my craned neck. I glance over at my shopping partner, who is also craning to see. Reaching up, once on my toes, I find a possible pair and hand them over. It finally occurs to me: Why is the shortest inseam on the top shelf while the longest inseam is on the bottom? Who came up with this brilliant idea? Anyone with half a brain would see the insanity of this situation. Are shorter individuals less trust-worthy than taller ones? And, if the store places pants short people might want to purchase on the top shelf, the short individual would be forced to ask for assistance - where they can be monitored closely for improper behavior? Or, does the individual responsible for this design flaw have a personal vendetta against short people and relishes the thought of having them stretch for their pants? Perhaps, store design gurus think short people aren't striving for lofty enough goals? With a sigh, we find a coulple pairs and head to the women's department...where once again, the smaller sizes are up high.

Boy Scouts and FEMA

2006-04-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

It is simple and to the point, "Be prepared." You'd think this motto belonged to FEMA. It doen't; it belongs to the Boy Scouts. FEMA has a similar motto, "A nation prepared." Perhaps they should learn from the Boy Scouts, or at least Websters, what prepared actually means. It means that one has the equipment, personnel, and plan in place before an emergency situation arises. A Hurricane Named Katrina made it pointedly clear that FEMA, local officials, and the White House failed not only to prepare but also to lead; they failed to act.

Okay, I'm clearly being unfair. Chertoff, Brown, and other high-ranking government officials weren't informed about the motto and didn't know it existed. If it didn't exist, then they didn't have to understand it, let alone, live up to it - they don't need to be responsible; it is obviously the Secretary of Mottos fault for not informing them of their Motto duty. Or, did they mix up the FEMA motto with that of the Sixth US Army, "Born for war?" After all, our leadership appears to think more highly of Middle Eastern matters than those we face here at home. Until our leadership realizes that we face catastrophes, poverty, lack of health care, and poor education here at home, please, Mr. President, put the Boy Scouts in charge of FEMA. As a resident of Florida, it would make me rest a little easier knowing that those in charge would actually "Be Prepared."

School Zones

2006-04-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

I am baffled by the state of Florida and it's description and use of school zones. I was mistakenly under the impression that 20 mph is the speed limit around a school during certain periods of the day. Seems to make sense. Well, not here. Private schools apparently don't count as schools or are viewed as "less" than worthy of school zone signs and speed limits. Consequently, cars regularly roar by doing 50 mph or more - at the school I work for.

Thanks to the constant hounding of a lobbyist, whose grandson attends our school, we now have the city's attempt of school zone signage - we have inherited a winky-blinky light. I've noticed that the two blinking lights were removed from the public school down the road; they had four blinky lights. Two not only informed traffic of an upcoming school, but also warned them to slow down to 30 mph. After these two introductory warning devices, another set of blinking lights warned drivers to slow down to 20 mph. Our school is now the proud possessor of two winky-blinky lights telling drivers to slow down to 30 mph. Are you confused? I am. I guess 30 mph is better than 50 mph, but what about 20 mph like other schools? Are our kids less special or less "kid-like" than other kids? The kids at our school are dyslexic; they require specialized teaching techniques that aren't offered in the public school system.

Irregardless of which school a child attends, they are still children. They are all worthy of extra caution and awareness from drivers.

Irish Celebration

2006-03-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

Once again, Saint Patrick's Day is here. A wonderful day where we, here in the U.S. can wear green, pretend to be 100% Irish citizens, wave shamrocks, and toast, and toast several more times, the little leprechaun we all seek to find...as well as his pot of gold. I am very proud of that very diluted speck of DNA related to my Irish heritage. I enjoy this festive day, not to celebrate my limited amount of Irishness, but to celebrate life itself - as the Irish do.

Who owns Historical Events?

2006-03-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

My eyes scan the article about the latest happenings regarding author, Dan Brown, and the fate of The Da Vinci Code. I, frankly, think the charges are absurd. Yes, an historical framework for Dan Brown's work is similar to, and I'm sure, influenced by, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. That book, after all, is categorized as nonfiction, which means that it is a book of facts; in this case historical facts. Fiction, particularly, historical fiction, gains depth if it quotes or emulates historical facts.

I'm also sure that Dan Brown isn't the first author to take a great historical legend, myth, or sequence of events and write a fictional story based on them. If he was the first, then we would be without stories and movies about King Arthur, William Wallace, the Munich tragedy, the Romans, Vietnam and World War II, or even the McCarthy era in the 50s. All of these stories are based on facts. None of the authors of the most current version of these stories have been dragged into a courtroom accused of "stealing" the framework of a nonfiction book. Stories about McCarthy, Watergate, and Munich are based on historical facts which are owned by no one except humanity.

Perhaps Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh (Henry Lincoln is not involved in this case interestingly enough) are desperate for money and are using Dan Brown as their own publicist for their book. It is apparently working, sales for The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail has risen since this whole fiasco has come about. Hopefully, they will reimburse the British taxpayers paying for their new-found fame.

Until then, all facts associated with or influenced by me, Planet Shortbread, cannot be used without the written consent of the historical character, which in this case, is me, Planet Shortbread. Any attempt to reproduce historical events associated with or influenced by me, Planet Shortbread, will be considered plagiarism and will be punished to the highest extent in a British court of law.

2006-03-07T11:26:00.000-05:00

The package said, "Pure Turkey". I couldn't help but smile as I closely examined the 16 oz package of ground turkey. A treat given to my cats and dog every morning as part of the breakfast routine. Pure Turkey. This little advertising tidbit begs the question, what is Impure Turkey. I should find out so I am a more informed consumer. What type of impurities are added to Impure Turkey? Would that include hormones and food a turkey isn't likely to eat naturally? Or, does that include artificial colors, preservatives, and dyes? Does Pure Turkey mean that none of the bones, beak, and gristle were ground up, or, is that considered Pure Turkey since, technically, these parts were actually part of the living bird? I am so confused. Just when I thought I finally got a handle on All Natural products with their naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and extracts. Cyanide is also All Natural, however, I think cyanide is one to avoid. Advertisers can be so misleading! Perhaps they should run for office.

The Cycle of Mail

2006-01-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

I sigh before reaching for the mailbox door. What will be there today? Will I receive my assignment from my writing instructor? Will there be a surprise? No. It contains an envelope from an organization called Orchard Bank. I frown at this offending piece of advertisement. How many of these will they send before they figure out that, no, I don't want their card? I used to send their forms along with all of their ads for free, or low-cost items for sale, and the original envelope - plastic window glistening - in their reply envelope along with this message: I don't want your card. Please throw away your own trash. Apparently the computer who opens the mail can't read or there isn't a choice on the computer screen for "Not interested." I shake my head at this irritating monthly cycle as I go through my tossing routine: open envelope, take out application with my name, place application on burn/shred pile, place remaining materials in recycle bin. Return to pile of mail. I pause, how much time do I waste yearly on repetitive advertisements? I probably shouldn't care; however, my partner's father passed away last June - seven months ago. She has contacted, re-contacted, and contacted again the phone company, the cable company, the company in charge of his pension, etcetera. She has informed them several times, including via mail with documentation, of his death. She has informed them repeatedly of the new address that future correspondence needs to go to. What did she receive Friday, a registered letter addressed to her father. It was originally sent to his address. How should a dead man reply? "Sorry, in my state I'm unable to call or write. Please contact via psychic powers." Not to mention, the callousness of these companies who can't get their acts together.

Sifting through the monthly ads and tossing them in my own little way has become a sign of what this nation has become - impassive, impersonal, out-sourced, computer-reliant, and proud of doing a piss-poor job. Perhaps my partner should have contacted India directly when handling these matters.

Four-Wheeled Weapons

2006-01-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

Tis Thursday morning and I have survived another journey via car to work. I am acutely aware that the morning commute can be dangerous no matter where you live, and I've lived and worked for months on end in many regions, but then there's the commute in Tallahassee. Every morning I drive 10 miles to work via a 2-lane road; it is the only route into town. It is the twilight hours of morning. This road is heavily wooded on both sides, deer are prevalent, as well as other animals, and branches from overhanging trees can often be found on the road. The speed limit is 45 mph. I drive 50 mph. I drive this speed for three reasons, it allows me to react more quickly to dangerous situations, it is within the legal speed limit, and to conserve fuel - I don't wish to pump my paycheck into my gas tank. Every morning, one or two cars fly by and speed on their way. I don't mind this so much when it is safe to pass. This morning, however, one car passed...directly into on-coming traffic. The second passed two cars while going up a hill, passing the second car at the crest...a no-passing zone.

I am not innocent either. When I was younger, I did what many young people do, drive too fast, weave in and out of traffic, punch the gas at a green light, and take chances. Even so, I still didn't pass going up hills. That's the height of idiocy.

I no longer scream, curse, honk, and flip off dangerous drivers who had given me an adrenaline rush .... as they put everyone's life at risk. Instead, I hope they learn that they're behind the wheel of a very large weapon before anyone gets hurt . . . just as I did. Until they get the message, they deserve a ticket.

It's a Red Flag Day

2006-01-18T07:32:00.000-05:00

My partner regularly scans the NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) website to see where storms are. This has become a necessity since the power goes out on a regular basis in our area which means one's computer shuts down. . .improperly. She now scans the site, sees where the line of storms is located, and continues working until the storms encroach our area, after which, the computers are shut down...properly. The other day, she was perusing the NOAA website, noting where the latest storm line was in relation to our house, when she noticed that our area was colored red. What does that mean? It wasn't a tornado warning box, so what was this? She looked it up. It was a Red Flag warning. Red Flag warning??? It warned us, in northern Florida, that our humidity would drop below 35 percent and that the danger of fires would increase. Thirty-five percent. She relayed this story with a chuckle in her voice knowing I would find the humor in this. I had lived in southern Arizona for 9 years, and in New Mexico for 3. Humidity of 35 percent is a very humid day in the desert, it practically rains. It's a nice "dry" day here. For kicks, I wanted to see if the desert Southwest was emblazoned with red highlights. It wasn't. Perhaps they color it when humidity rises above 25 percent. They could call it a Blue Flag day, warning locals that it will be sticky, and that they should stay inside.

Humidity below 35 percent in Florida. I breathe a sigh of joy; perhaps the mold will not grow...as much today, and my clothes on the line will take less than 10 hours to dry.

New Year Lazies

2006-01-13T08:11:00.000-05:00

I dread to say that I have gotten a bit lazy over the holiday season, ignoring the call to write. Instead, I wandered the streets of New York, enjoyed the holiday ambience and cheer, ate...and ate...and ate, and slept until it was actually light outside. I hate to admit that the only creative thing I did was make a pipe rack out of shells collected from the beach. Granted, I got a lot of creative ideas...for three-dimensional creations.

Now it's January and school is back in session, my body is having to readjust to a fixed schedule and rising before dawn...I am NOT a morning person. I have stared at this screen repeatedly, but nothing creative, or relevant has come forth. So, I'll simply go with that. I am human, hear me have a non-creative writing...or ranting...kind of day.

Happy New Year

Yule Tide Greeting

2005-12-18T16:13:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas. . .or, is it Happy Holidays? What is considered "politically correct" these days? Do we now have evergreens be-decked with baubles this time of year, or is it still okay to call it a tree? Please clarify this for me.

The attack on Christmas and it's associated accoutrements is another way this country sterilizes its traditions. I am not a Christian, yet the greeting, "Merry Christmas," does not offend me. I know and appreciate the holiday for what it's supposed to mean - being charitable toward others and offering goodwill. Being greeted with Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Solstice are also greetings of the season, and they, like the saying from the tree-toting Christians, are words uttered with joy and happiness in the heart - not hatred.

Decorating trees in public places has been a long-standing tradition within this country; yes, the tree is used as a Christian symbol; however, decorated Christmas trees have become local and national symbols of goodwill, charity, love, and hope - it is a reminder for each of us to reach out to those who have fallen on hard times - to remember that all of us are part of a community, a national family. Symbols that stress tolerance and peace should never offend; they should be appreciated for what they bring.

From the cyber-space of Planet Shortbread, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and Solstice - may the light of the new year bring peace to all.

Constitutional Alteration

2005-12-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there were two pieces of paper called the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These two documents served as a reminder to the people that they had rights and that their government was there to enforce them. These documents also served as the basis for limiting government power over the people so that it would not develop into a dictatorship. These outdated documents also outlined what the government could and could not do, including that it had the right to raise an army for the country's defense.

Decades past and the rights outlined in these pieces of parchment became increasingly eroded. Slowly at first, the people didn't seem to notice, or care, that their government gained ever-increasing control over them. Some voices cried out that leaving a state of isolationism would be this country's downfall. The government ignored those voices, embraced nuclear technology, became the first and only nation to employ weapons of mass destruction, and began its prowl for world domination and control. Still the people refused to see the monster beneath their beds.

September 11, 2001 brought the destruction of the World Trade Center. Fear and outrage erupted from the people. The government fanned those fears and plunged the nation into a war without just cause. Other nations became alarmed and suspicious of this nation's boldness. The people stood back and allowed the government to openly strip more rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The government openly sneered other worldly leaders. No longer are the people guaranteed legal access, fair trials, or torture-free treatment. The monster has crawled out from beneath the bed.

Besides the creation of the Patriot Act and CIA Blacksites, and condoning torture, the government blackmailed and coerced colleges and universities stating that if you want federal dollars then you must allow our military recruiters on your campuses. Colleges and universities protested stating that recruiters for other potential employers that employed discrimination policies were not allowed on campus; allowing the military would be hypocritical and undermine their policies. The governmental monster raised its ugly head and glared down at those that dared defy its power and simply said, "If you do not comply, then you will lose your funding." Colleges without funding are like businesses without customers; they go under. The "checks and balances" of the government abusing its power has been lost; the universities folded.

The Constitution and Bill of Rights from 1776 have been "lost" we are told. However, we the people have been assured that the new versions, reconstructed in 2012, are accurate. They simply state that the government has total control and that the people will comply. The masses will attend a Christian church every Sunday, on rotating shifts so that the production of weapons does not stop. Everything you say and do will be monitored. Those who do not yield will be incarcerated in a prison of unknown location. Those that are taken never return.

2005-12-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

December. Seems like yesterday that Planet Shortbread became a blog reality...just last April. Unlike my attempts at journaling, I actually enjoy entering my mental gibberish on cyber-canvas. Then I pause about all the entries I've entered over the last 8 months. Mostly political commentary. Much of it rants. How can I change the tone a little? Doesn't everyone understand that the majority of politicians are crooked? They have, do, and will take bribes and vote for interests other than those pertinent to their constituents. The fall of Cunningham is nothing new. Senator McCain fell in the 90s...see...it apparently doesn't matter much to the American voter; McCain is still in office even though he "dirtied his hands." Corrupt politicians is as American as hot dogs and a baseball game. Surely every American can clearly see that politicians never answer questions directly, give different answers depending upon who their audience is, and waffle on all issues depending upon how close it is to re-election time. Not to mention, anyone directly associated with the White House is not responsible for illegal occurrences happening in lower levels of the bureaucracy....CEOs in the private sector are held accountable, but leaders of our country...heck no!

Chia Pets

2005-11-30T11:13:00.000-05:00

Chia pets. I remember these vegetative hairy things coming out when I was a kid. My thought, pop culture Andy Warhol would have gone to town with...perhaps creating a chia sculpture or producing several posters in a variety of garish colors...pure Warhol. I never viewed these little critter shaped plant containers as anything but a joke. I didn't want one...'till now.

A co-worker circled an ad from the local Walgreens and placed it on my desk so that I would see it when I arrived this morning. There it was, an ad proclaiming the American fascination - as long as you don't speak of it - Chia Pets. An array of new fangled ones assaulted my optical nerves...Homer Simpson, Marty the Madagascar Zebra, Shrek, and Donkey. I was glued. Only $15.99 for my very own Donkey Chia Pet! I had to have one. I went online and located the nearest Walgreens, checked Mapquest for its exact location, and yes, I plan to get one of these after work. Why? Because it's a donkey. My house is a regular shrine to these braying beasts. A Chia Donkey with flowing green mane will fit in nicely. I'll even water him regularly.

Criticize Away, Cheney Says It's A-Okay!

2005-11-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I heard the news - Dick Cheney said that it was okay for Americans to question and even to criticize the war in Iraq. Thank heavens! I was losing valuable hours of sleep wondering when the FBI would burst into my home and lead me away citing the Patriot Act while accusing me of being a possible terrorist threat to the White House. Now, thanks to Mr. Cheney, I can come out of the criticism closet and tell all exactly what I think.

But then again, who the heck does he think he is? Is he the king? God perhaps? Which country does he actually think he lives in? A dictatorship perhaps? I always thought that I was residing in the supposedly democratic nation called the United States of America. And, I mistakenly thought that Freedom of Speech was protected under a certain document called the Constitution. A flimsy piece of paper, my ancestors actually fought Britain for.

I'm sorry for the rambling, I understand completely - Mr. Cheney doesn't know how to read and cares little for history.

Boobs, Tits, and the American Desire

2005-11-14T07:52:00.000-05:00

This past weekend my partner showed me some keyword research she was doing for an article. She read the more than 300 top keywords used for the month of October. I listened intently and agreed that yes, it truly is a reflection of American society...a sad and unspoken reflection. At least 200 words had to do with pornography as reflected by the phrases of hot teens girls, pubescent girls, and little girls, followed by the array of desired nudity - breasts, boobs, tits, big tits, etcetera. Other than pornography, Americans enjoyed searching, and I'm assuming, oggling, over Jessica Simpson and Pamela Anderson. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that those most opposed to online pornography also enjoy it.

As a society, we don't like to discuss the sexual exploitation of children, the abundant desire for pornography and the reasons for the attraction, and the fact that we, as a country, are filled with individuals whose definition of "deep thought" consists of trashing, oggling, or disrespecting someone else. It is the common misconception that if you ignore something, it will go away. Instead, shouldn't we clean out the closet?

A Dedication to Spammers

2005-11-04T07:49:00.000-05:00

I do not like junk mail and spam
I do not like it, Pam I am!

It clutters my mail; it fills it up
It wastes my time, hell yes and yup!

Send your junk to yourself, please leave me alone
Don't target my e-mail or bother to phone!

I do not like junk mail and spam
I do not like it, Pam I am!

We as a country are rude as hell
screwing each other far as I can tell!

In the name of a buck they'll phish for you
taking your identity for the ultimate screw!

I do not like junk mail and spam
I do not like it, Pam I am!

Hypocritical Behavior and the United States

2005-11-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

Do hypocritical people bother you as much as they bother me? These self-righteous individuals preach the moral code of conduct; that is, treat others fairly and justly – with respect. The problem is, our “moral example” is often not moral at all – a false idol so to speak.

This brings me to the CIA’s Black Sites. Black sites are CIA-run prisons in countries that allow less than desirable interrogation practices. These sites are illegal in the United States. This begs the question – what type of interrogation practices does the CIA conduct? We are already aware of our military’s lack of ethical conduct regarding prisoners. So, what about that of the CIA? And, who okayed the implementation of these Black Sites anyway? I would assume that would have been the White House.

Hypocritical behavior. If the United States is quick to judge the behavior of foreign leaders by pointing fingers at brutal practices, unfair treatment, and lack of legal representation, then perhaps our leaders should look in the mirror and point their corrupt fingers at the worst culprit of them all – the United States, the bully of the World, a country known to implement foreign puppet governments, starting wars despite the lack of evidence, and locking people away without access to legal consultation.

From Pillagers and Plunderers to Progressive Thinkers - Denmark

2005-10-15T16:18:00.000-05:00

My partner and I are regular viewers of Rick Steve’s Europe travel show. We tune in every Saturday to see what interesting place we’ll be whooshed off to. Last week we went to Denmark – Copenhagen and Aero. Being an American that has never been to Europe, I admit that I’ve been caught in the web of American stereotypical views of European countries. Denmark, being Scandinavian, was erroneously viewed as being an icy wasteland. The irony of this is that I lived for more than eight years in Alaska – which is also portrayed in the American mindset as a frigid place year round. Then, there was Denmark, shown in summer splendor, courtesy of Rick Steves. It wasn’t merely the physical beauty of this country that caught my attention; it was their attitude toward life, each other, and the environment that hit me full force. Bicycles for public use are in abundance in Copenhagen – simply deposit your coin and off you go. When you’re done, put your bike back in a rack, attach the lock, insert the lock key, and your deposit pops out. I soon learned on this 30-minute tour that Denmark has been a leader in creating pedestrian thoroughfares, something that’s now seen all over Europe and is progressive in it’s use of alternative energy resources – particularly wind.

This little country with its independent heart became intriguing. I cruised the web and learned that they’re a world leader in human rights. Gay rights, for instance, were being discussed in the early 1900s. Laws put on the books protecting gay rights came much later, however, they still became one of the first countries to protect their gay citizens.

This quiet, yet determined country, is a place I would love to visit. I respect people who uphold their ethical beliefs without bullying others; I appreciate it when countries do this as well. American leaders would do well in learning from Denmark’s example.

If you’d like to share thoughts and information about Denmark, please comment. I’d love to learn more about this country.

Pedigreed Pets and Their Mongrel Masters

2005-10-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Absurd or interesting ideas occasionally cross my mind while I sip my daily cup of herbal tea, a motley mixture of dried vegetation for headache prevention, digestive stimulation, relaxation, and yes, taste. Today I found myself examining serene images and the environmental awareness of people from Denmark. My inner thoughts, as usual, quickly changed subjects to that of my pedigree – my ancestral beginnings. I am the result of genetic donations contributed from Danish, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, and Swiss individuals. Those are the groups that I am aware of. Who knows what else has been stirred in since my ancestors arrived to the American woodpile. I, like other Americans, and people from all over the world, am a result of cultural contact, migrations, pillage and plunder. I am a mongrel, a human mutt. The irony that some individuals, misguided as they are, look askance at dogs of mixed pedigree does not escape me. They wave their AKC credentials and titles for all to see as trainers follow closely behind with pure-blood Barbie-dog in tow. My dog, like me, is a unique individual. We have no titles, no trainers and groomers at our beck and call. We are mongrels; the miraculous result of genetic combination.

Thor

The Blogosphere and the Spam Invasion

2005-10-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

Spam - the internet version of junk mail - sounds as disgusting as it's canned-meat namesake. And, like it's snail-mail counterpart, I toss, or in this case, delete without a glance. I abhor these invasive attempts to invade my privacy in order to "tempt" me with stuff I don't want. If I wanted it, I'd seek it out, "let my fingers do the walking" through the yellow pages, but no, there it is tucked suggestively within and around legitimate mail...beckoning...please...please...please open me and take me seriously! With a snarl, I cleave the unwanted portions of my mail and feed the File 13 monster...it never goes hungry at my house. And, now, the blogosphere along with my E-mail account, have been victimized by these same sorry fools, intent on inconveniencing everyone else's life in cyberspace. Does Planet Shortbread actually discuss stuffed toys? No. So, why did I receive three E-mails mentioning this subject? Spam.

I, like other Bloggers, use the E-mail link so that readers can voice their comments - complimentary or not - to me and other readers. I enjoy discussing - note that's discussing which involves the act of listening and respecting opinions of others - and debating topics.

This has been Dawn Frost, Eeyore, and Cat-in-the-Hat protesting from the soap box of Planet Shortbread Blog.

Insecurity and Prosthetic Dog Testicles

2005-10-07T09:24:00.000-05:00

My eyebrow raised a bit as I read the title, "And the Ig Nobel Prize goes to...." This article in the local newspaper was too enticing to pass up. I read the sub-title, "The inventor of, er, fake doggie testicles." Okay, the apparent humor in this got me; I plowed on. Gregg Miller of Boston developed artificial testicles for neutered dogs. He began this interesting task ten years ago when he decided to re-endow a rottweiler named Max. To perform the re-endowment process, Miller created silicone implants which vary in size, shape, weight, and degree of firmness. How does one know which size, shape, weight, and degree of firmness they should order for their nutless dog? Do you grab and squeeze, albeit gently one would hope, the real thing hanging between the legs of intact dogs? Should you test the balls of dogs belonging to the same breed? What is the criteria for testicle testing? The article simply doesn't say. However, we are informed that this product is touted to "retain his natural look" and "self esteem." Would this be the dog's esteem or his insecure owner?

Miller, apparently, has a thriving business with his testicle implants. I wonder how fast he'd pass Bill Gates in the yearly net income department if he marketed these small, medium, large, round, oblong, egg-like, light, semi-heavy, lead weight, soft, semi-firm, rock-hard gems to insecure human males.

Don't Put All Your Eggs Into A Single Basket

2005-10-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

A simple saying isn't it? Don't put all your eggs into a single basket. A saying, that if you think about it, makes sense. To state it simply, if you drop your single basket, all of your eggs will break; therefore, you will have none. It must be a lost peasant's tale, or at the very least, something that no one can interpret or understand.

You'd think that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita would teach the American people to contemplate this simple saying. That is, why put all your energy resources into a single "basket"? A blow to our "energy" basket will result in rapidly increasing fuel costs, and possibly, shortages in the near, as opposed to the distant, future. We've dropped our "basket" and now we're scrambling to find the unbroken eggs.

I wonder how many people living on the cusp of poverty or fixed incomes will be devestated this upcoming winter. Our lack of action to information regarding our dwindling energy resources and global warming could become very costly....a cost measured in lives. Instead of giving oil companies incentives to seek out more oil, and the keys to further destroy the environment, why not give them incentives to develop alternative fuel sources? They, afterall, are businesses striving to stay in business. Put their intellectual energies to good use.

Meanwhile, the politicians on Capital Hill are singing:

A tisket, a tasket
our oil-laden basket
was blown away
one August day
and many line the casket.

Poetry: Rain Forest

2005-09-30T15:40:00.000-05:00

An ever-present dampness surrounds this world
where fungal growth drapes like lacey accoutrements
caressing coniferous bark below
all is green
...and wet

A mossy carpet like squishy foam
adorns the ground below
a world of three-dimensional green
fed by continuous rain

The Eloquence of Speech

2005-09-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

The eloquence of vocal delivery matches the absurdity of the words that emitted. Words describing Hurricane Katrina as cruel and vicious caused echoes of other words to reverberate through my mind, twas a dark and stormy night. In order for something to be cruel, vicious, or both at the same time, that “something” must be capable of thought. It is a conscious decision to be cruel and vicious. Storms, Mr. President, simply ARE. And, yes, Mr. President, please spend the tax payers money wisely to find out what the problem was. Let me give you a hint, it has to do with your placing unqualified people into positions they know nothing about. Lawyers in charge of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security is like having a construction worker perform delicate brain surgery. For the first time in your life, someone isn’t bailing you out. Welcome to the world of your constituents where actions are met with consequences.

Instead of cutting budgets for Medicare and education, why don’t we bring our soldiers home from a war they never should’ve been sent to in the first place. Unlike many sheep in this country, I remember why you originally sent us to Iraq – in search of weapons of mass destruction. They’re not there; you’ve made a mess of worldly relations; started a civil war in Iraq, drained our financial resources; and reacted slower than a slug that’s been nailed in place to a national disaster in your own country. Bravo! You WILL be remembered – goal achieved! Imagine all the money that could be used to rebuild the Gulf instead of being shelled out to a foreign country. May I also suggest, Mr. President, that you and all the other members on Capital Hill take a pay cut. Just imagine, our kids could still get the quasi-education we supply them with AND Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama could be rebuilt.

It is time that We the People stand up and inform our Employees to do their job and act like leaders instead of self-serving brats. It is an honor to lead and represent one’s people; it is not a tool to bolster one’s own power and authority. It should never have evolved into a position that only the rich can afford to seek. True leaders place the needs of their constituents before their own. Real leaders lead from the front, not from behind their desks or vacation homes.

What Leadership?

2005-09-02T06:35:00.000-05:00

I listen to NPR as I drive to work this morning. The governor of Louisiana has now given the National Guard the order to shoot to kill looters. I also learn that communications are down; rescue workers are unable to communicate. Then I remind myself that yes, today is Friday; four days after Katrina struck Louisiana and Mississippi. Four days. Four days?!

Unlike our national governing officials, I had access to a TV and weather forecasts days prior to Katrina's strike. Unlike these so-called leaders, I could see that this storm was unlike any this country had ever seen as she grew to a monstrous Category 5 with winds of 175 mph. Common citizens with access to TV's were told that Katrina could strike as a Category 5 and that there was a possibility that she could strengthen further. Unlike our governing officials, if this storm had swung my way - I reside in one of the earlier projected paths - I would have evacuated; I have the means. Unlike this country's leadership, I, a mere common citizen could see that this storm was an impending catastrophe. I ask myself, often, where was our leadership? Why didn't our governing officials have every emergency resource ready to move before Katrina actually hit? Perhaps our leadership couldn't be bothered. They were on vacation. I've always been told that leaders lead their people from the front, by example, and sacrifice their personal comfort so that their people are cared for first. I have yet to see leadership in Washington DC without A/C, food, water, no shoes, and only the clothes on their backs.

It has never been a secret, despite what our mentally clogged President may say, that New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen. Unlike our ignorant leader who obviously doesn't read or listen to anything intelligent, I've seen and read many things about what a Category 3 hurricane could do to New Orleans - let alone anything higher. No, Mr. President, you along with the other selfish leaders in this country have chosen to ignore this issue and are now trying desperately to save face. You could have made a valiant start if you had cut your vacation short prior to Katrina's strike and had every emergency resource ready and waiting to deploy. Mr. President, I ask you, why are there no communications available for rescue efforts on this day, Friday, September 2, 2005 - FOUR DAYS after Katrina's landfall? I know the military have wireless communication networks that would have worked well if they had been employed. If you had actually cared about your constituents. If you had any grain of foresight in your being.

This country's other idiotic leadership in Washington DC also decided to cut their vacations short by two days - days following the aftermath - not prior to. They are just as at fault.

Mr. President, I am angry. I am very angry. The devastation in our nation's gulf is atrocious and your lack of foresight has cost hundreds their lives. Is it because their lives aren't worth as much as the oil fields beneath the sands of Iraq?

The Hypocritical Right

2005-08-27T17:22:00.000-05:00

Religious zealots masquerading as religious leaders are among the most frightening people in the world. In my opinion, they are far worse than serial killers. Why? They kill thousands more than any serial killer can dream of. They use their holy pulpits and TV shows to speak to millions of fire and brimstone with the purpose of igniting violence – a call to arms. A call for violence is usually not a core belief system for most religions – the necessity for violence and war for political and economic reasons…well…assassinations are par for the course.

Pat Robertson, the 700 Club prime-time brainwasher, was quoted as saying: "Without question this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly. We have the ability to take him [Chavez] out and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator."

War for Oil – all in the name of God! Amen! This must be what our esteemed, "well-spoken" president must be thinking because, as usual, he hasn't gotten a hold of his advisor to tell him how he should react and what he should say. Perhaps Monday will be more convenient.

Religious congregations should pick up their own bibles and actually READ it and think for themselves – particularly the parts about loving your neighbor, not killing, and least I forget, the part about not being the judge of others….I don't recall any parts calling for violent means for political or economic gain. Maybe it's written in invisible ink visible only to those in power.

From the pulpit of Planet Shortbread, this has been another blogly rant. Now if you’ll pass in the offering plate, I’d be much obliged.

Zingers

2005-08-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

Teaching dyslexic children reading is a very step-by-step process. After students read some text, the instructor asks questions aimed at increasing reading comprehension skills. I asked my 8-year old student what a cad was. He told me that a cad was a rude person. I explained that a cad was actually a rude male person. He paused, wrinkled his face in thought, and asked, "what's a rude female person called?" The word that immediately leapt to mind and refused to leave was one that I could not relay to him. At a loss I replied, "It's not an appropriate word." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, "Oh. It's the B word."

Better Sex

2005-08-26T16:18:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for better sex? Try Vitalis! It will suit all your sexual needs. That is – if your woody refuses to petrify during those “oh so intimate moments.” The radio commercial for this wonderful penis-hardening drug, pitched it as a “better sex” drug – sort of like the new millennium aphrodisiac. Problem is – you can’t have better sex until you can actually have sex. Better sex – well now, I can think of a few solutions such as –a new position, technique, or breaking the conservative mold and venturing into the toy store! New and inventive can often lead to Better Sex.

Vitalis, well…

Is your lil’ pardner down and withdrawn. Does he refuse to partake in social gatherings? Does his head continue to hang when you give him a hand? Try something different. Try Vitalis! Watch him hold his head high and thrust himself into the center of attention! Vitalis – The Penile Anti-Depressant!

For even better sex, take your happy, attentive, little guy to the adult novelty shop.

Computer Spew

2005-08-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

I always knew that we, as a society, have become increasingly impersonal in day-to-day business. Humanless, self-check out counters and ATM machines abound in American society happy to greet you with a typographical message and a list of instructions. Occasionally, the instructions actually work. [I wonder how many people who actually need a job lose it to these faceless machines?]

Then there's the monthly bills, spit out in a religious fashion - never faltering in its tenacity. This tenacity has been clearly evident in the death of my partner's father. We still receive bills demanding payment for months of "service" following his death. They are even nice enough to include late fees. Nickel and diming the dead really should be a punishable crime. How would you punish a computer anyway? Give it a vicious repeating loop proclaiming that it has no brain?

T-Mobil finally acknowledged letters repeatedly sent to them stating that he had died. They informed him, he who had passed, that they were sorry to hear that he had decided to terminate his service with them. I'm sorry, but are the people punching in the keystrokes illiterate? He DIED. I don't think he had a choice in his "decision" to terminate their service. He simply terminated. Period.

Then there's the hospital. He died at the hospital. You'd think they would have records of this fact. They sent him, the deceased, a survey regarding their service. My partner took the survey for her father...after adding a few choices and sent it back. I'll just say she took it with humor, not anger. To read her take on the survey and what she added, visit the link to Quizzical Minds.

This has been another impersonal take on American Life by citizen #206337800 and stuffed toys, Eeyore Model Number BL0063422 and Cat-in-the-Hat Model Number RW333666.

The American Judicial System and The Witch Hunt

2005-08-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

Thoughts race through my mind in response to the radio announcer's comments telling parents to rush to their computers and look up the number of sexual offenders residing within their respective neighborhoods. Personally knowing full well how devastating sexual predators can be, I still paused in alarm. It wasn't what the announcer said; it was how she said it - full of alarm, shock, and an angry passion - a tone that could incite fear and a possible witch hunt.

Does this faceless radio voice realize the full implication of her words? I think not. I don't believe she's ever given it a moments notice. Does she not understand that the problem isn't the sexual predators per se, but the American legal system?

Sexual predation and other culturally defined aberrant behavior are as part of the Human Existence as our bipedal locomotion. The negative aspects of our behavior are an inherent part of the human animal - our species; we simply vary is our triggers and our ability to inhibit these behaviors. We are all capable of serious "wrong doing."

Then there's our legal system - outdated and biased - it simply doesn't work well. When sexual offenders with proven predatory records are released to prowl. . . again - the system failed. When our courts convict way more blacks than whites - the system failed. When the rich are warned and the poor are given life sentences for similar offenses - the system failed. When the innocent are wrongly put to death - there is a serious flaw in our legal system. When jury selection consists of profiling with the goal not being to obtain the Truth, but to obtain a victory as if a person's trial is a competition - then there is a huge problem.

Perhaps we should turn our eyes and fear away from hate-filled witch hunts and force our leadership to fix the problem itself. Until then, we as a society, should apologize for all the innocent lives wrongly devastated by our fears and the American Judicial System.

Lessons Learned

2005-08-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

Driving about town assisting my partner watering plants and cleaning houses - I will NOT do that again - all the things I've learned in the past year and six months of residence within the northern region of Florida occurred to me. I have learned that something will be blooming no matter what month it is. "Winter" lasts for two days to a week, large, glorious blooms can occur on trees; hurricanes can affect areas other than the coastal areas shown on the nightly news; I now know the full meaning of sultry - it isn't mere hot and humid - it is an experience worth avoiding; mold takes particular delight with things obtained in desert regions; insects never die - they simply breed continuously and seek your flesh for feasting; one does not carry an ice scraper - you keep a squeegee on hand, and when driving through a torrential downpour - you turn on your hazard lights and plow right through it.

Reporting from the scrotal region of Florida, this has been Dawn Frost, Eeyore, and Cat-in-the-Hat for Planet Shortbread Blog.

Blessed Are The Children

2005-07-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Blessed are the children, so they say
as they fall to their knees and silently pray
They do God's work in the heat of day
and dance with the Devil when the light's away
So children, fear the black of night
fore daddy may kiss and hug too tight
It will damage your mind and torture your soul
dragging you down into an abysmal black hole
There you will be, alone and confused
in a private hell where children are used
The guilt you feel and the fear you show
came from the incest you came to know
Blessed are the children, so they say
ignoring the cost the children must pay

Roulette

2005-07-28T17:14:00.000-05:00

May twentieth - another day in the endless march of time. The Maya were right - time is cyclical - not linear. A cycle of reality spinning upon an invisible axle rotating to some unknown vibration. Another moment in the breath of eternity - an insignificant snapshot caught in the wheel's embrace. Like the roulette wheel, the cycle repeats - birth, growth, death, red, black, red. Round and round. Each cog of the wheel falling into place dragging this moment to the next. White ball, bouncing, crashing into obstacles resisting the merry-go-round...till it's caught. Slotted and pinned, number 32, it spins, held in place by gravity...resistance is futile.

Life's Little Ironies

2005-07-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

I pause to reflect upon my life's journey these past five years. Five years ago I didn't want anything to do with a computer. I viewed it as a simple tool - one necessary for the completion of my job; I needed it for writing reports. I had no interest or desire to surf the web, learn about RAM and processor speeds, or applications. I was an archaeologist not a computer tech. Then there's today - five years later - where I sit at my computer typing another post for Planet Shortbread. I regularly check my website for linking issues, and post new creative endeavors on Zazzle. I actually look for ways to link my sites to others, for what? - exposure and site ranking. Pardon me while I stop and blink a few times. Blogging, site ranking, linking - all part of my vocabulary - now.

I have come to realize that the path we seek isn't the one we always walk. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must trudge along.

Zazzling

2005-07-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

For all of you who are visually creative or are able to conjure witty sayings, visit www.zazzle.com. Zazzle is an interesting little site that allows you to create your own T-shirts, cards, posters, and now stamps with your own pictures and sayings. I admit, it's sort of like discovering finger paints when you're four. To make the experience a bit more fun, they let you post your products in one of two places - private gallery - where only you can peruse and buy, and the -public gallery - where the general prying eyes of the cyber-traveling public can peruse, contemplate, and purchase. General public purchases garner you, the creative genius, royalties.

I, for one, have been having fun.

Transitions

2005-07-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

Digital transformations of a flower.

2005-07-06T07:15:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I was here. It's interesting how time can seemingly pass into oblivion - unnoticed - sinking into the annals of history. No matter how hard one tries, the temporal wheel continues to spin.

I glance at the calendar, just 2 1/2 more weeks of summer school. I don't know whether to be happy or depressed. I should be pleased to have two weeks of rest and relaxation. Two weeks without pay...perhaps that is the problem. Perhaps the prospect of returning to this organization....well...I'll leave it at that.

The dogs...hairless once again...are allergic - to something. No one knows what. I've come to think of them as New Mexican hairless mixed breeds. The best thing to do for them is to leave the general area...perhaps Florida entirely. The north would do fine. If only the Universe would cooperate.

My good friend, fellow blogger, and co-conspirator on the Worded Rhythms web site - Jane Lytle - will have her book on herbs published - YEAH!!! Now, we'll see if my herb illustrations will pass the proverbial publication department with a "go ahead."

Cross your fingers and grab the bars, for the wheel is spinning at break neck speed.

What do you think? Should I go on for a PhD? I think I've got a pretty good grasp of bullshit.

Qualifications:
*B.A./M.A. anthropology
*12 years experience within that field
*1+ years teaching dyslexic students
*Healthy dose of reality and down-and-out poverty caused by universal-thrown curve balls...AKA economics
*Creative - well - can be

The Temporal Vortex and the Karmic Plane

2005-06-22T16:24:00.000-05:00

I sit here pondering words that refuse to vacate my brain. All I keep thinking is, "What the hell is happening?" It's like Death, himself, is walking freely amongst us, reaping a bumper crop of souls.

My partner and myself have lost three people within a span of two weeks; two passed on within 12 hours of each other. A friend back in New Mexico lost her father-in-law and sister-in-law within a month of each other. At work, my boss just lost her grandmother.

Hang on tight, karma's calling.

An E-Mail From Arizona

2005-06-05T11:13:00.000-05:00

I recently received an e-mail from a Southwestern archaeologist. So, why is this e-mail so important to qualify the creation of a blog? I had to ask myself this question. Why did this particular e-mail make me happy? I finally came to the conclusion that it was because it was a tie to my former self; a time when things actually worked. It also reminded me of the intellectual conversations I once shared with fellow archaeologists - discussions of prehistoric movements, trade networks, conflicts, and communication. And, of research. Actual research. The need and desire to always build upon the known. The place I currently work for says that they do research; however, their "research" is tucked away into a filing cabinet. It is not tested and expounded upon - and reported about. That is not research.

That e-mail was a slap to me of what I once partook in. And, what I no longer have. I no longer live in Arizona, tromping through the desert searching for answers. Arizona - a state that fully embodies the attitude of the "Wild West." You do not tell Arizonans what to do, or they will do the exact opposite just to spite you. They are an independent, stubborn lot, hell bent on doing things their own way, being true to themselves.

Then there is northern Florida. Please do not confuse the panhandle of this phallic-shaped state with its counterpart, southern Florida. They are as opposite as fire and ice, a dichotomy visible even during the Civil War where Florida had both Confederate and Union regiments. northern Florida is more characteristic of southern Georgia, both in mentality and in vegetative growth. It is a characterization that this anthropologist finds stagnating. I know that this is partly due to my western bias - I was born and raised out west. I am hell bent on being my own person. I do not brown nose. I refuse to conform. If you ask me my opinion, I will give you an honest answer. There is nothing "genteel" about me; what you see is what you get.

This region - I can only characterize as having a "Plantation Mentality" feel. The "haves" try to make the "have-nots" feel as if they should be grateful for their poverty-level wages. I have never had so many people look down their noses at me; refuse to talk to me as an equal, or as an individual who has a mind and an intellect of my own. I have never been so micromanaged as I have been here in northern Florida - even when I worked in high school. Until moving to northern Florida, I've always been treated with some degree of respect, even when there was a disagreement. Here in northern Florida, if you are viewed as being a "have-not," then you are treated with as much respect as that reserved for a door mat. I have found an amusing twist to this mental projection of the local snobbery - they believe that they are monetarily wealthy. They, however, haven't the faintest notion of what actual monetary wealth is. Long Island and Beverly Hills - that is monetary wealth. Treating people with respect and dignity - that would be manners.

Ratings

2005-05-27T06:33:00.000-05:00

I ran across a link to the Planet Shortbread blog site yesterday. Someone had ranked the site 3 stars out of a possible 5-star rating system. I've always wondered how these so-called rating systems work. What variables do raters use other than their own personal likes and dislikes?

When Star Wars opened in 1977, it created a huge following and gave George Lucas a huge name. Star Wars, however, was first rejected by Universal. Whoops! They blew that one, huh? Dr. Seuss' books weren't viewed favorably by book publishers, yet to this day, his books are among the most popular.

Three stars. My site was rated three stars, yet no reason was given for the rating. Did I receive three stars because my site lacks a lot of graphics? Is my grammar atrocious? Do I fail to say anything of importance? Improvement can never be made until the strengths and the weaknesses of the thing reviewed are pointed out. Would I change the way I write here even if constructive criticism were given? No. Why - because this is my on-line journal. My creative outlet. This is my cyber-space canvas on which to paint.

The funny thing about variables used to critique or analyze is that the outcome is affected or altered by what is deemed important to look at. I first realized this when I did an architectural analysis on a site in Mexico. Depending upon how much emphasis I placed on certain variables, I could alter the outcome of my research. I began paying closer attention to so-called "results of the latest scientific study" portrayed on the nightly news channel - and to what my colleagues were reporting as the latest "find."

Case in point: A few years ago American researchers studied the herb, Echinacea. They wanted to see if taking Echinacea while having a cold would reduce the average number of days you were sick. Their conclusion - it made no difference.

In contrast to the American study, German researchers performed a similar study. Their conclusion - Echinacea reduced the average number of days a person was sick by two to three days.

Why the difference - after all both research groups wanted to see if Echinacea would reduce the number of days a person would be sick? The difference lies in the variables used in the research. American researchers used hard capsules made here in the United States - by a single company. Herbs are regulated in Germany. The quality and quantity of any given herb is known. The Germans used the actual Echinacea plant and administered a tea. In the U.S., herbs are not regulated; therefore, the quality of the capsules used is questionable. Also - nutritionists will tell you - you receive the most nutrition from unprocessed foods. I would imagine that unprocessed herbs would contain more of their natural constituents than what would be found in a capsule.

It's all bias. Biased by the author's point of view. Welcome to my egocentric viewpoint.

Hurricane Season

2005-05-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

The sign said, "10 Days to Hurricane Season, Are You Prepared?" Guess not. I don't have the prerequisite 30,000 batteries, 600 gallons of water, enough canned food to last the next ten years, and duct tape...I don't know what I'll use it for, but I'm sure it's on the list...duct tape is the answer to all your "fix-it" needs! I admit, I smile everytime I read that sign...which has been counting down for months. It makes me think we should warn Oklahomans about the impending danger during tornado season - let's count down to next March! Surely they'll have basements by then. Or, what about the Pacific Rim and all those earthquakes? The big one will strike soon, I just know it. Move while you still can!

It's a fact of life - a hurricane, or a few of them, will hit Florida. It's a big peninsula after all - a pretty enticing target to a roaming hurricane. Oklahoma will get tagged by several tornadoes and the Pacific Rim will have some earthquakes - perhaps even a tsunami. It happens. Not to sound callous, but I'm not going to wall myself in somewhere waiting for disaster to happen. It happens everyday - when there's a car accident, a shooting, an overdose. I'm not going to stop living because Nature happens.

Now, if I were going to worry about something, I'd worry about that giant volcano under Yellowstone National Park.

Are You Prejudiced?

2005-05-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

I have heard many people say they aren’t prejudiced. They will tell you they don’t judge people based on their sex, age, race, religion, or even their sexual preference – sounding like an employment disclaimer. They will say this with a smile of satisfaction and a sense of pride. I applaud their openness; however, I still say they’re prejudiced.

Most of us hone in on one particular definition for the word, prejudice, that is - having irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion. The word, group, is a broad-based term. I, frankly, don’t particularly like rude people. I can’t stand it when they park too close to my car and bang my door when they get out. I hate it when they let the door slam in your face when your arms are loaded down. I find them rather annoying when they cut in line, blast their music so that it invades my space, and speak derogatively about others. I find this group of individuals irritating. I don’t want to be near them. I am prejudiced against them. Rude people, taken as a whole, is a group. I tend to make snap judgments about people who I perceive as belonging to this group.

Another group of people I regularly place on my prejudiced list are those that belong to groups that attempt to force-feed their religious beliefs or worldviews on you. These individuals seem to get angry, or at the very least, very upset, if you disagree with them. This group tends to ignore your viewpoint, treating it as irrelevant. I don’t mind people who have different opinions, religious beliefs, or even worldviews than me. I enjoy the fact that there are so many different views of the world. I love discussing these differences, but only when both sides actively respect the viewpoints of the other. My viewpoints have changed because of active discussions.

The term, prejudice, doesn’t only apply to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or ethnic background. It’s a broad term. Unfortunately, it’s the “politically correct” thing to not to be. I, however, am honest.

Other Poetry

2005-05-08T13:56:00.000-05:00

New York Intersection
Frenetic and frenzied hurried energy
...everywhere

light changes
a heaving horde of people spew across

A beeping horn, a weaving car
winding through the human maze

A well choreographed chaotic dance
understood by all

....but tourists

2005-05-08T12:38:00.000-05:00

Visiting observers from the Quizzical Minds Blog

Where'd the Middle Go?

2005-05-07T12:26:00.000-05:00

I've noticed a disturbing trend in this country--a reduction of the bulging middle. I'm not referring to the spare tire we seem to acquire with age; I'm referring to common sense and the ability to react to each individual situation. We, as people, are not cardboard cutouts that react to situations in exactly the same way.

School rules are an excellent example of far left/far right decision making. Let's take the high school student in Georgia whose Mom phoned from Iraq. Rule--no cell phone use during school hours. Absolutely, positively, no exceptions. Pardon me while I blink several times in astonishment after hearing that the student was suspended. Has this school forgotten that perhaps, this individual is stressed having his Mom in Iraq in the first place? Does the administration of this school not listen to the news--which is usually headed with the latest "Kill" count? What if...this was the last time this individual got to speak to his Mom? What if...something happened--it has before?

Perhaps instead of seeing the world in black and white, we should view it for what it is--a vibrant collage of color.

Hoop Game

2005-04-22T06:58:00.000-05:00

The sock flies, once again, wide right. A nightly routine of tossing the day's worn socks at my Cat-In-The-Hat hanging laundry bag yields, typically, one of two results - wide right or wide left. I'm destined to be a slam-dunker...yet, I keep trying from my perch on the edge of the bed, hoping to land that 3-point shot.

I've come to the conclusion that this nightly routine has become the metaphor of my newly acquired journey in life. I head in the right general direction but land to either side of the path. Bogged down in the quaqmire, I shuffle my feet toward the path, hoping to walk more easily on my trek. If only I can correct the error of my shot. Wide right, wide left. Perhaps I should get a bigger basket.

The Fallacy of Ethics

2005-04-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

Three years. It seems like yesterday and forever all at the same time. Three years of educational lessons taught by the greatest teacher of all - Life. In the span of three years I've gone from being a viably employed, financially secure individual to one who barely makes enough to maintain the Government's definition of Financial Poverty. My outlook on life and people who used financial assistance programs and sought bankruptcy were, to be quite frank, negative. I knew that "some" people needed these programs legitimately, while "most" abused it. Well, that was then. I have used food stamps in order to eat. I've met people who struggle to make ends meet; often working two or more jobs to do so. A penny saved, is a food stamp removed. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I felt myself lucky; afterall, I hold a Master's degree and once connected with the right job, can step into a well-paying job. For many - minimum wage is the ticket. Never enough cash collected to save a buck or two. Not enough to take a college course. Never enough to improve yourself without an immense struggle.

For a year and a half, I had no source of income. What do you do when the rent comes due? Suddenly, you are faced with primal decisions - food for your belly, a roof over your head, or paying the phone bill. It doesn't take long before your savings account registers $0.00. Halfway through my three-year odyssey, I faced bankruptcy. Surely this Hell would end soon.

A year and a half and my eyes are opened - opened to the realities of what life is really like for those who are truly impoverished. A year and a half into this trek led me out of New Mexico and into Northern Florida. What can I say, it was February and it had just snowed a foot of snow. Warmth and lower utility bills were attractive things.

By April I landed a job teaching. I love teaching. Unfortunately, $15,000 dollars a year barely make ends meet. It's a step up from the first year and a half of this journey...yet still miserably small.

Three years have now passed into the obscurity of time. I still teach - it's a source of income. Though, I'm always searching. Searching for more. Searching for ways to feel fulfilled once again. I've dared to venture back into the creative realm, a place I used to reside in as a kid. A place, many friends say I reside in still. Why not, write? I'm giving it a shot. I'm attending a children's writing course. My instructor is a published author. I get raves about my children's writing. I receive nothing but rejections from magazines. Growing pains. A three year journey through brambles and thorns. Where is the light?

Today I finally compromised my environmental views. I sprayed the yard with toxic chemicals. North Florida is a haven for many varieties of insectile creatures, two of which are extremely annoying to human and animal alike - fleas and mosquitoes. Unlike other areas where I have lived, these aggravating bugs don't die in the winter. It's not cold enough. They simply multiply and hang out at your door waiting to mug anything that lives and breathes. Our dogs have been subjected to every natural form of insect repellent imaginable. It has turned into a vicious cycle of our dogs being hairless, to dogs with some to most of their hair, then back to hairless. If the fleas don't get 'em, the mosquitoes will. The dogs are miserable, and on my pay I cannot afford to spray nematodes or buy bats. I can afford toxic chemicals. I sprayed. Three years. After three years, my entire outlook on poverty and the reasons behind chemical use has drastically changed.

Three years. Like Odysseus, I yearn for the vessel that will take me home.