Making good Mondays is like making coffee -


The week is before us - like the coffee pot - waiting to brew. Making it good is a matter of choice, luck, creativity, patience and acceptance of the outcome.

Currently at Making Good Mondays

Active elements on this page: In the side bar you can find features of the day - a quote and NASA's image of the day. There are also active slide shows - Blogger Play, Life is Good and Spacey Shots. At the end of this column are a list of my regular Twitter updates and the current Reuters News In Pictures. Occasionally I will publish a new blog post, but I write mostly at other sites. Blogs where you can also find my writing:

Monday, August 31, 2009

Who said owls are wise? A reprise . . .

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(Date of original post - 7/12/06)


Who Said Owls Are Wise?

Who said owls are wise?

Is it that birds of size

Are better at thinking?

Maybe they are shrinking

violets. In day to day life,

shy and adverse to strife.


Their hoots make us trust

They know more than us.

The owl is a magnificent bird,

with a call like few I've heard.

It is a hoot - or a "who, who?"

Was he calling me or really you?


Mister Owl, my friend; I think you'd be wise

To make sure we look into those big eyes.

We know we must have two big ears as well,

'Cause we're shouldn't miss the tale you'll tell.

What can we learn from you if you're smart?

What will you say that we can take to heart?


References:

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Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Capture of the Landscape, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell


(Date of the original post - 8/6/06)



Capture of the Landscape


A landscape stays still so that the artist can capture it.

A drawing reduces the landscape to its simplest fit.

Photographers are not forced to catch human motion.

Painters capture multiple dimensions - landscape and emotion.


Sculptors carve out the ups and downs of valleys, hills and fiords.

Writers describe landscapes with evocative mental image words.

Memory plays tricks with capturing images of landscapes.

Childhood places may be distorted as clarity escapes.

The brain locates its storage for memory of place,

Separate from where we go for memory of face.


But we remember the most beautiful places we have ever seen,

Truly as gorgeous vistas with a look that is peaceful and serene.


Tags:

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Landscapes I love, a reprise


Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(Original date of this post - 3/10/06)


The Landscape Upon Which I Play

How blessed I am to have seen some of the earth's most beautiful places.

  • The Tetons in Wyoming-Majestic mountains rising out of a rather flat grassy landscape. Newer than most ranges, they are the climbers' goal.
  • The Grand Canyon in Arizona-Awesome chasm, myriad colors, almost unbelievable before your eyes. Carved by the Rio Grande way below.
  • Northern California's seacoast-The blue Pacific plays against the rocky cliffs. Painters try to capture it. But you must see it to believe it.
  • New England in the fall-Leaf colors so bright they make your eyes smile. Celebrate the end of the growing season with rustling sounds.
  • Cozumel in Mexico-Ancient ones built a holy place by the quiet Caribbean. Stone upon stone, with paths worn down by peasant feet.
  • The Capitol in Washington D.C.-Honor to our founders. Center for governance. Familiar architecture forms the People's Place to Meet.


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Mountain majesty, a reprise

(Original date of this post - 12/24/05)

There are major sensual advantages to growing up near mountains. Your eyes always have a beautiful horizon upon which to rest themselves. Chinook winds, rolling down from the mountains, can bring unexpected thaws of snow.

People, heated by too much summer, can go to the mountains for a cool evening and a warm fire. Tall pines make music as breezes pass through thick branches. The smell of pines remains imprinted years after the experience, only to be recalled by a beach side Christmas tree.

A mountain picnic on a checkered cloth never again will taste quite the same. Mountain thunderstorms boom with a grandeur unmatched on flatter terrain. Granite boulders feel cool to the touch on a summer day, because they spent the night in at cooler altitude. These memories stored by my senses are very precious to me.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Libraries -- too much taken for granted

Remember going to the library as a child?  If you did not have a card with which to check out books, the first step was to fill out the form that would convince the librarian you were capable of the responsibility of borrowing books.  Then the librarian looked at you with serious eyes and impressed it upon you again as you took home your first little stack of books to read.

Then it was just books; now it is all variety of media items that you can borrow.  Music, movies and other things from which to be entertained are also available.  All you need is the machine that plays it.  Libraries entertain and they inform.

And they help us stay connected.  I am writing this from a brand new beautiful public library where I am visiting.  I do not even pay taxes here, therefore I will leave a small donation.  This community is a small town where the library carries its weight as a part of its community. Like the residents here, I do not take this privilege for granted.

I am no longer a child who loved to read better than anything.  I am an elder who loves to write because I was a reader -- of borrowed books.  I owned only a few back then.  Now I own a lot of books and have not read all of them, taking for granted they will be there whenever I get the urge.  I do not value them as much, apparently.  But I know that I value the privilege of sitting in this borrowed library, writing what I want to all my readers.  What a universe this keyboard in a library opens up for me.  Too bad I can't borrow a book, too.

Posted via email from Southwest Postings

Dry Country - a reprise

The original date of this post was 1/25/06.

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell


Living With Drought

Skin cracks. Soil cracks. Dry maize crackles in the hot breeze. City folks and country folks alike talk about the weather. People watch the heavens or TV weather and opine about the future. We remember how much behind we are in the average amount of rainfall.

City folks wonder about water rationing, water rates and what to do about the yard. Country folks wonder about the livestock, the loans and the crops. Leaders wonder about available water resources because they can do nothing to make the rains come.

When rain comes folks stand outside and look towards the sky. We wonder how long the storm will last and when another will come. We remark about how good the air smells, and how the plants drink in the dropletts. Amounts need to be reported, dogs need umbrella service, kids need to play in the mud, cars need antilock brakes, and schedules need to be changed.

In the meantime we wait and look up.


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Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Senator Ted Kennedy, Uncle Teddy and the Lion of the Senate, is gone.

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) died last night, after a valiant battle with brain cancer. 
 
We will miss him tremendously.  He was someone who has been on my Favorites list since he ran for the Senate for the very first time.  I watched him go from the baby brother role to the role of the "Lion of the Senate."  There were many rough patches along his path that we all knew about.  When you are a Kennedy there aren't many secrets.  But he prevailed in each case except this one.
 
If health care reform prevails this year, through his inspiration, Senator Kennedy will have accomplished in death what he was notable to finish in life.  Obviously that would not be his entire legacy, but it would be a fiting tribute to his long decades of dedication to the health care cause.
 
More later as I gather my thoughts.

Posted via email from Southwest Postings

Song of the Windmill, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(The date of the original post was 3/14/06)

Photo:souldestine-at-cox.net



Cool, water. Cool, clear water. Water. .


remember the song sung by "The Sons of the Pioneers" so long ago.



Not a cowboy poet, I, but one who loves them. I write the

Song of the Windmill.

Sing the song of the windmill's whirring in the breeze.

Listen to the cattle stirring as they chew and graze

on thin grass blades. The herd's not long for this place,

Cause the drought is driving ranchers to leave at a pace

that surprises everyone. The empty tank is commonplace.

"Maybe next year," the neighbors tell each other to save face.


AeroMotor is the name up there. There are other makers too.

A good windmill will outlast a house, barn, and an old buckaroo.

The bad years go by. Then the good years bring in a new crew to

Try again. More cows graze now as the pasture green and new

Makes rich milk, and grows fat calves who rest in the lean-to.

"Next year," the neighbors tell each other, "the drought is through."


Copyright by Carol Gee, March 14, 2006


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Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Announcing the reprise series --


I often write about the state where I was born and raised, or about memories of my childhood, or associated subjects.

For the next few days I will be reposting pieces from the past as a "reprise" series. I have labeled them my "classics."

I hope you enjoy them all.


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Monday, August 24, 2009

August often means a hiatus.

A favorite kind of vacation for some people is a cruise.  I am one of those people.  Because I cannot go on a cruise this year, I am giving myself one with this fantasy image of the ship to Labadee.  There's nothing like it for laziness, luxury and languishing, which is what this old blogger needs.

August is often the month for trips, for getting the kids into school, for end of summer projects, or for "being on hiatus."  In my case I will be having a "lapse in continuity," as the dictionary defines the word.  Several of my blog friends are on vacation, and that sounds like a good idea.  Others are on "stay-cation," the latest economic "in" thing.  

So, I'll be back online in a few days.


Posted via email from Southwest Postings

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Being a newby at my age feels weird but OK.

It is as if I am a world traveler sitting at my keyboard, as I "visit" new web communities. And it is often that I feel I do not know the language they speak. I am a newbie at Posterous, at FaceBook, and at Twitter. And just like a kid going to Junior High for the first time, I am trying to watch others in order to learn the rules. It would be far too easy just to Google to find out the norms and rules. I resemble my husband who is reluctant to stop at a gas station to ask for directions. So I am content to tip my toe in the water before venturing out too far, observing others for clues.

My travels in blogworld began in 2005 when I began the blogs South By Southwest and Making Good Mondays. eventually picking up some regular commentors, to whom I replied. The extent of my socializing online was confined to reading and commenting at my "favorite's" blog sites. After a while I was invited to write at a number of group blogs: The Reaction, TPM Cafe, The Sirens Chronicles, and RegGage. A few months ago people started sending me links of interest, which I now post at Behind the Links.

Each of these virtual "communities" has turned out to be remarkably different. One might be warm and supportive, one all-business/all-news with minimal interaction, one edgy and posting good rants, one with growing pains - but very friendly. I write the same for all of them, but the comments are different. I am rarely interacting on Twitter, because I still feel like a newby, but that will change because a number of bloggers I know are now among those I follow. Facebook is set to "private" for friends, family and a few bloggers I know well.

A sense of belonging has developed over time. What is "my age?" I am 72 and not shy about that fact of my life. I am a cancer survivor which tends to make one just go out there and do it anyway. After all . . .

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Southwest Postings

Saturday, August 22, 2009

A few thoughts about the distortion of representational power of the "bipartisan" Senate negotiators:

Re Speaker Pelosi -- As follow-up to my Posterous bit Thursday here, courtesy of Michael J.W. Stickings' tweet, is a Bloomberg story on what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning when Congress comes back into session. To quote: "U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won’t be able to pass health-care legislation in her chamber if the measure doesn’t include a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers."

The only committee with work left to do is the Senate Finance Committee. What they are considering is some sort of nonprofit cooperative as the public option. The six "negotiators" planned to meet in Washington yesterday at 9:00 PM for about an hour and a half. These senators represent a very small number of the American people. Following are the 2008 estimated state population figures along with the percentage of the total U.S. population (source Wikipedia). The senators include:

  • The Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana, Est. pop: 967,440 - .31%)
  • Charles Grassley (R-Iowa, Est. pop: 3,002,555 -.98%)
  • Mike Enzi (R-Wyo, Est. pop: 532,668 - .17%)
  • Olympia Snowe (R-Maine, Est. pop: 1,316,456 - .43%)
  • Kent Conrad (D-N.Dakota, Est. pop: 641,481 - .21%)
  • Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mex., Est. pop: 1,984,356 - .64%)
That totals only 8,444,956 people or 2.74% of the total estimated population of the entire United States and its territories. By sheer force of numbers, not to mention politics, there is no way these six could be considered to be representative of all of us or our wishes.

Howard Dean has been unflagging in his optimism regarding the future of truly comprehensive health care reform that includes a public option. He has been seen smiling and firmly pro-reform on several TV news shows recently including Rachel Maddow on Thursday night. Rachel's tweet cited a recent poll supporting the public option that Dean referenced during his interview.

Posted via email from Southwest Postings

Friday, August 21, 2009

Recommending a number of trustworthy investigative journalists:

TPMMuckraker is one of the features at Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo. Here's an interesting example of the kind of good work Zachary Roth does: "In Testimony, Rove Hedged On Role in Siegelman Prosecution" (8/13/09).

Glenn Greenwald's "Unclaimed Territory" is at Salon.com. He was previously a constitutional lawyer and civil rights litigator in New York. On of a number of collaborators on big investigative stories, he is incredible bright and passionate and tells it like it is without blinking. Here's a recent good post: "John Brennan's dangerous national security advice" (8/14/09).

ACLU Blog of Rights - "Because Freedom Can't Blog Itself" is from the American Civil Liberties Union. Posts are about capital punishment, civil liberties, drug law reform, closing Guantanamo, free speech, government spying, human rights, immigrant rights, LGBT rights, racial justice, religion & belief, reproductive rights, torture and abuse, Supreme Court, voting rights and women's rights.

Secrecy News is a publication of the Federation of American Scientists. The FAS Project on Government Secrecy reports on new developments in government secrecy and provides public access to documentary resources on secrecy, intelligence and national security policy. It is written by Steven Aftergood. Here's a recent good story: "Information Sharing as a Form of Secrecy" (8/17/09).

Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler) writes at Firedoglake. Marcy is the very best at investigative digging, and is a widely respected member of the collaborators that do the major investigative work in the blogosphere. Here is a typically good piece of work (this time on Dick Cheney): "The crazy man above the garage" (8/18/09).

Spy Talk at CQ Politics is a daily blog by Jeff Stein. His slogan is "Intelligence for Thinking People." His post, "Interrogator:'Intolerance' Led to Torture" (8/11/09) is an example of his investigative work using good contacts.

The Washington Independent's "National Security" section features Spencer Ackerman, one of the most respected sources contributing regularly to the collaborative efforts mentioned above. His story, "U.S. Prepares for Questions of Legitimacy in Afghan Election" (8/18/09) is subtitled, "United States May Push Winner To Incorporate Losing Factions Into Government."

Wired: Threat Level is about privacy, crime and security online. David Kravets often writes the posts. This one by Kim Zetter is titled "Outspoken Privacy Advocate Joins FTC" (8/17/09). It is about Christopher Soghoian, an outspoken privacy advocate.

Suburban Guerilla is by former journalist Susie Madrack. Her slogan is "Keeping a jaundiced eye on corporate media." Featured as a moderator at the recent Netroots Nation Convention, she also writes for Crooks and Liars. Her post on Matt Taibbi's searing article on progressives and health care reform (8/18/09) is worth the read.

Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic is a prolific contributor to Twitter. I follow him. To conclude this post, this is one of his recent important linked articles, from which I quote fairly extensively:

A federal judge dealt a setback yesterday to the administration's ability to use information collected by intelligence agencies in Guantanamo prosecutions. In doing so, Judge John Bates weighed in on one of the core controversies of the cases -- the tension between the protection of intelligence sources versus the ability to make cases in federal courts. Bates told the government that it could not introduce evidence derived from a source whose identity cannot be disclosed unless there's some corrobarating evidence. And even if there is corroborating evidence, it'll be treated with a bit of suspicion.

Still, in this particular case, Bates rejected the habeas petition of detainee Shawali Khan . . .

To understand the ruling, understand this about the process: the government faces the burden of providing sufficient evidence that its initial detention was within the proper sphere of the government's detention authority as defined by Congress and the Supreme Court. If the government meets the burden, then the detainee has to convince the judge that the government is wrong.

. . . The government introduced at least three pieces of classified evidence where the identity of the source was not disclosed. If the court can't assess the reliability of an intelligence report because the source is shadowy, the government can't use the information to justify a detention.

Bates threw out four pieces of evidence out of eight. But the remaining evidence was sufficient to meet the detention burden.

Today's post is a roundup of some of the best investigative resources on the Internet. The way I collected them was by noticing how the authors references each others' work as they posted their stories. There is no better recommendation.


My all-in-one Home Page of websites where I post regularly: Carol Gee - Online Universe

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Posted via email from Carol's posterous

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The prospects look better-

The Nancy Pelosi news website for Twitter headlined, "Health Care Experts Emphasize That the Public Option is the Key to Health Care Reform."  I predict that Speaker Pelosi will be a key and powerful player in the current game of who blinks first.  She may not be the one who blinks at all.

President Obama and the Democrats are looking like they are soon going to be willing to go it alone, as the Republicans are all but unanimous with their collective "No!"s.  More later on this as the reality firms up.


Posted via email from Carol's posterous

Visual musings: a fresh start

One of the categories into which I sort the Making Good Mondays posts is called Visual Musings. Only 7 posts made it there in 2009. I have gotten away from that format, and my creative writing has suffered as a result. Today's post is an experiment in going back to my old format:

  1. Pick a picture to which you have an emotional connection or reaction
  2. Figure out what that is about in your mind.
  3. Write down those thoughts, either directly or obliquely as a post.
  4. Edit the post so that head and heart match, making authenticity your goal.

For today my visual musing is about this image:

Point Lobos, south of San Francisco, California.

I started as a landlubber, born and raised on the sagebrush western prairies, with mountains at my horizon. The water-ific abundance of the Pacific ocean could not be more different than scarce-water Wyoming. However, some things are the same.

The blue Pacific mimics the brilliant blue of Wyoming skies. Also there are mountains at the horizon in this image. The rocky coast is very akin to the Rocky Mountains, my original horizon markers.

It is also about the rocks. I grew up with a rocky outcrop not far from our place in the country. Though we had to watch out for rattle snakes, many of my fondest memories are about going to play "at the rocks." They represented a castle, a fortress, a house, an adventure. And today I take pictures of rocks, collect rocks - both tumbled and rough, and decorate my landscape with rocks. Here is a 2007 picture taken in Wyoming. It is called "Granite Fragments."

It is a picture that gathered several comments when I posted it on Red Gage. In fact shared photographs play a big part in the fun of social networking on the Internet. I have collections on Flikr, FaceBook, Picassa and several slide shows on most of my web pages.

Keeping these sites maintained takes a bit of work, but the results are worth the effort. It is a great way to share photos with the public and with friends and family. . .

. . . and to go back and enjoy them yourself.


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites. See "Behind the Links." for further info.

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Tweets twice told:

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...Image via CrunchBase

Following are some of my favorite tweets from the social website, Twitter. Enjoy!

"RT @JayAckroyd I continue to note despite what Baucus or Conrad says, there R 60 cloture votes, +more than 51 #hcr votes 4 a public option," included for her outstanding tweeting skill: kudos to Libby Spencer (8/17/09).

"Looking ahead, here are the most exciting cars coming in 2010" is from Time Magazine (8/17/09).

"The Funniest Signs From The Town Hall Protests (PICS)," is from The Huffington Post (8/17/09).

"About to engage in seat change negotiations with other passengers so each kid doesn't have to sit alone. Kids are unwashed which might help," is from a favorite journalist, John Dickerson (8/17/09).

"Hot, humid day here in Toronto. First tweet from iPod on wifi. Ain't technology great?," is from my editor at The Reaction, Michael J.W. Stickings, a very new tweeter (8/15/09).

"markknoller@GeeCarol agreed. we need to support newspapers" is from a rather recognizable White House correspondent (Mark Knoller), an answer that signifies the interactive fun of Twittering.

"This was taken from ISS as we were coming in to dock," is from Astro_127, Commander Mark Polansky (8/11/09).

"RT @joshtpm: Teabaggers say they wnt their country back. But Afro-Arab socialists have only had it 4 6 months. cnt they wait their turn?" is from Matt Cooper (8/8/09).

"Interesting," is from Senator Claire McKaskill (8/2/09). She liked a very edgy piece "What's Not to Like" in Newsweek by Jonathan Alter. His subtitle" "Reform? Why do we need health-care reform? Everything is just fine the way it is."

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

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Monday, August 10, 2009

How Bloggers Keep on Keeping On - 2


Introduction -- Posting has become lax here. I have no excuse; I only have ambivalent thoughts and feelings regarding the business of blogging. They include: feeling lack of inspiration or anxious to set down a new idea; totally confused or "getting it" very clearly, feeling aimless or focused, frustrated or calm, or bored or fascinated. Whenever that happens, writing is my solution. It always clarifies my thoughts and gets me into a more productive mood. But first I have to clean up my laptop in order to work.

As is my practice in such times, I have been working on my hard drive to speed it up and get rid of glitches. I ran full virus and malware scans. I deleted out hundreds of unnecessary files and de-fragmented my disk. I got rid of a bunch of old Emails from three different mailboxes (at Gmail and Yahoo! mail: public and private). I used the bookmark manager to delete duplicate or outdated bookmarks and favorites. I changed from the most readable font to the most efficient/faster typeface. To put it mildly, I "cleaned house" as if company were coming. And here you are. Note: The title link above is to a post I did last year on the same subject, but with a tone that focused on inspiration.

The Internet is so much better than when I started blogging in March of 2005. I still have the same computer, but the available programs have improved markedly. And I improved as a blogger. I have always switched among browsers. Mozilla Firefox has many features and is very flexible. Internet Explorer has improved, but is still too "basic" for my tastes. Google's Chrome is a very streamlined and lightning fast browser if you are in a hurry.

Where I blog -- I use different blog hosting services, as well. I started at Blogger. The ubiquitous Blogger developed a beta version that is now rich with features and widgets. It is much more powerful than ever. My Blogger sites are: South by Southwest (politics), Behind the Links (links from regular contributors), and Making Good Mondays (personal and creative). My Wordpress blog is called Southwest Progressive (stories on Texas, the space program and science). Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for all my websites. I have a private membership at Facebook and I post on Twitter.

Group blogging -- Also I have become part of several vibrant community/group blogs, each very different. The Reaction is edited by a Canadian, Michael J.W. Stickings, whose focus is on U.S. progressive politics. The Sirens Chronicles is a neat and edgy bunch of bloggers, mostly women who tell it like it is. TPM Cafe is my longtime blog website with a bunch of regular blogger-friends at Talking Points Memo, edited by Josh Marshall.

Conclusion-- So, how is this blogger keeping on ? I am trying to work smarter, not harder. The work keeps me fresh, I hope. I try to stay in touch with the vastly improved tools that make this free universe exciting and interesting. Associations with other bloggers keep me inspired and informed. I try hard to honor my commitments to them. My varied interests are served by a number of posting places, which also serve different audiences. And social networking is surprisingly fun.


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Saturday, August 08, 2009

Where my head is these days

To Do List --  8/8/09
answer Emails
clear bookmarks
clear old Emails
do scans
work on desktop

Use Chrome to delete dupes in SW-Prog, starting with page 21 of the tables.
 
Note: the actual date of this entry is 8/15/10

Monday, August 03, 2009

An homage to the dirt men --

People who move dirt for us are to be thanked for making the path before us smoother and more direct. We take their work for granted as we speed along superhighways or turn into our own driveways. We forget how much we depend on their work to make our lives easier and better.

The two dirt men in my life are my brother and my youngest son. My brother builds roads and my son finishes building lots. My brother works in the country and my son works in the city. They both played in the dirt as boys, building roads or mountains or forts. Now they can run all the machines in the yard.

From both come invaluable contributions to the greater good. They are careful and exacting workers, who move and smooth the earth so we can build something or go somewhere. Both are hard workers, finishing their deadlined projects in overtime or on the weekends. They rise early and stay late if necessary.

Dirt men face danger at times. They drive their big growling machines close to the edge. They dodge traffic, they avoid buried cables, and they tolerate irritated foremen or demanding inspectors. Their work on heavy equipment puts bones and joints and lungs at risk. One has good health insurance and the other has none.

My dirtmen are trustworthy. They can be left alone to do the job without supervision. After years and years of experience, however, neither wants to be a supervisor or foreman. "Been there; done that. No thanks." But each will give instructions, if asked or if necessary.

My dirtmen are self sufficient. Each knows how to cook and do laundry and repair their own vehicles. And my dirtmen are generous and thoughtful, often giving the best gifts under the Christmas tree.

Our families are lucky to have them in our lives. Today I honor them both. Thanks for everything.


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

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References on Spirituality -- Favorites from my old collection

  • "A Return To Love: Reflections On the Principles Of a Course In Miracles" by Marianne Williamson. Harper Collins, 1992
  • "A World Waiting To Be Born: Civility Rediscovered" by M. Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1993
  • "Chicken Soup For the Unsinkable Soul" by Canfield, Hansen and McNamara. Health Communications, 1999
  • "Compassion in Action: Setting Out On the Path of Service" by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush. Bell Tower Pub., 1992
  • "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain. MIF Books, 1978
  • "Finding Values That Work: The Search For Fulfillment" by Brian O'Connell. Walker & Co., 1978
  • "Fire in the Soul" by Joan Borysenko. Warner Books, 1993
  • "Further Along the Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1993
  • "Guilt Is the Teacher, Love Is the Lesson" by Joan Borysenko. Warner Books, 1990
  • "Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways To Regain Peace and Nourish the Soul" by Elaine St. James. Hyperion, 1995
  • "Insearch:Psychology and Religion" by James Hillman. Spring Pub. 1994
  • "Man's Search For Himself" by Rollo May. Signet Books, 1953
  • "Mythologies" by William Butler Yeats. Macmillan, 1959
  • "Myths, Dreams and Religion" by Joseph Campbell. Spring Pub. 1988
  • "Passion for Life: Psychology and the Human Spirit" by John and Muriel James. Penguin Books, 1991
  • "Peace Is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hahn. Bantam Books , 1991
  • "The Heroine's Journey" by Mureen Murdock. Random House, 1990
  • "The Hope For Healing Human Evil" by M. Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1983
  • "The House of Belonging" poems by David Whyte. Many Rivers Press, 2004
  • "The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" by M.Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1978
  • "The Soul's Code: In Search Of Character and Calling" by James Hillman. Random House, 1996
  • "The World Treasury of Modern Religious Thought" by Jaroslav Pelikan. Little, Brown & Co., 1990
  • "Unconditional Life" by Deepak Chopra. Bantam Books, 1992
  • "Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Hyperion, 1994
  • "Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice" by Thich Nhat Hahn. Doubleday Dell Pub. Group, 1974

About Me

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A retired counselor, I am equal parts Techie and Artist. I am a Democrat who came to the Southwest to attend college. I married, had kids and have lived here all my adult life.