Meeting of Great Minds -- old band members

The Might Marching Panther Band of Murphy High School gathered together for the first time in years. It was limited to students who were under the direction of Larry Keating and the late E B Coleman on May 5. 2012. We honored Larry Keating by gifting a frame of memories, visiting, and sharing wonderful stories from “way passed when.” When I tell you “way passed when”: that would be a time when a lot of some things were considered teenage mischievousness and not illegal acts like they are now. It was truly an adventuresome weekend to say the least. Now done to business! The planners of the first meeting were unorganized. We learned; that is Regina, Maurissa and I realized that we needed help and a lot more people to be involved. So Maurissa and I realized that Regina is the best organized of the three of us, we sort of appointed her leader—president official of the 1st ever Murphy Band Alumni (only under the direction of Larry Keating and E B Coleman.) Why these two men? Why now and why them? That would be what many would ask. To quote Dr. David Crump (while looking at picture of Larry Keating shouting at band students in Ladd Stadium, “Don’t mill around with head down like a bunch of cattle!”

He is correct. We had to look forward to something and look up. That is why each and everyone I have shared the band experience with over 90% are really very rich in self esteem and successful in their own right! We have all done that, looked up for something because we are something spectacular. It may have taken some of us longer to get there but we did it. To quote Kevin J Conlon, VP of Academic Affairs at the Columbus College of Arts and Design, “We were a great band!” Being great at something means we are only as good as we were taught and to be the best you have to have great leaders. We had the best – both the economically affluent and the economically challenged. Our shoes where white as white as our gloves and our hat brims had to be the reflection of ourselves, confident, clean, and to command a performance of superior. I am not saying we were perfect by any means. We were down-right dangerous in most cases! But as I have realized in putting together the memories and finding the people, I find nothing negative so far. Oh I sure there are negative things but I have not looked for them. It has always been my nature in the past to look for the sour, the sorted, and the negative things in most people but why not this group of people? When I go into searching for the missing, I see something special, a common bond, a uniform to wear, and an emotional warmness. We are all politically diverse, different religions, and so many different professions. Even though I try to avoid coming into any contact with my ex-sister-in-law (because of familial reasons) I find myself thinking of her with a little caring compassion, fondly of that rifle captain whom I practice 10 hours of rifle twirling and tossing with to get it right. Oh the aches and the pains we experienced. I also have met some band members that were there before and after I graced those Spanish walls of Murphy High School. I have also been made privy to some very special hopes and dreams, illnesses, and death. I have discovered three band members deceased so far; two that I shared the news with just earlier today. One former student had no idea that our former band directors (Larry Keating) eldest son had passed away, Alan. It does sadden me to think that the world will never realize just what a great musician he really was. But it doesn’t have to end there. Another one was Carmen Garriz Longino (sister to Patricia Garriz) passed away from a lengthy illness and then the untimely sudden death of Joanne Scruggs. But all in all we were special. Not in an angelic way either but in a humanism type realistic way to question, was it real? We really didn’t stick to our own world either. Larry Keating and E B Coleman dared themselves to venture to other countries with us. They led us to the Netherlands, Mexico, Disney World, and other great places all across the south including a performance at the Super Bowl in the “then new” Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. What happened to us all? We grew up. We left the famous halls and went out into the world to see suffering, pain, happiness, work, blood, gore, guts, death, and all the wonderful things that our young people today very seldom can escape at such a young age. We are now a collective group of homemakers, husband, wives, widows, widowers, divorcees, life-long partners, doctors, painters, students, musicians, educators, professors, scientists, entrepreneurs, conductors, business men, business women, technology specialist, nurses, stylists, brokers, surgeons, geologists, photographers, missionaries, appraisers, engineers, conductors, veteran political activists, food managers, insurance adjusters, therapists, food workers, bankers, lawyers, writers, communication specialist, media specialist, real estate agents, architects, and so much more. We are society that once touched each other’s life. These are the people, even though thru a brief moment in history, gave something to a group they happened to bond with. In learning that lesson, they learned to give of themselves throughout life and that is what makes a successful person. These are the richest people in the world. Richer than any sports ball player could ever have it, these were musical talents and performing artists who won life on their terms and conquered. When we meet again, and we will, we will walk away like before feeling wonderfully charged to have been associated with each other at one time or another. We will go back to our lives and give more of ourselves because that was what we were trained today by Larry Keating’s direction and E B Coleman’s enforcement. Oh our parents had a helping hand in there, but these two men will always be considered special to us when our parents weren’t looking. For the future: I would personally like to see the collective group gather and hopefully form a permanent association for the advancement of at least one person a year. That is correct. There is at least one musician that can follow us and that we can see after to become something wonderful. We can give just a little bit more of ourselves. We can start a scholarship fund for a needy musical artist from the Murphy High School Band. I met Stan Chapman, the current band director. Even though he is not our Larry Keating or E B Coleman, he teaches with such a conviction that he too would be a hard act to follow. I also met a few of his band members and they had that “ego” look of greatness in their eyes. In speaking with Alexis Gould Beegle today, she mentioned him in fondness as a dedicated teacher of music. Bobby Keating and Larry Keating spoke of him as a respected colleague and in very high regards as have other former members who have watched the band from afar. Since this scholarship was suggested when we first met on May 5th this year, it will be placed on the table next year with many more of us to make a decision. There is already an E B Coleman scholarship fund from what I understand. Larry Keating stated that when he meets with his band group in Florida, they are thinking about starting a scholarship fund in the name of his old band director. I had to ask if his old band director was still living. Larry replied, “Why yes he is!” (When he answered he had a smile on his face.) According to Larry, he is up there in age. So ladies and gentleman, get ready. Open your hearts. We are going to make a difference in a life for at least one young person to become leaders among leaders like us in society—but to their own tune!

Book Review "Why Read"

Review of Mark Edmundson’s Why Read? “Why should I read? I do not understand the majority of what I do read.” That is a bold opening line for an essay. That was me when I was 29 years old, pregnant, stuck in bed by my physician, watching limited boring television until someone brought me a grocery bag full of all types of paperbacks to read. I learned to read and step outside that “societal box.” The “societal box” is the old custom of the way a southern woman was supposed to be – wife and mother. [Fast forward] the time is 2011 and I have just finished reading Mark Edmundson’s Why Read? It is a very interesting book about why students should read, comparing the educational knowledge and wisdom of the Liberal Arts reader to other professions, interpretations, instructional methods, and more. It is an over-whelming book that I cannot agree with wholeheartedly. I also think this book is too long winded, repetitive, and lacking in the real support of individualism—after all reading is part of life in every aspect whether or not a person is 6 years old or 76 years old. It is humanly impossible for an average human being not to read once they get past the age of 6 years old. (Keep in mind that will always be exceptions to this rule.) It is important not to confuse plain reading with comprehension. Reading, though, is a second nature to every single person able to do so. In this book, I honestly feel that, Edmundson wanted to convey that if we do not read, how can we learn about ourselves—our likes and dislikes in life? (5) This is a great notion that does not pertain to gender, race, culture, religion, or sexual orientation; reading is equally open to all persons. I feel that the core to his argument is the value of liberal reading – such as in a liberal arts program. These are the types of curriculum that train many a collegiate student to go out and take their place in the world with an avant-garde wisdom, dogma, or training needed to be prolific in today’s society—almost in any area. If that being the core of his argument, I am not so sure I agree with it. In the summer of 2002 and summer of 2011, Hardwick Day conducted a study (2700 person telephone interviews) exploring the “lasting effects of college in such areas as career preparation and advancement, skill development, development of personal and professional values and attitude, and community involvement.” (Salem College) Key findings: 1. 75% of Liberal Arts degree people rated excellent compared to 53% of other graduates 2. 70% of Liberal Arts degree people benefited from a highly-qualified teaching-oriented instructor, compared 63% of private and 40% public universities 3. 88% of Liberal Arts degree stated there was a sense of community among students compared to 79% of private and 63% public universities. (Salem College) These results just support other surveys previously conducted that state; the students are happiest and more successful in Liberal Arts Programs, because it gave them an edge in writing and speaking. This was compared to other degree programs not in a humanities type development. (Salem College) I do not agree with this is because of the actual value of the education that a younger person might receive. I am not speaking of financial value but an emotional value of appreciation in literature beyond the collegiate levels. In this book, I did not make a connection other than through the economic, the “pocket book.” It is true general knowledge that there will always be a certain amount of students who will not choose to take a liberal arts program because of the reading. These types of jobs will be in the industry of computers, finance, technical/medical support staff, or some type of science related industry. But will these individuals be opting out to get a good dose of learned wisdom as Edmundson implied? (10-11) Drawing on personal experience, there is not a guarantee with any educational training that a student will be the wiser for having taken it even if they happen to excel to become degreed. For example, just because a doctor is a learned person, doesn’t make them a good doctor or a wise doctor. The same interpretation can be made about nurses, lawyers, judges, teachers, social workers, anthropologists, or police officers. Edmundson did not make any relative point about what is the difference between a liberal arts student reading a Jane Austen novel in a freshman collegiate literature class compared to a nurse reading Jane Austen when they are middle aged? The student may be prompted to compare the characteristic fiber with her own self-discovery for a paper grade. The nurse may approach the characters with her own self-discovery in an imaginary sense. I am assuming that it would be highly unlikely that either reader would spend any quality time to research the actual author since she has become a Hollywood iconic type figure. Both readers would learn that this Jane Austen book was written during a period of romanticism about the English entitled and a slight mixing of the social classes generally in a country side setting. The overall balance obtained would be equal – both being the better for having read it. It doesn’t necessarily mean that either of them is wiser than the other because of the reader’s ages. There also will be people who just do not want to choose a liberal arts program for whatever reason—that are perfectly suited for the profession they have entered into—with the utmost wisdom. Another area of this book that was attractive and a bit comical was pertaining to instructional methods. In a class last summer (that I took), the instructor wrote something along the lines in his syllabus that he will not debate creationism in any sense with any student because this is an anthropology class. “In other words, we teachers strike an unspoken agreement with religion and its dispenser. They do their work, we do ours.” (23) This basically begins the passage “The World According to Jerry Falwell.” Edmundson is correct in his summation, however, someone (from personal memory) forget to tell that to the late Brother Falwell that religion, education, and politics does not make for a happy camper! One word that I feel that Edmundson should have used in addressing religion is objectivity. This should have been enforced with the argument that it is okay to feel the way you do whether other people agree with you or not. I personally do not think this is stressed in educational literature enough. This type of humanities cultivation is imperative regardless of the degree path---something that Edmundson doesn’t stress at all in Why Read? I concur with Edmundson about “Religion is the right place to start a humanities course, for a number of reasons….” (25) One thing that I learned from a Religion 101 class and a class called Mysticism in America (both humanity type classes) is to question our own beliefs and how we came to feel about the way we did. It doesn’t mean that you doubt the word of God. These types of classes without the assistance of people like Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, Jimmy Swaggart, or Joel Osteen can encourage a person (regardless of their age) to research their spirituality, to re-examine ideals, and question about historically religious physical findings with the written Biblical word. It can enhance a person’s (like it did me) understanding of why they are a Christian. It helped me to understand that there are underlying Biblical messages that God really wants us to question our faith with every decision we make in life and how we live our lives. Being well read in philosophies of religions can also help us gain a greater respect for other cultures as well. Edmundson covered a lot of this in his book. The “Final Narratives” section is appealing because of the “what if’s” type question that Edmundson suggests to his students. This section is like the great age of exploration. “I ask about how they image the good life. I ask, sometimes, how they picture their lives in ten years if all turns out for the best. I want to know what they hope to achieve in politics, in their professions, in family life, in love.” (27) The instructional method for reading at this point is vitally important because it details the student’s imagination and gets them to formulate specific feeling of where they are now and tend to be within a specific time period. For each time an instructor questions a student (unless the student has cauliflower for brains) the “brain” is thinking, which enhances the leads to a prompt for writing in a literary type method. “The objective is to help students place their ultimate narratives in the foregrounds and open themselves up to influence.” (137) There is so much that can be related when combining religion and spirituality with sociology, history, psychology, ethics, economics, and sciences that many scholars just do not actuality understand in their collegiate academics. However, Edmundson did not state this evidently; he stated repetitious examples of great authors and the meaning of how they felt on how reading would improve (empower) the average student; the examples do not necessarily connect these areas as a whole. Just because Edmundson gives us an academic explanation, doesn’t mean we are going to understand it. “So far Emerson has made the process of human expansion seem almost automatic, as though it were a matter of natural evolutionary force.” (29) Really! I always thought that we are born, grow, and grow older, return close to helplessness like we were at birth and die. Is that not evolutionary? I, like so many, learn that in literature but 5th or 6th grade science. The soul has nothing to do with this. I am sure that in the 1800s when Emerson wrote it might have been a discovery but in 2011 – oh woo! A student studying Emerson (with this natural evolutionary force) would possibly have the tendency to yawn and fall asleep.

Students who fell asleep in a basic literature class at a North Carolina Technical College. Emerson would have good use to teach future educators to instruct their students the elements for comprehension of historical literature. It is really nice of Edmundson to mention all the great poets and philosophical writers, but is it wise to loan so much to the historical expression and less to the current manner of literature. I am not referring to the word “Pop” or even “pop-culture.” (128) (Pop is not literature but a soda that goes right through you!) One of the considerable awakenings for me in liberal arts or Why Read? is the now compared to then. 20th Century literature “which is more and more taught at universities, usually cannot offer such prospects.” (130) Is the author telling us that Toni Morrison cannot be as effective as Emerson? Does a literary writer need to have written more than 100 years ago to be great? I feel as if on pages 128 to 136 is short changing the intellect of many. Yes it is true that “unlike Faulkner, King did not write ‘works of universal human significance.’” King sure did make a lot of money as a writer and there are several of his books worth looking at in a literary sense. Examples such as Delores Claiborne or Coffey on the mile had a tremendous amount of self discovery as well as being just well written books. Delores Claiborne offered the question of “how far would a mother go to protect her child?” Coffey on the mile is about consequences and actions in a series of books. It eventually became incorporated in the movie Green Mile. If a student walked away “unsatisfied” after reading King then the teacher must have lacked the “universal” insight of “human significance” to be able to teach the valuable form of that author. (133) Teachers should be attentive more so to the current century of literature that would catch the attention of their students. After all what is the purpose of this book? It is to get students to read, to be able to write about their reading experiences, to get them to study and question about themselves, and to learn. The most prepared instructor (or school system) should be able to compromise on their choice of good reading material. For example: if students are going to read a Shakespearian play then they also need to read Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile and other Plays. I agree with Edmundson that students “need to know what’s worth taking seriously, and what’s a noisy diverson.” (134) Television made movies also shouldn’t by any means intimidate educators but enhance their methods. A great example of this is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, William Faulkner’s Long Hot Summer, Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Homer’s Troy, Sir Thomas Malory’s Lancelot of the Lake, or Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. This is where Edmundson on page 135 should have had an imagination and said “hey look at this method of teaching” which he failed to do. I have actually sat down and read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I am so glad that I did because it gave me a chance to discuss it with my friends, certain family members, and my children who were all buffs of the movie. Since then many of my friends have read the book to get a greater understanding and are glad they read it. Edmundson doesn’t realize or may not want to cover the subject of “spoon feeding literature” to students. The most insights that I gained from this book is when Edmundson included Orwell (a great literary genius in my opinion) and his essay about Charles Dickens in this book. (96) I like Orwell because he is “dark” in his styles of literature. I have to admit, I have never read Charles Dickens (until recently) and I hope to never read him again after completing Hard Times in another class. I have to say, I now loathe Dickens. I have to agree with Edmundson’s interpretation of Orwell that Dickens really lacked imagination. (97) My point is not every student, reader, or literary critic is going to get the same appreciation of a book as another. If Edmundson thinks that the proper teaching method to awaken the inner self of all students, then this is a great pep-talk book for humanity teachers but far from being 100% realistic. Why read? should have basically stuck to the 4 variables (principles) as to why people do or should read: 1. Academic, 2. Entertainment, 3. Academic Entertainment, and 4. Personal appeal. (8) Instead he elaborated on those principles and stretched the information into 146 pages of useless banter. An instructor in tune with teaching their students and the subject matter objectively – should be about obtaining the knowledge from the students after reading any work—regardless of the matter. Students who obtain a liberal arts degree may very well in fact be more content with themselves for having done so, but not all students are wiser for it. Not all students can handle this type of course load for the reading requirements (as I have stated earlier.) Not all students are cut the same and this is why I disagree with some of the subject matter that he is trying to convey. If teachers would like to learn how students feel about the material that they read, then let them read, let them discuss, let them write about their experiences with the material. Previous opinions of a subject matter are important, but not necessarily that of the student reader who may see things differently than Orwell or Edmundson and for that matter even me. Freud, in my opinion, should be kept out of literature interpretation, because he is a skeleton, an outdated father of psycho analysis. Finally let us not make our literature a thing of the “deep dark psyche” that everyone should have an epitamy of self discover, because humanly speaking why should we. From personal experience in my BLS (Bachelor of Liberal Arts Studies) the easiest was to get a student to read is to present the material and a series of questions. If a student has a problem with this, then maybe the student shouldn’t be in those types of classes. My son is one of those students who would be totally lost in a Liberal Arts program, but my daughter would thrive on it. Does this stop my son from reading? No it does not. He gains extreme personal insight from technical reading and or audio books. If Edmundson would have really thought about all of this, the ultimate introduction for literature is in the earlier grades (as I have stated.) It should be spoon fed slowly to build up an appreciation. By the time these students reach collegiate level, they will be thoroughly trained and read. They will have obtained variant degrees of wisdom and knowledge. Then they can make better choices about what types of careers to choose from and how their character was formed by this type of method. Edmundson’s ideas were similar to mine but with the overwhelming amount of information in his book (Why read?). It was hard to differentiate and absorb. It was geared mainly toward the college levels only which is why I did not totally agree with him. Works Cited Edmundson, Mark. Why Read? Bloomsburg: New York. 2004. Salem College, Liberal Arts Program Study. Hardwick Day: North Carolina. 2002, 2011. Web 23rd November 2011. http://www.salem.edu/news/study-reveals-graduates-of-salem-and- other -liberal-arts-colleges-feel-better-prepared-for-lifes-challenges

A true mentor.

As an adult and parent at 52 years old, I realized that I had never had a vacation with either of my children. This year, I had finally made up my mind that I will take one but with a purpose. I was returning to my hometown. The high school band that I was a member of for [about] 3 ½ years was having a gathering, a reunion. We were honoring a mentor—a very special person, our band director. Only he didn’t know it at the time—Larry Keating. I had once asked his son, Bobby, “Were we really bad students that gave him a hard time?” “Yes” according to Bobby. Well he is correct! We did give him a tremendous of difficulty but no more than we probably would have given our parents. Come to think about it, yes we gave him more difficulty than our parents ever knew about. I started to think, how did Larry Keating survive? There were many lovely faces there; it was like seeing a great wine mixture that had fermented to perfection with age. I looked collectively at years of growth. There were also many missing from this past weekend which some have passed on and some were just unable to attend. But I happened to think about what Walt Whitman had written about Lincoln having his worth in his pocket; a man’s worth is what is in his pocket when he passes from this place to the next. I would like to take it one step further. A man may not have much in his pocket, but it was how the man lived his life. Our memories will die with us and we will take them beyond unlike our physical possessions. Larry was a band director with an associate E.B. Coleman. He directed and E.B. followed through—almost like a god-father would in the Mafia. Larry directed a correction and E.B. Coleman had a board that went across the “butts” of America. We had to respect our uniform, our band, our school, our city, our country and then ourselves. It only took one “pop” and a dare for another before we understood and he would dare us not to cry. We received that message in the deepest sense of the word that registered in our brain whole-heartedly. The lessons we learned was self esteem. Then pretty soon, after the end of the 1st showing, we had an ego—there was no one greater than us with the belief we could do anything we wanted. To put together the ideal show, Larry would have us meet a while as a music instrumental section (like the trombones, trumpets, flutes, etc.) Then we met as wood winds and brasses; then as a whole. Our performance had to be perfect precision because it was detailed which was marked to the beat of the music. I had learned like many others, anything worth doing is worth doing well. Not having a totally functional home life, those actions and words of Larry Keating haunted me when things were really bad for me because of illnesses. I had come to a period in my life that I couldn’t realize tomorrow. Larry came to me and I could see his hands clap and tell me “again until you get it right.” He was a mentor that touched so many and I realized that his purpose in life (that God afforded him) was to motivate many. He did just that! His words from the 70s motivated me to continue living and make a change toward the better. So I was a little late in doing so. Now I am not putting this man too high on pedestal, because God moves in mysterious ways. He is human like the rest of us. He just motivated us to be the best we could be. This is the best lesson that a child could learn. It is a lesson that last a life time. These are the lessons that many speak about “it takes a community to raise a child.” Larry Keating helped to raise more than his fair share of about a 1,000 or more children. What is even greater, he is a live, living and will live more through the eyes of so many. He was our mentor, honorable to us. Today, the big question on the table is “where is the E.B. Coleman Board?” It was the board that touched more butts in America than a standard pair of pants. The board is trophy that should be displayed in the Halls of Murphy High School in Mobile, Al. We knew not the board of E.B. Coleman except with Larry Keating direction in the rising of more than 1,000 children. EBC rest in peace and Larry—thank you.

Sleeping in class or not? That is the question

My latest job is substitute teaching for major independent school district. It is not an easy job to step into a teachers position. Since employed I have substitute taught for 6 classes. Of the six classes, I have had 2 really bad, 1 mediocre, and 3 great experiences.

It did not realize how hard it was to substitute teach until I stepped in front of those students and in most cases in a wheel chair. Let me start off by saying, I want to apologize to all teachers and substitute teachers I ever gave a hard time to. If I did this, I should have had my "shiny hiny kicked!"

My last experience really surprised me most of all. My allergies were bothering me when I woke up that morning. I couldn't even put my make up on. I was swollen really bad but couldn't call out because I was committed and there was a teacher depending on me. During the showing of a video, I had closed my burning eyes. I then proceeded to do some stretching and jerking exercises because my neck was really hurting, not to mention the head-ache I was having. I moved my neck forward and tensed my muscles, back and to the side. Held them and stretched in place. I heard the giggles. I noted a little "gurggling" which I do sometimes, when I am not feeling good. I just hoped that no one was watching me for fear of students making fun of an old lady in a wheelchair. Of course, I had a feeling they heard and watched. They giggled. I popped off and stated "What did I snore?" Bad comment on my behalf.

At the end of the day when I signed out, the principal (or v-principle) showed me a picture that a student had snapped of me with their cell phone. What must they have thought? It wasn't even a good picture. She told me it would probably end up on the web. I told the truth about my allergies and the stretching due to my arthritis. After I left the school, I then realized how it might have looked to the seniors in the classroom -- the noises, the eyes shut, the movement of my head not to mention the smart comment I made about snoring.

I came home and wrote a short letter to my HR recruiter. I realized that even though it was against the rules for the student to do what they did, I didn't feel that it warranted the student getting into trouble. (Something I should have said in the school office but didn't. I was also remembering a student who was suspended for taking the same type of picture earlier this year of a sub-teacher sleeping in class.)

Students make dumb mistakes thinking they are doing the correct thing. We shouldn't discourage the students for correcting a situation they perceive as wrong. The problem is should they break the rules to correct a situation? Depends on the situation. In this case I do not know the outcome of what happened to the student who took my picture. I know they should be counseled with but to punish no.

Apparently a parent reported it to the school, which they should. But regardless, I am an honest person and hope that all will be well by Monday. I know now it is harder for me to be a substitute than I thought. I learned a really great lesson, that I am not as "cool" as I think I am and I have to watch everything I do in front of those students.

Oprah, Dr. Phil, Donahue, Maury et al

I have never been a big watcher of talk shows. Some men and women really like those types of entertainment, but personally speaking it is just not my thing because these types of shows very seldom have a follow up and are generally one-sided. ~BUT~ at 6am this morning, I found myself watching an older version of the Dr. Phil show from 2006. It covered teachers who are harassed by their students.

I listened intently to a teacher who had lost her contract because more than 10 years ago she made 2 porn films and was into drugs and alcohol. Some students had run across this film and were making it a public issue. The point of facts covered were (a) there was nothing in her pre-employment hiring process that covered something of this nature, (b) she is not the same person then as she is now, and (c) all her job reviews have been excellent. The teacher explained how wrong she was then and how her life was such a mess. She now is a mother and no longer interests in drinking or drugs. She, also, does not participate in any type of pornographic interest for more than 10 years. Yet she is being punished for bad choices as an extremely young adult. The audience voted and more than 60% of the audience didn’t find a problem with her teaching their children in a teen setting.

It was pointed out that the teens, had brought this film forward were not sanctioned because of the law. It is illegal for minor to own or possess pornography.

I am going out on a limb. Would you allow a teacher who had turned their lives around teach your children? Would you allow a teacher who made a “one-time” mistake teach your children?
[Again, I am going out on a limb.] I know, personally, in my life-time, where a teacher has made such a mistake. To my knowledge this mistake was an isolated one-time incident to where this teacher lost this license. That incident happened more than 20 years ago. To answer the question, yes! I would allow this teacher to teach my teenage children. Why because he taught me honorably and was a great role model who made a judgment error.

If I knew a teacher (such as the teacher who made the ‘porn video’) who had changed their life style around for the better, who wanted to teach my children, would I allow it? In a heart-beat! Why?

Teenagers need to see that in our lives we fall down. They do not often see the fall down aspect of their parents. We parents often keep our failures and disappointments to ourselves. However in today’s society it is easy not to financially succeed in most cases; this is a different type of “failure” –which is the loss in the ability to 100% care for our children like we did when they were born.

The best lessons in life are from examples. People make mistakes all the time, it is how we correct, change, and start fresh. “Once forgiven, the sin is washed away, and we begin fresh and new!” Is this not the christianly manner that Jesus would advocate? Have to bring Jesus into this because is this not the behavior that society should take, especially those being a self-professed Christian?

Depending on the circumstances and if we have all the facts, we cannot judge people on a social basis. We can only judge people in the confines of the legal system and that is only with all the facts being present and heard in an objective manner. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the only Christian alternative period.

Listen to my advice, for whatever it is worth—do not be a hypocrite! In the case of many school boards and their judgments of hiring and firing teachers, “hardening of the arteries” has set in as elective officials. Why is there not a parent board for that a school for that nature teacher ratings? Parents do have the ability and more exposure to teachers more than most of the school boards or even their school supervisors. After all are we not the employers of these teachers? For that matter, are we not the employers of the school boards too? I for one am glad my children are past this age.

Buyer Beware

“Buyer Beware” Part 2

Follow up on ‘PENDING CHARGES’

Well I have been proven wrong and glad to be proven wrong by U-haul.

On March 20th, (today) I received a comment on my last noted article from Alison with U-haul. The matter was taken care of. As of later this afternoon, I had my $91.00 and some change credited to my Bancorp Bank card.

It takes one person to correct a situation. I am so very blessed that Alison with U-haul accidentally ran across my blog. I am equally as blessed that she was a conscientious American Humanitarian to take the time and correct a situation that means I can get a few simple things in life like toilet paper, a gallon of milk, peanut butter, non-dairy creamer, tooth paste and aspirins. It will also mean, I have enough gas money to get to that job interview next week.

In return, I will (even though I have not been asked) THANK U-haul today for having such a caring employee. She needs to be noted as such. I will also go one step further, I will pray for Alison that God forever remembers the wonderful deed she did in getting my needs met. She is truly an angel.

Buyer Beware

Hind-sight is better than Fore-sight!

How many times have you heard that in your life time? It was generally a well heard term in our home growing up. Well here is a hard lesson in life to learn and realize that you have learned it.

In this economy, never ever use a bank card that you have for a reservation.

I was in the process of moving while filing for my taxes at the same time. I felt it would be easier for me to get my tax return on one of those Intuit-TurboTax Cards. I read all the disclaimers, disclosures, and “dark gray” areas to make sure it was on the up and up. My relationship with Intuit-TurboTax is fairly new, about three years old. This is the first year they have offered this debit card – to my knowledge. I chose it. BIG MISTAKE!

On March 1st, I reserved over the internet an Uhaul truck. $1.20 was run to make sure the card was good (which has happened to me before). On March 2nd, I picked up the truck on March 2nd and my card was run again for the cost plus 20-30% (which also has happened before). This hold came to about $91.00 and some change. General rule of thumb, ladies and gentleman this is a common practice with credit card companies – it is called “CHARGES PENDING.” It is an authorized hold that generally drops off after 5 – 10 working days. I have never seen one held after 5 working days.

When I turned the truck in on March 3rd, I paid cash for the entire bill. It came to about $77.00 and some change.

On the 5th working day, I called Uhaul customer service to discuss this matter with them. That was March 9th. A gentleman that answered the phone with their customer service department was most helpful. He was sending an e-mail to the “charge department” in the corporate offices to have this matter taken care of. It would be resolved as earlier by drop off by Monday.
On March 12th, I checked the bank account. It hasn’t been removed. I started calling and found out that from Bancorp Bank, Inc. most of all holds are held up to 60 days and they reserve the right to do so because Uhaul Corp., okays it. I got Uhaul Corp on the phone via a three way call with Bancorp Bank. Bancorp gives us a list of requirements to have the hold drop as well go into their spill with Uhaul Corporate Offices. The Uhaul representative tried to correct the Bancorp representative on the different types of authorized holds and what they were looking at was not that type of hold. A (2nd) email/fax was sent and Bancorp verified that the hold was no longer valid. But it wasn’t corrected according to the bank when I checked.

I asked to speak to the person with the bank that said it was incorrect. I was denied that the hold was dropped because “They (the holds) are authorized by the security department and the information cannot be release to me or to them because of security purposes but it is incorrect. We need to resend the information all over again.”

A 3rd e-mail/fax was sent. It was verified as being received. But I was told “security is not going to release the funds for an undisclosed matter.”

I asked, “OH? What is the reason? I want to speak with the people or department who made the decision.”

I was told, (this is really good),

“Ms. Burns, you cannot talk to that department. It is security. They do not talk to the general public. They will not tell me why it was denied, because of security reasons. I do not have access to that information. No one does, not even you Ms. Burns because of security purposes. Your money will be getting released in 60 days. “ (Is Bancorp Bank part of Homeland Security?)

I spoke with more than 7 customer service agents with the bank, not one looked at my account before they started quoting policy to me. I finally got hold of someone who was with customer service who advised me that, fraud division generally handle pre-paid services, and she transferred me over to them. While I held for 45 minutes as called number 13, a recording came on the phone that they had closed for the day. Their normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Eastern Standard Time.

I filed a complaint with the Federal Reserve that will take 60 days to investigate. I wrote Uhaul Customer Service an e-mail. I called the president of Intuit and e-mailed Intuit. I have sent a total of 6 or 7 e-mails to Bancorp Bank. I even sent an e-mail to VISA International to see if they can define and teach “PENDING” to Bancorp. I have spent a total of 8 - 12 man hours on this project. I have held on the phone 4 of those 8 hours. I have been hung up on three times. This has made be physically ill.

Today marks the 10th business day. No money has been released and no phone call has been made to me. No one has apologized for this practice. I will not be able to get my small $91.00 (and change) nor my $1.20. I wonder how much interest Bancorp Bank is receiving on similar issues?

Most people live pay check to pay check and need their money. I do. I am one of those people!

“DO NOT SECURE ANY RESERVATIONS ON THE INTERNET OR BUSINESS USING YOUR PERSONAL CREDIT OR BANK CARD EVER AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE!”

I am not sure I will be using Intuit-TurboTax next year for myself and the other people I do taxes for. I have done upgrades on my desk top and purchased the last Intuit program through Office Depot. I was also thinking about buying Quick Books (Intuit). No I don’t think so.

I am not credit savvy, or very bright in many things dealing with society and personal finances. I try and it doesn't work for me. I am not full of wealth. My aspiration in life is that of humanitarian. That I understand 1000% --that is my training in life. I loathe people with money who say that their money came via God. It didn’t!

Honestly people who have money have obtained it by (a) inheritance, (b) working very hard and being financially smart, (c) off the backs of laborers, or (d) dishonestly. I like the “b” group. I work hard and am financially dumb(the "b-1a group"). The last time I checked God had nothing to do with US cash flow. God only deals with the morality of our souls. God could care less how much cash or assets you or I have. He does cares if our needs are met. Cash can purchase needs by the individual or someone can give us our needs. It matters not. Some may argue that he watches over. Yes he does. He watches over to see man SCREW UP!

When doing business to hold a reservation, do it with a prepaid credit card that you don’t mind having money held on. It is a common business practice to hold the amount of purchase + 20-30% of the bank authorizing the rest of the money. But make sure there isn’t more money held than that. Sometimes banks make mistakes and hold twice that of the purchase.

One should never do business with Bancorp Bank Pre-paid debit cards. They issue information on your account without looking at your account. It seems they have a different telephone number and different customer services for different corporate sponsored cards and that none of them have anything to do with the other. The regular customer service has access to your card. They also can tell you like they told me,

“It seems that after looking at these charges, they have gotten confused on the terminology and that is why your money has been held.”

REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION, I WANT MY MONEY. I CAN’T GET IT BECAUSE NO ONE LISTENS AND OR WILL GIVE ME AN HONEST ANSWER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR ANY BANKING INSTITUTION TO HOLD YOU MONEY PAST 72 HOURS ONCE IT HAS BEEN CLEARED. WELL IT TAKES 60 DAYS FOR FDIC GET INVOLVED.

Does any of this make sense? Hind-sight is better than fore-sight. No. I will not in the future do business with Bancorp Bank, Inc.

Moral of the story, if this happened to me, it will happen to you too. BEWARE!

To smoke or not to smoke? That is the question. 19th February 2012

To Smoke or not to smoke…That is the question?

For all intent purposes we will use my father for this blog.  He died from lung cancer in 1993. First question that many would be to ask, “Was he a smoker?” No. He was not. Did he ever smoke? Yes he did. He quit smoking 5 years before getting lung cancer.  See that is what his problem was. Wrong that is not how he got his cancer. My father had contracted Squamous Cell Carcinoma. According to MD Anderson (University of Texas Cancer Center Fact sheet 2012) “Lung Metastases; Cancer found in the lungs is sometimes another type of cancer that started somewhere else in the body and spread, or metastasized to the lungs. These tumors are called lung metastases, and they are not the same as lung cancer. They usually are the primary, or original, type of cancer.” (http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/index.html?cmpid=google_branded_ppc&gclid=CKGx9Kblqa4CFSleTAod4DWBSw)

You see my father had this huge mole on his chest that was always flesh color. One day I noticed it as turning black when he was outside working. He and I talked about going and getting it checked. He never did. During the early 50s just before many of our troops went to Korea, my father was involved in a cleanup in Washington State of “unknown test substances.”  In about 1986, my father also sold and changed a tire of two, to some Cuban dump truck drivers who were handling an unknown ecological clean up of some type of toxic materials just west of Sealy, Texas. The reason I remember this is because they were getting a tremendously large order of tires for this one specific job. In 1991, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer—unknown by the VA Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. 

Years later after going over all of Dad’s records, before and after his death, I see that Dad died from a cancerous mole that spread into the lung then into the spine and brain. Meanwhile, my father’s cousin died (the age of 90) who smoked and drank her whole life. She died of “old age.”  Bottom line no matter what, when God takes you, you are gone.

The point I am trying to make sounds funny to a certain extent. “E-Cigarettes” the fashion of 2012! I started to investigate the E-Cigarette.  I looked at the websites below to get some information on them.  How many years has studies been done?

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/  http://www.thesmartstyleliving.com/ereviewb.asp?source=bing  http://www.electroniccigarettereviewsite.net/   

http://ecigarettesusa.com/

http://www.elixirliquid.com/

http://www.insiderpages.com/b/15250593815/electronic-cigarettes-of-houston-katy

Is this the revolutionary “chic” method of smoking in the second decade of the new millennium?  Back in the 1960s, cigarette smoking was really marketed with some of the same information I had read on the websites mentioned above: words like “totally safe” “doesn’t seem to cause health issues” “acceptable indoors” (http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/tobacco-ads-1960s).   But wait, I have to ask how many independent studies have been done to see if these claims are true? Not near enough and yet as always, we good “ole’ American citizens” jump on the band wagon looking for a solution to something again. 

Use your brain. Lung Cancer can be caused also from living in an area prone to omit toxic chemicals in the air. We have EPA to take care of that. HAHAHAHA! According to the American Lung Association (http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/healthy-air-at-home/prevent-problems.html) cigarette smoking is not the number one cause of lung cancer in America today. It is RADON! Radon is a common radioactive gas found in nearly all soils. 

About 6 years ago, I had some x-rays done for a severe upper respiratory problem.  (No doubt caused from cigarette smoke.) Out of curiosity, I checked the box “NO” where asked do I smoke. Three days later the doctor called me and mailed me an x-ray report.  Lungs clear. In the doctor’s notation, “Glad to see you stopped smoking! See I told you your lungs would clear up fine.”  I stopped smoking about 2 hours before the x-rays. DAH! According to medical research, this is “likely” to cause that.

CURE:

Do not go hog wild and over use anything.  Stop doing everything that is not natural. No more living in houses, no more smoking anything manufactured. Only eat organically grown foods – laced with horse pooh because cow and chicken pooh has too much wrong with it. I understand bat pooh is the better of all of it.  But if you have to squat in the woods or behind a bush somewhere, make sure when you wipe it is not a leaf from poison ivy. (That hurts in the long run—painful too!)

But whether or not you smoke, know the dangers. When a doctor tells you the benefits outweigh the dangers…I am sure many patients who have ended up wanting to kill themselves while taking Chantix didn’t read the side effects label.  But be informed regardless that not all side effects are reported and you should consult your physician. He or she doesn’t know either. Call the pharmacist, who doesn’t know what side effects were not reported. Why don’t they know? Simple, it wasn’t reported.    

***I decided to use Julia’s method of source citing for this paper! I am boycotting MLA, APA, and XYZ.***(until I start my masters program.) 

In Search!

As long as I can remember, my father often commented every 2 to 3 years that you can never go back. We can reflect, remember fondly, look to where we have been to see where we are going, but we can never go back. Oh, how true that statement really was. One minute ago it was history. Unfortunately my father never took his own advice. Mother and he were looking for something from the past that gave them a remember of “wonderful encounters”; this is why we often moved about every 2 to 3 years from
Houston, Texas back to Mississippi or Alabama--in search of “something.” [Fast forward to 2011] I moved to Houston, Texas from ten years in North Carolina because (a) I was financially broke and in financial trouble, and (b) to further my education. Houston is and will always be a town to revitalize in as far as I was concerned. One day I went in search of Mickey.

Houston was where I grew up at. Although, I attended high school for three years at my mother’s alma mater, Murphy High School, in Mobile, Alabama, my impressionable years were in Houston, Texas. At the very beginning, of my senior year, my father decided he was not making enough money to support his family and moved the three of us, mother, himself, and me.  My two (much okder) brothers were own their own. I was not a happy camper about this and just recently (in the last 10 years) forgave my deceased father on this issue.  

Did I make an emotional mistake? Yes and no but I learned that I am a dinosaur and no longer fit in this town. Within two weeks, I had my daughter drive me down Airline Drive. Hundreds of ghost came up out of the streets. The first thing that I recognized was Cunningham’s pharmacy. In the past 90 days, I finally worked up the nerve to stop and go inside to take a look. Clyde was no longer the pharmacists; the restaurant was gone—the owners turned ½ the pharmacy into a doctor’s office.  All the wonderful “find everything” stock was no longer. There wasn’t a front counter. The original Pac-Man video machine was gone. I turned and walked away. Sitting in the car with my daughter, the Burkhalter brothers were scattered to the wind, the police no longer had their mid-night snack, and I felt as if I was in another time and Joe deceased. We all moved on.  

The next stop was to look at Peg O’Neal’s service station on the west corner of Little York and Airline. If Walls Could Talk there would have been many interesting stories that could have been told, including but not limited to– Virgie Hart and about her wild daughter (Anna Nicole Smith), Master Bates, practical jokes that of the early 80s police officers out of the North Shepherd Sub-station played on many, as well as some of my own secrets, not to mention my very best friends of the time--gone. If you have ever seen the Cheshire cat’s grin or the character, Deputy Dog – then you have seen Peg O’Neal. In 1980, many a criminal thought about robbing his gas station, but they thought again because of the .38 he kept under his jacket not to mention, Mr. O’Neal had the county contract to issue the sheriff’s office gas.

Grand-mother Auippa lived a block away from Peg O’Neal’s station. She was my best friend’s grand- mother. Pure Italian married to an Italian who had a nice Italian boy married to a “spit fire” Irish red-head who had my best friend and partner in crime. From another union of Daddy Roy’s he had a son. What attracted me so much to this family is their flavor—their zest for living a country/city life and being a rare “native” of Houston. For anyone who was anyone and lived in Houston in 1981, knew it was rare to find a native Houstonian due to a rash of in flux from the northern states—many industries has closed up north and people were looking for work. Along with this influx, came a mixture of undesirables as well with felony warrants circling their heads to make it a band writer’s paradise. I will tell you this about Grand-mother Auippa, when she said jump-- you asked how high and she had the “coolest” black and white photographs of men with machine guns, cars with running boards, and would always answer when asked,

 “Who are these men?”

“They are relations of my late husband. They all lived in Chicago.”

To this day, going to her house and walking through it, is like going back in time. The architectural structure and the 40-50s décor -- very priceless!

 I finally realized that life is forever changing. People will always be people, but the change is with ourselves and the evolution of the features in which we see. About a week or so later, I found myself with my daughter on Spencer Highway, in Pasadena, Texas. Before the Urban Cowboy, there was a really colorful honky tonk called “Gilley’s.” Down the road from it was “Johnnie Lee’s.” Over off of Interstate – 10 (on the north side of the east bound lanes), a way down past Uvalde on the out skirts of the city limits was a smaller place called “Charlie’s.” (It was more upper scale.) Those memories will always haunt me of fun. Fun, fun—fun, fun, fun! On February 4^th, we went in search of Gilley’s. As I was driving down Spencer Highway toward the east, I couldn’t find anything remotely resembling Johnnie Lee’s or Gilley’s. Of course Charlie’s is gone to the wind as well.

The Tele-Wink is still in my town—still thriving with old home cooking; the “old” Hobby Airport, the town of the delicate cock-tail, oil production, mink stoles, extreme high fashion and southern haughtiness is as gone as Lutheran High School on Winkler, Broadway Baptist School and the Gulf Gate Mall itself and many more.  I have been in search of Gilley who grew older and the building has been gone for more than 20 years. Try driving down Spencer Highway and asking, “Where is Johnnie Lee’s?”

The answer would be Johnnie Who? There are school buses on Sherwood Cryer’s dance floor. The image in my head is receiving a $20 bill bet for running through the dance floor, climbing on the stage and kissing the soft, sweet smelling, and smiling cheek of Mickey Gilley.         

The truth! Take the time to be informed!

It is the dawn of another day. I am awake, reading, catching up on, and preparing myself for the day of looking for employment in a big city. The only problem is that the older you get, the harder it gets especially if you are an older woman with a degree.

I noticed this picture being posted on Facebook about a soldier who sustained injuries in the War on Terror only receiving his 50% disability pay. Like so many pictures I researched this young man and the information behind the picture.

Who are you and what is your story?

The caption underneath was by Derek Batchelor and the story line was by Tim Shuler. Derek Batchelor is a concerned citizen from Greenville, SC. Tim Shuler is? According to my research, guess what I found out.

According to Amie Gnatt Spengler (a Facebook patron of the Great State of Texas!) this is Marine Lance Cpl William Kyle Carpenter. His picture was used by a Tim Shuler to further Mr. Shuler’s political agenda without permission. Well what am I doing? I am using it without his permission also. The real story behind this gentleman’s photograph should be the story as published by Jeff Wilkinson in the Post and Courier out of Charleston, SC., on March 10^th 2011, Senate Gives Thanks to Wounded War Hero.  It discusses how he was basically put back together to be able to live in our society once again and the thanks he is being bestow with by our Congress.

I have to question, with my past experiences in life with the Veterans Administration, was it enough? Not hardly. Will it ever be enough? No!

I am requesting that when you see a soldier (Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Reservist) thank them. Shake their hand and thank them for the great service they do our country. It is really easy to do.

Marine Lance Cpl William Kyle Carpenter THANK YOU so much for the service you have performed for our country. 

Thank you to Amie Gnatt Spengler (a stranger to me who believes in the truth) for bringing the truth forward about the picture and for providing the correct site information for all of us to be more informed.

(** Thumbs down on you Mr. Derek Batchelor and Tim Shuler, especially you Mr. Shuler -- for funneling the wrong information and possibly committing  plagiarism 101.**) (To the photographer of Cpl W K Carpenter --thank you.) 

Not only did Ms. Spengler set me straight, she reminded me of my own "convictions" and "pet peeves."  When I write to be a honest as possible, but remember about history. Historians have often embellished over the years (added to and taken away from) to the point what is the truth about something in our history.

The truth is tell a lie long enough and it becomes truth. 

This story is a classic example of published material actually being incorrect. 

An informed person should take the time to research if what they have just read is in fact true.

**A Special Note off the subject matter: A political election is coming up. Take the time not to believe in all the written political information flying around -- being pushed on society. Research each candidate on your own to find out what is true and if he will be the most suited one for that position. After all are we not hiring that candidate when we vote him into office?

To Chip or Not to Chip is the Question?

I am not sure whether it is the sign of the times or what? There seems to be a tremendous amount of conspiracy theories flying all in the air from the mouth of society that certain government leaders being the anti-Christ to many governments converging with each other to plant micro-chips into people for identification purposes. These implantations of these types of chips are the sure sign that the apocalypse is fast approaching. It is all scary! A person just doesn’t know what to believe as being plausible and or truthful. We just have to use our best judgment.  I started this research project over the internet to may prove or disprove the US Government chip implantation in the people. All I can say is WOW! I learned that I did a full revolution of ignorance to ignorant knowledge.

For a person not to know anything I found out really fast less than before. We as a society are about 50 years too late [a day late and dollar short]. The Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) has been around for approximately 50 years or so.  In the words of the famous telephone character Gomer Pyle “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!”

The purpose of the RFID chip was used to track merchandise. Then it has become multi-purpose in the past decade or so to track animals in the wild. It has graduated to track domestic animals to Alzheimer’s patients, military equipment, lost airline luggage, fire and rescue teams, prisoners, and much more according to the Motorola Corporation.

I understand that the US Government is thinking about using the RFID chip to track citizens.  I really couldn’t find any concrete documentation to that affect.  Since the first use on a human in 1973 to current there is one question that continually arises.  “The question is where did this idea come from [RFID chips in human]? How would it prove to be convenient or by any means prove to be of some use to humans? Many people have contradictory opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of RFID implant in humans. Well the idea was simple. You can pay for services that you avail through the radio frequency identification chips. Another important application is in the case of medicals.” (Alam)

My personal opinion as to the advantages of this application; this would include safety for the location of missing children or missing elderly.  It would also help in the prevention of criminal activity or missing military personnel. It would protect every citizen against identity theft. Those possibilities are wonderful. It would also help expedite medical services for a person unable to speak. It would provide the information needed to save a life. The disadvantage is invasion of privacy. (Stanley) Would this be “chipping” away at our Constitution? Are basic civil liberties that the ACLU has so boldly and proudly fought for all these years in danger again? Great Britain has already decided to scrap the thought of infringing on the rights of its citizens pertaining to the chip. But, Spain is using it as identifiers to pay for certain services. (Koprowski) At this very moment what the American People may or may not be aware of is the Department of Homeland Security, under the last Bush Administration, had already set into motion the application of the RFID for domestic terrorists security measures. What I did find interesting is that the Department of Homeland Security is working with Wal-Mart on a similar computer programs. (DHS) I am sure that the majority of domestic terrorist would like to save a dollar and shop at Wal-Mart so that the US Government can keep an “eye on them.” *

All this technology and its use, again, alerts the ACLU and several law schools as a test of the 4^th Amendment. (Dalal, Stanley) The market is set and on the rise. The major buyers for the RFID are our governments –worldwide. The cost is inexpensive to make and implant.  “Government schemes and large orders from emerging markets have been driving the market. However the technology’s vulnerability to security and privacy issues continues to be a challenge for the market...Research conducted by TechNavio reveals that the global RFID market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26 percent. The report which focuses on the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific indicated that the market is currently driven by large investments being made by various governments across the world…Several countries like China and the US invests heavily in RFID to use them for government related purposes.” (Wood) 

It is everywhere and in everything we do now. It is probably in your employee badge as I write this blog and you don’t even realize it. If it comes about as being required (humans having it implanted) or being denied certain aspect of social programs vastly needed for survival, who will win? We may say no today, but would you say no when you are standing in line and cannot get your payroll check cashed without one or withdraw money from your bank? Is this enough information to make an informed decision? To ask these questions is like saying that this is the mark of the Anti-Christ beast. We have all been made aware to keep our eyes open, listen, and beware of Christian “over” zealots as well as our US Government. 

It is scary and we cannot at all tell what our future will bring or whether or not all these signs are truly apocalyptical. We can (though) be informed and be prepared on all accounts. We can make sound decisions. But rest assure the RFID chip is here, growing, being used, and will remain. The future purposes are unknown for the American people because the DHS report was the only official governmental report that I personally was able to find and it didn’t mention mass chip implantation on society. But then again has the CIA risen its fascinating head into another clandestine “cold war” theater performance?

Works Cited

Alam, Shah Newaz. Buzzle.com-Intelligent Life on the Web. RIFD Chip in Humans.  4^th October 2011  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/rfid-chip-in-humans.html  Web 21^st January 2011.

Dalal, Reepal.  Boston Law Review. Chipping Away at the Constitution: The increasing use of RFID Chips could lead to an erosion of privacy rights.  Vol. 86:485 http://www.bu.edu/law/central/jd/organizations/journals/bulr/volume86n2/documents/DALALv2.pdf   Web 21 January 2012.

Data and Integrity Advisory Committee. The Department of Homeland Security. Report No. 2006-02:The Use of RFID for Human Identify Verification. 6^th December 2006. file:///C:/Users/Aaron's/Desktop/Homeland%20Security%20discussion%20on%20RFID%20Chip.pdf  Web 21^st January 2012.

Kanellos, Michael. CNEtt. News.com. Idea of Implanting tags raises Orwellian fears.  23^rd August 2004. http://news.cnet.com/2009-1008_3-5318076.html    Web 21^st January 2012.

Khara, Kanika.  Buzzle.com-Intelligent Life on the Web.  What is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology.  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-radio-frequency-identification-rfid-technology.html   Web. 21^st January 2012

Koprowski, Gene J.  FoxNEWS.com. Where’sJimmy? Just Google his Bar Code.  14^th May 2010. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/14/radio-frequency-rfid-implant/   Web 21^st January 2012.

Staff Marketing. Motorola.com. RFID Government Solutions.  2012.  http://www.motorola.com/Business/US-EN/Business+Solutions/Industry+Solutions/Government/Airports+and+Seaports/RFID_Government_Solutions_US-EN   Web 21^st January 2012.

Stokes, Jon.  ARS Technica. FDA Approves implanted RFID Chips for Humans  October 2004. http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2004/10/4305.ars   Web 21^st January 2012.

Wood, Laura. Business Wire-a Berkshire Hathaway Company. Research and Markets: Global RFID Market 2010-2014 – Market and Vendor Landscape Supported by Drivers Restraints and Trends:   Research and Markets, 4^th March 2011.  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110304005545/en/Research-Markets-Global-RFID-Market-2010-2014--    Web 21^st January 2011

Beware! We just might fool you!

Recently I have moved (December 2011) back to a place where it will always have fond memories for me. It is always said you can’t go back and oh how true I know that statement well.  What I once knew in my town of Houston has changed greatly. Everything I once knew is either dead, torn down or moved on. My best friend (my first room-mate since high school) even left her home town for her much loved country life to raise children, horses and “weenie” dogs.  When we graduated high school there wasn’t much around us. Now it is a huge vast metropolitan city, stretching several counties. She graduating from the agricultural north side and me from those unknown south side kids I really knew nothing about.

On the-night-before Christmas, we got together after not seeing each other for more than 25 years. I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing her every day; sharing secrets that would never be told. Her little brother came in from Arizona with his family. As I looked around the room, in her grand-mothers house, I thought at that moment that this is what life is all about.  Her little brother telling stories of our love forgotten past, drinking soda, eating, laughing, and watching the youngest child enjoying all the festivities that Christmas gave him.

My children realized (which they commented on afterwards) “Mom, we have never seen this side of you, happy and carefree? What happened?”  This is just one segment of life my precious young people that we all do not necessarily anticipate. Life will always have its ups and downs.  As we grow older we see things in such an unusual perspective that it is sometimes strange or maybe even surreal. We see things differently than the way we did when we were 20.

I can see me standing up in the passenger side of a fast car’s t-top, roaring 80 mph down I-10 West turning around and throwing up on a police cruiser following closely behind. Was that projectile coming out of my mouth? Oh yes! When I arrived home, I was escorted on the shoulders of a big lanky officer and placed in the tub to sleep. One-the night-before Christmas, my children learned about how their Mother was head banger, country western dancer, and all around wild child.

But it just didn’t begin there. About a week before my daughter learned that her Mother knew how to tie a tie with a pair of panty hose while seeing a mouse that no one knew existed; it is funny being told you’re “drunk”; seeing things until everyone else sees it and starts screaming. (That was in Mobile, Alabama on 4 something or other Dauphin Street) Needless to say I wasn’t drunk.  Very often did I get overly intoxicated because I detested the nose feeling when the incredible “liquor monster” came out of it. They also learned that I was “the only wild child” when everyone thought it was my room-mate the red-head.

To go down memory lane, there was this fence. One of my dear friends from high school and I could not handle that “darn” fence. She was generally the passenger. Mother C asked me one day if I had hit her fence and knocked it over. I looked at her and said no, which was a big lie. She knew it. I realized that green paint had knocked off my fender onto her fence post. (Amazing how that happens!) But as she called me NDF = no damn fun, she yanked my chain about that every-day since. I was afraid she was going to kill me!

 Grand-mother A took my room-mate and I dancing one night. At 11:00pm, we were dying at 21—back, knees, legs, and feet. Grand-mother A had something on us; she was still going strong with the rest of the 60 and 70 year olds. I vowed right then and there – that is the type of lady I want to be when I get older. A great lady with a lot of years and love left to give everyone. Has it turned out that way? Hell yes!  So the memories will slowly unfold as I continue to write my blog. Two male guy-pals from high school, I remembered! OMG after 30 years, I remembered! No---it really isn’t what you think.  The cow tipped and they had to re-tip it back in the bolder holder!

Beware! To all the young people, if you are being mooned by what may look like some saggy elephant butt against the window, it might be me! If I flash someone and my breast fall to the knees well, just consider it gross fun! Why can’t I have a great time! Hell I want to get my PhD and I might just join some outlaw motorcycle gang! Does any- one know how to pimp an electric wheel chair?

A  True  Southern  Woman

Compared to times past, a southern woman was a Celtic woman. She would work the fields, give way to child birth, rest a day, and start all over with her busy life of planting, canning, tending to all the needs of the home, garden, and yard stock. She was also just the trainer of great men with a special romantic quality befitting her life.

           


It was once thought she was a delicate little flower like those who sat on her veranda day after day, while being waited on hand and foot.  She would swoon at the first drop of a hat! (That was probably because her corset was way too tight!)

Late last night, as I was looking at photos of the ladies that I knew; it all of the sudden occurred to me that I am a southern woman, crazy through and through.

~~But ~~

What about the other southern women that I knew? I took the time to really look at some of them? Wow! I was amazed. I have spoken with so many I admired and never realized it until this moment; they are really surprising women – each to their own accord with talent, sophistication, beauty and forcefulness that would equal more than an army worth of intelligence; they are the creators of our future generations; they are the rulers of men; they are the saving grace of what is to become. Women like these set an example of how our world will be saved because they are fast becoming the majority.

A true southern woman equals if not becomes better than a man at any undertaking such as the 

“wild world of sports.”

Each of these ladies is successfully professional as a highly motivated student, a jewelry designer/culinary gourmet, a chef, and a specialized operating room registered nurse. 

                A true southern woman whether at play or at work can be beautiful and elegant; they can command aristocracy with a firm or soft hand of their choosing in any situation with a confident smile.

Oh, but beware of those smiling eyes because they know their business very well. 

We have two relentless negotiating business women, a leading trend setter in education, and an international public relations specialist.

A true southern woman will fool you in passing. They may seem like 

a  ball mom, rocker fan, jet setter, novice musician, 

or 

 mysterious bridal model;

actually I will leave you guessing what they do in their community. 

Their degrees of intellectualism will surprise you – characteristic of a southern woman. 

 For all these women have triumphed and surpassed the men of their time. Women may have raised and contributed strong men to our society but these are the women who were sent to mold our future; these are the leaders that we should recognize. They hold the truths in their hands and they will quietly, exquisitely refined, and beautifully set examples for even stronger women that will govern, lead, outlast, and that will save our tomorrow. These are the southern women of the now!

This is the true southern woman I most admire…my mother.

This is my most admired future…my daughter an aspiring literary artist. 

“May our voices sing sweetly across the world!”