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 My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| If stopped on the street, by Jay Leno or some other celebrity known for these street quizzes, and asked what famous women you know from history, what would you answer? The only ones shown on TV, of course, would be the ignorant or silly answers, especially if they said they were teachers. People who could really answer would not be TV worthy. But there are so many who do have dumb answers or no answers! For this particular question, a few names come to my mind. They might not be the most important to a historian, but they seem worthy in my limited knowledge. Maggie Walker was an outstanding banker and a legend when I was a child. Lottie Moon was a missionary to China when women were not respected there, but who managed to hold her own with the men in charge. She also changed the way that missions were supported, empowering women at home in the U.S. to have some control and input. We all know the names Nellie Bly, reporter, Clara Barton, nurse, and Florence Nightingale, a British nurse. We know the name Rosa Parks, but few people realize that she was a Christian who found her courage because of her religious faith. As kids, we learned about Dolly Madison, who helped save some things when the White House was set on fire, Sacajawea, guide to the explorers, Pocahontas, Indian princess, Betsy Ross, credited with sewing the flag, Jane Adams, advisor to her political husband. We studied about Marie Curie, scientist. There are many names in European monarchy, and world leaders like Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, Eva Perone, and Margaret Thatcher. Some people would point to fashion innovators, or celebrities whose names will linger after their moment in the spotlight is over. There are media moguls like Oprah Winfrey and Helen Gurly Brown who had an impact beyond their own immediate fans. I can think of so many historical women, but I have to mull over their worthiness to be listed. Were they just famous, like Big Nose Kate-girlfriend of Doc Holiday? Or did they have some impact on society, like changing education or the culture. So who do you think of? Without pausing or researching, what women stand out in your mind? |
| I was convinced that I had viewed all of the Sergio Leone trilogy, having seen The Good, The Bad and the Ugly more times than I cared to admit, mostly before I liked westerns. I only watched John Wayne and Clint Eastwood to accommodate brothers or husband or friends, except for The Quiet Man. I never really paid attention to the story or the actors. Now I like them on my own. However, last night, I reluctantly watched A Few Dollars More. I had a headache and didn't feel like reading. I had nothing else to do. To my surprise, I have not seen this one before. Nothing rang a bell at any point for me. It has the usual loud exotic music of spaghetti westerns. It paints a very bad picture of American western history, starting off with the written words that go something like: Where life has no value, death sometimes has a price. So the bounty killer rose out of this. The point was made that the American west did not value life. Too broad and too general a commentary for my tastes. It had the usual foreigners playing the supporting roles and opposition, with strong accents in gruff voices. Eastwood and Van Cleef were partners rather than enemies in this one. The Man With No Name actually had one name-Monco. Only Van Cleef looked like he ever washed his face in the film. Like many Italian made westerns, the bandits hold up in a church or abandoned mission, so there are religious relics everywhere to preside over acts of violence. So what kept me following such a violent, dark movie? None of the men appeared to be handsome or cute, so that wasn't it. The story takes some cunning and unexpected twists. The good guys and the bad guys are very clever and keep outwitting each other. And one redeeming moment occurs when we realize Van Cleef's character wants to avenge a crime against his family more than he wants the bounty. It's a brief, but understandable moment. And that moment is not overplayed. You would think that the good guys win, but, alas, only our acting heroes win. They are, after all, bounty hunters. Van Cleef rides off into the sunset, content with his revenge. Eastwood counts bounty in dollars and piles dead bodies, about 15, onto the wagon and rides off the opposite way. A lost life is only money to him. |
| It's very cold here. We had threats of snow last night, but got none. The tree limbs are still piled by my driveway, because there is no reliable tree service in this town. Lots of men do this kind of work, but none keep their word, and many aren't trustworthy. I hate needing work done, but I can't do it myself. And I love having trees. But I digress. The chives are back up, green and tall. The sage never left, but isn't really fragrant yet. My surprise is that the tarragon is coming back up on its own. I will have to replant the basil. I have purchased parsley seed, and plan to plant some as soon as the weather is a bit more promising. I know it doesn't last, and will have to harvest as soon as it is ready. I can make tabbouleh salad and use a lot of it. We have a small garden patch, but my dad is no longer able to garden. If I can get someone to handle the tiller, I suppose I will have to plant zucchini and watermelon this year. I'm not too sure I can keep tomatoes alive. And I'm not into a lot of things that Dad grew. But I do want some zinnias and lavender, and maybe marigolds. I have the time now that I'm retired. I'm stocked up on mosquito repellent, which I have to have any time my fair skin is outdoors in warm weather. I've seen jonquils in other people's yards, but haven't found them or the crocus in my yard. I think the strawberries, except for one pot, are dead. I've been watching the trees for buds, but haven't seen any yet. I don't want to rush in pollen season. We didn't have much winter weather. However, I get excited seeing things grow. So I'm anxious to get some new life sprouting up. If I can get someone with a chipper to come here, like the last guy promised, I will have mulch to go around the hedge. I'm going to go into full-time weed pulling soon, I guess. |
| On one of my free premium channels, Heaven's Gate ran the other night. It was a 1980 film. I sometimes wonder why the premium channels run old movies that can be run on any channel, but then I realized this one doesn't usually play on other channels. There is a good deal of violence and nudity in it. And then I began to recall the name of it and that it was considered a flop at the time, an expensive flop, but I couldn't remember more. It starred Kris Kristofferson and Christopher Walken. Almost immediately, I had bad feelings about it. The graduation scenes of a very young Kristofferson and John Hurt were way too long. The singing, the yelling, the dancing went on beyond boring. Instead of thinking about the beginnings of the story, I was musing over how much of it should have fallen to the editing floor. Maybe the director thought it was artistic. If it was art, it eluded me. I wanted it to move on and have substance. Finally, it jumped twenty years to the year 1890. Kristofferson looked more like his true age of the time. He was about 50 when the movie was made. The character would have been 45 tops, so you can imagine how ridiculous he looked in the college scene. Although they referred to him coming from St. Louis, and much of the story takes place in Casper, Wyoming, he is employed by Johnson County in Wyo., and resides in a barely existing community. His true love is a foreign born madam. He is a lawyer who still has good personal wealth. He keeps a photo of himself and his college girlfriend in his meager room. This section of the story begins with him bringing an elegant Studebaker carriage and a fine black horse to his girlfriend as a gift. She later points out to him that he gives her things, but not his heart. I have studied Wyoming history a little. I know about the Johnson County range wars. This particular story is fictional with little in common with the history other than a range war took place. This story involves a very large European immigrant population. It pits the stock owners association against not only "sodbusters" and other farmers, but also merchants and craftsmen. The dialog is more about the government versus poor people, which is not the basis of the range wars. (Sodbusters lived in houses made of sod, whether they grew plants or raised animals.) Before the big battle takes place, they have a big roller skating party at a rink that is called Heaven's Gate. Granted the music is good, and they did some cool skating stunts. But like the college dance rituals, it was way too long and boring. There is one other big scene at Heaven's Gate, and that is where Kristofferson tells them he has obtained a copy of the hit list and reads the 125 names on the list, which includes all the leading citizens of their community. They conclude that they are going to fight rather than flee. So the battle begins shortly thereafter. There is a bloody aftermath. Every time I thought the movie was ending, it went on to yet another segment. With Walken dead, and the madam dead, they jump ahead another 13 years or so to a yacht off Nova Scotia. Kristofferson is drawn and gaunt. Below deck there is a fragile, weak woman who asks for a cigarette. She can't even light it herself. Presumably, this is the old college girlfriend. He goes back up top, obviously still rich, retired from the legal profession, and removed from the western struggles. It seemed like a superfluous ending. So I had to look it up, to test my memory. It was a flop financially. It went way over budget, and eventually led to the demise of the studio. The director won a reputation for being difficult and his career died, even though he had enjoyed some earlier successes and awards. What I learned is that historically, movies had been in the control of the studios. For about a 12 year period, including most of the 60's and early 70's, films had become director driven. This movie helped shift that control back to the studio, so that budgets and artistic temperaments didn't destroy them again. If you have the time for a really long movie, and don't expect any historical truth, you might enjoy this one. There is a love triangle with Walken that actually holds it together. If they had made that the major thrust of the film, they may have fared a little better. The movie is getting more approval now that time has passed, and the expense forgiven. |
| We were one of the lucky ones in that we didn't lose power this weekend due to the high winds like many in our region. However, the best laid plans still go awry. I was prepared to go do a charity thing this morning, and go suffer at the gym afterward. I had time to spare, so I was eating a bowl of bran flakes and blueberries, feeling very healthy, when a knock came at the front door. I thought it was weird because my neighbor always rings the doorbell and it was still early. Some guy wanted to cut the tree falling in my driveway, (it sounded like falling). We have a lot of old trees, and the tree guys really hit our neighborhood on a regular basis. So I said not today, check back. "No, it's on your car. You can't get out." "Right now?" I asked, startled. I followed him into the cold air with no jacket. Oh my goodness. At the end of the house--my front door faces the street, but not my driveway, because the street curves and we're at the top of the hill--my car was covered by a huge green monstrosity and my dad's SUV was completely hidden by this tree. I had a clear view of my neighbor's driveway and garage which had always been blocked by this wide tree. My bedroom is on the street side of the house, the garage to one side. You'd think I would have heard the crash during the night. Maybe it did wake me up, but the noise didn't register. I've been waking every 45 minutes to an hour for the last week, and have trouble falling asleep. But the wind has been up for several days. Or it might have fallen while I was in the shower this morning. That was the first I knew of it. "Don't leave," I told him. Something would have to be done. I ran in to tell the homeowner who makes all big decisions. He is elderly and wasn't quite ready to face the world. I don't think he believed me at first. I had to yell the news, since he's almost deaf. We did engage the man who made quick work of it and freed our vehicles. He has to come back one day next week with his chipper, and haul the debris away. He has many more trees to cut today. We lucked out. Some pretty big dings in my dad's car and a lot of scratches. Minor scratches were all that my car took, since it's smaller and got more of the top part of the tree. Next week will require several trips to the car dealer for estimates, since I have to drive each car. Dad only drives nearby now because of his vision. We can't let him far from home on busy highways. Then it's haggling with insurance companies. I'm in favor of fixing my car, and taking the money for his and applying to a trade-in. His is older and needs replacing. Even if we fix it, the dealer will reduce the trade-in value if it's been in an accident. After the guy churns up the branches and cuts up the remaining trunk, still near its base, we have to rake and clean up the driveway. I'd like to plant a dogwood tree in its place. It doesn't grow as tall. And maybe a lilac bush for the fragrance. We won't have as much shade in the summer, but we won't have all those pine cones under the tires or needles to sweep. Life happens and messes with our to do lists. |
| Tomorrow I will participate with a local group to pack meals for a foreign country. It usually involves barley, rice, dried vegetables, a vitamin pack, and wheat. It's enough for a family of four for one meal. Studies have shown that when people are hungry, they over-populate. There are lots of reasons for that, some intentional, like knowing some of your children will die, so you have more. You need children to take care of you when you are old. Some unintentional, like feeding a different kind of hunger, or just staying warm in your poverty. To get the meals, they have to send the kids to school. If they want to eat, they educate their children. Schooling is optional, and some poor people give away or sell their children. Sending them to school guarantees food for the family. Local missionaries or social workers give instructions on boiling water and cooking the grains after opening the vitamin pack. The grain is packed in a cone shape clear bag, so all they do is open the tip, the vitamin pack falls out first, then the rest into the boiling water. Local communities, schools or churches buy the supplies, an 18 wheeler full, which is expensive, and they pack the meals in assembly lines. We, the workers, wear hair nets, take our stations and stay put for about two hours. A few people run the finished bags over to the weighing station to make sure they're full. Some people seal them and pack them in shipping boxes. About 20 to 40 people can pack 10,000 meals in a few hours. The organization has lots of experience in organizing people who've never done it before and are very efficient. The volunteers provide tables, and only a few chairs, and clean up afterward. There is a lot of grain dust and a few spills. Doing it this way saves over $300 in labor costs, educates the volunteers, and leaves them with a good feeling. Not only have they purchased this food, they have had hands on experience with packaging it and preparing it for shipping. We only do it once a year. We missed a few years when we just couldn't get enough money together. I figured our effort feeds 100 families of 4 for 5 days a week, for 20 weeks. Ten thousand meals sounds like a lot, but is it really? Some families have more than 4. And what about when school isn't in? Of course, if each child gets a meal, then they have some left over for breakfast or weekends. Last year our meals went to Haiti. Hopefully, these children will benefit from their schooling and will get jobs when they are older. |
| I was talking with the kids in my family Sunday and brought up the idea of opening our own zoo when they get older. They were into it. The six year old is already thinking of being a veterinarian. I told them we'd have to save our money to buy some wooded land and build a lot of fences and special buildings. The five year old said it would take an acre for an elephant. I agreed to at least that much, but a whole lot more to make him comfortable, and even more if he had friends. One wanted penguins. I said we'd need a lot of space and some ice and water for that, and a special zookeeper. All but the two year olds were getting into the conversation. We'd need a marketing manager, so one of them would have to study business in college. (One of them has a mother who is in marketing/PR for hospitals and health care.) We'd need to hire a lot of people for feeding the animals, cleaning the cages, cutting the grass, taking care of the plumbing, security 24 hours a day, and so forth. The six year wants a reptile house. With a grimace she asked about lizards. I told her we'd have to have a specialist for snakes and lizards, and someone to keep the glass clean where the tourists press against it. They all agreed to call it Noah's Park and have at least two of whatever animals we had. I pushed for llamas, alpacas, and mountain goats. We debated crocodiles and alligators, since whole farms are dedicated to those only in Florida. Maybe we'd stick to giraffes and koala bears, and leave out tigers and lions until it got big enough business wise to bring on trained handlers and add more land. I didn't point out to them that I probably won't be around when they're out of college, although one is nine already. My brother didn't point out that he'll be too old to help out physically. But we all jumped in on the dream and the skills we'd have to develop. It was kind of a fun exercise, and they enjoyed doing it. |
| w I just have to wade into something controversial once in a while. I have mixed feelings on teachers and guns. I don't advise any educator or school employee who's never handled a gun before to rush out and get a license and buy one. There are many issues here, and they all need to be addressed. I do believe that teachers, coaches, principals, etc., who are former police officers or military veterans who want to carry a gun should have special permission from the school district to do so. They need to be legal weapons, the license to carry should be current, and gun safety classes should be re-taken every few years. The next question is concealment and storage. If the teacher doesn't wear it in a hidden holster or in a boot, it would need to be in a locked place with the key on the teacher at all times. Students don't need to know which teacher or where the gun is kept. (Another license for a concealed weapon is required.) No one needs to know which teacher or if any teachers have guns, except the particular school principal and vice-principal, any police officers assigned to that school, the head only of HR, and the district superintendent. If the knowledge got out, they would know who leaked it. Some large schools might have 5 or 6 armed instructors, while others in the same district would have none. I have believed for a long time that we keep kids in school too long. The world has changed, even before cell phones and PC's. Kids need to be out of school before their senior year. They need to be in vocational school, military, job training, or college prep, or straight to college. In many ways they grow up faster, or at least have more privileges, without the responsibilities, which is an important part of growing up. Right now, by the time they finish school, a large percentage aren't prepared to do anything but be teenagers. They aren't ready to move into their own futures, and it's not the school's job to prepare them. When schools were set up for 12 grades, kids had outside jobs and chores at home. I've been an advocate of universal service since I was 18. I know not everyone is physically fit for military service, but there are other ways a person can serve his or her country. As soon as their junior year is up, they opt for a program that suits until one accepts them. It can be military, National Park Service (they'd learn ecology, law enforcement, wildlife management, even maintenance). state museums or libraries (for physically challenged). They'd learn some life skills, might want to continue in that venue, or go on to college, but all would feel they had made a patriotic contribution. I agree that teaching how to deal with active shooters is wrong for school age children. I have worked in places that taught that to their employees (teens and up). It was okay for adults. Even high school students could take it. But you don't want to scare kids under 13. They should feel like a school is a safe place. I have also felt like parents should be more involved in the schools. Parents should not work in a classroom with their own children, but they could monitor the halls, the cafeteria, playgrounds, stairwells, and all large areas. I'm not saying they should be armed. But their presence could be a deterrent; their alertness and a cell phone could be vital. |
| I thought I might make a few day trips and take one of the children in my family with me. The ones who are potty trained and well-behaved, of course. I have one who doesn't use a car seat any longer. She attends public school. I mentioned it to the 5 year old nephew when all the other kids had gone, and that was a big mistake. I have to take my dad who's almost 90 every where I go. He can't ride for more than two hours at a time with out a long break to avoid back problems. He gets worn out, even though he sleeps in the car. I pictured getting him out of the house, and me, too, within a two hour radius. We could sight see, spend the night somewhere and come back the following day. But the boy already had something in mind for "vacation". He wants me to take him to LEGO-LAND in Florida. We're talking a two day drive. My dad isn't going to fly, and I don't think the train will work for him. I suggested Uncle Gary go with us, and he was very excited about his favorite uncle going and building something out of Lego. I was picturing someone to convince Dad to get in the wheelchair and help me push him around.( Dad's dignity won't allow him to use a wheelchair, even though he can't handle extensive walking any more.) But I spoke too quickly. Uncle Gary has failing health and might be too tired on any given day. So after his father, my other brother, suggested throwing in Disney World, I suggested taking his Mom and Dad, too. No, he doesn't want them to go. I told him that his mother has never been apart from him for more than two days; she wouldn't be able to handle it yet. Finally, his father said he didn't know if he could go a whole week without him. The next problem, after logistics and parental separation, is patience. In a few months doesn't cut it with a five year old. "Can we go tomorrow?" "No, we have to plan. We have to pack. We have to have the car checked. We have to let Grandpa do eyelid surgery and rest for a while afterward." "In a few days?" "No." . . . Apparently, a kid in his neighborhood had just spoken with him about LEGO-LAND. So when I opened my big mouth, he just jumped on that opportunity. So I might have my vacation goals set. Just how do I pull it off? A five year old is not the boss. And the old man's welfare has to come first. As for me, If I've got to spend that kind of money, I'd rather go to South Dakota and explore. |
| Just got back from the museum, over an hour away. I don't much about Chinese history, so it really was a foreign subject to me. I learned that these famous soldiers were commissioned by the first great emperor of China just as he was taking the reign. He was preparing to make great changes, but was also concerned about his immortality. From the very beginning, he planned the massive mausoleum complex and the army that would see him into the afterlife. Although he did many things to unite and fortify China, he is best known for joining all the lengths of the Great Wall and his army for his burial. The name is too hard to spell. I think I can say it okay. The exhibit is by partnership of several American museums and the Chinese. Our state museum is free, but to enter this exhibit, you have to pay. Most of the crowd (thousands? on a Saturday?) soon realized that we know little of ancient history, much less the Chinese states or dynasties. The many artifacts pointed to minute detail on everyday objects. A wine bottle would have script and intricate illustrations on it. The same for a bell or a food bowl. Even the water pipe had small details carved into it. The roof tiles had pictures on each one. As for the soldiers, they made a complete set: an archer, a charioteer, an armored general, a horse groomer, and so forth. Even horses were included. We saw a sampling. The original set had over 2000 full size figures. While I was there, I made a whirlwind tour through some of the American art collection and some of the modern art group. A few exhibits were closed for restructuring. I didn't have time to do the Faberge or Russian collection, or others. I was in a group and not driving. Outdoors, I took photos of some large sculptures and some modern works while waiting for our van. We had lunch in a deli before heading back to our town. While there, I took a lot of photos on my cell phone. I couldn't operate my camera without a flash, which is prohibited. I plan to use these photos with my family kids. Some of the modern art looks like larger versions of what the kids do. As for the sculpture made of propellers from boat motors, I think my brothers could do that. I want to plant the seed of museum visiting in these young kids, as well as encourage their artistic expression. Some of the things I saw looked more like craft projects than art. But that can open up the discussion about defining art, even if they are sort of young. You're never to young to start the conversation about good things. |
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