The epic storm hitting Alaska isn't the turmoil I had in mind. However, it is indicative of the turmoil that is stealing quietly into many minds these days.
Everyone seems to be flattening themselves down, as if a huge storm is approaching. Storms of society, the various financial and societal issues, education costs, job losses, financial strifes of various countries, cultural turmoil is what it seems to be.
People are even starting to discuss the "feeling", some kind of like waiting for a shoe to drop...where the heck did that one come from?
Italy, for Europe may be the shoe to drop. I feel for Papandreou as he was just trying to find an out,*hear me out* an out so that they would all realize either they buy in with the austerity measures, which given the protests they were NOT... but when you have to vote and put your name behind it.... then you have to think and plan and not just be wishful thinking.
These kids have been going to school and looking forward to being part of society and look, no jobs. Look they are living at home. There are NO youth jobs in Europe outside of a family business. Every job is part of the "system" full benefits, etc. No one gets a barely minimum wage job.
I wish some program would hit all of this and explain BETTER for the rest of the world what the situation is over there. And, how as one Greek writer called it, that Greece is the canary in the mine... not the odd one out.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Greece Riots to Occupy Wallstreet to worldwide protests Connect the dots!
How can they fail to connect the dots? We are sending more and more of our children to college with huge pressures to do well. Sending them to testing centers, pushing them through the rigours of college prep, then through the mill that is college and they come out to what? Unemployment and underemployment is rampent among the newly graduated from college. This is even more true in Europe, specifically Greece. The young do not have jobs. They live at home and are supported by mom and dad. They keep trying. Jobs in Europe are protected. In most cases there is no part time work or work for teens outside of possibly family businesses. I may be simplifying this horribly, but with the benefits attached to real jobs, they are hard to find and not available to youths.
These individuals who grew up with the promise of a future, worked hard and now can't find anything are disillusioned. They have stayed in school and gone through the gamut and can't find work now that they are "finished."
what do we do? They are the ones protesting, along with those others who are affected by lost pensions, lost savings, lost health care, where they have watched the rising excesses of the past decade only to watch it all fall apart as they were to join into the fray.
Where do we go from here? Hopefully the Ghandian way. Nonviolent protest. However, there is so much pent up anger about the whole situation that it seems to be a tinder box out there.
When they feel they have so little to lose, then they will do take chances.
The protesters need to police their own ranks and take care of the violent, destructive forces. They will get them no where fast.
This topic bears some more thought. And since no one seems to be reading what I say, I think I have a bit more time to chew on it all.
These individuals who grew up with the promise of a future, worked hard and now can't find anything are disillusioned. They have stayed in school and gone through the gamut and can't find work now that they are "finished."
what do we do? They are the ones protesting, along with those others who are affected by lost pensions, lost savings, lost health care, where they have watched the rising excesses of the past decade only to watch it all fall apart as they were to join into the fray.
Where do we go from here? Hopefully the Ghandian way. Nonviolent protest. However, there is so much pent up anger about the whole situation that it seems to be a tinder box out there.
When they feel they have so little to lose, then they will do take chances.
The protesters need to police their own ranks and take care of the violent, destructive forces. They will get them no where fast.
This topic bears some more thought. And since no one seems to be reading what I say, I think I have a bit more time to chew on it all.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thank you Andy Rooney
I just finished listening to Andy Rooney's last 60 Minutes piece. Wow. How can one sum up 33 years of writing presented by a writer on TV? The everyday things stated in a grumpy but honest way on National TV? Thank you Andy for the laughs and tears.
We have gotten to see ourselves grow older. We have a few icons who have been allowed to continue to work on into ages that many of us will never see. We hear about others our age who pass suddenly not able to live the long lives some do. But in the case of CBS, we have the chance to watch those we have watched since high school. Yes, Andy, I dated myself there. So now that I am able to join AARP, now you can retire. Thank you for allowing us to watch and learn all these years.
If I ever see you at a restaurant, you may rest assured that I will not interrupt your meal.
We have gotten to see ourselves grow older. We have a few icons who have been allowed to continue to work on into ages that many of us will never see. We hear about others our age who pass suddenly not able to live the long lives some do. But in the case of CBS, we have the chance to watch those we have watched since high school. Yes, Andy, I dated myself there. So now that I am able to join AARP, now you can retire. Thank you for allowing us to watch and learn all these years.
If I ever see you at a restaurant, you may rest assured that I will not interrupt your meal.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
September 11 one decade later
Where were you? The words have been repeated today, over and over. I am sure we all remember. It is as indellible as the image of the towers falling.
That morning, as usual I had walked my second grader and my 6th grader to the corner where they crossed to walk to school. My daughter's friend's mother and I decided to walk around the block. We kept revelling in the beauty of the day. The sky was a deep autumn blue. THe air was clear and crisp. It was stunningly a beautiful day. We ended up after the walk at my house to drink some coffee.
We were talking about something and my husband called. He said, are you watching Today?
I said no, been out on a walk. He said a plane has flown into the World Trade Center. And I think the second had just hit when he called me.
We turned on the TV. It was mayhem.
In the jumble of the morning it all seemed so inconceivable. But we knew it was a terror attack. I know that some of us didn't want to jump and point fingers. We remembered Oklahoma City. But, having lived overseas in the midst of the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi that the unthinkable was possible. And we knew the name that was behind it.
Never forgotten.
Forever grateful... for our freedoms, liberty and lives.
That morning, as usual I had walked my second grader and my 6th grader to the corner where they crossed to walk to school. My daughter's friend's mother and I decided to walk around the block. We kept revelling in the beauty of the day. The sky was a deep autumn blue. THe air was clear and crisp. It was stunningly a beautiful day. We ended up after the walk at my house to drink some coffee.
We were talking about something and my husband called. He said, are you watching Today?
I said no, been out on a walk. He said a plane has flown into the World Trade Center. And I think the second had just hit when he called me.
We turned on the TV. It was mayhem.
In the jumble of the morning it all seemed so inconceivable. But we knew it was a terror attack. I know that some of us didn't want to jump and point fingers. We remembered Oklahoma City. But, having lived overseas in the midst of the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi that the unthinkable was possible. And we knew the name that was behind it.
Soon there was report of a smoking trail near the Pentagon, perhaps an explosion.
I remember watching the tv and seeing before the people commenting as we all watched, that Tower 1 had fallen. There was a shimmering as the dust gathered and blue sky was behind the smoke and dust. I gasped. It's gone, it fell.
So much has happened in the ten years since.
My thoughts and prayers with all those who lost loved ones on this day, for all who helped in the searches, for all those who serve their country in the wake of this event.
We all choose ways to remember and serve.
We will never forget.Never forgotten.
Forever grateful... for our freedoms, liberty and lives.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Last new school year
My baby is heading off to celebrate her last night of summer. Tomorrow is Labor Day. Summer ends in a smoky, steamy, summer eve in an arcane human ritual known as the bonfire.
I didn't even attempt to say no. Her father did... however, it wasn't strong and we make choices.
Fire brought us to where we are and it is part of those rituals of passing.
I kind of wish we were in Finland... talk about bonfires. But, yeah, they were on midsummer!
I didn't even attempt to say no. Her father did... however, it wasn't strong and we make choices.
Fire brought us to where we are and it is part of those rituals of passing.
I kind of wish we were in Finland... talk about bonfires. But, yeah, they were on midsummer!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Transcribing Ancient Greek
A friend alerted me to an NPR program using volunteers with no training to transcribe ancient Greek on papyrus. The story is quite incredible and true! I have already been dabbling in ancient text identification. This could be more addictive than word twist!
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018848/Oxford-University-appeals-help-transcribing-200-000-ancient-Greek-letters.html?ITO=1490
http://ancientlives.org
You get to learn about the actual project, where the papyrus comes from and help with the project. Their method is pretty impressive, and the feel of getting to help is wonderful!!!
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018848/Oxford-University-appeals-help-transcribing-200-000-ancient-Greek-letters.html?ITO=1490
http://ancientlives.org
You get to learn about the actual project, where the papyrus comes from and help with the project. Their method is pretty impressive, and the feel of getting to help is wonderful!!!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Deathly Hallows 2
Twelve hours. It has been twelve hours since I finished viewing HP DH2 and most of that I slept.
I read two articles this morning... and the one which grabbed me was Ralph Fiennes interview in Newsweek. Lord Voldemort responds..and it won't past the link. Hmmm...
Who is more evil? Is it that those who followed are as they made a choice? Was Tom less as he had not been loved? But had he? Dumbledore brought him to Hogwarts where he could be loved and could have a home, as many others had. What makes the difference? How much is choice?
And yes, at that point, Tom made choices. Many if not all, were evil.
Lots to think about. Thank you Jo.
I read two articles this morning... and the one which grabbed me was Ralph Fiennes interview in Newsweek. Lord Voldemort responds..and it won't past the link. Hmmm...
Who is more evil? Is it that those who followed are as they made a choice? Was Tom less as he had not been loved? But had he? Dumbledore brought him to Hogwarts where he could be loved and could have a home, as many others had. What makes the difference? How much is choice?
And yes, at that point, Tom made choices. Many if not all, were evil.
Lots to think about. Thank you Jo.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Last Shuttle flight
I am in denial. I am a child of the space age. I remember watching on tv, live the launches of multiple Apollo missions and probably some earlier ones too. I remember getting up in the middle of the night (to my mind) in 1969 to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I remember them landing hours earlier... and that may have been the middle of the night... not the walk. We lived on the left coast side of the country at the time. Some of my earliest memories are of my father pulling us out of bed and out into the night air to watch the persieds and the Leonid meteor showers. I know I have spelled some of these wrong. I am listening as I write to the live countdown for Atlantis.
My heart aches. I know this seems strange... but we cheered and supported space research.
We were in college when the shuttle first launched and landed. In fact, my college linguistics professor Bill Little came in in the middle of our Linguistics final to tell us that YES, the first shuttle had landed safely on that May afternoon.
I as a parent pulled my small children out to watch the shuttle and the space station glide swiftly by above us in the night sky.... To see Mars as a large light, to look at the rings of Saturn,
See the comet in 1999-2000 in Finland.
To see the moon close and rising.
I saw Challenger's last landing...
my darling worked on the first shuttle imaging radar....
and here we watch Atlantis take off t minus 1 minute....
more later.....
My heart aches. I know this seems strange... but we cheered and supported space research.
We were in college when the shuttle first launched and landed. In fact, my college linguistics professor Bill Little came in in the middle of our Linguistics final to tell us that YES, the first shuttle had landed safely on that May afternoon.
I as a parent pulled my small children out to watch the shuttle and the space station glide swiftly by above us in the night sky.... To see Mars as a large light, to look at the rings of Saturn,
See the comet in 1999-2000 in Finland.
To see the moon close and rising.
I saw Challenger's last landing...
my darling worked on the first shuttle imaging radar....
and here we watch Atlantis take off t minus 1 minute....
more later.....
Pic Skate
Long ago, when we knew we were going to Greece, we checked into ice skating rinks. We had a budding young ice skater who loved above all else to skate. This of course, was after we bid on and got Greece. We found to our sadness, no ice rink, while the web said, yes of course! The rink had closed perhaps two years earlier.
As a result, we knew not what to do. However, our wonderful ice rink shop manager, Jimmy, put us onto the idea of Pic Skates. My mind is now murky as to the details as this was 5 years and two cities ago. He had the frames and he had boots and we wed the two.
Funny enough, one of the coaches at the rink, who she had watched giving lessons had created the Pic Skate. Nick Perna had created the skate as a way for ice skaters to practice off the ice.
My daughter also took a Delta level class from his wife, Michelle.
So we sallied forth to Greece in August of 2006 with Pic Skates in the suitcase. If they weren't in the suitcase, then they were in the airfreight!!
Well, finding smooth places to pic skate in Greece was difficult. First of all it was hot and dusty.
Then, of course, we were still on the young ones need to be in bed at a reasonable hour. We ate at the normal western times, as we didn't want to be in bed on a full stomach. Not only did we not understand how the Greeks ate, large meal at noon, we didn't have the opportunity with our work and school schedules to do such.
We found a local school with an asphalt and concrete yard which was open to go to on the weekend afternoons and a few evenings. Being alone on skates didn't make it much fun, however she worked a bit some moves and skated.
While in Greece I found a link to some Inline competition in Italy perhaps a year or so before. However, I could never find a person to email or ask questions about an inline community.
A friend in our community went with her to skate where we had found a nice smooth spot. It was the pad built for the 2004 Olympics for parking. I believe it was built for the press parking nice and flat for satellite link equipment and trucks. It sat right to the northwest of the new Olympic Stadium.
Little did we know that 5 years later, she would once again be on Pics even when she was skating on ice.
more soon....
As a result, we knew not what to do. However, our wonderful ice rink shop manager, Jimmy, put us onto the idea of Pic Skates. My mind is now murky as to the details as this was 5 years and two cities ago. He had the frames and he had boots and we wed the two.
Funny enough, one of the coaches at the rink, who she had watched giving lessons had created the Pic Skate. Nick Perna had created the skate as a way for ice skaters to practice off the ice.
My daughter also took a Delta level class from his wife, Michelle.
So we sallied forth to Greece in August of 2006 with Pic Skates in the suitcase. If they weren't in the suitcase, then they were in the airfreight!!
Well, finding smooth places to pic skate in Greece was difficult. First of all it was hot and dusty.
Then, of course, we were still on the young ones need to be in bed at a reasonable hour. We ate at the normal western times, as we didn't want to be in bed on a full stomach. Not only did we not understand how the Greeks ate, large meal at noon, we didn't have the opportunity with our work and school schedules to do such.
We found a local school with an asphalt and concrete yard which was open to go to on the weekend afternoons and a few evenings. Being alone on skates didn't make it much fun, however she worked a bit some moves and skated.
While in Greece I found a link to some Inline competition in Italy perhaps a year or so before. However, I could never find a person to email or ask questions about an inline community.
A friend in our community went with her to skate where we had found a nice smooth spot. It was the pad built for the 2004 Olympics for parking. I believe it was built for the press parking nice and flat for satellite link equipment and trucks. It sat right to the northwest of the new Olympic Stadium.
Little did we know that 5 years later, she would once again be on Pics even when she was skating on ice.
more soon....
Monday, April 25, 2011
Everything Old is new Again
I can't believe I let this go. I need to write. I doubt anyone reads it, so what does it matter?
Writing is a form of creation, where ideas become fleshed in type, morphed into form and laid to dry. Then they either fly or crumble into dust. Ideas, dreams, fears, hopes all started in the mind's eye.
Yesterday my baby turned 21. Easter birthday that happened only twice in 250 years!
She graced my bell choir's performance at church and wrapped her graceful soul into my heart once again. She has grown in grace and humility in ways I can not fathom.
We celebrated early with a lunch party on the 23rd. Our family, her friend and her boyfriend and his parents. Seriousness of it was wonderful, but also cute. Her little sister, who towers over her, helped me to prepare. I am thankful for two wonderful daughters.
Writing is a form of creation, where ideas become fleshed in type, morphed into form and laid to dry. Then they either fly or crumble into dust. Ideas, dreams, fears, hopes all started in the mind's eye.
Yesterday my baby turned 21. Easter birthday that happened only twice in 250 years!
She graced my bell choir's performance at church and wrapped her graceful soul into my heart once again. She has grown in grace and humility in ways I can not fathom.
We celebrated early with a lunch party on the 23rd. Our family, her friend and her boyfriend and his parents. Seriousness of it was wonderful, but also cute. Her little sister, who towers over her, helped me to prepare. I am thankful for two wonderful daughters.
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