So I taught about Bodhi Day at church to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at 11 am today THEN made a presentation on "The Paradox of Affluence" to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Southwest TN Community College at 3 pm. What a crazy day!!??!?
Going to post my notes here in case anyone's interested....need to figure out how to post a PowerPoint...it's a pdf, too...hmmm...
WOW! I did it! Here's my PowerPoint for the Community College presentation.
Bodhi Day Notes:
Neshoba Unitarian Universalist Church
RE – 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Lesson Plan
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Reflection on:
December Traditions & Bodhi Day (Tues, Dec 8)
Approx Time Activity/Discussion
11:15 am December is a special month in many major religions…b/c of the Winter Solstice (what is the Solstice?)
On that day, due to the earth's tilt on its axis, the daytime hours are at a minimum in the Northern hemisphere, and night time is at a maximum. (In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December, when the night time is at a minimum and the daytime is at a maximum. We will assume that the reader lives in the Northern hemisphere for the rest of this essay.)
11:20 Name some celebrations (use white board):
Christians celebrate Christmas
Jews celebrate Hanukkah
Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day: On DEC-8, or on the Sunday immediately preceding, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu). It recalls the day in 596 BCE, when the Buddha achieved enlightenment. He had left his family and possessions behind at the age of 29, and sought the meaning of life -- particularly the reasons for its hardships. He studied under many spiritual teachers without success. Finally, he sat under a pipal tree and vowed that he would stay there until he found what he was seeking. On the morning of the eighth day, he realized that everyone suffers due to ignorance. But ignorance can be overcome through the Eightfold Path that he advocated. This day is generally regarded as the birth day of Buddhism. Being an Eastern tradition, Bodhi Day has none of the associations with the solstice and seasonal changes found in other religious observances at this time of year. However, it does signify the point in time when the Buddha achieved enlightenment and escaped the endless
11:30ish Meditation (5 mins): sit quietly (USE A TIMER)
11:35 Could you meditate for 7 straight days?
(USE WHITE BOARD and let a kid FIGURE IT OUT)
That’s 7 days X 24 hrs/day X 60 mins/hr = 10,080 minutes!
Buddha did it under the Bodhi Tree for 7 days!
Who is Buddha? (read info below)
11:40 What did he teach? (tell Monkey King Story)
11:45 Are you old enough to be “enlightened”?
Did you know the current Dalai Lama was only SIX years old when he started studying to be a monk? WHO IS HE? (Read info below)
11:50 Bodhi Tree Drawings or 8 spoked wheel?
(heart shaped leaves…what would you “wish” for on the leaves?)
Buddhists, Buddhism and The Buddha
Buddhists are people who follow the teachings of The Buddha. Most Buddhists live in South Asia (which includes India, Nepal and Tibet) and South-East Asia (which includes Japan and China, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia The Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra and Java).
The Buddha was a man who lived in India about 2500 years ago. His real name was Siddhattha Gotama but the people who follow his teachings call him The Buddha. It is not a name. It means the one who has gained enlightenment. For Buddhists, the word enlightenment means knowing and understanding how to overcome suffering.
Buddhists believe that The Buddha learned why there is suffering in the world and how to overcome it. They believe that if they follow his teaching they, too, will be able to overcome suffering.
The Story of the Buddha
Siddhattha Gotama was an Indian prince. He was born about 560 years before the time of Jesus in a place called Lumbini which is near the river Ganges in the very north of India, within sight of the Himalayas. When he was born a wise man prophesied that if he ever saw suffering he would become a religious leader instead of a king. His father decided that he must never see suffering so he decreed that Siddhattha must never go outside the royal palace and its grounds.
When he was 16 Siddhattha married a beautiful princess and they soon had a baby son. For a while he was happy with his wife and family and stayed inside the palace as his father had ordered.
Eventually Siddhattha became bored and wanted to know more of the world. One day, when he was 29 years old, he sneaked out of the palace while his father was not looking. While he was outside he saw 4 things that surprised and worried him. He thought about those things for a long time.
The 4 Things That Siddhattha Saw
1. He saw an old man. He had never seen an old person before.
2. He saw a sick man. He had never seen anyone unwell before.
3. He saw a dead body and relatives weeping around it. He had never heard of anyone dying.
4. He saw a holy man. He had never seen a holy man before. He spoke to the man who told him that he had left his home, his friends and his family and was wandering from place to place trying to find the meaning of life.
These things worried him. He asked himself why there was so much suffering in the world. He decided to become a holy man himself and to go off in search of an answer.
He took off his royal robes and put on simple clothes. He shaved his hair. He said goodbye to his wife and son and left the palace.
Siddhattha spent 6 years travelling around northern India. He spent some time with a group of monks who believed that if they ate and drank as little as possible and spent a lot of time thinking they would come to understand the meaning of life. Siddhattha found that this did not work for him. So he left the monks and travelled on.
He came to a holy fig tree and rested in its shade. For 46 days he stayed there thinking deeply and paying no attention to what was going on around him. This kind of deep thinking is called meditation. As he sat and meditated, he realised that he understood the answers to his questions. Buddhists say that he became enlightened. He became The Buddha.
He went back to Benares, the place where he had lived with the monks, and in the park there he told them about what he had discovered. They understood what he was saying and became his first disciples. The Buddha lived until he was 80 years old and during the rest of his life he travelled about teaching and preaching. After he died his disciples went on travelling and teaching the things he had told them. Today there are millions of people in the world who follow the teachings of the Buddha.
The Monkey King and the Mangoes
Once upon a time, the Buddha came into the world as a Monkey King and ruled over 80,000 monkeys. He was very tall and strong and had wisdom like the sun. In his kingdom on the banks of the Ganges River, there was a mango tree as big as the moon. The 80,000 monkeys jumped from branch to branch chattering and eating the lovely fruit that was big and sweet and delicious. Sometimes a ripe mango fell into the river.
One day, the Monkey King strolled downstream and came upon a river palace where a human king lived. "Soon danger will come if the mangoes float downstream," he told the monkeys. "Pick all the mangoes and flowers on the trees and take them deep into the forest."
But one mango, hidden by a bird's nest, was left unseen by the 80,000 monkeys. When it was large and ripe, it fell into the river and floated downstream where the human king was bathing.
The human king, who was very curious, tasted the beautiful mango. "This is delicious!' he exclaimed. "I must have more. Servants, find all the mangoes and bring them to me at once!"
Deep in the forest, the servants found hundreds of mango trees. In the trees were the 80,000 monkeys. When the human king heard about the monkeys, he was very angry, "The monkeys are eating my mangoes. Kill them all!" he ordered his archers.
"Very well," said the archers and chased the monkeys to the edge of the forest where they came to a deep cliff. There was no way for the monkeys to escape. Shivering with fright, they ran to the Monkey King asked, "What shall we do?"
"Don't be afraid. I will save you," said their king. Quickly, he stretched his huge body as far as possible and made a bridge over the cliff to a bamboo grove on the other side.
"Come monkeys, run across my back to the bamboo grove," he called. And so the 80,000 monkeys escaped.
The human king watched all that happened. He was amazed, "This Monkey King has risked his life to save his whole troop! And all I'm doing is being selfish. I have learned a great lesson." Then he called to his archers, "Put down your bows. It isn't right to kill this King of Monkeys."
Forgetting about the mangoes, the human king went back to his palace by the river and ruled kindly and wisely for the rest of his life.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.
Education in Tibet
His Holiness began his monastic education at the age of six. The curriculum consisted of five major and five minor subjects. The major subjects were logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, and Buddhist philosophy which was further divided into a further five categories: Prajnaparimita, the perfection of wisdom; Madhyamika, the philosophy of the middle Way; Vinaya, the canon of monastic discipline; Abidharma, metaphysics; and Pramana, logic and epistemology. The five minor subjects were poetry, music and drama, astrology, motre and phrasing, and synonyms. At 23 he sat for his final examination in the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, during the annual Monlam (prayer) Festival in 1959. He passed with honours and was awarded the Geshe Lharampa degree, the highest-level degree equivalent to a doctorate of Buddhist philosophy.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
trying to get a grip
here's why i am like i am right now...i know i will be better eventually but right now i am really teetering on the edge of normal.
A. the positive: (so i really typed this AFTER the negative below, but was trained to state the positives first...gotta love cut n paste)
B. the negative:
A. the positive: (so i really typed this AFTER the negative below, but was trained to state the positives first...gotta love cut n paste)
- I have an awesome husband, kids, family and friends...if it weren't for all of them i'm sure i'd be in my bed and refusing to get up daily.
- i'm relatively physically healthy
- i have access to just about whatever i want, whenever i want it
- just adding this morning, but it's a good one: I have a truly wonderful job right now at SRVS! I feel like i'm doing something for others who really need help and making this world a better place. It has been very rewarding and actually a great "diversion" keeping me from wallowing all day long...when i'm there I feel like I can focus and do a really great job and block out all the negative things going on.
B. the negative:
- lost a baby a little over a year ago (Sept 19, 2008)
- lost my dad about 7 months ago (April 12, 2009)
- lost my grandmother about a month ago (October 19, 2009)
- lost a friend's 9 year old child about 5 months ago (June 22, 2009)
- have many (TOO MANY) friends who are dealing w cancer or some other life threatening disease or situation (REALLY ANNOYED that i'm a regular member of that caringbridge website)
- feel like i can't get organized b/c i started working again ... it's only PT but it sure throws a monkey-wrench into my happy little suburban stay at home life when i have to daily figure out whose going to take my kids to school or pick them up or stay w them while i work
- quinn hasn't grown out of her urinary reflux so we are going to wait another year but the doc isn't really optimistic that she will grow out of it, so in the meantime she must be on antibiotics EVERY day AND she may have to have surgery to reverse this...UGH!
- stopped being such a good exerciser and good eater about a year ago and now i'm getting fat again and don't feel like i can control myself b/c i'm letting myself wallow just a little longer...
- having a crisis of faith and stopped attending Mass regularly and 1/2 my family (and some friends) are really MAD at me for this, but i just can't live up to their expectations right now
- haven't picked up my new contact lenses i ordered back in March
- haven't gone to get my crowns suggested by the dentist back in March (haven't really had much problem w the teeth so wondering if she was just trying to "gouge" me w unnecessary procedures!??!)
- haven't gotten my van dent fixed from when i hit the maid's car of one of my major donors back in September
- i get so sad about the homeless, the disabled, all the people w incurable disesases, the environment, and those who are abused or cannot fend for themselves...i feel so helpless in my quest to make this a better world.
- i get angry at all these people who are just so darn negative about everything in their lives and have to share it with everyone ALL THE TIME---why can't they at least pretend to be happy? (like i am right now)
- tired of the jerks who think they are right NO MATTER WHAT and don't ever open their minds to hear other perspectives or solutions.
- one thing i'm not supposed to discuss on the blog
- oh, another thing i shouldn't discuss on the blog
- oh, yeah, a third thing...
guess this list could go on and on, but who really cares but me...i'm the one that has to get a grip and turn myself around and get on the right track...lord knows nobody else can do it for me.
Friday, November 27, 2009
thanks and giving
a rough thanksgiving....i kept really busy so i didn't dwell on the loss of Dad too much. i think he'd be most happy and proud if we had just a fun old good party and that's basically what we did. i'm glad i have been researching Buddhism lately and what Msgr. Marren said about praying to the dead (see an earlier post on my blog) b/c it's much easier to believe Dad is still around just not in the human body he used to inhabit. i told jack and quinn the other day that your soul is always here and its just inside your body to live here on Earth just like a spacesuit if you were on another planet.
This photo is from Thanksgiving 2008 in Atlanta.
i cannot imagine the amount of heartbreak all over the world from those who have lost their loved ones. i only hope they will find some peace and understanding like i have.
i don't know why anyone wastes anytime being negative....maybe once they have lost someone really special, they will undersand that it's not worth being upset and sad all the time??
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sagacity FOUND in Google Books
Have you searched Google books? It is such an awesome way to find interesting obscure information...some books are completely online...FULL TEXT! I highly, HIGHLY recommend it!
Well, i was searching for info on my grandmother's 1920s porcelain doll that i found in my mom's garage this past weekend (see the end of this post for what i found on the doll) and when i was finished i decided to search for "sagacity" in Google books....did you know that "sagacity" is mentioned 10 times in: An essay concerning human understanding, Volume 1 By John Locke??
I'm not sure the copywrite law on this, but this is from the book mentioned above and i want to share it b/c i think it is quite important and interesting regarding individual's miscarriages of reasoning. I find it interesting b/c of so many "debates" and "discussions" that have been facilitated over the past year by the instantaneousness (is this a word?) of Facebook and e-mail and other online discussion forums. It's a little funny formatted b/c Google Books has the actual book text scanned and I asked for the plain text version.
from p. 325:
"3. Besides the want of determined ideas, Reas0nine. .and of sagacity, and exercise in finding out, and laying in order, intermediate ideas : there are three miscarriages, that men are guilty of, in reference to their reason, whereby this faculty is hindered in them from that service it might do, and was designed for.
Y 3 ~ And And he that reflects upon the actions and discourses of mankind, will find their defects in this kind very frequent, and very observable.
1. The first is of those who seldom reason at all, but do and think according to the example of others, whether parents, neighbours, ministers, or who else they are pleased to make choice of to have an implicit faith in, for the saving of themselves the pains and trouble of thinking and examining for themselves.
2. The second is of those who put passion in the place of reason, and, being resolved that shall govern their actions and arguments, neither use their own, nor hearken to other people's reason, any farther than it suits their humour, interest, or party ; aad these one may observe commonly content themselves with words, which have 110 distinct ideas to them, though in other matters, that they come with an unbiassed indifferency to, they want not abilities to talk and hear.reason, where they have no secret inclination, that hinders them from being intractable to it.
3. The third sort is of those who readily and sincerely fellow reason ; but, for want of having that, which one may call large, sound, round-about sense, havft not a full view of all that relates to the question, and may b£ of moment to decide it. We are all short-sighted, and very often see but one side of a matter; our views are not extended to all that has a connexion with it. From this defect 1 think no man is free. We see but in part, and we know but in part, and therefore it is no wonder \ve conclude not right from ou* partial views. This might instruct the proudest esteemer of-his own parts-, how Useful it is to talk and consult with others, even such as conre short of him in capacity, qtrickness, and penetration: for, since no one sees all, and we generally have different prospects of the same thing, according to bur different, as I may say, positions to it; it is net incongruous to think, nor beneath any man to try, n'he* ther another may not have notions of things, which-h«*t escaped him, and which his reason wouki make use of, if they eame into his mind.
The faculty of reasoning seldom or never deceive* those who trust to Jt; ifs consequences, sequences, from what it builds on", are evident and certain ; but that which it oftenest, if not only, misleads (is \nf is, that the principles froni which we conclude, the grounds upon which we bottom our reasariirig, are but a part, something is left out, which should go info the reckoning, to make it just and exact.. Here we inay imagine a vast and, almost infinite advantage, that angels and separate spirits may have over us; who, in their several degrees of elevation above us, may be endowed with more comprehensive faculties : and some of them, perhaps, having perfect and exact views of all finite beings, that come under their consideration, can, as it were, in tlie twinkling of an eye, collect together all their scattered and almost boundless relations'. A inihd so furnishedi what rea'son has it to acquiesce in the certainty of its conclusions !"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doll Info:
Here's what I have found so far:
Memo's bride doll was made by Armand Marseille in Germany. It is a "bisque" doll which means: "Unglazed porcelain; usually molded into shape then baked in high temperatures in a "kiln" to form doll heads and doll body parts. Most German and French dolls from the late 1800s and very early 1900s had heads made of bisque." Dolls are categorized by the material their head is made from rather than the whole doll, so it could have a bisque head and another type of body. I believe the body is bisque as well, which appears to be farily uncommon. But it also could be a composition body which means: Composition is generally a mixture of glue mixed with sawdust.
I figured this out by he markings on the back of its head is stamped "390 A7M" and the hair is covering it, but I found some similar ones online, it also says "Armand Marseille Germany" above those letters. The stamp means the model number of the head mold, and from what I can find, it seems that 390 was common but perhaps the A7M as a variation was not as common. The heads were made separately from the bodies and seem a little more valuable than the body. But i'm sure the complete doll is worth more together rather than separating the head. I can't find one made by Marseille in a bride's dress, but i'm still searching.
Here's an article about bisque dolls.
http://collectdolls.about.com/od/dollprofiles/p/bisquedolls.htm
Here's a listing from an auction held in 2004:
Armand Marseille bisque head character doll with brown wig, sleeping brown glass eyes, painted and feathered brows, applied lashes, open mouth with four upper teeth on a fully jointed composition body, overpainted, dressed in white dress and matching bonnet. Incised marks Armand Marseille// Germany// 390//A 7 M H 62 cm $600-700
HOWEVER, i read a more recent article that said Marseille dolls are not as valuable due to the prevalance of eBay.
I'm still researching but was pretty excited I narrowed in on this info. I think its only worth a couple hundred dollars but Chris said, "Hey if it were a bottle of wine worth a couple of hundred, would we let Quinn play with it?" and I said "We wouldn't let her play w wine at all!"
Well, i was searching for info on my grandmother's 1920s porcelain doll that i found in my mom's garage this past weekend (see the end of this post for what i found on the doll) and when i was finished i decided to search for "sagacity" in Google books....did you know that "sagacity" is mentioned 10 times in: An essay concerning human understanding, Volume 1 By John Locke??
I'm not sure the copywrite law on this, but this is from the book mentioned above and i want to share it b/c i think it is quite important and interesting regarding individual's miscarriages of reasoning. I find it interesting b/c of so many "debates" and "discussions" that have been facilitated over the past year by the instantaneousness (is this a word?) of Facebook and e-mail and other online discussion forums. It's a little funny formatted b/c Google Books has the actual book text scanned and I asked for the plain text version.
from p. 325:
"3. Besides the want of determined ideas, Reas0nine. .and of sagacity, and exercise in finding out, and laying in order, intermediate ideas : there are three miscarriages, that men are guilty of, in reference to their reason, whereby this faculty is hindered in them from that service it might do, and was designed for.
Y 3 ~ And And he that reflects upon the actions and discourses of mankind, will find their defects in this kind very frequent, and very observable.
1. The first is of those who seldom reason at all, but do and think according to the example of others, whether parents, neighbours, ministers, or who else they are pleased to make choice of to have an implicit faith in, for the saving of themselves the pains and trouble of thinking and examining for themselves.
2. The second is of those who put passion in the place of reason, and, being resolved that shall govern their actions and arguments, neither use their own, nor hearken to other people's reason, any farther than it suits their humour, interest, or party ; aad these one may observe commonly content themselves with words, which have 110 distinct ideas to them, though in other matters, that they come with an unbiassed indifferency to, they want not abilities to talk and hear.reason, where they have no secret inclination, that hinders them from being intractable to it.
3. The third sort is of those who readily and sincerely fellow reason ; but, for want of having that, which one may call large, sound, round-about sense, havft not a full view of all that relates to the question, and may b£ of moment to decide it. We are all short-sighted, and very often see but one side of a matter; our views are not extended to all that has a connexion with it. From this defect 1 think no man is free. We see but in part, and we know but in part, and therefore it is no wonder \ve conclude not right from ou* partial views. This might instruct the proudest esteemer of-his own parts-, how Useful it is to talk and consult with others, even such as conre short of him in capacity, qtrickness, and penetration: for, since no one sees all, and we generally have different prospects of the same thing, according to bur different, as I may say, positions to it; it is net incongruous to think, nor beneath any man to try, n'he* ther another may not have notions of things, which-h«*t escaped him, and which his reason wouki make use of, if they eame into his mind.
The faculty of reasoning seldom or never deceive* those who trust to Jt; ifs consequences, sequences, from what it builds on", are evident and certain ; but that which it oftenest, if not only, misleads (is \nf is, that the principles froni which we conclude, the grounds upon which we bottom our reasariirig, are but a part, something is left out, which should go info the reckoning, to make it just and exact.. Here we inay imagine a vast and, almost infinite advantage, that angels and separate spirits may have over us; who, in their several degrees of elevation above us, may be endowed with more comprehensive faculties : and some of them, perhaps, having perfect and exact views of all finite beings, that come under their consideration, can, as it were, in tlie twinkling of an eye, collect together all their scattered and almost boundless relations'. A inihd so furnishedi what rea'son has it to acquiesce in the certainty of its conclusions !"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doll Info:
Here's what I have found so far:
Memo's bride doll was made by Armand Marseille in Germany. It is a "bisque" doll which means: "Unglazed porcelain; usually molded into shape then baked in high temperatures in a "kiln" to form doll heads and doll body parts. Most German and French dolls from the late 1800s and very early 1900s had heads made of bisque." Dolls are categorized by the material their head is made from rather than the whole doll, so it could have a bisque head and another type of body. I believe the body is bisque as well, which appears to be farily uncommon. But it also could be a composition body which means: Composition is generally a mixture of glue mixed with sawdust.
I figured this out by he markings on the back of its head is stamped "390 A7M" and the hair is covering it, but I found some similar ones online, it also says "Armand Marseille Germany" above those letters. The stamp means the model number of the head mold, and from what I can find, it seems that 390 was common but perhaps the A7M as a variation was not as common. The heads were made separately from the bodies and seem a little more valuable than the body. But i'm sure the complete doll is worth more together rather than separating the head. I can't find one made by Marseille in a bride's dress, but i'm still searching.
Here's an article about bisque dolls.
http://collectdolls.about.com/od/dollprofiles/p/bisquedolls.htm
Here's a listing from an auction held in 2004:
Armand Marseille bisque head character doll with brown wig, sleeping brown glass eyes, painted and feathered brows, applied lashes, open mouth with four upper teeth on a fully jointed composition body, overpainted, dressed in white dress and matching bonnet. Incised marks Armand Marseille// Germany// 390//A 7 M H 62 cm $600-700
HOWEVER, i read a more recent article that said Marseille dolls are not as valuable due to the prevalance of eBay.
I'm still researching but was pretty excited I narrowed in on this info. I think its only worth a couple hundred dollars but Chris said, "Hey if it were a bottle of wine worth a couple of hundred, would we let Quinn play with it?" and I said "We wouldn't let her play w wine at all!"
Friday, November 6, 2009
more on religion...or really, my own spirituality
In regards to the recent post about my CURRENT thoughts about the Catholic Church, see http://sheilasjumpinoff.blogspot.com/2009/10/want-my-old-time-religion.html ...
I made this comment...and just posting it here b/c i don't think ppl go back and read comments on posts...
WOW! thanks to the Romers I have plenty more to think about. I just want to say that these are clearly my own opinions and perceptions, and I believe I stated that clearly so please forgive the factual errors of my writing...It's my feelings and I cannot explain it all factually and I am by no means a religious scholar. I did feel a little attacked by some comments, but I do know that you were coming from a place of care and concern. AND, I really didn't feel like I was "throwing the whole Catholic Church under the bus" (as one friend said on FB) b/c of my current issues with it. You have to read the whole entry and not pick it apart...there's some "between the lines" stuff going on. I still have a strong faith in God and the Mysteries of the Church. For now, i must search on a different path. As for taking Communion at my grandmother's funeral, I figured I can be judged by God when I go for my eternal reward. I don't think He would deny me just b/c I haven't been faithfully attending? Again, this might be factually incorrect too...as according to the church my soul may be in grave sin b/c of the words I have spoken against it and for not going to Mass every Sunday.....
(not in the comment)....oh boy, its so damn confusing and i'm putting my personal feelings and thoughts out here in public and i hope it might be somewhat helpful or worth a learning experience to others to see what someone is stuggling with...
its really more about spirituality and not the social club mentality of a parish or a particular "brand" of faith....this is my own journey and i wish to share it with you so that maybe you will become more spiritual and faithful too. i think religion is a totally different thing from spirituality. but i don't have time to go into all that at the moment.
I made this comment...and just posting it here b/c i don't think ppl go back and read comments on posts...
WOW! thanks to the Romers I have plenty more to think about. I just want to say that these are clearly my own opinions and perceptions, and I believe I stated that clearly so please forgive the factual errors of my writing...It's my feelings and I cannot explain it all factually and I am by no means a religious scholar. I did feel a little attacked by some comments, but I do know that you were coming from a place of care and concern. AND, I really didn't feel like I was "throwing the whole Catholic Church under the bus" (as one friend said on FB) b/c of my current issues with it. You have to read the whole entry and not pick it apart...there's some "between the lines" stuff going on. I still have a strong faith in God and the Mysteries of the Church. For now, i must search on a different path. As for taking Communion at my grandmother's funeral, I figured I can be judged by God when I go for my eternal reward. I don't think He would deny me just b/c I haven't been faithfully attending? Again, this might be factually incorrect too...as according to the church my soul may be in grave sin b/c of the words I have spoken against it and for not going to Mass every Sunday.....
(not in the comment)....oh boy, its so damn confusing and i'm putting my personal feelings and thoughts out here in public and i hope it might be somewhat helpful or worth a learning experience to others to see what someone is stuggling with...
its really more about spirituality and not the social club mentality of a parish or a particular "brand" of faith....this is my own journey and i wish to share it with you so that maybe you will become more spiritual and faithful too. i think religion is a totally different thing from spirituality. but i don't have time to go into all that at the moment.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Current Mantra
I have this posted by my mirror in the bathroom (thanks for the edit Chris) and read it often during the day. With all the stress of everything that has happened over the past year (if you are new to my life, then check out my past postings on this blog), it has been quite helpful to me. I think it might be helpful to others who are trying to be less negative and more accepting of others.
Patience (from His Holiness The Dalai Lama):
Patience (from His Holiness The Dalai Lama):
If we really want to be happy,
we should understand that when we get angry,
we are creating the causes for more of our own suffering.
But, if we cultivate patience,
we are creating the causes for
more long-lasting and uninterupted happiness.
That is what we are really striving for.
Oh, and just want to "park" this here so I can find it easily (posted on FB today):
Sheila Collins Ferguson from Monsignor Marren in Atlanta on the death of Memo: Prayer (to our deceased loved ones) is the expression of love that crosses the ocean of death. It acknowledges that they are still alive and have been birthed into eternity; and it acknowledges our faith in the Resurrection.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
sign from God
Okay, so my last post about my crisis of faith drew lots of comments, but nothing is more powerful than the death of one of the most Catholic lay persons I have ever known. My grandmother, the ONLY grandmother I have, Mary Dolores Meeker McNamara (or more affectionately known as Memo), died peacefully w many of her priest friends surrounding her on Monday.
Here's a link to her obituary: http://www.asimas.com/ASIMAS/asturner/obituaryDescription.jsp?domain_id=126&deceased_id=209337
Maybe people might understand who I am a little better if they know a little about my grandmother. Maybe? I actually think people only understand another from their own perspective and thereby never really understand anyone. People try to project what they think a person should feel and don't really try to walk in their shoes.
I have not even had time to read all the comments to my last post and I'm grateful people are so concerned about my soul, but right now I don't have much time to devote to my soul...i have others to worry about right now.
Here's a link to her obituary: http://www.asimas.com/ASIMAS/asturner/obituaryDescription.jsp?domain_id=126&deceased_id=209337
Maybe people might understand who I am a little better if they know a little about my grandmother. Maybe? I actually think people only understand another from their own perspective and thereby never really understand anyone. People try to project what they think a person should feel and don't really try to walk in their shoes.
I have not even had time to read all the comments to my last post and I'm grateful people are so concerned about my soul, but right now I don't have much time to devote to my soul...i have others to worry about right now.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Want my Old Time Religion
So I woke up bothered by something I heard a child say: “Obama kills babies.” WOW, is this what they teach in elementary Catholic schools? I think this helped me solidify why I cannot go to the Catholic Church right now and why I have chosen to attend the Unitarian Church. I really miss the “peace and justice” and “God Loves You” emphasis that the Catholic Church I grew up with had. I have so much trouble with the focus on “death and hate” the Catholic Church seems to have these days. I hear way more about abortion and hatred of gay people in the Catholic Church and way too little about serving the poor and misfortunate.
Now to be sure, I might be over-reacting but I honestly don’t see the values of our faith being lived on a daily basis when I look around at the average Catholic family. I must say there are many wonderfully, spiritual Catholics that I am close to, but beyond that immediate circle, the majority of parishioners at the Catholic Churches I have attended over the past 10 years are there only for Sunday Mass and it seems to be more of a social reason than a spiritual reason that they are there. Where are these people the other 6 days of the week? And what are they doing outside the sanctuary? What are they teaching their children? I hear some Catholic parents who say they send their kids to Catholic school so that they can learn about the religion.....what happened to good old-fashioned "lead by example."?
When I hear children being so rude and mean to one another, or when I see the lack of volunteerism for the poor and misfortunate, I have to wonder what the point of saying you go to a particular church, namely the Catholic Church in my case since that’s where I grew up. It seems people just stick within their comfort zones rather than really live their faith on a daily basis.
I’ve been a little nervous telling “fellow” Catholics that I now go to the Unitarian Church. I guess I have this fear that God will be really mad at me, or maybe it’s more a fear of being ostracized by my “fellow” Catholics who I count as many of my life-long friends. Truly, my biggest fear is hurting my mother and grandmother who are very devout Catholics. I have honestly told my mother and she is very VERY upset and even tried to guilt me back into the Church saying that Dad would be very disappointed and that she has discussed it w Fr. Lopez (the most wonderful, saintly, honest, brilliant Catholic ANYONE in Atlanta has ever met). But seriously, if they were true Christians they wouldn’t turn their back on me during my crisis of faith, RIGHT!?!?
My “slide” away from the church began when I moved back to Memphis and chose to go to a parish in Collierville and tried to get involved. Well, first off, my attempt to get involved started with signing the stewardship commitment card. I marked that I could help in various ways and WAS NEVER CALLED BY ANYONE. But to be sure, they hounded me and continue to hound me for my FINANCIAL stewardship! Not only do they call me once or twice a year to see if I’m going to make my annual pledge, I also get the pre-printed Sunday donation envelopes in the mail that DRIVE ME NUTS b/c they say “Mr. and Mrs. Chris Ferguson” when I clearly marked on the parish registration that I was Catholic and my husband was NOT! Why would they insist on adding his name to the envelopes? Is this their devious little way of evangelization?
Even when they didn’t seem to want me, I went ahead and worked my way “in”. My involvement started naturally with the nursery since Jack and Quinn were only 3 and 1 at the time….well, I needed a place for them to stay while I attended Mass. Finding that it was a volunteer-led nursery (and a very disorganized one at that), I was soon the coordinator of the nursery for about a year. After beating my head against the wall for that year b/c parents who wanted this service were not willing to “step up” and help, I resigned. During this time I also got involved with the outreach ministry to take food out to some very poor people living in Fayette County. I only did this one time b/c it was really difficult for my schedule (during the day and needed to find childcare for my 3 and 1 year old). But I was also frustrated that such a HUGE parish like Incarnation could only field about FIVE volunteers to help with the outreach ministry. Now I understand that many of the families have little kids and were in the very similar boat as I was with trying to find childcare, but these same families seem to have NO PROBLEM when I see them working out at the gym or when there is some type of social fundraising type event for the church.
I guess my expectations are just way too high for others….well, actually this is one of the problems or bad habits I have acquired from being raised Catholic. See, we Catholics are actually very quick to judge others. We think we have all the answers because, of course, we belong to the only “true religion”….So this has led me to the past year of really deep soul-searching and study to determine the best way to live my faith. Luckily I married a Unitarian b/c I don’t think I would have stumbled upon this wonderful group of open-minded people of strong values who come together weekly to honor one another’s differences but work together to celebrate humanity’s sameness (not a good word, maybe something along the lines of universality…which would be apropos since they are Unitarian Universalists). Attending the Unitarian Church, I can still live my Catholic values and study other religions in freedom and peace with others who will not judge me for following my own chosen path.
I guess part of my problem with Catholicism is that it’s so rigid and the path is pretty much pre-determined that I don’t feel comfortable there. It seems that this new “path” (so to speak) of “death and hatred” has been laid down over the past 20-30 years as the U.S. Catholic Church has shifted from a liberal political focus to a conservative political focus. My parents were Democrats when I was little and ever since I turned 18 and could vote and more actively initiate my citizenship, they turned into Republicans. Altho, Dad always seemed to be riding the fence a little. I almost had him convinced that Obama was the right man for our country…almost! Mom is an obedient Catholic who will follow the Church no matter what it says.
And while the Church as a whole does not endorse particular candidates, the individual parish priests make their opinions known and the parishioners (who in my humble opinion just don’t do any reading or research of their own) just believe they must follow their priest’s advice. I’m digressing b/c this is important (for my “fellow” Catholics out there who will probably try to debate me on this), the U.S. Bishops actually wrote an excellent paper last fall telling “us” (the Catholics) that the faithful should not make their decisions about a particular candidate based upon only one issue (i.e. abortion) and that the whole of a person’s focus on peace and justice was WAY more important. See these links (which I copied from an email to my parents about a year ago, so I’m not sure if the links are still active) if you want to see what I’m talking about:
http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/
Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/faithfulcitizenship03.pdf
and some articles that discuss it:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=91722
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/20/AR2008102002290.html?referrer=emailarticlepg
You see, in this digression, I’m revealing to myself that Catholicism is really not a terrible religion and that the “big guys” or the major decision-makers and the theologians of the Church are on track, it’s just the average parish in the U.S. that drives me NUTS b/c they are so ignorant about what the Church truly teaches!
Okay back to my ideas of where I think the U.S. Catholic Church has shifted in a way that I cannot support. Prior to Kennedy being elected, the Catholic Church emphasized peace and justice (not that it doesn’t anymore, but it sure seems to highlight the heck out of abortion and hatred of gays)…heck, we even had a Catholic President (whose morals weren’t exactly the best and the Catholics shouldn’t really be too proud of him). And somewhere along the way, perhaps b/c Catholics (who mainly immigrated to the U.S. and started out as the “less fortunate” or at the bottom of the financial spectrum) became more wealthy, there was this movement to being a more conservative church. I really should do some research on this before typing any of this as fact, however, this is my own opinion and I’m not writing an academic paper here, but maybe a lot of it has to do with the legalization of abortion in the 1960s when the shift in U.S. Catholic attitude began?
Well, that’s about enough ranting and rambling for today. I’ve been bottling it all up lately and not really had time to think as deeply with working and other family dramas…
(and some day, for my college and beyond friends who would never believe this, I will write about what a hugely devout Catholic I used to be---heck, family members used to think i'd be the first female priest...but that's another interesting twist on my faith journey....)
Peace & Love!
Now to be sure, I might be over-reacting but I honestly don’t see the values of our faith being lived on a daily basis when I look around at the average Catholic family. I must say there are many wonderfully, spiritual Catholics that I am close to, but beyond that immediate circle, the majority of parishioners at the Catholic Churches I have attended over the past 10 years are there only for Sunday Mass and it seems to be more of a social reason than a spiritual reason that they are there. Where are these people the other 6 days of the week? And what are they doing outside the sanctuary? What are they teaching their children? I hear some Catholic parents who say they send their kids to Catholic school so that they can learn about the religion.....what happened to good old-fashioned "lead by example."?
When I hear children being so rude and mean to one another, or when I see the lack of volunteerism for the poor and misfortunate, I have to wonder what the point of saying you go to a particular church, namely the Catholic Church in my case since that’s where I grew up. It seems people just stick within their comfort zones rather than really live their faith on a daily basis.
I’ve been a little nervous telling “fellow” Catholics that I now go to the Unitarian Church. I guess I have this fear that God will be really mad at me, or maybe it’s more a fear of being ostracized by my “fellow” Catholics who I count as many of my life-long friends. Truly, my biggest fear is hurting my mother and grandmother who are very devout Catholics. I have honestly told my mother and she is very VERY upset and even tried to guilt me back into the Church saying that Dad would be very disappointed and that she has discussed it w Fr. Lopez (the most wonderful, saintly, honest, brilliant Catholic ANYONE in Atlanta has ever met). But seriously, if they were true Christians they wouldn’t turn their back on me during my crisis of faith, RIGHT!?!?
My “slide” away from the church began when I moved back to Memphis and chose to go to a parish in Collierville and tried to get involved. Well, first off, my attempt to get involved started with signing the stewardship commitment card. I marked that I could help in various ways and WAS NEVER CALLED BY ANYONE. But to be sure, they hounded me and continue to hound me for my FINANCIAL stewardship! Not only do they call me once or twice a year to see if I’m going to make my annual pledge, I also get the pre-printed Sunday donation envelopes in the mail that DRIVE ME NUTS b/c they say “Mr. and Mrs. Chris Ferguson” when I clearly marked on the parish registration that I was Catholic and my husband was NOT! Why would they insist on adding his name to the envelopes? Is this their devious little way of evangelization?
Even when they didn’t seem to want me, I went ahead and worked my way “in”. My involvement started naturally with the nursery since Jack and Quinn were only 3 and 1 at the time….well, I needed a place for them to stay while I attended Mass. Finding that it was a volunteer-led nursery (and a very disorganized one at that), I was soon the coordinator of the nursery for about a year. After beating my head against the wall for that year b/c parents who wanted this service were not willing to “step up” and help, I resigned. During this time I also got involved with the outreach ministry to take food out to some very poor people living in Fayette County. I only did this one time b/c it was really difficult for my schedule (during the day and needed to find childcare for my 3 and 1 year old). But I was also frustrated that such a HUGE parish like Incarnation could only field about FIVE volunteers to help with the outreach ministry. Now I understand that many of the families have little kids and were in the very similar boat as I was with trying to find childcare, but these same families seem to have NO PROBLEM when I see them working out at the gym or when there is some type of social fundraising type event for the church.
I guess my expectations are just way too high for others….well, actually this is one of the problems or bad habits I have acquired from being raised Catholic. See, we Catholics are actually very quick to judge others. We think we have all the answers because, of course, we belong to the only “true religion”….So this has led me to the past year of really deep soul-searching and study to determine the best way to live my faith. Luckily I married a Unitarian b/c I don’t think I would have stumbled upon this wonderful group of open-minded people of strong values who come together weekly to honor one another’s differences but work together to celebrate humanity’s sameness (not a good word, maybe something along the lines of universality…which would be apropos since they are Unitarian Universalists). Attending the Unitarian Church, I can still live my Catholic values and study other religions in freedom and peace with others who will not judge me for following my own chosen path.
I guess part of my problem with Catholicism is that it’s so rigid and the path is pretty much pre-determined that I don’t feel comfortable there. It seems that this new “path” (so to speak) of “death and hatred” has been laid down over the past 20-30 years as the U.S. Catholic Church has shifted from a liberal political focus to a conservative political focus. My parents were Democrats when I was little and ever since I turned 18 and could vote and more actively initiate my citizenship, they turned into Republicans. Altho, Dad always seemed to be riding the fence a little. I almost had him convinced that Obama was the right man for our country…almost! Mom is an obedient Catholic who will follow the Church no matter what it says.
And while the Church as a whole does not endorse particular candidates, the individual parish priests make their opinions known and the parishioners (who in my humble opinion just don’t do any reading or research of their own) just believe they must follow their priest’s advice. I’m digressing b/c this is important (for my “fellow” Catholics out there who will probably try to debate me on this), the U.S. Bishops actually wrote an excellent paper last fall telling “us” (the Catholics) that the faithful should not make their decisions about a particular candidate based upon only one issue (i.e. abortion) and that the whole of a person’s focus on peace and justice was WAY more important. See these links (which I copied from an email to my parents about a year ago, so I’m not sure if the links are still active) if you want to see what I’m talking about:
http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/
Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/faithfulcitizenship03.pdf
and some articles that discuss it:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=91722
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/20/AR2008102002290.html?referrer=emailarticlepg
You see, in this digression, I’m revealing to myself that Catholicism is really not a terrible religion and that the “big guys” or the major decision-makers and the theologians of the Church are on track, it’s just the average parish in the U.S. that drives me NUTS b/c they are so ignorant about what the Church truly teaches!
Okay back to my ideas of where I think the U.S. Catholic Church has shifted in a way that I cannot support. Prior to Kennedy being elected, the Catholic Church emphasized peace and justice (not that it doesn’t anymore, but it sure seems to highlight the heck out of abortion and hatred of gays)…heck, we even had a Catholic President (whose morals weren’t exactly the best and the Catholics shouldn’t really be too proud of him). And somewhere along the way, perhaps b/c Catholics (who mainly immigrated to the U.S. and started out as the “less fortunate” or at the bottom of the financial spectrum) became more wealthy, there was this movement to being a more conservative church. I really should do some research on this before typing any of this as fact, however, this is my own opinion and I’m not writing an academic paper here, but maybe a lot of it has to do with the legalization of abortion in the 1960s when the shift in U.S. Catholic attitude began?
Well, that’s about enough ranting and rambling for today. I’ve been bottling it all up lately and not really had time to think as deeply with working and other family dramas…
(and some day, for my college and beyond friends who would never believe this, I will write about what a hugely devout Catholic I used to be---heck, family members used to think i'd be the first female priest...but that's another interesting twist on my faith journey....)
Peace & Love!
Friday, October 2, 2009
gotta love folks w passion
well, i'm prety passionate about lots of stuff. but i've been so tired from working lately that i don't have much time to expound upon it.
one thing, i have to get off my chest is that i'm seriously jealous of a certain friend on FB who within 5 to 10 minutes of posting anything (and i mean ANYTHING SHE FREAKIN POSTS) she gets TONS of response. i guess this is what its like to be cute and popular....or maybe (in a very dark way, in my brain) people just feel sorry for her and want to respond. But i truly think its more about how adorably cute she is that people want to respond....which leads me to think about how terribly shallow most the world is....
I did have a really productive week and most especially enjoyed having lunch w an old college pal who i had not seen in about 20 years. we seemed to re-connect instantly and it was one of the best conversations i've had in a long time!!!! i'm really excited to get planning our 20 year college reunion and seeing where everyone "ended up".
one thing, i have to get off my chest is that i'm seriously jealous of a certain friend on FB who within 5 to 10 minutes of posting anything (and i mean ANYTHING SHE FREAKIN POSTS) she gets TONS of response. i guess this is what its like to be cute and popular....or maybe (in a very dark way, in my brain) people just feel sorry for her and want to respond. But i truly think its more about how adorably cute she is that people want to respond....which leads me to think about how terribly shallow most the world is....
I did have a really productive week and most especially enjoyed having lunch w an old college pal who i had not seen in about 20 years. we seemed to re-connect instantly and it was one of the best conversations i've had in a long time!!!! i'm really excited to get planning our 20 year college reunion and seeing where everyone "ended up".
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
too tired
i cannot believe how tiring it can be to work outside the home.....i think using my brain is WAY more difficult than sitting at home eating bon bons!
there's so much i want to write about but i'm soooooo tired and just want to go to bed each night a little after we get the kids to sleep.
there's so much i want to write about but i'm soooooo tired and just want to go to bed each night a little after we get the kids to sleep.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Highlights from "My Links"
I like to post/share links on FB, mainly so that I will remember them and re-visit them again.
"Why don't I just bookmark them, Sheila?", you may ask.
Well, I think it's my "trying-to-be-helpful" nature to share these things w my nearly 400 friends on FB, as well as my "I-like-the-validation-of-people- thinking- i'm- interesting- by- what- I- post" nature as well!
Oh, i have to give some credit to Reader's Digest for suggesting some of these in an article where they said, "The University of Melbourne found that workers who used the Internet for personal reasons were 9 percent more productive than those who didn't." And RD goes on to provide "Time-Wasting Internet Tips". (10/09 issue)
Here's a sampling (or if i get really bored, i might just cut n paste em all here...it is a rainy day and i'm giving myself a "break" today since i've been working so hard lately):
LINK # 1
Sheila Collins Ferguson go look at the blog suggested here...it's amusing and another good way to "kill time" on a rainy day!
http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/
LINK # 2
Sheila Collins Ferguson http://www.jacksonpollock.org/ Have some fun w this one...make your own drip art, when you click it changes the color!
(in response to the pollack site) so quinn did it and then asked "am I a great artist?"
LINK # 3
Sheila Collins Ferguson
This is pretty cool (especially for history buffs)! I think its interesting that nobody seems to show their teeth until Jimmy Carter and after Jimmy EVERYONE shows their teeth....must've been some PR-guru who told them it made them seem more au...thoratative? http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.html
LINK # 4
Sheila Collins Ferguson sooooooo adorable! what a GREAT Dad!
ModernTube: Young Phillies fan rejects dad's foul ball gift - Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
Source: sports.yahoo.com
LINK # 5
Sheila Collins Ferguson parking this here so i can show it to jack & quinn later.
Where the Wild Things Are
LINK # 6
Sheila Collins Ferguson Sharing a great tune! The lead singer, John Garrison, is one of my life-long friends (met him in Kindergarten!)
The El Caminos - Happy Day
video and editing reel by James Truax
Length:3:03
LINK # 7
Sheila Collins Ferguson thanks Shannon for sharing ... LOVED THIS! made me really happy...wanted to share w others....single friends, please try it if you get married!
JK Wedding Entrance Dance
Source: www.youtube.com
Our wedding entrance dance to Forever...yeah, forever. It took place at a Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
LINK # 8
Sheila Collins Ferguson I just finished reading this for the FIRST time! It was INCREDIBLE...just what I needed RIGHT NOW in my life as I am in major reflection mode! why have I been such an ignorant fool all these years and not read such good literature? this is my new new quest....please send recommendations!
The Good Earth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The Good Earth is a novel by Pearl S. Buck published in 1931 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1932. It is the first book in a trilogy that includes Sons (1932) and A House Divided (1935).
November 7, 2008 at 1:28pm · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share
Wendy Durham
I LOVE Great Expectations, but you've probably already read that.
November 7, 2008 at 1:52pm · Delete
Volita Welch Vinoski
Gotta recommend Vanity Fair by Thackery.
November 7, 2008 at 3:48pm · Delete
Carol Tidwell Simpson
Good choice! Looking for recommendations, huh? I'll have to think about it . . . . too much of my reading over the last few years has involved lifting the flap.
November 7, 2008 at 6:53pm · Delete
Katie Murphy Githens
I really enjoyed The Good Earth as well. It was a very interesting look at the kind of life we should all be glad we don't have! Jane Eyre is another one that I have always appreciated. The Grapes of Wrath is another...
November 7, 2008 at 6:53pm · Delete
Lisa Splan
I loved this book, too. I remember it being a favorite, might have to read it again!
November 7, 2008 at 7:05pm · Delete
Jim Vinoski
Hmmm...The Picture of Dorian Gray -- WildeDavid Copperfield -- Dickens (go Wendy!)The Fountainhead -- RandBrave New World -- Huxley... Read MoreCatch 22 -- HellerAnything by Vonnegut
November 8, 2008 at 1:41pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
THANKS for the suggestions! keep em coming!I DO love dickens and really loved both copperfield & great expectations! i read catch 22 and i keep trying to read The Fountainhead but can't get into it....maybe i need to start it on vacation so i can get "engrossed" before kids distract me!
November 8, 2008 at 2:28pm · Delete
LINK # 9
Sheila Collins Ferguson I LOVE THIS....do you remember that one of the beer companies "stole" it for their commercials last year?
Frisco Christmas Lights - Wizards in Winter
Source: www.youtube.com
www.friscochristmas.com - my home Christmas light display in Frisco, TX (This is my 2005 video - more videos from '06 and '07 to be posted soon). I am not the guy in Ohio (I did not copy his display - we both just happened to use the same song in '05 - I no longer use this song). ...
December 2, 2008 at 3:28pm · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share
LINK # 10
Sheila Collins Ferguson SOOO Funnykah
Adam Sandler original Chanukah (Hanukkah) Song
Source: www.youtube.com
This Adam Sandler original has become a holiday classic.
December 2, 2008 at 9:34am · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share
LINK # 11
Sheila Collins Ferguson great one that my kids have been singing since they could hum!
Muppets - Mahna Mahna
Source: www.youtube.com
The best version of The Muppet Show sketch, Episode 101: Juliet Prowse, April 25, 1977. Sung by Bip Bippadotta (Jim Henson) and the two Snowths (Frank Oz), complete with Kermit's introduction and commentary by Waldorf and Statler. ...
"Why don't I just bookmark them, Sheila?", you may ask.
Well, I think it's my "trying-to-be-helpful" nature to share these things w my nearly 400 friends on FB, as well as my "I-like-the-validation-of-people- thinking- i'm- interesting- by- what- I- post" nature as well!
Oh, i have to give some credit to Reader's Digest for suggesting some of these in an article where they said, "The University of Melbourne found that workers who used the Internet for personal reasons were 9 percent more productive than those who didn't." And RD goes on to provide "Time-Wasting Internet Tips". (10/09 issue)
Here's a sampling (or if i get really bored, i might just cut n paste em all here...it is a rainy day and i'm giving myself a "break" today since i've been working so hard lately):
LINK # 1
Sheila Collins Ferguson go look at the blog suggested here...it's amusing and another good way to "kill time" on a rainy day!
http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/
LINK # 2
Sheila Collins Ferguson http://www.jacksonpollock.org/ Have some fun w this one...make your own drip art, when you click it changes the color!
(in response to the pollack site) so quinn did it and then asked "am I a great artist?"
LINK # 3
Sheila Collins Ferguson
This is pretty cool (especially for history buffs)! I think its interesting that nobody seems to show their teeth until Jimmy Carter and after Jimmy EVERYONE shows their teeth....must've been some PR-guru who told them it made them seem more au...thoratative? http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.html
LINK # 4
Sheila Collins Ferguson sooooooo adorable! what a GREAT Dad!
ModernTube: Young Phillies fan rejects dad's foul ball gift - Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
Source: sports.yahoo.com
LINK # 5
Sheila Collins Ferguson parking this here so i can show it to jack & quinn later.
Where the Wild Things Are
LINK # 6
Sheila Collins Ferguson Sharing a great tune! The lead singer, John Garrison, is one of my life-long friends (met him in Kindergarten!)
The El Caminos - Happy Day
video and editing reel by James Truax
Length:3:03
LINK # 7
Sheila Collins Ferguson thanks Shannon for sharing ... LOVED THIS! made me really happy...wanted to share w others....single friends, please try it if you get married!
JK Wedding Entrance Dance
Source: www.youtube.com
Our wedding entrance dance to Forever...yeah, forever. It took place at a Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
LINK # 8
Sheila Collins Ferguson I just finished reading this for the FIRST time! It was INCREDIBLE...just what I needed RIGHT NOW in my life as I am in major reflection mode! why have I been such an ignorant fool all these years and not read such good literature? this is my new new quest....please send recommendations!
The Good Earth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The Good Earth is a novel by Pearl S. Buck published in 1931 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1932. It is the first book in a trilogy that includes Sons (1932) and A House Divided (1935).
November 7, 2008 at 1:28pm · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share
Wendy Durham
I LOVE Great Expectations, but you've probably already read that.
November 7, 2008 at 1:52pm · Delete
Volita Welch Vinoski
Gotta recommend Vanity Fair by Thackery.
November 7, 2008 at 3:48pm · Delete
Carol Tidwell Simpson
Good choice! Looking for recommendations, huh? I'll have to think about it . . . . too much of my reading over the last few years has involved lifting the flap.
November 7, 2008 at 6:53pm · Delete
Katie Murphy Githens
I really enjoyed The Good Earth as well. It was a very interesting look at the kind of life we should all be glad we don't have! Jane Eyre is another one that I have always appreciated. The Grapes of Wrath is another...
November 7, 2008 at 6:53pm · Delete
Lisa Splan
I loved this book, too. I remember it being a favorite, might have to read it again!
November 7, 2008 at 7:05pm · Delete
Jim Vinoski
Hmmm...The Picture of Dorian Gray -- WildeDavid Copperfield -- Dickens (go Wendy!)The Fountainhead -- RandBrave New World -- Huxley... Read MoreCatch 22 -- HellerAnything by Vonnegut
November 8, 2008 at 1:41pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
THANKS for the suggestions! keep em coming!I DO love dickens and really loved both copperfield & great expectations! i read catch 22 and i keep trying to read The Fountainhead but can't get into it....maybe i need to start it on vacation so i can get "engrossed" before kids distract me!
November 8, 2008 at 2:28pm · Delete
LINK # 9
Sheila Collins Ferguson I LOVE THIS....do you remember that one of the beer companies "stole" it for their commercials last year?
Frisco Christmas Lights - Wizards in Winter
Source: www.youtube.com
www.friscochristmas.com - my home Christmas light display in Frisco, TX (This is my 2005 video - more videos from '06 and '07 to be posted soon). I am not the guy in Ohio (I did not copy his display - we both just happened to use the same song in '05 - I no longer use this song). ...
December 2, 2008 at 3:28pm · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share
LINK # 10
Sheila Collins Ferguson SOOO Funnykah
Adam Sandler original Chanukah (Hanukkah) Song
Source: www.youtube.com
This Adam Sandler original has become a holiday classic.
December 2, 2008 at 9:34am · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share
LINK # 11
Sheila Collins Ferguson great one that my kids have been singing since they could hum!
Muppets - Mahna Mahna
Source: www.youtube.com
The best version of The Muppet Show sketch, Episode 101: Juliet Prowse, April 25, 1977. Sung by Bip Bippadotta (Jim Henson) and the two Snowths (Frank Oz), complete with Kermit's introduction and commentary by Waldorf and Statler. ...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Parables: Update from the Road (the Search for Sagacity continues)
I am learning many wonderful, beautiful things in my "self-study" of Buddhism (currently listening to Jack Kornfield's "The Roots of Buddhist Psychology" in the car on the way to work--THANK YOU PAT for loaning them to me).
Below are a few stories I just love and are really motivating me to stay on my "Search for Sagacity". Each one gives me a lot to think about and I am enjoying interpreting them and applying their lessons to my life. I will comment further on them on another blog entry, another time.
Meanwhile, another new part of my life that is helping me on my journey and search for sagacity is my new fundraising position at SRVS (http://www.srvs.org/). This has been my first full week of going to the office EVERY day and I have been making an intentional point of trying to walk thru the Day Center or to talk briefly with our clients each day so that I can remind myself why I am there.
For those of you who don't know what SRVS is, it is truly one of the most amazing organizations in Memphis that serves some of our forgotten and many times "unwanted" citizens because they have intellectual or physical disabilities. SRVS offers comprehensive care to these individuals and their families to help them lead a happy life, and I feel honored to be able to help them.
A little from SRVS website:
OUR MISSION is a commitment to excellence in providing options and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
OUR VISION is a community that supports personal growth, happiness, options and opportunities for people with disabilities.
WE VALUE individual choice, dignity, respect, full participation in the community, strong family alliances, and health and wellness.
NOW, finally to a few STORIES shared by Jack Kornfield that are helping lead me to sagacity:
from Annie Dillard:
Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?" Priest:
"No, not if you did not know." Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"
Old Catholic joke:
The story is told that one day in heaven Jesus approached Peter, who, acting in his role as admissions officer, was sitting at the pearly gates. Jesus complained about the quality of people Peter was admitting to heaven, noting how many of them were of somewhat dubious reputation at best. Peter responded, "I know Lord. But what am I to do? They come to me here and I turn them away. So they go around to the backdoor, talk to your mother, and then SHE lets them in."
"The Brave Little Parrot"
Adapted by Rafe Martin, from an ancient Jataka tale from India. Found in More Best-loved Stores Told at the National Storytelling Festival, (August House,1992.) Martin has published other versions of this tale in The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Myths, legends and Jataka Tales (Yellow Moon Press, 1999) and as a children's picture book, The Brave Little Parrot ( G.P. Putnam's, 1998, illustrated by Susan Gaber.)
Once a little parrot lived happily in a beautiful forest. But one day without warning, lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and a dead tree burst into flames. Sparks, carried on the rising wind, began to leap from branch to branch and tree to tree.
The little parrot smelled the smoke. "Fire!" she cried. "Run to the river!"
Flapping her wings, rising higher and higher, she flew toward the safety of the river's far shore. After all, she was a bird and could fly away.
But as she flew, she could see that many animals were already surrounded by the flames and could not escape. Suddenly a desperate idea, a way to save them, came to her.
Darting to the river, she dipped herself in the water. Then she flew back over the now-raging fire. Thick smoke coiled up, filling the sky. Walls of flame shot up, now on one side, now on the other. Pillars of fire leapt before her. Twisting and turning through a mad maze of flame, the little parrot flew bravely on.
Having reached the heart of the burning forest, the little parrot shook her wings. And the few tiny drops of water that still clung to her feathers tumbled like jewels down into the flames and vanished with a hiss.
Then the little parrot flew back through the flames and smoke to the river. Once more she dipped herself in the cool water and flew back over the burning forest. Once more she shook her wings, and a few drops of water tumbled like jewels into the flames. Hissssss.
Back and forth she flew, time and again from the river to the forest, from the forest to the river. Her feathers became charred. Her feet and claws were scorched. Her lungs ached. Her eyes burned. Her mind spun dizzily as a spinning spark. Still the little parrot flew on.
At that moment some of the blissful gods floating overhead in their cloud palaces of ivory and gold happened to look down and see the little parrot flying among the flames. They pointed at her with their perfect hands. Between mouthfuls of honeyed foods, the exclaimed, "Look at that foolish bird! She's trying to put out a raging forest fire with a few sprinkles of water! How absurd!" They laughed.
But one of those gods, strangely moved, changed himself into a golden eagle and flew down, down toward the little parrot's fiery path.
The little parrot was just nearing the flames again, when a great eagle with eyes like molten gold appeared at her side. "Go back, little bird!" said the eagle in a solemn and majestic voice. "Your task is hopeless. A few drops of water can't put out a forest fire. Cease now, and save yourself before it is too late."
But the little parrot continued to fly on through the smoke and flames. She could hear the great eagle flying above her as the heat grew fiercer. He called out, "Stop, foolish little parrot! Stop! Save yourself!"
"I don't need some great, shining eagle," coughed the little parrot, "to tell me that. My own mother, the dear bird, could have told me the same thing long ago. Advice! I don't need advice. I just" cough, cough "need someone to help!"
Rising higher, the eagle, who as a god, watched the little parrot flying through the flames. High above he could see his own kind, those carefree gods, still laughing and talking even as many animals cried out in pain and fear far below. He grew ashamed of the gods' carefree life, and a single desire was kindled in his heart.
"God though I am," he exclaimed, "how I wish I could be just like that little parrot. Flying on, brave and alone, risking all to help ”what a rare and marvelous thing! What a wonderful little bird!"
Moved by these new feelings, the great eagle began to weep. Stream after stream of sparkling tears began pouring from his eyes. Wave upon wave, they fell, washing down like a torrent of rain upon the fire, upon the forest, upon the animals and the little parrot herself.
Where those cooling tears fell, the sparks shrank down and died. Smoke still curled up from the scorched earth, yet new life was already boldly pushing forth shoots, stems, blossoms, and leaves. Green grass sprang up from along the still-glowing cinders.
Where the eagle's teardrops sparkled on the little parrot's wings, new feathers now grew: red feathers, green feathers, yellow feathers, too. Such bright colors! Such a pretty bird!
The animals looked at one another in amazement. They were whole and well. Not one had been harmed. Up above in the clear blue sky they could see their brave friend. the little parrot, looping and soaring in delight. When all hope was gone, somehow she had saved them.
"Hooray!" they cried. "Hooray for the brave little parrot and for this sudden, miraculous rain!"
Last story for now:
One Vietnam war vet asks another POW, "Have you forgiven your captors?"
The other responds, "NO NEVER!"
The first says, "Then they still have you in prison."
Below are a few stories I just love and are really motivating me to stay on my "Search for Sagacity". Each one gives me a lot to think about and I am enjoying interpreting them and applying their lessons to my life. I will comment further on them on another blog entry, another time.
Meanwhile, another new part of my life that is helping me on my journey and search for sagacity is my new fundraising position at SRVS (http://www.srvs.org/). This has been my first full week of going to the office EVERY day and I have been making an intentional point of trying to walk thru the Day Center or to talk briefly with our clients each day so that I can remind myself why I am there.
For those of you who don't know what SRVS is, it is truly one of the most amazing organizations in Memphis that serves some of our forgotten and many times "unwanted" citizens because they have intellectual or physical disabilities. SRVS offers comprehensive care to these individuals and their families to help them lead a happy life, and I feel honored to be able to help them.
A little from SRVS website:
OUR MISSION is a commitment to excellence in providing options and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
OUR VISION is a community that supports personal growth, happiness, options and opportunities for people with disabilities.
WE VALUE individual choice, dignity, respect, full participation in the community, strong family alliances, and health and wellness.
NOW, finally to a few STORIES shared by Jack Kornfield that are helping lead me to sagacity:
from Annie Dillard:
Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?" Priest:
"No, not if you did not know." Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"Old Catholic joke:
The story is told that one day in heaven Jesus approached Peter, who, acting in his role as admissions officer, was sitting at the pearly gates. Jesus complained about the quality of people Peter was admitting to heaven, noting how many of them were of somewhat dubious reputation at best. Peter responded, "I know Lord. But what am I to do? They come to me here and I turn them away. So they go around to the backdoor, talk to your mother, and then SHE lets them in."
"The Brave Little Parrot"
Adapted by Rafe Martin, from an ancient Jataka tale from India. Found in More Best-loved Stores Told at the National Storytelling Festival, (August House,1992.) Martin has published other versions of this tale in The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Myths, legends and Jataka Tales (Yellow Moon Press, 1999) and as a children's picture book, The Brave Little Parrot ( G.P. Putnam's, 1998, illustrated by Susan Gaber.)
Once a little parrot lived happily in a beautiful forest. But one day without warning, lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and a dead tree burst into flames. Sparks, carried on the rising wind, began to leap from branch to branch and tree to tree.
The little parrot smelled the smoke. "Fire!" she cried. "Run to the river!"
Flapping her wings, rising higher and higher, she flew toward the safety of the river's far shore. After all, she was a bird and could fly away.
But as she flew, she could see that many animals were already surrounded by the flames and could not escape. Suddenly a desperate idea, a way to save them, came to her.
Darting to the river, she dipped herself in the water. Then she flew back over the now-raging fire. Thick smoke coiled up, filling the sky. Walls of flame shot up, now on one side, now on the other. Pillars of fire leapt before her. Twisting and turning through a mad maze of flame, the little parrot flew bravely on.
Having reached the heart of the burning forest, the little parrot shook her wings. And the few tiny drops of water that still clung to her feathers tumbled like jewels down into the flames and vanished with a hiss.
Then the little parrot flew back through the flames and smoke to the river. Once more she dipped herself in the cool water and flew back over the burning forest. Once more she shook her wings, and a few drops of water tumbled like jewels into the flames. Hissssss.
Back and forth she flew, time and again from the river to the forest, from the forest to the river. Her feathers became charred. Her feet and claws were scorched. Her lungs ached. Her eyes burned. Her mind spun dizzily as a spinning spark. Still the little parrot flew on.
At that moment some of the blissful gods floating overhead in their cloud palaces of ivory and gold happened to look down and see the little parrot flying among the flames. They pointed at her with their perfect hands. Between mouthfuls of honeyed foods, the exclaimed, "Look at that foolish bird! She's trying to put out a raging forest fire with a few sprinkles of water! How absurd!" They laughed.
But one of those gods, strangely moved, changed himself into a golden eagle and flew down, down toward the little parrot's fiery path.
The little parrot was just nearing the flames again, when a great eagle with eyes like molten gold appeared at her side. "Go back, little bird!" said the eagle in a solemn and majestic voice. "Your task is hopeless. A few drops of water can't put out a forest fire. Cease now, and save yourself before it is too late."
But the little parrot continued to fly on through the smoke and flames. She could hear the great eagle flying above her as the heat grew fiercer. He called out, "Stop, foolish little parrot! Stop! Save yourself!"
"I don't need some great, shining eagle," coughed the little parrot, "to tell me that. My own mother, the dear bird, could have told me the same thing long ago. Advice! I don't need advice. I just" cough, cough "need someone to help!"
Rising higher, the eagle, who as a god, watched the little parrot flying through the flames. High above he could see his own kind, those carefree gods, still laughing and talking even as many animals cried out in pain and fear far below. He grew ashamed of the gods' carefree life, and a single desire was kindled in his heart.
"God though I am," he exclaimed, "how I wish I could be just like that little parrot. Flying on, brave and alone, risking all to help ”what a rare and marvelous thing! What a wonderful little bird!"
Moved by these new feelings, the great eagle began to weep. Stream after stream of sparkling tears began pouring from his eyes. Wave upon wave, they fell, washing down like a torrent of rain upon the fire, upon the forest, upon the animals and the little parrot herself.
Where those cooling tears fell, the sparks shrank down and died. Smoke still curled up from the scorched earth, yet new life was already boldly pushing forth shoots, stems, blossoms, and leaves. Green grass sprang up from along the still-glowing cinders.
Where the eagle's teardrops sparkled on the little parrot's wings, new feathers now grew: red feathers, green feathers, yellow feathers, too. Such bright colors! Such a pretty bird!
The animals looked at one another in amazement. They were whole and well. Not one had been harmed. Up above in the clear blue sky they could see their brave friend. the little parrot, looping and soaring in delight. When all hope was gone, somehow she had saved them.
"Hooray!" they cried. "Hooray for the brave little parrot and for this sudden, miraculous rain!"
Last story for now:
One Vietnam war vet asks another POW, "Have you forgiven your captors?"
The other responds, "NO NEVER!"
The first says, "Then they still have you in prison."
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Most Adorable - IN MY OPINION!!
Thought I needed some pix on my blog since i haven't added any in a while and this is a really good one outside the Tennessee Welcome Center in downtown Memphis when you come over the bridge from Arkansas....we stopped here on our way home from our big July trip.
Here's Quinn's first day of 4 year old pre-school (that TOOK FOREVER TO GET HERE...one month after Jack started)!
Here's Jack so proud in his Tiger Cubs uniform!
Philadelphia Libraries CLOSING-UNBELIEVABLE!!
I was just passing along some interesting information (IMHO) about Philadelphia closing ALL it's libraries and look what discussion it "spawned" on FB. I'm really trying NOT to "stir the pot" any more than necessary on FB, but I guess some people just can't help themselves.
FROM FB yesterday:
Sheila Collins Ferguson Oh My!
Libraries: Philadelphia To Close All Public Libraries October 2nd
Source: consumerist.com
What frugal person doesn't like libraries? They're like a video store, only better. Which is why we're horrified to learn that thanks to the economic meltdown and the state of Pennsylvania's inability to pass its budget, the Phila...delphia Free Library is closing on October 2nd. ...Read More
Heather Mapel
Wow, this is unbelievable. I can think of several other ways they could save money without having to shut down the entire library system. Guess literacy really isn't as big of a priority as it should be there...
Yesterday at 4:50pm · Delete
Ken Forsythe
Double WOW!!!The Library Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and a group of his friends (the Junto) as a means to settle arguments.
Yesterday at 4:59pm · Delete
Ken Forsythe
sorry...The Library Company, which may have been the first truly public library (members could actually borrow books), is still in existence as a nonprofit, independent research library.[20]
Yesterday at 5:00pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Damn right. Free libraries = Socialism. Next stop, privatize the Interstate system. Toll roads should sort that out.
Yesterday at 5:34pm · Delete
Megan Richards
that's crazy!
Yesterday at 5:40pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Yep, it is. I just cant see why government roads, police, military, Social Security, Medicare, National Parks, fire departments, public works etc are ok if a public option on healtcare is so scary. It seems that the only acceptable option to the Right is Mad Max style Capitalism.
Yesterday at 6:32pm · Delete
Mark Schieber
Hey Mad Max is AWESOME!!
Yesterday at 7:36pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
To be fair there was quite a fight in the 30s over medicare & Social Security.
Yesterday at 8:17pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
There was. There were also fierce arguments over Insurance reform early in the century as well. As a country we seem to be far more afraid that a few people may be getting away with something rather than making sure that everyone has access to basic services that other industrialized countries offer all of their citizens.
Yesterday at 8:37pm · Delete
Ann Barnes Wojcicki
Seriously? You're going to lump the military, fire and police in with an argument for healthcare? Providing for the safety of our country is a responsibility of the government, providing for healthcare is a responsibility of the individual. And as for Social Security and Medicare, they are going bankrupt just like every other government run entity... Read More. Give the free market what they need and they will provide us with what we need. If they don't it's their bank account that goes bankrupt, and I have found that people make much smarter business decisions when it is their own money they are risking and not someone else's.
Yesterday at 9:07pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Thats pretty much the argument. Just about every other industrialized country in the world offers public health care and they are not all wearing Mao Jackets or being converted to Soylent Green. Are you 100% sure that you will keep your present job and your current plan? I know several people who have gone from $60,000/year jobs to scraping by ... Read Morebecause of long term illnesses, which caused them their job and then lose insurance because they cant make the Cobra payments.These are educated middle class people who worked their asses off and now worry about keeping their houses.
Yesterday at 9:43pm · Delete
Ann Barnes Wojcicki
Actually, I am being laid off in two weeks, and I still hold firm to my belief that it is my responsibility to provide for myself and my family. I am fully aware of how fast our situation can change. If something happens and we rack up astronomical bills, they are our responsibility to pay, not someone else's. We simply pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and keep on trucking just like our parents and grandparents did.
Yesterday at 9:48pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Seriously, I hope it works out for you and your family. I carried my own insurance for years. If you get stuck, look into your local Farm Bureau insurance plans. I used them all through Grad school and later negotiated with them for a group health insurance contract for the employees of a small company I ran. Premiums are high but it covers the big stuff. Good luck.
Yesterday at 9:55pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
WOW! i wasn't even trying to "start something"....just thought this was an interesting piece of news and it kills me that one of my most beloved institutions is suffering from this economic downturn.
15 hours ago · Delete
FROM FB yesterday:
Sheila Collins Ferguson Oh My!
Libraries: Philadelphia To Close All Public Libraries October 2nd
Source: consumerist.com
What frugal person doesn't like libraries? They're like a video store, only better. Which is why we're horrified to learn that thanks to the economic meltdown and the state of Pennsylvania's inability to pass its budget, the Phila...delphia Free Library is closing on October 2nd. ...Read More
Heather Mapel
Wow, this is unbelievable. I can think of several other ways they could save money without having to shut down the entire library system. Guess literacy really isn't as big of a priority as it should be there...
Yesterday at 4:50pm · Delete
Ken Forsythe
Double WOW!!!The Library Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and a group of his friends (the Junto) as a means to settle arguments.
Yesterday at 4:59pm · Delete
Ken Forsythe
sorry...The Library Company, which may have been the first truly public library (members could actually borrow books), is still in existence as a nonprofit, independent research library.[20]
Yesterday at 5:00pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Damn right. Free libraries = Socialism. Next stop, privatize the Interstate system. Toll roads should sort that out.
Yesterday at 5:34pm · Delete
Megan Richards
that's crazy!
Yesterday at 5:40pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Yep, it is. I just cant see why government roads, police, military, Social Security, Medicare, National Parks, fire departments, public works etc are ok if a public option on healtcare is so scary. It seems that the only acceptable option to the Right is Mad Max style Capitalism.
Yesterday at 6:32pm · Delete
Mark Schieber
Hey Mad Max is AWESOME!!
Yesterday at 7:36pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
To be fair there was quite a fight in the 30s over medicare & Social Security.
Yesterday at 8:17pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
There was. There were also fierce arguments over Insurance reform early in the century as well. As a country we seem to be far more afraid that a few people may be getting away with something rather than making sure that everyone has access to basic services that other industrialized countries offer all of their citizens.
Yesterday at 8:37pm · Delete
Ann Barnes Wojcicki
Seriously? You're going to lump the military, fire and police in with an argument for healthcare? Providing for the safety of our country is a responsibility of the government, providing for healthcare is a responsibility of the individual. And as for Social Security and Medicare, they are going bankrupt just like every other government run entity... Read More. Give the free market what they need and they will provide us with what we need. If they don't it's their bank account that goes bankrupt, and I have found that people make much smarter business decisions when it is their own money they are risking and not someone else's.
Yesterday at 9:07pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Thats pretty much the argument. Just about every other industrialized country in the world offers public health care and they are not all wearing Mao Jackets or being converted to Soylent Green. Are you 100% sure that you will keep your present job and your current plan? I know several people who have gone from $60,000/year jobs to scraping by ... Read Morebecause of long term illnesses, which caused them their job and then lose insurance because they cant make the Cobra payments.These are educated middle class people who worked their asses off and now worry about keeping their houses.
Yesterday at 9:43pm · Delete
Ann Barnes Wojcicki
Actually, I am being laid off in two weeks, and I still hold firm to my belief that it is my responsibility to provide for myself and my family. I am fully aware of how fast our situation can change. If something happens and we rack up astronomical bills, they are our responsibility to pay, not someone else's. We simply pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and keep on trucking just like our parents and grandparents did.
Yesterday at 9:48pm · Delete
Allen Elliotte
Seriously, I hope it works out for you and your family. I carried my own insurance for years. If you get stuck, look into your local Farm Bureau insurance plans. I used them all through Grad school and later negotiated with them for a group health insurance contract for the employees of a small company I ran. Premiums are high but it covers the big stuff. Good luck.
Yesterday at 9:55pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
WOW! i wasn't even trying to "start something"....just thought this was an interesting piece of news and it kills me that one of my most beloved institutions is suffering from this economic downturn.
15 hours ago · Delete
Friday, September 11, 2009
New Fav Cheap Red & Good Advice
http://www.toastwines.com/r/products/paso-a-paso-tempranillo-2007
my new favorite cheap red wine is Paso A Paso Tempranillo 2007...it's a Spanish wine that Wine Advocate gave an 89. It's only about $10 but don't go to the Baptist Liquor store in Gtwn b/c i bought up their last 10 bottles today!
And while I'm at it, i urge you to read this brief blog entry from my friend John on the importance of being positive: http://dreamwithinadream-john.blogspot.com/2009/09/where-everybody-knows-your-name.html
my new favorite cheap red wine is Paso A Paso Tempranillo 2007...it's a Spanish wine that Wine Advocate gave an 89. It's only about $10 but don't go to the Baptist Liquor store in Gtwn b/c i bought up their last 10 bottles today!
And while I'm at it, i urge you to read this brief blog entry from my friend John on the importance of being positive: http://dreamwithinadream-john.blogspot.com/2009/09/where-everybody-knows-your-name.html
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Is the President really that "scary"?
"I've never seen, heard nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn't be talked about." Stephen Hopkins, a Rhode Island delegate to the nation's Constitutional Convention in 1776
Okay okay okay....come on give me a break!! Parents are actually "scared" to let their kids listen to THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES who plans an address to U.S. students this coming Tuesday, Sept 8 to encourage kids to study hard and stay in school.
Before I go off on my opinion of this latest conservative nonsense (it's my opinion and i'm writing it here on my own blog so I can be blatantly "snarky"), please review a few things I have read about the President's speech to school children.
NOTE: I know one of these is a commentary, and not an article, but these days all articles have some type of opinion-laden slant to them. I'm trying to balance the news sources b/c i know many people only get their "news" from one source and then make up their minds on an issue before looking for different sides to the story.
From cnn.com: Many conservatives enraged over Obama school speech
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/04/obama.schools/index.html#cnnSTCText
a quote from the cnn article:
"Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me," suburban Colorado mother Shanneen Barron told CNN Denver affiliate KMGH. "I'm an American. They are Americans, and I don't feel that's OK. I feel very scared to be in this country with our leadership right now."
From foxnews.com: Some Parents Choose Not to Allow Their Kids to Hear Obama's National Address
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/03/parents-object-obamas-national-address-students/
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal: When did our country start fearing speech?
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/06/when-did-our-country-start-fearing-speech/
an hour later (and donuts consumed) just added this (came from a friend's FB): http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/president-obama-terrorizes-parents-of-school-children/ (pretty funny and i'm glad my kids are naturally immune to PreziFlu!)
Now for My Opinions:
Quickly, before my opinion, I thought it was interesting that cnn.com thought it was important to note that past presidents HAVE addressed school children...of course, Fox fails to mention this.
Yes, I do think it's important for parents to take an active role in raising their own children. And yes, I do agree that there are some instances where parent's should have a choice as to what their children are exposed to. However, I do not really think all parents (and quite possibly these vocal ones who are "scared") truly know (or make themselves aware of) all the stuff that their kids are being exposed to at a public school. Just because this instance has been publicized, they are now acting all "self-righteous" about their rights as parents.
Do these parents get all upset when certain history lessons or current events discussions are in opposition to their beliefs and values (i stole this example from one of the commentaries noted above). Well, they may get upset but do they "storm the school office" and demand that these discussions cease?
If parents have done a good job, why would they be afraid for their children to hear something that is different from their beliefs? Wouldn't their children be equipped with the ability to listen and make their own decisions as to what they think is right and wrong?
Yes, I know we are discussing young children here who may still be impressionable, but seriously, why are these people afraid of an address that is supposed to be a positive message to encourage kids to stay in school and to work hard. Surely conservatives believe in these values? Or have we gone so far in the wrong direction and become so polarized in this country that no matter what the Democrats say, then the conservaties are going to demonize it!?!??!
I have more thoughts on this but have spent too much of my time this morning worrying over it....was killing time until the donuts arrived (they are now exactly 53 minutes late!).
okay, donuts still not here (now 65 mins late) so i had to add: I just sent an e-mail to Jack's principal to find out if his school would be showing Obama's address. I had not heard anything about it. From the fact that the PUBLIC school my child attends chose to allow teachers to NOT show the PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION and the rumor that some children who are not Christian have been discouraged to serve on safety patrol, this issue just may make me "STORM THE OFFICE"!
Okay okay okay....come on give me a break!! Parents are actually "scared" to let their kids listen to THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES who plans an address to U.S. students this coming Tuesday, Sept 8 to encourage kids to study hard and stay in school.
Before I go off on my opinion of this latest conservative nonsense (it's my opinion and i'm writing it here on my own blog so I can be blatantly "snarky"), please review a few things I have read about the President's speech to school children.
NOTE: I know one of these is a commentary, and not an article, but these days all articles have some type of opinion-laden slant to them. I'm trying to balance the news sources b/c i know many people only get their "news" from one source and then make up their minds on an issue before looking for different sides to the story.
From cnn.com: Many conservatives enraged over Obama school speech
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/04/obama.schools/index.html#cnnSTCText
a quote from the cnn article:
"Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me," suburban Colorado mother Shanneen Barron told CNN Denver affiliate KMGH. "I'm an American. They are Americans, and I don't feel that's OK. I feel very scared to be in this country with our leadership right now."
From foxnews.com: Some Parents Choose Not to Allow Their Kids to Hear Obama's National Address
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/03/parents-object-obamas-national-address-students/
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal: When did our country start fearing speech?
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/06/when-did-our-country-start-fearing-speech/
an hour later (and donuts consumed) just added this (came from a friend's FB): http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/president-obama-terrorizes-parents-of-school-children/ (pretty funny and i'm glad my kids are naturally immune to PreziFlu!)
Now for My Opinions:
Quickly, before my opinion, I thought it was interesting that cnn.com thought it was important to note that past presidents HAVE addressed school children...of course, Fox fails to mention this.
Yes, I do think it's important for parents to take an active role in raising their own children. And yes, I do agree that there are some instances where parent's should have a choice as to what their children are exposed to. However, I do not really think all parents (and quite possibly these vocal ones who are "scared") truly know (or make themselves aware of) all the stuff that their kids are being exposed to at a public school. Just because this instance has been publicized, they are now acting all "self-righteous" about their rights as parents.
Do these parents get all upset when certain history lessons or current events discussions are in opposition to their beliefs and values (i stole this example from one of the commentaries noted above). Well, they may get upset but do they "storm the school office" and demand that these discussions cease?
If parents have done a good job, why would they be afraid for their children to hear something that is different from their beliefs? Wouldn't their children be equipped with the ability to listen and make their own decisions as to what they think is right and wrong?
Yes, I know we are discussing young children here who may still be impressionable, but seriously, why are these people afraid of an address that is supposed to be a positive message to encourage kids to stay in school and to work hard. Surely conservatives believe in these values? Or have we gone so far in the wrong direction and become so polarized in this country that no matter what the Democrats say, then the conservaties are going to demonize it!?!??!
I have more thoughts on this but have spent too much of my time this morning worrying over it....was killing time until the donuts arrived (they are now exactly 53 minutes late!).
okay, donuts still not here (now 65 mins late) so i had to add: I just sent an e-mail to Jack's principal to find out if his school would be showing Obama's address. I had not heard anything about it. From the fact that the PUBLIC school my child attends chose to allow teachers to NOT show the PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION and the rumor that some children who are not Christian have been discouraged to serve on safety patrol, this issue just may make me "STORM THE OFFICE"!
Friday, September 4, 2009
WOW ... comments on something i posted
okay, it was an easy one (health care) to get things started and ppl weren't actually responding to my previous blog post called "In Response...." but I'll take what i can get.
actually it's a little frustrating that ppl compose their responses and take the discussion in a whole different direction that i intended, but at least ppl are out there thinking about stuff!
here's the responses from FB when i posted:
Sheila Collins Ferguson
I couldn't fit it all in a little FB box, so here's my response to those friends who posted: No one should die because government rationing denies or delays health care, and no on...e should go broke because his business was shuttered due to socialist healthcare dictates.Read More
Jumpin Off the Bridge: in response....
6 hours ago · Comment · Like / Unlike · View Feedback (17)Hide Feedback (17) · Share
Kathi Doran Jeffrey
READ YOUR BLOG AND YOU RE RIGHT...COULD BE A WIN-WIN...GOVT NEED TO STAY IN IT'S ARENA AS DOES RELIGION.
5 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
"No one should die because government rationing denies or delays health care" This is statement is a total farce. Explain to me how the people without money or health care are getting their health care right now. Don't forget I'm on the front line. America is ruled by fear mongers. Our system right now is broken and it has the chance to totally fail. Fix it now or we will pay the price later.
5 hours ago · Delete
Paul Volpe
Was it a fear monger that said the system has the chance to totally fail?
4 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
Well check out emergency department visits in last ten years, overcrowding in the emergency departments increasing, aging of america, lack of primary care physicians, add a flu/pandemic or national disaster to the all ready overburdened system and you tell me what will happen. It's not fear mongering, it's fact. "I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." George Bush
4 hours ago · Delete
Patrick Randolph
Interesting ....
4 hours ago · Delete
Jim Vinoski
Here are a few points to ponder: 1. Nobody has a right to my money to just make himself feel morally superior. 2. If you're gonna take aim at GWB, could you please first read about AIDS relief in Africa? Hmmm??? (Yeah, I know blindly parroting HuffPo is a lot easier.) 3. Government's gonna fix it?!? Are you frickin' kiddin' me? Uh, yeah, 'cause they're doing so well at everything else...
4 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
If you want to contribute to the discussion then help add some ideas how to take care of the situation. If you think the current system is good then I'm fine with that.
4 hours ago · Delete
Marisa Ellender Wittmann
You can't please all the people all the time. As with any election for office, no matter the outcome, half the people will be disappointed. With your argument, Bush's fund cuts affected science, and ultimately your family. Someone else will simply say that Clinton's or Obama's fund cuts affected them. It's a perpetual cycle. The healthcare argument is heated. I said in one of my posts "You can't invite millions more to the dinner table and expect the quality or quantity of the food to remain the same OR for only half the people to foot the bill." I am NOT anti-change and reform for helathcare, but a well-planned option needs to be discussed by people who are not slated to directly profit from this. It's why they don't allow referees to bet on the games. Greed takes over and those underfoot will simply get stepped on. The other thing that REALLY bothers lots of people is the "urgent need" to get this passed with minimal input from those who are not in agreement.
3 hours ago · Delete
Mark Schieber
I don't think that opposition to the proposed system is indicative of a lack of compassion. No one wants to see others suffer. Personally, I question how a system like this would sustain itself, particularly with our economy in the shape that it's in. I also don't believe that the government is able to administrate such a massive system. Medical ... Read Morematters are extremely personal, and people are understandably reluctant to welcome government involvement in them. I'm not demonizing anyone and I'm not even particularly political: I just don't think government health care can work.
3 hours ago · Delete
Mark Romer
Okay, here's the solution:At the federal level:1. Make medical insurance just as tax-deductible for individuals as it is for corporations.2. Reduce the cost of malpractice insurance and lessen the use of "defensive medicine" via tort reform. At the state level:1. Allow citizens / corporations to purchase insurance across state lines.2. Stop mandating what insurance policies must cover. Let the insurance companies offer a wider range of products that their customers can choose based on what is covered and how much the premiums are.At the personal level (here's the hard part):1. Financially support charities that assist the poor with their medical care.2. Be aware that not everything can be fixed. Accept that pain is part of life.3. Promote good citizenship so that today's children will grow up knowing they are expected to take responsibility for themselves.
3 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
Largest government run health care system in the world. The VAMC. Medicare and Medicaid large government run health care sytstems. I have a friend who works at the VA and his patients complain they don't want the government ruining their health care. They don't want "socialized" medicine. Not to realize that they already are on government run health care. My point continues to be >how to cover those that don't have health care now. The Walmart worker who walmart only works 32 hours so they do not get benifits. How is this person to afford health care with the current system for a family of 4. They are working and can't afford health care. The system is sustaining itself right now by charging those that do have health insurance more money. The charges are set up for those that do have insurance to pay for those that don't. Look how much insurance monthly payments have increased since 1994. Who remembers the days of $5 dollar co-pays for everything. Those days are long over.
3 hours ago · Delete
Kristine Wright Kalish
How many of you are living on the frontlines with no insurance, a chronically ill sick spouse and living at poverty level...Because I am, and It took a lot for me to finally get on a state sponsered health plan so I could get treatment for Darren. Now we have to wait 10-12 weeks to be seen by a primary care doctor and 15 weeks to get into the ... Read Moredentist. Fortunately, we went to the ER to get his immediate needs take care of. In Colorado, it's a lot easier if you just change your name to Fernandez or Gomez, then you get all the care in the world. I don't care what they do to healthcare as long as it is something. Although I am glad to at least have some coverage, I don't understand why healthcare is dependant on your job. Everyone says your taxes will go up but at my last job I paid $400.00 a month for insurance which was 1/3 my check every 2 weeks. Why not expand and better Medicaid and pay on a sliding scale? Why not have a public option? If we slimmed down congressional perks...
3 hours ago · Delete
Kristine Wright Kalish
I know I am having to declare bankruptcy because of medical bills. I know I got denied a better job because of medical bills on my credit report. I know Medicare/aid had over a billion or something in fruad and I know there are a bunch of slackers on disability. If Obama actually went line thru line in the budget and cut the fakers off SSI, we ... Read Morewould have lots of money to insure everyone. Preventative care is most urgent. And obesity...how much are we subsudiziong people who can't control their eating habits and cost healthcare. Smokers too. Want to be fat and smoke then ride your motorcycle without a helmet, fine. I just shouldn't have to pay for your bad choices. Tax junk food. make those who have poor choices pay a higher preminum
3 hours ago · Delete
Kristine Wright Kalish
sorry to go off, I have been on the phone a lot dealing with doctors. kinda had my fill of "healthcare"
2 hours ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
for those that don't know him, Jason is an MD (so is Patrick who merely said "Interesting...").
41 minutes ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
i know this touched off more "nerves" today as it did yesterday....not sure if ppl went to read my actual response on my blog....Mark did and in response to him, i want to say that I read a whole book (3 years ago and now i cannot remember the title) that listed many instances of how the funding in the Bush years was "rationed" for scientific ... Read Moreresearch...i will have to do more research to respond to your request for more instances b/c right now i cannot remember it all and i don't have much time at the moment....but maybe this weekend when i'm on vacation i might have some time...
38 minutes ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
ah, quick search of amazon and found it: Undermining Science: Suppression and Distortion in the Bush Administration by Seth Shulman (gotta love the Internet!)
34 minutes ago · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
Haven't read the book but can say they sure tried to dabble in what we were doing and certain kinds of research was off limits; not just stem cells. People weren't put on scientific advisory councils because of what they knew but because of their politics. If you didn't want the death penalty for drug kingpins, if you were for needle exchange for drug abusers because it stops AIDS you were not an advisor at my Institute. From what I can tell that kind of monkey business is over. And it wasn't just the administration. Some congress people tried to defund some studies -mostly concerning prostitution (because we wouldn't want to treat prostitutes, heaven forbid). Fortunately they were overruled.
Yesterday at 7:03pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
i was hoping you would chime in cece since you are right there in dc and probably have a better knowledge of the funding issues than me (and probably most my friends too).
Yesterday at 7:40pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
oh and for the record i agree with both sides of the "alleged" argument that ppl shouldn't die b/c A, B, C, etc....i'm kind of anti-death no matter what precipitates it, but i'm also not naive enough to think humans can alter it's course.
Yesterday at 7:42pm · Delete
Colleen Brown Lyon
Love your blog. It's a temple of peace-- smart thoughts and wise quotes. I'm impressed. Speaking of jumping off a bridge, the lemmings who follow Rush and Beck et al are causing grief about the Obama address to students next Tuesday, calling our school demanding that their children be let out of any classroom that is airing his message of study hard, graduate and help America stay on top in this global economy. What the hell, people!
Yesterday at 10:12pm · Delete
Jim Vinoski
One more bit of snark, then I'll get serious: based on the original post the people on the left have been clogging Facebook with, I thought we were firmly in "smug, self-important, pointless prattling mode;" hence my earlier reply. My apologies for my misunderstanding.A quick logic point: several "appeal to authority" fallacies run through this... Read More thread: "I'm on the front line." "He's an MD." "She's in DC." Well, the good Dr. has already shown his inability to draw proper public policy conclusions, and the good lady in DC is guilty by association of massive failure. Pay that attempt to shout you down no mind, good people.The good Dr. made our point for us, but missed it: patients in the VA know they're in socialized medicine. They don't want more of it because they've lived its hell.Last point, then I'm done: the good lady in DC works with people who've put this country trillions (!!!!!) in debt. Never mind the arguments for Obamacare: we can't afford it. Ever.
10 hours ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
to be truthful, as of this moment, i haven't closely read all the responses on this thread. i only added the comments about the docs and ms. dc (who is also a doc but not an m.d....she's my cousin) to give some context to the discussion. I was waiting for the weekend when i had more time to ponder all these things. Actually, from reading Dr. ... Read MoreJason's comments, i think he is responding to me like I was in support of the right-wing version of the "nobody should die" posting clogging up FB (from BOTH sides of the "aisle").
11 hours ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
jim, if someone is a scientist in dc, why does that make them "guilty by association"? even if they are a scientist employed by the govt, why does it make her guilty? trying to i'm trying to understand the logic in that one....i'm sure there are conservative scientists (or maybe that is an oxymoron?).
11 hours ago · Delete
Marisa Ellender Wittmann
"i'm sure there are conservative scientists (or maybe that is an oxymoron?)." This statement is a big part of why rational discussions go out the window. There are many degrees to the term conservative as there are many degrees of liberal. There will always be the extremes on each end as well as the ultra-squeaky wheels that get media attention. Someone can be more/less left/right depending on the issue at hand. One very loud member of your group does not always represent the majority.
September 7 at 12:52pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
Here is a link to the National Institutes of Health Budget page. http://www.nih.gov/about/budget.htmNot only am I guilty by association but every scientist at a University who receives federal funding is also "guilty". And there's not just NIH funding. There's also NSF who funds basic science research. The fact is that ANYONE who attended a ... Read Moremajor university & took a science class, or medical school benefits from the knowledge produced by this process; It shows up in the curriculum you're taught and/or provides funding for the actual research and training programs provided by federal grants to train clinician scientists. There generally would not be MD/Ph.Ds without these kinds of funding programs (unless they were saddle with extreme debt which they could not pay back on a scientist salary). And even if a specific professor does not get federal money if anyone in their department gets federal money the U gets a share of it to "administer the grant". Many get more than 50%.
September 7 at 3:40pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
And after the research is completed those test tubes or computers or whatever has been given as a grant to the University stays there. So chances are Dr. Peabody gets a grant to study mitochondria and 5 years later his laptop has been recycled to some grad student's dissertation project. If you want to know what's funded go tohttp://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm... Read MoreIn most cases there is nobody private who has the money or the interest in funding these projects. In many cases there is not even an advocacy group to raise awareness about the needs of certain populations (ie drug addicts). Even if there was would you want a Jerry Lewis Telethon for every disorder out there? Also how would you decide what projects to fund? The NIH has established a WORLD CLASS peer review system whereby its grantees review and rank applications for scientific merit. It is a huge undertaking and VERY WELL administered. Yes your tax dollars go to support that.
September 7 at 3:55pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
And I must say the peer review system is cheap relative to if you actually paid private professional reviewers for the actual time it takes them to do reviews. NIH does pay for travel and the actual time people are at the meetings. That is a fraction of the time reviewers spend reading the applications and completing the written reviews. Here is ... Read Morea list of some of the accomplishments by NIH funded researchers. I only wish I was worthy of being associated with some of these things...http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/historical/chronology_of_events.htm#twothousand
September 7 at 4:08pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
this is wierd that i don't get updates on this post on my own wall...i just re-visited this after many days and saw more activity. To Marisa's last comment, I was being "catty" onthe oxymoron comment and perhaps it does come off irrational. I'm just kind of puzzled at how ppl have drawn some of their conclusions here on this post that do not seem... Read More very logical to me and I was "firing back" at my friend, Jim, in a joking way, but it didn't really come off that way....debates online are quite difficult when you can't really get a good "read" on ppl's tone.
2 seconds ago (sept 11 at 9:13 pm)
Sheila Collins Ferguson
and to my comment on conservative scientists, i think i read that the new head of NIH is an evangelical...so it seems that it is possible to believe in God and science (this is again being sarcastic....).
2 seconds ago (sept 11 at 9:21 pm)
actually it's a little frustrating that ppl compose their responses and take the discussion in a whole different direction that i intended, but at least ppl are out there thinking about stuff!
here's the responses from FB when i posted:
Sheila Collins Ferguson
I couldn't fit it all in a little FB box, so here's my response to those friends who posted: No one should die because government rationing denies or delays health care, and no on...e should go broke because his business was shuttered due to socialist healthcare dictates.Read More
Jumpin Off the Bridge: in response....
6 hours ago · Comment · Like / Unlike · View Feedback (17)Hide Feedback (17) · Share
Kathi Doran Jeffrey
READ YOUR BLOG AND YOU RE RIGHT...COULD BE A WIN-WIN...GOVT NEED TO STAY IN IT'S ARENA AS DOES RELIGION.
5 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
"No one should die because government rationing denies or delays health care" This is statement is a total farce. Explain to me how the people without money or health care are getting their health care right now. Don't forget I'm on the front line. America is ruled by fear mongers. Our system right now is broken and it has the chance to totally fail. Fix it now or we will pay the price later.
5 hours ago · Delete
Paul Volpe
Was it a fear monger that said the system has the chance to totally fail?
4 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
Well check out emergency department visits in last ten years, overcrowding in the emergency departments increasing, aging of america, lack of primary care physicians, add a flu/pandemic or national disaster to the all ready overburdened system and you tell me what will happen. It's not fear mongering, it's fact. "I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." George Bush
4 hours ago · Delete
Patrick Randolph
Interesting ....
4 hours ago · Delete
Jim Vinoski
Here are a few points to ponder: 1. Nobody has a right to my money to just make himself feel morally superior. 2. If you're gonna take aim at GWB, could you please first read about AIDS relief in Africa? Hmmm??? (Yeah, I know blindly parroting HuffPo is a lot easier.) 3. Government's gonna fix it?!? Are you frickin' kiddin' me? Uh, yeah, 'cause they're doing so well at everything else...
4 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
If you want to contribute to the discussion then help add some ideas how to take care of the situation. If you think the current system is good then I'm fine with that.
4 hours ago · Delete
Marisa Ellender Wittmann
You can't please all the people all the time. As with any election for office, no matter the outcome, half the people will be disappointed. With your argument, Bush's fund cuts affected science, and ultimately your family. Someone else will simply say that Clinton's or Obama's fund cuts affected them. It's a perpetual cycle. The healthcare argument is heated. I said in one of my posts "You can't invite millions more to the dinner table and expect the quality or quantity of the food to remain the same OR for only half the people to foot the bill." I am NOT anti-change and reform for helathcare, but a well-planned option needs to be discussed by people who are not slated to directly profit from this. It's why they don't allow referees to bet on the games. Greed takes over and those underfoot will simply get stepped on. The other thing that REALLY bothers lots of people is the "urgent need" to get this passed with minimal input from those who are not in agreement.
3 hours ago · Delete
Mark Schieber
I don't think that opposition to the proposed system is indicative of a lack of compassion. No one wants to see others suffer. Personally, I question how a system like this would sustain itself, particularly with our economy in the shape that it's in. I also don't believe that the government is able to administrate such a massive system. Medical ... Read Morematters are extremely personal, and people are understandably reluctant to welcome government involvement in them. I'm not demonizing anyone and I'm not even particularly political: I just don't think government health care can work.
3 hours ago · Delete
Mark Romer
Okay, here's the solution:At the federal level:1. Make medical insurance just as tax-deductible for individuals as it is for corporations.2. Reduce the cost of malpractice insurance and lessen the use of "defensive medicine" via tort reform. At the state level:1. Allow citizens / corporations to purchase insurance across state lines.2. Stop mandating what insurance policies must cover. Let the insurance companies offer a wider range of products that their customers can choose based on what is covered and how much the premiums are.At the personal level (here's the hard part):1. Financially support charities that assist the poor with their medical care.2. Be aware that not everything can be fixed. Accept that pain is part of life.3. Promote good citizenship so that today's children will grow up knowing they are expected to take responsibility for themselves.
3 hours ago · Delete
Jason F Kearney
Largest government run health care system in the world. The VAMC. Medicare and Medicaid large government run health care sytstems. I have a friend who works at the VA and his patients complain they don't want the government ruining their health care. They don't want "socialized" medicine. Not to realize that they already are on government run health care. My point continues to be >how to cover those that don't have health care now. The Walmart worker who walmart only works 32 hours so they do not get benifits. How is this person to afford health care with the current system for a family of 4. They are working and can't afford health care. The system is sustaining itself right now by charging those that do have health insurance more money. The charges are set up for those that do have insurance to pay for those that don't. Look how much insurance monthly payments have increased since 1994. Who remembers the days of $5 dollar co-pays for everything. Those days are long over.
3 hours ago · Delete
Kristine Wright Kalish
How many of you are living on the frontlines with no insurance, a chronically ill sick spouse and living at poverty level...Because I am, and It took a lot for me to finally get on a state sponsered health plan so I could get treatment for Darren. Now we have to wait 10-12 weeks to be seen by a primary care doctor and 15 weeks to get into the ... Read Moredentist. Fortunately, we went to the ER to get his immediate needs take care of. In Colorado, it's a lot easier if you just change your name to Fernandez or Gomez, then you get all the care in the world. I don't care what they do to healthcare as long as it is something. Although I am glad to at least have some coverage, I don't understand why healthcare is dependant on your job. Everyone says your taxes will go up but at my last job I paid $400.00 a month for insurance which was 1/3 my check every 2 weeks. Why not expand and better Medicaid and pay on a sliding scale? Why not have a public option? If we slimmed down congressional perks...
3 hours ago · Delete
Kristine Wright Kalish
I know I am having to declare bankruptcy because of medical bills. I know I got denied a better job because of medical bills on my credit report. I know Medicare/aid had over a billion or something in fruad and I know there are a bunch of slackers on disability. If Obama actually went line thru line in the budget and cut the fakers off SSI, we ... Read Morewould have lots of money to insure everyone. Preventative care is most urgent. And obesity...how much are we subsudiziong people who can't control their eating habits and cost healthcare. Smokers too. Want to be fat and smoke then ride your motorcycle without a helmet, fine. I just shouldn't have to pay for your bad choices. Tax junk food. make those who have poor choices pay a higher preminum
3 hours ago · Delete
Kristine Wright Kalish
sorry to go off, I have been on the phone a lot dealing with doctors. kinda had my fill of "healthcare"
2 hours ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
for those that don't know him, Jason is an MD (so is Patrick who merely said "Interesting...").
41 minutes ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
i know this touched off more "nerves" today as it did yesterday....not sure if ppl went to read my actual response on my blog....Mark did and in response to him, i want to say that I read a whole book (3 years ago and now i cannot remember the title) that listed many instances of how the funding in the Bush years was "rationed" for scientific ... Read Moreresearch...i will have to do more research to respond to your request for more instances b/c right now i cannot remember it all and i don't have much time at the moment....but maybe this weekend when i'm on vacation i might have some time...
38 minutes ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
ah, quick search of amazon and found it: Undermining Science: Suppression and Distortion in the Bush Administration by Seth Shulman (gotta love the Internet!)
34 minutes ago · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
Haven't read the book but can say they sure tried to dabble in what we were doing and certain kinds of research was off limits; not just stem cells. People weren't put on scientific advisory councils because of what they knew but because of their politics. If you didn't want the death penalty for drug kingpins, if you were for needle exchange for drug abusers because it stops AIDS you were not an advisor at my Institute. From what I can tell that kind of monkey business is over. And it wasn't just the administration. Some congress people tried to defund some studies -mostly concerning prostitution (because we wouldn't want to treat prostitutes, heaven forbid). Fortunately they were overruled.
Yesterday at 7:03pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
i was hoping you would chime in cece since you are right there in dc and probably have a better knowledge of the funding issues than me (and probably most my friends too).
Yesterday at 7:40pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
oh and for the record i agree with both sides of the "alleged" argument that ppl shouldn't die b/c A, B, C, etc....i'm kind of anti-death no matter what precipitates it, but i'm also not naive enough to think humans can alter it's course.
Yesterday at 7:42pm · Delete
Colleen Brown Lyon
Love your blog. It's a temple of peace-- smart thoughts and wise quotes. I'm impressed. Speaking of jumping off a bridge, the lemmings who follow Rush and Beck et al are causing grief about the Obama address to students next Tuesday, calling our school demanding that their children be let out of any classroom that is airing his message of study hard, graduate and help America stay on top in this global economy. What the hell, people!
Yesterday at 10:12pm · Delete
Jim Vinoski
One more bit of snark, then I'll get serious: based on the original post the people on the left have been clogging Facebook with, I thought we were firmly in "smug, self-important, pointless prattling mode;" hence my earlier reply. My apologies for my misunderstanding.A quick logic point: several "appeal to authority" fallacies run through this... Read More thread: "I'm on the front line." "He's an MD." "She's in DC." Well, the good Dr. has already shown his inability to draw proper public policy conclusions, and the good lady in DC is guilty by association of massive failure. Pay that attempt to shout you down no mind, good people.The good Dr. made our point for us, but missed it: patients in the VA know they're in socialized medicine. They don't want more of it because they've lived its hell.Last point, then I'm done: the good lady in DC works with people who've put this country trillions (!!!!!) in debt. Never mind the arguments for Obamacare: we can't afford it. Ever.
10 hours ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
to be truthful, as of this moment, i haven't closely read all the responses on this thread. i only added the comments about the docs and ms. dc (who is also a doc but not an m.d....she's my cousin) to give some context to the discussion. I was waiting for the weekend when i had more time to ponder all these things. Actually, from reading Dr. ... Read MoreJason's comments, i think he is responding to me like I was in support of the right-wing version of the "nobody should die" posting clogging up FB (from BOTH sides of the "aisle").
11 hours ago · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
jim, if someone is a scientist in dc, why does that make them "guilty by association"? even if they are a scientist employed by the govt, why does it make her guilty? trying to i'm trying to understand the logic in that one....i'm sure there are conservative scientists (or maybe that is an oxymoron?).
11 hours ago · Delete
Marisa Ellender Wittmann
"i'm sure there are conservative scientists (or maybe that is an oxymoron?)." This statement is a big part of why rational discussions go out the window. There are many degrees to the term conservative as there are many degrees of liberal. There will always be the extremes on each end as well as the ultra-squeaky wheels that get media attention. Someone can be more/less left/right depending on the issue at hand. One very loud member of your group does not always represent the majority.
September 7 at 12:52pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
Here is a link to the National Institutes of Health Budget page. http://www.nih.gov/about/budget.htmNot only am I guilty by association but every scientist at a University who receives federal funding is also "guilty". And there's not just NIH funding. There's also NSF who funds basic science research. The fact is that ANYONE who attended a ... Read Moremajor university & took a science class, or medical school benefits from the knowledge produced by this process; It shows up in the curriculum you're taught and/or provides funding for the actual research and training programs provided by federal grants to train clinician scientists. There generally would not be MD/Ph.Ds without these kinds of funding programs (unless they were saddle with extreme debt which they could not pay back on a scientist salary). And even if a specific professor does not get federal money if anyone in their department gets federal money the U gets a share of it to "administer the grant". Many get more than 50%.
September 7 at 3:40pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
And after the research is completed those test tubes or computers or whatever has been given as a grant to the University stays there. So chances are Dr. Peabody gets a grant to study mitochondria and 5 years later his laptop has been recycled to some grad student's dissertation project. If you want to know what's funded go tohttp://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm... Read MoreIn most cases there is nobody private who has the money or the interest in funding these projects. In many cases there is not even an advocacy group to raise awareness about the needs of certain populations (ie drug addicts). Even if there was would you want a Jerry Lewis Telethon for every disorder out there? Also how would you decide what projects to fund? The NIH has established a WORLD CLASS peer review system whereby its grantees review and rank applications for scientific merit. It is a huge undertaking and VERY WELL administered. Yes your tax dollars go to support that.
September 7 at 3:55pm · Delete
Cecelia McNamara Spitznas
And I must say the peer review system is cheap relative to if you actually paid private professional reviewers for the actual time it takes them to do reviews. NIH does pay for travel and the actual time people are at the meetings. That is a fraction of the time reviewers spend reading the applications and completing the written reviews. Here is ... Read Morea list of some of the accomplishments by NIH funded researchers. I only wish I was worthy of being associated with some of these things...http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/historical/chronology_of_events.htm#twothousand
September 7 at 4:08pm · Delete
Sheila Collins Ferguson
this is wierd that i don't get updates on this post on my own wall...i just re-visited this after many days and saw more activity. To Marisa's last comment, I was being "catty" onthe oxymoron comment and perhaps it does come off irrational. I'm just kind of puzzled at how ppl have drawn some of their conclusions here on this post that do not seem... Read More very logical to me and I was "firing back" at my friend, Jim, in a joking way, but it didn't really come off that way....debates online are quite difficult when you can't really get a good "read" on ppl's tone.
2 seconds ago (sept 11 at 9:13 pm)
Sheila Collins Ferguson
and to my comment on conservative scientists, i think i read that the new head of NIH is an evangelical...so it seems that it is possible to believe in God and science (this is again being sarcastic....).
2 seconds ago (sept 11 at 9:21 pm)
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