America, The Clueless

Paula Reed is an articulate and energetic Colorado high school English teacher, romance novel author, and parent of two teens.  She recently posted an article on her blog called Clueless in America, discussing how mythology has replaced science and the scientific method in high school education.  If you’ve ever wondered why the young people of this nation lack the science,math, and other critical skills necessary to compete globally, I’d suggest you read her post, along with the accompanying editorial in The New York Times.

As I’m sure she says to her students, “and that is your reading assignment for today.”

An American View

Let’s move from President Bush being the worst President ever to another world perspective. Take a look at the linked map, entitled The World According to Americans.

What connection might be made between this map and our current “sitting President”, the man they call “W”?

Bush: Worst President Ever

I don’t know if I ever stated in this blog that I thought current President of the United States George Bush will go down as one of the worst Presidents ever. But I’ve sure thought it.

According to this article in Harpers Magazine, a poll of 109 historians who have actually done the comparisons, agree, find President Bush the worst ever.

History News Network’s poll of 109 historians found that 61 percent of them rank Bush as “worst ever” among U.S. presidents. Bush’s key competition comes from Buchanan, apparently, and a further 2 percent of the sample puts Bush right behind Buchanan as runner-up for “worst ever.” 96 percent of the respondents place the Bush presidency in the bottom tier of American presidencies.

Do take a moment to read the article, to see on what grounds they base their evaluation.

As I mentioned about, I agree, because Bush and his cronies have lead our nation down a very destructive path. During his time in office his administration has:

• Bankrupted our country with this ridiculous war in Iraq.
• Trampled our civil liberties and the Bill of Rights.
• Ignored all warnings of possible ecological disasters.
• Placed our nation in such debt that my children will not be able to get out from under.
• Destroyed much of the goodwill other nations felt towards the US.
• Made our nation much less safe from both terrorism (“tearism”) and other threats.
• Established a corrupt government acting with little regard to the needs of our citizens

Our nation direly needs a change in direction. Fortunately, within a year will have a new president in office. In the meantime, study these candidates for President carefully and thoughtfully. Consider their values, leadership abilities, and their vision. Turn off the television, listen, and read what these folks who are going to guide our country have to say. Register to vote! In November, exercise your right! Vote!

As I completed that last paragraph, the thought flashed through my mind that my son, Joshua, is now eligible to vote in his first Presidential election. I must remind him to register and then vote, even though he is away at school.

And Another

While we’re on the topic of bumper stickers, here’s an excellent one I found hanging on the wall in the office of a colleague of mine.

Hell Crops Up Again

A recent article in The Washington Post on the crisis in the US financial markets ended with the following quote:

“Capitalism without losses is like religion without hell”

While it certainly makes sense that losses are a innate part of an economic system of capitalism, is it similarly true that hell is an innate part of religion?

Can people celebrate a religion without believing there’s a hell? Can people celebrate religion without believing in God?

It’s those questions that caught my attention considering the quote.

I’m going to try not to go into a long dissertation on my religious beliefs, which are steeped in liberal Judaism, with a smattering eastern philosophy, and an evolution towards the independence found in being involved in a Universalist Unitarian congregation.

My moral compass is driven from within, and not from the threat of the eternal damnation of a hell. Religion that imposes that threat of eternal punishment seems controlling and dogmatic, not supportive of the essential humanity of its participants.

World’s Biggest Lies

Back a few years, when I was younger and much less the mature and polished person I am today, we used to have a list called The World’s Biggest Lies. It was a humorous list, containing mostly items with a sexual connotation. For example, one item was the traditional, I’ll respect you in the morning.

Now that I’ve grown wiser in my old age, and actually write coherently in my own blog, I’m reminded of one other of the World’s Biggest Lies, along with a new addition, appropriate in this age of voice mail and depersonalization.

Without further ado, I present two of the many World’s Biggest Lies:

• We’re from the government, we’re here to help
• Your call is important to us.

Your comment is important to me, so please feel free to add to my short list of The World’s Biggest Lies.

In My Spam Folder

It’s that time again; wherein I go rummaging through my email spam folder. Below you’ll find nugget upon nugget of wisdom and knowledge from all those emails that nobody is supposed to read.

That nice girl Delmar writes…

Hello! I am bored this afternoon. I am nice girl that would like to chat with you. Email me at xxx@uuu.com only, because I am using my friend’s email to write this. Mind me sending some of my pictures to you?

Just what I need. Pictures of some guy who can’t even use his own email. Thanks, Delmar. I won’t get into your gender bending issues.

Davis Waters writes to tell me that he/she/it “has all kinds of meds.” And I need to know that because?

Falker Andre wishes to inform me of the latest in clothing technology:

A new revolution in medicine has been discovered! Click here
Feel the growth in your pants!

Come to think of it, I do need my pants to grow. In the waist. Or else I need to play more tennis. Maybe Davis Waters (see above) has some meds to help my tennis game.

I wasn’t going to mention an email I received from Lakeisha Sparks because it’s so dirty. Her subject line is, “provide stronger erections, improve sexual endurance, and increase ejaculation volume.” Here’s the kicker. In the body of her post, she writes:

“We would like to thank John from FL, USA and Dan from Australia for sending us before and after photos and also letting us show them on our website.”

Doesn’t that get you the least bit tempted to visit good old Lakeisha’s web site? I mean, who can resist “before and after photos?” Especially of John and our Australian friend, Dan. Before and after what?

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all those posts from people all over the world, some of whom I’ve never met, who have the most wonderful suggestions on ways to please the ladies. Halsey Shorty, for instance, must certainly be a world renowned psychic. Halsey seems to have a keen sense of my innermost thoughts and secret dreams of a “larger love stick,” mentioned in the subject line of his recent email.

Wasn’t it President Theodore Roosevelt who said “speak softly and carry a big stick.” Do you think a love stick such as the larger one that Halsey proposed above, was what he was talking about? What was so confusing is that the email itself didn’t purse my interest any further. I lost interest when the post went on about some casino somewhere.

Note: This post will probably get lots of hits because I tagged it with the tag “sexuality”. Although I didn’t use the word “penis”, there is a reference to “love stick” and “ejaculation”. That should grab me a few readers.

Singing for Change

Each year, on Martin Luther King Day, Cincinnati marks the occasion with a day of events. This year, the activities included a march, a service at Music Hall, several high school basketball games, and a community-wide celebration of the works of a man who acted for freedom and justice in this country of ours.

I sing (baritone) with a chorus called Voices of Freedom, who, on this day, lifted our 100+ voices as a major part of that service at Music Hall. Our songs are of community, peace, and freedom, many of the sources for our music being spirituals and other songs of joy and freedom. The music reaches somewhere deep inside me, inspiring me to celebrate my humanness and my connection with all those around me. I sing these songs with passion, love, and joy.

After the concert today, several of us went out for lunch, enjoying the opportunity to spend time together and enjoy good conversation. As you might imagine on this day, the talk moved towards social change, peace, and so forth. At some point, maybe it was after that first glass of wine and halfway through the soup, we talked about the peace movement, the Year 1968–when Dr. King was assassinated along with Bobby Kennedy, our communities were rioting, the Tet Offensive took place, and I graduated high school. I mentioned that in subsequent years I was actively involved with the peace movement in Cincinnati as a committee member on several anti-war planning teams, a marshal on many peace marches through the streets of The Queen City, and actively involved in peace-oriented groups on the University of Cincinnati campus.

It took little transition, well, at least with this group, to get from the Movement during the Vietnam War times to speaking out against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. What was I doing now? How was I involved?

I am not involved in the same way as I was almost 40 years ago. My beliefs are quite similar, but my actions quite different.

My comment, on this Martin Luther King Day was that I believe that what I can do is sing for change. That by bringing music of peace, commitment, and change to this community, I could do my part. As I mentioned, I’ve done my share of marching.

Through music and the passion it inspires, we can reach others. Motivating and encouraging them to transcend the day-to-day. With song, we can reach inside our own hearts and touch the hearts of those around us, moving them to do the right thing.

What do you think? Does music resonate within you and inspire you? Am I full of truth or full of baloney? Or somewhere in between? Is singing for change, as I characterize it, a valid method for bringing change to this nation so desperately in need of healing?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this cold January day, we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a man of peace, who both acted and spoke out against racism, prejudice, and violence.

Below are several quotations from Dr. King:

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars… Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

“Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: – ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ “

Eloquent Insults Redux

Back in April, I posted a list of rather eloquent insults that surpassed the more traditional “your mama” or my favorite, “bite me“. Here are some additional insults to add to your own collection. Use them at your own risk, of course. Part of that risk might be that both the insultor and insultee understand what is being flung about.

So here we go…

I liked your opera. I think I will set it to music.
— Ludwig van Beethoven to a fellow composer

Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.
— Samuel Johnson (attributed)

Vile worm, thou wast overlooked even in thy birth — William Shakespeare

You are not worth another word, else I’d call you knave.
— William Shakespeare (All’s Well that Ends Well)

I do desire we may be better strangers.
— William Shakespeare (As You Like It)

There’s no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune.
— William Shakespeare (1 Henry IV)