Our friends who are pursuing the adoption of a child from Eastern Europe have departed, with their own two children, to that country to complete the arrangements and bring him home. They have managed to update their blog with two entries: First, this one, and then this one.
We ask your prayers that they are able to complete all the arrangements promptly and successfully. It is not easy staying for an indefinite period of time in such a foreign place, and there is still no certainty that the adoption will be completed. This can, of course, be very stressful; it will be stressful enough moving a preschooler with Down's Syndrome into one's home. So let's pray that everything goes smoothly for them.
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
A Wonderful Story, continued
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A Wonderful Story: God's Hand at Work
To contact us Click HERE
Our friends had a successful court appearance, but only today did "mom" get a chance to tell us via blog about the details. Their story makes it abundantly clear that God answers prayer, often in ways far more blessed than we dare to hope. I trust you will take this opportunity to read their story and thank God for what He has done in their family and for the little boy who is now part of their family.
They cannot claim their new son until August 3, according to local law. I assume they will be returning to the USA soon thereafter. Be in prayer for their trip and for the inevitable challenges that their new son will bring to their home.
Our Friends' Adoption: An Update
To contact us Click HERE
This summer friends of ours went to Russia and adopted a little boy, now four years old, with Down's Syndrome. Today "mom" updated her blog with uplifting photos of how well their new son is doing here in America. You can read about it here.
Of course, there are still a lot of challenges (take language, for example, and health), but it is a great blessing to see the willingness they have to cherish and raise up this little boy. Our prayers and encouragement go out to them.
Why I'm Voting for Rick Santorum in the SC Primary
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Tomorrow, in the South Carolina GOP Presidential Preferenceprimary, I will be voting for Rick Santorum. Here’s why.
I need to start out by saying that I haven’t been totallythrilled with any of the four remaining candidates. All of them have obvious weaknesses ofcharacter and/or policy which will make their race against Obama less of a lockthan it ought to be. The Republican Partyneeds a leader of the Reagan type, who, like him in 1980, would win 40+ statesand carry a mandate with him to Washington. But since we have four remaining candidates from whom to choose, andsince any of them will be an improvement over the current president, I mustchoose from among them.
Rick Santorum, on the whole, represents my views the mostconsistently. He has been consistentlyand passionately pro-life, and wrote the bill that ended partial birthabortion. On social issues, he and I areof one voice. He is also a firm believerin the Second Amendment (The NRA rates him A+). He opposed TARP, voted against McCain-Feingold and Frank-Dodd, andreceives low ratings from both the ACLU and the AFL-CIO. While I am concerned about the trouncing hetook in the 2006 Pennsylvania Senate race (and, for that matter, the trouncinghe may get here in SC tomorrow, if the polls are valid), he is moredemonstrably opposed to Obama than either Romney or Gingrich. His biggest liability in my eyes is that hedoes not come across as a leader.
Newt Gingrich, at the moment, would be my secondchoice. I agree with him on mostissues—but he occasionally throws one out there that makes me scratch myhead. His personal character history isa serious problem and, even if he has sincerely repented and stays on the righttrack, will be a detriment in the race. (Obama, for all his flaws, has no hint of marital infidelity.) I am also concerned that his ego may become aliability.
Mitt Romney seems to be a conservative now, but my gut justdoesn’t like the fact that he wasn’t while he was the governor ofMassachusetts. I think he can be a greatexecutive, and if he is the GOP nominee, I will vote for him in November. But for now, I’m going with the most consistentconservative.
Ron Paul is problematic. His voting record is often meritorious and often puzzling. The ACLU rates him pretty favorably—that's aproblem. His vicious and untrue attackads concerning Santorum (being shown adnauseam this week on SC TV stations) trouble me. His foreign policy ideas are dangerous to thefuture of our country.
Please educate yourself on the candidates and then take theopportunity to vote.
An Update on our Friends' Adoption!
To contact us Click HERE
Friends of ours adopted a 3½-year-old boy with Down's Syndrome from Eastern Europe last summer (see their blog here). They have now had the boy in their home for six months. Their story has been featured on a local TV station and I'm sure many have viewed their blog. In short, their story not only testifies of God's love working through individuals, but also to the value of every individual soul—no matter the limitations of the physical body.
Six months later, there are still trials and struggles, but there has been both remarkable progress and great blessings. The work that God has allowed them to be a part of has now reached all the way back to Russia, and we are so grateful for it! I trust you will take the time to read about it here.
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
In Sisterhood: Support The Strike At London Met's Women's Library
To contact us Click HERE
Eighteen months ago found your Radical in London. On the trail of radical feminist Leah Fritz, I had also decided to check out what archival material was available on the feminist anti-pornography movement in London. What I found at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan University changed the shape of my research. I discovered that, just as radical feminists in the United States had become intractably divided over the representation of eroticism, Andrea Dworkin's ideas had roamed across the pond and found both opposition and fertile ground on the British left. In the UK, where there is no absolute right to free speech, and where skinhead violence had produced legislation against hate speech that would have violated the First Amendment in the United States, the struggle took some similar, but also different forms.
I loved the Women's Library and vowed to return to do more comparative research that pushed the nationalist frame of my project. Imagine my shock when I received an alert that dramatic cuts at London Met would endanger the work of this valuable collection and eliminate the BA in history. From the History of Feminism Network:
 |
| There's a long history of feminist resistance in England |
I loved the Women's Library and vowed to return to do more comparative research that pushed the nationalist frame of my project. Imagine my shock when I received an alert that dramatic cuts at London Met would endanger the work of this valuable collection and eliminate the BA in history. From the History of Feminism Network:
The Women’s Library is home to world-renowned collections on women’s struggles throughout history and has hosted excellent exhibitions on women workers and female led-strikes. This Wednesday 22nd June 2011 Women’s Library staff will themselves take action to ensure that London Met University continues to be a thriving centre for the study of gender and feminism.As the friend who sent me this confided, "While I don't know a whole lot about the cuts, I'm heartsick that an archive like The Women's Library is in danger. This is especially troubling for those of us who are pursuing subjects that are not necessarily represented in larger archives - I fondly remember my time at that archive." So should we all.
London Met Unison and UCU have voted for a one day strike on 22nd June unless the management resolve their dispute over compulsory redundancies (200 announced so far) and the closure of 70% of courses.
These cuts are of concern to all of us working in the fields of feminism and gender studies, across UK higher education institutions. Judging the value of academic disciplines according to narrow definitions of economic viability will particularly discriminate against already marginal subjects. The History BA is among those London Met courses set to close, despite it having long been such an important focus for the study of women’s history and with the Women’s Library hosting this years Women’s History Network Annual Conference.
This is why we want to express our strong support for the Women’s Library staff and everyone at London Met taking industrial action next week.
Come along to support the picket line! Meet 8am sharp, outside the Women’s Library, 25 Old Castle St, London E1 7NT (5 mins from Aldgate East Tube).
Send messages of support to moreinfo@thewomenslibrary.ac.uk and
t.doherty@londonmet.ac.uk
It's Moving Day: Tenured Radical Migrates To The Chronicle Of Higher Education
To contact us Click HERE
Yesterday around cocktail hour the sun was slipping over the virtual mountains when we at Tenured Radical heard the sound of galloping pony hooves. Sitting on our front porch, surrounded by boxes and half-full L.L. Bean sail bags, we squinted into the glare and saw that it was Historiann. "Hellzapoppin!" she yelled, in that instantly recognizable voice that is a cross between Dale Evans and Mary Maples Dunn. She swung handily over the pommel, skirt barely in place as usual, and dropped her reins (we were impressed to see that cow pony come to an immediate halt, like they do in the movies.) "I'm getting crazy numbers of pings from your blog!" she said, as we put a bourbon and branch in her hand. "When in 'tarnation were you going to tell me that you were moving?"
Oops. There is so much going on at chez Radical we had neglected to announce that we are migrating from the Blogger site where we were born and raised to a Word Press platform hosted and maintained by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Tenured Radical: the 3.0 Edition will debut there shortly.
So, without further ado, I want to anticipate and answer a few questions.
Are you leaving a forwarding address? Yes. You should be able to click whatever link you are using and be forwarded directly to the new site. Over time, you might want to replace that link, but don't worry about it now.
Will you be behind the pay wall? Nope.
Will you be edited, or censored, in any way by The Chronicle? Nope.
Will your archive move with you? Yep: hence the pinging over at Rancho Historiann. The computer people have been opening the links in 723 posts to make sure they still work on the new platform. Any problems should be reported to the management here, and we will forward them to our virtual IT friends over at the Chronicle.
Do you ever edit your posts subsequent to publication? Yes: I am a notoriously inaccurate typist, and frequently leave words out in my zeal to get ideas onto the screen and out to the world. I also occasionally edit something to assuage hurt feelings: I edited a series of posts after I "came out," removing a few made-up stories that were versions of the truth. Even though the focus of Tenured Radical has changed dramatically since those early days to avoid the personal as much as possible, I still have to edit from time to time when people mistakenly see themselves in a post. My policy is to be attentive to the feelings of friends, students and colleagues. People I don't know, and who I haven't named, who claim they have suffered harm from one of my blog posts might want to look up "narcissistic personality disorder" in the DSM IV.
Have you ever taken a post down completely? There are five posts I have taken down completely. The first was about something that happened in class, a post which rightly came back to bite me in the butt, because I had no idea that everyone at Zenith knew that I was the Tenured Radical. I then removed three others that had the potential to do similar damage. However, I have since come to believe that it is simply wrong to write about students, or any other private person, without their permission -- this includes children, spouses, parents, colleagues, neighbors, siblings and (fill in your relationship to me here ________.) But posts about students are the worst: written as amusing anecdotes that showcase our wit, wisdom and sorely tried patience, they are all exploitative and mean to some degree or another. I always make a point of telling my students in the first class that I will not write about them.
The other post I took down was, ironically, the post that originally brought me to the attention of a larger audience: "Where Credit is Due: Rutgers Basketball, Don Imus and Drive Time Shock" (April 2007.) In that post I asked why the national success of a team of African-American female scholar-athletes had caused them to be called sluts and whores by a major media figure. I compared the gender and racial dynamic in play at this moment to the significant support for the white, male members of a prominent lacrosse team, who were fighting felony charges that they had raped and beaten a stripper hired to entertain at the end of an all-day beer fest. It was a small part of the post, but the blogging equivalent of a hand grenade: referring to the symbolic importance of a college athletic scandal I knew little about made me the object of an ongoing attack organized by an academic blogger who was writing a commercial book about the case because he believed that the charges were false. The lacrosse players were eventually exonerated due to gross inconsistencies in the evidence, as well as multiple transgressions on the part of the prosecutor. This public official was subsequently disbarred, and is one of several parties, including the university, who have been punished by civil lawsuits filed by the young men and their families.)
What did Tenured Radical have to do with this case? Exactly nothing, except that the effort to achieve justice for the athletes dovetailed nicely with said blogger's campaign against so-called liberal scholars. It was quite the experience to be sucked suddenly, and without warning, into a full-on battle against the forces of political correctness. Members of this blogger's apparently vast audience threatened to sue me, maim me or get me fired. They filled my comments sections with crazed invective. They left threatening messages on my voice mail. They sent me vicious emails about what a terrible person I was, copied to numerous faculty colleagues who I am sure had no idea what a blog was or why they were supposed to care about a southern lacrosse team. They fired off numerous letters demanding my immediate termination (often with false return addresses and written in block letters) to university officers, colleagues and the Board of Trustees.
It was a strange introduction to the blogosphere. But it was also like getting an unasked for internship in a culture war I had thought was over, and that had certainly never touched me at good old Zenith. In retrospect, it was a little glimpse of that libertarian nest of snakes that would emerge a few years later as the Tea Party movement, and of the "gotcha" politics that would snag people far more important than I. On the plus side, it garnered me a ton of great readers, proving once again that there is no such thing as bad publicity as long as you don't send anyone naked pictures of yourself.
So the question is, if there is so much good news associated with this moment, and it boosted me to academic blogosphere superstardom, why did I take the post down?
Was it because I was afraid of a lawsuit, as said blogger implied in a recent series of attacks at a neoconservative website? No. I left the Rutgers post up for a long time so that the selective quotations that made me a punching bag could be put in the context of the whole argument by a reasonable reader. However, the post came down (I still have it, actually) after a reputable source and a blogging colleague told me that the mothers of one of the accused athletes had been inconsolably distressed by it. Subsequently, a pseudonymous contact claiming to be the wife of a civilian contractor in the Middle East and a friend of this woman contacted me. She amplified, in a very moving way, on the distress my post had caused in a home already under strain from the son's legal troubles. In response, I removed the post. I asked this correspondent to convey my deepest apologies to her friend and to put us in touch if a direct apology would be helpful, something she was unlikely to get from any of the thousands of other journalists who had vilified her son and his friends.
Whether these messages ever got through, I do not know. Subsequently, I came to wonder whether the story about the mother was real or invented, because I came to wonder who this "friend" actually was (impersonation is quite common in the virtual world, as are "sock puppets," a single person claiming to be many different commenters.) The pseudonymous correspondent abruptly cut off contact when, as part of my effort to reach out to her "friend," I questioned the motivations and mental health of the activist blogger who had, in my view, amplified any original harm by out of context quotation and endless, public cyber-bullying of anyone who suggested that long-standing problems of violent conduct on this team had made the false charges believable to begin with. It has happened more than once that someone, operating out of the anonymous email accounts that are so easy to open, has made and cultivated contact with me and then disappeared when I voiced my view that the manic activism of this blogger, and an over the top obsession with women and people of color as chronically unworthy and/or dishonest, might be a symptom of a personality disorder.
So what have you learned, dear? When in doubt about whether a topic is combustible, stay away from it, and be very, very careful when treating statements made in the media as factual. Particularly when commenting on a topic that is likely to draw unwelcome political attention, always hedge your bets with those words we history scholars use when making an argument from inferential evidence: "perhaps," "it seems," and "although we cannot be sure" are all useful phrases that permit the blogger to revisit an analysis later, or make a theoretical argument that stands up to new facts and reinterpretation of old facts.
Know your enemy, and don't reason with people who have an ax to grind. Easier said than done. However, unpleasant as it was, this episode was a great turning point for my own critical thinking about why I blogged, what I blogged, and with whom I got into pi$$ing matches.
Even when you don't know them you are writing about real people. What one academic blogger thinks or says can't really matter, can it? The answer to that question is that it is hard to know, and every post should be read prior to publishing with an eye to how it might be misunderstood. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't write it, but when flame wars start, the intelligent work you are promoting on your blog is obscured. It is a hard, but true, fact that you only get one chance in the blogosphere, and that chance is in the original post: no amount of explanation or clarification will be adequate for your critics, who are only interested in promoting their own views. Even if we bloggers were inclined to apologize or retract in the face of unjust criticism, we live in a society that now sees every error, every slip, as evidence of severe and permanent character flaws.
Assume that you are read by everyone in your life. Half of your acquaintances who take umbrage at a post will never tell you; and half of these people also insist they would never be caught dead reading any blog, much less yours.
Is this the last post over at 2.0? Yep. The final box just went on the virtual truck. I'll see you all over at the Chronicle in 3.0, and Historiann? Hope that pony got you home all right last night. Ponies always know where to go, even when bloggers don't.
Yesterday around cocktail hour the sun was slipping over the virtual mountains when we at Tenured Radical heard the sound of galloping pony hooves. Sitting on our front porch, surrounded by boxes and half-full L.L. Bean sail bags, we squinted into the glare and saw that it was Historiann. "Hellzapoppin!" she yelled, in that instantly recognizable voice that is a cross between Dale Evans and Mary Maples Dunn. She swung handily over the pommel, skirt barely in place as usual, and dropped her reins (we were impressed to see that cow pony come to an immediate halt, like they do in the movies.) "I'm getting crazy numbers of pings from your blog!" she said, as we put a bourbon and branch in her hand. "When in 'tarnation were you going to tell me that you were moving?"Oops. There is so much going on at chez Radical we had neglected to announce that we are migrating from the Blogger site where we were born and raised to a Word Press platform hosted and maintained by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Tenured Radical: the 3.0 Edition will debut there shortly.
So, without further ado, I want to anticipate and answer a few questions.
Are you leaving a forwarding address? Yes. You should be able to click whatever link you are using and be forwarded directly to the new site. Over time, you might want to replace that link, but don't worry about it now.
Will you be behind the pay wall? Nope.
Will you be edited, or censored, in any way by The Chronicle? Nope.
Will your archive move with you? Yep: hence the pinging over at Rancho Historiann. The computer people have been opening the links in 723 posts to make sure they still work on the new platform. Any problems should be reported to the management here, and we will forward them to our virtual IT friends over at the Chronicle.
Do you ever edit your posts subsequent to publication? Yes: I am a notoriously inaccurate typist, and frequently leave words out in my zeal to get ideas onto the screen and out to the world. I also occasionally edit something to assuage hurt feelings: I edited a series of posts after I "came out," removing a few made-up stories that were versions of the truth. Even though the focus of Tenured Radical has changed dramatically since those early days to avoid the personal as much as possible, I still have to edit from time to time when people mistakenly see themselves in a post. My policy is to be attentive to the feelings of friends, students and colleagues. People I don't know, and who I haven't named, who claim they have suffered harm from one of my blog posts might want to look up "narcissistic personality disorder" in the DSM IV.
Have you ever taken a post down completely? There are five posts I have taken down completely. The first was about something that happened in class, a post which rightly came back to bite me in the butt, because I had no idea that everyone at Zenith knew that I was the Tenured Radical. I then removed three others that had the potential to do similar damage. However, I have since come to believe that it is simply wrong to write about students, or any other private person, without their permission -- this includes children, spouses, parents, colleagues, neighbors, siblings and (fill in your relationship to me here ________.) But posts about students are the worst: written as amusing anecdotes that showcase our wit, wisdom and sorely tried patience, they are all exploitative and mean to some degree or another. I always make a point of telling my students in the first class that I will not write about them.
The other post I took down was, ironically, the post that originally brought me to the attention of a larger audience: "Where Credit is Due: Rutgers Basketball, Don Imus and Drive Time Shock" (April 2007.) In that post I asked why the national success of a team of African-American female scholar-athletes had caused them to be called sluts and whores by a major media figure. I compared the gender and racial dynamic in play at this moment to the significant support for the white, male members of a prominent lacrosse team, who were fighting felony charges that they had raped and beaten a stripper hired to entertain at the end of an all-day beer fest. It was a small part of the post, but the blogging equivalent of a hand grenade: referring to the symbolic importance of a college athletic scandal I knew little about made me the object of an ongoing attack organized by an academic blogger who was writing a commercial book about the case because he believed that the charges were false. The lacrosse players were eventually exonerated due to gross inconsistencies in the evidence, as well as multiple transgressions on the part of the prosecutor. This public official was subsequently disbarred, and is one of several parties, including the university, who have been punished by civil lawsuits filed by the young men and their families.)
What did Tenured Radical have to do with this case? Exactly nothing, except that the effort to achieve justice for the athletes dovetailed nicely with said blogger's campaign against so-called liberal scholars. It was quite the experience to be sucked suddenly, and without warning, into a full-on battle against the forces of political correctness. Members of this blogger's apparently vast audience threatened to sue me, maim me or get me fired. They filled my comments sections with crazed invective. They left threatening messages on my voice mail. They sent me vicious emails about what a terrible person I was, copied to numerous faculty colleagues who I am sure had no idea what a blog was or why they were supposed to care about a southern lacrosse team. They fired off numerous letters demanding my immediate termination (often with false return addresses and written in block letters) to university officers, colleagues and the Board of Trustees.
It was a strange introduction to the blogosphere. But it was also like getting an unasked for internship in a culture war I had thought was over, and that had certainly never touched me at good old Zenith. In retrospect, it was a little glimpse of that libertarian nest of snakes that would emerge a few years later as the Tea Party movement, and of the "gotcha" politics that would snag people far more important than I. On the plus side, it garnered me a ton of great readers, proving once again that there is no such thing as bad publicity as long as you don't send anyone naked pictures of yourself.
So the question is, if there is so much good news associated with this moment, and it boosted me to academic blogosphere superstardom, why did I take the post down?
Was it because I was afraid of a lawsuit, as said blogger implied in a recent series of attacks at a neoconservative website? No. I left the Rutgers post up for a long time so that the selective quotations that made me a punching bag could be put in the context of the whole argument by a reasonable reader. However, the post came down (I still have it, actually) after a reputable source and a blogging colleague told me that the mothers of one of the accused athletes had been inconsolably distressed by it. Subsequently, a pseudonymous contact claiming to be the wife of a civilian contractor in the Middle East and a friend of this woman contacted me. She amplified, in a very moving way, on the distress my post had caused in a home already under strain from the son's legal troubles. In response, I removed the post. I asked this correspondent to convey my deepest apologies to her friend and to put us in touch if a direct apology would be helpful, something she was unlikely to get from any of the thousands of other journalists who had vilified her son and his friends.
Whether these messages ever got through, I do not know. Subsequently, I came to wonder whether the story about the mother was real or invented, because I came to wonder who this "friend" actually was (impersonation is quite common in the virtual world, as are "sock puppets," a single person claiming to be many different commenters.) The pseudonymous correspondent abruptly cut off contact when, as part of my effort to reach out to her "friend," I questioned the motivations and mental health of the activist blogger who had, in my view, amplified any original harm by out of context quotation and endless, public cyber-bullying of anyone who suggested that long-standing problems of violent conduct on this team had made the false charges believable to begin with. It has happened more than once that someone, operating out of the anonymous email accounts that are so easy to open, has made and cultivated contact with me and then disappeared when I voiced my view that the manic activism of this blogger, and an over the top obsession with women and people of color as chronically unworthy and/or dishonest, might be a symptom of a personality disorder.
So what have you learned, dear? When in doubt about whether a topic is combustible, stay away from it, and be very, very careful when treating statements made in the media as factual. Particularly when commenting on a topic that is likely to draw unwelcome political attention, always hedge your bets with those words we history scholars use when making an argument from inferential evidence: "perhaps," "it seems," and "although we cannot be sure" are all useful phrases that permit the blogger to revisit an analysis later, or make a theoretical argument that stands up to new facts and reinterpretation of old facts.
Know your enemy, and don't reason with people who have an ax to grind. Easier said than done. However, unpleasant as it was, this episode was a great turning point for my own critical thinking about why I blogged, what I blogged, and with whom I got into pi$$ing matches.
Even when you don't know them you are writing about real people. What one academic blogger thinks or says can't really matter, can it? The answer to that question is that it is hard to know, and every post should be read prior to publishing with an eye to how it might be misunderstood. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't write it, but when flame wars start, the intelligent work you are promoting on your blog is obscured. It is a hard, but true, fact that you only get one chance in the blogosphere, and that chance is in the original post: no amount of explanation or clarification will be adequate for your critics, who are only interested in promoting their own views. Even if we bloggers were inclined to apologize or retract in the face of unjust criticism, we live in a society that now sees every error, every slip, as evidence of severe and permanent character flaws.
Assume that you are read by everyone in your life. Half of your acquaintances who take umbrage at a post will never tell you; and half of these people also insist they would never be caught dead reading any blog, much less yours.
Is this the last post over at 2.0? Yep. The final box just went on the virtual truck. I'll see you all over at the Chronicle in 3.0, and Historiann? Hope that pony got you home all right last night. Ponies always know where to go, even when bloggers don't.
Things I'm thankful for...
To contact us Click HERE
... people that care enough to let me know when I have a light out on my car.
As a pilot, we are taught to do a preflight check of the vehicle. Checking anti collision, position and landing lights are a big part of the preflight check. Now most flights take place in conditions where these checks are 99% meaningless. The lights are simply not bright enough to be effective during day VFR conditions. Making them bright enough to be effective would require spotlights and simply not practically effective.
Drivers are not drilled to the same extent. We had a rainstorm today and had to meet someone at the airport. I pulled up behind a van and noticed a difference between the L & R headlight reflections. I wrote it off as a bad angle on the R light.
Fast forward a couple hours. Friend surprised me with a call 2 mins after we'd said good bye. Friend tells me the right headlight is dead. Now the weather today sucks and it could be a simple short. But it could also be a blown bulb. I am 100% thankful for the call. I would rather know there is a light out than learn about it from a pair of flashing lights in the rear view.
In the same vein, anytime I notice a similar problem, I will offer up the same alert in a friendly way. ("Wouldn't want to give officer friendly any excuse....")
Anytime you notice a friend with a brake or position light out, let them know. They may not be especially thankful, but they should be!
As a pilot, we are taught to do a preflight check of the vehicle. Checking anti collision, position and landing lights are a big part of the preflight check. Now most flights take place in conditions where these checks are 99% meaningless. The lights are simply not bright enough to be effective during day VFR conditions. Making them bright enough to be effective would require spotlights and simply not practically effective.
Drivers are not drilled to the same extent. We had a rainstorm today and had to meet someone at the airport. I pulled up behind a van and noticed a difference between the L & R headlight reflections. I wrote it off as a bad angle on the R light.
Fast forward a couple hours. Friend surprised me with a call 2 mins after we'd said good bye. Friend tells me the right headlight is dead. Now the weather today sucks and it could be a simple short. But it could also be a blown bulb. I am 100% thankful for the call. I would rather know there is a light out than learn about it from a pair of flashing lights in the rear view.
In the same vein, anytime I notice a similar problem, I will offer up the same alert in a friendly way. ("Wouldn't want to give officer friendly any excuse....")
Anytime you notice a friend with a brake or position light out, let them know. They may not be especially thankful, but they should be!
I hate exercise! (updated)
To contact us Click HERE
Instead of "Taking the SCSon to" fencing, I am now "Joining the SCSon at". As previously mentioned, there is a really nice facility in the vicinity. As I just turned 50 and live and work a pretty sedentary lifestyle*. Now I really need something to get the heart rate up to stave off the diseases of the second half century of life.
I fenced a bit in college back in the good ole' days of Reagan's first term. It was great exercise while the mind was focused elsewhere. Makes you walk funny for a couple weeks then the body compensates. A friend invited me to a "boot camp" class a while back. It was all about getting the heart rate up for an hour a couple times a week and also provided some accountability. It got me past the immediate goal, but I didn't stick with it.
Taking into account my OFWG status, I had to adjust a bit on the conditioning end. I did what I could on the games but I lagged behind the teenies. No surprise at this stage of life. Life will be better if I can stick with this. (IMHO the other path leads to a heart attack this before the roar'in 2020s!) I do not relish that thought. I am so motivated!
One thing I liked was the "running" section (and I *hate* running), which was not just "jogging". Instead they mixed it up with inside and outside crossovers, skipping, high knees and high heels. Crossovers help with coordination. High knees and High heels work on flexibility.
Tonight the "over 50 N00B" league was pretty sparse. And it took a while to find a coat and lame(electrical) jacket I could zip up. They eventually found something I could squeeze into, Imagine Cinderella's sisters trying to squeeze into a size 8. or a 6. I may have to purchase my own garments just to make sure there is something into which I can fit.
An up and comer early 20-something was volunteered to spar with me. He scored a bunch of touches and I think I scored a couple back. There was a stop thrust that seriously bent my saber. NFW he got me first. IMHO he won the bout in no uncertain terms. The bout ended prior to regulations with sweat dripping into my eyes (note to self - need a sweat band). I was ready for a break and he was called for a match on another lane. I saluted, shook his hand and thanked him for the match.
Sidebar- The hand shake is normally a left handed shake. That's because the hood comes off and is placed under the right arm, still sporting the weapon and glove, In the case of a left handed fencer, it becomes an even more odd, left to right upside down hand shake, But the hand shake is important an acknowledgment that this fight isn't personal. It's just a sport. When it becomes personal, it's time to walk away. But as long as you can shake your opponent's hand and thank them for the bout, life is good.
So the SCSon and I wired up for a bout. I teased... "Here's your chance for revenge I taunted! "COME AT ME BRO"!(apparently the phrase of rage at the schools round these parts)" Think I've been unfair? here's your chance for payback! But also know, if you leave any opening, I WILL EXPLOIT!
I spanked him roundly as he left himself wide open. He needs to learn defense and attack skills. Only way to improve is via challenge. I scored many and he didn't. In reality I spanked him with my aged experience. Hopefully in the future he should overtake me with youthful sensitivities and quicker reaction times. Oh for the old days where they didn't use masks... could have easily left him with a nice scar or two on the cheeks to remind him.
I paid *US* up for the next month. Now we both have accountability to show up tomorrow when they focus on conditioning.
My goal (written here to make it official) is 3x a week. MWTh is the plan.
* that's a big reason I went to college - so I don't have to rake leaves in the 110+ heat.
I fenced a bit in college back in the good ole' days of Reagan's first term. It was great exercise while the mind was focused elsewhere. Makes you walk funny for a couple weeks then the body compensates. A friend invited me to a "boot camp" class a while back. It was all about getting the heart rate up for an hour a couple times a week and also provided some accountability. It got me past the immediate goal, but I didn't stick with it.
Taking into account my OFWG status, I had to adjust a bit on the conditioning end. I did what I could on the games but I lagged behind the teenies. No surprise at this stage of life. Life will be better if I can stick with this. (IMHO the other path leads to a heart attack this before the roar'in 2020s!) I do not relish that thought. I am so motivated!
One thing I liked was the "running" section (and I *hate* running), which was not just "jogging". Instead they mixed it up with inside and outside crossovers, skipping, high knees and high heels. Crossovers help with coordination. High knees and High heels work on flexibility.
Tonight the "over 50 N00B" league was pretty sparse. And it took a while to find a coat and lame(electrical) jacket I could zip up. They eventually found something I could squeeze into, Imagine Cinderella's sisters trying to squeeze into a size 8. or a 6. I may have to purchase my own garments just to make sure there is something into which I can fit.
An up and comer early 20-something was volunteered to spar with me. He scored a bunch of touches and I think I scored a couple back. There was a stop thrust that seriously bent my saber. NFW he got me first. IMHO he won the bout in no uncertain terms. The bout ended prior to regulations with sweat dripping into my eyes (note to self - need a sweat band). I was ready for a break and he was called for a match on another lane. I saluted, shook his hand and thanked him for the match.
Sidebar- The hand shake is normally a left handed shake. That's because the hood comes off and is placed under the right arm, still sporting the weapon and glove, In the case of a left handed fencer, it becomes an even more odd, left to right upside down hand shake, But the hand shake is important an acknowledgment that this fight isn't personal. It's just a sport. When it becomes personal, it's time to walk away. But as long as you can shake your opponent's hand and thank them for the bout, life is good.
So the SCSon and I wired up for a bout. I teased... "Here's your chance for revenge I taunted! "COME AT ME BRO"!(apparently the phrase of rage at the schools round these parts)" Think I've been unfair? here's your chance for payback! But also know, if you leave any opening, I WILL EXPLOIT!
I spanked him roundly as he left himself wide open. He needs to learn defense and attack skills. Only way to improve is via challenge. I scored many and he didn't. In reality I spanked him with my aged experience. Hopefully in the future he should overtake me with youthful sensitivities and quicker reaction times. Oh for the old days where they didn't use masks... could have easily left him with a nice scar or two on the cheeks to remind him.
I paid *US* up for the next month. Now we both have accountability to show up tomorrow when they focus on conditioning.
My goal (written here to make it official) is 3x a week. MWTh is the plan.
* that's a big reason I went to college - so I don't have to rake leaves in the 110+ heat.
Video, or it didn't happen!
To contact us Click HERE
Crimson Trace Midnight 3-gun.
(Seriously, I can't imagine a more phenomenal event. I mean, 3-gun is fun as all get out. But to do it on a no moon night with all the technology to light up the night, Over the top! Glad they grabbed a couple bloggers to attend.
Now the "failure" seems to be "Ok, how do you show this to the world?". I mean, you've come up with the coolest shooting event ever. Only problem is you can't share it with the anyone.
I have some ideas on how it could possibly done, but video is not a strong suit and I'm not up on the technology. Still it seems the technology that allows the shooter to see the target, could also be used to show the action.
Maybe they just could simplify the situation and incorporate some of Joe H's expertise with reactive targets! Keep 'em small and they won't affect the night vision (much ;-).
Again, video or it didn't happen!
(Wish I were there)
(And if there is video out there, I will happily stand corrected and link to same). Do tell!
(Seriously, I can't imagine a more phenomenal event. I mean, 3-gun is fun as all get out. But to do it on a no moon night with all the technology to light up the night, Over the top! Glad they grabbed a couple bloggers to attend.
Now the "failure" seems to be "Ok, how do you show this to the world?". I mean, you've come up with the coolest shooting event ever. Only problem is you can't share it with the anyone.
I have some ideas on how it could possibly done, but video is not a strong suit and I'm not up on the technology. Still it seems the technology that allows the shooter to see the target, could also be used to show the action.
Maybe they just could simplify the situation and incorporate some of Joe H's expertise with reactive targets! Keep 'em small and they won't affect the night vision (much ;-).
Again, video or it didn't happen!
(Wish I were there)
(And if there is video out there, I will happily stand corrected and link to same). Do tell!
11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Video, or it didn't happen!
To contact us Click HERE
Crimson Trace Midnight 3-gun.
(Seriously, I can't imagine a more phenomenal event. I mean, 3-gun is fun as all get out. But to do it on a no moon night with all the technology to light up the night, Over the top! Glad they grabbed a couple bloggers to attend.
Now the "failure" seems to be "Ok, how do you show this to the world?". I mean, you've come up with the coolest shooting event ever. Only problem is you can't share it with the anyone.
I have some ideas on how it could possibly done, but video is not a strong suit and I'm not up on the technology. Still it seems the technology that allows the shooter to see the target, could also be used to show the action.
Maybe they just could simplify the situation and incorporate some of Joe H's expertise with reactive targets! Keep 'em small and they won't affect the night vision (much ;-).
Again, video or it didn't happen!
(Wish I were there)
(And if there is video out there, I will happily stand corrected and link to same). Do tell!
(Seriously, I can't imagine a more phenomenal event. I mean, 3-gun is fun as all get out. But to do it on a no moon night with all the technology to light up the night, Over the top! Glad they grabbed a couple bloggers to attend.
Now the "failure" seems to be "Ok, how do you show this to the world?". I mean, you've come up with the coolest shooting event ever. Only problem is you can't share it with the anyone.
I have some ideas on how it could possibly done, but video is not a strong suit and I'm not up on the technology. Still it seems the technology that allows the shooter to see the target, could also be used to show the action.
Maybe they just could simplify the situation and incorporate some of Joe H's expertise with reactive targets! Keep 'em small and they won't affect the night vision (much ;-).
Again, video or it didn't happen!
(Wish I were there)
(And if there is video out there, I will happily stand corrected and link to same). Do tell!
Back on Track
To contact us Click HERE
Rudy here! Sorry about yesterday. We bears woke up early and when we looked out the window, we saw a man in a huge coat, with a large hood over his head, holding a long silver pole pointed at the swimming pool. I thought it was an Inuit hunter waiting to harpoon a seal - but Jeremy said it was someone called a pool boy and he was cleaning the pool of all the leaves and blossoms that blew in during our windstorm on Saturday. It was only +7C so the pool boy probably felt he was an Inuit. We called Den Dad to take a photo but by the time he got up the pool boy was gone. [Note to those of you who think Den Dad takes some good photos - you should see the ones he misses - they would be great!]
Later in the day we had not one but two rain showers but again - no photo. Then the Den Parents went shopping and bought a whole selection of clothes for Den Dad at The Men's Wearhouse - we have to go back to pick up some of them on Saturday.
Today, Den Dad returned a call from a lady who said she wanted him to take photos of her dog! We hope it doesn't work out. He will find out it is a lot harder to take dog photos than bear photos! Here is one he took on our drive today - a dog riding in a basket on a bicycle.
Also on the drive we took some more traditional scenery photos. Here are a few:
And here are a few homes in the area.
Tonight we went to a science fair at the John Adams Elementary School across the street.
Stay tuned - we hope we don't have to show you dog photos tomorrow.
Rudy here! Sorry about yesterday. We bears woke up early and when we looked out the window, we saw a man in a huge coat, with a large hood over his head, holding a long silver pole pointed at the swimming pool. I thought it was an Inuit hunter waiting to harpoon a seal - but Jeremy said it was someone called a pool boy and he was cleaning the pool of all the leaves and blossoms that blew in during our windstorm on Saturday. It was only +7C so the pool boy probably felt he was an Inuit. We called Den Dad to take a photo but by the time he got up the pool boy was gone. [Note to those of you who think Den Dad takes some good photos - you should see the ones he misses - they would be great!]Later in the day we had not one but two rain showers but again - no photo. Then the Den Parents went shopping and bought a whole selection of clothes for Den Dad at The Men's Wearhouse - we have to go back to pick up some of them on Saturday.
Today, Den Dad returned a call from a lady who said she wanted him to take photos of her dog! We hope it doesn't work out. He will find out it is a lot harder to take dog photos than bear photos! Here is one he took on our drive today - a dog riding in a basket on a bicycle.
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| Troubling trend toward dog photos continues! |
And here are a few homes in the area.Tonight we went to a science fair at the John Adams Elementary School across the street.
 |
| Some of the displays at the Science Fair |
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| Here I am with Road Runner the mascot of John Adams Elementary |
We're Sorry
To contact us Click HERE
We bears staged a 24 hour sit-down strike over the "dog incident". However, today Den Dad had a talk with us. He explained that it's all about Love. Except for Love, we bears would be just stuffed pieces of fabric sitting on a shelf somewhere. It's Love that makes everything Real. He told us some of the story of Gracie (the dog) and how she was rescued from an animal shelter, Without Love she would be dead now! Love made her Real. It even extends to people. "You're nobody until somebody loves you." Den Dad said it's even bigger than that. Not only being Loved, but also Loving others makes you better (or more Real). He explained that Love is not something that should be bottled or limited but that it works best if it is given away and flows out into the world. In fact, he said, Loving others: people, pets (even dogs), bears, plants, flowers, mountains, whatever - is the greatest thing we can do! So, we will apologize to Gracie (if we ever meet her in person). Den Dad left us to study a quotation. We think he picked it up at church. If you can believe, we are reciting it below!
 |
| Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. |
it's a beautiful mornin'
To contact us Click HERE
What a nice day it was today. I took the day off work to clear my mind and relax. This job has sucked out all my energy, so I needed a day for myself.
I watched Time Travelers Wife which was pretty good. I am a sucker for Rachel McAdams movies. Love her. I walked to the local Chinese food place, picked up some Kung Pao and then walked home and enjoyed the deliciousness.
Monday night I went to Target to see if they had Never Let Me Go. Figured they wouldn't, since it's a British film. I ran into my friends younger brother and as we were talking in the DVD section, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it!!! I bought it and immediately went home to watch it! It was so good and so sad. I kind of want to watch it again. I am a sucker for any Keira Knightley movie. haha.
Last weekend I went to a BBQ birthday party for a friend. I took Greg with me. Good times. We drank Polish beer. Nom. We went out to Cho Cho San's that night and devoured sushi.
Friday was Good Friday and we had no work, so I went vintage shopping with Shawn out in Hollywood on Melrose. We ate lunch at the Snake Pit Ale House (and enjoyed a couple ale's). I found the cutest vintage leather vest from Argentina and the cutttest 70's baby doll dress with pretty flowers on it. Love.
I watched Time Travelers Wife which was pretty good. I am a sucker for Rachel McAdams movies. Love her. I walked to the local Chinese food place, picked up some Kung Pao and then walked home and enjoyed the deliciousness.
Monday night I went to Target to see if they had Never Let Me Go. Figured they wouldn't, since it's a British film. I ran into my friends younger brother and as we were talking in the DVD section, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it!!! I bought it and immediately went home to watch it! It was so good and so sad. I kind of want to watch it again. I am a sucker for any Keira Knightley movie. haha.
Last weekend I went to a BBQ birthday party for a friend. I took Greg with me. Good times. We drank Polish beer. Nom. We went out to Cho Cho San's that night and devoured sushi.
Friday was Good Friday and we had no work, so I went vintage shopping with Shawn out in Hollywood on Melrose. We ate lunch at the Snake Pit Ale House (and enjoyed a couple ale's). I found the cutest vintage leather vest from Argentina and the cutttest 70's baby doll dress with pretty flowers on it. Love.
Jerry's Deli is so yum
To contact us Click HERE
I got my hair done this weekend! Lightened it up a bit for summer. I like it. Thankfully I've got a tan now, so it helps to not wash me out. Speaking of tan...I got St. Tropez self tanner from Sephora. It works AMAZING!!! I am loving it so very much! :)
Hung out in Westwood with Katie last weekend. Here are some photos..
P.S. We ate at Jerry's deli for lunch. I ate the yummiest mushroom, grilled onions and motzorella cheese pinini on cheddar cheese bread. <3
I got my hair done this weekend! Lightened it up a bit for summer. I like it. Thankfully I've got a tan now, so it helps to not wash me out. Speaking of tan...I got St. Tropez self tanner from Sephora. It works AMAZING!!! I am loving it so very much! :)
Hung out in Westwood with Katie last weekend. Here are some photos..
P.S. We ate at Jerry's deli for lunch. I ate the yummiest mushroom, grilled onions and motzorella cheese pinini on cheddar cheese bread. <3
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Signs of Spring
To contact us Click HERE
We went for another drive today [after the Den Parents finished sunning at the pool - it was +28C today]. The drive was a short one - just some of the neighbourhoods nearby.
We saw some more examples of unique homes nearby.
And it's always nice to have an orange tree on your front lawn.
We also visited the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It will host a major professional tennis tournament March 5 - 18, 2012.
Below: Just some incidental landscaping near the entrance to the Tennis Garden
And we saw some signs of Spring!
And tonight we could watch the new moon in a starry sky above our swimming pool.
Good night all! If you have any requests for photos, let us know. Our time here is running low!
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| The closest church to us is St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church |
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| The Church has a commanding view of the Coachella Valley |
And it's always nice to have an orange tree on your front lawn.We also visited the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It will host a major professional tennis tournament March 5 - 18, 2012.
Below: Just some incidental landscaping near the entrance to the Tennis Garden
And we saw some signs of Spring!
And tonight we could watch the new moon in a starry sky above our swimming pool.
Good night all! If you have any requests for photos, let us know. Our time here is running low!
We're Sorry
To contact us Click HERE
We bears staged a 24 hour sit-down strike over the "dog incident". However, today Den Dad had a talk with us. He explained that it's all about Love. Except for Love, we bears would be just stuffed pieces of fabric sitting on a shelf somewhere. It's Love that makes everything Real. He told us some of the story of Gracie (the dog) and how she was rescued from an animal shelter, Without Love she would be dead now! Love made her Real. It even extends to people. "You're nobody until somebody loves you." Den Dad said it's even bigger than that. Not only being Loved, but also Loving others makes you better (or more Real). He explained that Love is not something that should be bottled or limited but that it works best if it is given away and flows out into the world. In fact, he said, Loving others: people, pets (even dogs), bears, plants, flowers, mountains, whatever - is the greatest thing we can do! So, we will apologize to Gracie (if we ever meet her in person). Den Dad left us to study a quotation. We think he picked it up at church. If you can believe, we are reciting it below!
|
| Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. |
We're HOME!
To contact us Click HERE
Hi Folks! Rudy here! Happy Valentine's Day - a day we really Love! We made it home today. During our trip we were away for 64 days - 61 of them in the U.S.A. We covered 11,593 kms.
Last night there was snow in Calgary so we saw it when we started out this morning.
This is our last entry for this blog.
Thanks to all those who followed along and sent messages
of encouragement and appreciation.
Remember - it is Love that keeps us Real!
(for other adventures you can still visit www.fosterlearning.com)
Last night there was snow in Calgary so we saw it when we started out this morning.
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| Snow! and you can see some sad flowers by the doorway. We're sad too when we think of all the beautiful flowers in California. |
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| They are far in the distance but you can see the snow-capped Rockies on the horizon. We saw mountains on every day of our vacation! |
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| Some typical Alberta farm land. (the farm on the right edge, distant, was once owned by Henry Wise Wood) |
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| After a leisurely lunch in Red Deer - we reach Edmonton ... |
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| ... and then our "home hamlet" - Sherwood Park. |
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| And here we are at home! We would like to thank Margaret and Jim for looking after our condo, and all the other bears, while we were away. And a big thanks to Barb and her bears - our most loyal blog follower. |
Thanks to all those who followed along and sent messages
of encouragement and appreciation.
Remember - it is Love that keeps us Real!
(for other adventures you can still visit www.fosterlearning.com)
it's a beautiful mornin'
To contact us Click HERE
What a nice day it was today. I took the day off work to clear my mind and relax. This job has sucked out all my energy, so I needed a day for myself.
I watched Time Travelers Wife which was pretty good. I am a sucker for Rachel McAdams movies. Love her. I walked to the local Chinese food place, picked up some Kung Pao and then walked home and enjoyed the deliciousness.
Monday night I went to Target to see if they had Never Let Me Go. Figured they wouldn't, since it's a British film. I ran into my friends younger brother and as we were talking in the DVD section, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it!!! I bought it and immediately went home to watch it! It was so good and so sad. I kind of want to watch it again. I am a sucker for any Keira Knightley movie. haha.
Last weekend I went to a BBQ birthday party for a friend. I took Greg with me. Good times. We drank Polish beer. Nom. We went out to Cho Cho San's that night and devoured sushi.
Friday was Good Friday and we had no work, so I went vintage shopping with Shawn out in Hollywood on Melrose. We ate lunch at the Snake Pit Ale House (and enjoyed a couple ale's). I found the cutest vintage leather vest from Argentina and the cutttest 70's baby doll dress with pretty flowers on it. Love.
I watched Time Travelers Wife which was pretty good. I am a sucker for Rachel McAdams movies. Love her. I walked to the local Chinese food place, picked up some Kung Pao and then walked home and enjoyed the deliciousness.
Monday night I went to Target to see if they had Never Let Me Go. Figured they wouldn't, since it's a British film. I ran into my friends younger brother and as we were talking in the DVD section, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it!!! I bought it and immediately went home to watch it! It was so good and so sad. I kind of want to watch it again. I am a sucker for any Keira Knightley movie. haha.
Last weekend I went to a BBQ birthday party for a friend. I took Greg with me. Good times. We drank Polish beer. Nom. We went out to Cho Cho San's that night and devoured sushi.
Friday was Good Friday and we had no work, so I went vintage shopping with Shawn out in Hollywood on Melrose. We ate lunch at the Snake Pit Ale House (and enjoyed a couple ale's). I found the cutest vintage leather vest from Argentina and the cutttest 70's baby doll dress with pretty flowers on it. Love.
Jerry's Deli is so yum
To contact us Click HERE
I got my hair done this weekend! Lightened it up a bit for summer. I like it. Thankfully I've got a tan now, so it helps to not wash me out. Speaking of tan...I got St. Tropez self tanner from Sephora. It works AMAZING!!! I am loving it so very much! :)
Hung out in Westwood with Katie last weekend. Here are some photos..
P.S. We ate at Jerry's deli for lunch. I ate the yummiest mushroom, grilled onions and motzorella cheese pinini on cheddar cheese bread. <3
I got my hair done this weekend! Lightened it up a bit for summer. I like it. Thankfully I've got a tan now, so it helps to not wash me out. Speaking of tan...I got St. Tropez self tanner from Sephora. It works AMAZING!!! I am loving it so very much! :)
Hung out in Westwood with Katie last weekend. Here are some photos..
P.S. We ate at Jerry's deli for lunch. I ate the yummiest mushroom, grilled onions and motzorella cheese pinini on cheddar cheese bread. <3
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