John F. Kennedy, 1963:
Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was civis Romanus sum [I am a Roman citizen]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is Ich bin ein Berliner... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words Ich bin ein Berliner!
Ronald Reagan, 1987:
We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
George H.W. Bush, 1989:
Just as the barriers are coming down in Hungary, so must they fall throughout all of Eastern Europe. Let Berlin be next—let Berlin be next!
Bill Clinton 1999:
We are here today to celebrate the ideal we cherish above all others - human freedom - and to celebrate the day that ideal triumphed in one city in the heart of Europe. We must remember the role America played in the victory of freedom in Europe, and all we've done since to help realize its promise. Most important, we must reaffirm our determination to finish the job.
George H.W. Bush, 2009:
The point needs to be made that the historic events we are gathered to celebrate were set in motion not in Bonn, or Moscow or Washington but rather in the hearts and minds of the people who had too long been deprived of their God-given rights.
The Wall could never erase your dream, our dream of one Germany, a free Germany, a proud Germany.
Barack Obama, 2009:
Doody doody doo.
***Edited to add:
In a surpise video appearance yesterday, Obama did address the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall:
Few would have foreseen ... that a united Germany would be led by a woman from Brandenburg or that their American ally would be led by a man of African descent.
(Because it's about him, isn't it?)
Monday, November 09, 2009
Saturday, November 07, 2009
It seemed to us that we had a very warm October, and I wondered if global warming was finally upon us. But it turns out that Florida appeared to be an exception.
Cooled down today, plus lots of wind (from Ida, somehow?) and we hung out a bit, ending up as usual at Lake Morton.
You can feed some of the birds by hand but I always draw back quickly because I'm afraid they'll bite me. Some of the birds are a bit jumpy too.
The pelicans are back.
Ibises like to hang out with them. They look like they must be related, but the pelicans look a lot calmer. The ibises are a bit frenetic. Maybe that goes with being smaller.
Sometimes when the pelicans are resting they turn their heads all the way around and nestle their beaks between their wings. It is the strangest looking thing.
Cooled down today, plus lots of wind (from Ida, somehow?) and we hung out a bit, ending up as usual at Lake Morton.
You can feed some of the birds by hand but I always draw back quickly because I'm afraid they'll bite me. Some of the birds are a bit jumpy too.
The pelicans are back.
Ibises like to hang out with them. They look like they must be related, but the pelicans look a lot calmer. The ibises are a bit frenetic. Maybe that goes with being smaller.
Sometimes when the pelicans are resting they turn their heads all the way around and nestle their beaks between their wings. It is the strangest looking thing.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
I get spam.
Am Juliet,a tall good looking young girl,so lovely
and caring with good understanding.fair in complexion,care with good
sharing,honesty.I saw your ad at www.jihadwatch.org which interested me much
and i decided to contact you.I really want to have a good friendship with you
even if you have married we can be friend ok ,i have a reason of
selecting you as my friend,pls if you wish to know more.Pls contact me
through this my id We need to talk and
know ourself more and equally share pictures to each other.hope to hear
from you.
Bye with a warmly
huggs.
Juliet
Who among us doesn't need/wouldn't like a warmly huggs? Still, I think I'll pass.
Am Juliet,a tall good looking young girl,so lovely
and caring with good understanding.fair in complexion,care with good
sharing,honesty.I saw your ad at www.jihadwatch.org which interested me much
and i decided to contact you.I really want to have a good friendship with you
even if you have married we can be friend ok ,i have a reason of
selecting you as my friend,pls if you wish to know more.Pls contact me
through this my id We need to talk and
know ourself more and equally share pictures to each other.hope to hear
from you.
Bye with a warmly
huggs.
Juliet
Who among us doesn't need/wouldn't like a warmly huggs? Still, I think I'll pass.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Personal maintenance weekend.
Friday I had a mammogram, which, as somebody (Linda Ellerbee?) pointed out sounds like you put your breast in an envelope and mail it off somewhere.
Yesterday morning I hit Curves, b/c I was only able to go twice during the week.
Today I got a haircut.
The woman who cuts my hair always kind of bugs me to let her color it or add highlights, and I always tell her no. I told her today that I'll be 49 years old next week, and I'm kind of pleased that I have no more gray than I do. She then whispered to me that she thinks my hair color is very nice, that she has to push the color, but that if her hair looked like mine she wouldn't color it either.
: )
Friday I had a mammogram, which, as somebody (Linda Ellerbee?) pointed out sounds like you put your breast in an envelope and mail it off somewhere.
Yesterday morning I hit Curves, b/c I was only able to go twice during the week.
Today I got a haircut.
The woman who cuts my hair always kind of bugs me to let her color it or add highlights, and I always tell her no. I told her today that I'll be 49 years old next week, and I'm kind of pleased that I have no more gray than I do. She then whispered to me that she thinks my hair color is very nice, that she has to push the color, but that if her hair looked like mine she wouldn't color it either.
: )
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Vision.
Excerpt:
As I looked out a moment ago from the Reichstag, that embodiment of German unity, I noticed words crudely spray-painted upon the wall, perhaps by a young Berliner (quote):
"This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality."
Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall, for it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.
Thank you, President Reagan.
Excerpt:
As I looked out a moment ago from the Reichstag, that embodiment of German unity, I noticed words crudely spray-painted upon the wall, perhaps by a young Berliner (quote):
"This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality."
Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall, for it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.
Thank you, President Reagan.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
A whole lot of stuff has happened since I talked to you last, dear diary.
We had massive layoffs at work yesterday, and pay cuts for those left standing. I got about a 25% pay cut. Not pretty but we'll be all right. Other people's pay cuts were much deeper and some, of course, were cut to zero. Among them were Kelly, and her husband, who worked with us too.
Adding insult to injury, Kelly is sick with flu this week. I made a pot of chicken soup for her last night. Kelly called today to tell me that that was the best soup in the universe, and to ask me to email her the recipe. Well, I don't have a recipe, I just threw some stuff in the Dutch oven. But I wrote one for Kelly, in the format I am accustomed to using. Here it is.
Production of Chicken Soup
1 Purpose
The purpose of this work instruction is to describe the production of chicken soup.
2 Scope
The procedure includes instructions for preparing the ingredients, cooking them, serving them, storing extra production, and cleanup. It is intended for family use, not for commercial soup production.
3 Safety
3.1 General kitchen safety procedures regarding hot cookware and sharp knives are to be followed.
3.2 Because raw chicken is used, care must be taken to clean the cutting board, cutlery, and any other objects that contact the meat.
4 Apparatus
4.1 Kitchen stove.
4.2 Dutch oven with lid, 4 or 5-quart capacity. A stock pot may be used.
4.3 Cutting board.
4.4 Knives suitable for cutting meat and for chopping vegetables.
5 Reagents
5.1 Chicken.
5.1.1 Three or four breasts. If boneless and skinless, cut into small pieces. If not boneless and skinless, remove the skin. Wash with tap water.
5.1.2 Four or five thighs. Remove skins. Wash with tap water.
5.2 One jar of hot salsa.
5.3 Onion, about a 1-inch slice, chopped.
5.4 Celery, two stalks, chopped.
5.5 Bell pepper, one half, chopped. Yellow and red bell peppers should be considered for the addition of color.
5.6 Rice, one handful.
5.7 Frozen corn, one handful.
5.8 Carrots, two, chopped.
NOTE: Vegetable amounts may be altered, or other vegetables added or substituted, if desired. Hard vegetables like potatoes should be processed with the carrots. Soft vegetables like tomatoes should be processed with the corn.
5.9 Optional garnish: Avocado, peeled and cut into bits.
5.10 Cornbread muffins.
6 Procedure
6.1 Place the chicken in the Dutch oven with enough water to cover. Add contents of the jar of salsa and stir.
6.2 Place the Dutch oven on the stove and adjust the burner to medium high.
6.3 Add onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot. Stir occasionally as mixture comes to a boil.
6.4 When mixture is boiling vigorously, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Do not leave unattended.
NOTE: Heat must be adjusted so that simmer is maintained, but material does not boil over.
6.5 After 45 minutes, remove meat and place on a large dish to cool slightly.
6.6 Add rice and frozen corn to the Dutch oven. Stir.
6.7 When meat is cool enough to work with, pull the meat from the bones, taking care to remove all bony material from meat. Cut or pull the meat into pieces of desired size.
6.8 Return deboned meat to Dutch oven. Stir.
6.9 Once mixture has returned to boil, remove from heat.
6.10 Prepare an ice bath in the kitchen sink. Place Dutch oven in it for rapid cooling.
6.11 Soup may be served immediately.
6.11.1 Dip into individual bowls.
6.11.2 Serve with cornbread muffin, and a garnish of avocado pieces if desired.
6.12 Soup that is not served immediately must be refrigerated or frozen.
6.12.1 The Dutch oven, once cool to the touch, may be placed in the refrigerator with the cover on. This material is good for up to a week and a half, individual servings to be warmed in the microwave as needed.
6.12.2 Alternatively, individual servings may be placed in freezer bags and stored in the freezer for up to six months.
7 Cleanup
7.1 Scraps left over from the chicken, containing skin, bones, and meat that was not separated from the bones or not used, should be taken out of the house immediately so that it does not begin to smell.
7.2 Vegetable waste is not hazardous and may be disposed of or composted.
7.3 Each family member should return his or her own bowl, spoon, and other dishes to the kitchen after use. The designated family member shall wash the dishes.
We had massive layoffs at work yesterday, and pay cuts for those left standing. I got about a 25% pay cut. Not pretty but we'll be all right. Other people's pay cuts were much deeper and some, of course, were cut to zero. Among them were Kelly, and her husband, who worked with us too.
Adding insult to injury, Kelly is sick with flu this week. I made a pot of chicken soup for her last night. Kelly called today to tell me that that was the best soup in the universe, and to ask me to email her the recipe. Well, I don't have a recipe, I just threw some stuff in the Dutch oven. But I wrote one for Kelly, in the format I am accustomed to using. Here it is.
Production of Chicken Soup
1 Purpose
The purpose of this work instruction is to describe the production of chicken soup.
2 Scope
The procedure includes instructions for preparing the ingredients, cooking them, serving them, storing extra production, and cleanup. It is intended for family use, not for commercial soup production.
3 Safety
3.1 General kitchen safety procedures regarding hot cookware and sharp knives are to be followed.
3.2 Because raw chicken is used, care must be taken to clean the cutting board, cutlery, and any other objects that contact the meat.
4 Apparatus
4.1 Kitchen stove.
4.2 Dutch oven with lid, 4 or 5-quart capacity. A stock pot may be used.
4.3 Cutting board.
4.4 Knives suitable for cutting meat and for chopping vegetables.
5 Reagents
5.1 Chicken.
5.1.1 Three or four breasts. If boneless and skinless, cut into small pieces. If not boneless and skinless, remove the skin. Wash with tap water.
5.1.2 Four or five thighs. Remove skins. Wash with tap water.
5.2 One jar of hot salsa.
5.3 Onion, about a 1-inch slice, chopped.
5.4 Celery, two stalks, chopped.
5.5 Bell pepper, one half, chopped. Yellow and red bell peppers should be considered for the addition of color.
5.6 Rice, one handful.
5.7 Frozen corn, one handful.
5.8 Carrots, two, chopped.
NOTE: Vegetable amounts may be altered, or other vegetables added or substituted, if desired. Hard vegetables like potatoes should be processed with the carrots. Soft vegetables like tomatoes should be processed with the corn.
5.9 Optional garnish: Avocado, peeled and cut into bits.
5.10 Cornbread muffins.
6 Procedure
6.1 Place the chicken in the Dutch oven with enough water to cover. Add contents of the jar of salsa and stir.
6.2 Place the Dutch oven on the stove and adjust the burner to medium high.
6.3 Add onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot. Stir occasionally as mixture comes to a boil.
6.4 When mixture is boiling vigorously, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Do not leave unattended.
NOTE: Heat must be adjusted so that simmer is maintained, but material does not boil over.
6.5 After 45 minutes, remove meat and place on a large dish to cool slightly.
6.6 Add rice and frozen corn to the Dutch oven. Stir.
6.7 When meat is cool enough to work with, pull the meat from the bones, taking care to remove all bony material from meat. Cut or pull the meat into pieces of desired size.
6.8 Return deboned meat to Dutch oven. Stir.
6.9 Once mixture has returned to boil, remove from heat.
6.10 Prepare an ice bath in the kitchen sink. Place Dutch oven in it for rapid cooling.
6.11 Soup may be served immediately.
6.11.1 Dip into individual bowls.
6.11.2 Serve with cornbread muffin, and a garnish of avocado pieces if desired.
6.12 Soup that is not served immediately must be refrigerated or frozen.
6.12.1 The Dutch oven, once cool to the touch, may be placed in the refrigerator with the cover on. This material is good for up to a week and a half, individual servings to be warmed in the microwave as needed.
6.12.2 Alternatively, individual servings may be placed in freezer bags and stored in the freezer for up to six months.
7 Cleanup
7.1 Scraps left over from the chicken, containing skin, bones, and meat that was not separated from the bones or not used, should be taken out of the house immediately so that it does not begin to smell.
7.2 Vegetable waste is not hazardous and may be disposed of or composted.
7.3 Each family member should return his or her own bowl, spoon, and other dishes to the kitchen after use. The designated family member shall wash the dishes.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
I went to Kissimmee yesterday to visit F.
She had a cold last week. It's better now, but her supervisor is home with her kid, who has swine flu. So I brought my Dutch oven with me, and F and I went to the grocery store and bought some chicken, vegetables that she picked out, and a jar of hot salsa. We made a big pot of soup in her kitchen and I left the soup in her fridge, in single-serving tubs that she or her roommate can heat in the microwave.
She laughed when I told her what my plan was for the day - "did my distress signal reach the mothership?" Yes, it did, I told her.
De-boning the chicken after it had cooked turned out to be a little bit too gross for Miss F. I think I'm going to tell her she can try canned chicken in her next batch. It won't taste the same but the tradeoff might be worth it. I can't say that's my favorite part of the soup-making procedure, either. My favorite thing about making soup is that I can put into it whatever I feel like at that time. Every batch is different.
I've ordered a Dutch oven and a set of cooking knives for her, from Amazon (I heart Amazon!), and when her soup is eaten up I think we'll do a pot of beef stew. Probably make some cornbread to go with.
She had a cold last week. It's better now, but her supervisor is home with her kid, who has swine flu. So I brought my Dutch oven with me, and F and I went to the grocery store and bought some chicken, vegetables that she picked out, and a jar of hot salsa. We made a big pot of soup in her kitchen and I left the soup in her fridge, in single-serving tubs that she or her roommate can heat in the microwave.
She laughed when I told her what my plan was for the day - "did my distress signal reach the mothership?" Yes, it did, I told her.
De-boning the chicken after it had cooked turned out to be a little bit too gross for Miss F. I think I'm going to tell her she can try canned chicken in her next batch. It won't taste the same but the tradeoff might be worth it. I can't say that's my favorite part of the soup-making procedure, either. My favorite thing about making soup is that I can put into it whatever I feel like at that time. Every batch is different.
I've ordered a Dutch oven and a set of cooking knives for her, from Amazon (I heart Amazon!), and when her soup is eaten up I think we'll do a pot of beef stew. Probably make some cornbread to go with.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
I have to write approvingly of President Obama again.
I've been really irritated by all of the people - Maureen Dowd, Bob Herbert, Former President Carter for example - who have stated that the reason health care reform is being attacked is that the attackers are racists who don't want a black president to get what he wants. I was indifferent to President Obama's race during the campaign but I wouldn't have been if I'd realized that it was going to be made into a club to beat dissenters with.
But here's this article in the NY Times: Obama Rejects Race as Lead Cause of Criticism
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Friday that he did not believe his race was the cause of fierce criticism aimed at his administration in the contentious national debate over health care, but rather that the cause was a sense of suspicion and distrust many Americans have in their government.
Well, yeah.
“Now there are some who are, setting aside the issue of race, actually I think are more passionate about the idea of whether government can do anything right,” he told ABC News. “And I think that that’s probably the biggest driver of some of the vitriol.”
...
“Look, I said during the campaign there’s some people who still think through a prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy. Absolutely,” Mr. Obama told NBC News. “Sometimes they vote for me for that reason; sometimes they vote against me for that reason.”
But he said that the matter was really “an argument that’s gone on for the history of this republic. And that is, what’s the right role of government?”
The president said the contentious health care debate, which came on the heels of extraordinary government involvement in bailing out banks and automobile companies, had led to a broader discussion about the role of government in society.
“I think that what’s driving passions right now is that health care has become a proxy for a broader set of issues about how much government should be involved in our economy,” Mr. Obama told CBS News. “Even though we’re having a passionate disagreement here, we can be civil to each other, and we can try to express ourselves acknowledging that we’re all patriots, we’re all Americans and not assume the absolute worst in people’s motives.”
I agree with all of this. As I said earlier, it's crucial that we have disagreements about the way things are done, because there's no in-depth conversation, no investigation, no oversight, if there is no skepticism or dissent.
I've been really irritated by all of the people - Maureen Dowd, Bob Herbert, Former President Carter for example - who have stated that the reason health care reform is being attacked is that the attackers are racists who don't want a black president to get what he wants. I was indifferent to President Obama's race during the campaign but I wouldn't have been if I'd realized that it was going to be made into a club to beat dissenters with.
But here's this article in the NY Times: Obama Rejects Race as Lead Cause of Criticism
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Friday that he did not believe his race was the cause of fierce criticism aimed at his administration in the contentious national debate over health care, but rather that the cause was a sense of suspicion and distrust many Americans have in their government.
Well, yeah.
“Now there are some who are, setting aside the issue of race, actually I think are more passionate about the idea of whether government can do anything right,” he told ABC News. “And I think that that’s probably the biggest driver of some of the vitriol.”
...
“Look, I said during the campaign there’s some people who still think through a prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy. Absolutely,” Mr. Obama told NBC News. “Sometimes they vote for me for that reason; sometimes they vote against me for that reason.”
But he said that the matter was really “an argument that’s gone on for the history of this republic. And that is, what’s the right role of government?”
The president said the contentious health care debate, which came on the heels of extraordinary government involvement in bailing out banks and automobile companies, had led to a broader discussion about the role of government in society.
“I think that what’s driving passions right now is that health care has become a proxy for a broader set of issues about how much government should be involved in our economy,” Mr. Obama told CBS News. “Even though we’re having a passionate disagreement here, we can be civil to each other, and we can try to express ourselves acknowledging that we’re all patriots, we’re all Americans and not assume the absolute worst in people’s motives.”
I agree with all of this. As I said earlier, it's crucial that we have disagreements about the way things are done, because there's no in-depth conversation, no investigation, no oversight, if there is no skepticism or dissent.
Monday, September 14, 2009
ABC's Terry Moran set the Twitter-sphere all aflutter when he wrote:
[I'm typing this]
We've reached out to Moran and will update this post when we learn more.
Now, an ABC spokesperson explains to POLITICO what happened:
"In the process of reporting on remarks by President Obama that were made during a CNBC interview, ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview. This was done before our editorial process had been completed. That was wrong. We apologize to the White House and CNBC and are taking steps to ensure that it will not happen again."
The White House had no immediate comment.
If true, I have new respect for President Obama.
Obama Calls Kanye 'Jackass'
[I'm typing this]
Terry Moran: Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a "jackass" for his outburst at VMAs when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT'S Presidential.
We've reached out to Moran and will update this post when we learn more.
Now, an ABC spokesperson explains to POLITICO what happened:
"In the process of reporting on remarks by President Obama that were made during a CNBC interview, ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview. This was done before our editorial process had been completed. That was wrong. We apologize to the White House and CNBC and are taking steps to ensure that it will not happen again."
The White House had no immediate comment.
If true, I have new respect for President Obama.
Obama Calls Kanye 'Jackass'
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Quinctilius Varus, WHERE ARE MY EAGLES?
The 2000th anniversary of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest is upon us.
(The backstory in this dramatization starts at about 7 minutes here.)
(And thanks to Jeff at Quid plura? for the heads-up, back in April or thereabouts.)
The 2000th anniversary of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest is upon us.
(The backstory in this dramatization starts at about 7 minutes here.)
(And thanks to Jeff at Quid plura? for the heads-up, back in April or thereabouts.)
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Roger, who is with the Memphis/Shelby County Health Department, and I have been talking a bit about infant mortality in Shelby County.
IM correlates to poor education and to low socioeconomic status, and also to pregnancy in young girls. It does not necessarily imply lack of health insurance, although many people make that assumption.
Anyway, Roger wants to continue the conversation here b/c we were off-topic where we were.
IM correlates to poor education and to low socioeconomic status, and also to pregnancy in young girls. It does not necessarily imply lack of health insurance, although many people make that assumption.
Anyway, Roger wants to continue the conversation here b/c we were off-topic where we were.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
I read the text of Pres. Obama's speech to the schoolkids yesterday, and since I haven't read that he changed anything up, I suppose this is what he said.
In pursuit of political moderation of the type I strive for, and knowing my biases, when I read this I allowed the voice of President Bush to read it to me in my head, to see if anything stuck out as being really out-of-place. I meant for it to be W's voice but as I go back over it I believe it's George H. W. Bush I hear.
The part about the father abandoning the family was a little jarring, of course, and Obama's voice slipped in there but we got past that. For the rest, the only things I really noticed were a kind of lecturing tone I don't remember from either Bush, and the fact that the speech went on a little. People, especially kids, listen more if you talk less, I've found. Other than that, it seemed like a fine speech to me. If he makes a yearly tradition of this, I suppose it will not continue to draw the kind of negative attention it got this year.
...
Thinking about squirmy kids being expected to listen to a 15-minute speech made me think of this article: Don't Alienate Your Professor.
During class, do not: a) beat out a cadence on your desk while the teacher is lecturing; b) sigh audibly more than three or four times during a class period; c) check your watch more than twice during the hour.
Fewer families attend church every Sunday nowadays than in years past, and of those that do, children through their elementary school years get hustled off to children's church. So there isn't really a venue for them to sit by their mother and be trained to be still and not fidget when the adults are talking. Last spring at my MIL's funeral F sat between me and her six-year-old cousin Sarah. About midway of the service Sarah began to twist around in her seat. F reached over and put her hand on Sarah's leg and she straightened up and got still. (I told her later what a big girl she had been and that I was proud of her.) The thing is that Sarah's mother, my SIL, had explained to her how people act during such events, so she knew what was expected of her. I have to wonder how many college students who don't know not to beat out cadences or sigh loudly never had the opportunity, as little kids, to be made to sit still and behave.
In pursuit of political moderation of the type I strive for, and knowing my biases, when I read this I allowed the voice of President Bush to read it to me in my head, to see if anything stuck out as being really out-of-place. I meant for it to be W's voice but as I go back over it I believe it's George H. W. Bush I hear.
The part about the father abandoning the family was a little jarring, of course, and Obama's voice slipped in there but we got past that. For the rest, the only things I really noticed were a kind of lecturing tone I don't remember from either Bush, and the fact that the speech went on a little. People, especially kids, listen more if you talk less, I've found. Other than that, it seemed like a fine speech to me. If he makes a yearly tradition of this, I suppose it will not continue to draw the kind of negative attention it got this year.
...
Thinking about squirmy kids being expected to listen to a 15-minute speech made me think of this article: Don't Alienate Your Professor.
During class, do not: a) beat out a cadence on your desk while the teacher is lecturing; b) sigh audibly more than three or four times during a class period; c) check your watch more than twice during the hour.
Fewer families attend church every Sunday nowadays than in years past, and of those that do, children through their elementary school years get hustled off to children's church. So there isn't really a venue for them to sit by their mother and be trained to be still and not fidget when the adults are talking. Last spring at my MIL's funeral F sat between me and her six-year-old cousin Sarah. About midway of the service Sarah began to twist around in her seat. F reached over and put her hand on Sarah's leg and she straightened up and got still. (I told her later what a big girl she had been and that I was proud of her.) The thing is that Sarah's mother, my SIL, had explained to her how people act during such events, so she knew what was expected of her. I have to wonder how many college students who don't know not to beat out cadences or sigh loudly never had the opportunity, as little kids, to be made to sit still and behave.
Public service announcement.
Here is how you post a link to a URL.
In this example, the site URL is http://link.com and you want it to show up as my article in your post.
Select the address of the site you want to link to, and type [ctrl]c.
Then type the following up to the first "
type [ctrl]v
and type the second " to the end.
Here is how you post a link to a URL.
In this example, the site URL is http://link.com and you want it to show up as my article in your post.
Select the address of the site you want to link to, and type [ctrl]c.
Then type the following up to the first "
type [ctrl]v
and type the second " to the end.
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