Seasonal Affective Disorder (reversed)

There is a disorder for anyone and everyone.  But...

There is no substitute for hard work and perseverance.  At least that is what those members of the (Greatest) Silent Generation and those of the Baby Boomers believed.

And then came the Xers, Millenials, and now, the new Silents.  I can only hope the new Silents have some of the grit that their predecessors, the xers and millenials, just don't seem to have.  How can two generations find so many maladies to keep them from hard work and perseverance?

I recently heard of a disorder called sunny day depression.

Evidently, this form of depression is the reverse of another malady called SAD (or seasonal affective disorder).  This disorder is said to be prevalent at this time of year.  It is caused, they say, by a reduced amount of sunlight during the fall and winter months.

The disorder called sunny day depression is weird.  I think it's weird because if reduced hours of sunlight can cause depression, how can increased hours of sunlight do the same thing?

Here's a thought.  The xers and millenials are the best educated generations, EVER.  The sunny weather brings back memories of vacation days and freedom from school and fun and no responsibilities.  The only decisions that were made were what do eat or who to play with or where to play.  Sunny days meant you didn't have to get up and get to class, so you slept longer in the morning.  And, who knows, maybe you went to the beach or the pool and dozed off while laying in the sun?

The xers and millenials didn't have to worry about anything, they had their moms or dads to do their worrying for them.

And then they became adults.  And the sunny days of spring and summer become work days.  The responsibilities of work and children and bills don't go away just because the calendar rolls over to May.  And then they get tired.  They can't sleep late into the morning.  They cannot stay up all night and enjoy a balmy evening on the beach or the porch.  They mourn the end of childhood and resent the responsibilities of adulthood.

Life has gone from being fun to being mundane and the sunny days of summer are just the thing to remind them of this.

Since they cannot go back and repeat their childhood, they find the next best thing to allow them to escape from their responsibilities of life.  Their depression settles in.  And sure, they are sad.  The sadness comes because there is more than just do than just what they would like to do.  This is not a clinical condition.  Instead of taking in the extended sunshine hours and taking these feelings and memories and being childlike in their enthusiasm of summer, and turn it into a disorder that allows them to avoid responsibilities.

Maybe a little hard work would help heal this disorder.

 

533.  A day devoted to helping a friend

534.  Waking up with a purpose for the day

535.  Catching up on chores hanging over my head

536.  Sunshine on a cold morning

537.  Hearing my husband tells me he loves me first thing this morning

538.  Believing he does love me

539.  Continuing in prayer for my son to find a job with hope that this prayer will be answered

540.  Hope

To Twitter or not to Twitter?

I'm on Twitter.

Something I've discovered about most of my peers is that they are not on Twitter.

Huh?

I don't completely understand the thinking of not being on Twitter.  Ok, of course I understand that many of my peers don't like to spend a lot of time on the computer.  I understand most of my friends aren't bloggers.  I understand that most of my friends don't understand the value of using Twitter.  I understand that some people think Twitter is about being popular instead of being informed.  Sure, I understand that most Twitter users are kids and Real Housewives.  I understand that Twitter is used as a weapon of snark and stalking by the young and incredibly immature.  Some weak minded individuals have even shut down their Twitter accounts because they believe everyone is tweeting about them.  I don't think that is what Twitter should be about.

I think of Twitter as a tool.  I use it to make my life easier and to be more informed.

I check my Twitter feed first thing in the morning to take the temperature of world events.  I follow financial advisers, news people, my favorite sports teams, political leaders, and local news and institutions.  I know, at a glance, what is happening in my community and the world.  If I want to discover more information on a given subject I use the #.

I do not speak # (hashtag) speak.  I think it sounds dumb.  I do, however, use #'s.  This is how I narrow down information on a specific subject.  Another way to use Twitter to narrow down the wealth of information it has is to check out what an individual tweeter is saying.  When I want to this I use the @ (at) symbol and check out what a tweeter is tweeting.

I check out my Twitter feed much more often than I check my Facebook newsfeed.  I find it is much easier to check in with friends and arrange meetings with Twitter than with Facebook, but maybe this is because I check it more often.

If you are one of those people who need the information you put on social networks to be "super secret" then Twitter may not be for you.  Although, if you want the stuff you put on social networks to be "super secret" then maybe you shouldn't be putting stuff out there on the social networks (#knuckleheads).  There is no way to make your Twitter feed private.  Sure, you can lock it up, but that limits the people who can follow you.  I guess if you choose to do that, you probably don't have anything interesting to say.

One of the fun ways to play on Twitter is to join a group of people tweeting about a movie you are all watching together.  Or, during the presidential campaign debates, it was fun to watch my favorite tweeters become "twitterpated" or "un-twitterpated" about them.

In my humble opinion, I find it much more interesting to follow interesting people than to be concerned with how many Twitter followers I have.

Twitter is perched for the launch of its IPO on November 15th.  I am excited.  I would have been more excited if Apple had bought Twitter while it was still a private company, but you never know what will happen. 

527.  Twitter
528.  Leftover spaghetti
529.  A fire in the fireplace
530.  Black and white movies
531.  Smart people
532.  Fuzzy slippers on cold days

Hiding from truth

I keep myself safe in the world of my own design
Erasing people who disagree
Keeping me the way I want to see and be
I become a person who is desirable
Only by me
Not she
 I won’t give truth entrée
I’ll run away, hide behind a tree
Beneath a blanket I call safety

I'm linking with G-Man with my 55 this morning

I like to face the truth, no matter how ugly, in my life.  Some people don't.  They fascinate me.

461.  Friday, but it seems the same as Thursday and Saturday when one doesn't have a job

462.  Lattes on a weekday

463.  Sleeping late

464.  Sleeping well

465.  Encouragement

466.  The offer of new employment

 

A dangerous blog

"Our blog is currently invite only. If you would like to read the blog, you may message us your email address.  We will allow readership on a case-by-case basis. Once we leave our current location, the blog will be made public, but right now, for the safety of our family, it is a private blog." 

I wonder what they are writing that puts them in such danger?
Linking with G-Man for a Friday Flash 55

346.  Friday
347.  The weekend
348.  Not working
349.  Laughter
350.  Coffee in bed on Saturday mornings

Really, Aaron Hernandez. REALLY!

Wikipedia

Aaron Hernandez, you had a $40 million contract with the New England Patriots football team and you are 23 years old.

Now you are charged with first degree murder for shooting your friend?  really

You and a few of your other buddies pick up your friend (YOUR FRIEND!!!,... really?) at his house and take him to an industrial park.  Before your friend can even get out of the car, you shoot him 5 times.  Let's see how this would go...  bang bang bang... Bang        BANG.

Yeah, your friend is dead...  really.

And the reason you give for shooting and killing your friend was because he was talking with some other people you are "having problems" with.  Really?

After you shoot your friend, you go home and wave the gun around that you shot your friend with and instruct your girlfriend not to talk to the police and you let all your actions get recorded by the newly installed security system cameras you have in your mansion.   Yeah, the mansion you buy with some of that ridiculous NFL money you get for playing a game 5 months out of the year.  Really!?!

OH, and you ask the judge to give you bail because you are an upstanding citizen and not a flight risk.  REALLY!

And you don't think you give your people, your profession, and your generation a black eye.  Really. 

I guess we shouldn't be too shocked by the actions of this thug.  Since the Super Bowl game last February there have been 27 NFL players arrested for criminal activity.  These people are not role models for anyone but the gangster and criminal element of society.  The NFL is going the way of the NBA.  Thank goodness for hockey.  (yay BlackHawks!)

Feel free to exchange any New England 81 football jersey for any other player's jersey.  The NFL store isn't asking any questions.  But I have a question.  At this rate how are you going to find a player's jersey to wear that doesn't belong to a criminal?  Or, maybe this year the penal system will have a team with enough players to go to the Super Bowl.

What the TWEET?

Somebody hacked The @AP Twitter account (The Associated Press) and posted a bogus tweet saying the White House had been attacked and Obama had been injured.

Pic of AP tweet from the Wall Street Journal

The stock-market's knee-jerk reaction to the tweet was spectacular.

Screen shot of my iPhone stock market app.

The Dow, which had been at 14698 points (up about a 130 points for the day), fell 127 points into the red within two minutes, and then bounced back just as quickly as it became obvious that the news was false, and a prank. The @AP account has been shut down until they find out who hacked the account and sent the tweet. 

The Wall Street Journal may be calling this a prank, but some of us could call this terrorism.  People lost money.  If you had had a stop-loss in place on a call during this "so called" prank, you would have sold your calls for no financial reason whatsoever.

Unfortunately we place too much importance on social media and we allow social media to have too much influence on our lives.  Network news programs use tweets as news items.
What is this world coming to?  I wonder if this event will even make the network news shows?  Maybe it will... if the Kardashians are having a slow day.

278.  Feeling like writing again
279.  Struggling with finding my voice and being ok with that
280.  Struggling with my job and whether or not to stay and being ok with that
281.  Watching my son succeed in his independence
282.  Ten days until my vacation
283.  Doing some soul searching and being ok with what I'm finding.  Even if it's something I have to change

The irony of not believing in right or wrong

I came across this meme on my facebook news feed.  I did the tiniest bit of research on Harry Palmer and the Avatar Path, (this means I checked him out in Wikipedia). 

Harry Palmer, a follower of Scientology, may claim that no one is right because of what they believe, but if they lie about their credentials and then take a critic to court and sue them for copyright and trademark infringement, you are certainly behaving as if you believe you are right.

From Wikipedia (which I know cannot be used as a credible source)
From a 1991 issue of the Avatar Journal, company literature and associated websites started portraying Harry Palmer (born April 3, 1944) as an Educational Psychologist, including claims that he received a Masters in Educational Psychology from Elmira College.  The Florida Department of Health investigated the academic credentials of Harry Palmer in 2005/2006. The Department found that he used the term "psychologist" illegally and made him sign a cease-and-desist agreement.

In 2000 Harry Palmer sued Eldon Braun, a former Avatar licensee and Palmer critic, for copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, breach of contract, intentional interference with a business relationship, and libel. In 2005, the court awarded Palmer $36,000 in damages for copyright infringement, $20,000 for libel damages, and $364,527.68 in attorney’s fees, with all other claims dropped or dismissed.

Oh yeah, and he was sued by the church of Scientology for trademark infringement.  It seems as if he spent a great deal of believing he was right, when he was not.  

Should you click Forward or Reply?

In this world of email and social networking a click of a mouse can make all the difference.

A funny thing happened to me at the office last week.  It's been busy at my office this past week or so.  Maybe you noticed because I've been kind of MIA, but actual work trumps blogging in my book.  Anyway, I've been busy.  Sometimes when I'm busy I make a mistake or two.  I know this is not an easy thing for you to believe, but it's true.  Let me tell you about one of my tiny, infinitesimally small boo-boos.

Last Thursday I was getting ready for three, count 'em, THREE huge meetings on campus.  These meetings were jam packed with faculty, staff, trustees and students.  Lots of people and some very important people.  So, Thursday, toward the end of the day, I was culling through my boss's inbox and cleaning out the crap.  Suddenly it occurred to me that I had seen a report on my desk from my old friend Sleeping Beauty.  He had asked me to get my boss's signature on the cover page.  I had glanced at it and noticed that the form he used to write said letter was nothing like the form we use here.  I wrote him a quick email requesting him to peruse the style guide we use and gave him the link to its webpage.  One tiny thing that I don't usually do, but is really no big deal, was that I sent this email from my boss's inbox.  Thus the email was sent from HappyGirl on behalf of HappyGirl's boss, Mr. Non-confrontational.  I wasn't trying to be deceptive.  I just didn't notice whose email box I was using.  (we just switched to gmail from outlook.  not an easy transition.)

Evidently this email elicited a tremendous rant from Sleeping Beauty.  He wrote a long, LONG email whining about how hard it is to fit in down here.  He asks people for help and nobody ever helps him.  He asks his boss, Mr. Non-confrontational, for help and he can't even get help from him.  Our boss is so unhelpful.  He doesn't care about him or the work he does at all.  The only person that ever helped him is the guy that just quit and now he doesn't have ANYBODY to help him.  (wait a second.  isn't this guy replying to an email offering him some assistance?)  He's not done whining just yet.  He continues on with the rant, saying that his boss is pressuring him to write a report.  Even though he is being pressured to write this report, he continues to say that he doesn't think Mr. Non-confrontational really wants the report.  He is only asking for it because Sleeping Beauty says its important.  (i'm confused, too, btw)  He goes on to complain that our boss doesn't really want anything in writing, but because Sleeping Beauty knows everything about everything (so why does he need so much help?) he has convinced him it is important to have official documentation of everything.  The bottom line is that he believes our boss doesn't want to keep official records.  He believes our boss wants to hide any shortfalls that would show up in an official report.  His rational for all of this is that he was #18 in a major federal department on Capitol Hill and worked for the federal government for 25 years.  (and we all know how difficult it is to keep a federal job once you get one, don't we.  btw, this was sarcasm.  just sayin')  Oh yeah, then he thanked me for all my help.  :)

I didn't actually get to see this long rant/reply to my email on Thursday afternoon, even though that is when it was sent.  Hmmm?

I did get to see the reply to this email from my boss on Friday morning. He copied me.  Yes, it appears that Sleeping Beauty does not understand how email works.  Even though the email was from me, I had sent it through my boss's account.  Thus, when Sleeping Beauty REPLIED to the email it went to... wait for it... my boss.

So, on Friday morning I read this email from my boss.

"Sleeping Beauty, did you intend for this email to go to HappyGirl or to me?  Regardless, we should talk..."

And so they did.  Fingers crossed, Sleeping Beauty may not be my antagonist much longer.  :)

123.  Whew, finally a day without so much to do
124.  I'm off crutches and beginning to feel better
125.  Nobody is perfect (I am super grateful that this is true)
126.  A weekend full of delicious food (and now to pay the piper)
127.  Thinking about what play to see in NYC
128.  Having lunch with an old friend.  I would love to re-invigorate this friendship
129.  Being back on the blog  :)

I need a clever comeback

“I’m rubber, you’re glue

Everything you say sticks right back to you”

“I know you are, but what am I?”

Let’s leave the clever retorts to the master, Serverus Snape.

“Oh, very good....Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. 'Ghosts are transparent.'”


Doncha wish you had J.K.Rowling to write your sarcasm for you.  I'm often more of a PeeWee Herman, myself.  :)

I'm linking with G-man for a Friday Flash 55

90.  Working with a goal in mind
91.  Sunny day and blue sky
92.  The blizzard that never materialized
93.  Husband returning from AC tonight (no, I didn't get to go with him)
94.  Venison burgers for dinner tonight
95.  Laughter, laughter and more laughter (some people are so funny)
96.  Biblical scenes depicted in stained glass
97.  People who love instead of hate
98.  Having a conversation with someone who is really listening to you
99.  Sewing again  (I hadn't realized how much I missed it)

A lesson from Shakespeare

Lord Polonius from Wikipedia

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”
 So says Lord Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
He knew the consequences of expectations
“For loan oft loses both itself and friend,”
True this. A loaned item lost will cause strain on a friendship.
“And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.”
Resulting in poor management of one’s own resources.


This may be something our Congress, President and those 47% of Americans not paying income tax can study.
I'm linking with G-man for a Friday Flash 55

30.  Only a 3-day work week, but I'm glad it's Friday
31.  First cost of living raise in 6 years.  2%, but better than a stick in the eye
32.  An extra 1.7% deducted from my paycheck for Social Security withholding.  I guess I must be rich, 'cause my President said he was only raising the taxes of the rich
33.  Taking down my Christmas decorations this weekend
34.  Having lunch with a girlfriend
35.  Getting the hang of google apps
36.  Goat chops for dinner tonight (I'll tell you how they were next week)
37.  Cold days with bright sunshine
38.  Boiled turnips
39.  Friday (I'll say it again!)

What has happened to personal responsibility?

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."  Ronald Reagan

Personal responsibility.  There's a concept from the past.

The tragedies of this month have again brought out the question, who is to blame?

Who is to blame for the bad things happening in this country?  Is it the parent's fault?  Is it the school's fault?  Is it the fault of the NRA and the legality of assault rifles?  Is it the fault of the makers of violent video games?  Is it the fault of the doctors and professionals in the field of mental illness?  Is it the fault of vaccines and the possibility of their relationship to autism?  Is it the fault of neighbors and friends not seeing the signs of trouble?  Is it the fault of the high divorce rate and the crumbling of marriage in the US?  Is it God's fault?  Is it the church's fault?

Taking personal responsibility has, for the most part, disappeared.

We want to blame the NRA for lobbying to keep guns available for legal purchase. 

We want to blame McDonalds for the rise in obesity in the US.  I don't know about you, but in order for me to eat McDonalds fries I have to go there and get them and then put them in my mouth and eat them.  Nobody has a gun to my head.

We want the government to take care of our birth control for us, so we don't have to worry about our sexual promiscuity.

We want government to take responsibility for the raising, education and feeding of our children.  

We want our health care paid by the government while we continue to overeat, under-exercise, smoke, drink and use recreational drugs.

We want to retire comfortably without saving money during our working years and preparing for the future.

We want to give the responsibility for all these things, and more, to an institution that has proven itself to be very bad at managing anything and especially bad at managing money.  Why oh why to we continue to look to the government to take care of us.  They have showed us who they are.  We need to stop begging for them to do a better job.  It can't be done.

Personal responsibility.  If you need to depend on someone to help you with a problem area in your life, look for a mentor.  You can find mentors in your life through older family members or friends, neighbors, spiritual leaders, community leaders, the networks of your friends and colleagues.  People like to be asked for help, but they don't want to do it for you.  Don't depend on these mentors to do your work for you.  Take personal responsibility for yourself.

We need to grow up in this country.  Life is hard, but we aren't in it alone.  God knew life would be hard, so he sent his son to reconcile us to him.  He gave us prayer, an opportunity to speak with him.  He gave us church, an opportunity to join with fellow believers for support and fellowship in this tough, tough life on Earth.  I pray for churches to be filled during this holiday season and for people to return to the roots of faith this country was built upon.  We don't need to look any further than the bathroom mirror to discover where change needs to begin.  Let's decide we want to do better for ourselves, not have more done for us. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

  
768.  Last day of work before my Christmas break
769.  Red velvet donuts from Dunkin Donuts
770.  New carpet day in the rental house renovation
771.  Enjoying the final couple weeks of my son living with me
772.  Reading books for pleasure
773.  Reading blogs for pleasure
774.  Watching movies in the morning
775.  Going to a 9:00 p.m. showing of Lincoln and knowing I don't have to get up for work in the morning
776.  Listening of off-key Christmas carol covers  :)
777.  Thinking about the peace of Christmastime and getting all my work done so I can enjoy it
778.  Organic lettuce and baby greens salads
779.  Vodka made from potatoes
780.  Advent services at church
781.  Thinking about hanging ornaments on the tree, but ok with knowing it may not happen
782.  Three hours of administrative leave on the last day of work in 2012

Facebook privacy

Isn't this the ultimate oxymoron.

If you've got a facebook account, I'm sure you've seen the status update from your "friends."

In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention).  For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!  (Anyone reading this can copy this text and paste it on their Facebook Wall.  This will place them under protection of copyright laws, By the present communiqué, I notify Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, disseminate, or take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and/or its contents. The aforementioned prohibited actions also apply to employees, students, agents and/or any staff under Facebook's direction or control. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of my privacy is punished by law (UCC 1 1-308-308 1-103 and the Rome Statute).  Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are recommended to
publish a notice like this, or if you prefer, you may copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once, you will be tacitly allowing the use of elements such as your photos as well as the information contained in your profile status updates

If you don't want to take my word for it, go to snopes.com and check it out.  But seriously, and I'm talking to the grown-ups that read my blog, we all know there is no privacy on facebook.  AND, if you don't understand there is not privacy on facebook, you must at least understand that copying and pasting a status update on you facebook page is not going to protect your privacy.  AND, if you don't believe me, at least believe facebook.

Finally, and this may be the best meme I've seen on this subject or anything regarding privacy on the internet.  (hey all you fb blockers and "to all my FB friends: I want to stay PRIVATELY connected with you..." folks.)

 

 Just remember, if you are on facebook with a page or a personal account or a business page or a blog or a website or whatever site you join on the internet.  It's not private.  And for my special friend, Mikey, go ahead, make my day.

709.  Facebook privacy and keeping tabs on people (did I say that?)

710.  Being unfriended on facebook

711.  Being blocked by your Christian friends on facebook

712.  Watching a minister argue about a bible verse with his parishioner on facebook

713.  Liking the facebook page of the Christian friend that blocked you on facebook

714.  Hearing from "friends" with a surprise email at work

715.  Facebook and all it's opportunities 

Maybe I'm a Disney princess

I think I may be a Disney princess.  After all, I'm 55 years old and I'm 50 lbs. overweight.  I wear glasses.  My hair is graying.  And my boobs are racing each other to my knees and I think the right one may be winning.  Yeah, I think that sounds like a Disney princess, don't you?  Maybe I'll name myself Bellerella.  Or Mulahontas.  Or Tiana-Ting.  Anyway, I think I may be the lost Disney princess and I'll tell you why.

I have found myself in conflict with an evil villain.

The most recent villain in my life entered just over a month ago.  Let's call him Sir Boringoldguy.  He is my newest co-worker.  Unfortunately, his boss (aka my boss) was on travel during this guy's first week of work.  Sadly, I was tasked with introducing this guy around campus and settling him into his office.  I was, essentially, being his "go-to" person.  Super sadly, this guy became quite attached to me.  Seriously, if I didn't know full well that I look exactly like the person described in the first paragraph of this post, I'd think he was trying to "come-on" to me.  And yet, I'm the more vivacious of the pair of us.  If you get my meaning.

Some of his dastardly deeds include coming to meetings with my boss 20 minutes early so he can sit down in the chair across my desk and talk to me.  I now know way too much about this guy.  I can tell you, I learned way too much about this guy in his first two weeks.  Here is a guy with no boundaries.  None.  I know his son is wanted by the police.  I know the entire story of why his son is wanted by the police.  I know he is hiding his son from the police.  I know he is still looking for another job because he believes he can do better than this.  I know how EVERYTHING was done on Capitol Hill in regard to environmental health and safety.  And you know what?  I don't care about any of it.  This guy is trying to bore me to death.

I've attempted to fight my nemesis off with comments like, "You know?  I'm busy just now and really don't have time to talk."  And this one, "You really shouldn't be telling me all this.  It's none of my business."  And my favorite, "Please leave.  I have a lot of work to do and I have someone coming to my office in a couple minutes."  This guy, evidently, has a force field and all my verbal arrows bounce right off of him.  Bummer.

Face to face combat is not the only evil trick he has up his sleeve.  He is also the master of lengthy, rambling emails.  His emails usually contain two or three forms of bullet points (arrows, dots, blocks...), at least one bolded word, a couple of words in ALL CAPS, italicization, and (my favorite) multiple colors and fonts.  He's the type of villain that uses 500 words when five words would suffice.  Oh! The humanity!

Unlike most Disney princesses, there is no Prince Charming around this place to rescue me from this evil villain.  None.  My boss is King Non-confrontational.  Even though I have actually gone into my boss' office and told him this guy is bothering me and will not stop coming over to my office to chat, my boss will do nothing.  I am an orphan and my king will not save me.     

I will become Princess Happy-merida-girl.  I will load my quiver with arrows that will pierce any force field.  I'll use "No, you can't sit there."  And, "You need to leave."  As well as, "Does it smell like mothballs in here or is that you?"  How about the always effective, "Go away, now."  Let's pray it does not come down to cursing by foul words and the all-powerful Human Resource curse.

I hope I end up living happily ever after.  Or, at least until the countdown on my I Quit This Job clock strikes zero.

The end.

634.  Two days with King Non-confrontational on travel
635.  The most beautiful fall weather, EVER!
636.  Co-workers I enjoy working with
637.  Memories of the other evil villains that have been my life that have been slain or conquered

Why I despise a liar

"Watching the debate tonight will be like watching a televised meeting of the Pathological Liars Club."

"The second episode of "Half Truths, Lies and Damn Lies" tonight! Must see TV."

These are both facebook statuses from ministers to their flocks.  Maybe this is why we've moved lying from the SIN category to the IT'S OK category.

There is something about being lied to that hurts in a way that pales to the pain of a punch in the nose or a slap in the face.  It takes so much longer to recover from being lied to.  

Consider the respect given to the office of the president of the United States.  The statements from those ministers would not have been uttered, let alone, written down prior to the Watergate scandal and the resignation of Richard Nixon.  You would think we, as a nation, would have learned one thing from that whole affair.  The one thing we should have learned was that committing the crime is one thing.  Lying about it after you are caught only makes it worse.  But we didn't learn, did we?  Enter Bill Clinton and his sex scandal with an intern and the "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, ..." finger wagging admonition on national television which resulted in his impeachment.  Watching the downfall of two powerful men as a result of their lies should teach each and every one of us a lesson.  But it doesn't.

I'm thinking this must be some sort of mental disorder.  I can tell when I'm being lied to.  Don't misunderstand me, it's not because I think everybody lies.  (actually, I do think this, but that isn't what I mean here)  I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.  When someone tells me something about themselves, I usually believe them.  That is, until it doesn't make sense anymore.  Let's face it, most liars think they are smarter than the people they are lying to.  There is some sort of superiority complex going on in their minds.  I don't completely understand the psychology involved.  

I know, from personal experience, that many people tell a lie to avoid the consequences of their actions.  I know when I was a child I did this.  At some point in my childhood I discovered that the consequences of my actions PLUS the consequences of being caught in the lie made my life more miserable.  I learned if I was going to do the crime, I was going to have to pay the price.  Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit living in me and reminding me of right and wrong.  (or a strong moral compass for you unbelieving readers)  Evidently not every child learns this lesson.  Recently I was lied to by my son.  He told us he was taking a college class over the summer, when in fact, he was not.  My husband and I knew he was lying to us.  We gave him opportunity after opportunity to tell us the truth.  (my husband said I gave him opportunity after opportunity to lie to me)  Finally at the end of August he confessed.  We were furious, but not surprised.  How could he think we were so stupid we didn't know or wouldn't find out?  He lives with us, for Pete's sake.  I have an extremely difficult time believing anything he tells me.  He's offended by this, but that's just the way it is.

I don't understand how an adult (is 32 years old considered an adult or is it still a part of the extended adolescence?) can tell everyone a lie about her family and her house for six months.  It was a stupid lie and doesn't matter to anyone.  Just because she didn't understand how a short sale works, I guess she thought no one else understood how a short sale works, either.  This seems to be part of the superiority complex that goes along with lying.  And, it is far from the first time she has lied to family and friends, gotten caught, confessed, and then lied again.  She is a self-confessed liar.  I get that.  When people tell you who they are, believe them.  Yet, she is comforted and forgiven for lying to her friends, ...again.  I wonder how long the long-suffering of her friends will last?  Maybe she is what is known as a pathological liar?  Maybe she just hasn't grown up yet?  Maybe the consequences of her actions haven't hurt enough?  I don't know.

Our tenants have lied to us, continuously.  And they know we know they are lying.  They just keep doing it.  Don't liars know that when you lie to a person it is so disrespectful?  The minute they begin to speak we know a lie will come out.  The minute they begin to speak we dislike them more.  It's like they think we are stupid or something.  Or maybe, it's just their nature.  

Then again, maybe we are becoming a nation that has been told so long to be tolerant of everybody that we've begun to tolerate bad behavior and call it a disorder or something.  This is kind of frightening.  We are a nation that tolerates killing the unborn.  We are becoming a nation that tolerates lying.  Where will this downward spiral end?  What are we becoming? 

Colossians 3:9-10:  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Proverbs 12:22:  The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

619.  My readers.  Thanks for missing me and letting me know you miss me and are concerned.
620.  Time to myself.
621.  People telling the truth.  I just love those people.
622.  Ministers that are not snarky.  I'm getting so sick of that type.
623.  Vodka.  (I cannot wait until this election is over)

Spirited child

Remember that trophy you got for soccer, mommy?
You think you can get me to play, no way.
I won’t get in the car or even try.
I’ll cry.
You can’t make me go to bed or eat my dinner.
You want me to get my trophy?
Here’s what it’ll say.
The World’s Greatest Brat!


Had a convo with a grandma that told me she was babysitting her grandchildren and they told her to f**k off when she said it was bedtime.  They are 7 and 6.  Aren't they darling?
Linking with G-Man for a Friday Flash 55

601.  Today, I'm glad I'm not a grandma yet
602.  Only 39 days until the election
603.  Can I say Friday!  (I know I've said this before)
604.  A husband that just GETS me

Poor or lazy?

Seeing clouds from the other side reminds me that everything looks different from a different point of view.  As I soared over theses clouds, existing because Hurricane Isaac was creeping up into the mid-West, I thought about those viewing the clouds from the other side.  These clouds were threatening rain.  From my vantage, the sun was shining, but down on the ground there was, most likely, no sunshine.

Everybody sees the world through their own eyes.  And, let me tell you, as a former forensic chemist working for the Naval Investigative Service, I can tell you that eye witnesses provide the least reliable evidence for a crime solver.  Everybody sees the world through their own paradigm.

I have a difficult time seeing the world through other people's eyes.  In my worldview, if you want something, you work for it.  In my world, saving money for the future and the possibility of a rainy day is important.  I'm my view, you don't always have to have the biggest and the best and the newest.  Sometimes being satisfied with what you have is a good idea.  In my world, having your hand out and borrowing money from friends and family is NOT an option.

I've observed some people living in a way I cannot understand, but I'm sure, from their point of view they are doing everything the very best they can.  I've seen a wife and mother of two take out a student loan of $40K to get a master's degree to promote herself in her teaching career and then quit teaching to stay home with her two children long before she is even close to paying off her debt.  To me this looks greedy.  She wants it all, the high priced education and the freedom to be a stay at home mom.  It's difficult for me to imagine making choices like this without thinking them all the way through, but there you are.

I've watched family after family sell their tiny starter home when the housing market expanded to an unreal height and buy BRAND NEW and EXPENSIVE homes, with money they hoped they would make some day, who now find themselves living in homes that have mortgage payments of, at least, $100K more than the homes are now worth.  To me this looks greedy.  They weren't content to stay in their small starter home and continue to make payments they could afford.  They thought they were rich and could have anything they wanted, and now they cannot pay the price.

I've associated with people who are happy to have their hand out and expect you to put money in it because they've had to take on a new job at an entry level at low pay.  They've begged and borrowed money from everyone they associate with and don't mind crying "poor me" at every turn.  Now they've been with the job for a while and gotten a few promotions and they are done eating beans out of a can.  Now they can go out to Applebee's  for lunch and dinner a couple times a week.  To me this looks greedy.  I can't imagine taking a family out for food this often while being a SAHM.  I can't imagine not wanting to pay back everyone who was kind enough to give me money.

I've seen a family that has begged it's church for money for food and now sport brand new tattoos.  Do you think they've started tithing now?  No, I don't think so.

When did we turn into a nation of people with our hands out instead of inside our bootstraps?  When did we turn into a nation that believes there is no need to pay back your debt?  When did we turn into a nation that believes we all deserve the same things in life?  When did we turn from a nation that believed that "them that don't work, don't eat" to a food stamp nation?  When did we become a nation of lazy people?  When did it become "normal" to be lazy? 

I don't know how to look at the world through everyone's eyes, but I have seen the world through some people's eyes (thanks to the fact that they blog).  We need to come up with a new word for the poor.  We cannot call people in this country, for the most part, poor.  We need a new word.

These people with their hands out and the "poor me" attitude need a name.  They're making it more difficult for actual poor people to get the help they really need.

562.  Sunshine
563.  Leaves just beginning to turn colors
564.  Pansies
565.  Hope 

Best of my blog: Get on the bus

I’m taking a little break from writing this week.  School is starting up and things are very busy around here.  But that doesn’t mean I won't give you anything!  I’ll be featuring a few reruns of some of my favorite posts you may have missed.  I wish I was cool enough to ask some of my favorite bloggers to guest post for me, but I'm way too shy to ask.  Anyway, maybe I'll get all caught up and be back later in the week, but in case I don't, enjoy some oldies, but goodies. 

I follow one blog as a guilty pleasure.  I know this person "in real life" and I've promised myself NEVER to comment on her blog.  It's caused a problem in the past and now our relationship is broken.  This wasn't my choice, but there you have it.  Anyway, she has a DONATE button on her blog and has been collecting money to buy an old yellow school bus to pack her family up and travel the country.  She considers her family "unschoolers" as she is supposedly allowing her children to learn at home at their own pace and desire.  Evidently, or according to her blog, she and the family have BOUGHT THE BUS.  But, now her son doesn't want to stay home and unschool, he wants to GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOL.  I read all this on her blog.  I understand her dilemma.  How can you live your life the way you want to live your life when your child won't let you?  But this isn't my problem.  My problem is this.  I want to comment on her blog, and I can't.  So I'm commenting on my blog.  Here it is.

So will you be driving your son to school in the bus?

513.  A great weekend for catching up on a few things
514.  Cooler temps reminding me that fall is on the way
515.  Anticipation of a trip to AC to see an air show
516.  A freezer and pantry full of summer goodness to take us into the winter months
517.  New co-worker
518.  I can give back the part of the job I've been covering during the vacancy
519.  Still enjoying the antics of the folks in this blog topic (guilty pleasure)

Short sale in a (55) nut shell

Short sales are for homeowners on the brink of foreclosure. 

You won’t make money from a sale.  Profits will pay off your debt. 

Buyers may come your way, but the bank has the final say. 

Uncle Sam will get his cut on any debt forgiven.  You'll pay.

Your credit is still shot. 

Greed ain’t good.

Linking with G-Man for a Friday Flash 55

508.  Rain
509.  Funny movies
510.  Rhythmic gymnastics
511.  Synchronized swimming
512.  People paying back what they borrowed

Be certain it is God speaking

A while back I wrote a post about discerning the voice of God.  I've struggled with "hearing" God speak to me.  I guess I have a problem with it because, for some reason, God's voice sounds an awful lot like my voice.  I mean, he has a Chicago accent and everything.  Sometimes, I swear, I believe God says to me, "Go ahead, you can eat that donut."  I wonder if the others who say they hear God telling them to do something hear God speaking with a Chicago accent?  I mean, God has been accused of telling people to do some crazy stuff.  I've heard of people who do horrible things under the guise of saying God was telling them to do something.  They've killed their children or raped somebody or shed someone's blood or tried to sell their house as a short sale so they could live in a bus.  I'm pretty skeptical that God was telling them to do these things.

I've watched people who are absolutely certain it is God telling them to do some crazy things (not crazy like hurting or killing someone, but pretty darn irresponsible) and watched door after door slamming in their face, but they are still certain it is God's will (not their will) to quit their jobs or move or go into debt or whatever.  I guess they really believe God wants them to put themselves into bankruptcy or jail or whatever.  Really?

I found this Story Of The Remote Employee by Sandy Gregory on the blogs while looking around for information on hearing the voice of God.  (I just finished studying Mark 1:11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”and Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" So I know sometimes God does speak so EVERYONE around can hear him.  I wish that happened around me.  A little confirmation would be great.)  This story is so good as an analogy for discerning whether or not it is God speaking or somebody else.

Imagine you are hired to open up an office in Anchorage, Alaska. Your new boss gives you a high-tech looking two-way radio, a policy and procedure manual, and tells you that you will receive instructions once you arrive, and off you go. Upon arrival you hear your boss's voice over the radio, saying, "I will communicate to you through this radio unit. But take note: our competitors, our enemies, also have access to this channel. They will try to impersonate my voice with false messages to thwart our purposes." "Oh no!" you panic, "Then how will I know if it is you or the enemy giving me instructions?"

Your boss's voice comes back over the radio: "Three ways. First, considering the situation, check every message supposedly from me against the policy and procedure manual. Since I wrote it, I'm not likely to ask you to violate it, right? Also, if I am not talking, don't focus in on the noise, pretending that I am. If I am not speaking, let the manual be your guide. Don't let any impersonating voice mislead you, or your own overactive imagination."

"Second, since the Manual does not cover every situation, you will have to get to know my voice. I know, this will take time, and so I am not likely to ask you to do anything radical until we both have some low-risk successes under our belts. Remember, I understand the situation perfectly well, so I'll go slow at first. A time will come when I will be able to tell you to do the wildest things, and you will know it is me. In the short-term, you must be trained through low-risk experience."

"Third, over time, my overall purpose for your work will begin to come into focus. You will begin to see the grand strategy in the policy and procedure manual, and the overall pattern of my true instructions. When this happens, you'll know instantly if what you hear through your unit is 'of me', just your imagination, or enemy misinformation. False instructions will begin to appear silly to you then. So take heart, and get to work."

After reflecting on this a few moments, you hear your boss's voice again on the radio unit. "Take all of the money from petty cash and give it the next person that walks in, no questions asked." Hmmm... You look in the policy and procedure manual, and this is specifically forbidden. Besides, you know your boss wouldn't tell you to do something that risky right off. And also there was an certain "twang" to the voice, an appeal to something different within you, and a plan that was not in the long-term interests of the company. So, even though you are on a hostile channel, you are beginning to have hope that you can indeed do this job.

There is the rub.  This world is a hostile channel.  You don't even have to believe there is spiritual warfare all around us.  You don't have to believe there are fallen angels seeking to tempt us and turn us from the narrow path.  You can have confidence that this weak body we inhabit wants what it wants when it wants it.  I think that may be why God sounds so much like me.  Do you think it's my will I'm listening to?  Ya think?

To get a handle on whether or not it is the voice of God you need to check the manual, often, and learn the policies.  (It's THY will be done, not MY will be done.)  Learn the sound of God's voice.  (I'm thinking this is going to take time.  Maybe this is why he waited until Abram was 75 before he told him to leave Ur.)  Finally, we need to fully grasp God's overall purpose for our lives.  Wherever you are, God has put you there. God has a purpose in your being there.

Be careful when you tell yourself you are following the will of God because God is talking to you.  There is a good chance you may be following someone else, or as Flip Wilson used to say on Laugh-In, "The devil made me do it."  (ask your parents)

499.  I can quit my job any time I want to (and today I'm coming awfully close)
500.  My computer still works (I spilled my soup on my keyboard)
501.  My mom is still fun to talk to (she didn't remember my wedding day, but that's ok, she still remembers her own wedding day)
502.  Capturing summer goodness in freezer bags and canning jars

Flip Wilson

Where is the love?

Ok, I get it's all about love.  All you need is love.  Love can change the world.  The power of love.  Love don't  cost a thing.  Love grows (where my Rosemary goes).

Love.  So, to quote Telly Savalas, "Who loves ya, baby?"

Is it more loving to agree with somebody you believe is making a poor decision, a decision to do something that you know will not only be unsuccessful, but will cause incredible financial harm for their present lives and their future.  Something you wouldn't sit back and watch your own children do without warning them of .the dangers, not only for themselves, but for their family.  And you don't say anything because you know disagreeing with them will cause them to cry and break off all contact with you?  So now you have kept the relationship and you are watching this family self-destruct in front of your eyes and you smile and give them the "thumbs up" signal (Like) and say, "I'll pray for you."

Or

Is it more loving to disagree with somebody you believe is making a poor decision, not only for themselves, but for their family, and risk making them cry and break off all contact with you?  You tell them because, even though they aren't your blood relation, you are older and wiser and you know the risk and reward of the situation they want to place themselves into and you just want to warn them of these dangers.  And, you know they hate your guts, but you keep praying for them to come to their senses and act like adults, even though this isn't what they want to do.

Who is showing the love?

490.  Cooler, cloudy day with a chance of rain
491.  A bushel of tomatoes in my freezer and 25 lbs of beets in jars
492.  The good feeling of accomplishment
493.  Peaches fresh from the tree
494.  Knowing that you cannot screw up God's plan, no matter how hard you try

Who loves ya, baby?