Am I Not A Man by Mark Shurtleff

I recently received a copy of Am I Not A Man, The Dred Scott Story for review. While the story itself is an interesting piece of our country's history, this telling of it was ponderous and I found my mind wandering as I read. Once into the actual trial upon which the Dred Scott Decision was made, I found it good read but it took quite a bit of determined reading to get me to that point. I am sure there are many history buff who would enjoy the back and forth stories about the families involved in Dred Scott's life but, alas, I am not one of them.

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

Article II of the U.S. Constitution vests the executive power of the United States in the president and charges him with the execution of federal law, alongside the responsibility of appointing federal executive, diplomatic, regulatory, and judicial officers, and concluding treaties with foreign powers, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The president is further empowered to grant federal pardons and reprieves, and to convene and adjourn either or both houses of Congress under extraordinary circumstances.[5] Since the founding of the United States, the power of the president and the federal government have grown substantially[6] and each modern president, despite possessing no formal legislative powers beyond signing or vetoing congressionally passed bills, is largely responsible for dictating the legislative agenda of his party and the foreign and domestic policy of the United States.[7] The president is frequently described as the most powerful person in the world.(Wikipedia)


President Barack Obama declared Thursday: "There is nothing wrong with our country. There is something wrong with our politics."

"They look at what's happening in Washington and they think these folks are really from outer space because they don't seem to understand how critical it is for us all to work together, Republicans, Democrats, independents, in order to move this country forward,"

"We're going to have to get engaged and we're going to have to speak out," Obama said. "We're going to have to register the fact that we expect more and we expect better."

Unfortunately what we've seen in Washington in the last few months has been the worst kind of partisanship, the worst kind of gridlock, and that gridlock has undermined public confidence and impeded our efforts to take the steps we need for our economy,"

"You've got to tell them you've had enough of the theatrics, you've had enough of the politics, stop sending out press releases. Start passing some bills that we all know will help the economy right now," he said. "That's what they need to do. They've got to hear from you."

It is time for the People to remember that it is not the President who passes the laws. He can make recommendations but it is up to Congress to act upon these recommendation or to pass their own agenda. When Congress is controlled by an opposing party it is almost impossible for a President to get his agenda enacted unless the voters who elected him stand up to their congressional representatives and tell them to listen to that agenda and act.

“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” Plato

The Big C

After weeks of worrying and internet search of my symptons, I gave in to a friend's plea and went to see a doctor. After about 6 hours of testing which included a pelvic ultra-sound (uterine wall 10X thicker than norm), She scheduled me for a biopsy. During the procedure, the doctor performing the biopsy kept up a rapid converation about everything from weather to travel, peppering this converasation with comments such as "now this might hurt just a little" and "remember you are in control". She had to do the procedure twice as the first time there was not enough tissue captured for the pathologist. Afterwards I was given the usual post-procedure instructions about pain management and when to seek help for any complications. I was told not to start worrying and that I should have results in less than a week.

Now how does one go home and not worry..once again my fingers starting doing the internet "walk" on all possible reasons for the syomptoms and while there were many other than cancer, it is difficult to wait for the results without having a Big C scenario playing in your head

How hot is it?

Your GPS will only give you directions north.

I am not a winter person so the summer months are my favorite season...no large utility bill for heat as Mother Nature can take care of the task but with
temperatures close to triple-digit over the last few days I have become a reluctant user of AC. I have tried tricks like getting the house to just the right comfort level, closing doors, drawing blinds and then turning off the AC until my dog starts panting which is the signal to turn the AC back on for awhile.

My outdoor activity is limited but I enjoy the feel of the warm deck on my bare feet as I water my "pot" garden and delight in how the plants have responded to the heat and humidity with rapid growth. Yesterday, just for the fun of it, I decided to give my house a bath and hosed it down from top to bottom and like a little kid enjoyed the back spray.

My one worry with this heat is for the fledgling bird that still nests under my front porch canopy. I imagine that the heat up there must be intense but whenever I check his little head can be seen peaking from the nest.

The weather has also given the area some interesting cloud formations that seem to speak of heat as well.

No Strings Attached

No strings attached...sounds good...sounds too good to be true and it usually is too good to be true. This is the case when those words are applied to a relationship.. We all want something from a relationship so that in itself means there are strings. What are these "strings"?

Love - Well, lets face it, a relationship without love, is kind of abysmal.
Romance - Romance adds the butterflies in the stomach, even to regular activities.
Respect - If two people don't respect each other, co-existence is near impossible.
Passion - Having passion in a relationship is like having salt in a recipe. Without it, there will be color, but no taste.
Empathy - Empathy is very important in a relationship. Lack of empathy would render the relationship abusive.
Understanding - It is important to be able to understand each other. It is through understanding that a connection develops, and respect and love can be discovered.
Acceptance - If you are in a relationship with a person, you need to accept him/her for what he/she is. If you have it in the back of your mind that you will eventually change him, then the relationship will not work out.
Friendship - Basically, in a relationship, you need to be able to laugh at each other, cry with each other and yell at each other. Who better to do that than a friend?

Winter Solistice

This year the winter solstice (shorted day/longest night) will occur on 12/21 at 23:38 GMT. It last for just a moment but is celebrated as the turning point from autumn to winter.  In reality it is simply the point in time when the earth's  tilt is the furthest from the sun. In some areas of the world this does not bring the winter season as the begining  and ending of a season has no basis in science but is determined by the cultural calendar. In some cultures, winter begins on Novemeber 1 and spring takes over on February 1. In my world winter begins on December 21/22  and ends on March 21/22 even if Mother Nature tries to spread her love of cold and snow to two other seasons.

Stop The Walker Power Grab!

Reversible Skirt...A Memoir by Laura McHale Holland

The author has put forth a gripping tale of her family history. When Laura was a toddler, her mother, Mary Agnes, committed suicide. Her father, in order to keep his family together, remarries quickly, bringing the new wife home and telling his three young daughters simply that this is their mother. The confusion in the minds of these young girls is exacerbated by the unthinking cruelty of their "mother". The reader is drawn into the story as along with the children, you look for some reason behind all that is happening and keep hoping that there will be a fairy-tale ending to this wicked stepmother tale.

Havasu Means Blue Water by Ivory Simone

I recently read the above book by Ms Simone. The story is an interesting tale centered around a young woman's work on her Master's Thesis and the topic of which is centered around the death by mob of a young black woman. (The character refers to it as a lynching but as the story relates it is an actual shooting that causes the death.)I was intrigued by the beginning of the story which is set in a school and our "heroine" is a teacher who encounters a troubled and troubling student but then the reader is thrown to another setting for the character. This erratic style of story telling makes one prone to setting the book aside often but if one can continue to read a story does finally evolve that is worth reading.

Friends With Benefits

Recently two of my Facebook friends used the term "friends with benefits". There is a current usage of this term that has a sexual connotation but I started thinking about the people that I have met over the years and those that became friends were a direct result of the "benefits" that we could offer each other.

Studies have shown that people with friends are more likely to survive a serious illness than those without friends. Stress is more manageable when you can talk to friends. People who interact with others, face to face, by phone, mail/e-mail, via social networks tend to live longer and healthier lives.

A good friend is more likely to point out health concerns and persuade you to seek medical assistance when you might be reluctant. Friends can help you kick bad habits, maintain that diet, get exercise, and get involved in other activities that keep you young at heart. Research has shown that having a diverse group of friends can boost resistance to many viral infections.

Loneliness feeds on itself. The more you stay by yourself the more anxious one becomes in social settings. This is a major issue among the elderly who have outlived many of those that were close to them. Losing ones spouse/partner after retiring and relocating can be more difficult when there are not friend to turn to for comfort and for providing the encouragement needed to get back into living your life.

It is important to maintain or renew contact with friends/family who can serve as links to your own history.

Friends can make us laugh when we are feeling low.They can give us courage when facing a life changing decision. Friends can make us feel invincible to life's blows and enable to see them as temporary setbacks.

Friends can give us the confidence to dream and to strive toward making those dreams reality. Friends lighten our day with humor. Give us honest answers to tough questions about ourselves. Friends give us a shoulder to lean on when needed, help us to dry our tears. We can share embarrassing secrets with our friends.

So do I have friends with benefits? The answer is yes!

PETITION: 250,000 strong to tell Boehner and Republicans not to end Medicare

PETITION: 250,000 strong to tell Boehner and Republicans not to end Medicare: "PETITION: 250,000 strong to tell Boehner and Republicans not to end Medicare: http://dccc.org/medicare"

To Daddy

To Daddy

In Memory of Johnnie Bailey Anderson Allen

Every year since 1988, when Memorial weekend rolls around, I remember the day my mother died. It was a beautiful day, one of those rare Memorial Days when the weather was being kind to us. I was at home with the kids (Jan had gone up north to help his brother with something) and we were planning to walk down to the lakefront and then do some grilling in the evening. The phone rang and it was my sister with the news that Mom had suffered a massive coronary and died. I remember not shedding a single tear but going about the routine, calling Jan to arrange for him to come home for the kids. He told me he could not come home as he still had things to do for his brother...and still I did not weep.

I made calls to the library to get the full text of a poem that ,the summer before, my mother had said she would like read at her funeral. I went on the outing with the kids and then when we got home I told them what had happened and that I would be gone for a few days.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush.
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

All of the kids from Wisconsin rode down together, doing some bonding as we made the journey, sharing memories and laughter. We all did our part in easing things for my father who had lost his best friend, his soul mate. I remember sharing laughter with him when he came upon my brother and I trying to get my mother's ashes into the urn that we had purchased and his comment of "Okay Johnnie, you said you wanted to fit into a size smaller." Along with my father, I met with the minister prior to the service and talked about what music she had wanted, told him of the reading of the poem at the cemetery, etc. As is inevitable there was some tension among siblings but we made it through it all. The poem was read while her ashes were scattered.

And still I had not shed a tear.

Afterwards we gathered with family and friends and talked about our memories of her. Everyone had wonderful memories of her as she was just that kind of person. And still no tears were shed.

About six weeks later, I was at home preparing a meal for the kids when I thought of a question that I should ask my mother and it struck me that she was not there to reply. I became angry, cursed her for leaving, then collapsed onto the kitchen floor in tears. This is where my kids found me and asked why I was crying. I replied, "because my mother died." and one by one they knelt down and put their arms around me, telling me that it would be okay. And with that I knew that she was still there and that had been her answer. She would always be there for me.

Time Has Flown

I can hardly believe that it is almost June. The spring was a typical Wisconsin spring with cold, snow, rain, heat, cold, rain, rain, rain...my spring flowers bloomed and quickly faded away.

Madison was an exciting place to be this spring and it looks as if things will continue to be so through the summer.Each week brings with it another underhanded move by our "beloved" governor that keeps the pot boiling for all the activist of both parties as well as the independents.

In addition to the political events summer brings with it all sorts of neighborhood events, Concert on Square, etc that make living here so much fun.

Second Opinion

Recently I did a review of a children's book call Dream and I had not given it the best of reviews. However, I recently received a hard copy of the book and my four year old grandson was visiting and saw the book. He asked me to read it with him and as we went through the story he asked questions and expanded on the idea of each page as we went along. So not only did the book hold his attention this time but it encouraged him to think about the concept of doing things that might seem impossible.

Voting

Once again we have controversial election with late votes showing up. Now I do not think that this was fabricated votes but one must wonder about the process when over 7000 votes can simply get "misplaced" because of the counting/reporting process that was put in place.

I would like to see the voting process become more simplified and modernized.
Register to vote and enroll using your SS# and set up double passwords.
On election day, you have the choice of casting your vote from any location where you have secure internet access. Municipality would provide access via city hall, schools, libraries, etc. Votes would be tallied instantly.

The Time Is Now For Change

It is election day and for the most part April elections are pretty quiet. This year, however, there has been an outpouring of discussion about every elected position that is up for a vote. Back in November 2010, people voted for what they thought was going to be positive change, forcing bi-partisan cooperation in Washington and locally. This did not happen and now people are ready to re-group and make some more changes.

Virtual Choir

Naked Apple Pie

This is a real easy dessert and can be "thrown" together at the last minute. I like to use a real tart and juicy apples for this recipe.

Beat 1 egg in medium bowl. Add:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour, sifted with 1 t. baking powder
2 medium apples, pared, cored and chopped
1 c. pecans or walnuts
Spread into well greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

8 large flour tortillas

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

1 Cup sour cream

1 Small Can Chopped Green Chilies

3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped

1 Small Can Sliced Ripe Olives

8 Oz. Grated Cheddar Cheese

3 or 4 Scallions, chopped

Mix soup, sour cream, and chilies. Spread about 1/8 of this mixture over the tortillas. Add some chicken, cheese, olives and onions. Roll up and place in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese, onions and scallions. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.