Ignorance can be deadly – Highway edition

Posted on 28 June 2012 by Susan

While the majority of commercial drivers are safe drivers, an alarming percentage stopped in a recent inspection effort by the TXDPS yielded what I consider to be alarming results. Below please find the results of the most recent Roadcheck inspection effort. Please be careful when you drive.

Internal jukebox: Speak to One Another, an anthem for church. The chorus is “Speak to one another, speak speak. O speak to one another in hymns and songs. Speak to one another, speak speak. O speak to one another in spiritual songs.”

June 28, 2012     TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY     NEWS RELEASE

Roadcheck Leads to 8,000 Truck and Bus Inspections

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) inspected more than 8,000 commercial motor vehicles during a three-day inspection effort earlier this month as part of Roadcheck 2012. DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers, specially trained Highway Patrol troopers and civilian inspectors joined forces from June 5 – June 7 during the annual inspection effort aimed at enhancing commercial motor vehicle safety.

Approximately 22 percent (1,763) of the 18-wheelers, buses and other commercial vehicles inspected were placed out of service for a variety of safety violations until appropriate repairs can be made. Issues with brakes, lighting and tires were the most common infractions that led to out of service violations.

Additionally, drivers were checked for compliance with state and federal laws, and 243 drivers were placed out of service. Among the violations were improper logging of duty time, driving over the maximum number of hours, and failing to have the proper type of license for the vehicle being driven.

In all, DPS issued more than 2,600 citations and another 23,000 warnings.

The annual Roadcheck program, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, is designed to reduce commercial vehicle highway fatalities through increased vehicle and driver safety, education and law enforcement activities throughout North America.

DPS will also continue Operation Texas Thunder efforts throughout the year. This DPS initiative consists of surge enforcement operations targeted in specific areas where unsafe trucks or buses may be operating and to crack down on aggressive driving around commercial vehicles.

### (HQ 2012-075)

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Bad Facebook!

Posted on 27 June 2012 by Susan

In case you haven’t heard, Facebook changed all default e-mail addresses over the weekend to @facebook .com addresses.  You will need to go to your profile to change it back.

This was particularly annoying to me since I prefer to display no e-addresses at all.  Also, when I tried to post to FB, it crashed my browser the first time, losing the message.  Got it the second time, though.

Jerks.

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“John Carter”

Posted on 27 June 2012 by Susan

Went to see John Carter last night. I had a friend try to talk me out of it because of its poor box office, but I had a wonderful time. Granted, I am a relatively easy to please and entertain audience. But if you are looking for a rollicking good tale of heroes, villains, and royalty, with a touch of magic and science fiction, this is the movie for you. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Internal jukebox: Vivaldi, one of the more martial movements from his Concerti

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Inciting Violence, Part 2

Posted on 26 June 2012 by Susan

It was a radio personality this time.  He wanted to stop a bus full of nuns and pistol whip them for making a comment with which he disagreed.  He has since, according to his website, apologized to the nuns.  I expect it was something along the lines of, “I apologize if anything I said offended you.”

I found mention of this on one of my favorite websites.  I absolutely adored one of the comments:

OldMayfly says:
They are counting on the nuns being unarmed. Safe bet.
But they’re also counting on the nuns being intimidated.
Not a safe bet.

The Senator the “personality” was interviewing at the time thought that advocating violence against these female members of the clergy was hysterically funny.

Why?

The nuns were protesting cuts of aid to the poor, specifically the “Ryan Plan” after Representative Paul Ryan said “his Catholic faith informed his budget,” “The non-partisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities found that nearly two-thirds of the cuts proposed in Ryan’s budget would be to programs serving low-income Americans, while the his tax cuts would largely benefit millionaires. People making more than $1 million a year would see a 12.5 percent increase in after-tax income but those making less than $20,000 would see an decrease of 0.2 percent or less.”  [Source]  Please read these two articles for more information on the story.

My point is not the reason the nuns are speaking out.  My point is that they decided to do so and in response a person with a microphone and an audience, in the presence of a person of authority, advocated violence against a group of people known for nonviolence.  That the person of authority did not speak in defense of these persons, whether or not they live in HIS district, is a sad commentary of what is happening in our society.

There is a growing lack of respect for each other.

We must respect each others’ rights.  We must respect the right to be different.  We must respect the right to have a different opinion.  We must realized that having a different opinion does not make the other evil, misguided, wrong — it is just different.  Our differences are supposed to make us stronger, but lately they have been ripping us apart.

Folks, we have enemies beyond our borders who would love nothing more than for us to tear ourselves apart from within.  Please, learn to “agree to disagree” and move on to a new topic.  Please, learn to compromise and get our country moving.  Please, learn to vote on the issues and not on which party introduced the bill.

Please.

Thanks to Ms Juanita Jean and the girls at The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc. for bringing this to my attention.

Internal Jukebox: Hello, Evanescence

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Dreams are so ephemeral

Posted on 26 June 2012 by Susan

I had an interesting story idea in a dream.  Something about crossing defect testing with vacation Bible school at my church.  But I couldn’t find my pencil on my headboard and by the time I got a pen out of my purse, all that was left was what I just told you.

That, and super-soakers that shot bubbles instead of water.  They had less thump behind them.  And Santa saying to someone (something?) small holding a kitten, “But I want them to be less powerful.”

I’ll have to track down one of my blank books and a writing implement and get them on the head of my bed (a pencil has already been moved there).  Obviously my new medicine is going to be creating some fun.

Internal jukebox:  Where Do I Go? (another VBS song, though I was actually singing a regular hymn earlier, YAY!)

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Some “comedy” is not funny

Posted on 25 June 2012 by Susan

The 24/7 Comedy Radio Station came to town last fall.  I listen to it pretty exclusively in the car when I’m in town (the signal is too weak to receive far out of town).  What I’ve discovered is that what some folks think is funny is decidedly unfunny to me.

I’m not talking about fart jokes, or gross jokes, or sex jokes.  I’m talking about cruelty humor or just “lack of respect” humor.  I’m talking about making fun of large groups of people (not including politicians and lawyers here).

For some reason those of short stature, who prefer to be called “little people” rather than the terms used by the comedians, and those of wide girth, who get called a multitude of awful names by the comedians, are thought to be fair game.  They are not included in the respect afforded to people of different races, people with mental disabilities, etc., whose stereotypical nicknames are no longer considered appropriate to use.

If I’d been in the comedy club where some of the routines were recorded that I’ve heard recently, I would have voted with my feet and asked for my money back.  As it is, I change the station to something else for a while or turn the radio off.  I don’t have to listen to hatred being sown in the name of comedy.  It is not OK.

First amendment gives them the right to say it.  I have the right not to listen.  The radio stations have the right not to play it.  I haven’t contacted them yet.  Perhaps it is time I did.

Internal jukebox:  Jehovah Jirah, (translation: the Lord is my provider) another song from VBS.  I think I’ll listen to a lot of Pandora at work today and see if I can reprogram my brain.  I have no problem with praise songs to the Lord, but having the same ones in my head the clock ’round is getting tedious.

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My cousin is on the front page of Forbes magazine!

Posted on 24 June 2012 by Susan

He’s written an article titled Microsoft Win8 Tablet Is NOT a Game Changer.  The article explains that it was never meant to be, what a game changer is, and gives a pretty interesting discussion on the history of game-changing innovation in the area of handheld devices.

Then he discusses why Microsoft missed making the list.

I thought it was a wonderful read, and would have greatly enjoyed the article from any author.  That it came from my cousin, Adam Hartung, is just triply awesome!

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If you don’t believe in the “War on Women,” don’t read this.

Posted on 23 June 2012 by Susan

I came across this wonderful YouTube post today.    There is nothing unsafe about the visual.  However, it is NOT work safe in the audio.  As an additional warning, I was totally unable to watch it without letting out a loud peal of laughter, which might be inappropriate for your workplace.

For those who would like a little additional ammunition in the “War on Women,” I offer you Hands Off My Clam.

Thanks to Ms Juanita Jean and the girls at The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc. for bringing this to my attention.

Internal Jukebox has been stuck on music from “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity” for most of the week, until I heard this.

Posted in Humor, Politics, War on Women | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Daniel in Captivity

Posted on 23 June 2012 by Susan

It’s been a busy week.  I’ve been a “tribe leader” at Vacation Bible School.  It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of work.  I’m quite tired and the songs we’ve been teaching the children are going through my head pretty much non-stop.  I’ve been getting my aerobics workout, too, as each song has hand motions, kicks, circles.

The focus of the week at VBS is studying the life of Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Most folks know them better by the names the Babylonians gave them:  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Daniel’s Babylonian name Belteshazzar isn’t used by our time, maybe because it is a mouthful to try to say.

Day 1–Daniel and his friends have been taken from their homes to Babylon to be trained for three years to be servants to King Nebuchadnezzar.  We had the kids think about what they would miss if they were taken from their homes, made to eat new foods, and learn a new language.  We teach them that even when things change, God is with them.

Day 2–Daniel interprets a dream for the King, giving all the credit to God.  The lesson:  When you need help, God is with you!

Day 3–Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are in trouble for praying to the One True God instead of to the many Babylonian gods and to Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel led us into prayer to God for safety when they are thrown into the fiery furnace, should it be his will, but to watch over them whatever his will.  We learn right away that the prayers worked and the friends were saved.  We teach the kids that when they are afraid, God is with them.

Day 4–We can hear lions from Daniel’s chamber.  He’s a bit afraid as a new edict has gone out that people who pray to any but the king for 30 days will be thrown to the lions.  We get into a circle and start praying.  A palace guard comes in and sees Daniel praying, arrests Daniel, and takes him off to the lions’ den.  The children were quite alarmed and wanted to go rescue him, but were told they’d be in trouble, too, so we prayed as Daniel had prayed the day before.  We teach the kids that even when they are lonely, God is with them.

Day 5–Daniel was rescued by God today.  The guard was in Daniel’s room when we got there.  He looked from the window and saw the king running to the lion’s den.  “I’ve never seen the king run before.  I’ve never seen the king’s legs before!”  A short while later Daniel entered and the guard acted like he was a ghost.  The session ended shortly after Daniel showed us a proclamation from the king proclaiming that Daniel’s God was the true living God.  The lesson:  When you are thankful, God is with you!

VBS raised $52.01 for malaria nets for children in Mali by putting spare change in a pot every day.  I contributed by taking a purse of pennies left from Ed and making sure every child got to put a couple of the mosquito clips (a sign of donation) on the net during the week.  Today I dumped the remainder of the purse in the pot.  Didn’t make as much noise as I expected as the pot already had a lot of coins.  Hurrah!

I’m both happy and sad the week is over.  It was a great experience but I’m exhausted.  I’m not sure how I would have made it without the wonderful ladies who fed us a meal every evening before VBS started.

My tribe was great.  Our cheer, “Lion of Judah!  Lion of Judah!” [ROAR] was well received at the final celebration. The other groups had great cheers, too.  The symbol for the tribe of Benjamin is a wolf, so they howled.  The tribe of Dan was a bit silly, but very effective, with a “country” cheer.  There was a video of still pictures of the week’s activities to show to the parents who came.  Then VBS was over except for eating the popsicles and cleanup.  Some of my tribe thinks that VBS is happening again very soon, though I tried to explain it was next summer.  “In 21 days?”  “No, in 12 months.”  “Are you sure?”  I was sure, but reminded them that God would be with them even when they weren’t at VBS.

We had the children tell us “God sightings” that we recorded on “tiles” and posted on the walls of the “temple.”  Some of the sightings were truly beautiful, some whimsical, all from the heart.  We had clouds shaped like elephants, and a lizard on the window, thankfulness for the food and the songs, the rain and the sky, family and friends, and the chance to come to VBS to learn.  Even the youngest had something to contribute.  It was so special!

Thank you God for giving me the opportunity to learn from these children as I tried to teach them your word.

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Lions of Ansteorra – Duchess Willow de Wisp

Posted on 20 June 2012 by Susan

Having lions appear in various places in my life in the last week (depictions and references, not live ones) has got me ruminating on the Lions of Ansteorra.  I’ve been blessed to call friend several of these wonderful people.  Others have just affected my life with the larger-than-life personas they portrayed.

One of my first experiences with a Lion was at an event where Willow de Wisp was telling stories.  Oh, my, can she tell stories to stir the blood and excite the mind!  I’ve been honored over the years to be able to sit near her and listen to her tell stories for long periods of time.  She also is good at pulling stories out of other people.

At a Candlemas a few years ago, she taught a class on storytelling which I was able to attend.  I remember her giving details on how to make a story come to life, and how to end it on a high note.  That night at court, she was called to tell a story.  I grabbed the older kids at my table and said, “Follow me.  Trust me.  You want to hear this.”  We scooted up through the hall and plopped on the floor in front of the first set of tables just as she started to tell her tale.  Every tip she’d taught us in class was in that story of Ansteorran history.  Everything was brought beautifully to life.  The audience laughed and nodded and were completely in the palm of her hand.  She delivered the punch line and the court was completely speechless for a few seconds before letting out a loud cheer.  It was a wonderful moment.

The kids had been just as spellbound.  When I asked them what they’d thought, all they could say was, “Wow!”  And there were stars in their eyes.  The stars I am sure were in mine the first time I heard her speak.

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