Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sometimes You Have to Be Blunt

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When someone isn’t following along or take the time to listen, and believe they understand everything, then do the exact opposite, sometimes you have to take charge and be blunt with the person. It’s a sad day when adults don’t listen to a leader.

Leaders need to teach those involved in a task how to actively listen to what is being said at the time it is being said.

Everyone wants to be in charge but they don’t want to be involved. Everyone thinks they know what’s best for a group, and yet they do the things that make them happy at the expense of a group, and then get offended when you correct them.

Unfortunately, not all of us can be the center of the universe at the same time. Sometimes we have to complete an activity with the group. We have to give up our sense of self for the bigger purpose. Sometimes the outcome doesn’t go our way, but it is the right outcome for the group.

We have to stop talking and listen to what is being said during the instruction time. We have to acknowledge that the leader knows what she is doing and attempt to understand what we all need to do.

A leader who takes charge of a group should be respected and heard. If you disagree with the leader, you should ask for time to speak with them after the class or session, not continue to grumble during the entire session.

A leader shouldn’t give people permission to act out because they want something different. A leader should stick to her principles and believe in herself.

A single person who is disruptive in a group should be given a second chance, but when they won’t change and listen to what a leader has in mind, they should consider going to another group. We all have our place in the universe, and a good leader tries to find a place for everyone in a group, but if it isn’t a good fit, consider that it is time to move on. Don’t be angry about it, just think what is best for you as well as the group.

Each person needs to be stronger and get through hurt feelings because things didn’t go their way. They need to reflect on why something that was said triggered that emotion in them. The past has a way of getting to a person and they respond in a way that can be inappropriate. Respect is earned in any organization. Just because you’ve done something wonderful in the past doesn’t mean you are wonderful in that way today. Sometimes it’s okay to just sit and listen, no matter if you believe your skill-set is greater than others or the leader in the group. Contribute with the group. Don’t act out because you think you know better. The leader is trying to give you something, so try and listen.

Respecting authority is a hard thing for all of us. We grew up in traumatic and weird times, and want to be respected for who we are. Sometimes those in power aren’t good people, and that is the ups and downs of life. But sometimes there are wonderful leaders who come into our lives and we should respect that. Even if we think we know better, we can learn something new from another person every day.

We talk about transparency in government all the time, and yet we don’t understand it or respect those who are trying to be transparent in the private sector. We have been burned by so much misinformation that we currently don’t want to make an attempt to be civil to one another. Our examples of leadership put forth to us today make us upset, so we take it out on those who are trying to help us on a smaller scale.

A leader has to find the balance between full on authoritarian leadership and laissez-faire or permissiveness at all personal costs leadership. My understanding and relationship with leaders has been molded by my time in law enforcement and martial arts. I respect the command structure and try to follow who is leading at the time. I didn’t always agree with the way things were done in the past, but I hold onto the belief of doing something for the greater good. I hold onto the fact that some leaders are great, and some are terrible and should not lead. I learned from the best and tried not to grumble to much with others about the terrible ones.

I also know what I am good at so I take on tasks that others don’t know how to do or don’t want to do. I embrace that task and take responsibility for it. I try not to take on too many jobs at one time. I take one task to heart and do my very best, then move on when I’ve mastered that task.

The best way to help a leader is to help yourself. Choose a task that you are good at, not criticizing the leader for what they didn’t do. If a leader asks you to do something, and you are good at it, do it wholeheartedly, and embrace the challenge. If you are not good at that task, let the leader know and do something else to better the group. Imagine if each one of us took on a task that had a meaningful result. Imagine what we could do as a team if we are all on the same page!

So, embrace your skillset, and move forward. No more grandstanding. No more discord. Get together and be happy with what you are doing at the time. Make a joyful noise and be in harmony with all others and the universe at large. Thanks for listening and I look forward to embarking on the adventure with you!

I love you all and send good vibes out to you tonight.

Life Goes On

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I took a few days to do all those things that needed doing in my life right now. Reflecting on the day-to-day stuff made me take a step back from the anger and madness that is out there. I decided to keep talking about how I can make a difference in the world right now and stop worrying about everything else. I decided to curb my rants for a few days and just enjoy the moment and stop and enjoy the sound of the birds and the bursting new growth outside today.

We can live our lives peacefully if we just try and help one person each day. We can speak our minds if we aren’t angry all the time. We can live a normal live if we can pause and just watch the parade of loons for a little while and not be loony ourselves. It will eventually come back to normal and maybe even get a little better. I still don’t agree with everything that is happening in our nation, but I can only do so much. If each state steps up to the plate and fund the things that need to be funded, maybe federal regulations and dollars won’t be needed in the future. That is quite a pipe dream, I know, but we have to have some perspective. I believe in funding education and environmental protection and can only hope that we don’t completely destroy either of them in our states. (Remember: Hayduke Lives!)

There will always be people like that guy in office who have no clue as to how the rest of the world lives. There will always be those old white guys (and girls) who don’t understand us. There will always be rich people who will never be satisfied with what they have. They want recognition at the expense of others. And they will end up looking all the more a fool as a result of it.

But there will always be people like you and me who care about people. There will always be people like you and me who have hope that they can make small waves that will grow into a tsunami of kindness and peace. There are good people out there making a difference no matter what the political world is creating for us. So, we can sit out the hate and nonsense for a little while longer as long as we are living and helping someone in need every day. I just went to the website and set up a small monthly donations online at https://www.coloradogives.org/
It helps me to help others and they help so many people and places through this website. There are so many organizations that need our support right now.

Here are some thoughts about why we must understand the value of education:
“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.” —John F. Kennedy
“Education is our only political safety. Outside of this ark all is deluge.” —Horace Mann
“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” —Marian Wright Edelman
https://www.weareteachers.com/quotes-about-education/#learning
https://www.weareteachers.com/quotes-about-education/#journal

Keep reading, keep learning, keep helping, and keep on keeping on! I love you all on this beautiful night!

Sunday Musings

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I have been focusing on what people should have in their library. Today I want to recommend what you should have in your video library, not in any particular order. I highly recommend these to those 20+ somethings to get a picture of us weird old ones! Take a peak at these in original form and have some wonderful happiness spread over you. Enjoy the night folks!

Original series:
Roar
The Expanse
Miracle Workers
The Mandalorian

Movies:
Gone with the Wind (Original in Black and White)
The Princess Bride
Animal House
Revenge of the Nerds
All of the original Star Wars (not the remakes with added scenes – ugh!)
All of the original Star Trek (episodes and movies-even the bad ones!)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Big Trouble in Little China
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (the original in a theatre where people dress up!)
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything

There are so many more…but this is a good start! Love to all tonight! Spring has sprung….

Crazy Activism and The Big Streak!

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Hands-Off Protests Nationwide
Colorado rallies alone took place in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Greeley, and Highlands Ranch. Nationwide protests happened today against the atrocities being committed by that guy in office. Many of my friends went to the one in Boulder and Denver and I give them a thumbs up. They were brave enough to step up for what they believe. For more information on what is happening go to: https://www.yahoo.com/news/protesters-tee-off-against-trump-191321348.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

Comments from the White House are abhorrent. Shakespeare was right in his statement, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” When you have the press secretary parroting the words about fraud and abuse when programs are cut, you wonder why she is the representative for the highest office. She should be ashamed of herself and resign. No one wants to hear that. We know what is going on. The highest elected official doesn’t have a conscience.

In 2020, after the George Floyd incident, the president strode across Washington with his military minions, in order to be photographed holding a bible in front of St. John’s church. He had recently ordered  As he held up an upside-down bible he stated that “this is a great country” and turned and left without speaking. This was his statement, as though this explained his order to remove protesters by force. Bishop Budde spoke out against this man. She told reporters, “President Trump does not speak for St. John’s.” She also stated, “Let me be clear: the president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches in my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus [Emphasis mine)]. Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence. We need moral leadership, and he’s done everything to divide us.”—How We Learn to Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington

When President Trump was elected once again, Biship Budde spoke out. Trump attended church services in her church after the inauguration. In her sermon, she pleaded with him to embrace compassion and strive for unity. She stated there were three foundations for unity:

  1. “Honoring the inherent dignity of every human being. In public discourse, honoring each other’s dignity means refusing to mock, discount, or demonize those with whom we differ, choosing instead to respectfully debate across our differences, and whenever possible, to seek common ground. If common ground is not possible, dignity demands that we remain true to our convictions without contempt for those who hold convictions of their own.”  
  2. “Honesty in both private conversation and public discourse. If we aren’t willing to be honest, there is no use in praying for unity, because our actions work against the prayers themselves.”
  3. “Humility, which we all need, because we are all fallible human beings. We make mistakes. We say and do things that we regret. We have our blind spots and biases, and we are perhaps the most dangerous to ourselves and others when we are persuaded, without a doubt, that we are absolutely right and someone else is absolutely wrong. Because then we are just a few steps away from labeling ourselves as the good people, versus the bad people.” 

In her final plea to him, she stated: “Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you. As you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”
Bishop Budde’s Sermon

I hope that all of this activism will make changes in awareness and help people see the light. However, I don’t believe it has helped in those in the states where contentious people, mostly republicans, are still being voted into office (recently, Florida). The only way to make a change is to keep challenging the people who continue to believe in all of their politician’s nonsensical rhetoric. Keep challenging these folks about the way they vote. Continue to question them by asking them why they believe that their representatives who keep spouting misinformation and not showing up to town halls are representing them, the people. Continue to ask them why they believe it is all right to dismiss people in need or who are not like them.

But let’s take a moment to divest from this seriousness. In 1974, I was in college at the University of Georgia. This was an era of Watergate and Vietnam. Militants had kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst in February. Gas was short and pump lines long. Streaking (running naked on campus) became a phenomena on all college campuses and events everywhere. It became a competition. Media touted it as simply being springtime college antics and youthful hormones. Some organizers stated that they were just determined to set a record that had gotten away. The University set the record with a culminating event where over 1500 students gathered and streaking on campus.

While I was on my way to becoming a police officer, I saw these actions in a different light. My life choices have colored my experiences with protests. I saw it as a challenge to let things happen in a peaceful manner, while controlling the civil disobedience in a kinder way than the way it was handled in the 1960s. I believe all have the right to protest and not be beaten half to death. I believe both sides can keep it peaceful. We don’t have to exercise extreme force on either side. And, for crying out loud, keep the guns at home. When has that ever solved anything? Think about it. If you are naked, where would you put a gun? Huh? Huh?

Gotta love the 70s! Have fun tonight checking out these hindsight articles regarding the streaking craze!

The Big Streak
https://www.americanheritage.com/streaking-fad
https://jimnicar.com/2013/04/11/the-bare-facts-of-streaking/
https://oxfordeagle.com/2016/12/03/ole-miss-streaking-in-the-1970s/
https://magazine.washington.edu/streaking-fad-of-the-70s-once-ran-through-uw/
https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a27305183/history-of-streaking/

I love you all and I hope for a better world and loving people everywhere!

Sound Bites – Make it Happen

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Or: STAND UP and FIGHT for BRAVE REPORTING, AUTHORS with HEART, and HUMANITARIANISM!

For every hateful rant that comes out of the mouth of, ohhhh let’s say …that ignorance is bliss person Representative MTG. (you know who I’m talking about) regarding public television, let’s ask news reporters who are repeating her comments follow-up with fact-checked rebuttals. Let the truth shine through with new sound bites. Let the follow-up become positive and exuberant statements from all supporters who understand the incredible benefits of public television. Tell unbiased news reporters about the heroic lifelines small broadcasting stations have in each of their little towns. Remind them how sometimes public television is the only station that gives news to those in distress after disasters. Tell the world the benefits of positive and encouraging reporting on PBS and NPR that we all want to listen to instead of heartbreaking and ugly reporting on that biased station our illustrious leader loves.

For every idiotic comment on social media that comes out of that guy in office and his Best Buddy (you know who I’m talking about), about important agencies that really matter to us, let’s all start slamming back rebuttals and remind him how wrong he is. Let’s all make positive comebacks to his ridiculous tirade about the benefits of all the things that they dislike… like ohhhh let’s say… the Department of Education, USAid, Social Security and Medicaid,  FAA, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, FEMA, IRS, Dept. of Treasury, National Institute of Health, NOAA, and the Treasury Department, to name a few.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/elon-musks-government-dismantling-fight-stop/story?id=118576033

Let’s remind that Amazon mega billionaire that we support him because we love the convenience of buying and selling online with him. Let’s remind him that he should give some of his money to all of these worthy causes like his ex-wife does. Let’s remind him that he should give of himself freely with no strings attached. Let’s remind him what a massive boycott could do to him like what is happening to the Best Buddy. If we all stand together as a people, we can make positive change.

And give! Give, give, and give a tiny portion of your income, no matter how little you have, to those in need, those representatives and senators who are fighting against this oppression, and those in the media who want to stand up and speak the truth. Create your own movement for generating action for a sane and loving world!

I decided to pick one cause a month and give some of the money back in my part-time job to those in need. This is the money I am making after I have retired. I started in March and so far, I have donated to World Central Kitchen and Rocky Mountain PBS. I plan on doing much more in the days to come. We can all do the same if we don’t eat out at every lunch or have that extra cup of coffee at our favorite drive thru. Every little bit counts right now to keep the momentum to combat what is going on.

And now, I am re-vamping a tradition that I had in the past, to give to others in a way that can create a better community of knowledge and understanding. I used to be the person who gave books as presents every Christmas to my friends and co-workers. I had a large group of associates and friends and I loved the old Chinook Bookstore in Colorado Springs (alas it is no more). It was a place of friendship and warmth. I spent a lot of time there browsing and buying books. I took them home and devoured them, relishing the pure enjoyment of learning something new or reading the next in a series of fantastic fiction. My research took me places that I’ve never been and I hoped to visit someday.

Today, I am aiming to start that back. I recently ordered and gave the book How to Raise a Citizen to a friend who is helping young people learn to survive in the world. He and his high school friend started an after-school program, going back to their neighborhood to help them. They have been given an opportunity to engage the youth in positive ways. They carved out a place for them through the help of the City where they lived. These kids can now have a place where they feel safe, play basketball, have a snack, do homework, and read. These young entrepreneurs are helping create opportunities for the teenagers. They have contacted local businesses and industry to partner with them that will help these kids in the future. They have had backpack and food drives, and will be holding events for education as well as job fairs. It’s programs like these that I want to support. He is on Instagram and it is called Generational Opportunities. We should work to let this happen all over in those little neighborhoods that need the most help. We can all make this happen in our communities.

So when you find a book that moves your heart and soul, give it to someone and encourage them to read it and pass it on. Although I haven’t found the perfect bookstore like the Chinook, I visit the ones in the small towns everywhere I go in my travels. I order a lot of books online, but I want to continue buying and reading interesting books and support these small bookstores. I want to pass them on to co-workers and friends. I encourage you to start your own movement like this. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to return to intelligent conversation and kind acts on a daily basis!

******

And to the person who hit my car and drove off today, shame on you! I would have left a note and paid for the damage if I had done this to your car. Karma will catch up with you in the end. I am sad that you are the person that you are. There are too many selfish people like you in the world! Your life circumstances should not be the excuse to do mean and terrible things to others. I will try to forgive you, but it’s hard.

For the rest of you, I love you all and happy reading tonight.

Being Happy in the Moment

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There will always be self-doubt in our brains, but we can be truly happy with ourselves at any time in our given lifetime if we give ourselves credit. We remember ourselves as that young aspiring person ready to tackle the world, yet sometimes when we look in the mirror, we don’t see that same person. Instead of embracing who we are today, we begin to pick apart what we have become. So before you go spiraling downward, let me tell you something:

You are who you are because of your past and your history. You are who you are because your life has taught you the lessons you need to become the older adult that you are right now. You are who you are because you are a loving human being in touch with the world, regardless of what is changing around you every day that you live.

You are who you are because life has given you what you need to survive and move on. You are who you are because you are kind to yourself and others. You are who you are because you embrace change, not hide and cower in the darkness from it. You are who you are because when life gives you lemons, you make an incredible Long Island Iced Tea, or an Arnold Palmer! You are who you are because you care.

You are who you are because you want to keep loving and learning and you “Never give up! Never Surrender!” (OK, you MUST WATCH Galaxy Quest!)

Stay positive! Enjoy the moment and care for others as if they were your own family! Love to all tonight.

We Can’t Give Up!

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Or: Or How to Change the Regression to the Past.
Today was a self-reflection and a day of discord. The more I read, the more I worry about what the people who believe in this current administration and what they are letting happen to us. All I want to emphasize tonight is that this contentiousness and hatred has to stop. We cannot regress to a past era that was hopeless for all the little people in the world. We are 327 million strong and we can band together in a just cause. We cannot support or become the kind of person who wants control of others so they feel better about themselves.

It’s time to rally for change and stop the anger at the people who are being persecuted. We can do this in a peaceful manner. We can fight the ridiculous billionaires if we ignore their tantrums and demand they change for the betterment of all people. We can stand up in our place of work to that guy in office like Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington D.C., who peacefully confronted him at the beginning of his term. She has an excellent book called How We Learn to Be Brave and I encourage you to read it to learn from her. She is that very example of a brave person that I am talking about and want to emulate!

I still believe that media should step up like the old days and call attention to those in office that are doing and saying awful things, even if they are banned from the White House. I still believe that education is the key to create change from this chaos. The more we put out positive statements on every media outlet, the more we can create change.

Every day we have to persuade those that are still enamored of that guy in office and his minions that he is not good for the people or the country. Every day we need to plan for his assault on rational America and convince those in power to keep fighting for democracy now and in the future. Change is hard, but we can have momentum if we keep making tiny little changes locally and stop being afraid of what’s going to happen to our money. We are bigger than that. We have to get into the trenches of the downtrodden and help each other on a daily basis. Fear is what they want. We have to be fearless so our children can become the citizens we want them to be.

I still believe that we can move forward. I refuse to buy into throwing up my hands and believing “Nothing can be done.” Let’s make small changes every day we live. We can take back the statement “Make America Great Again” from the ridiculous people and truly extend that to all those in North America and around the world. Reach out your hand and join everyone who believe there is still hope.

Live in this moment as though your life depends on it. Enough said.

I send love to all those out there who are frightened in hopes they will read this and believe that things will change for the better.

Routine and Ritual

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There’s a guy in our office who brings a large can of SpaghettiOs for lunch EVERY DAY. He heats them in the microwave in a large plastic Kool Whip type of bowl and consumes the whole can. How he eats that everyday is beyond me. I think that is his go to happy place routine. Maybe it reminds him of his afternoon snack or dinner with his mom or siblings. It’s just his thing. It may even be his ritual to get through the day.

We all have a daily routine, but it’s how we embrace it in the present and learn to grow it when change occurs. And what is the difference between routine and ritual? How do we perceive our actions? Does a routine entail a simple chore that must be completed to get to the next chore? Or is a routine a set of actions that bring “…meaning, learning or joy” into our lives?

“A daily routine is a series of tasks that you complete every day in the same order.” For me it is getting up in the morning, taking a shower, brushing my teeth, applying a little makeup, getting dressed, and making a breakfast or lunch, depending on if I am working that day. I may have time to check my home email and write a little in the morning, but then I go to the rec center or work depending on the day. At the end of the day, I like to come home, change clothes (take off the damned bra!) and get a snack and something to drink. I finish my writing, then clean up the kitchen and prepare dinner. Most nights we eat together in front of the TV, but when kiddo is home, we have a meal at the table. It’s always nice to catch up. That is a pretty good routine, albeit a lot of chore time.

“A daily ritual is similar to a daily routine since they are also a series of tasks that are completed in the same order. But a daily ritual differs in its intention. Daily rituals are meaningful practices and are internally motivated. A daily ritual can provide energy and enjoyment along with efficiency and structure. A ritual is a carefully selected way of doing something that has a sense of purpose and a positive side effect in addition to the straightforward completion of the task.”

Maybe the ritual started out as a chore, but I figured out how to make some of the things motivating and meaningful. For example, I use some lovely dishes and cups for my snack while I’m checking email or preparing notes for a blog. Maybe it’s the ritual of preparing the meal by taking out the ingredients, reading and following a recipe, or winging it with a new dish. Or, maybe it’s about processing a scene from the book with my spouse to figure out the ending. There is even a morning ritual of sorts where I take a look at our spending and savings to know where I’m at so I don’t worry about it all week. Reframing chores to the concept of “mentally preparing for my day” makes you a better person. “There’s a balance to be found with routine and ritual. We’ll always have routines that we need to do to be efficient. There’s always stuff that simply needs to be done. But there’s a lot of value in finding routines, (or even parts of routines), that we can turn into rituals for the benefit of a better day.”

“Rituals are the foundation upon which great work is completed. The difference between a daily routine and a daily ritual is intention….Creating daily rituals can help you be successful, whether that’s succeeding at business, creating amazing art, or becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be.” For more information on this excerpt go to:
https://www.lifehack.org/847758/daily-rituals

Another way to look at rituals versus routines is this lovely chart that I found on another website:

AttributeRitualRoutine
DefinitionA set of actions performed in a specific order for a specific purposeA sequence of actions regularly followed
Emotional ConnectionOften associated with emotional significance or spiritual meaningMay lack emotional significance and be more practical in nature
FlexibilityLess flexible and more structuredMore flexible and can be adjusted as needed
FrequencyUsually performed on specific occasions or eventsRegularly performed on a daily or weekly basis
IntentionPerformed with a specific intention or purpose in mindMay be performed out of habit or necessity

“Rituals and routines are essential components of our daily lives, each offering unique benefits and serving distinct purposes. While rituals are steeped in tradition, symbolism, and meaning, routines provide structure, efficiency, and predictability. By understanding the differences between the two and incorporating both into our lives, we can create a harmonious balance that enhances our well-being and enriches our experiences.” Feel free to check out this website for more information: https://thisvsthat.io/ritual-vs-routine

Change can unbalance us, but it’s how we balance these factors that make us a whole person—one that allows us to keep up with ourselves. Since I went back to work, my daily routine was disrupted and I had to get back to the essential rituals that helped me keep calm and centered. It takes me a little longer to process my daily thoughts after work, and sometimes I just have to sit for a few minutes to decompress before taking on the chores at home. I love reading a good book before I embrace the blog or novel. I love making dinner and cleaning up the dishes after the meal so they aren’t an eyesore in the mornings when I have to get up. I love to knit while watching TV at night. And I combine my Senior lunch day or Senior choir day with a workout afterwards. And in the summer I am in the yard! Happy times are a comin’ soon! If we keep trying to establish our rituals, we’ll feel whole, no matter what is thrown at us on a daily basis.

I love this rain! Thank the heavens for releasing it to this thirsty earth. Love to all tonight! Sleep well.

Absurdity Must Not Be Tolerated

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Misinformation is false or inaccurate information—getting the facts wrong. Disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead—intentionally misstating the facts.
https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts/misinformation-disinformation

“According to behavioral models, exposure to misinformation increases the odds that people will believe it, which in turn increases the odds that they will spread it….Misinformation spreads differently on social media than on legacy media such as television, radio, and newspapers. Mainstream news outlets tend to have robust safeguards in place to prevent and correct false claims, but several unique features of social media encourage viral content with low oversight. Rapid publication and peer-to-peer sharing allow ordinary users to distribute information quickly to large audiences, so misinformation can be policed only after the fact (if at all).” For more information go to the American Psychological Associations website and take a look at this article:
https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts/how-why-misinformation-spreads

Another great article to read about how to critically evaluate online information is located at:
https://princetonlibrary.org/guides/misinformation-disinformation-malinformation-a-guide/

I am a great believer in education and encourage discourse every chance I get. But, when I hear the crazy misinformation that is being given out to the public at our nation’s capitol (yes, it is with an o, look it up!), I have to speak up. Absurdity (or Idiocy) is not okay.

Poul Anderson wrote a series of short stories that became a compendium known as The Complete Psychotechnic League. In the story called The Troublemakers, the protagonist stated that “…politics is the art of creating an equality of dissatisfaction.” This story unfolds in a spaceship bound for Alpha Centauri that would take centuries to get there. People grew old and died enroute, and the officers were in charge. The protagonist posed that the people in command made it a point to “stir up against each other men who should have been comrades [and] break the innocent with lies…provoke mutiny by injustice and intrigue…[and] infiltrate the revolts [that] they themselves had created [to] control them….” The people in charge believed that “cultures have momentum [and] don’t change overnight.” And, finally, he stated that “Conflict was inevitable.”

Anderson wrote this series of short stories over many decades (starting after World War II or late 1940s and ending in the 1980s during his life). These stories were later compiled in a more orderly date/time fashion and tweaked a little to make them fit in his future timeline. When he first wrote The Psychotechnic League as a short story, Anderson believed that conflict could be controlled if properly directed by using psychology and involving the United Nations (U.N.) as the supreme leaders in command. However, he changed his mind in his later years and decided that the U.N. shouldn’t be the folks in charge of a world government. But he also didn’t believe that any commander (or president) should have absolute overt control. He felt that indirect control could allow events to take their natural course.

What we are seeing in this decade is a massive surge of a control by our government for their own monetary personal gain. Society is being forced to change in order to retrieve control and retain personal freedom. Society is warring with each other and not understanding our own history. Cutting funds to education, fact-check news, and especially NPR and PBS funding is an affront to all those wishing to pass on correct knowledge to our future children and grandchildren.

And we the people are rebelling, even as social media by those in power condemn us. Most of us believe in education and understand that illiteracy cannot be tolerated.

Protests throughout history haven’t always gotten what we needed or wanted at the time, but everyone must understand that we all have a right to do so without people like that guy in office and his minion, you know who, attack you online and have the insane MAGA media defame you. Protesters, teachers, and professors being attacked online is not right. We all have rights, and I may not always agree with others, but shouting misinformation online and sharing this nonsense is ridiculous.

Nothing is free in life, but if each person who believes in free speech as well as reliable and credible speech (the other 50% and hopefully more now) would give a dollar to their local TV stations, especially NPR and PBS, it would add up quickly, and reach the .1% that is being cut by that guy in office. Legal civil disobedience in action can be an amazing and uplifting strategy. Billionaires shouldn’t be in charge of our money, or our news. They shouldn’t be able to demean us with their ridiculous diatribes. We can continue to have great unbiased news and lovely shows to watch if we all just pitch in to save them.

Out here, we love our local Rocky Mountain PBS and give to them as much as we can every time they fund raise. Those people in office that don’t have the intellectual capacity to understand the shows, they try to shut it down. Those who have never watched the kid shows that my child grew up on (and became an incredible person as a result of watching and participating in the lessons) should not have a say in what programming can be on television. They should look deep into their hearts and souls to understand what that guy in office is trying to do with their support.

It’s time for everyone in these positions to take a look at who they really are and why they were voted into office. It’s time to become human beings once again that are not afraid to stand up to money and power for the greater good.

The misinformation that our government and their minions are giving out to the world is simply just WRONG. They should be in therapy if their childhood was incredibly bad. They want others to suffer for their upbringing. No other child should suffer because of their personal history bias. Just keep telling them to go to therapy and listen to their constituents. We cannot be afraid like they are. We have to Get Up! Stand up! And take a stand!
Enough said.

Love to all tonight and wish for rain!

Sometimes It’s Okay to Ask for Help

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Thank you kiddo for helping me today. Sometimes technology can be overwhelming to us oldsters but when someone like you shows me the way, it is a beautiful thing. Thanks for being you!

And on that note, take a look at my new book page! It looks so much nicer! Still working on Book III for both bigs and smalls for the series. (And after publication, he will help me once again, I’m sure!)

So my lesson for today is it’s okay to ask for help of any kind, but take notes and remember it for the future when you are endeavoring to learn something new. Don’t give up and feel overwhelmed about it (and don’t blame others because things are changing constantly in this world). Just remember the good ole’ days weren’t really that good and we can seek to find new ways to help each other every day we are on this planet.

A society that has isolated us in the past has made up feel like we have to go it alone when facing bad days and tough decisions. I have felt the guilt that my accomplishments haven’t been worthy by some people. I have faced difficult times where no one believed in the things I believed in. It has been hard to ask for help in my adult life and when I go it alone, I have a huge fear of failure.

So as I age, I have been trying to help others, even though I get a little annoyed when they don’t give back the way I feel they should. I admit to this flaw, and still go on to do the best I can every day. Our lives have been molded by stressors that pile up every day because others don’t feel we little guys are worthy of their help. So each day I ask the world and all of us little guys in it to care a little bit more about others. I ask everyone to be kind and just don’t worry about it. Giving of ourselves is free, and sometimes it just makes us feel better about our current situation. It’s a hard task for all, but we will persevere if we worry a little less. I’m still working on that part.

For more information about asking for help, go to:
https://www.wondermind.com/article/asking-for-help/

Take care of yourselves and others tonight and enjoy the warmth before the next storm!