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This coming Wednesday, many folks will celebrate the 148th anniversary of a holiday you might have heard of, but I doubt many know of its origins. Wednesday is "Emancipation Day", or, as it's more commonly know, "Juneteenth". Through the Emancipation Proclaimation, Abraham Lincoln freed all slaves being held in the Confederate States. However, back in those days communication wasn't anything like it is today. By the end of the war in April of 1865, there were still hundreds of thousands of slaves who hadn't gotten the word, including a substantial group in Texas. On June 19, 1865 General Gordon Granger issued general order #3 in Galveston, Texas officially informing the "slave population" that they were now, and had been for some 2 years, free. At the time Gen. Granger made his order, there were about 200,000 slaves in Texas. The news was greeted with great jubilation. Celebrations broke out all over the state. Since that time, "Juneteenth" has been an occasion for remembrance and celebration, particularly amongst the African-American population. Families gather at this time for fun, b-b-q, fellowship, and worship. In January of 1980, Texas became the first state to reconize "Juneteenth" as a state holiday. Many more states would follow and today there are 36 states that recognize the day as either a state holiday or official state day of remembrance. There are currently moves afoot to raise the day to national status, either in the form of an official holiday, or as a day of special observance. There really was no other reason for this blog, other than the fact I thought you might want to know. I now return you to your regularly scheduled lives ...
Tags: History
The photos are stunning. Block after block of devestation as Mother Nature drops yet another bomb on an unprepared public. Within moments, lives were torn apart, never to be put "really right" again. If you can look at this kind of agony and it doesn't break your heart, then maybe you just don't have one. And yet ... And yet. Within moments of the first reports of this gawd-awful tragedy, message boards on the internet across the nation were filling up with stupid comments by stupid people on the most stupid things. It's the Republicans' fault. It's the Democrats' fault. It's Obama's fault. It's Bush's fault. It's those damned Tea Party people. It's those stinking liberals. I read page after page of this tripe, growing more and more angry with every line. There is a time and place for everything. In the weeks and months to come, as our government and the "private sector" rally to help out the Oklahoma victims, there will be plenty of time for questions, laying blame [if there is blame to lay], arguing about the cost, pointing fingers at slow response ... a million things, I suppose. And we will go through it. When natural calamity strikes, we always do. And I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. However, for the next little bit, couldn't we all put politics aside? Can't we all just be Americans who are united in our grief and concern for these other Americans who have suffered such tragic losses? Now is the time for compassion...for helping out our "neighbors" any way we can. It's time to hold our loved ones close and thank whatever "powers that be" that it wasn't us, or ours. I now return you to your regularly-scheduled lives ...
Tags: Politics As Usual
"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies..." "...Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates." {Proverbs 31: 10/25-31} * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * May you all have a wonderful day ... and if you're still fortunate enough to have a mother, please don't ever let the opportunity pass to let her know that you know without her, there would be no you!!
A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different outcome. With what is happening in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I believe we are all witnessing a fine example of insanity, the like of which we have not seen since the Hurricane Katrina debauchle. Please don't get me wrong. My heart goes out to all those who were affected by this devestating storm. The loss of life was horrendous and the property loss really can't be accurately calculated when you take into consideration all the memories that were washed out to sea. However, when you ask, no, demand money from me to make things "right", I do have a bit of an issue. If you choose to build your home or business along a coastline, or below sea level, or on top of an earthquake fault, then I promise you. Sooner or later Mother Nature is going to let you know who really is in control. Throughout history we have seen time and time again where the earth has reclaimed its own. It may be 100 years between storms. It may be 1000 years between earthquakes. Or it may be a matter of days or weeks. Even with all our scientific advances, there is no way to predict with unswerving certainty. The only thing certain is that you are going to be affected by a natural disaster, sooner or later. I have no problem with federal money being used to help in the clean-up process. After all, those affected by the storm pay their taxes, too. However, I draw a big line when it comes to paying someone money to build his/her home or business right back where they had it before...directly in the path of danger that we all know is coming sooner or later. Further, if you make the choice to live in these danger-prone environs, then you should be willing to take your own lumps when things go bad. Why should my insurance rates continue to skyrocket because some "Mr. I don't have the sense G-d gave a goose" keeps building back in a danger zone? My home owner's insurance has gone up practically every year for as long as I can remember. In all that time, I have not placed one single claim. When I ask my agent about it, he says that it's because of the increased demands from other parts of the country and so they have to "spread the pain around." I say bull hockey!! I didn't choose to build my home on a flood plain. I didn't choose to build my home on stilts on a hillside near the San Andreas fault. I didn't choose to build my home on the coast. I didn't choose to build my home in an area that's a hundred feet below sea level. Why should I have to pay for those stupid enough to do so? My solution would be a radical one, and I'll wager not many people would even consider it. I think the federal government ought to buy the entire coastline of America, back to a distance of one mile. No building would be permitted in that "buffer zone", unless it was expressly for national defense or something like that. But no homes. No hotels. No theme parks. No businesses. Nothing. It would be one giant National Park that everyone had access to. Then, when the next storm hits [and make no mistake...it will hit] it will just be uninhabited parkland that is damaged...a much easier and far less expensive clean-up than the mess we have now. But at any rate, it's just one woman's thoughts. I'd love to hear yours!! I now return you to your regularly scheduled lives ...
Tags: Current Events
This holiday season we have been treated to a couple of note-worthy movies, at least in my humble opinion. I thought I'd give my review of both, and my recommendation that you see both on the big screen if you get the opportunity. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * First, let's talk about "middle earth". I really love JRR Tolkien. I've read all of his books, and I read them back before they got as wildly popular as they are now, thanks largely to the success of Peter Jackson's movie trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. I loved the books. I loved the movies. So, when I heard that Jackson was going to do a "pre-quel" with The Hobbit, I was delighted. But then, it was announced that he was going to do another trilogy. I must admit, I balked. After all, a triology made sense with Lord of the Rings because it was, after all, a trilogy in print. The Hobbit, on the other hand, was just one book. My first reaction was "Yech...just trying to drag things out just to make more money." How on earth can you drag one book into three 2+ hour movies and still have it be entertaining? Well, if "The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey" is any indication, it can be done quite masterfully in the hands of a genius like Peter Jackson. From beginning to end, I was on the edge of my seat. It was if I was sitting at Tolkien's knee listening to him spin his tales. The New Zealand locales have lost none of their beauty, and the ensemble of actors could not be better. There are "old friends" we see again: Galadriel, Saramon [before his corruption by Sauron], Elron of Rivendale, and of course, Gandalf. And then, of course, there's Bilbo, brilliantly played by Martin Freeman. I was amazed how quickly the time passed, and at the end we really were only about a third of the way through the book. If you are a fan of this genre, I highly recommend that you see this movie. Okay...next let's move on to this season's other blockbuster..."Les Miserables". I must say at the outset that I didn't expect much from this movie. There has been so much hype that I knew nothing could be that good. Add to this the fact that "Les Miserables", the musical, has never been one of my favorites. I have seen numerous live performances of it, and I haven't really liked any of them. Why? Well, I just don't personally think that every great piece of literature works all that well as a musical. And trust me, Les Miserables, as written by Victor Hugo, is great literature. It has always been one of my favorite books ever since I read it as a teenager decades ago. I've read it several times over the years and it still gets to me. I don't care for the "operatic" telling of this tale, so I have an in-born prejudice against it. But as it turns out, I have now seen the current version of "Les Miserables", the musical, twice, and both times I have been impressed with the movie. I think the casting was brilliant, with each person bringing all they could to their roles. I was particularly impressed with Russell Crowe as Javert. He's gotten a lot of bad press, but I actually think he did quite well in the role. All in all, the production was lush and if you've seen the "real-life" play and enjoyed it, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this screen version. On a scale of 1 to 5 [with 5 being the best] if you like movie musicals, I'd give this one a solid 3.5. Okay ... so there you have it. One woman's opinion, for what it's worth. Have you already seen these movies? If so, why not add your "critique" to the mix. Loved them? Hated them? Felt they were worth the price of your ticket? Wish you'd waited for them to come out on DVD? Let's schmooze!! I now return you to your regularly scheduled lives ...
Tags: Entertainment
Well here it is. That certain time of the year when we will all lose ourselves in the flurries of activities, including religious observances, monumental feasts, lavish decorations, endless parties, and of couse, shopping. In December there is a "holiday" to fit just about every stripe. There's Hanukkah , Eid al-Adha , Christmas , Yule Tide , K'wanza'a [African-American], and even one called "The Festivus for the Rest of Us"!! Each one of these comes with its own set of knick-knacks and doo-dahs and various forms of celebration. So you really can take your pick ... or celebrate them all if you so desire. It seems that the "winter holiday season" brings out the very best AND the very worst in some folks. It's a time when many of us are acutely aware of and make a big deal out of our differences instead of [rightfully, in my opinion] focusing on our similarities. As for me, I'm a Jew. I like being a Jew. I don't want to be anything else other than a Jew. But I don't feel it's my mission in life to hit folks over the head with my own particular religious choice. I'm very comfortable with where I am in the grand scheme of things. However, it seems that there are some who seem inordinately threatened at this time of year. They think that if they see a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn, or hear a store clerk say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" that they're going to be thrown into some sort of crisis of conscience. I don't know, but it saddens me that these folks' faith, beliefs, or non-beliefs, are so shallow and so weakly held that such trivialities would threaten them so. They would take away all the "trappings" of anything that runs counter to their own personal way of thinking. Not only is that ignorant, but it's also intolerant. So, while I can't speak for the entire non-Christian world, please let me set MY record straight: Nativity scenes don't offend me, wherever they are placed. Christmas carols don't bother me. In fact, some of the music is really quite beautiful. Being told "Merry Christmas" isn't off-putting either. And please ... don't forget about me when you're passing out the Christmas cookies and eggnog. You have my solemn word that nothing you say or do is going to change or challenge my "Jewishness". I don't believe for a moment that you're trying to convert me. [Not that you could, even if you wanted to...] So Merry Christmas everybody ... And Happy Hanukkah ... And blessed Eid al-Adha ... and whatever season or holiday you celebrate during this time of year, I hope it's a good one for you. And for those of you who might not believe in anything? Well, keep a stiff upper lip. It'll all be over soon. I now return you to your regularly scheduled life ...
Tags: Learning To Live And Let Live In December
Happy Birthday to Me I'm older, you see And there are still some things I don't know Like where do you run when you've run out of fun And you've played every game that you know Jacks, and marbles, and hide-n-go-seek; run, chief, run and the lot Hearts and flowers, by the hours, play 'em and what have you got Happy Birthday to Me, I'm older you see And there are still some things I don't know Like why does it take a birthday to make Us wonder how little we grow by: Rod McKuen
First, let me say from the get-go that I really don't have a problem with same-sex marriage. I don't figure I've run my own race so perfectly that I can tell anyone else how to get around the track. And I know that some of my friends here will haul out their Bibles and try to show me chapter and verse so that I'll change my mind. Please don't. I mean, it used to be you could get yourself a wife just by going to the lady's father and offering him two cows and a goat. That was "biblical", too, but you don't hear anybody suggesting that we go back to doing things that way, do you? Anyway, an argument over that is not what I want to get into with this blog. Since Dan Cathy expressed his personal opinion about same-sex marriage to "The Baptist Press" [a conservative, religiously-oriented publication] you would think the man advocated drowning kittens and banning Christmas. There have been calls for boycotts. Even the late Jim Henson's Muppet group said they would no longer do business with Chick-Fil-A. As to that, well, I say that if you really don't like his stance, then don't buy his product. That's the way it works. However, something far more insidious has surfaced in this "great debate". Both Rahm Emanuel [mayor of Chicago] and Thomas Menino [mayor of Boston] have stated publicly that should Chick-Fil-A try to open restaurants in either of those cities that it might be really, really hard for them to get the necessary licenses, health permits, and the like that are needed to open any eating establishments. It is thinly vieled threats like this that have my dander up ... in spades. How dare two publicly elected officials in two of the largest cities in this country use these kinds of tactics just because they personally disagree with Mr. Cathy's stance? I mean, how un-American can you get? In Mr. Emanuel's case, I am reminded of those old "glory days" in Chicago where if you didn't buy Al Capone's booze, you just didn't sell booze. Period. And what other businesses will be [or have already been] turned away because they don't "jibe" with the mayors' political opinions? Shades of Tammany Hall here!! As far as I know, Chick-Fil-A has never violated any federal/state/local laws when it comes to hiring practices. The restaurant down the road from me has a female African-American manager. Amongst the work staff are Hispanic, White, African-American and Asian kids. [the place is located within walking distance of the area high school] They pay better than minimum wage and the employees always know they have Sundays off...whether they're "Christian" or not. I've talked to some of these people and they all say they believe they are treated fairly by the company. I will admit I've never asked any of them about their sexual orientation, 'cause I figure that's really none of my business...nor anybody else's for that matter!! As I said at the outset, I have a basic disagreement with Mr. Cathy's stance; however, when elected officials think they have the right to use "the system" to make an end-run around the Constitution, that is where I intend to draw the line. I now return you to your regularly scheduled life ...
Tags: Current Events
Like I'm sure many of you have been doing, I've been surfing the internet, reading all the various stories having to do with the Colorado movie theatre shooting. There are so many questions we all have, largely going unanswered. And it seems everybody has their own spin...their own ideas as to the whys and wherefores of the entire tragedy. Well, it got me to thinking ... Y'know, if I've learned anything in my lengthy existence, it's that "crazy" doesn't recognize any ethnic, religious, racial, or socio-economic boundaries. "Crazy" is neither a Republican, a Democrat, nor a Libertarian. "Crazy" isn't a Buddhist, a Baptist, a Jew, a Muslim, an Atheist, nor anything else particularly. "Crazy" is not pro-gun control nor anti-gun control. "Crazy" is just "crazy". There is so much speculation flying around, but that's all it is right now. We are all confused and looking for answers, but the truth is, there may never be any. I know for a fact that no matter what we find out in the coming days and weeks, it is never going to make any "sense" to you and me. There is no explanation that is going to be satisfactory. No matter what it turns out that this individual's "motivation" was, there is not going to be a time, ever, when we say amongst ourselves: "Oh yeah. Right. Now I get it. I would've done the same thing in his shoes." Some people have said [in the things I've read] that this man is not crazy, but simply evil. Okay. But which came first, the "crazy" or the "evil"? Is he an evil man who committed a crazy act, or is he a crazy man who committed an evil act? And does it really matter? 12 people are still dead and dozens more wounded. I'm just concerned that in our honest desire to "understand" that we seem to be stumbling all over ourselves trying to point fingers of blame. The parents' fault. Society's fault. Guns' fault. The economy's fault. Obama's fault. Bush's fault. Too much religion's fault. Not enough religion's fault. The fact is, there will never be a justification for madness. I know that we've been taught that if we know the cause of something then perhaps we can prevent it from happening again in the future ... and there is some merit to that argument. However, we also need to be accepting of the fact that sometimes **** just happens. Not because of anything "we" did or did not do. It just happens. I now return you to your regularly scheduled life.
Tags: Current Events
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