Kontan’s Place

tidbits

wiped out tired ready for bed. dogs barking…grrr. oh that’s just gotta stop. took kids to mall for trick or treating. met some friends, had fun. it’s been a long day. just realized we get a week off for thanksgiving. i don’t know how that lil tidbit got by me at the beginning of the year, but that was a great bright spot for the day. i spent today reviewing kids for a test tomorrow and trying to set up a forum. i have new respect for forum operators. i’m going to attempt to use forum style as a means of informing parents of lesson plans, assignments, and instructions. i needed something easy access and easy edit. this was the choice. i’m going to keep most topics closed with specific areas dedicated for questions. after initial set up it is easier to use than my website. so back to kids…we went to the mall. lots o people. tweety was a snowman…nose and all. cutiepie! froggy was a ninja girl. they racked up on candy. . . have to say some will disappear to school soon. last thing we need is a ton of candy in the house.

djembe started working on the house yesterday, moving furniture and getting things in proper places. this is going to be a long process, but i’m excited about it. the next month is going to drive us crazy with the chaos. i have to go furniture shopping. maybe there will be a spec of spare time soon.

not much else to say and i cant stop yawning…that’s it for this eve. kontan jou.

“Happy Days”

My task is to now answer the following:

How do the essays by Beth Bailey and Roland Marchand challenge the popular “Happy Days” image of the 1950s?

I remember watching happy days. Life seemed so easy and family so “normal”. Sure they had issues, but nothing that couldn’t be solved in the 30 minute TV time. I searched the net and ran across a brief synopsis of the show: “Happy Days” was set in the 1950s in Milwaukee, the heart of middle-class America, and told the story of the Cunningham family. Mr. Cunningham (Tom Bosley) ran the local hardware store and Mrs. Cunningham (Marion Ross), like all good TV Moms, spent her time in the kitchen. Their son, Richie (Ron Howard), hung out at Arnold’s Drive-In with his pals Ralph Malph (Donny Most) and Potsie (Anson Williams), trying to be as cool as the coolest greaser in town, the Fonz (Henry Winkler). Richie’s sister, Joanie (Erin Moran), tagged along whenever she wasn’t at her friend Jenny Piccolo’s house. The Cunninghams also had an older son, Chuck, but he mysteriously disappeared after the first season. When the series started, Richie and his pals were using fake ID’s to sneak into bars and struggling to find dates. By the time the show ended, their teenage problems had given way to decidedly adult topics like marriage and children. (credit to whoever created the geocities site).

The background documents for this section paint a very different life of the 1950s. First discussing the teenage market, Life magazine (1959 article) describes it as a developing industry bringing in big bucks. The article paints a picture of indulgent parents and spoiled kids. It is actually very similar to arguments heard in the 21st century. A Newsweek article form 1955 details delinquency of the 50s and the growth of teenage gangs. Again, very similar to stories of today. Senseless killing and fights over territorial disputes, or for merely the sake of fighting. The 1955 article included from US News and World Report address television and the evils deteriorating the minds of society. What if those same writers looked at television today! Same arguments, some say it broadens the world view of the watcher and expands their lives into world’s they might never see in reality. Those in protest determine it weakens the ability of society to think and deteriorates the health of its youth. A House of Representatives discussion on homosexuality is included. Cold war fears are used to support this argument stating that in the closet homosexuals are easy prey for communists seeking weak links to blackmail. Statistics of homosexual government employees are included. I question the validity of the statistics stating “75% of the 4000 pervers in the District of Columbia are employed by the Government”. Lastly this section includes graphic illustrations of how to respond to a nuclear attack. Honestly, I find this section amusing. In the event that you are close enough to see the flash kiss your butt goodbye because there is little chance you will survive the fall out. Here’s a quote, “Fashion tips for the apocalypse. Men should wear wide-brimmed hats, women stockings and long-sleeved dresses.” Stockings? OUCH! I can’t imagine getting those things off in the event of a burn. It’s really not amusing, it is scary that this was an actual fear and arguably still is, just in a different scenario.

evening ramble

i mentioned not too long ago that we were no longer a single car family. woohoo! it is so great to not have to scramble in the mornings so everyone gets where they need to be on time. now we are back to our original routine that allows an extra five minutes if needed. that doesn’t seem like much, but in morning traffic it is a big deal. i am so happy that djembe found what he needed too. he can fit all of us and his drums in if needed. he was nice enough to let me drive his new toy today. how very kind. i wanted to finally create an outdoor fall display. nothing major just a few mums and color in the front bed. i needed to repot my ivy too. i decided to put it in the ground instead. we’ll see how that turns out. tomorrow i’m sending jem to buy more rock to finish the front beds. this is a project i have worked on for the longest. life just gets in the way. i had to put it on hold in my frantic attempt to prepare for comps. but i am ready for it to be done! i can’t wait until thanksgiving break. that is when we will hit the inside and paint, redo, and make the house “ours”. we’ve been here over a year now and not taken the time to change things. i really love this house. it is not huge. adequate for the four of us. the yard is great for the kids and dogs. it backs to our neighbors pond that the kids love to paddle boat in.

there’s also some pretty big fish in there too. we leave the fishing to the neighbors. but it is nothing to have kids from the neighborhood hanging out in our back yard with their fishing gear. as long as they leave my dogs alone no problem. the dogs love the pond too. i haven’t seen blackie (the smaller one) swimming as much this year, but they chase the dragonflies and get a drink now and then. usually getting a drink is a full body experience…not today though…

when we went to st. louis i bought a new digital camera. it took GREAT pictures. but after having it only two weeks it locked up on us. so i took the vivitar and exchanged it for a kodak. we have a great 35 MM kodak that i will not give up so i’m hoping the kodak digi will be just as good. i had problems getting pics off the camera but figured that glitch out tonight. i am really impressed with the quality. i was pretty far away when i took that pic of the dogs. i can’t wait to go hiking and get some great nature shots. when jem and i went to talladega a few weeks ago i took pics of the race cars. here’s one of his favorite driver, taken right after practice:

guess that is enough for an evening ramble…time to jump over to compchaos and get some work done…evaluating the 1950s and the “happy days” perception.

Seventh Day Slumber

went to see seventh day slumber this evening. their music is a little harder than i usually like. still pretty good. i went to talk to the guy in the back right corner, jeremy…i went to high school with him. about a year ago i heard a “birthday shout out” to him on a local radio station. *head spin what?* i was shocked to hear his name…but it fit. he is such a great singer and guitar player. we were in band together in high school. great guy. i haven’t seen him in 9 years or so. i was shocked he even remembered my name. this group has a great biography. all have come a long way in their lives. it is a contemporary chrisitian rock group…a little alternative. i’m really impressed with their no fear attitude in venturing into the areas teens are most bombarded by…sex, drugs, and dysfunction. great that a band steps up to tell their own struggles and reveal the possibilities life has.

“here by me”

i have a new favorite song. “here by me” by 3 doors down. wow, it is so mellow. the guitar part is absolutely great. just calm with the scratchy mellow tone of 3 doors down. there’s even a classic guitar sound in there that just makes me wow. the lyrics are pretty powerful, but i’m about the music. the bridge is great. all around great song. fav part is the end with he counter guitar melody. i love counter melodies. almost a harmony but fits perfectly…i have a lot of favs lately…john mayer’s “stitched up” is a lot of fun. but i’m still loving metheny. i want to find some of the older pat metheny group. i really wish rhapsody would add the newer santana stuff. anyway, here’s the lyrics to 3 doors down…

“Here By Me”

I hope you’re doing fine out there without me
‘Cause I’m not doing so good without you
The things I thought you’d never know about me
Were the things I guess you always understood

So how could I have been so blind for all these years?
Guess I only see the truth through all this fear,
And living without you. . .

And everything I have in this world
And all that I’ll ever be
It could all fall down around me.
Just as long as I have you,
Right here by me.

I can’t take another day without you
‘Cause baby, I could never make it on my own
I’ve been waiting so long, just to hold you
And to be back in your arms where I belong

Sorry I can’t always find the words to say
But everything I’ve ever known gets swept away
Inside of your love…

And everything I have in this world
And all that I’ll ever be
It could all fall down around me.
Just as long as I have you,
Right here by me.

As the days grow long I see
That time is standing still for me
When you’re not here

Sorry I can’t always find the words to say
Everything I’ve ever known gets swept away
Inside of your love

And everything I have in this world
And all that I’ll ever be
It could all fall down around me.
Just as long as I have you,
Right here by me.

And everything I have in this world
And all that I’ll ever be
It could all fall down around me.
Just as long as I have you,
Right here by me.

supersize it…the importance of moderation

in a society where supersize-it is thought of as a good thing…remember this victim of supersize syndrome. remember being little and filling up that buffet plate? (ok, maybe it was last week even.) you get half way thru and you feel like kitty here. you want to pass out in your kibbles. as gran would say, “your eyes are bigger than you stomach”. so, here’s the moral of the story…dont let your eyes be bigger than your stomach. there is no need to supersize it. there is no need to put yourself in a position to end up face down in your kibbles from over-eating. moderation people! moderation. slow down, and listen to your body. don’t be another statistic…another victim of supersize syndrome. better yet, ditch the fast food burger altogether…maybe just have a really good salad!

chinese?

You Should Learn Chinese

Surprised? You shouldn’t be - Chinese is perfect for an ambitious person like you. You’re a natural entrepreneur, and a billion people are waiting to do business with you!

i know. the blogthings are stupid. but it does make you think. this one is WAY off. chinese??? wth? i am not travelling to china. i am looking at international teaching, but not in china. i would have been shocked to read “learn maori”. maori is a language of new zealand which is a current interest. guess the net genie can’t be right on every time…

The Power of Books…

Thomas Babington Macaulay was born on October 25, 1800
English historian, 1800-1859

“I would rather be poor in a cottage full of books than a king without the desire to read”

Here is a thinkexist.com quote for today. I have not had the pleasure over the last couple of years to read for the sheer enjoyment of reading. But, like this quote I would rather be poor with books than a king without the desire to read. I equate that with no desire for learning. I love to learn. If I could afford it I would be a full time student. There are so many interesting things out there! Books open the door to adventure. Books open the door to knowledge which can make our lives better. At least poor with books you have the opportunity to improve your plight in life, you have the opportunity to seek happiness. Books let us dream and ease the stress of everyday life. Books can show us ways to live better. Books can be an escape from reality. Books can be a gateway to the past or a dream for the future, even a warning for the future. Books can be power. Look how many books have been banned and burned from the shelves of libraries. Look what lasts…the classics. Why are they classics? Will the modern classics still be around after hundreds of years? Some will. What will books of the late 20th and 21st centuries tell those in the future about our life? Books are generally written from the time period in which we live. Will it reveal positives or negatives of our society. Accurate? Makes you wonder and question the accuracy of our historical assumptions.

Which would you choose? Poor with books or king and no desire?

kontan jou.

My stance?

My stance? I don’t know, so I’m going to think it out. I know, I’ve been thinking for days. I was a little distracted this week by sick child and nice weather. The stated reason for dropping the A-bombs on Japan are plausible. Even after the bombing of Hiroshima Japan did not show signs of surrender, only mobilizing for the expected invasion. There were some advising the Emperor that refused to back down, and those that suggested surrender negotiation were having little pull. Some suggest the threat of Soviet involvement would have caused Japan to negotiate. Indications were that after the successful testing that the US did not stress Soviet involvement and wanted to keep the Soviets out so they had no claims to make in the surrender. Which leads to the possibility of showing the USSR the power we had. A demo. Certainly relations with the Soviets were strained as the Cold War was getting under way. There is a moral dilemma in dropping the bomb. Innocent life was taken. Yet, Japan was forced to surrender, therefore saving American soldiers. Would it have been effective to demo the destructive power to encourage surrender? I do not think so. Even experiencing destruction did not lead to surrender negotiations, it took a second devastating bomb.

It is not my assignment to determine the morality of dropping the bombs. I do not think it was right. I think the US could have used other destructive means and achieved the same goal. However, I am not certain about the casualty figures. My purpose is to determine the why.

The United States bombed Japan for several reasons. First, to bring an end to the war. Second, to demonstrate force and power to the Soviets. Third, I really think they wanted to see what it would really do. That is horrible I know. But I think for some it was an issue. I believe there is merit to the argument that those who argue against the bombing argue with evidence written after the fact, using hindsight judgments.

Now the goal is to put this into an intelligent essay…

night reflection

so i’m sitting here listening to pat metheny (”On Her Way” from Gathering Sky) and trying to decide why the US bombed Japan. going back an forth in my thoughts i realize, i’m not having to determine the morality, i’m having to look at the why. it isn’t in good form but i stated my reasons.

sitting here scanning the net earlier and tchaik hops up to the window. he’s just staring. i say hello, then go back to what i’m doing. he whimpers and whines. ok fine, i will get shoes and come feed you (even though it is early!) he then goes to the patio and barks. impatient doof. he’s such a sweety really. he was ready for dinner and night night and wanted me to know it!

i took great pics of the girls and the neighbors in the paddle boat yesterday. wish i could figure out how to get them off my camera. the wonderful camera does me no good if i can not get the pics off!

enough for tonight. i’m trying to turn in early lately and djembe is having a hard time persuading me out of bed when it is cold in the mornings.

brrrrr bunnies! fall is here! woohoo! (it’s so pretty too!)

kontan jou!!!!