Friday, September 10, 2010

The End

Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that "The Little Sad Engine That Couldn't" has found a new home.

Last week, I sold Subie for $500 to a cement worker. Ironicly, he already owns a Ford Ranger, and the gas from Mica Peak to work is killing him. (For those of you who don't understand the irony here, Tim rolled a Ford Ranger. We used to have the Subie stabled with a Ranger.)

This guy has owned a Subaru like this one before and got 285K out of it before it died. During the test drive, we discussed its problems, its abilities, and the little rattle in the dome light from the dislodged screw.

He was thrilled. He know what the car needs, is familiar with this car, and has the know-how to tinker with it.

As a part of the deal, we had loaded Subie up with her four mounted studs. I dug out the manual and gave it to him as well.

Friday, I passed him Tim's key through a coworker and called him to let him know who had it. He is still thrilled about the car--and I'm glad. Let the buyer and seller rejoice!

So after this, I realized this was somewhat the end of an era, albeit a short one--and I think Jesus would say that if little smoking cars can get second chances, how much more us?

And I'm giving myself a second chance too. I've dropped my pseudonym, Vernona E. Monteith. If I publish my fiction, it'll be under my name, and I won't be embarrassed about it.

To herald these events, I'm letting go of "The Little Sad Engine That Couldn't." You can find me on Truth, Fiction, and Faith by the end of the week.

Much love to you all, and if ever you see a little sad engine chugging up a hill or smoking down the street, be sure to smile, yeild, and wave.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Lee Marvin, Fred Rogers, and Robert Keeshan

A got an email about Captian Kangroos' service in the United States Marine Corp. The Wikipedia article about Robert Keeshan, a.k.a. Captain Kangaroo, says that he enlisted in the USMC reserves too late to see combat action. (I know, true journalists don't quote Wikipedia atricles.)

The email also claims that Fred Rogers served in Vietnam and then went on to seminary, swearing off violence and that the sweaters Rogers wore on his TV show, Mr. Rogers' neighborhood, were to cover up all his tattoos. According to the Presidential Medal of Freedom website, Rogers graduated from seminary in 1963. The site, while providing his biography, makes no mention of Vietnam.

And the point of the email--Lee Marvin was shot in the Battle of Saipan, not Iwo Jima.

The big question is: How do these emails get started? And why? I plan to look into this some more.

Remember, before forwarding that email: When you're not in doubt, you can still check it out!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Mom's Summer Blues


In yesterday's post, I bemoaned the inevitable ending of summer vacation by listing a number of goals that I procrastinated.

One of the passing thoughts I have every year is about my kids. Did I do enough with them? Will they have had a memorable summer?

This summer, I had a kid work as a lifeguard/swimming instructor at our local pool and go on a missions trip to Guatemala. One of my kids took a CNC/welding/machining class. The youngest had two weeks of swimming lessons. We all took a trip to the Oregon Coast and had my niece as a guest for two weeks.

Yet, I'm still left wondering if it's enough. What about the annual trip to Silverwood we used to take. It's so expensive--just to get there--but we have two tickets for free entry. Yet when I look at the calendar, I know those tickets are only good for weekdays during the summer. We'd have to wait until September to go as a family, and like I said, it's not cheap. When I look at the number of weekend we have left--those weekends free of obligation, I wonder if I'm just putting too much on my plate.

What about those free things I could have done? Those days at the lake I never went? The bike rides unpedaled? The starry nights unexplored? Am I just a horrible mom for being lazy or fed up with the people around me?

So I'm left with a slightly guilty feeling over childhood days wasted in front of the television set or days jam-packed with chores like cleaning the bedrooms out and the shed.

But what is considered too over the top? Kids shouldn't learn that the world revolves around them; it's unhealthy. They could grow up into people who don't like waiting their turn, who text during movies and in the car, and who expect the world to entertain them.

And what kind of example do I set when I cater to everyone's needs but my own? Is this healthy? Shouldn't my marriage have a higher priority to my kids' wants? After all, they're supposed to move out someday.

Planning a family vacation is no small feat. A lot of time, energy and money go into it. Yet, with all of the joys of those moments, I had a kid who really would've rather have been home.

So maybe the quality of my kids summer is not up to me. If, after all that work, I can still have a less-than-satisfied kid, where's the problem? With me? With my plans? Or maybe happiness is a perception.

Perhaps we, as a society, should spend less time showing the next generation a good time and more time teaching kids how to find their happiness from within.

Insert better title here.

It's been a month and I haven't posted anything new. School is approaching and I fear I've lost my ability to write. Didn't I say I'd keep up with my blog this summer?

Then again, after midnight might not be the time to do it.

This realization of (insert adjective describing putting things off here) makes me want to look at the rest of the list of things I want to finish this summer.

+Blog
+Website work (Look up HTML code for bullets and insert them later.)
+walk/ride bike
+work with dog
+4054 map
+Wolves and Promises cover
+Wolves and Promises finished
+read books (for fun)
+fish one-on-one with Donna

Now the only thing I've finished is the 4054 map. I need to edit it for the current novel. Does that count?

I'm four chapters away from having the last edit done on Wolves and Promises. I will finish that.

Hmm... As far as the rest of the list goes, I could be sunk.

Where did the time go?

Friday, July 2, 2010

The Author's Pep Talk in Crazy Stanza.

Paragraphs one and two are 68 words apeice. Paragraphs three and four are 32 words apeice. Paragraph five is 98 (68+32) words.


The best thing about being an author is when others’ read your work. When others understand your work and read into your little world, all the tiny behind-the-scenes details are validated. Maybe the reader even falls in love with the characters. This is the moment of moments. The best times are when those critiquers add depth by asking questions, catch a mistake, or offer positive advice.


The worst thing about being an author is when others’ read your work. When others belittle your work and minimize your efforts, the storyline seems wasted. Was it read out of obligation? Why does the reader even bother? To go forward is impossible, even though eight years have been invested. When others don’t share your vision, the tone of voice in their comments is a snarl.

When I critique others’ work, I try to give as much positive feedback as I can. I know how fragile authors can be, I’ve been hurt deeply by people close to me.


When I receive others’ critiques, I try to remember the source. Is this person’s comments always sour? Is it grammar issue or something else? I must take feedback from this individual carefully.

Ultimately, if I’m truly writing my book for the Lord, I must be unswayed by the disapproval of readers or other authors. I must work diligently to improve my story where it needs it. I must also accept the fact that not every person will care for it, and not every person will seek out miniscule errors. On the whole, people love my story. I love my story and feel energized when I realize new events, good and bad, for future volumes. It’s okay to fail according to some. That doesn’t mean that I’ve failed in God’s eyes.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Subie dies again!

Well, Subie may have finally gone to the Great Garage in the sky.

This morning, my daughter started it and drove one block down before it died.

I tried starting it up, but after two attempts, the battery surrendered.

I thought the return of my son might solve my problems. He could push it, and I would pop the clutch.

We walked the block to Subie, I tried to start it with a key, but after two attempts, the familiar white flag rose like a shroud from the battery.

Huston, that’s a no-go.

So I turned the key on. I released the parking brake. I pushed in the clutch and put my foot on the brake. I put the car into first and hollered at my son to push.

He did.

I released the brake before he realized my mistake.

We built up a little speed, I popped out the clutch, and we stopped. We tried again, only this time I left my foot off the brake.

Nothing.

Now I sat in the middle of a side street intersection. I flipped it around, with the help of more pushing, and we pushed uphill. I nestled into a parking spot, set the emergency brake, and walked away.

The funny thing is that God’s timing is always very good. A couple weeks ago, a family member offered to loan one of their vehicles that could make the trip between Spokane and Cheney. We recently accepted their offer, and I’m picking it up tomorrow.
So what’s to become of Subie?

I don’t know. I’ll keep you posted. ; )
If this really is the end, does the blog die too?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

"Beezid fake." by guest blogger, Geoff Meyer



On Beezid every time you bid with their bid coins, it goes up one bid coin just like what the commercials say, but what the commercial doesn’t say is that you have to pay in advance for each bid coin, and you lose the bid coin even if you don’t win.

This makes the site seem amazing and the items cheaper, but then you lose more money then you realize. Example: you pay/bid $10 on an item that is normally $200, but each coin can be from 60 cents to a dollar but is averaged at 70 cents. You actually pay 1000 times 70 (because the pennies are 70 cents so $10 are 1000 pennies). Therefore, for an item that is normally $200, you just paid $700. Beezid makes money through the bids.

Also, the timers they use are messed up. They pause, skip numbers, and just when you try to bid with even two seconds left, the system won't register your bid and you lose the product. Or they set it up to be like a real auction where the timer resets after every bid unlike eBay. The people who work Beezid claim its your internet, but is it?

Also there are allegedly bots, or programs, built in to the auction to raise the price so that no one wins it and Beezid gets more money and the item is set up to bid again.There might be a good deal hidden through all this, but buyer beware.

For more information, check out askville.com.

More about legacy.

The people of Israel in Judges 2 had been given an anonymous gift. They had been delivered from Egyptian slavery and brought into a land where essentially “they came, they saw, and they conquered.”

However, these stories hadn’t been explained to them. Their parents, who witnessed all these things, died without passing on the who or the why of the event.

As a result, enemies living in the country oppressed the Israelites. An angel of the Lord came and told them that people living in their country would always oppress them. God would use these oppressors to test what was in the Israelites hearts.

Even today, the Israelites have neighbors on all sides and in their midst that hate them. God is still using these people today to test what is in their hearts.

Now I’m not saying that every difficult circumstance is God’s testing to show what is in your heart, but you may find (while reading Judges) that every time the Israelites cried out to God for deliverance, He answered.

I think the most important lesson we can glean from this is the importance of passing on the message of God’s love, mercy and deliverance. Grateful kids are kids who will continue the legacy of obedience to God and living in His blessings and grace.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Puttering Through Life.


The Little Sad Engine that Couldn’t is very sad today. It’s smoking like crazy. It made this ticking noise this morning. I put oil in it because it was really low. I put gas in it because it was almost out. When it dies, I hope it goes peacefully without blowing up.

It’s funny how we nurse things along when all hope is lost. We didn’t drive it over a cliff or sell it for scrap. It still gets us to the store, the post office and to school. So many times, it’s easier to hold onto something that works only so-so instead of ditching it completely.

That’s the problem isn’t it? If I were to ditch the car or any of my little habits that only work so-so, with what would I replace it? I’m not riding my bike to the grocery store to buy milk. I’m not walking to my daughter’s school to pick her up when she’s sick with a sore throat. Subie is still the fastest way to Cheney Middle School from Eastern Washington University when I the where-are-you-Mom-my-concert-is-in-half-an-hour call from the forgotten child during finals week.

This is sort of like some of our habits or behaviors. We know, perhaps, that what we’re doing is not the best way forward, but what should we do instead? What if it’s all we know? As a result, we plow ahead, not knowing when the whole thing will blow up in our faces.

I don’t really have a bottom line here other than this advice: keep an eye on your heat gauge.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Junior Lilac Parade, 2009... Queen of Dystonia, Part II.

Here's some video I found of Sarah. Who is safe being ill with a neurological disorder with a family like ours?

Monday, June 7, 2010

“Leaving a Legacy”—Noel Campbell visits Cheney Faith Center on May 31, 2010.

When Noel Campbell’s oldest child was 12 and youngest was three-and-a-half, his wife was called home to be with the Lord.

The first time Campbell left his house after this event, he stopped at the end of his driveway and looked back to two pairs of eyes peeping out of the window.

In Noel’s mind, they were wondering if he would leave them too, as their mother had. Heartbroken, Campbell heard the “still, quiet voice of the Lord” saying “If you let me, we will raise these children.” Campbell, now 82, says it was his joy.

Sonia Coombs and Noel Campbell

Sonia Coombs and Noel Campbell



“If we follow Jesus, we’ll be leaving a legacy our children will want to follow,” he said.

Luke 18:15-17 says, “People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”

Campbell says that we are either leading children to Him or sending them away.

He said we must have a legacy of
• A love of God that’s unconditional
• A faith in who Jesus is
• A trust in our Lord Jesus and his words in our every day walk of life
• A hope in our Lord God because a home in the world will never bring life.

The key, according to Campbell, is to allow the Lord to fill him with more love and less law. When this happens, children want to please their father.

Campbell quoted "Children Learn What They Live" by Dorothy Law Knolte, PhD:

“If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.”
Then he added his own ending: “If a child lives with Christ, he learns to love God and man.”

Campbell quoted Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

He said there were many ways to lead a child to Jesus and they all seem right in our own understanding, but God’s way works. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

He wrapped up his message by sharing three proverbs. One was about someone who had taught a child about God by scaring him with the awesome works of God and the child’s reaction of fear and resistance when it was time to meet the Father. The second proverb was about someone so distracted by everything that must be done that when it was finally time to meet the Father, the child was distracted and unable to focus. The last proverb was about someone who followed the child’s lead and interests and not only told stories about the Father, but also listened to the child retell them as well. When it was finally time to meet the Father, the child was overjoyed, and the individual who lead the child stepped back and merely watched as a happy outsider to their relationship.

He recited Psalm 139: 23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” In addition, Noel challenged the congregation to wake every morning and greet God with a “What would you like me to do today?” and listen for an answer from the still, small voice.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Why should I lead my child to Christ?


We all have different backgrounds. Some of us grew up in church. Perhaps we went through the motions or were burned by something someone said or a life experience. For some, this pain reaches so deeply, they question God.

As parents, we have to set all this aside. We need to look at our children and understand what sort of legacy we leave them. We may be able to shelter them from hurt in church situations by avoidance, but we can’t shelter them from hurt in the rest of the world. Between school, work, playmates and even our own homes, they will encounter hurts and either learn to grow through them or stagnate and fester.

We want to do everything for our kids. We want them to live in a happy home with the best education and good friends. These desires are universal for good-willed people.

But in the world the way it is, we can’t lay aside enough money, property, security or prosperity for them. Ultimately, all these things prove themselves empty. It’s not bad to earn good money and support your family, but if you look to your bank account for the satisfaction and rest your heart needs, you’ll find it wanting every time. Your kids will experience this too, unless we show them a better way.

Kids need a filter to look at their lives and deaths through. Jesus is that filter that will give persepctive. For those of you who think it a fairy tale, sorry. Better be sure for your kids’ sake. Even with eternal life aside, Christianity and church is the best place to give them the love and support for life. Heartbreaks will come.

And for those of you who had difficulties with the institution of church, you’re grown up now. You have no excuse. Get in there, roll up your sleeves and make things right in the church. When there’s a problem in the family with someone who is dysfunctional, healthy families and healthy family members get to work instead of running away. Trust me on that one.

The best churches today have dynamic youth programs with fun activities and contemporary music. The leadership varies from young to old. Try a few out and keep an open mind, but quit looking for excuses because your kids need more.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Shrek glasses recalled.

McDonald’s has recalled their “Shrek Forever After 3D” glasses because of a cadmium danger. Twelve million of these $2 American glasses were sold between May 2010 and June 2010. Consumers should discontinue use of the glasses and visit www.mcdonalds.com/glasses for refund information.

shrek glasses

Friday, June 4, 2010

Children of imprisioned sexual offenders face difficulties moving foward.

Sixteen-year-old “John” would like to move forward from a traumatizing period of his life.

Before he was born, his parents divorced. Before he was two, his mother remarried a man named “Smith.” As a young child, he had sporadic visits with his father, “Harry.” These visits included two younger siblings from another marriage for a “Disneyland-dad” type weekends.

As a member of the large Smith family, John's mother enrolled him in kindergarten with his stepfather’s last name. Much to Harry’s ire, this name followed John up through elementary school, finally accompanying his face on his ASB card.

When John was 12, Harry was arrested. During the previous six-month span, Harry had raped his 8-year-old daughter during visits with his three children. She had been too terrified to tell anyone. Her mother, the custodial parent, learned the terrible news during a visit to the emergency room, a visit they made when she realized that something was physically wrong with her daughter.

Harry eventually pled guilty. During the trial, John wrote the judge a letter, forgiving his father but asking the judge to keep his sister safe while she grew up. The judge sentenced Harry to two concurrent terms of 13 years.

Now that John is 16, Harry is thousands of dollars behind on child support. The only contact John wants with his imprisoned father is permission for John’s stepfather to adopt him. If John’s mother were to die unexpectedly, no one would contest that the best place for him was in the home where he grew up.

If Harry were to agree to John’s adoption, according to Seattle family attorney Albert Lirhus, it would cost the family around $1,000 in lawyers fees; $250 for the court clerk’s fee; $50 per copy of the adoption because after the adoption, the files are sealed; $35 for a new birth certificate; and $400 to $700 for a post-placement report, which a social worker submits to the court to inform them of the step-parent’s ability to perform the role as guardian. Total, John’s family would have to pay around $2000, but this is only if Harry were to agree to the proceedings.
With or without that sort of price tag, none of the Smiths are eager to contact Harry. Even if Harry agreed, writing him could be seen as an invitation to further correspondence.

Washington state law protects children, but it also creates a hardship for them. A nuclear family is not always the natural family.

Judges should have the option to strip sexual offenders of their parental rights when they victimize any of their children.

As it is, John is closely associated with the Smiths. At his high school, he’s “another one of those Smith kids.” The family doesn’t consider him “half” anything and many of their friends don’t know.

But sometimes, John feels like an outsider. The nagging voice he hears in the back of his mind tells him that he’s not one of them. John’s step-dad knows this and strives to be loving and fair. They argue and make up like any other father and son.
As for the hardships around adoption, Mr. Smith has a different attitude. “All the extra precautions in the world are worth it if you can save one kid from abuse,” he says. But, as the sole provider for the family, he acknowledges that it’s expensive and time-consuming.

When John decides to get his driver’s license, the card will read “Smith.” Since his ASB card doesn’t spell out “Wackoewiack,” the name on his social security card or birth certificate, a name he boasts he can’t spell properly, applying for college aid will be tricky.

John’s mother says that he’ll probably change his name during his senior year when he turns 18 in a year and a half. He’ll be old enough to do it without special permissions, and it will cost far less than an adoption. At that time, the Smiths may look into adult adoption proceedings.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Fresh Express, Craftsman, Hoover and Burlington Coat Factory recalls.

Salmonella alert!
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Fresh Express is recalling Romaine-based ready-to-eat salads that expire May 13th through May 16th with an “S” in the product code. For more information, click here.


For those of you who love things that cut, check this out. Craftsman Radial Arm Saws have been recalled. There’s not a lot of information I can offer other than a link to the site where you can check your model and serial number.

Hoover has recalled their upright vacuum clears from the WindTunnel T-Series Bagless. They were sold between August 2009 and May 2010. The cord, where it plugs into the vacuum, isn’t attached properly for its automatic rewind function. For more information, click here.

According to recalls.org, a non-profit watchdog group, Rim Rocka Boys’ and Pelle Pelle Girls’ hooded jackets have been recalled by Lollytogs Ltd. Because the jackets hood and waist drawstrings pose a strangulation and entanglement threat to young children. These jackets were at Burlington Coat Factory and smaller retailers from February 2008 through September 2009. For more information, click here. Or call Lollytogs at (800) 6367-9035.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

The Queen of Dystonia.


My sister, Sarah Peyron, is positively the most upbeat negative person I know.

Every time I see her, she greets me with a beautiful smile, accompanied by a very disapproving shake of her head.

Sarah was diagnosed with cervical dystonia in October 2008, which, according to We Move, is a neurological disorder with pronounced muscle contractions resulting in repetitive movement or a sustained twisting resulting in abnormal posture.

Sarah’s prominent symptoms include shaking her head no, constantly. She is also losing her ability to walk.

At first, one of the girls at the youth group where she volunteers didn’t understand. “Quit shaking your head,” the girl had laughed. “No, really,” she said seriously. “Stop it.”

Hearing this story, I tried shaking my head nonstop but could only keep it up for a minute before giving in to fatigue.

Sarah, a 32-year-old single mother, reminded me that my middle-schooler didn’t recognize anything was wrong until January, four months after her diagnosis. He visited and played games with his aunt during several holidays and birthday parties without noticing her obvious disability.

By the 2009 Junior Lilac Parade, Sarah’s symptoms expanded to a one-sided wink and Elvis sneer. My family, mature and sober, tried to imitate her, without success. Her neurologist treated her with Botox, paralyzing the offending muscle groups and when the puffiness wore off, the symptoms didn’t return.

No amount of teasing prepared Sarah for the surprise fire drill at the downtown YMCA last February. Sarah has therapy in their 94-degree pool every week, with other impaired movement patients. The alarm sounded, and the staff hurried them. “Just wrap up in a towel and get outside” was the overwhelming instruction. They probably didn’t understand that cold temperatures aggravate muscle spasms, worsening conditions.

The women dressed as quickly as they could and left the building.

Afterwards, my sister waited in the lobby for mom to pick her up and drive her home. The receptionist complained about the disabled women to every YMCA member who walked through the door. She recounted the event, mocking the women who had begged for showers so the morning’s pool therapy wouldn’t be undone. Around 20 people heard the story while Sarah sat silently. After my sister left, the story replayed, but very likely not only in Sarah’s mind. She understood they needed to evacuate, but the YMCA needed to understand something about respectfulness and disability, so Sarah called them. The receptionist has been a doll since.

People’s strange looks and lack of empathy don’t stop us from laughing with Sarah.
“What if you were pulled over?” I asked her once.
She chuckled, shaking her head.
My son chimed in, pretending to be an officer. “Do you know why I pulled you over?”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“Can I see your license and registration?” I asked.
Her laughter only eggs us on.
“Ma’am, are you prepared to cooperate with me?”
“Can I get you to step out of your vehicle, please?”
“Are you prepared to spend the night in jail, ma’am?”

She’s baffled me with her lack of support for the teachings in her own church when I’ve visited. I overcompensated with extreme head nodding to make up for her uncontrollable head waggle. When the morning was over, my neck was sore.

Sure, it’s easy to forget that Sarah is disabled. She commonly receives strange facial expressions from whoever is speaking at church. Sarah reports that they’ll hesitate for a moment until it dawns on them, “Oh, it’s just Sarah.”

In spite of what she is incapable of, physically, Sarah’s wit and humor refuse to be disabled. If she can remain pleasant, funny and good humored while living through excruciating pain and dehabilitation, then I have no excuse not to follow her example, even on my worst day.

I asked her about a camping detail lately, “Well, what if we … no? Okay.”
“No!” She laughs. “I think it sounds like a great idea.”

Friday, May 28, 2010

Movie review: Iron Man 2

Iron Man is back and as action-packed as ever.

In an overcomplicated plot, Iron Man, as known as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), must survive implant-induced blood poisoning, please girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gweneth Paltrow), block the United States government from seizing the Iron Man “weapon,” and battle against his arrogant, over-inflated ego while fighting off physicist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the angry son of a misguided, fired, and deported Stark Industries employee. Vanko, who Stark defeats early in the movie with help from comic relief chauffer Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau, movie director), returns with help from competing industry mogul Justin Hammer.

As Stark’s bloated ego saps the humor from some of his funniest lines, the character Happy Hogan, although very different from the comic icon, is a welcome return to the screen. Don Cheadle takes over the role of Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes with an effortlessness that marks an outstanding performance.

New characters include Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson,) legal aid for Stark Industries and Pepper Potts personal assissant, whose reciprocated attentions to Tony Stark teach women everywhere that it’s not enough to be as beautiful as Gweneth Paltrow. She’s also an encouragement to mothers everywhere that their little skinny girls, who won’t eat much, can also grow up and kick bad-guy butt without much muscle mass.

Despite my negativity, Iron Man 2 picks up the story successfully and packs in plenty of action and special affects with a couple of other plot suprises.
And don’t forget, if you love the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., sit through the credits at the end of the film for a sneak peak at what’s to come next.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Computer battery, car and car seat recalls for May 23, 2010.

If you bought a HP or Compaq notebook between August 2007 and July 2008, Sarah, you should check this link for the list of model numbers and batteries recalled in today’s expansion of their original recall. If your battery is affected, contact HP (information listed on page) and they’ll send you replacement battery.

I have a plethora of car recalls this morning, so we’ll start with my favorite: Toyota. Some 2009-2010 Lexus models are being recalled for their faulty electric power assist steering components. So if you own a Lexus and like driving in straight lines, check it out.

If Lexus is a bit cheap for you owners of older Lamborgini models, and by older, I mean 2007-2008, watch out for that wiggly fuel tank. It could fall off and cause a fiery explosion. With a bit of proper planning and cameras in multiple placements, this could be quite spectacular. For more information, click here.

Some front suspension control arm welds are faulty for the new Suzuki Equator. You could crash if they come undone.

Brand new Kenworth truck owners beware. If you don’t heed the warning, your air brakes could fail. “ALTHOUGH THE OPERATOR IS WARNED OF LOW AIR PRESSURE BY AUDIBLE AND VISUAL LOW AIR PRESSURE WARNING ALARMS, A VEHICLE CRASH OR FIRE IS POSSIBLE IF THESE WARNINGS ARE NOT HEEDED.” The exact problem with the part is listed here. Another brake problem is listed here.

The 2010 Nissan/Infiniti is alerting the public to a problem with the steering. Welding problems on the body of models manufactured between April 7 and April 13 of this year have required an addition recall, listed here.

Ford Ranger lovers, particularly the owners of the 2010, the manual transmission emergency brake needs repair. If you pull it when wet, and it freezes, it disconnects. Your truck will roll away. For more of the particulars, click here.

The Volvo XC70 seems to be in a spot of trouble. Models between 2006 and 2009 are being recalled because they’ve failed to meet governmental safety standards. Let’s see if we hear more about this recall in the future. If you’re interested in reading the basics, here’s the link.

Several series of car seats from different companies are being recalled for deteriorating webbing resulting in a fatality during a crash, handle detatchment causing a possible injury to child, and a problem between the shell and the base that could lead to a fatality in an accident.And if you’ve made it this far through the blog, I appreciate your support. It’s good reporting and writing practice. I mean, yawn!

Monday, May 17, 2010

More misadventures with Subie!

The other day, I thought Subie had gone to the big engine in the sky.

I pumped the gas once and turned it on. It staerted up, but coughed and gasped before finally dying.

I turned it over. Nothing.

I turnedi t over again. Still, nothing.

"Well, I guess that day is finally here," I thought. "Oh no, I'm going to have to rename my blog."

But as stubborn (or hopeful) as I am, I refused to give up. "I think I can. I think I can." While turning it over, I gave it some gas.

It coughed, it sputtered, and came to life at about 2300 RPMs.

When it got the >whatever< out of its system, I let off the gas.

It didn't die, it was just having a rough morning.

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Last Friday, the night before the Junior Lilac Parade, Querida brought some lamps to Cheney High School for the fundraiser. Remember that the Subaru is grounded to Cheney due to its inability to do well at higher speeds.

Querida turned off the car and brought the lamps inside. Because she was stopped in a loading zone (the horseshoe, for those familiar with the high school,) she had turned on the four-way flashers.

When she returned to drive away, the car wouldn't go. It wouldn't start. Once again, it was the little sad engine that couldn't.

She couldn't find the jumper cables because we had tucked them away underneath the bed of the wagon (in a compartment there,) so I came out to help.

Instead of showing her where the cables were, I threw it in neutral, released the brake, and taught Querida how to jump start a car. I was immensely proud of myself. (Still am, can you tell?)

And who says a bucket of bolts is a bad thing? Don't we need to know these things, as drivers? ; )

Sunday, May 16, 2010

"I just can't believe in a god that..."

Everyone has heard the guy on campus, griping about God, complaining about people who believe and whining about what he thinks God should be doing, if he truly exists.

It's true that the world is going to Hades in a handbasket, but I wonder: Why is it God's fault?

Yes, he's omnipotent and all, but when did it become God's job to save everybody and all the time?

Does being omnipotent come with a job description? "I'm sorry, God, but you're just not acting as was as we unwise people think you should act, therefore we won't acknowledge your existence or pray, let alone worship, you. Sorry."

What if our expectation of God translated to others in our lives.

Take mom, for example: just because your mommy can clean, sew, and is a fabulous cook, does that mean she should always do these things for everybody, all the time?

"Well Amy," you say, "that's different."

How? Just because God can be the hero, does it mean he always should?

Not following me? Let's try another angle. If God was always there hero, there would be no illness, poverty, war or death. What kind of world would that be?

Oh, uh-- heaven. Yeah. Didn't God say he was making a home for you there?

But if God solved problems on earth, all the time--feeding the hungry, healing the sick-- after a while, we would take our perfect little world for granted. We would have no consequences for our actions. ("I can kill someone, but it doesn't matter because God will just raise them up again.")

Don't believe me?

Every morning, my husband wakes to a tiny alarm on his watch, makes breakfast and coffee for me and wakes me and the kids to guarantee we all get to the places we need to be on time.

Do I thank him? Rarely.

But what do I think when he sleeps in on a Saturday, or lies around watching TV before church on a Sunday? I whine, inwardly.

And this is what we do to God everyday for the things he DOES do. Remember that close call? That promotion? That sunset?

Besides, if God was always saving the day, wouldn't we get tired of it? Wouldn't we say, "When is it my turn?" Isn't there something within most rational people that needs to do something good for humanity? Or the planet?

So quit griping, get off your butt and take your opportunity to save the day. God has the rest of eternity covered.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Tylenol family recalls.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the makers of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, Benadryl and probably a myriad of other products, announced a recall two weeks ago on children's and infant's liquid products manufactured in the United States earlier this year.
For a complete list of recalls, click here.

Thank you to Meghan Flowers for the tip!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

City of Spokane announces 2011 budget cuts to make up for $10 million deficit.


Concerned about the economic downturn, the City of Spokane has brought the 2011 budget to the table six months ahead of government mandates to get ahead of what will be a $10 million deficit.

This initial plan will give the citizens of Spokane an opportunity to weigh in. According to Mayor Mary Verner, City Council has taken these cuts with a somber dismay.
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The city’s rainy day fund of $5 million was tapped into last year. With the economy as it now stands, the mayor says the city will be unable to rely on this fund long-term. The hiring freeze previously referred to as “soft” will now be “hard,” and senior leaders’ pay has been frozen, and the city is asking its employees to accept cuts to their healthcare to make up $1 million

City hall will change its hours of operations to four ten-hour days. The mayor said they anticipate $50,000 in energy savings alone.

Police, fire and street grants are up, and as a result, positions created by those grants will not be continued. The police union has agreed to a zero percent raise in wages, and the department will lose 14 officers and switch six detectives to patrol. A K-9 unit will be down and neighborhood resource officers will be cut, including civilian positions.

The fire department will respond to calls, as usual, but if overtime money runs out, stations will suffer from rolling closures to make up the hole in the budget.

Mayor Verner referred to the West Plains annexation as a possible source for more income in the future and said she expects negotiations with the county to move quickly. This would bring in not only more residential taxes, but utility taxes as well as the Waste-to-Energy plant will be included in that merge. However, she didn’t know what the county would want in exchange for the annexation.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Stupid Pedestrians

Pedestrians have long had it coming. Long, long had it coming.

Constantly, these seemingly mild-mannered folk walk in school zones, park zones, hospital zones. They push strollers, walk dogs and ferry large groups of neighborhood children. They wait at bus stops, cross streets and encumber prestigious and important people on the one day they happen to be late for work, or a meeting or class.

If pedestrians were important, like future leaders of our town, state, or nation, perhaps they would be more deserving of our care and respect. As it is, their sole purpose in life is to slow down drivers. They are shepherded by crossing guards, those reflector-vested sentries with flashy flags. With a wave, a smile, and a stop sign in hand, they halt garbage trucks and school busses, but not city busses (because the Spokane Transit Authority calls elementry schools and forbids it.) The pedestrian-nazis stop long lines of drivers who were already stuck behind the one person in Spokane County who never sees the speed limit on the Michael P. Anderson Highway bump up to 55 miles per hour after Four Lakes and the Texas-sized Turnbull Wildlife Refuge sign.

How are drivers supposed to cope? These poor sojourners are yelled at for inching up on people in crosswalks or bumping the curb. (Who hasn’t accidentally dumped CDs on to the floor? Someone has to clean them up.)

And what’s wrong with driving around children in crosswalks? The Spokane Transit Authority does it, and they’re a city agency. Certainly, it’s nothing to get pedestrians’ bus passes in a bunch about.

Somehow it’s considered bad form. Hypersensitive, bunion-toed pedestrians record license plates. Sometimes, other traitorous drivers in the area track down “offenders” and turn their information into the police, who actually think that sharing a crosswalk with a pedestrian should be categorized as attempted vehicular assault.

Isn't sharing supposed to be good?

School resource officers confront students who accidentally drive on the sidewalk when rounding corners. This is funny; this is not a crime. Some parents, whose teens have been challenged by police for “endangering” a pedestrian with a tiny swerve, have actually confiscated keys and licenses. However, parents have a reputation for being humorless, so this drastic action is less of a surprise.

Children must learn to watch out for little, old ladies with over packed garages, backing up and nearly causing accidents on small arterials. Not everyone has neck mobility, but should that stop people from driving? Isn’t that discrimination against back-pain sufferers?

Enough. Pedestrians should be forced to wait, even if it takes ten minutes for traffic to part during busy school mornings. Maybe that will teach them to leave early to avoid impeding the flow of traffic. Foot traffic is slower, so pedestrians could afford to wait a moment for one or two or twenty cars to pass. Make crossing guards write excuses so no one is considered tardy, and serve the free/reduced breakfasts to the socio-economically challenged kids in class, recess or after school if they rely on the program so much.

The two parties could make nice, if school districts would haul their zones and buildings away from thoroughfares to institutes of higher learning. The past city of Cheney administrations should have always prioritized EWU’s campus over three Cheney schools, a major park and pool. What is one small neighborhood compared to thousands of drivers that need to find the last decent parking place on campus? Hasn’t the Easterner recently established that without EWU, there would be no Cheney? The town relies on this traffic; without it, all the businesses would pack up and move to Spokane, and all the residents would be forced to buy their corn flakes through amazon.com.

Yes, pedestrians should learn a lesson, and many ambitious drivers are leading the way in their education. Careening up on sidewalks or swerving into bike lanes when no sidewalk is present, these brave souls are pioneering a better tomorrow for us all.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Jazz Night; Mother's Day Weekend, Part II


After a morning at the parade, we spent an evening at the Cheney High School Jazz auction. Mike McKinly auctioned off desserts and a couple quilts at the end of the evening. Students donated those desserts but brought their auction items to raise money for their individual band accounts.



High items included a quilt by Char Borchers; a signed, framed picture of Jazz 1; and arranged flower baskets.

Overall, the Band Parent Association made $2700 that night.

Thank you to Cheney Rental for donating use of the fountains, the topiaries and accessories.


And thank you to Cheney and Airway Heights businesses for your donations. Without money, there is no band program at Cheney High School.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Jr. Lilac Parade pictures. Mother's day weekend, Part I.



I knew it would be a rough weekend. I was stressed about it. My husband, when testing the water before asking me to take the truck to the muffler shop, got an earful about what a full weekend was coming up and how I knew I would be exhausted by the end.

But I'm in the running for "Bad Mother of the Year Award." I have a class that conflicts with Xavier's track meets. I haven't made any of the home meets, even though I've been within a stone's throw from his competitions.

Junior Lilac Parade was for him. It was his last year marching with the middle school. And he marched, big time, sousaphone over the shoulder the whole way.

Of course, next year, we could be back to watch my neice, Victoria.




This is a tradition that we've held for a number of years, dating back to the 80's. There have been a few years that we've skipped it, when no one has found a place in the parade, but all in all, it's something to look forward to. My family has pictures of my husband and I, both of us with smooth, teenage skin and strange hairdos sitting out front of Pioneer Pies, waiting for someone to come by that we recognized.

Pioneer Pies is now a sushi place, but we're back.

And it's still a place to watch people, really weird people, and visit with family. Afterward, we grab a bite to eat and enjoy each others' company.



This is a small sampling of the weird people at the parade.


Tim and Querida went for coffee. I fussed at them, but they thought they had enough time. I thought Xavier would be along at number 44 in the parade route. I texted them when we were about at 16, telling them that we were at 20 already.

Xavier was not number 44, he was much sooner than that. Tim and Querida made it back just in time.

Oh, I borrowed a nice camera from my photojournalism teacher, but the batteries died just as the parade almost began. I had to borrow Q's camera.

(End of Part I.)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Clash of the Titans is an exciting, action-packed remake with a twist of the old ‘80s cult classic.

For those who love Greek mythology, Clash of the Titans will not disappoint you. This 2010 version gives a backdrop for the story, explaining the history of Zeus and Hades in a visually pleasing way.

For those who need a refresher: the human child of Zeus, Perseus—played by Avatar’s Sam Worthington, is bent on revenge against Hades, played by Ralph Fiennes who murders Perseus’ adoptive family. Hades campaign against the humans is nothing more than a clever power ploy against his brother Zeus, played by Liam Neeson. The plot twisted and turned with plenty of action and diversions from the original ‘80s storyline. The ending surprised me, but I won’t divulge it here! (If you see the movie and want to talk the ending over with me, feel free to discuss it in the comments.)

Star Sam Worthington is a new face, apparently; I didn’t recognize him without his Avatar make-up. He performed authentically as a character angry over his heritage, insisting on triumphing not as a god but as a man. The beautiful but doomed Andromeda is played by a familiar face, Alexa Davalos. Those who don’t recognize the name would spot her in an instant playing Kyra in “The Chronicles of Riddick.” Persus’ beautiful lifelong guardian comes back to us in “Prince of Persia:Sands of Time” also released this year.

If you decide to see the movie in 3-D as we did, be prepared. AMC theatres have upped the price to 13.75 per seat, with or without the glasses. This version of the movie was fun. I was concerned the folks in the front of the theatre needed umbrellas, but there was one scene where the action was jerky, and the angle was too close. I couldn’t tell what was happening, who was winning or how many monsters were fighting. But on the whole, this is my only criticism against the movie.

So grab your togas and your 3-D glasses and catch this movie while it’s still in theatres!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Learning about Typography.

I ran into this awesome movie in class. Check it out!

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Monday, May 3, 2010

A great light fell from the sky!


My headline tonight is about a $1.50 to $3 chain that suspends commercial lighting fixtures by Cooper Lighting. The "S" on either end of the chain can straighten, allowing the fixture to fall.

Yes, Chicken Little, the sky really is falling.

Nike has a chin strap that's been recalled, as of November, 2007. The chin strap breaks on contact, exposing the player to further injury.
I'd like to say something funny here, but nothing is coming to me. I'll let you come up with the punchline for that one.

If you bought a swimsuit for your baby from the Gap between February and April this year, take a second look. If it has a noose-like strap, like the one depicted here, it's been recalled. I suppose the fuller the diaper, the more the danger!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Hatin' on the president?

Our president’s name elicits an emotional response on both ends of the political spectrum to the point of painful stagnation in the debate process. Sadly, this provokes further argument, and, as a result, we tie up brain cells fighting rather than solutions and compromise.

A Facebook group, as someone’s idea of a joke, “prays” to God about the deaths of beloved favorites. The prayer lists the individual’s favorite president as Barack Obama, inferring that God should take him away, too.
In response, another Facebook page petitions Facebook to remove this “prayer” group, calling them hateful, which is an accurate description of the spitefulness behind the “humor.”

The wall of this booming group has overflowed with comments from people showing their support, whether conservative or progressive. Some say they didn’t vote for him, but they would never wish anyone dead. Others say they did vote for him and tell off Tea-Baggers.

Some see through the stupidity of the “prayer group.” Jason K. posts, “It’s just a facebook group … not a movement.” Tyler Y. posts, “Of course it is a stupid thing to post … most of you are overreacting.”

It’s not a stupid joke to others; it is a personal attack. Elizabeth R., whose profile depicted an African-American woman, posted, “Racists are very evil and sick people.” She may not have read the details of the other group, which lists Michael Jackson as one of the favorites that God took last year. The “prayer” group doesn’t express hate at an ethnicity, just one person, albeit one person too many.

Race monopolizes much of the conversation on the petition board. Schemika C. posts, “They hatin on the black man,” which elicited, “How do you know they…ain’t ‘hatin’ on his white half?” Hunter S. summed it up: “People can’t even criticize him without being a racist.”

And racism is one of the most blatant, stupid forms of hate.

Democracy is about dissent and resolving as a people to do one thing or another. Robert L. Ivie, professor of communications and culture at Indiana University in Bloomington says in “Rhetoric and Public Affairs” that when politics is reduced to hostility and dehumanization of others and ourselves, democracy is lost. He puts the burden of resisting this style of dissent on people rather than political elites. While his article, “Toward a Humanizing Style of Democratic Dissent” takes a jab at the war in Iraq, the truth in his statements translates to the heart of every American—not only about others outside our borders, but those within as well.

When we listen to our fellow nationals believing that they want what is best for us, even though their ideas may not line up with ours, we open a conduit for communication. This requires tolerance and forgiveness of some extremely stupid people, even if they don’t ask for it.

This is why the group shouldn’t be deleted. Their existence provokes a conversation, an opportunity to share what many of us have in common, a respect for our president, despite how we voted in the last election.

Many will take the First Amendment as an excuse to disengage the filter between the brain and the mouth. If more of us can take the high road and listen with tolerance and patience, we would set an example of how to listen, and when it’s our turn to speak, we must stick to that high road and pick words that convey ideas without insulting others’ attitudes because it’s impossible to have civilization without civility.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Petition privacy case

I promised you something a bit more political this time? Maybe I didn’t.

Currently in front of the supreme court is a case about withholding the names of some 138,500 names of people who signed a petition to overturn the same-sex marriage law in the state of Washington.

Under the state’s Public Record’s act, this information is public record, but it seems journalism ethics are more discerning. Those ethics state that someone already in the public eye can’t expect the same amount of privacy as a private individual. Government officals shouldn’t be allowed to rule in secret.

On the other hand, I understand the need to validate names on a petition. We don’t want scammers ruling the populace.

But I don’t think a blanket ruling is good in every case. If I were signing a petition to secede against the British government, I wouldn’t want to be known.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Smokin' recalls, loss of limb and a couple reasons to fall out of your seat.

While browsing the Sears recalls this morning, I crossed some doozies many of which are related to things catching fire. People don't seem to like that.

Coby portable CD/MP3/DVD player batteries overheat and catch fire. Which model? Click here.

Some Thermador built-in ovens have a gap in the insulation that overheats the surrounding cabinets during the self-cleaning cycle and, thus, causing them to catch fire. Models listed here.

Maytag, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag and Crosley refrigerators are have a relay that's overheating and catching fire. For more information, click here.

Frigidaire and Kenmore smooth-top ranges, 200,000 of them, in fact, have been recalled for switching on without human will, failing to turn on, and heating to a different temperature than desired. A lot of people have these, but I haven't heard anything about it in the news. More info here.

Get this, log splitters can cause people to lose their limbs. Who woulda guessed? But seriously, there's a fault in the MTD log splitter where the contraption fails to automatically shift into neutral. More information here.

And for those of you who don't mind a little smoke around the house and already may be missing limbs, I have something for you as well. Apparently, the MooreCo Ergonomic Office Chair is not so ergonomic after all, especially when it dumps one on the floor. I was sad that there weren't pictures posted at the information site.

You better sit down for this last one. Samsung is recalling their Jitterbug phone because it fails to connect the user to 9-1-1 when it's out of a service area. Is there something I'm missing? Isn't that what out of service means? See for yourself, here.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Dell battery product recall

I typed "quiet recall" into my search engine and found that Dell and Apple both have a "quiet recall" on certain batteries.

If you have a Latitude 110L, D530 or Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, 5160, you may want to check out this site.

If you're partial to Apples, watch out for 12-inch iBook G4 and Powerbook G4 and the 15-inch Powerbook G4. For more information, check out Apple's battery recall site.
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Querida reports that she was pretty tired returning from a work weekend at Riverview Bible Camp. So tired, that she checked her bed for Sophia before dumping her bags on it.
Some habits don't change.
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Tim saw that a hose is disconnected from the engine on the Subie. Maybe that's the source of it's jerkiness sort of problems (not the oil leaks, to be sure.)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Organic food and other stuff.



Does anyone else remember the Organic Garden show on PBS? This show was about growing a garden and growing it well, if I remember it correctly.

The term 'organic' has come to mean something it hadn't before. It means without pesticides, without all that artificial stuff. When I think of 'organic', I think of natural, alive, something grown from a garden.

So if only organic vegetables and fruits are all-natural, then does that mean that everything else isn't? "Oh no, keep those organic bananas far from me. I don't like the idea of anything that comes from dirt. Leave me the manufactured bananas."

While at Wal-mart tonight, my friend asked me why, if there's less pesticides and additives, why do organic fruits and vegetables cost more?

The answer is supply and demand. Since more people want the "natural" fruit than can get it, growers can charge more for it.

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In the news tonight, an $18-million lawsuit has been awarded to a grown sex-abuse victim against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The man said if he could help just one child, it was worth it. So who pays for the $18 million? Lawsuit insurance? If so, it looks like insurance rates will go up for the BSA members. Dues are already so high that many of these boys resort to scholarships to join. And not all leaders are abusers, most are just normal parents--like me! I was a den leader for three years before moving up to the troop level, where I was committee chair for one year.

But, I must say, abuse is sad stuff for everyone involved. The victim, the boys, the other leaders and now the whole organization must pay the price.

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It's been almost two weeks since we had Sophia put down. We're doing okay. Dempsey, our other cat, seems to be acting more like a pet these days. Weird stuff, animal psychology.

On a funny note, a friend of ours who helped put her down brought us a roast last week. I asked him, what's this? A mutual friend was standing right there and said, "Cat."

I looked at him for a part of minute. I couldn't believe he said it. "Dude," I said. "Really?" He didn't answer me, so I continued. "It's not even been a full week.

"What?" he asked.

Someone in the large group we were a part of explained that we had our cat put down.

Instant embarrassment. Poor guy. He was so sorry.

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This blog is here and there and everywhere, when it comes to blog entries. I am thinking about steering it a bit toward recalls. A friend of mine learned that many companies like to sweep recalls under the carpet and keep them quiet. When it's not an emergency, they don't have to inform the world. I guess there's no government mandate about it. (Not that there should be.)

I'll look into it, but if you hear of something, let me know!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Movie review: Ghost Writer

If you’re looking for a movie with a hitchcockian style hearkening back to a different era, “Ghost Writer” will keep you busy looking for the next clue.

Director Roman Polanski may identify with “Ghost Writer” character Adam Lang, the ex-prime minister whose memoirs require a final edit from a ghostwriter before publishing. Polanski is currently under house arrest in Switzerland for a crime he committed 32 years ago. Fictional character Lang cannot leave the United States after an international court charges him with war crimes. Eventually, the ex-prime minister cannot sit in his living room without the prying eyes of the media upon him. This is not unlike Polanski’s victim, now 45, who has moved on and wishes the courts would drop the case rather than revisit it in the media every time Polanski earns an award or releases a movie, says Telegraph.co.uk.

The confident ghostwriter, played by Ewan McGregor, has one month to make something of the bland memoirs of Pierce Brosnan’s character, Adam Lang. His predecessor, who died under suspicious circumstances, left behind 600-some pages of hard copy. The drab memoirs put The Ghost to sleep, but Lang’s protective assistant, Kim Cattrall as Amelia Bly, keeps them locked up when they are not under construction. Ruth Lang, played by Olivia Williams, wants The Ghost to write her out of her husband’s memoirs altogether. As The Ghost digs deeper, he finds stranger and more complicated details of not only Lang’s past but also the previous writer’s death. It doesn’t take much digging for The Ghost to see the crosshairs of danger now lie upon him.

Depicting a man passionate about his work, his politics and his sense of right and wrong, Pierce Brosnan was authentic as a prime minister. McGregor has always done cocky well, looking back at his role as Frank Churchill in “Emma”, and he transitions his character from self-assured to overwhelmed with ease. Kim Cattrall should consider her performance as cool and professional Amelia Bly as a triumph. She played the role so well that it took me several scenes to recognize her as a “Sex in the City” actress. However, the show-stealer was Olivia Williams playing the moody Ruth Lang. Weeping one moment and seductive the next, Williams embodies a woman in constant competition with all of her husband’s distractions.

Aside from the all-star cast, the movie can boast of other well-known actors. Jim Belushi, Timothy Hutton, Tom Wilkinson, Eli Wallach and Robert Pugh were among the familiar faces gracing the screen.

The film begins quickly and doesn’t waste a single moment. Every scene is relevant, interesting and fast paced. The details require the viewer to pay attention and decipher quickly to discover the mastermind behind this who-done-it mystery. Polanski’s problems may not be resolving quickly but Lang’s come to a head with an ending that is difficult to foresee.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

The dark side of 30 and school: how to save your back.

The second week of spring quarter was stressful. I was still overwhelmed with my classes and the drowning feeling that just seems hang inches above my face at every moment.

Tuesday night, after an afternoon at the computer in my publishing class and a couple hours at a table copy-editing the Easterner, I was stiff and sore. I brought my backpack into the bedroom and sat indian-style on the bed while doing homework. When I was finished, I put my laptop back in my backpack and turned out the light.

The next morning, I grabbed my backpack to carry it into the living room but set it down immediately. It was too heavy? I pulled the backpack out and left it in the bedroom.

After my 8:00 a.m. class, I stood up, barely. My back had seized up. Many of you know this experience, and I'm sorry for it. I waddled out of class among a population of mostly older teens and early twenties. I had almost made it out of the Computer Engineering Building but sat and pulled my lunch box out of my backpack. Anything to lighten my load.

It was an ugly day with some exceptions. The psychology department secretary set me up with a chair that seemed to help my back a little. She had an intern carry it upstairs and place it in my critical writing classroom. Every time I stood up, I was stiff and had difficulty moving. By the time my husband picked me up from school that night, I was in trouble, baby stepping out of the PUB.

The next morning, I needed to support myself to walk. I needed help.

Here's some tips that'll help your back while you're getting an education.
  • Pay attention to your body. If you spend any amount of time at a computer, you may be distracted to the point of being out of touch with how your body is feeling. If your back hurts, even a little, while you sit, do something about it before it gets bad.
  • Take breaks from sitting. Stand up and stretch occasionally. Standing? Sit occasionally. Crouch. Stretch out those back muscles. This is true for home as well as school or work.
  • When sitting in a computer chair, lower it down as far as it will go. You want your knees bent a little. Find a chair with a firm back, or adjust your chair so the back doesn't give.
  • At the PUB computer lab, look for the checkered chairs, says Carl Combs tech-eze guy. Stand, stretch and walk around every so often.
  • Talk to your instructors about any issue you're having. Many of them don't mind rearranging the furniture for an extra, different chair or will understand your need to stand up in the middle of a lecture.
  • Speaking of standing in the middle of a lecture, set yourself up so that you're not sitting in the middle of class. If you're unable to sit through a class without getting up, you want to be positioned so as to not distract your fellow classmates.
  • When standing for extended periods at work or elsewhere, find something to put one foot up on that is three to five inches off the floor. This will help your lower back quite a bit.
  • Do go to the doctor at the least sign of trouble. Head things off at the pass; you don't want to wait until it's so bad you can't sleep (like I did).
  • If the doc prescribes anything, follow all directions. Double check your instructions. If you're in a lot of pain, you may not remember the exact dosage at the exact time. This is why it's also particularly helpful to take a friend with you for an extra set of ears. (This advice is true for anything traumatic doctor's visit. Have someone there to take notes.)
  • Give yourself a break. Don't drive if you can't. Arrange a ride. Carpool.

Please, please post related advice in the comment section below. I love these sort of tips, don't you?

Friday, April 16, 2010

The wrong focus?

Obama has extended family visiting rights at hospitals accepting medicaid and medicare to married homosexual couples. We keep reacting to homosexual issues without looking at the issues that affect everyone.

As a Christian, I believe that homosexuality is wrong and that it hurts people, including those who practice it. But that opinion doesn't help anyone on either side of the arguement.

If homosexual couples are given marriage rights, it doesn't make the act right, yet many seem offended when states or the law extend those rights. Why? Does it change God's law? The civil law is a minimal code. God's law is a higher standard. (How would we live if it were reversed?)

By opposing homosexual marriage, do we change anyone's mind by refusing them civil unions under state law? Do we draw them closer to Christ? Do we hear them saying, "Oh, you won't let me marry, well then, I guess I'll follow Christ."

No. But it doesn't mean that I think we should all be cheerleaders either. I know from first-hand experience that sometimes people have to walk their own painful road and find the dead end before looking for a way that leads to life.

What about the issue of health care and family members? If two or more college-age roomates could save money by buying a policy together why isn't it allowed? Why are kids booted off a policy when they turn 18 and take a year off school to work? These are not policies that affect only homosexuals but all of us. The family that has an aunt living with them cannot put her on their policy any more than a homosexual couple living together without a civil union.

Instead of looking at these issues, an issues homosexual couples get around by marrying, we look at thteir method and criticize--and ostercize them farther from us, from love and from Christ. This is counter-productive.

Let him without sin cast the first stone.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Life's Spankings

In the May 2010 issue of Reader's Digest, global survey results are posted for the question: "What's the Best Way to Discipline Kids?" They claim that not one woman in America prefers physical punishment to any other kind.

This is shocking. I can't believe that no one in America wants to spank their kids. It's frowned upon but not illegal. And yes, I would prefer talking to my kids to teach them over spanking, but sometimes, spanking gets the point across more effectively.

For example, if your child bolts into the street, you're not going to give him or her a good talking-to. The worst consequence in this scenario is death; if you run into the street, a car could hit you, and you could die. Natural consequences. In the face of many natural consequences, spanking is nothing at all.

Natural consequences prepare us for grown-up responsibilities. This weekend, when my husband and his buddy tried to change the Beast's fuel filter, a fuel line broke. Natural consequence: my husband called AAA for a tow to the mechanic. The mechanic's bill was around $109. No transportation to Spokane meant the movie I planned to see for class was put off until Monday night. Now we know we should have taken the Beast to the mechanic in the first place. (The gas tank was in the way, creating a real hassle.)

We, as a country, need to understand natural consequences. You run up debt, you lose your belongings. You break the law, you are fined or go to jail. These are things we all need to understand as children. Maybe this why crime is high, unemployment is high, and the national debt is high.

But back to the Reader's digest article: what kind of useless question did they ask? Without understanding the circumstances, 150 respondents per 16 countries picked their preferred method of punishment. The minimal level of confidence considered standard by the media is 96 percent. When you calculate 150 respondents per country, you're left with a laughable margin of error of 16.7 percent. So up to 16.7 percent of American women prefer spanking their kids, and for American men, 0 to 22.7 percent prefer to spank their kids.

Hm... So what can we conclude from this survey? Nothing, really. I'm sorry to have wasted your time.

Friday, April 9, 2010

United States Postal Service's big break.

My 14-year-old son, Xavier, fundraised his way to Washington D.C. He went with his class over spring break. Last year, when they announced the trip, students needed $30 cash for baggage fees: $15 there and $15 back. By the time the final arrangements were made, the fee was up to $25 each way. Xavier was a little irritated and rightfully so.

Sprint airlines announced a $45 carry-on fee says the Associated Press. It's to encourage travelers to check their luggage for the $25 fee. Why all these fees? If costs are going up, why not include these fees in overall prince? Show us what we're paying for up front.

As it is, this might be U.S. Postal Service's big break; if they could ship travelers belongings for a cheaper rate than all these baggage fees, every hotel would have a USPS kiosk as the demand for their services would go up.

My side notes today:
  • Sofia is not improving. Zarah, my ten-year-old daughter, has come to terms with her upcoming parting, crying about how the cat is suffering. I think we'll take some pictures and move forward.
  • My cancer test results came back negative. No new cancer for me!

The stay.


This Easter Sunday was difficult. One of the family's two ten-year-old cats, Sofia, has been pulling her hair out and, occasionally, not using the litter box for her business. Querida, my 20-year-old daugher, had researched Sofia's symptoms and worried that she had, at best, a skin disorder, or, at worst, a neurological problem.

When the day quieted down, Q bathed the cat. During the easiest bath ever, she found hard lumps under the irritated skin. One of the things she learned on the internet was that missing fur could also be a symptom of feline cancer. Querida held a family meeting, discussing quality-of-life issues with her siblings. Sofia hangs out in the girls' room the most. Why wouldn't this be Querida's call? My husband made arrangements over the phone; Sofia had 24 to 48 hours left with us.

I couldn't sleep that night. It's easy to make a decision about how much money to dump into a car. When it comes to a family pet, it's obvious to say we don't have the money for the care she needs but so much more difficult to think of her death. About midnight, I finally cried as quietly as I could, waking my bewildered husband anyway. He asked me what was wrong, and I told him I was crying about Sofia.

I got up to blow my nose. I'd never sleep this way. I wrote Tim a note: Put off the plans. Don't let Sofia go tomorrow. Just wait.