“Let us pray that strength and courage abundant be given to all who work for a world of reason and understanding, that the good that lies in every man’s heart may day by day be magnified, that men will come to see more clearly not that which divides them, but that which unites them, that each hour may bring us closer to a final victory, not of nation over nation, but of man over his own evils and weaknesses, that the true spirit of this Christmas season — it’s joy, its beauty, its hope, and above all its abiding faith — may live among us, that the blessings of peace be ours — the peace to build and grow, to live in harmony and sympathy with others, and to plan for the future with confidence.”
Something my grandma had hand transcribed 60 years ago - she had kept this as a prayer ever since...
Respect is taken, when respect is given...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Starbucks and the Bucks
Starbucks a few times a year makes a percentage donation from sales of certain types of drinks, benefiting some charitable organization – most recently it happened to be Project Red, which helps fight AIDS in Africa. Many people who are against corporations came out to say that if one were to donate directly to the cause itself, that organization would see more of the money.
You know, I'm agreeing with many of the nay-sayers that the donations I make directly to these foundations and charities is more significant than what Starbucks offers - But damn few of us give direct donations. Even a small portion of all the coffee drinks they produce daily is helluva lot more than I'd likely be able to donate myself. This won't stop personal donations, and is just an additional supplemental source of funding. In the current economic recession here in the US, this is a way to provide a great deal of money, even if it is only $.05 at a time, when many larger and smaller donors are cutting back on charitable donations. Not to mention, now we're putting power of even $.05 from perhaps tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of individuals who are unlikely to be donating a nickel or anything else. (And since I belong to a non-profit, I can attest to the underfunding aspect of economic recession.)
This is a BUSINESS though, and they have no requirements on charitable obligations. I say thank you and kudos! Get me a triple tall latte, please!!
A very loose real number would be Starbucks gross profit margin. It’s currently about 19.2%. Taken loosely that means off of your $4 latte, Starbucks makes 77 cents. So even after they give to Project (Red) they still make 72 cents. That’s a cost to them of 6.5% of their gross profit from the sale.
Lets do a little math:
For every 100 latte's they normally sell:
Donation to Project (Red): $5
Starbuck's gross profit (after the donation): $72
Starbuck's lost gross Profit: $5.
Number of additional Latte's they need to sell to make up for the lost $5: 7
So for each 100 latte's they normally sell, they need to sell an additional 7 latte's to have their profit unaffected by the donation.
This also doesn't take into account that Starbucks will get a tax break on their donation.
And they're still a business, so I ask again what local non-corporate entity has the power and resources to DONATE millions every year to various non-profits associated with rejuvenating the lands, people, and culture that grow their precious beans, or house a precious commodity?
You should probably take a look and read over their annual CSR to find out what they actually GIVE away each year to global non-profits (without a mass marketing campaign, I might add), before making lofty folderol. The prices quoted are fair. According to their Fiscal 2008 Q4 report, they were down almost a dollar in stock - a 7 year low - with 2008 seeing a ~$200M loss. Q1 2009 already saw a .50c drop, due to pressure from the housing market.
Not to mention that a few of the Starbucks in my area donate all of the overstocked food products and GIVE it to homeless shelters. And all of the grinds go into my garden every year. And all of the donation boxes that a couple of my stores have MATCH donations.
It would seem then, in the end, the idea of a corporation is much more detrimental to the psyche, than the actual good they can accomplish. True, not all major corporations donate and make good by helping where and how they can, but it’s not fair to those that do (with little understanding) to lump them all together.
Respect is given, when respect is taken ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
You know, I'm agreeing with many of the nay-sayers that the donations I make directly to these foundations and charities is more significant than what Starbucks offers - But damn few of us give direct donations. Even a small portion of all the coffee drinks they produce daily is helluva lot more than I'd likely be able to donate myself. This won't stop personal donations, and is just an additional supplemental source of funding. In the current economic recession here in the US, this is a way to provide a great deal of money, even if it is only $.05 at a time, when many larger and smaller donors are cutting back on charitable donations. Not to mention, now we're putting power of even $.05 from perhaps tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of individuals who are unlikely to be donating a nickel or anything else. (And since I belong to a non-profit, I can attest to the underfunding aspect of economic recession.)
This is a BUSINESS though, and they have no requirements on charitable obligations. I say thank you and kudos! Get me a triple tall latte, please!!
A very loose real number would be Starbucks gross profit margin. It’s currently about 19.2%. Taken loosely that means off of your $4 latte, Starbucks makes 77 cents. So even after they give to Project (Red) they still make 72 cents. That’s a cost to them of 6.5% of their gross profit from the sale.
Lets do a little math:
For every 100 latte's they normally sell:
Donation to Project (Red): $5
Starbuck's gross profit (after the donation): $72
Starbuck's lost gross Profit: $5.
Number of additional Latte's they need to sell to make up for the lost $5: 7
So for each 100 latte's they normally sell, they need to sell an additional 7 latte's to have their profit unaffected by the donation.
This also doesn't take into account that Starbucks will get a tax break on their donation.
And they're still a business, so I ask again what local non-corporate entity has the power and resources to DONATE millions every year to various non-profits associated with rejuvenating the lands, people, and culture that grow their precious beans, or house a precious commodity?
You should probably take a look and read over their annual CSR to find out what they actually GIVE away each year to global non-profits (without a mass marketing campaign, I might add), before making lofty folderol. The prices quoted are fair. According to their Fiscal 2008 Q4 report, they were down almost a dollar in stock - a 7 year low - with 2008 seeing a ~$200M loss. Q1 2009 already saw a .50c drop, due to pressure from the housing market.
Not to mention that a few of the Starbucks in my area donate all of the overstocked food products and GIVE it to homeless shelters. And all of the grinds go into my garden every year. And all of the donation boxes that a couple of my stores have MATCH donations.
It would seem then, in the end, the idea of a corporation is much more detrimental to the psyche, than the actual good they can accomplish. True, not all major corporations donate and make good by helping where and how they can, but it’s not fair to those that do (with little understanding) to lump them all together.
Respect is given, when respect is taken ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Respectful Rewards
"As long as you're trying to be somebody else, the best you can ever hope for is second best. If you're genuine and consistent even those that disagree with you will be respectful of you." ~ Paul Harvey
And that's why Paul Harvey will be missed. His story telling ability was spot on each and every time, able to spin a yarn into something believable and unbiased. But, unfortunately, this isn't about Paul Harvey. This is almost in continuation of the Assistive Rewards post.
The world is full of questions, and the answers are rarely sought out. Politicians are exceptional at spinning a question into another question, as if that is itself the answer. So we are left questioning, and second-guessing our choices all the time. We ask "what if" too much, and not accept things as they are, in my opinion.
Can you really argue that trying to be like someone else, or what someone else wants you to be is beneficial to anyone? Sounds more like superficial.
Isn’t being genuine a sure fire way of grabbing someone’s attention? Everyone has what others will perceive as faults, that’s a given, and usually only on the outside and upfront. But isn’t that what can grow a healthy discussion, is taking those faults, accepting them, and maybe realizing that there is always more than one way to look at something?
There should always be some modicum of leaving some subjects alone, because you know that you will agree to disagree to which you leave it be, and that’s where civility comes into play. In the end, I’ve garnered respect for folk that have been able to logically convey their thoughts and feelings toward a particular subject, than haphazardly throwing something out there just because the feeling that that is the end all of everything.
The back-story leads into the whole story – if only what’s on top is taken, and nothing underneath is perused through, then you’ll never know … the rest of the story.
I always end my blogs and posts in one simple line:
Respect is taken, when respect is given …
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
And that's why Paul Harvey will be missed. His story telling ability was spot on each and every time, able to spin a yarn into something believable and unbiased. But, unfortunately, this isn't about Paul Harvey. This is almost in continuation of the Assistive Rewards post.
The world is full of questions, and the answers are rarely sought out. Politicians are exceptional at spinning a question into another question, as if that is itself the answer. So we are left questioning, and second-guessing our choices all the time. We ask "what if" too much, and not accept things as they are, in my opinion.
Can you really argue that trying to be like someone else, or what someone else wants you to be is beneficial to anyone? Sounds more like superficial.
Isn’t being genuine a sure fire way of grabbing someone’s attention? Everyone has what others will perceive as faults, that’s a given, and usually only on the outside and upfront. But isn’t that what can grow a healthy discussion, is taking those faults, accepting them, and maybe realizing that there is always more than one way to look at something?
There should always be some modicum of leaving some subjects alone, because you know that you will agree to disagree to which you leave it be, and that’s where civility comes into play. In the end, I’ve garnered respect for folk that have been able to logically convey their thoughts and feelings toward a particular subject, than haphazardly throwing something out there just because the feeling that that is the end all of everything.
The back-story leads into the whole story – if only what’s on top is taken, and nothing underneath is perused through, then you’ll never know … the rest of the story.
I always end my blogs and posts in one simple line:
Respect is taken, when respect is given …
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Assistive Rewards
Assistive Rewards
Is there a reward for doing something that comes second nature? If a person does something that is a reward in someone’s eyes, does the one helping actually see it that way, or is it without thought?
What is it when someone helps on a grand scale, but seeks a reward – how is it different than helping one person, but seek nothing in return? How is reward defined? Is a reward a given in any situation no matter what happens?
Have you ever been the one that helps someone, only to feel a sense of let-down when nothing happened after the fact? Have you ever worked in a group of people, no matter the size, where you felt good about the deed that was done, but there was no reward, so to speak? Isn’t completion of the deed in itself the reward?
What if by proxy of a mandate of effort you are given an award that you didn’t necessarily do anything to deserve? How does doing nothing constitute being rewarded?
In our blue ribbon society, everybody is supposed to win – but what about the people actually putting forth effort to achieve something greater than being rewarded …
Respect is given, when respect is taken …
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Is there a reward for doing something that comes second nature? If a person does something that is a reward in someone’s eyes, does the one helping actually see it that way, or is it without thought?
What is it when someone helps on a grand scale, but seeks a reward – how is it different than helping one person, but seek nothing in return? How is reward defined? Is a reward a given in any situation no matter what happens?
Have you ever been the one that helps someone, only to feel a sense of let-down when nothing happened after the fact? Have you ever worked in a group of people, no matter the size, where you felt good about the deed that was done, but there was no reward, so to speak? Isn’t completion of the deed in itself the reward?
What if by proxy of a mandate of effort you are given an award that you didn’t necessarily do anything to deserve? How does doing nothing constitute being rewarded?
In our blue ribbon society, everybody is supposed to win – but what about the people actually putting forth effort to achieve something greater than being rewarded …
Respect is given, when respect is taken …
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Dr.'s Last Stand
Every once in a while a group of people come along that leave an impression. These impressions have a lasting effect usually from people that are not high profile, or constantly in the lime-light, but ordinary people just living their lives the best they know how. Never allowing the chance of growing stale or becoming has-beens from a vaunted high-profile endeavor, they are a consistent reminder that there are genuine down-to-earth people making a difference in some people’s lives in the smallest of ways.
Wishdoctor is such a group. Since their inception in the early nineties, this band has given the Colorado community a means to bang their heads and live a little on the wild side of good, hard, and loud rock & roll. They consistently give their all every weekend to a packed house, or on a slow night with a handful of people – they maintain their rock & roll dignity by always performing to one hundred percent of their eclectic abilities. Friendships have been forged, and families have been made.
Through their many line-up changes, Wishdoctor has retained a sound all too familiar to the fans in the know. If you are a fan of Wishdoctor, then you know their signature sound! If you’re looking for pop rock dance songs that make you roll your eyes instead of rock your brain, look elsewhere. Wishdoctor has stayed true to the core belief that if arranged properly, hard rock can be melodic and soothing to those wanting to vent out frustration on a week’s end.
As they play their final show on New Year’s Eve, the fans of Wishdoctor, (and this one in particular), will end up knowing that ‘something’ good was accomplished in the Colorado community. And that ‘something’ leaves a lasting, lifelong impression.
Greg Wohler
(originally submitted to The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Dec. 27th, 2008)
Respect is taken, when respect is given …
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Wishdoctor is such a group. Since their inception in the early nineties, this band has given the Colorado community a means to bang their heads and live a little on the wild side of good, hard, and loud rock & roll. They consistently give their all every weekend to a packed house, or on a slow night with a handful of people – they maintain their rock & roll dignity by always performing to one hundred percent of their eclectic abilities. Friendships have been forged, and families have been made.
Through their many line-up changes, Wishdoctor has retained a sound all too familiar to the fans in the know. If you are a fan of Wishdoctor, then you know their signature sound! If you’re looking for pop rock dance songs that make you roll your eyes instead of rock your brain, look elsewhere. Wishdoctor has stayed true to the core belief that if arranged properly, hard rock can be melodic and soothing to those wanting to vent out frustration on a week’s end.
As they play their final show on New Year’s Eve, the fans of Wishdoctor, (and this one in particular), will end up knowing that ‘something’ good was accomplished in the Colorado community. And that ‘something’ leaves a lasting, lifelong impression.
Greg Wohler
(originally submitted to The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Dec. 27th, 2008)
Respect is taken, when respect is given …
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wintry Overlook
The winter months oddly seem the time to reflect on the past, and usually an atonement is gathered in the thoughts of those that memory loss tried to claim. But there is always one little spark of something left undone or unspoken that requires a New Years resolution. Sometimes it's an inane thought of improving the physical self. Sometimes it's a thought of a past thread that should try to be mended and woven into the fabric of the present state of affairs.
For me, it's been eight years of something of the latter - a mental spark of trying to find someone and piece together those frayed threads of misunderstanding and ignorance.
Every year a thought - like a dream on a teetering edge of a rocky cliff, that a whisper on the breeze might send over the side - goes through my mind to follow up, and to a certain extent I have; just not far enough. For whatever reason, it remained out of my grasp.
That reason, however, was made clear recently. I hadn't the strength to do something when I should have, and now that atonement will remain unfulfilled in my mind forever.
I'm afraid of it, and brave it at the same time; afraid that it will claim someone that I care about deeply, but embrace it knowing that I've done the best I can with what I've been given.
PFS - I was jealous that it seemed your life was finally coming together, at a time where mine was uncertain. Death is a fickle bitch. It doesn't care the means of how, who, when, where, or why, but it cares in the end. You were teased by it, tormented by it; you made it a part of you.
In death, I hope you have found the peace that eluded you in life...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
For me, it's been eight years of something of the latter - a mental spark of trying to find someone and piece together those frayed threads of misunderstanding and ignorance.
Every year a thought - like a dream on a teetering edge of a rocky cliff, that a whisper on the breeze might send over the side - goes through my mind to follow up, and to a certain extent I have; just not far enough. For whatever reason, it remained out of my grasp.
That reason, however, was made clear recently. I hadn't the strength to do something when I should have, and now that atonement will remain unfulfilled in my mind forever.
I'm afraid of it, and brave it at the same time; afraid that it will claim someone that I care about deeply, but embrace it knowing that I've done the best I can with what I've been given.
PFS - I was jealous that it seemed your life was finally coming together, at a time where mine was uncertain. Death is a fickle bitch. It doesn't care the means of how, who, when, where, or why, but it cares in the end. You were teased by it, tormented by it; you made it a part of you.
In death, I hope you have found the peace that eluded you in life...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Monday, September 1, 2008
Letter To My Government
To those it may concern,
I thought long and hard if I should say something or not, because, really, who would listen and who would care in the long scheme of things? But, after some consideration, and time to cool off, I decided that something must be said and sent to people that should be made aware. I may very well be the only one upset and disappointed enough to. But, it’s only because of my life experience in the Arapahoe Democratic Party, (Aurora, CO), that I feel I have to.
I started my political jaunt, if one can call it that, when I was about six or seven pulling my little red wagon filled with brochures for a man I still consider a friend, Steve Ruddick. I’ve volunteered for Gary Hart’s campaign, Michael Dukakis’ campaign, Bill Clinton’s campaigns, Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s campaigns, and intermittent Ruddick and Weddig campaigns. Twenty-some years later, I have never seen a political gathering run so poorly, ever, as in HD39.
House District 39 was the very last district to make up its mind on delegates for Clinton to the state convention, the day of the County Assembly, March 8th, 2008. It was one thing after another, and given the circumstances of there being so many people abound at something that is usually more controllable, I give a tad leeway.
It wasn’t bad enough I was bottle-necked at the bottom of the stage in the Hinkley High School auditorium, (amidst the swarm of Obama supporters), that I couldn’t get to the top of the auditorium in time to sign my name on an apparent list for furthering my Clinton delegate status. It wasn’t bad enough that someone, a woman whose name I never did catch, was elected interim chair. Is that even possible? I thought the actual HD chair was supposed to be present? And if this woman was she, then it was one of the worst jobs of control from a “group leader” I have quite possibly ever seen.
Not only did we move into the hall from the auditorium, where upon hearing the delegate list had been closed for further signing, it took almost two hours to decide that the people that had put in the most time campaigning for Clinton would be the ones to go to the state and congressional conventions. The alternates’ cards were then pulled from a box. I’ve never heard of such a thing! Campaign time is completely subjective, and who is to say that calling from home is less important and holds less clout than someone who had volunteered at the main Clinton headquarters!
For a few minutes I was ashamed to call myself a Democrat. It was deplorable, at best. The old were turned away, and the supposed non-volunteer need not to have applied.
I was excited, when I arrived – perma-grin on my face – thrilled that I was at something that my grandparents had done before me. I wanted to continue my family tradition of being elected to a state convention, but was thrashed away by the inept ability of a “group leader” to control a situation.
I give testament to why I voted for Clinton in the first place, which may sound contradictory in comments below. I voted for Clinton because my Nana was proud to know that there was finally the possibility of a woman candidate. Women have been slighted since the beginning of human existence, if you follow what it says in the bible; Adam tried to control Lilith, but she would have nothing to do with him. She left Eden and in her anger mated with the Devil; she then proceeded to kill off Eve to get back at Adam, hence the saying ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. Ever since then, women have been second. For the first time ever, there was a chance to see a woman in charge of this biased country, putting to rest some of what our moms, and especially Nana, had to go through in their life time of bigotry – and continue to do so presently. Having a female Republican VP that was mayor of an Alaskan town of 700, is a lot different than being the wife of a president and two-term U.S. Senator from NY.
I guess it’s time for me to jump on the bandwagon and root for change. It is my firm belief that two things need to change: Rules reform and/or proper guidance on handling delegate selection with CLEAR rules and regulations, and, the removal of the HD39 chair, Mary Ellen Wolf – whom I am still uncertain was present or not, at any point in time. She may very well have been with the Obama supporters, while leaving the Clinton supporters to fend for themselves.
If something like this scenario has happened in at least one place, it’s almost a sure bet that it happened in other places across the country as well. Citizens, no matter the political affiliation, should not be treated in such a manner. This is a breach in trust within a government sworn to uphold civility.
Was this all because we got swept away in the grand scheme of having something new grace our lives, such as great historical political fervor? Possibly. Or, was this all because proper guidance was not given to parties involved? Possible, still.
Just as Wallstreet has effectively been able to broker away the commercial aspect of the USA, I am ashamed to note that in the course of making history, both the Republic and Democratic parties have effectively been able to broker away the American psyche, by polarizing the American public into a frenzy of religion, race, gender, and creed. The delegates and superdelegates of the DNC are just as much to blame as the whole of the RNC; power away from the people.
It’s myopic absolutism that the Democrats would elect a black man, and not a woman, juxtaposed with the Republicans offering McCain with a woman VP. Is this what our government has come down to? One-upping each other in terms of votes, rather than what we’re voting for?
I’m tired of the lofty political folderol of who has the more tainted past, as opposed to what the person can bring to the core of the table. We’ve all done a thing that seemed right at the time, but maybe looking back on, wasn’t. We try to redeem ourselves by doing what we feel is right, but get slapped around as being wishy-washy and a turn-coat.
This is not what the founding father’s had in mind when they set up this country, and this is not what I had in mind when I, by defacto of American birthright, gave tacit consent to those elected to run it. You should all be ashamed of how things are run, as I am ashamed of being a part of it.
As of completion of this letter, my vote still hangs in the balance on wanting to vote, or not - ever. After repeated slaps in the face to me and my family, based on a governments’ moral ineptitude, why should I?
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Regards,
Greg Wohler
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
I thought long and hard if I should say something or not, because, really, who would listen and who would care in the long scheme of things? But, after some consideration, and time to cool off, I decided that something must be said and sent to people that should be made aware. I may very well be the only one upset and disappointed enough to. But, it’s only because of my life experience in the Arapahoe Democratic Party, (Aurora, CO), that I feel I have to.
I started my political jaunt, if one can call it that, when I was about six or seven pulling my little red wagon filled with brochures for a man I still consider a friend, Steve Ruddick. I’ve volunteered for Gary Hart’s campaign, Michael Dukakis’ campaign, Bill Clinton’s campaigns, Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s campaigns, and intermittent Ruddick and Weddig campaigns. Twenty-some years later, I have never seen a political gathering run so poorly, ever, as in HD39.
House District 39 was the very last district to make up its mind on delegates for Clinton to the state convention, the day of the County Assembly, March 8th, 2008. It was one thing after another, and given the circumstances of there being so many people abound at something that is usually more controllable, I give a tad leeway.
It wasn’t bad enough I was bottle-necked at the bottom of the stage in the Hinkley High School auditorium, (amidst the swarm of Obama supporters), that I couldn’t get to the top of the auditorium in time to sign my name on an apparent list for furthering my Clinton delegate status. It wasn’t bad enough that someone, a woman whose name I never did catch, was elected interim chair. Is that even possible? I thought the actual HD chair was supposed to be present? And if this woman was she, then it was one of the worst jobs of control from a “group leader” I have quite possibly ever seen.
Not only did we move into the hall from the auditorium, where upon hearing the delegate list had been closed for further signing, it took almost two hours to decide that the people that had put in the most time campaigning for Clinton would be the ones to go to the state and congressional conventions. The alternates’ cards were then pulled from a box. I’ve never heard of such a thing! Campaign time is completely subjective, and who is to say that calling from home is less important and holds less clout than someone who had volunteered at the main Clinton headquarters!
For a few minutes I was ashamed to call myself a Democrat. It was deplorable, at best. The old were turned away, and the supposed non-volunteer need not to have applied.
I was excited, when I arrived – perma-grin on my face – thrilled that I was at something that my grandparents had done before me. I wanted to continue my family tradition of being elected to a state convention, but was thrashed away by the inept ability of a “group leader” to control a situation.
I give testament to why I voted for Clinton in the first place, which may sound contradictory in comments below. I voted for Clinton because my Nana was proud to know that there was finally the possibility of a woman candidate. Women have been slighted since the beginning of human existence, if you follow what it says in the bible; Adam tried to control Lilith, but she would have nothing to do with him. She left Eden and in her anger mated with the Devil; she then proceeded to kill off Eve to get back at Adam, hence the saying ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. Ever since then, women have been second. For the first time ever, there was a chance to see a woman in charge of this biased country, putting to rest some of what our moms, and especially Nana, had to go through in their life time of bigotry – and continue to do so presently. Having a female Republican VP that was mayor of an Alaskan town of 700, is a lot different than being the wife of a president and two-term U.S. Senator from NY.
I guess it’s time for me to jump on the bandwagon and root for change. It is my firm belief that two things need to change: Rules reform and/or proper guidance on handling delegate selection with CLEAR rules and regulations, and, the removal of the HD39 chair, Mary Ellen Wolf – whom I am still uncertain was present or not, at any point in time. She may very well have been with the Obama supporters, while leaving the Clinton supporters to fend for themselves.
If something like this scenario has happened in at least one place, it’s almost a sure bet that it happened in other places across the country as well. Citizens, no matter the political affiliation, should not be treated in such a manner. This is a breach in trust within a government sworn to uphold civility.
Was this all because we got swept away in the grand scheme of having something new grace our lives, such as great historical political fervor? Possibly. Or, was this all because proper guidance was not given to parties involved? Possible, still.
Just as Wallstreet has effectively been able to broker away the commercial aspect of the USA, I am ashamed to note that in the course of making history, both the Republic and Democratic parties have effectively been able to broker away the American psyche, by polarizing the American public into a frenzy of religion, race, gender, and creed. The delegates and superdelegates of the DNC are just as much to blame as the whole of the RNC; power away from the people.
It’s myopic absolutism that the Democrats would elect a black man, and not a woman, juxtaposed with the Republicans offering McCain with a woman VP. Is this what our government has come down to? One-upping each other in terms of votes, rather than what we’re voting for?
I’m tired of the lofty political folderol of who has the more tainted past, as opposed to what the person can bring to the core of the table. We’ve all done a thing that seemed right at the time, but maybe looking back on, wasn’t. We try to redeem ourselves by doing what we feel is right, but get slapped around as being wishy-washy and a turn-coat.
This is not what the founding father’s had in mind when they set up this country, and this is not what I had in mind when I, by defacto of American birthright, gave tacit consent to those elected to run it. You should all be ashamed of how things are run, as I am ashamed of being a part of it.
As of completion of this letter, my vote still hangs in the balance on wanting to vote, or not - ever. After repeated slaps in the face to me and my family, based on a governments’ moral ineptitude, why should I?
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Regards,
Greg Wohler
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Monday, August 4, 2008
Mentor
The Word "mentor" comes from the Greek "Mentor" whom was the son of Alcumus in Homer's Odyssey. When Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, he left Mentor in charge to watch over his son, Telemachus. Mentor acted as a guide and confidant to Telemachus, in absence of his father. Upon the return of Odysseus from his ten year journey, (most recently Calypso), Athena took the form of Mentor in protection of Odysseus and Telemachus, because the level of trust and loyalty that both had put into Mentor would aid them in exacting revenge against the tyranny that had overgrown in Ithaca.
As we've recently crossed another "first" threshold since my grandmother's passing, (her July 28th birthday, she would have been 99 this year), memories swelled looking back at those in my life who have acted as a mentor; a teacher; a guide; a liaison, if you will, between known and unknown - such are the trades of a mentor.
Mentors bridge the gap between freely giving their life experience and giving insight to present goings-on, even if perhaps they know nothing of the subject. They know when not to get involved, yet know, also, when to give comforting thought without pressing an issue.
A mentor is not a passerby, although it can be argued that someone that is met only once can give valuable information. Rather, a mentor is someone that has been by your side for an extended period of time. I can think of several people, by reason of polarity, that have acted as such throughout my life. I say polarity, because I am a staunch believer in that one needs balance in life, and polar opposites sharing their experiences and opinions can only form a true basis of the persona that shapes our life.
This mentor is not just someone that we can rely upon. Knowledge lies within acceptance; acceptance of what they have to offer, yes, but accepting that we don't necessarily have to be near this person to feel their presence; we don't need to call this person on the phone all the time; nor Email, text, smoke signal, Morse code, or any other form of communication. This person is there when we need them; for the small pebbles, or the big rocks life throws at us, we needn't be in constant contact to know this to be true.
As you read this passage, I hope you ponder who your mentor is – is this person a friend? A school teacher? A co-worker? Someone that I talk to on-line, but have never met?
Tell that person thanks – before it's too late … mentors make us who we are – a thank-you is the least we can give them in return …
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
As we've recently crossed another "first" threshold since my grandmother's passing, (her July 28th birthday, she would have been 99 this year), memories swelled looking back at those in my life who have acted as a mentor; a teacher; a guide; a liaison, if you will, between known and unknown - such are the trades of a mentor.
Mentors bridge the gap between freely giving their life experience and giving insight to present goings-on, even if perhaps they know nothing of the subject. They know when not to get involved, yet know, also, when to give comforting thought without pressing an issue.
A mentor is not a passerby, although it can be argued that someone that is met only once can give valuable information. Rather, a mentor is someone that has been by your side for an extended period of time. I can think of several people, by reason of polarity, that have acted as such throughout my life. I say polarity, because I am a staunch believer in that one needs balance in life, and polar opposites sharing their experiences and opinions can only form a true basis of the persona that shapes our life.
This mentor is not just someone that we can rely upon. Knowledge lies within acceptance; acceptance of what they have to offer, yes, but accepting that we don't necessarily have to be near this person to feel their presence; we don't need to call this person on the phone all the time; nor Email, text, smoke signal, Morse code, or any other form of communication. This person is there when we need them; for the small pebbles, or the big rocks life throws at us, we needn't be in constant contact to know this to be true.
As you read this passage, I hope you ponder who your mentor is – is this person a friend? A school teacher? A co-worker? Someone that I talk to on-line, but have never met?
Tell that person thanks – before it's too late … mentors make us who we are – a thank-you is the least we can give them in return …
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Friday, July 25, 2008
English Language - sorta
The following is a response to an on-going debate I have with a friend who seems to think that certain government mandates are contributing to the downfall of every culturally native language except English. He also states that English should not be the main language in America, as other countries make up America, i.e. Canada, Mexico, Brazil, etc. He proceeds to quote PhD holders from UCLA to back-up that English is not the only "living language", and should not be the only one used. So, I quoted the books I had from people that were NOT PhD holders. My argument is the following response:
"I don't know if you're agreeing or disagreeing, so I'll put it another way ... languages have survived without governments, and if someone wants to use "government" as a crutch that "all" languages survive or die, that's poppycock. I'm not going to learn 15 different languages so that I can speak with my neighbors, but if you move here from another country then you better damn well learn English. (Just as I would have to learn a native language if I moved to another country). Or, as an aside, I would learn their language as secondary to my English.
Lingua Franca – Norman French hybrid language (Italian, Spanish, German, Latin, etc.) English is considered to be the first global lingua franca. I have no use for PhD pedantry that can otherwise be proved by the history of formulated usage. "Living language" is used as a metaphor for something still in use and continually changing. Something evolves from nothing but a quick fix for words stemming from a group of certain cultures in order to communicate. English has metamorphed its phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and intonation theories into one that is a rapidly rising global standard. David Crystal (Patron of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) and David Graddol are (knighted British) pioneers in sociolinguistics regarding this global change. (In case the folks over at UCLA forgot where modern English came from - it's from the Brits and Old English). 83% of English vocabulary is Germanic in origin. (Brought by the Romans who swept through NW Germany, which also encompassed Norman French and Spain and also encompassing their native Latin) – (A Grammar of Proto-Germanic - Jonathan Slocum and Winfred P. Lehmann.) That being said, the rest of the percentages are made up of French, Latin, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Greek, and a small percentage that is of unknown origin (Origins of English Language - Joseph Williams). (Police is a French origin word, yacht is a Danish word, computer (der Komputor) is a German word).
(Native languages of Britain before the Romans arrived, I'll save for another story.)
Pidgin Language – language created under stressful times that evolve over time (Creole, for instance, or your Mussolini anecdote). The unknown percentage of the evolution of modern English can be explained as words created from a pidgin language. Slaves often developed their own language. (Monolingualism of the Other - Jacques Derrida).
Latin, (from Latium along the Tiber River), is considered by many a dead language. However, it is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but nowhere else. Either way, it hasn't evolved – (wordsmithing here) – not a living language. Sanskrit is a precursor of Greek and Latin and Avestan (Zoroastrian) is an early relative of Persian (Sir William Jones). Both of these languages gave Greek and Latin words, but not structure, according to modern philology. Neither are used in their original forms, (although studied purely for their linguistic historical importance), and are considered dead languages. (By your PhD arguments, studying a language is keeping it alive, as the people who study it also speak it.) When English evolved from the above statements, the English language gave structure to these words – and the structure has changed since it's humble beginnings. (The Indo-European Dialects - Antoine Meillet). (The Discovery of Language - Holgar Pederson).
So, with all that said, it looks like to me that borrowings are the ONLY way a language changes, and thus, survives. It's BECAUSE the English langauge has borrowed that it survives by changing and adapting unlike any other language.
My great-grandparents, whom came here legally, did not speak a lick of English when they arrived here. But, they did instill in their children that German was not to be spoken at home, only English, in order to communicate and live in this New Country. I'm sick and tired of not being able to communicate with the amalgam of Spanish speakers at my school because they REFUSE to speak English.
No one is stating that native languages be lost, rather, English should be the one everyone speaks IN ADDITION TO their native language, whatever that may be.
Also, last time I checked, our Constitution was written in English, not a little bit of this and a little bit of that from the rest of "America"".
Original Posting
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
"I don't know if you're agreeing or disagreeing, so I'll put it another way ... languages have survived without governments, and if someone wants to use "government" as a crutch that "all" languages survive or die, that's poppycock. I'm not going to learn 15 different languages so that I can speak with my neighbors, but if you move here from another country then you better damn well learn English. (Just as I would have to learn a native language if I moved to another country). Or, as an aside, I would learn their language as secondary to my English.
Lingua Franca – Norman French hybrid language (Italian, Spanish, German, Latin, etc.) English is considered to be the first global lingua franca. I have no use for PhD pedantry that can otherwise be proved by the history of formulated usage. "Living language" is used as a metaphor for something still in use and continually changing. Something evolves from nothing but a quick fix for words stemming from a group of certain cultures in order to communicate. English has metamorphed its phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and intonation theories into one that is a rapidly rising global standard. David Crystal (Patron of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) and David Graddol are (knighted British) pioneers in sociolinguistics regarding this global change. (In case the folks over at UCLA forgot where modern English came from - it's from the Brits and Old English). 83% of English vocabulary is Germanic in origin. (Brought by the Romans who swept through NW Germany, which also encompassed Norman French and Spain and also encompassing their native Latin) – (A Grammar of Proto-Germanic - Jonathan Slocum and Winfred P. Lehmann.) That being said, the rest of the percentages are made up of French, Latin, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Greek, and a small percentage that is of unknown origin (Origins of English Language - Joseph Williams). (Police is a French origin word, yacht is a Danish word, computer (der Komputor) is a German word).
(Native languages of Britain before the Romans arrived, I'll save for another story.)
Pidgin Language – language created under stressful times that evolve over time (Creole, for instance, or your Mussolini anecdote). The unknown percentage of the evolution of modern English can be explained as words created from a pidgin language. Slaves often developed their own language. (Monolingualism of the Other - Jacques Derrida).
Latin, (from Latium along the Tiber River), is considered by many a dead language. However, it is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but nowhere else. Either way, it hasn't evolved – (wordsmithing here) – not a living language. Sanskrit is a precursor of Greek and Latin and Avestan (Zoroastrian) is an early relative of Persian (Sir William Jones). Both of these languages gave Greek and Latin words, but not structure, according to modern philology. Neither are used in their original forms, (although studied purely for their linguistic historical importance), and are considered dead languages. (By your PhD arguments, studying a language is keeping it alive, as the people who study it also speak it.) When English evolved from the above statements, the English language gave structure to these words – and the structure has changed since it's humble beginnings. (The Indo-European Dialects - Antoine Meillet). (The Discovery of Language - Holgar Pederson).
So, with all that said, it looks like to me that borrowings are the ONLY way a language changes, and thus, survives. It's BECAUSE the English langauge has borrowed that it survives by changing and adapting unlike any other language.
My great-grandparents, whom came here legally, did not speak a lick of English when they arrived here. But, they did instill in their children that German was not to be spoken at home, only English, in order to communicate and live in this New Country. I'm sick and tired of not being able to communicate with the amalgam of Spanish speakers at my school because they REFUSE to speak English.
No one is stating that native languages be lost, rather, English should be the one everyone speaks IN ADDITION TO their native language, whatever that may be.
Also, last time I checked, our Constitution was written in English, not a little bit of this and a little bit of that from the rest of "America"".
Original Posting
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Xeno Paradox of Life
""The Tortoise challenged Achilles to a race, claiming that he would win as long as Achilles gave him a small head start. Achilles laughed at this, for of course he was a mighty warrior and swift of foot, whereas the Tortoise was heavy and slow.
"How big a head start do you need?" he asked the Tortoise with a smile.
"Ten meters," the latter replied.
Achilles laughed louder than ever. "You will surely lose, my friend, in that case," he told the Tortoise, "but let us race, if you wish it."
"On the contrary," said the Tortoise, "I will win, and I can prove it to you by a simple argument."
"Go on then," Achilles replied, with less confidence than he felt before. He knew he was the superior athlete, but he also knew the Tortoise had the sharper wits, and he had lost many a bewildering argument with him before this.
"Suppose," began the Tortoise, "that you give me a 10-meter head start. Would you say that you could cover that 10 meters between us very quickly?"
"Very quickly," Achilles affirmed.
"And in that time, how far should I have gone, do you think?"
"Perhaps a meter – no more," said Achilles after a moment's thought.
"Very well," replied the Tortoise, "so now there is a meter between us. And you would catch up that distance very quickly?"
"Very quickly indeed!"
"And yet, in that time I shall have gone a little way farther, so that now you must catch that distance up, yes?"
"Ye-es," said Achilles slowly.
"And while you are doing so, I shall have gone a little way farther, so that you must then catch up the new distance," the Tortoise continued smoothly.
Achilles said nothing.
"And so you see, in each moment you must be catching up the distance between us, and yet I – at the same time – will be adding a new distance, however small, for you to catch up again."
"Indeed, it must be so," said Achilles wearily.
"And so you can never catch up," the Tortoise concluded sympathetically.
"You are right, as always," said Achilles sadly – and conceded the race.""
One could say that life is just like this race. Everytime we feel like we get caught up on something, something else comes along and puts us back a little bit farther. There is no way to catch up to where we need or want to be, thus stays the paradox.
While the calculus method of handling infinite sequences may solve the distance problem, and quantum physics solves the mark between two points, there is the philosophical answer to the paradox: keep going, try something new, and never give up.
I've tried to fill my life with as many eclectic paths as possible. I travel down each one for a short bit of time, until I catch up as much as I can, and turn toward a different direction. This helps keep the mind free and open. My gambit is the possibility of sacrificing certain aspects that some people may find offensive, in that not enough time is spent in one area, and too much in another.
My life "To-Do List: is as follows:
*To write a Letter of Intent to a high-powered political official
*To finish and publish the 9 books I've started
*To continue to write: poetry, blogs, stories, notes, scribbles, ideas
*To re-build a compressed air engine, and build and adapt a Tesla turbine using recycled compressed air, with gyroscopic encasements/compartments
*To re-build an electric engine using Xenon and a friction based power source
*To continue to sit on the board of The Thomas Foundation
*To finish work on my un-named community non-profit endowment
*To continue to be culturally open-minded, and non-biased
*To travel to other countries
*To immerse myself in my educational career
*To make people happy with my small business of jewlery making
*To learn as much as possible about psychology and philosophy
*To continue to enjoy my outdoor activities; hiking and camping
*To reduce my meat intake to 15%, and increase vegetarianism to 85%
*To continue to learn and play percussion, tin whistles, and guitar
*To play the song I wrote for my grandma in public
*To continue to meet and greet new people
*To love my two best friends as the real and genuine people that they are
*To continue to protest things that I feel are wrong, and promote things I feel are right
*To continue to love my family, and all the eccentricities we entail
*To be a life partner with the right woman, and have children together
*To continue to learn things I do not know, but want to
*To never lose sight of who I truly am
All of the above I have started, and will continue to work on until the end - but one never truly stops being ones' self, if one passes on knowledge to another ...
I'm a strong believer that all lists should be long, so that everything can be garnered an achievement if tried. I heard it said once "Do or Do Not, There is No Try" - but, if we don't try, nothing can be done ... to try, is to do - to do nothing, is to not try ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
"How big a head start do you need?" he asked the Tortoise with a smile.
"Ten meters," the latter replied.
Achilles laughed louder than ever. "You will surely lose, my friend, in that case," he told the Tortoise, "but let us race, if you wish it."
"On the contrary," said the Tortoise, "I will win, and I can prove it to you by a simple argument."
"Go on then," Achilles replied, with less confidence than he felt before. He knew he was the superior athlete, but he also knew the Tortoise had the sharper wits, and he had lost many a bewildering argument with him before this.
"Suppose," began the Tortoise, "that you give me a 10-meter head start. Would you say that you could cover that 10 meters between us very quickly?"
"Very quickly," Achilles affirmed.
"And in that time, how far should I have gone, do you think?"
"Perhaps a meter – no more," said Achilles after a moment's thought.
"Very well," replied the Tortoise, "so now there is a meter between us. And you would catch up that distance very quickly?"
"Very quickly indeed!"
"And yet, in that time I shall have gone a little way farther, so that now you must catch that distance up, yes?"
"Ye-es," said Achilles slowly.
"And while you are doing so, I shall have gone a little way farther, so that you must then catch up the new distance," the Tortoise continued smoothly.
Achilles said nothing.
"And so you see, in each moment you must be catching up the distance between us, and yet I – at the same time – will be adding a new distance, however small, for you to catch up again."
"Indeed, it must be so," said Achilles wearily.
"And so you can never catch up," the Tortoise concluded sympathetically.
"You are right, as always," said Achilles sadly – and conceded the race.""
One could say that life is just like this race. Everytime we feel like we get caught up on something, something else comes along and puts us back a little bit farther. There is no way to catch up to where we need or want to be, thus stays the paradox.
While the calculus method of handling infinite sequences may solve the distance problem, and quantum physics solves the mark between two points, there is the philosophical answer to the paradox: keep going, try something new, and never give up.
I've tried to fill my life with as many eclectic paths as possible. I travel down each one for a short bit of time, until I catch up as much as I can, and turn toward a different direction. This helps keep the mind free and open. My gambit is the possibility of sacrificing certain aspects that some people may find offensive, in that not enough time is spent in one area, and too much in another.
My life "To-Do List: is as follows:
*To write a Letter of Intent to a high-powered political official
*To finish and publish the 9 books I've started
*To continue to write: poetry, blogs, stories, notes, scribbles, ideas
*To re-build a compressed air engine, and build and adapt a Tesla turbine using recycled compressed air, with gyroscopic encasements/compartments
*To re-build an electric engine using Xenon and a friction based power source
*To continue to sit on the board of The Thomas Foundation
*To finish work on my un-named community non-profit endowment
*To continue to be culturally open-minded, and non-biased
*To travel to other countries
*To immerse myself in my educational career
*To make people happy with my small business of jewlery making
*To learn as much as possible about psychology and philosophy
*To continue to enjoy my outdoor activities; hiking and camping
*To reduce my meat intake to 15%, and increase vegetarianism to 85%
*To continue to learn and play percussion, tin whistles, and guitar
*To play the song I wrote for my grandma in public
*To continue to meet and greet new people
*To love my two best friends as the real and genuine people that they are
*To continue to protest things that I feel are wrong, and promote things I feel are right
*To continue to love my family, and all the eccentricities we entail
*To be a life partner with the right woman, and have children together
*To continue to learn things I do not know, but want to
*To never lose sight of who I truly am
All of the above I have started, and will continue to work on until the end - but one never truly stops being ones' self, if one passes on knowledge to another ...
I'm a strong believer that all lists should be long, so that everything can be garnered an achievement if tried. I heard it said once "Do or Do Not, There is No Try" - but, if we don't try, nothing can be done ... to try, is to do - to do nothing, is to not try ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund
A few months ago, I began a stint on the board of a community project, that I believe, has potential for many great things.
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund is a foundation that brings community awareness through the differing aspects of worldly cultures.
So far, the Foundation has given grants to several Colorado cultural groups, and has itself, been a part of several gatherings in the Colorado area.
And each year, in addition to grant giving, we have helped to host the Aurora Arts Festival bringing in the likes of world renowned Nigerian drummer and dancer Baba Joda; a poets and writers gathering; a mime troupe; a Samoan musical group, and much more!
We look forward to the international festivals this year, along with bridging the cultural gap by bringing events into public awareness.
However, like most endowments and foundations, we rely on donations, so that we may in turn give back to the community. If you feel like you can donate, or know someone that would, please visit the web site and click on the 'Donations' tab.
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund can be found by clicking the link under the "links" portion of this site.
Celebrate diversity, as much as possible ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund is a foundation that brings community awareness through the differing aspects of worldly cultures.
So far, the Foundation has given grants to several Colorado cultural groups, and has itself, been a part of several gatherings in the Colorado area.
And each year, in addition to grant giving, we have helped to host the Aurora Arts Festival bringing in the likes of world renowned Nigerian drummer and dancer Baba Joda; a poets and writers gathering; a mime troupe; a Samoan musical group, and much more!
We look forward to the international festivals this year, along with bridging the cultural gap by bringing events into public awareness.
However, like most endowments and foundations, we rely on donations, so that we may in turn give back to the community. If you feel like you can donate, or know someone that would, please visit the web site and click on the 'Donations' tab.
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund can be found by clicking the link under the "links" portion of this site.
Celebrate diversity, as much as possible ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given
Namaste and Slainte
~BG~
Friday, May 23, 2008
Fall Backs
As we amble through life, why not thrive to live as many aspects it has to offer?
Why shorten our capacity for life, by not incorporating as many virtues this world has to offer?
To taste as many worldly cuisines as possible ...
To hear as much diverse music as possible ...
To meet and great the myriad of souls the world has living in it ...
Can anyone tell me why one would limit themselves to one microscopic drop in a worldy bucket? What possible joy is there in the myopicy of self-dissolutionment? Why would anyone separate the self from the world and think inward, instead of reach outward?
If my favorite rock band is not playing on a weekend, I have an Irish band to fall back on ... If my favorite Irish band is not playing, I have a jazz club to fall back on ... If the jazz club is too crowded, I have a blues club downtown to fall back on ... I've never complained on not having anywhere to go.
If my favorite pizza joint is too crowded, I have my middle-eastern restaurant to fall back on ... If the "gyros king" feels too heavy, I have my favorite sushi restaurant to fall back on ... If I'm not in the mood for sushi, I have a local Irish pub for great pub style food to fall back on ... I've never complained on not having anything to eat and drink.
Within each club, bar, and restaurant there is as diverse a clientele as the various forms of music and styles of cuisine ... the ambiance of such is lost, while the mind is closed ...
I am never bored. I never rely so heavily upon one thing that all else fades away into non-existence ... possibly because I shed my armor of prejudice long ago, and opened my eyes to what is actually there ...
There are some things that I've read, that I have yet to experience ... but, there are many more things that I have experienced because of what I have learned through world cultural rhetoric ... words justify a means to meaning ... density are in those few, who have not relished in the givings of the vastness of cultural identity ...
At some point, it is inevitable the safety net will be cut, and what then will you have to fall back on? ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
Why shorten our capacity for life, by not incorporating as many virtues this world has to offer?
To taste as many worldly cuisines as possible ...
To hear as much diverse music as possible ...
To meet and great the myriad of souls the world has living in it ...
Can anyone tell me why one would limit themselves to one microscopic drop in a worldy bucket? What possible joy is there in the myopicy of self-dissolutionment? Why would anyone separate the self from the world and think inward, instead of reach outward?
If my favorite rock band is not playing on a weekend, I have an Irish band to fall back on ... If my favorite Irish band is not playing, I have a jazz club to fall back on ... If the jazz club is too crowded, I have a blues club downtown to fall back on ... I've never complained on not having anywhere to go.
If my favorite pizza joint is too crowded, I have my middle-eastern restaurant to fall back on ... If the "gyros king" feels too heavy, I have my favorite sushi restaurant to fall back on ... If I'm not in the mood for sushi, I have a local Irish pub for great pub style food to fall back on ... I've never complained on not having anything to eat and drink.
Within each club, bar, and restaurant there is as diverse a clientele as the various forms of music and styles of cuisine ... the ambiance of such is lost, while the mind is closed ...
I am never bored. I never rely so heavily upon one thing that all else fades away into non-existence ... possibly because I shed my armor of prejudice long ago, and opened my eyes to what is actually there ...
There are some things that I've read, that I have yet to experience ... but, there are many more things that I have experienced because of what I have learned through world cultural rhetoric ... words justify a means to meaning ... density are in those few, who have not relished in the givings of the vastness of cultural identity ...
At some point, it is inevitable the safety net will be cut, and what then will you have to fall back on? ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
Grammer 101
Computer Tools - Spell Checker
I have a spelling checker
I disk covered four my PC
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea
My checker tolled me sew
Eye ran this poem threw it.
Your sure real glad two no.
Its very polished in its weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a blessing.
It freese yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays comes posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore wee rote with checkers
Hour spelling was inn deck line,
Butt now when wee dew have a laps,
Wee are not maid too wine.
And now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
There are know faults in awl this peace,
Of nun eye am a wear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
That's why eye brake in two averse
Cuz Eye dew want too please.
Sow glad eye yam that aye did bye
This soft wear four pea seas.
~Author Unknown~
Computers are only as smart as their makers and users ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
I have a spelling checker
I disk covered four my PC
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea
My checker tolled me sew
Eye ran this poem threw it.
Your sure real glad two no.
Its very polished in its weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a blessing.
It freese yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays comes posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore wee rote with checkers
Hour spelling was inn deck line,
Butt now when wee dew have a laps,
Wee are not maid too wine.
And now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
There are know faults in awl this peace,
Of nun eye am a wear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
That's why eye brake in two averse
Cuz Eye dew want too please.
Sow glad eye yam that aye did bye
This soft wear four pea seas.
~Author Unknown~
Computers are only as smart as their makers and users ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
Grammer 202
21 Reasons Why The English Language Is Hard To Learn:
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he could get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, a farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections by the dentist, my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests, based on a certain subject.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
These words are not to be confused with "homonym", which are two words that sound the same, but spelled different; i.e. 'sail' and 'sale' ... (Partially with the exception of 6 ...)
The words listed above actually have no word to describe them, oddly enough, but the term "homograph" has been loosely defined as "the" word to describe words spelled the same, but with different meanings and different pronunciations and/or syllable emphasis ...
The majority of the English vernacular comes from other worldly languages ... the "homograph" is also used to describe certain English words that mean something totally different in the other languages; i.e. 'pet' in French means 'to fart', or 'trance' in Spanish means 'critical moment' ...
Although not a "homograph", my personal favorite is "Your door is ajar." ...
No wonder President Bush has such a hard time with the language ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he could get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, a farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections by the dentist, my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests, based on a certain subject.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
These words are not to be confused with "homonym", which are two words that sound the same, but spelled different; i.e. 'sail' and 'sale' ... (Partially with the exception of 6 ...)
The words listed above actually have no word to describe them, oddly enough, but the term "homograph" has been loosely defined as "the" word to describe words spelled the same, but with different meanings and different pronunciations and/or syllable emphasis ...
The majority of the English vernacular comes from other worldly languages ... the "homograph" is also used to describe certain English words that mean something totally different in the other languages; i.e. 'pet' in French means 'to fart', or 'trance' in Spanish means 'critical moment' ...
Although not a "homograph", my personal favorite is "Your door is ajar." ...
No wonder President Bush has such a hard time with the language ...
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...
Namaste and Slainte
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