BBs Blog

The Republican Party seems to be trying to imply there is something vaguely wrong about being eloquent. Which is really odd when you realize that one of our most eloquent past Presidents was a Republican. I’m sure Lincoln must have been spinning in his grave as McCain seemed to chastise Obama for daring to once more show his habit of waxing eloquent during on of the debates. I think Lincoln should pay McCain a visit this Halloween, and haunt him as the Ghost of Past Eloquence like the Ghost of Christmas Past haunted Scrooge in Dickens’s eloquent tale. The Ghost of Present Eloquence should pay McCain a visit on All Hallows Eve as well. Oh and let’s not forget Joe, the Ghost of Future Eloquence!

And if Goddess forbid, the McCain/Palin ticket actually wins the election, does this mean that creationism will replace eloquence in our public school system?

As I take some time this Samhain to remember those who have crossed the veil, my father’s “ghost” will be there to remind me that he always admired articulate people who could wax eloquent at times. It was that self-educated man who devoured books in an effort to improve his mind, and vocabulary, who instilled this passion for words in me.

What a disservice McCain is doing to Lincoln, my father, and all those who in the past, strove for excellence and eloquence in their lives. His mockery and implied chastisement of Obama for his eloquence also does a great disservice to those who strive for it now, and to those who will hopefully strive for it in the future.

I realize that McCain is trying to appeal to “The Average Joe”. However, it might behoove him to remember that many “Average Joes” are extremely articulate people who when given the proper encouragement and opportunity, can be very eloquent speakers. One sees these “Average Joes” speaking at various civic events. Many even join organizations like Toast Masters to improve their ability to speak articulately at those civic events. And that makes me wonder what does Toast Masters think of McCains vague chastisement of Obama for daring to be, “Dramatic Gasp” eloquent?

Oh, and I’ll be remembering another Joe this Samhain. His full name was Franklin Joseph Urias. A very eloquent man who worked hard, and succeeded in becoming the first Hispanic lawyer in the town he was born and raised in. He was another of the people who always encouraged my passion for words.

Being able speak or write eloquently isn’t an art that belongs only to the elite, or even the so-called “well educated” people of America. It is an art that can be practiced by anyone who has a love of words. Words are a very powerful thing. Senator McCain should be encouraging the youth of America to use them with as much eloquence as possible. Not mocking or vaguely chastising his opponent in this upcoming election for being able to do that. I’m just tickled pink that so many of the young people who are the future of this great nation are being inspired by Senator Obama’s articulate and eloquent speeches, and not by the backwards rhetoric spewing forth from the mouths of certain members of the Republican party.

Elephants are painting self portraits, and a horse named Cholla has had some of his paintings sold and exhibited in several art shows. Are we discovering that animals are smarter, and perhaps have much more of an aesthetic sense that we previously believed? According to a story I read, elephants have been drawing pictures in the sand using sticks and other objects for a long time. However, in all the years I have owned and been around horses, I have never seen nor heard of horses doing that. Yet after being given a paintbrush, Cholla took to painting, well, like a duck to water. If animals do have a more developed aesthetic sense than we humans previously realized, will giving them tools like watercolors and paintbrushes allow them to evolve in new and exciting ways? Are we causing the artistic evolution of animals by providing them with such tools? Or are we simply helping them express an artistic ability that has always been within some of them? And if some animals do indeed have an aesthetic sense, as well as a true artistic ability, does this also prove that those animals have souls?

As if elephants and horses with artistic talent aren’t enough to make you wonder what the heck is going on in the animal kingdom, there has now been a second recorded case of immaculate conception among sharks. The first such case occurred when a hammerhead shark gave birth to a shark pup at a zoo in Omaha Neb. The second, and most recent case, which occurred 16 months ago, involved a black tip shark named Tidbit. Tidbit died while undergoing a yearly checkup. A necropsy revealed she was in late stages of pregnancy. Since there had been no male black tipped sharks in the aquarium with her during the 8 years she had been there, the late term pregnancy came as quite a surprise. DNA testing proved the 10″ shark pup contained no genetic material from a male shark. Scientists theorize that shark pups lacking the chromosomes present in male sperm would have reduced genetic diversity, and be at a disadvantage for surviving in the wild.

My best friend Moonie recently witnessed an incident involving a gray fox that seems to show just how thoroughly at least one fox has adapted to surviving city life. The fox was spotted by her early one morning in downtown Midland, Tx. She watched as the fox stopped at the crosswalk, waited for the light to change, then trotted across the street. At first she thought it was a fluke, and the fox had merely been watching something else, and just happened to cross the street as the light changed. However, when the fox came to the next crosswalk, it once again paused, then crossed the street only after the crosswalk light changed to green.

I’ve seen a couple of stories lately as well where ACORN and some other folks have been accused of registering animals to vote. And who knows, if this evolutionary phase some species of animals seem to be going through continues, maybe some day we will be sharing the voting booths with real donkeys and elephants.

I mentioned at the end of last week’s Fix that I am embracing the Crone within me, and allowing her wisdom to guide me as I continue my journey through life. I want to expand on the Crone concept in this week’s Fix. Now many people have an extremely negative connotation regarding the word Crone. This is especially true when it is prefixed by the words ugly old. However, if they are lucky, even the youngest females reading these words will eventually age and become what some cultures refer to as Crones. And that’s fine because Crones are cool people. Crones do come with anything from a few, to a whole lot of lines and wrinkles. The lines and wrinkles that time has left upon a Crone’s face and body are maps of character that have yet to grace the faces and bodies of those who are still in their Maiden phase of life. Once you get into that Mother phase, the kids you have can wind up giving you stretch marks, at least a few grey hairs, and some worry lines as well.

The Crone stage of woman’s life is a time of giving back to society the wisdom a woman has gained over the years. Crones often like to become involved in all kinds of community activities that allow them to share that wisdom with the younger generation. Since their kids have often flown the coup and they have the time to do so now, Crones also like to fully cultivate and express their passions during this phase of life. And yes, Crones are often very passionate people, both in a general sense of the word, as well as a sexual sense. No, women do necessarily dry up and become frigid old ladies just because they have experienced menopause. Sexually speaking, the Crone stage can actually be a very powerful and fulfilling phase in a woman’s life. It is the stage of sexual mastery. In other words, at this stage of the game we have learned what really turns us on, and off. Crones can be very assertive when it comes to expressing their sexuality, which is a great turn on for some men.

I am proudly embracing my Crone Grace, and encouraging other women who are at that stage of life to do the same. By all means do whatever you can to help reduce the wrinkles and lines that time leaves upon your aging face and body. Buy the best creams, lotions and other anti-aging products you can afford. And if you can afford it, and want it, then do the nip and tuck thing as well if it will make you feel better about yourself. However, also keep in mind that the true beauty of being a Crone comes from within. It is our grace and wisdom that really makes us the beautiful women we are. Yes, the morning sun really shows our age, but we also appreciate the fact that we are alive to see that morning sun much more than many young people do. We also appreciate the beauty of a sunset in ways that perhaps younger people don’t. Within it’s fading beauty we sometimes see reflections of the full and wonderful lives we have lived.

Below are some links to pages that celebrate the true meaning of what it is to be a Crone.

AmethJera’s Blog

Croning Ceremony-Celebrating Womens Wisdom

Croning

Rites of Passage

I have been as filled with righteous indignation and anger as many other people when it comes to the tacky turn of events the McCain/Palin ticket is taking right now. I am appalled that Palin is if not outright inciting people to violence, she is in a sense condoning it by not speaking up and telling those yelling, “Kill Him!” to stop those kind violent outbursts. I am also irked as hell about McCain’s referring to Obama as “That one” during the debate Tuesday night. Excuses have been made for that remark, but I feel if he couldn’t bring himself to say his opponent’s name, he should have at least said, “He voted for it.” I’m irked as hell about many things concerning the McCain campaign. I was filled with a lot righteous anger yesterday. Then I watched a couple of videos of Obama giving speeches at some of his rallies. By the time I had finished watching those videos I had been so moved by his positive and uplifting speeches the anger had greatly dissipated. In its place was a sense of hope and wonder. And what kept ringing in my ears all day was the chant, “Yes We Can!”

I’ve been puzzled recently why more people aren’t figuratively speaking “up in arms” over what is going on with the McCain campaign. After listening to Obama speaking I am beginning to see why. Obama’s message is one of peace and positive action. He reminds us that yes can make a positive difference in this world. He does so in part by reminding us it is those who said, “Yes we can!” who ended slavery, allowed women to vote, sent us to the moon, and did a whole lot of other things some said were impossible. His message spoke straight to my heart and settled within my soul in such a manner that today I am experiencing a wonderful sense of peaceful hope.

Yes, the stock market is still in a downward spiral that is frightening to behold. McCain and Palin are still conducting their terribly tacky campaign across America. Global warming is still melting the ice caps and drowning polar bears. And a whole host of other things is wrong with the world. But, if we all work together and really try, we can eventually fix those things that are wrong. If we stay focused on those important issues, and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the lies McCain and Palin are still telling, yes we can make the world a better place.

The great rescue plan doesn’t seem to be having the effect on the market many people hoped it would. We may see some truly desperate and terrible times before this economic mess is finally straightened out. However, we have seen desperate terrible times before. Both as a nation during the Great Depression, and as individuals just trying to make ends meet in today’s world. No matter what happens though, yes we can get through whatever lays ahead of us. We can do it both as a nation of We The People, and as individuals struggling to feed our families and keep a roof over our heads.

Together, we can vote for those who offer us a viable plan when it comes to fixing the economy, stopping global warming, and mending all the other things that are wrong with the world. Most of all, yes we can do that by remaining focused on what is right with it. We cannot lose sight of the fact that although humanity is responsible for so much of what is wrong, we humans also hold the key of knowledge and wisdom that will allow us to learn from our mistakes, and mend what we have broken. Yes, we are at times our own worst enemy. But, we are also our own best friends and saviors if we just allow our own humanity to shine through in positive ways that make so many things possible.

It’s funny how a lot of people seem to think that retaining one’s grace under verbal fire is a sign of weakness. It’s actually a hell of a lot easier to give into one’s primal urges and retaliate in kind, than it is to keep one’s cool and remain gracious under heavy verbal fire. To retain one’s maturity and cool when the one firing the verbal barrage is exhibiting the same characteristics as a grade school playground bully can be almost impossible at times. It’s just so tempting to haul off and hit the offending party with a volley of scathing return fire. I have given into that temptation at times when in that situation. And for a brief moment I will feel a little better after returning fire. Then I will come to my senses, realize I have lowered myself to their standards, and want to kick my own apple ass for behaving so damn childishly. The older I get, the harder I want to kick my own ass when I do fall from grace and give into the urge to retaliate in kind. The good news is the older I get, the weaker the primal urge to retaliate in kind becomes in me. Which is great because as we age some urges, like running to the bathroom for instance, get a hell of a lot stronger.

Since I know both the bladder and the brain can weaken with age, I am doing all I can to keep both of those organs in good shape. Exercise, cranberry pills, and lots of water help keep my bladder in good shape. Keeping up with the many things that interest me via the wonderful world wide web help keep my little grey cells functioning like they should. I consider the upcoming election one of the most important ones this country has had in my lifetime, and am doing my best to keep up with what both candidates are saying and doing. All four candidates have been guilty of saying things about their opponents that are not true, and both have used words their opponents have said out of context in a way that made it appear their opponents said something they didn’t. But because I know that’s part and parcel of any politician’s campaign strategy, I now I regularly visit places like FactCheck.org to find out what really lies beneath some of the things all four are saying about each other. It might behoove all four of them to pay that place a visit and see how easy it is for even a gracefully aging blonde to double check the veracity of their statements before they open their mouths and say something that isn’t true.

Aging both gracefully, and graciously is something I am very committed to doing. Keeping a positive attitude is a very important part of my plan when it comes to keeping that commitment. After all, what good does it do to use all those great Premier products to keep my skin soft and supple, if I’m going to allow my mind and spirit to wither and harden? I don’t mind that I am now entering my Crone phase of life. In fact, I’m embracing the Crone within me, and allowing her wisdom and grace to guide me as I continue my journey through life.