Pour ice water over your head, or give some money for ALS research......or not. According to this news report, 28% of funds to the ALS Foundation are used for research. The rest go to something else.
Charitable giving is one of the things U.S. folks are known for. It's a good thing, but many give without doing a little research on the organization they're giving their hard money to for support. Considering how huge the ice water challenge has affected the country, I'm thinking many will feel a little betrayed when they realize only 28 cents of every dollar they donated actually is used to find a cure for a horrific illness. If they're like me, that seems like a paltry proportion to use for what the money is actually given to accomplish.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
I Really Don't Care
About what? Whether it's the correct time of year to make gumbo.
"It's too hot for gumbo!" is a response I've heard. Following that line of reasoning, nothing should be cooked during hot months. Everything has to be raw or eaten frozen. Hot meals are enjoyed year round and I still haven't determined why gumbo is considered a cold weather food.
I've been told the same thing for chili, which doesn't make sense, because the summer baseball food of hot dogs are commonly covered in the stuff. I like chili in the summer as much as I do in the winter. It tastes good, is relatively inexpensive and easy to make.
So, whether you dislike the idea, or not, I made chicken and sausage gumbo today. For those that think it's a bad idea, it doesn't bother me you feel that way. I have more for me and it's really, really good.
"It's too hot for gumbo!" is a response I've heard. Following that line of reasoning, nothing should be cooked during hot months. Everything has to be raw or eaten frozen. Hot meals are enjoyed year round and I still haven't determined why gumbo is considered a cold weather food.
I've been told the same thing for chili, which doesn't make sense, because the summer baseball food of hot dogs are commonly covered in the stuff. I like chili in the summer as much as I do in the winter. It tastes good, is relatively inexpensive and easy to make.
So, whether you dislike the idea, or not, I made chicken and sausage gumbo today. For those that think it's a bad idea, it doesn't bother me you feel that way. I have more for me and it's really, really good.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Of Scotsmen and Heritage
The bagpipes are seldom spoken of in a positive way. Still, I like them and the music that's played on the odd instrument once made from the skin of a sheep. It's part of my heritage and I can feel my ancestors calling when I hear the songs.
Enjoy, or not.
Enjoy, or not.
I Wonder Sometimes
I was born on an August day. My mother died two days shy of my third month. While I had a loving step-mother that raised me from a child, I still wonder about my mother.
I know she was short. I was told she was about 5 feet tall; tiny was the description of someone that knew her. She was blonde, with blue eyes,and my father adored her. I know that from what I was told by others; my father never talked about her; I think the pain lasted until he passed.
Still, I wonder about her. What was her favorite color? Did she like chocolate cake? Would her smile have healed my broken heart, when life was disappointing? Could I have met her expectations and made her proud?
I wonder most about the end. Melanoma had ravaged; her last days were known to be coming; and the sadness in her heart must have been so deep as to be unbearable.
My father was there until the end. How he survived is beyond me. I don't know if I could have been that strong. Losing the love of your life at such an early age can only be an event that destroys something forever. His perseverance was exceptional and I admire my father more, when I reflect on legacy.
So, I wonder about the person that only brought me to this world; soon to leave for another purpose. The person, and the purpose will never be revealed while I walk the Earth. Time will eventually bring me to the place where I will have the answers. Until then, I can only wait and wonder.
I know she was short. I was told she was about 5 feet tall; tiny was the description of someone that knew her. She was blonde, with blue eyes,and my father adored her. I know that from what I was told by others; my father never talked about her; I think the pain lasted until he passed.
Still, I wonder about her. What was her favorite color? Did she like chocolate cake? Would her smile have healed my broken heart, when life was disappointing? Could I have met her expectations and made her proud?
I wonder most about the end. Melanoma had ravaged; her last days were known to be coming; and the sadness in her heart must have been so deep as to be unbearable.
My father was there until the end. How he survived is beyond me. I don't know if I could have been that strong. Losing the love of your life at such an early age can only be an event that destroys something forever. His perseverance was exceptional and I admire my father more, when I reflect on legacy.
So, I wonder about the person that only brought me to this world; soon to leave for another purpose. The person, and the purpose will never be revealed while I walk the Earth. Time will eventually bring me to the place where I will have the answers. Until then, I can only wait and wonder.
Okay; I'll Admit It
Experience give the opportunity to observe people and events. The cumulative knowledge obtained is worth more than any advanced teachings and degrees. That's why I'm enjoying watching the current administration floundering, losing respect and almost panicking over the public perception of the fecklessness.
It didn't take much thought, or research, to understand the woeful incompetence of the President. He had no experience, was paraded like the entertainer he is, and allowed to ascend into a position that much more qualified men floundered in after acceptance.
To add to my humor is the "sudden" realization by the media their betrayal is starting to hit them in the pocket book. Those that were so willing to sacrifice the honorable path of their profession are finding they're considered inconsequential; or even derelict in their duty and dismissed as shallow, unreasonable people with little moral character.
You reap what you sow. We have a nation that sowed ignorance and is now facing a future where that ignorance will reveal the harm of such an action. Logical thinking was abandoned for momentary enjoyment and the lack of any enjoyment is on the horizon for many. The predator of reality doesn't need to stalk its prey; it's congregating at the pool of ignorance and ready for harvest.
As always, the strong will survive; but even if there's a national calamity, few will be willing to seek the solution found during the Great Depression. Governments create more problems than they solve. It's now obvious no government ever really represents the people that allow it to persist. Only liberty guarantees a healthy society. That's what the founders of the United States realized centuries ago. We were given a map to prosperity and it's now a crumpled mess; stuffed in the glove box; under a pile of napkins from a fast food restaurant.
It didn't take much thought, or research, to understand the woeful incompetence of the President. He had no experience, was paraded like the entertainer he is, and allowed to ascend into a position that much more qualified men floundered in after acceptance.
To add to my humor is the "sudden" realization by the media their betrayal is starting to hit them in the pocket book. Those that were so willing to sacrifice the honorable path of their profession are finding they're considered inconsequential; or even derelict in their duty and dismissed as shallow, unreasonable people with little moral character.
You reap what you sow. We have a nation that sowed ignorance and is now facing a future where that ignorance will reveal the harm of such an action. Logical thinking was abandoned for momentary enjoyment and the lack of any enjoyment is on the horizon for many. The predator of reality doesn't need to stalk its prey; it's congregating at the pool of ignorance and ready for harvest.
As always, the strong will survive; but even if there's a national calamity, few will be willing to seek the solution found during the Great Depression. Governments create more problems than they solve. It's now obvious no government ever really represents the people that allow it to persist. Only liberty guarantees a healthy society. That's what the founders of the United States realized centuries ago. We were given a map to prosperity and it's now a crumpled mess; stuffed in the glove box; under a pile of napkins from a fast food restaurant.
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