What About the Camera Crew?

I like watching shows about surviving out in the wilds. In shows like Survivor Man and Man vs Wild the starts pit themselves against nature. They are dropped off someplace and have to endure hardship, bad weather, hunger, and thirst. Along the way they explain why they are eating grubs or the best way to build a primitive shelter. Recently I watched a couple episodes of Out of the Wild: Venezuela. In this show nine people are dropped off in the wilds of Venezuela. Their goal is to make it to civilization. There is no prize at the end except to have conquered nature. Each person has a GPS tracker that they can push at anytime to be extracted and flown back to comfort and three square meals a day. Together these strangers learn how to read a map in order to find a stash of supplies and then their camps. They have to find their way down steep cliff sides, build stick shelters against the rain, contend with poisonous snakes, contend with infection and hypothermia.
 By the last episode four people chose to give up the quest of battling the wilds. The last five have built a raft and are slowly floating their way towards civilization. They feel some relief to be able to float along. They haven't eaten in two days and are weak with hunger, but optimistic. Their morale comes crashing down as they discover a large waterfall keeping them from floating. They have to carry their raft nearly a mile in order to be able to float on the river again. One of the men starts stumbling around and nearly passes out. The last woman of the team gathers her strength and scouts out a place to carry the raft. She motivates the men and they stumble their way there. They spend the night and the next day go back for the other part of their raft. One of the men stays behind to catch turtles. Eventually they get back on the river. They eventually find a couple fishing. Trying to communicate with them in Spanish, the couple eventually understands what they want. All five scramble into their boat and are dropped off and pointed towards the road. They hitch a ride into town and their friends and families are waiting for them. Everyone is crying and hugging, overjoyed to be reunited and to be out of the wilderness. All of them talk about how they thought they were going to conquer some of the harshest wilderness in the world, but instead found that it was themselves they had to conquer in order to survive.
This show was touching, exciting, frightening, joyful, and entertaining. However, a niggling thought refused to be vanquished. You have these people surviving some incredibly difficult situations and their stories are captured for us to watch in the comfort of our own homes on video. I can't help asking, what about the camera crew? The entire adventure is well documented with beautiful photography, so well done that you forget that someone had to be there to video it. Much of the camera work could have been done by helicopter, but there are lots of close up shots of conversations and the solo conversations with the camera about the adventurers thoughts about their situation. Do the camera crews carry tents and lots of yummy food, while the players are starving? Do the camera people suffer as much as everybody else? The inevitable presence of the camera crew throws a shadow over the brave exploits the adventurers. Maybe they don't enjoy the comforts of any of the camera crew, but what if the crew takes pity on them and shares chocolate bars or a tasty dehydrated meal? As much as I enjoy watching people trying to survive in the wilderness and I like to imagine how I would do a much better job then them. I still can't help thinking, what about the camera crew?

Cooking Shows

I have spent many hours watching cooking shows. I like them for the ideas they give me to vary my go to meals. I like them because I like food. My favorite cooking shows are those with a competition built in. Iron Chef is one of my favorites. I'm fascinated by the ways that these chefs take unique ingredients and build on average a 4 course meal around that ingredient. I like trying to guess which chef will win based off of the judges comments and my own perception of what their meals might taste like. I really enjoy chocolatier and cake making competitions. In these there is usually a theme. The contestants design and makes practice pieces and then the big day comes. The contestants have their space and you get to watch the edited process from the beginning. After many hours they transfer their chocolaty sculptures or elaborate cakes to the judging table.
This afternoon I stumbled onto an old black and white cooking show called The French Chef. The featured recipe was french onion soup. I only caught the last couple of minutes. The cook placed french bread slices on top of the soup and spread thinly grated cheese over the top and into the oven it went. In the way of cooking shows she pulled a nearly finished french onion soup from a second oven. In a measuring cup she measured loosely a variety of ingredients and mixed them with some of the broth from the soup. Her final instructions were "give it a shimmie." as she shimmied the soup to mix the added ingredients into the soup. At the table she pointed out a good meal to go with the soup and the appropriate way to serve it. Signing off she said, "Now you know the proper way to brown onions without burning them. This is Julia Child until next time..." I must say that Meryl Streep did an excellent job imitating Julia Child's voice in Julie and Julia.

On a different channel I found America's Test Kitchen. They demonstrated how to make Chinese style BBQ short ribs. The sauce involved hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, lots of fresh ginger, and garlic. This sauce was poured over the ribs and then the whole package was put into the oven for slow cook. Then the ribs with the basting sauce were placed on a hot grill with earl gray tea bags in tinfoil placed over the coals to add a nice smokey flavor. After removing the ribs from the grill and plating them, they ate them. Oohing and aahing they exclaim the quality of flavor and the tenderness of the meet. Finally they direct you to where you can find the recipe so you too can make delectable ribs.
As much as I enjoy cooking shows, the part I dislike is watching the cooks, audience, and judges eat all that fabulous looking food. I don't want to make these. I want to eat them the way the professionals make them. It is a problem watching people on TV eating delectable foods and exclaiming over them and all I can do is watch from the sterile medium of my television, no taste and no smell. If I knew how I would find a way to get myself onto those shows regularly so I could eat and even better if I could get paid to eat. The only way to make it better would be to be on a TV show that incorporates travel and food. But I digress. I like cooking shows. If you want to give your brain a break sit back and watch Paula Deen work her magic with butter and other fabulous ingredients.

We're here for RSL!

Last night I went with a couple of friends to the Real (rey-al) Salt Lake soccer game. While finding our seats the fans shouted their approval for RSL (Real Salt Lake). Then the cheer rang out across the loud speakers, picked up by thousands of voices. "If you believe then stand up on your feet and shout it loud Real. Here at the RioT the battle hymns begun, we’re here for RSL." RioT stands for Rio Tinto Stadium. As the cheer dies down the players enter the field with the fans calling out the last name of each player.
Our opponents for the night were the Tauro FC from Panama City, Panama.This was an important game for us in the CONCACAF Championship League. We had to beat the Tauros in order to advance to the next round. The first half was pretty uneventful. I have only been to one other soccer game several months ago and I usually find it boring to watch games on TV, so I have minimal knowledge of what to look for in a game. I spent the first period chatting with the people around me and asking uneducated questions about the game.
During half time we walked around and talked to some other friends that were at the game. Our seats were on the North side of the stadium behind one of the goals. No sooner than we sat down than we scored our first goal. We jumped to our feet yelling and belting out the cheer, "Here at the RioT the battle hymns begun." The fans  were hyped and the players played with new enthusiasm. Several minutes later we scored our second goal. The stands went wild. Everybody jumping, shouting, and singing. after the second goal was scored there were considerably more fouls called and one of our players received a red card. The family sitting behind us loudly expressed their opinions about the refs calls that went against us. The game ended, a shut out.
Happy fans poured out of the stands and filed up the street to their vehicles. No I feel slightly more educated about soccer and will definitely be back to cheer Real Salt Lake onto more victories

Picture courtesy of http://rsl.theoffside.com/

Master Craftsman/Craftswoman

Medieval guilds had a system to provide inexpensive labor for craftsman and trade skills for apprentices. Boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 15 often were apprenticed to a craftsman or craftswoman to learn a trade. In exchange for room and board an apprentice would work for a craftsman for seven years and learn the skills of the trade. When an apprentice completed their training they progressed to journeyman. A journeyman was paid a daily wage and could hire other people. A journeyman worked to improve his or her skills until he or she created a masterpiece. A masterpiece had to be accepted by the masters in the guild as a piece that exhibited the skill of a master craftsman. Once approved a journeyman became a master craftsman.
This system has evolved to our current education system. To receive a masters degree most programs require the student to write an original thesis which then has to be approved by a panel.


I love to crochet. Several years ago a friend taught me how to crochet. I made lots of basic projects including many hats for children in Swaziland. As my skill increased I took on increasingly more difficult projects. I made an afghan that has cables and many baby items. I made hand puppets for my sister without using a pattern. My most recent accomplishment is a lacy purple cardigan. My knitting and crochet peers have lauded my achievement. I think I did a good job, but I can see too many problems with it. I was careless with my yarn purchase because I didn't pay enough attention to the dye lot, therefore it has a two tone quality. I also made several errors that are obvious enough to me, that makes this project not quite to the level of a master craftswoman. However, I feel like I'm fairly close to reaching a master level. I really enjoy striving to improve my skill. Someday I will reach the skill level of a master crocheter.

Fitzwilliam Darcy

"It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Among opening lines, Pride and Prejudice has one of the best. It promises a frolicsome tale with romance and wealthy men. The novel lives up to its beginning and leaves women longing for a Fitzwilliam Darcy all their own. Pride and Prejudice captured the reader and sketches such vivid and lovable characters that the reader is unwilling to let them go at the end of the novel. What kind of marriage do Lizzy and Darcy have? What about their kids? What happens to poor unfortunate Lydia, pedantic Mary, and dependent Kitty? How does Lady Catherine respond to her nephew's unfortunate alliance? Does Colonel Fitzwilliam, the second son of an earl, find himself a suitably wealthy wife? These questions beg for more time with these fascinating characters. Readers want a sequel.
Many authors attempt to write the sequel to Pride and Prejudice with varying degrees of success. Some authors try to imitate Jane Austen's vocabulary and writing style to bring back to life their favorite characters. These are noble efforts, but because it isn't a language style that comes easily to us it tends to feel artificial and at times difficult to understand the story line. Other authors have a different conception of the characters than I do. It is distressing to read about Lizzy or Jane saying or doing things that don't fit in with my conceptualization of them. The ones I like the best focus on story and character above language. They have some catch phrases thrown in and avoid slang, but are easy to read. The characters live up to most of their promise and the end has me sighing after a Darcy of my very own, just like Pride and Prejudice
There are common themes in many of the "sequels." Lizzy and Darcy remain wildly in love and have passionate fights. Jane has a brood of children in quick succession, where as Lizzy takes a while to get pregnant and has a difficult pregnancy. Lydia, Mr. Collins, and Charlotte rarely redeem themselves and are often portrayed as being foolish. Lady Catherine De Bourgh usually retains her bitter feelings towards Lizzy and makes her life as difficult as possible. However, in one version I read recently, Lady Catherine improved upon closer acquaintance. Much like Darcy in Pride and Prejudice she proves to be fiercely loyal to her family and her family in turns is accepting and exasperated by her quirks.
As good as some of the "sequels" are they just don't quite deserve to be sitting next to Pride and Prejudice in my book case and leaves me wishing that Jane Austen was the sort to have written sequels. Maybe that is part of what makes the book so enthralling: it contains a fairy tale ending, each person can come up with their own ideas of what happens next, and Darcy remains shrouded in mystery. Maybe if we had lived in that time we too could have a Darcy of our own.

Pioneer Day

July 24th passes like any other summer day in most of the United States. However, in Utah, it is a state holiday celebrating when Brigham Young and the first pioneers entered Salt Lake Valley on July 24th 1847. Yesterday while driving home from work I saw people setting up tents and pavilions along the street, getting ready to camp out in order to have front row seats for the parade today. I walked over to see what sort of parade the city of Salt Lake puts on. People lined the street. Individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit pushed carts full of balloons, hats, and umbrellas. Others pulled red flyer wagons packed with coolers advertising water and Gatorade for a dollar. The Salt Lake City police department entertained the crowds zooming by on their motorcycles and high fiving the front row. The Utah Military reserves marched pass followed by vehicles carrying soldiers and children with Make a Wish Foundation.
All good parades have floats and this one was no exception. In front of the floats that won awards, marched men and women dressed in pioneer outfits holding the sign proclaiming the honor accorded. A large float featured a blimp with a Mormon hand cart suspended underneath. Inside the carts several people waved to the crowd in period costumes and several people peeped out on top of the blimp. The blimp declared Flying to Zion. Behind the float people pulled several hand carts loaded with goods, carrying a sign proclaiming, Walking to Zion. Another float celebrated bringing the LDS faith to the Hawaiian Islands. The University of Utah and Brigham Young University also presented a float in the parade. Several marching bands represented the local high schools. Davis High school from Kaysville proudly marched wearing t-shirts proclaiming their upcoming appearance at the 2013 Rose Parade. In between the floats and bands, clowns on double decker bicycles and  a man on a unicycle with a parrot on his shoulder awed the crowd.
Pairs of LDS missionaries wandered along the sidewalk talking to anyone interested in asking question. A woman handed out coupons for her beauty salon and an on duty police officer stood at the intersection telling people to keep the street open in case the fire truck needed to come through. Five minutes later the officer would have to clear the street again as new people crowded up, seeing a prime location for watching the parade. Women pushing strollers  and a man with his head shaved except for two rows of gelled spiky hair walked towards the park where the parade ended.
The rest of the day will be commemorated with barbeque's, snow cones, rodeos, and fireworks at the end of the day. July 24th is celebrated as big or bigger than the 4th of July. It still seems strange to me even after living in Utah for six years that the 24th is such a big holiday. On the other hand, the 4th of July celebrates our countries independence. For the LDS the 24th represents their own independence. After being persecuted and kicked out of New York and later Indiana, the Salt Lake Valley represented for them a chance to build their own community and live their faith free from the strictures imposed in other locations. That is one of the reasons our forefathers left England, to practice their faith in the way they felt was right. Maybe it isn't so strange after all. People in Utah get to celebrate independence twice in a couple of weeks, it makes for a festive month of July.

20 Minutes to Pack

There are currently 8 uncontrolled wildfires in Utah. Utah Fire Info provides information on the active fires, how to protect your home if it is in danger from the fire, resources, and fire safety. Many people have had to evacuate their homes, often with short periods of time to gather their belongings. One of my classmates had to leave class early to check on her home. I heard on the radio that some victims of the fire were forced to gather their beloved possessions and evacuate in 20 minutes.
I stated thinking about what I would take with me if I were given 20 minutes to evacuate. My heart and my brain had very different ideas of what is important to me. My heart began weighing the value of my possessions depending on their sentimental value. Memorabilia such as pictures, old journals, the quilts my aunt and my mom made me, the afghan that my grandmother crocheted make the top of the list. I enjoy traveling and I would want to save the souvenirs I brought home with me. From Swaziland I have a piece of material with the Swazi flag, and a soap stone candle stick. From South Africa I have four picture created from banana leaf: an elephant, a lion, and a village. I brought back two small framed feathers from Costa Rica. Each one has a tiny painting, one of a toucan and the other of a monkey. From my trip to Vietnam I would pack the silk blouses I had made for me and my collection of recipes that I received from taking a cooking class. I did a study abroad in Fiji. I would take my sulus, long colorful wrap-around skirts. From Mexico I would pack my calendar and pictures painted on bark. My heart also wants to take items that my family has given me. I have paintings that my mom and my sister painted for me. My dad made me some earrings with my birthstone and some books that my other sister gave me. I would have to pack my books. The list can go on and on when dealing with the heart.
My head is much more practical. First I think about survival. I would pack my hiking backpack with a sleeping bag, a tarp, several knives, lots of rope of varying widths, my fire kit, a lighter, my head lamp. I would pack functional clothes for whatever circumstance I might come across. I would pack bottles of water and non perishable food. Second, my head insists on packing items that would be expensive to replace and that I would have difficulty living without. Items in this category include my computer, camera, and digital recorder. I might need some dress clothes and make up. Toiletries and eating utensils could be useful.
It is possible that I might be able to gather all of the above in 20 minutes plus whatever else might occur to me. If I had to choose from the above lists I would start with what my head says I should take. However, I think that being placed in such a situation I would sweep everything off of my dresser and into a box. I would quickly fill boxes and bags with everything I can grab. I think I could fill my car with most of my possessions in twenty minutes. I feel fortunate that I have minimal material possessions.
It is an interesting exercise to think about what is important to me. I also like the challenge of thinking how I would react in an emergency situation. If you had twenty minutes to pack what would you take?

Smooshie's Subway Account

My name is Smooshie. I am a delightful plush frog with delightful bright blue hair. I'm taking this chance while Kristin is busy to write about my adventures so you get the real story. I am the designated mascot of the Subway hike this year. Subway is a canyoneering route just outside of Zion's National Park. It involves rappels and swimming and many photo opportunities. I rode most of the way on Kristin's pack, but I got my share of the adventures.

First I would like to address my name. There was some discussion of what I should be called. I wanted to be called Captain Walker D. Plank. One of the humans had nearly smooshed a frog the night before and therefore I ended up with the ignominous name of Smooshie. To make matters worse, no one could remember it. I was often called Squashy, Squishy and sometimes just Froggie. I did forgive much of this trouble with my name because of all the nice kisses I received from beautiful women. Humans have a strange fairy tale about a frog turning into a prince when kissed by a princess. Therefore, I was fortunate enough to get kissed often throughout the trip.
The first rappel was quite exciting. I was nearly overcome with fear. Twenty feet might not feel like far to a human, but to a frog, it is quite the distance. After that first one I looked forward to the other ones. I grew to enjoy them very much. I liked that most of them ended in water. I love being in water!
I had a delightful lunch, but would have liked some flies instead of sandwiches and a fruit roll up.
The very best part was swimming in all the pools. I didn't appreciate all the splashes from the large humans, but I found some nice pools in which to lounge. In one pool I encountered a beautiful lady frog. We shared a soulful stare, but alas the lady declined to join me in my adventures and we parted. I will carry with me the beauty of her eyes and the charming hue of her skin. I believe I saw her blinking back tears when I left, after all I'm quite the dashing gentlefrog.
Over all I had a delightful trip. The loud bumbling humans took prodigious care of me even though I could have taken care of myself quite well.

Store of Choice

Women love to shop. This stereotype follows us around from marketing strategies to jokes to husbands grumbling about our shopping trends to his friends. This stereotype is mostly true, but the store of choice varies widely. Shoppers often choose their favorite stores primarily by cost. Are the goods inexpensive, in the middle or costly? This varies somewhat depending on what the individual thinks about the value of quality versus quantity. Some people may only shop high end clothing, but be content to buy their coffee maker at Walmart. Others buy everything at Target except for kitchen ware which is bought at Spoons N Spice or from their Pampered Chef consultant.
I like to buy my clothing at Ross, but will on occasion spend more to buy quality long lasting garments. My shoes, well they usually come from Payless and my purse comes from where ever I can find an inexpensive one that I like. I hate purse shopping. As for accessories I use what I have and seldom buy more. Clothes, shoes, accessories, hair products, home decorations, etc. I'm not all that interested in shopping for. I have my moments when I get excited about some of these things, but overall they have a small appeal.
There are two types of stores that I love. The first is book stores. I don't often buy books, but I love walking through books stores. My favorite stores are the ones that sell used books. They are a little dark and smell like moldering paper. The shelves are close together and there is usually a room with books stacked in piles. This is the bargain room where, if you have the patience, there is a fabulous treasure awaiting you for a $1.50. I also like the books sellers at street markets or garage sales that have books. It is an adventure in which you're never quite sure what you will come away with.
I love gear stores. REI, Patagonia, and EMS are just some of these wonderful stores. The atmosphere is relaxed and you can show up wearing grubby outdoor clothes. These stores feature quick dry and optimal performance clothing. In the winter you can find gear for all varieties of winter sports, but as summer approaches skis are replaces with bikes. One of my favorite sections is the camping section. I love just wandering around looking at all the gadgets to enhance your camping/backpacking experience. I read labels and debate whether a small foldable bowl is a better tool than a metal one. I contemplate the wall of water bottles with the new colors and tell myself that I already have at least five, I don't really need another one. I spend time with the spools of rope, feeling the different kinds. You can never have enough rope. I can spend quite some time wandering around these stores just looking. I was in REI yesterday trying to figure out how to spend my dividend. I decided on a camp chair, one that will be perfect for camping trips, ball games, the beach, or reading my book on my lawn. I exercised incredible will power and limited myself to that single purchase.
I have always viewed myself as being different from most women as I'd rather be comfortable than fashionable and I spend much more time comparing backpack specs than I do in choosing my makeup. But in the end I'm not all that different. You might drool over another woman's stilettos in the same way as I longingly look at colorful well designed backpack. I love shopping, it just has to be the right kind of store.

You're an IDIOT!

Today while driving in my car, I was listening to an interview on NPR with a physicist discussing how in quantum physics the creation of something out of nothing is not only likely but a regular occurrence. Most of these creations spring into existence and then disappear, but something on a much larger scale happened to make the earth as we know it. The discussion turned to the place of religion and philosophy in light of this information. The physicist argued that there is no place for religion or philosophy in his view of the world, in fact the usefulness of these entities passed away a long time ago. While he talked about his views of religion as a myth held by people unenlightened enough to accept that their beliefs had been debunked years ago, I thought to myself, "Idiot!"
This physicist is more intelligent then me when it comes to science. I know next to nothing about quantum physics, but I know religion and philosophy has not lost favor with the general populace. I could look up statistics and prove that these subjects are highly important to a large percentage of the population. Even many people who claim to be atheist believe in spirituality of some kind. For these people questions about purpose and meaning in life are of value. I scoffed at this arrogant learned man, who published a highly controversial book, as being an idiot. He may know lots about his subject, but little about anything else. He insulted all religious people by saying belief in God or gods is the product of a lazy mind, too uninterested to come up with a better explanation than "God did it."

The more I listened, the greater my indignation. I created arguments in my head to prove to him that he is an arrogant idiot that knows nothing. I have been doing this for years, listening to other people's viewpoints solely for the purpose of punching holes in them when they did not align with mine. You can ask my sisters, they were often on the other end of my sharp words and unwillingness to understand them. I have matured since the days I used to obliterate my sisters in discussions. I speculated about my quick negative response. How am I any better than this physicist? He does not care to try to understand people with an opposing view, they are unintelligent, unenlightened, and lazy. They are idiots. I did not view this man as someone who comes to life with a unique perspective and try to understand him and his message. I labeled him as an idiot, thus putting myself arrogantly superior to him. The simple truth is that I felt threatened by his message.  I am religious and I enjoy philosophy. His beliefs called mine to question. I had to defend my world view because if what he said had truth in it then I would need to reexamine what I believe. In essence this was a challenge to me, can I still believe even though an accomplished scientist sees them as folly? Maybe this man felt defensive about his perspective on life so presented it in an antagonistic way? If he attacks first and harder then he can protect himself against the criticism of everybody else.

Aren't we all like this? Unwilling to try to understand a different perspective, belief system, or theory because of the danger it poses to ourselves. Can we step away from being arrogant idiots to seeking to understand others and by doing so care about them? If we really believe what we believe then no amount of new theories or scientific discoveries will shake that, then we can reach out and genuinely say to another, "I want to know you." After all isn't that one of the main things we seek in relationship with others, to know and to be known.

Invisible

I'm working on a story. This one has been slow in writing. Mostly, I haven't spent the time with it that I should. I write many pages on it and then I get bored and give up for months and then go back to it. At this rate I might not ever finish it. I am still committed to it and am in a phase of being interested in it again. I am want to know what people think, maybe the acclamation of the masses is what I need to spur me into a writing frenzy. We can only hope. I am posting the first paragraph. I would appreciate any feedback you have. Specifically I want to know if after reading this paragraph you want to read more or are you bored right from the start?

I am invisible. When I was young, we, my brothers and I, used to pick what superpower we wanted to have and then we would play super heroes and villains. I always chose invisibility. I felt so powerful. I felt like I always won because I could claim to always be in the right place or avoid fatal blows, after all I was invisible. My brothers, after a time, didn’t want to play with me; they said I was no fun. If I wanted to play with them I had to pick a super power that fit certain stipulations. I am stubborn. Strong willed is what I call it. I chose to play by myself. I used to think invisibility was a super power, now I know that it is quite common. Others don’t notice that people can be invisible. Only those of us who become invisible know that this power exists. I may not have a super power, but being invisible is powerful. For only those who are invisible know how to make everyone forget them, even those who love them the most. One at a time, people fade from your life as you become invisible to them or maybe it is they who gradually become invisible to you. I’m not really sure which way it goes, all I know is that friends are the first to fade followed by your children, father, brothers, husband, and last and most painfully mother. I am forgotten. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this excerpt. Stay tuned for more exciting writing. 

May 24th

To many of you the 24th of may is of little significance. This year it falls on a Thursday which is teasing you that your weekend has arrived. You might be busy planning for the weekend, if you work a job with regular hours and holidays, you probably have Monday off for Memorial Day. Today is significant for me because I took my car in and passed my emissions and safety inspection. It is always a relief to know that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make sure your car is street worthy. I do need to replace two of my tires soon. Other than that, today has been composed of meetings and errand and phone calls.

Although a regular sort of day for me many things of import have happened on the 24th of May.
1218: The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
1738: John Wesley is converted thus launching the Methodist movement.
1798: Irish Rebellion against British rule begins.
1830: Mary Had a Little Lamb is published, Thank you Sarah Josepha Hale.
1844: Samuel Morse sends a message to his assistant to inaugurate the first telegraph line that says, "What hath God wrought." from Number 23:23
1861: During the American Civil War, Union troops occupy Alexandria, Virginia.
1915: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, World War 1
1930: The first woman to fly solo from England to Australia lands in Darwin, Amy Johnson.
1941: The German battleship Bismark sinks the pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood during World War II
1991: Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia
1992: The last Thai dictator, General Suchinda Kraprayoon resigns.
2001: Sherpa Temba Tsheri becomes the youngest person to summit Mount Everest at age 15.

These are just a small amount of things that have happened on this day.
Here is a sampling of notable people born  on May 24th:
15 BC Julius Ceasar Germanicus
1686: Gabriel Fahrenheit
1819: Queen Victoria
 1874: Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
1885: Susan Sutherland Isaacs
1895: Samuel Irving Newhouse
1941: Bob Dylan

So you see this seemingly mundane day has seen many important events. For some of you this is an anniversary or birthday and is already memorable, but for the rest of you, what can you do to make May 24, 2012 memorable for you or for someone else.

My thanks to Wikipedia for providing me with plentiful information about May 24th.

Too colourful

In English class we learn about similes and metaphors. When we write teachers encourage us liberally sprinkle our writing with descriptive language. Great writing uses descriptions artfully, delicately. Just like a painter knows that skies contain many colors besides blue, white, grey, and black so the writer knows that the right words may not be the obvious description. I love a good description, but it should not stand out as a description good or otherwise unless your goal is to locate descriptions, it should blend into the story giving it a spice of color, but not a flavor discordant with the theme.
I started reading a book several days ago. I was initially excited to read it as it follows my favorite genre and appeared to have an interesting plot line. On the first page the voice of one of the characters is described, "he whispered in his steel-rasp and Southern-honey-pecan voice." A steel rasp is a fabulous description for a voice. I can hear the sound and anticipate the words that this character will say. A Southern honey pecan is also a good description. It reminds me of comfort and warmth. I became distracted, however, when both were put together. It jolted me out of the story as I tried to figure out what kind of voice could be both honey pecan and steely rasp. I continued reading. In the next chapter again this character's voice is described, "The man's voice was dry, like the rasp of a snake's belly against sand, but coated with a sticky Southern sweetness." This description stood out to me more because of previous one. Again, it jerked me out of the story. I had a hard time understanding and getting into the story because of the odd descriptions. These descriptions were entirely too colourful for me.
On a slightly different, but related note, the first sentence of a books is important. After reading the first sentence, you decide whether or not you will read the rest of the book. This was the first sentence of a book a just finished, "The first time she slit a man's throat she felt sick to her stomach." This is an engaging first line drawing the reader into the story, nearly compelling them to read onward.
The carefully laid word is powerful and can make or break a great storyline.

The Conditions of Value

My thoughts take a philosophical bent today. I am considering what it means when something or someone has value. How do we assign value? Does being viewed as having value affect the inherent worth of something or someone? How does someone who has little perceived value by themselves or by others gain a sense of self worth?
The art of bargaining is based on subjective value. The merchant assigns a certain value to his merchandise and the shopper assigns a value to what she wants to buy. Before bargaining begins the merchant decides what his product is worth and he won't drop his price under that value. The shopper needs to decide what the highest value she is willing to pay for the product. The merchant names his price several times more than what his bottom price is. The shopper counter offers with a price much lower than what she is willing to pay. The bartering goes back and forth. The merchant tries to convince the shopper to buy above his lowest price and the shopper tries to negotiate for lower than her highest price. Both are happy if the agreed upon price is both higher than the merchants final price and lower than the shoppers highest price. The value of an inanimate object is fairly easy to assign and we make these choices constantly.
However, the value we assign to things changes constantly. At the time of purchase an engagement ring has great value. The worth of the ring might fluctuate depending on the price of diamonds, the price of gold or silver, if the ring gets scratched, or if the diamond falls out. The value changes depending on what the person who owns it associates with the ring. If the relationship with the spouse grows deeper and richer over time, the value of the ring may rise. If the relationship fails, the value of the ring drops. A battered ring that has been through years of trials with a person may have much more value than a new one. A glass of water in every day circumstances has little value. It is abundant. An expensive car appears to have a great value especially for someone who drives a clunker. To a person who owns an expensive car, but is dying of thirst, the water has infinitely more value.
Now if we consider the value of people. I work in a helping field. It is common to here someone talk about the "inestimable value of the human soul." Most of us would agree that people have high value, but when we are honest with ourselves we would probably admit that some are more valuable than others. How do we assign value to a person? Do need to like a person to see them as valuable? Are beautiful people more valuable than ugly people? Does a person have to be smart, successful, wealthy, strong, athletic or thin to have value? Maybe value comes because you belong to a family. Does having a husband or a wife give a person value? Does having children contribute to someone's value? John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." I think a lot of people would sacrifice themselves for their friends, but what happens if a different choice is presented. What if someone gets to choose between saving one of two people or sacrificing themselves in order to save both people? Does it matter who the two people are? How many of us would pick to save the person who has more value to us? Maybe we sacrifice ourselves because we believe we have less value than the other people. What would it look like if we actually treated everyone as if they had equal value to all others?
What do you value in yourself? Do you see yourself as having value or do you have to do something or be a certain way to have value? Maybe the first step in seeing the value in all people is to understand that you are valuable regardless of what other people say or think. If you see yourself as being valuable because you are a person then your will see others as having value because they are people. However, if you see yourself as having value conditionally then others value is also conditional.

The Great Shake Out

Today is a day known across the United States as tax day. Unless you filed for an extension, today you need to mail or e file those taxes. In Utah, however, today is The Great Shake Out. Every 350 to 400 years there is a large earthquake along the Wasatch front. It has been 350 years since the last big earthquake, so we are due for another one. Schools and businesses ran drills commanding their students and employees to crouch under their desks. In the meeting at my internship site, we watched a short video projecting the disaster that an earthquake can cause and some simple survival essentials. You should have a fire extinguisher in your house and three days worth of water per person.
There is a website providing information about earthquake preparedness.There are several pages that answer questions or provide information on how to join in on The Great Shake Out. There is a video on how to make a Grab N Go kit. You can find information about the drop, cover and hold on method of self preservation. This apparently is the new way to ride out earthquakes. The site has several games. You can play an interactive game which presents you with a room full of normal objects. You click on the items and answer a question on how to secure them properly. You click as fast as you can because you never know when the earthquake will shake up your house and you will see your preparedness level. The other game presents scenarios in which you are given a worst case scenario and have to decide the best course of action.
I play my own version of "worst case scenario." I grew up in a part of Mexico where earthquakes are frequent. Sometimes I miss them so as I walk along I ask myself, "If a massive earthquake hits right now, what would I do?" I look around for places free of power lines, away from tall buildings and away from windows. A little bit further on, I find a new place. Sometimes when I'm at work or driving in a car I also think about what I would do in case of emergency. I know it is a little strange, but it is a rather entertaining game. Apparently the government also thinks it is a good way to train people for emergencies.
Are you ready for the next big one?