Monday, July 26, 2010

I hate to be a quitter but...

For now this blog is officially on hiatus. Really, the hiatus began a few weeks ago when I just completely stopped posting, but I thought I'd make it official.

My plan was a post a day for a year. I spent a lot of time doing catchup for one reason or another which kinda defeated the purpose... but kinda didn't. But now I'm not even playing catchup, I've just more or less given up.

[For quick reference if you want to go back to old entries here are the topics by month: Feb- Black History Month, Mar- Women's History Month, Apr- Poetry Month, May- Mothers, June- Fathers]

I spend all kinds of time on the computer every day and still haven't made a legitimate post in weeks. So, as I said, I'm putting this blog on a hiatus. It might last a couple weeks or, I might just leave off where I started this year next year. So my next themed post might not occur until July 8th? 2011. Or I might just start from scratch at the new year. Or I may never make another post again, who knows.

I may or may not just post randomness throughout the year that doesn't go with the blog's theme, or maybe I'll start a new blog for that. Only time will tell.

Thanks to any of you who read this message who followed me in my short 5 months of blogdom, hope you enjoyed it and don't feel your time was wasted.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

A post of acknowledgement

So I've completely failed in my posting this month. This is just a post acknowledging my failure and the fact that I haven't made a post since the 7th. It's funny b/c this should be the month I have the most to say about. But I'm kind of loving my summer break and haven't bothered. I'll update legitimately soon enough, I may or may not make up posts for all the days I've missed because that's seriously getting to be a big number. Either way, yeah, thought I should post a litle thing here.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

More about the history of the US flag(s) than you probably ever wanted to know...

I was just looking for a picture of the first US flag, but i found this timeline which I found at least intriguing. The link with the timeline follows. Link

(For 7/6) Predating the president, we think our government gets nothing done...

    The President of the US seems to be synonymous with government here -- funny since it's really supposed to be a balance between three powers. However under the initial governing document of the US, the Articles of Confederation, allowed for no executive branch of government and the US lacked one until the creation of the Consititution.
     Referring to the country as the US at this time is a misnomer honestly because at the time they were a confederation of states. Each state held equal sway and veto power -- thus, very little got done in the nation's first six years. Maybe our government doesn't work today, but at least it's not at a perpetual standstill as it was prior to the US Constitution.

Something to think about...

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Patriotism...

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.
- George Bernard Shaw

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Independence Day...

July 4th woohooooo. I worked today, how about you? Anyhoo.

 July 4th is commonly known as Independence Day for the USA because it is more or less the date when the majority of the members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence that called for an official break with the motherland of England . I wanted to make this about black independence because that's an interesting story, but as I'm writing this I can't resist throwing in a few lines from the Declaration instead.

Please note that while the wording of the declaration is beautiful, the account was really quite an exaggeration in most counts. People on the American continent basically wanted the protection of the mother country without having to pay the taxes. They were the least taxed of all British subjects and had cost the empire millions but were indignant enough to think they didn't owe any return. Whatever...

             That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. 


Happy Independence Day. 

(For 7/3) America's National Pastime...

First of all, "pastime" is a ridiculous word. Second of all, I went to watch Baseball yesterday which is established as the USA's national pastime/sport. The Padres won.

According to wikipedia baseball was beginning to become known as being the national pastimes by 1856, a title it was given in various newspaper articles in the New York area.

Lord I am lazy... (For 7/2)

I'm going to be straight up about this. If you follow this, or happen across it and look at it you'll see I've been slacking off A LOT lately and just doing a mass of posts all in one day. I'm getting kind of tired of this blog. My attachment to it has been somewhat fleeting and I'm exhausted and not on my computer as much lately since I'm staying with my sister. I wanna keep up with it because I feel like I should, I think I should complete it. So please forgive my mass posts...

In the 1800s French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States to observe the workings of democracy and the country itself. He wrote his observations in a book titled Democracy In America. The following quote is an excerpt from the text. 


As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question:
 how much money will it bring in? 
- Alexis de Tocqueville

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I'm a US History Major what can I say...

So Independence Day is July 4th, so this month gets to be all patriotic and America. But I'm a US history major so I'll also have some not-so-nice juicy secrets to share as well. This is probably going to be my nerdiest month, just warning.

(For 6/30) Walk with kings nor lose the common touch

Rudyard Kipling was a bigot, a racist, and an imperialist...but I can't help loving this poem...

If
Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

(For 6/29)...it almost seems insincere since I'm catching up so late...

There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power
and the other at independence.
 -Samuel Johnson

(For 6/28) "I'm gonna be like you, Dad"

Cats in the Cradle - Cat Stevens

My child arrived just the other day

He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talking before I knew it and as he grew
He said, "I’m gonna be like you, Dad,
You know I’m gonna be like you"

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin home, dad, I don’t know when,
But we'll get together then, Son,
You know we'll have a good time then.

My son turned ten just the other day
He said "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on lets play
can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do" He said "Thats okay"
And then he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said "I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m going to be like him"

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin home, dad, I dont know when,
But we'll get together then, Son,
You know we'll have a good time then.

Well he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin home, Son, I dont know when,
But we'll get together then, Dad,
You know we'll have a good time then.

I’ve long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day........
I said "I'd like to see you if you don’t mind"
He said "I'd love to Dad, if I could find the time.
You see my new jobs a hassle, and the kids have the flu.
But It's sure nice talking to you, Dad,
It's been sure nice talking to you........"
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me,
My boy was just like me..............

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin home, Son, I dont know when,
But we'll get together then, Dad
We're gonna have a good time then.