RUTHINESS

One of Those Days

2009-12-05T14:38:00.008-05:00

I had kind of a bad day today. It was a day that would have made the most well-adjusted person paranoid.

I was eating lunch at a cafe with a friend, and I decided to play a song on the jukebox. A little boy was flipping through the songs. So I waited a few minutes or so, then said, "Do you mind if a play a song, then you could look so more?". A middle-aged woman at the booth nearby snarled, "He's playing a song." I blurted out, "Oh he has money?". I don't know why I said that, truly, but my tone was friendly. She just looked at me with an icy stare. She said "He already put it in. Will you show him how to do it?" This was said in an unfriendly tone, and she went back to staring at her cell phone (she was texting). So I helped the kid choose the song he wanted, then put my money in and picked my song. I just wanted to get away from there so I quickly picked She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby. Not a bad song choice, since I love 80's rock, but still not my first choice. If there was a song title She Blinded Me With Rudeness I would have played that. Then the kid says, " No I wanted this song" picking another song different from the one he first chose. I had a vision of the kid throwing a tantrum, and the woman beating the crap out of me (she was bigger than I am), so I said (within earshot of the woman), "Oh hold on I'll get another quarter". I went back to my table and got another quarter from my friend, and picked the song. The woman never thanked me. She still had her snout in her cell phone.

When I went back to my table, my food had arrived and it was cold because of the time I spent at the jukebox. The woman was in viewing range, and was talking on her cell phone now, even though she had someone else at the table (someone who I gave a little smile to,mostly out of pity, but he didn't smile back and just turned his head away). The she went back to texting. Her food arrived and I saw her shovel it into her mouth, taking large mouthfuls, and talking with her mouth full. She let out a loud burp, but did say excuse me. Then she got up to use the rest room, loudly coughing without covering her mouth, not even the non-elbow way of covering it. Back at her table, she sat down and proceeded to lay her head back and close her eyes. She was taking a nap! It blew my mind, let me tell you.

I decided to put the incident behind me as best as I could, and go shopping. Now, I have a habit of giving a little friendly smile to everyone I go by, even if I don't know them. Ninety-five percent of the people smile back. Today I did my smile thing and everyone seemed to have a slight scowl on their faces. I asked my friend "do I have something on my face or stuck in my teeth? Is my hair messy?" She reassured me everything was fine. What was going on? Were people just stressed out about Christmas? Were they just worried about the snow coming tonight? Did they turn into zombies?

The rest of the time I spent shopping I decided not to look at anyone, certainly not smile at them. I thought about spending the night with Ben and Jerry, drowning my sorrows (icing my sorrows?), but I resisted. I couldn't wait to get home and read my Zombie Survival Guide.

Lobster, Insanity, and Something About Mary

2009-08-20T08:47:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday so I chose to go to a seafood restaurant for lunch with a friend. The restaurant wasn't fancy, but affordable. I had a craving for lobster pie.

As we were waiting to be seated a woman with four children came in. One of the kids must have had the swine flu, because he was hacking and coughing. I discreetly requested being seated far away from them.

The young waitress came over and took our drink order. Suddenly, a manager/supervisor came over in our face in an annoyed tone asking, "Did Mary [not her real name] come over?". I was stunned by this unexpected interruption and was speechless. She asked us again. We said yes, mostly to get rid of her. Another waitress came over and said to just say yes when asked about Mary. I figured poor Mary was either a new waitress or one that wasn't very good.

We got our drinks, after a bit of a wait. My friend was annoyed having to wait for her coffee. We were enjoying a conversation when again this manager came over and asked us if we wanted an appetizer. Her tone was still annoyed. I stuttered and said no. I was afraid of this lady. Would she hit us if Mary failed?

Not even two minutes later, the manager again came over and asked us if we ordered brandy. We told her we ordered coffee. She said, "oh, I smelled brandy" and walked away.

Things were temporarily quiet when an elderly woman got up and started singing in a wobbly voice, loudly. It was an old song, not familiar. There was a partial wall so I couldn't see if she was a customer or an employee. My friend said maybe she sings Happy Birthday and I threatened her not to mention it was my birthday. We asked another waitress, and she said the woman was an employee and she sings all the time. When the song was over, a little girl at the next table started singing, imitating her. We could hear a bunch of employees in the back room singing. Was there carbon monoxide in this place? Something in the water? We finished our meal and left.

Keep in mind I've been playing the game Left 4 Dead, killing zombies infected by a plague. These people weren't blue-grey tinged, but still I wish I had an Uzi, just in case.

Alzheimer's Disease: Would You Want to Know?

2009-07-16T09:54:00.003-04:00

If you were genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's would you want to know? An L.A. Times article recently did a study and the results were interesting.

Some related links:

Know the 10 Warning Signs

Signs of Alzheimer's May Start in the 50's

An Alzheimer's Drug Mystery

How to Keep Your Brain Young

Can You Read This?

2009-07-14T15:35:00.002-04:00

This was in an email I got, and I thought I'd share it:

Only great minds can read this This is weird, but interesting!
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed i t whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

I could read it. Could you?

Update on Cats in China

2009-01-22T14:11:00.011-05:00

I have not forgotten about the cat situation in China. I did initially contact a group in China that actively works on protecting the cats. They told me I could volunteer from here in the U.S., but I have not heard back from them yet. I continue my hunt for information and resources.

Another resource found: Humane Society International. I sent them an email asking them about the situation in China. They sent the following email response:

[*TNR: Trap-Neuter-Return]

-----------------------------------------------------
Dear Ruth,

Thank you for contacting us with your concern over recent media reports covering the brutal cat meat trade in Guangzhou. These shocking stories have prompted protest from all over the world, especially within China, where activists have staged public demonstrations and attempted to halt the cat meat traders by stopping their vehicles.

For more, please see here:

http://www.hsus.org/hsi/confronting_cruelty/animal_cruelty_around_the_world/china_cats

http://www.hsus.org/hsi/confronting_cruelty/animal_cruelty_around_the_world/china_cats/statement-on-the-plight-of-1-500-chinese-cats.html

HSI is supporting a local organization in Beijing, where many of these cats are sourced. This organization has been performing *TNR all over the city since 2005, focusing on mass spay/neuter to reduce the population of street cats, many of whom fall victim to the meat and fur trade. Colonies are managed and protected by dedicated caretakers, and tireless volunteers train communities and individuals on TNR protocols.

HSI’s work in China has grown over the past three years. For more, please see here:

http://www.hsus.org/hsi/about_us/contact_us/#Q_What_is_being_done_about_the_dog_and_c

Be sure to read about our important work in China in 2008:

http://www.hsus.org/hsi/about_us/offices_and_staff/hsi_asia/hsi_china_2008.html

Thank you again for contacting us. We appreciate your concerns.

Kind regards,

Humane Society International

2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 | USA

Tel: +1 (301) 258-3010 | Fax: +1 (301) 258-3082 | info@hsi.org

http://www.hsi.org

http://www.hsi.org/join

http://www.hsi.org/takeaction

Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty Worldwide

==========================================================================

I have NOT GIVEN UP on this project, and intend to continue to seek ways to make a difference for those cats.

Horrible Treatment of Cats in China

2008-12-18T10:06:00.017-05:00

WARNING: THIS IS A DISTURBING BUT NECESSARY STORY. THIS STORY NEEDS TO BE SPREAD EVERYWHERE SO OTHERS CAN TAKE ACTION TO STOP THIS.

12/19/08: UPDATE-MORE ARTICLES:
Chinese Demonstrate Against Cat Meat Industry
Where do Nanjing's stray cats end up?
Photos of cats packed into crates
Netizens angry about cats on menu (accepts BRIEF comments)
Cat Restaurant (warning: this is detailed and has very disturbing photos)
China Daily Newspaper article
ANIMALSASIA FOUNDATION

I was doing my morning ritual of looking at the news and I came across a story about cats in China. To say it was disturbing news would be an understatement. I cried a lot.
China has been killing cats, skinning them alive and cooking them alive. This takes place mostly in the Guangdong province, where they eat 10,000 cats per day. These cats are stuffed together in cages and sold as food. The good news is there is an activist group in China protesting this appalling practice and trying to put an end to it. I admire them. They are brave to protest in a country that is intolerant of free speech and civil rights.

Civet cats used to be eaten in China, until that practice was banned due to SARS. But does it really take health reasons to ban inhumane actions to animals?

So I beg you to please contact the Humane Society International and/or the Humane Society of the United States to urge them to take whatever action they can to stop this horrible practice. I will update this article with further contacts as they become available.

Contact Humane Society International (*scroll all the way down to to the bottom of their page for contact form)

Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in the US - Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
(*note, contact page for the Ambassador has been "deleted". Hmm.)

US Embassy in Beijing -Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr

President Elect Obama

Tom Vilsack, appointed Agriculture Secretary by President-Elect Obama
(I am still looking for his contact info. He has an old myspace page.)

Humane Society article about Tom Vilsack

An easy way to help the auto industry

2008-11-19T12:18:00.007-05:00

PLEASE NOTE: This is written tongue-in-cheek style, so to my family and friends, remember you said you wouldn't commit me unless you found me knitting outfits for my cat Abby. (Hide the yarn, Abby)

I have a solution to help the auto industry, eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, create more jobs, and reduce global warming: Lets get rid of all the cars and use horses. This is how and why horses will solve our economy problem.

We'll use all those poor wild horses that are going to be slaughtered. We will hire a bunch of people to tame them (more jobs created). Automakers will now be horse breeders. Car dealers will be horse dealers. They can even keep some of the same names as their cars, Dodge Colt, Ford Pinto, etc.( maybe not the Pinto). The parking lots of showrooms will be converted to horse stalls. There will be an SUV model, complete with a covered wagon. Car part places will now stock horse supplies and accessories, including saddle cup holders. Car washes will now be horse grooming stations.

Gas stations, since we won't need gas anymore, will now be horse feeding stations with water troughs and bails of hay at reasonable prices. Oil companies will be farms, producing hay and feed for horses. The CEOS of the oil companies will be forced to work hard, physical labor on these farms. The farmers will now be the CEOS of the farming industry.

The kids will love it. Merry Go Rounds will be Car Go Rounds, as each horse is replaced with a replica of old cars such as the Toyota Camry and Cadillac Escalade.
The riding age will be 10. There will be horse riding lessons in place of driving lessons. Lots of horse drawn sleigh rides.

Think of the new fashion industry opening up: people will have cowboy outfits.
We won't have to worry about paving roads anymore, since horses will be using them.

Nascar will be replaced with horse races and the racing tracks will be governed by the Humane Society.

The horses will have GPS microchips, in case they get lost or stolen.
I haven't quite figured out how to install CD players and stereos yet. The loud noise might frighten the horses. Maybe we could use earphones.

You could drink and drive all you want, without danger of getting in an accident.

Oh, and I haven't forgotten how to deal with the horse manure: We will get oil company executives, bank executives, and Wall Streeters to be responsible for scooping up the poop everywhere.

16 Signs Your Home May Be Haunted

2008-11-16T13:33:00.002-05:00

There is a chilling, riveting show on TV called "A Haunting" (Discovery Channel, 2pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday). The one hour show depicts allegedly true personal experiences with ghosts and demons. Actors reenact the events interspersed with interview clips from the actual victims and their families. Whether you believe in the afterlife or not, the one hour program is truly entertaining. It has given me a good scare at times, and I am grateful it doesn't air at night

From watching the show, certain patterns and similarities have occurred that I thought might be useful to know either before buying a home or afterwards. Here, for your amusement, is a list to guide you:

Your home may be haunted if:

1. You keep hearing someone call your name and no one is there. (or you could just be psychotic)

2. When sleeping, your blankets are pulled off of you.

3. The crosses on the walls turn upside down.

4. The temperature drops down suddenly in a room and it is August. And you don't have the A/C on.

5. When the real estate lady shows you the home, she not only refuses to go in but won't get out of her car.

6. The price of the home is way too good to be true.

7. You develop strange scratches on your body and they're not from your spouse.

8. Your child introduces you to his new playmate and there is nobody there, but you see a swing moving or toys moving.

9. You walk into your baby's room to find all of the stuffed animals in a circle, and no one in the house did it.

10. Cabinets doors keep opening by themselves.

11. The home was recently renovated.

12. A family member starts glaring at you and talking in a low, demonic voice.

13. The home used to be a funeral parlor/ site of a murder/ on top of a burial ground.

14. When you enter the rental property you find dishes with food on them - as if the prior residents ran from the house.

15. When viewing a potential home, you find the current residents huddled in one room telling you not to go upstairs.

16. All the windows are nailed shut.

You can always go Downtown

2008-11-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

I like to support our local businesses during this economic crisis. The larger ones like Wal-Mart will thrive, but it is the smaller places, like our squares, centers, and downtown areas, that may need our help. And if you haven't been to Downtown Nashua, you are missing out on a great shopping experience.

Downtown offers friendly service and a way to avoid the impersonal, claustrophobic feel of shopping malls. There is no need to worry about parking: there is some on street parking and various parking garages. Check out this parking map. And you don't have to feed the meters on Saturday, Sundays and Holidays.

For a cup of coffee, a smoothie,or some yummy gourmet baked goods and delicious wraps and soups, Patisserie Bleu is the place to be. The decor is reminiscent of a French cafe. Go ahead and treat yourself. The owner Deb and her staff are friendly and there is free WiFi there. I often wish there was a candle to capture the wonderful aroma of that place.

Tucked away on a side street is Bonhoeffer's. Choose from a variety of coffees, teas, and smoothies and take advantage of the free WiFi in a relaxing setting.

Need some hardware? How about trying Aubuchon Hardware. Ed, who I call MacGyver, has helped me solve some fix-it dilemmas. You can rent a rug shampoo machine, get copies of keys made, and recycle your cfl bulbs. And these are just some of the services they provide. All of the staff are very helpful and courteous. Aubuchon also stocks some pet supplies and Christmas items.

Downtown Nashua also has events to enjoy. The next event is Ladies Night on Thursday, November 20, 2008 from 5pm to close. You can get some good discounts from many participating merchants. One of the biggest events is the Holiday Stroll taking place on Saturday, November 29, 2008 from 5pm to 10pm. It is FREE. Click on http://www.greatamericandowntown.org/ for other events.

There are many more stores and lots of restaurants not mentioned here only because I haven't tried them out yet. But I look forward to exploring those places and I strongly encourage you to do your own exploring.

UPDATE: I removed Absolutely New Hampshire from the article, because it is gone. Thanks to Newts for informing me (see comments).

Blackout in Nashua, NH

2008-07-19T15:49:00.005-04:00

This afternoon, July 19,2008, there was a blackout in parts of Nashua,NH. I was a passenger in the car with my friend (who shall remain nameless) driving up Main St. when she noticed the traffic signals were out. When we got to the plaza where we wanted to shop, we were turned away from the store because of no power. So my friend proceeded to drive me home. After driving down about three intersections with no working traffic signals, we saw further up Main St. the next traffic signal was working so we stopped at the red light. A guy in the next car started talking to me, something about the power being out. I figured it was just going to be a friendly conversation, you know, one of those moments that boundaries and walls drop just a little bit and you find it OK, during an adverse situation or being stuck in the same situation, to talk to a stranger. He complained that my friend who was driving did not stop at the traffic signals that were out, and that she was supposed to stop. He said, "you blew right by me". She did slow down at each traffic stop, and at one of them she did stop when she saw cars turning onto the main road. I didn't know what to say. I haven't driven in a while so I confess I forgot the rules about these situations, who yields to whom, etc. I just shrugged my shoulders and as the light turned green told him (and I honestly didn't mean it in a sarcastic way) to "have a nice day anyway". My friend seemed visibly upset, so I said, oh he was probably upset because of the heat and the stress of driving and whatnot. It didn't seem to soothe her at all. And besides, earlier in the day,before any power outage, when she slowed almost to a stop where there was no red light or stop sign, I waved on a car to allow him to turn onto our street, assuming that is why she slowed down. It wasn't, but she did let him go. I was mortified, and realized a passenger really shouldn't wave on another car. So who was I to tell her how to drive?

Anyway, getting back to the power outage/traffic signal dilemma, I decided to let my old pal Google enlighten me. I did find this: During a power outage when a traffic signal isn't working, stop at all intersections, then proceed with caution when traffic permits. Oops. Now I know. I won't mention it to my friend, unless she brings it up, because I am not the type to tell people they were wrong (and I think she HATES that), but I sure will tell her if I'm in the car with her and there is another power outage.

So the power is back on again, thankfully. And to that guy who we "blew" by, I'm really sorry. Thank you for enlightening us. And I hope you did have a nice day after all.

New Hampshire Driving Manual (pdf)

American Red Cross: what to do during a power outage

Should We Boycott Items "Made in China"?

2007-07-16T14:21:00.001-04:00

UPDATE 10/03/11: Here is an interesting article by Paul Krugman of the New York Times on the trade situation with China: Holding China to Account

Dirk Lammers, an Associate Press writer, beat me to it. In his excellent article about the abundance of "Made in China" items, he covered exactly what I hoped to write about: Can we avoid products made in China?

With all the recent news about recalls and the dangerous products and ingredients from China, I thought how can we avoid Chinese products? How difficult would it be?

I did my own experiment a few days ago. I went into the local dollar store, the ultimate challenge for avoiding Chinese products. Just as I suspected most of the items were made in China. Kitchen accessories, coffee mugs, toys, etc all from China. I spotted some NH postcards, thinking there could be no way these were made in China, and they weren't: they were made in Italy. A few products did say made in USA, but they were rare. Imagine the effect it would have on Wal-mart and the dollar stores if we banned imports from China.

China is already in an uproar over our ban of seafood. And the Philippines not only want to ban products from China, but are encouraging consumers to buy local products.

One good point made my Mr. Lammers is that even though an item or food product is made in the USA, the parts or ingredients could be made in China. What is even more frustrating is that the labels never tell. Having companies completely provide details of all their ingredient/part origins would be time consuming and confusing to the consumer. And who is to say that companies don't often switch where they get, say sugar, one month to buy it at a better price from another country the next month?

What about cars? Car companies often buy parts from other countries. [I went to the Chevrolet website and emailed them asking if all parts and the cars themselves are made in the USA. I will keep you posted.] So you could be proudly driving your USA, car, assembled in the USA, but the gas pump in it could be made in China.

It seems like we have little problems with our imports from other countries. Perhaps we should give incentives to companies who use all materials and get all products from the USA rather than ban China imports. Maybe a formal impact study could be done to see how it would effect our economy if we banned products from China.

Boycotts are difficult. I am currently boycotting Amazon.com because they sell materials that promote and advocate the brutal, cruel "sports" of dogfighting and cockfighting. I did a lot of shopping there. I just don't know if I could successfully boycott products from China, at least the ones that are labeled. I'd rather see China improve the quality and safety of their products. And our FDA needs to have a better checking system to prevent these items from even reaching our shelves.

So next time you go shopping, check the labels. You'd be amazed at how few Made in USA items exist.

UPDATE: Sorry, folks: an ad for importing products from China was appearing above my post. I removed it. Thanks for the heads up from jolovessnow. And yes, I do know who you are, and where you live! :-)

Junk Food Junkies: A New Fix

2007-06-28T18:01:00.000-04:00

Last night I was yearning for some junk food. In particular, ice cream and potato chips. I walked to the local convenience store, and headed to the ice cream freezer. I saw Ben and Jerry's, usually my first choice, but didn't feel like going into that sugar coma. I saw Klondike bars, but not just any Klondike bars: they were Triple Chocolate. They were shaped the same square shape as the regular Klondike bar only they had chocolate-colored wrappers. I grabbed two: one for me and one for my junk food loving friend.

I went over my friend's place with the ice cream. I unwrapped it and took a bite. OH. MY. GOD!!! My eyes rolled back into my head, or at least it felt like they did. This was so good, it was almost as good as you-know-what (at least what I can remember about that). I had an out of body experience. This was so good I wanted to smoke a cigarette afterwards, and I don't even smoke. I wanted to turn to my friend afterwards, who was also in this state of bliss, and say, "was it good for you?". I had to suppress moans. I wanted to buy a bucket load of these Klondike bars and give them to people doing heroin or crack or crystal meth or booze and I know for certain they would give up those things forever. For about an hour afterwards I had an afterglow of euphoria. I think I heard angels. Or maybe I was still moaning.

The ice cream had milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate sections. The top was coated with chocolate syrup. And the whole thing was covered with chocolate. Now, I've had all kinds of chocolate stuff and tried tons of ice cream flavors. This was the best of both I ever had. If I were on death row and had one last meal, I would ask for two of these. And I wouldn't share.

I believe we could achieve world peace with these. Attach little parachutes and drop them (quickly, so they don't melt too fast) over Iraq. People would put their guns down and take off their suicide belts and dance in the streets after eating these. They would embrace each other, Sunnis and Shiites and all the other groups I can't spell, and weep with joy.

I urge everyone: stop what you are doing and buy these. Bus drivers, pull over in front of a supermarket and bring your passengers in and buy these. Surgeons: put the scalpels down and buy these (sew up your patients first, please, and bring them with you, too). One request: just don't buy these in Nashua, NH. They're all mine.

Oh, and I also bought potato chips.

Chunky's Cinema - A Review

2007-06-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, I went with some friends to the new Chunky's Cinema and Pub that opened in Nashua, NH. The movie we went to see was Oceans 13 (Good movie, by the way. You can look up reviews here). I had been to the Haverhill Chunky's many years ago and liked the experience. But what would it be like now?

As we entered I was surprised by the comfy lounge area in the lobby. It had the kind of sofa and chairs you could sink in to and possibly fall asleep. Also in the lobby were massage chairs available for use for $1.00. I was tempted, but resisted, fearful I would later fall asleep during the movie.

We purchased our tickets ($5.50 for a 12:15pm movie) and were given an electronic gadget resembling those used in restaurants to alert you that your table is ready. The gadgets were to be used to quietly summon the waitstaff with the press of a button. Boy, I wished other restaurants had this so we wouldn't waste time craning our necks, playing Where's Waldo trying to flag the occasional disappearing waiter down.
We entered the theater/restaurant. There were long, rectangular shaped tables throughout and instead of the standard, cramped, way too narrow for us larger folks seats, there were black leather seats with headrests resembling the ones that were built for Cadillacs. The theater was sort of dark even before the movie started. We sat at a table, sitting closest to the screen at the front of the table. This is a casual type of place, we noticed, with plastic ware at each place setting individually wrapped. As we perused the menu, my friend Lee and I were amused by the names of the items, especially those from the Chamber of Sweets section with Harry Potter references, as we are big fans of HP. Prices for dinners range from $7.99 to $11.99. I chose the Swiss Family Robinson Bacon Cheeseburger dinner, Lee opted for the Love Me Tender chicken tender dinner and a Butter Beer Float (root beer float). Keith decided to get the steak tips, and seemed pleased with them. Our meals arrived just as the movie started. We were disappointed that the pitcher of ginger ale we ordered came with just a large paper cup of ice on the side. The ginger ale was cold in the pitcher, but we preferred ice in the pitcher as well, because the cup ice melted during the movie and we were left with lukewarm soda. Still, we could easily have pressed the magic waitstaff button and gotten more ice. It was hard to see our food, but the flashes of light from the movie screen were enough to satisfy us that we weren't eating squid. Lee said, "The chicken fingers were really good. They were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The coleslaw was also really good - not too much dressing, and not too tangy. I thought overall, the food was good, but overpriced".
My burger was WONDERFUL. There were plenty of FRESH mushrooms and the burger was cooked as I had requested. I chose the pasta salad as my side dish, and it came in a small bowl, which was just enough. The salad was tasty. Keith seemed please with the steak tips. We all enjoyed the experience and food. Distractions were minimal during the movie. Everyone around us was so busy stuffing their faces so that talking and noise were almost nonexistent.The waitstaff quietly cleared tables, and near the end of the movie they presented our check and collected the magic button gadget. Overall, I would give the cinema experience five stars, especially for the comfort factor and the food four stars. I would recommend this cinema for the unique experience.

The Secret: Not So Secret

2007-04-03T14:24:00.000-04:00

I have just finished reading the book The Secret. I was intrigued by all the hype and interest in it, and the fact that it was flying off the shelves that I just had to see for myself. But this book didn't offer any new information and there was no big "Secret" revealed to me. The Secret is nothing but rehashed ideas and material packaged with a heavy dose of materialism.

The book's concept is that you can get whatever you want in life if you just think positive and act as if you already have it. That's the big secret. It mentions throughout the book that you can have millions of dollars, jewelry, and other materials things. Some examples of this are given by people. Now, I do agree with the idea of being positive as much as you can, but mine is more on a spiritual level believing in a combination of positive thinking and prayer. There is nothing wrong with praying for yourself, but there are so many people worse off than us who need our prayers and some positive thoughts. I would love a Toyota Prius (as mentioned in another blog post of mine), or my own home but I believe the only way these things will come to me is with my own efforts, not some magical thinking.

Could this be done as a scientific study? Could there be, say, one group of people who think positive for a period of time about getting a large, specific sum of money, and another group who thinks about owing a certain amount of money then comparing the results? Much of it would be written off as coincidence. But I've always wondered: what if EVERYONE in the world at noon Eastern time every day for a month stopped what they were doing for 3 minutes and thought "the whole world is peaceful and happy"? Would it have any change? It is Utopian thinking, similar to the Coca Cola ads about teaching the whole world to sing and live in harmony. Still, I can't help but be curious as to it's effect, if any. My realist friends (and atheist friends) would certainly scoff at this notion. I am admittedly a dreamer at times. We dreamers usually prefer to say "what if", while others take the scientific approach and say "prove it". However, I am not so much a dreamer that I think peace could be that easily attainable.

I must confess, I did just for the fun of it do my own little experiment. One morning I saw the Fed Ex truck pull up in front of my building. I thought, "I have a package". I kept thinking it over and over. The Fed Ex truck pulled away, no package for me. Hours later, I went into my email. A friend who I only hear from periodically emailed me saying, "You have a gift coming". It wasn't my birthday or any holiday. Then I remember it was a belated gift. I was thinking a little of the Twilight Zone theme, but shook it off as coincidence. Then later in the day, I went to my mailbox and there was a package from this friend. Now, I rarely get any packages, and this friend has never sent one to me before. Could it be the power of the Secret? It was only an experiment, but I think if people play around and do it just for fun, it is at least entertaining.

This book has many quotes from various people, most of whom I never heard of. They are new age people, people in history who were part of the New Thought movement, and other positive minded folks. There are too many quotes and not enough substance, even for us dreamers. The power of positive thinking has already been covered by Norman Vincent Peal in his book. Positive affirmations have already been written about by authors such as Louise L. Hay in her book You Can Heal Your Life. What's so new about this? Yet I predict this fad will continue and we may even see all kinds of money making products, as The Secret Journals to write in, The Secret Companion Book, The Secret Lunch Box, The Secret Toilet Paper, etc. The only one who is easily materializing the millions of dollar touted as being attainable is the author.

[Updated article about The Secret(6/23/07)]

Atheism Revisited (but I am still a Christian)

2007-01-13T15:31:00.000-05:00

To take the first step in faith, you don't have to see the whole
staircase: just take the first step.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

There has been a good amount of response to my previous blog about 2007 possibly being the year of the atheist that I need to address the issue again. Naturally, as a Christian, I don't want to turn my blog into an debate on atheism, but I have been enlightened by the comments, especially from Vjack at Atheist Revolution and feel it is necessary to revisit this topic.

One of the points I've learned is not every atheist is angry and hostile towards those who are religious. There may be some like that, but it is not the majority. We have made a stereotype and also some atheists make a stereotype that we Christians/religious people are all trying to force or convert atheists and others to our beliefs. It has been mentioned that Christians back in history were brutal and violent in this effort. I don't disagree with this, but would like you all to keep in mind that many Christians and other religious people were also brutalized for believing. So one of the main concepts both groups, believers and non-believers, need to keep in mind instead of passing a quick judgement is that it is not right to stereotype and that both groups have faced persecution or harrassment for their opinions.

In a recent blog post at Atheist Revolution, Vjack states,while it is not universal for all atheists, that their are two prongs to atheism: faith is irrational and religion is harmful. I would like to address the first prong about faith being irrational.
Because something can't yet be proven, or any concrete evidence found to prove it's existence, does that mean it doesn't exist? Every day scientists are learning new things, finding and inventing new means to quantify, measure, and prove the existence of different things. Right now, we are just finding many new species of animals and plants we never even knew existed. If years ago, someone found a drawing of one of these animals and stated it existed, they would be laughed at and ridiculed. Yet now it is fact. Just because there currently, today, exists no proof for the existence of God does not mean He doesn't exist. Perhaps the right tools or measuring devices just aren't around to verify His existence. Also, perhaps we aren't MEANT to find His existence through science, as this would eliminate the need for faith. Maybe we are meant to find God only through the means of faith, as many Christians do believe. And that is not irrational to us at all.
The second prong mentioned, religion being harmful, may be true in some cases. Again, we are talking about religious extremists who want to beat into submission those who don't believe. I don't subscribe to that path, nor do many other Christians and people of other faiths. Again, it is necessary to avoid stereotyping. In fact, research has been done and it has been proven that religious practice promotes the well-being of individuals, families, and the community.

Perhaps it would be better for atheists to consider themselves "apatheists": Continue not believing in God or religion, but also stop worrying if others believe. To put it simply: live and let live.

2007: To Be the Year of the Atheist?

2007-01-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

I am not psychic at all, but I predict this year will be the year of the atheist. What prompts me to believe this? Looking at the Reddit.com website, there are many articles about atheism in the news today. And the popularity of Richard Dawkin's book The God Delusion, which reached the top ten (ironically at Christmas time), seems to confirm it.
I have no problem with people who have other beliefs than me, or no beliefs at all. But why do people find it necessary to try to remove the faith of others? Do these same people relish telling children there is no Santa Claus? Do they look forward to divulging that the Tooth Fairy is a myth? Yet, by my using these examples maybe I am putting God in the same category, which will not truly defend my beliefs. I am by no means a child believing in some magical entity. I am an adult who has given much reflection and study to define my own spirituality and determine who or what to believe. And I believe in Christianity, in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, Mary as the Blessed Mother, the Saints, the whole bit. I do believe that much of the Bible was distorted and some important texts were omitted and altered. But the fact that these texts were even found is, in itself a miracle and only proves that maybe this was God's way of having the truth come out.
What is the difference, really, between an atheist and a skeptic? An atheist is defined as a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings. Part of the definition of a skeptic is a person who doubts the truth of a religion, esp. Christianity, or of important elements of it. And for the record, an agnostic is defined as a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience. So the main difference between these three labels is that atheism is flat out saying 'no, no way' while skeptics and agnostics leave a little wiggle room for the possibility, exhibited by the words 'doubt' and 'unknown'. The only way an atheist can become a believer is if there is definitive proof of the existence of God, a skeptic would need some evidence to remove all doubt, and the only way an agnostic can believe is if the existence of God becomes known, which, like the other three would result from proof or evidence. But isn't faith believing without total proof? And wouldn't the atheists, skeptics, and agnostics still question the validity of the evidence? Look at the people who don't believe the Holocaust ever happened. There is evidence, there is proof yet they don't believe it. I think there are some people who, no matter what will choose to stubbornly deny things in order to be right or to be so narrow minded that no other opinion but their own can be the truth.
I may someday read Dawkin's book, borrowing it from the library as I don't wish to put money in the pocket of someone so aggressive in his disbelief.
All I'm asking is for tolerance towards one another, and keeping an open mind. I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the end your right to an opinion. Just don't force your opinion on me.
UPDATE: Here is an article that shows the increase in popularity of atheism:http://businesslogs.com/web_20/digg_and_youtube_powering_atheism_20.php

Another Chance

2007-01-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

It is 2007, and with any New Year comes the promise and hope of change for the better. This is displayed by the increase in all the diet ads , health club ads and ads for products to stop smoking. What prompts our desire to change? Is it looking back on the past year and seeing the areas we didn't improve? Or is it just society's and media's direction to be thinner, healthier, and better?
I believe the New Year reminds us of getting another year older and of our "failure" to be as perfect as we hoped.
Unlike a birthday, New Year's is celebrated world-wide by billions of people on the same date. It is a mass celebration of the end of one time period and the beginning of another, or "out with the old, in with the new". This doesn't mean that we don't pause and reflect somewhat in the same way on a birthday. It just means that it is the perfect opportunity to reach masses of people who might all be in the same state of thought. My favorite diet-related ad, by the way, is the ad for Special K cereal. Had my child, upon seeing my posterior clad in a red and white bathrobe exclaimed, 'Santa!', I would most definitely be putting coal in her stocking.
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with planning to change for the better, as long as it is not being done out of pressure, such in the book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die , or a feeling of having to do it. Personally, I'd like to see the New Year brought in with a "Life List" that not only has the obligatory 'I will lose x pounds', or 'I will stop smoking', but a list of experiences that would make our life richer, fuller, and happier. (Keep in mind the experiences refered to here should be legally and morally ok.) I will share with you some experiences I would like to have. Warning: these experiences border on the bizzare, but once you get to know me you'll just say 'oh', like most of my friends and family do. Also, keep in mind these are not in any specific order (except for the parade one):
1. Ride a float during the Macy's Day Parade. This is something I've always wanted to do. I don't need to be the center of attention, like Ferris Bueller, as I'd be happy just to be a generic winter-coated person waving a gloved hand. I think I've found a legitimate way to get in on this: this past parade, I saw a sign language interpreter signing a song an artist was singing on a float. Since I have started taking classes in American Sign Language, this could be a possibility. Maybe.
2. Ride in a hot air balloon. Actually, I was saving this one for my fiftieth birthday. The real reason is I'm afraid of heights, so the longer I can postpone it the better.
3. Have a Youtube or Google video that shows up in the top ten. I must emphasize that it should not be too embarassing, though who can beat the guy doing one of my favorite videos, The Numa Numa dance , or the hypnotic OK Go video? Looking at the current list of top videos on these sites, it seems I would have to be a famous, very attrative woman with a wardrobe malfunction to get there. Oh well.
4. To do something heroic. Giving blood might seem heroic enough to people, but I've already done that. I was thinking more of pushing a kid out of the way of an oncoming truck or car, saving someone who is drowning, etc. I can be totally anonymous, as it is just the experience I am looking for.
5. Own a home. I don't need a mansion. I only want a nice mobile home in a coop park I've selected in Merrimack. Nothing fancy. Do you hear me, Oprah? Bill Gates? Anyone? Bueller?
6. Own a Toyota Prius or Toyota Camry. OK, now the list is turning into a materialistic wish list rather than life experience. But isn't reducing carbon emissions and lowering dependence on foreign oil a life experience itself? Isn't it?
7. Lose weight. Boring, I know. But I just copy it over year to year.

That's all I'll share with you for now. There is a guy who had a list of over 100 things, and he's done 104 of them already. I'd be happy with a list of 50, and maybe get three things done. We must be realistic. (But keep in mind I never thought I'd be swimming with dolphins, but I did it three years ago.)

Thoughts about Snow

2006-12-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

There is something almost graceful and majestic about snow. While rain has its own beauty, it falls fast and steady, each drop barely seen. Snow glides slowly most of the time, with flakes that are small, then sometimes turning large, a slow-motion hypnotic show. I spend way too much time staring out the window, unable to tear myself away from watching it. People walk by my city window, muttering and cursing, barely looking at the beauty of it all. They are cold, wet, some are driving in it or wrestling it off their cars. But if they were like me, inside warm and dry, and just watching it, they might smile and enjoy it.
I had been one of those cursing the snow. I initially would enjoy it during the first one or two snowfalls of the season, but when I had to go out in it or drive in it, would hate it. It took spending a year living in South Florida, in a constant state of sweating and dealing with torrential rainstorms, for me to truly appreciate the gift of snow.
Who doesn't remember as a child the joy of snow? How about the simple act of cutting paper to make a snowflake?The radio announcement of our school closing for the day was the equivalent of Christmas,Easter, and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. My mother would bundle us up from head to toe, and we would nearly break the door down to go out and play in the snow. This was before PS3, Xbox, WII, or even computers. We used our creative minds to build snow forts, had snowball fights, and played King of the Mountain on every large plowed heap of snow we could find. We made snow angels, and used snowballs to carefully knock down large icicles off the side of our house. And we would sled down the side of a hill squealing and laughing, not the least bit afraid. When we were almost frostbitten, we'd go inside and my mother would have a saucepan of homemade cocoa on the stove, which she'd serve with a heaping tablespoon of Fluff. Mom would take an old bleach bottle, rinsed thoroughly and fill it with hot water. She'd put a towel around it and we'd place our numb,red feet on it, and think that this was the closest to Heaven as it could ever get. When our coats, mittens, socks were dry enough on the radiator, we'd get bundled up again and go out this time to make a snowman. We would listen to the crunching sound of the snow under our boots, and watch as the sky started to turn soft pink and lavender. And again, frostbitten, the sun starting to set and the temperature dropping, and with clumps of snow frozen to our mittens and pants, we'd head home for a hot, hearty dinner.
Each year I am tempted to go out, and with no one looking, make a snow angel. I haven't gotten the courage yet, but maybe this winter it will happen.

NOTE:This is written with my apologies to the folks in Colorado.