Music Monday

Happy Musical Monday, everyone! This week, I figured a little soft rock was in order to end the year. Good or bad, the coming year will be better if you "Don't Stop Believin'". (see what i did there? lol) Enjoy this signature hit by Journey!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Quote of the week

"An alarm clock is a device that wakes you up just in time to go back to sleep."

Black Christmas

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joyfulness, but instead, it turns out that this year's are sure to be remembered for being that of sadness. The day itself, for me at least, went fine, but it is what happened before and after that has caused such grief.

First off, on Christmas Eve, one of my good friends lost her mother. She has been down sick for quite some time, but took a turn for the worst earlier this month. From my understanding, though, she went quietly. The night before she was even barking out orders for Christmas gumbo, whatever that is.

Another death really has shaken me up. The day after Christmas, I lost a classmate that I graduated with. She had no signs of sickness, but she was admitted to the hospital for abdominal pain. The doctors elected to admit her into emergency surgery, where they learned her baby was stuck in her Fallopian tube and couldn't stop the bleeding. So, really there two lives lost that day.

In my nearly three and a half decades on this planet, I have seen people come and go, mourning for relatives, friends of friends, and celebrities. Only once has someone I went to school with passed away, and she was actually younger than me, with a long history of medical problems.

Knowing that someone who is my age has now left this world really saddens me, especially since she and I were relatively close at one time. It was a love/hate relationship for quite some time (I was dating her sister). She will be missed, and I regret that we didn't keep in better contact, even with Myspace, Facebook, and e-mail that have all come about since we graduated, back in the dark ages.

Now, you all know me, I'm not one to dwell on sadness. Life is too short for that. Personally, when I die, I don't want a sad funeral of any type, but rather a celebration of my life, filled with upbeat music, lots of food, and good friends and family.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks this is the better way to go, as both of these women will be having the same kind of ceremonies in lieu of actual funerals. Isn't that great? Not to mention, much better than sitting around in a stuffy old church or funeral home being depressed.

Well, that's all I have for now! Thanks for reading!!!

Do You Remember...

Retro Commercial Friday

Merry Christmas

Music Monday

First of all, I want to say Happy Holidays to everyone, whatever your preference is. As I'm sure you more than tired of hearing holiday music, this week I'm bringing you some rock and roll!

Please enjoy "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Are we headed for a police state?

Last week, I had a post written up and ready to post about the tragedy in Connecticut, but decided not to post it as I'm sure everyone and their mama is sure to have said something about it, and would still be talking about it for the next few weeks, months, or until something else more tragic happens. I also wasn't going to go into how some people are already trying to turn this political. Between that and the fact someone went in and shot up a bunch of kids, it just makes me sick!!!

In response to the shooting, many schools tightened up security ad have considered taking further (drastic) steps to keep this from happening again. This has spurned the whole debate about guns, which I won't get into here, as I prefer to keep political opinions to myself.

With that said, this what my lovely employers are considering....

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LA (NBC33) — Schools in West Baton Rouge Parish are looking for ways to make sure their kids stay safe while they learn. That's why the district will hold a meeting in a few weeks with principals, sheriff's officials and a crisis management team. The goal is to find ways to help lessen the chances such as the one in Newtown, Connecticut. Superintendent David Latona says all options are on the table, including arming teachers and staff with guns. "Security now is an opportunity to buy some time until the authorities or someone can get there,” David Latona, WBR Superintendent, said. “The politically correct thing to say would be to rectify the matter. The real issue is to take that person out."

My first thought when I read this was at least they're doing something. This district is run entirely by coaches who do nothing unless it involves sports, while our academics are near the bottom of the state, but that's a topic for another time.

My second thought is, if this goes through, what happens if the wrong student gets on the wrong side of the wrong teacher on the wrong day? Out will come the gun and down will go the students, as well as the teacher's career.

Guess what will happen after that goes down? There will be another debate about guns and whether or not teachers should have guns. I'm sure someone will propose arming students as well. I think we know how that will turn out.

Some places have resorted to using police and military for protection. One school had an alumni who had recently returned from his deployment standing outside the school, unarmed, just as a deterrent. I fear this may give ideas to the military, though.

Maybe I've watched too many movies, but what happens when our schools are overrun by police and military? What's next?

All of this because one parent wasn't responsible enough to know what her child was doing. Is TV, movies, music, and video games to blame, the way the NRA (such a credible source of morality..note the sarcasm), and a population seem to believe? No, because truth be told, there are millions of kids who are exposed to the same, yet they don't go shooting up elementary schools, so that point is invalid.

Anyway, I'm eager to hear what you have to say about this matter. What do you think about us teachers carrying guns? Good idea or bad idea?

Thanks for reading!

Guess we survived

Quote of the week

Next to a circus there ain't nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit. - Frank McKinney Hubbard

Retro Commercial Friday

Do you remember?

Music Monday

Happy Music Monday, everyone! A couple of weeks ago, we lost a true jazz legend in Dave Brubeck. As a musician and fan of jazz, he has been a huge influence in my life, and I hope that you enjoy his opus, "Take Five"

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Quote of the week

Seven days without chocolate makes one weak.

Retro commercial Friday

Do you remember...

Music Monday

Happy Music Monday, everyone! This week, how about another current tune, eh? This one is up for 6 Grammys, including Song of the Year! Please enjoy "We Are Young" by fun.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Quote of the week

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder. - Alfred Hitchock

Retro Commercial Friday

Do you remember?

Musical Monday

Happy Musical Monday, everyone! This week, I figured I'd bring you a catchy little new tune I heard the other day. Who doesn't like bluesy folk music, right? Please enjoy "Bottom of the River" by Delta Rae!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Quote of the week

If I found a cure for a huge disease, while I was hobbling up onstage to accept the Nobel Prize they'd be playing the theme song from Three's Company. - John Ritter