Big Brother Sneaking a Peek?

I think that Big Brother is watching us with all of his many eyes. He also seems to have many hands; rather like an Asian deity. Big has been telling us what to think politically, socially, economically, and has even monitored our sexuality to an extent. Been doing it for over the last century. My parents and their people saw it happen during their lives. According to my Mom; Big Brother watched us very furtively in the 40's and 50's. However if she were still with us, I believe she would agree with me that the past 20 years have been even worse. The difference between today and then is this; people are afraid of getting involved personally where as at least from the 40's to the 60's a great many people tried to involve themselves in different causes and other peoples lives. I sight such things as Greenpeace, Antiwar Marches, Veterans Day, Draft- Card Burning, Harbor Day, Peace Marches, and Civil Rights Marches.

Honesty and integrity are at a premium in this tired old world. People are so much more suspicious of each other than they were when I was little. We don't know our neighbors or work together as well as we did in the 50's. I am not saying that criminals were not around, that there were not robbers or murderers. or that children were not bullied. It just seemed that there were more pockets of safety in society when I was younger. I noticed a great change around my 13th year. Perhaps my parents were doing their job better than some. Until I got a taste of the world beyond my family circle I didn't realize just how scary the world was even back then. And at the risk of sounding paranoid it certainly is frightening now.

Okay what does all this got to do with Big Brother? Well our anonymity with the government and in society in general works against us. Crime is committed on several levels these days. We not only need to be wary of criminals but the "law keepers and makers". We have complicated our legal world so much that it often works against us. The use of computers and all the other technology we have invented has us far more open to scrutiny with too many strangers.

No one in this world should be seen as more valuable or better than another person. However it seems that the disabled, the poor and the meek are often condemned in the legal systems of the western world more often than not. Their voices are simply not heard above the din. We can not guard our personal statistics, have a bit of privacy, or socially mind and have others mind their own business. Thank the powers that be or perhaps not for such things as Life-Loc, ADT, Protection One and Lifeline. But when you really think about it, these are but band-aids on the privacy and security problems many of us are having.

Our governments and the banking world have reduced our identities to a bunch of numbers. Not many people call us by name; when we are going about on our errands in the community. Big Brother is deftly watching and conducting our lives. A time machine would be a ludicrous panacea for our problems. What we need to do is be more open to helping each other. We need to help the people who have nothing and tax the ones that have more than they need. Our countries need to help the people in their own back yards; as well as helping those in the rest of the Global Village. The time for band-aids is over. Lets do an 'operation' now before the emergency is full of potential appendectomies!

Sagamore Hill Day Trip

My Honey and I went to Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on Oyster Bay this past week. It was amazing! Teddy Roosevelt built a wonderful home for his family in 1885 on Cove Neck Road. He enjoyed time with his family right up until his death in 1919. The estate had lots of land for horseback riding. There are 23 rooms and it provided ample room for all six of the Roosevelt children. Books are every where just as they were when the family lived in the home. You can find out more about this wonderful place here.

I just want to make a few personal observations about my experience. The gentleman at the tourist center was very helpful. Our guide for the tour was a very sprightly woman, who must have been over 50; but I believe she may have been in her 70's. At any rate she was very athletic for someone her age. She showed us all three floors of the home with tremendous ability. She delivered her facts and anecdotes with aplomb. While we were at the park we also visited "The Teddy Roosevelt Museum in the Old Orchard House. The thing that interested me the most was the exhibit case housing Teddy's Rough Rider Uniform with the famous original hat with it's pinned up brim. The other things that I found fascinating were his service revolver, his sword, Teddy's published works and 1900 McKinley-Roosevelt Campaign buttons.

We went went into the town of Oyster Bay and enjoyed a late lunch at Tabby's Burger House. Just a little warning for those who go there...unless you are absolutely starving get the quarter pounder. My Greek salad, half pounder with cheese, mushrooms, and fried onions, and french fries was delicious. I had the first chocolate egg creme I have had in over 40 years. It was absolutely scrumptious. Needless to say I got a "doggie bag"

To say that we both enjoyed the day is an understatement.

Note: Where did the Teddy Bear get it's name? The beloved toy we've come to know today as the "Teddy Bear" was named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.

According to one legend, Roosevelt was settling a border dispute between Louisiana and Mississippi in 1902. During this trip, he attended a bear hunt in Mississippi where a fellow hunter captured an injured bear, tied it to a tree and asked Roosevelt to shoot it. But Roosevelt didn't have the heart to kill the defenseless bear. The Washington Post ran an editorial cartoon created by the cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman that illustrated the event called "Drawing the Line." The cartoon and the story became popular and was published in newspapers all over the country.

Store owners Morris and Rose Michtom in New York saw the cartoon. Rose made some small stuffed bears to sell in their store. Morris wrote to Roosevelt requesting his permission to call the bears "Teddy Bears". President Roosevelt granted them the usage of his nickname, but added that he did not think using his name would help sell the bears. The bears proved to be a hit and the rest is history.

Yesterday ...

Yesterday was a lovely day here in Long Island, NY. We woke up around 10am and leisurely got ready for an outing together. We planned to dine out around 2 pm down the street at our neighborhood pizza place. Ours is called Franks and this gentleman makes the best New York style pizza in the state. The pastas and salads are equally awesome. (yay Frank!) My gentleman friend and I enjoyed a slow and enjoyable dinner then strolled home. Later that day after working on our respective computers we watched the last Big Brother of the season. He calls it one of our ''guilty pleasures"; although strangely enough I don't feel the first part of the phrase at all.

All of this brings me to the point of my post...that each day brings such a variety of events that I have begun to wonder how people can possibly be bored with life no matter what their age. I mean if someone like me with limited physical ability can find things to enjoy how on earth can people with all their abilities at hand be bored. Despite all the things the media can find "wrong" with the world, there are a bounty of wonderful things that are right, good and amazing with our world and in our lives!

I honestly feel grateful for my two wonderful daughters, my son, three lovely granddaughters, my nieces and nephews, my sisters, and all their respective spouses. The only regret I have is that I am not as emotionally close to some of them as I wish. I love, enjoy, and am blessed with an abundance of friends online and in person. On another level I am also very grateful for my 2 lovely cats, and my dog. Their day to day follies are a constant delight to both of us. I

enjoy my music, reading, writing, walking, crafts, cooking, and collecting as well.

My greatest wish is that everyone that I know and love are happy and have as few moments of boredom as possible!

Notice: This Blog is going to adapt the larger font as it is hard for author to see otherwise. Perhaps more people will read it now. :)

Surfing the World Wide Web.

When I was young I thought it would be grand to live in California and surf my heart out. Now I virtually surf and I can tell you it is a time consuming thing. However I have found several traffic exchange sites that help a surfer like me to go straight to a number of their favorite sites at one time. I truly enjoy the whole surfing experience. The fact that I want to drive the traffic to my sites almost seems beside the point.

I have learned a lot of things in the past month just by surfing the WWW. I have been a long time fan of Bob Dylan and just realized he had a son Jakob in the music business who rivals his father's efforts when he was a younger man.

I have discovered that a non-gluten diet may just diminish my joint pains and the numbness in my left hand. It would be very nice not to have so much pain and not to have to take so much naproxen sodium.

I have learned a lot of other things as well about doggie dermatology, how to run ads for free, where the least expensive flea meds for pets can be purchased, how to prepare appetizing polenta and so much more.

It seems as though my learning curve has gotten higher since I have been on the WWW.

I have had access to it in one form or another since the 1980's. I have been on the internet since 1969. I never got into internet marketing until the early 90's. Most of my time on computers until then was in chat rooms and surfing for information to quench my curiosity.

I have come across an interesting site put together by 60 year old gentleman living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He says in his submission that many will say he is old but like him I wonder how come such a young at heart soul can be so old. Evidently, he loves music; classical music and you can see almost 11,00 scores at Hemmingway's Studio . Good for you Hemmingway! He has tuxedo cat too that he seems to hold in great regard. Hope that Or

eo and you are both well!

Long Ago and......

I just finished watching 'Milk' all the way through and understand now on a more visceral level the absolute importance of Harvey's agenda and work. I don't think that the fight is over yet; indeed the fight is still on for all disenfranchised people; homosexuals, women and children being the main groups. What hit me the most about Harvey's death; is the fact that someone like Dan White would not be remembered in life outside of the movie or book as much as Harvey was in death. That my friends is how it should be! The good guys should be remembered first and foremost. If just one person remembers someone who has helped the hopeless; then no activism of any kind is pointless.

Which brings me to the point of this posting. After I watched 'Milk' my mind traveled back to my nephew Andrew and all the things he was and what he might have been had he lived. Suffice to say, Andy had the great spirit of an activist given half a chance! I spent the 60's pursuing some cause or other. Never felt as though I was very successful though. It is hard being part of a whole, large, group when you are young and have dreams of being a ground-breaker. Of course, the other side of the coin is that it was wonderful having some small part in that sign carrying era. But that was long ago and far away.

If I could still walk for miles, stand with my arms above my head for prolonged periods of time, or shout over and over for hours; I would still probably be trying to protest something or another. Then I realized I have a quieter, low-key way of carrying a placard. I will continue to use this space as my placard. I shall continue to do that post after post.

Mini-post: Saw Ralph Sunday!!

Sunday, I watched Ralph Nader on a 3 hour C-span special. He was just as amazing as I thought he was all those years ago when he was an activist for seat belts.

After that I watched Laura Ingraham author of the 'Obama Diaries' run on about her beliefs and how good Americans knew that being a believer in conservative right wing values were the way. She minimizes anything and everything that President Obama has tried to do with what he has unfortunately inherited from the former Republican government. To my mind, true patriotism lies in the different legislature that one backs that makes life easier for the disenfranchised and the poorer people; not just Americas' privileged class. It does not lie in false sentimentality or flag waving. It lies in the full knowledge of what being a citizen of this country and ones true obligations.

I believe in God, Country, and a being happy. I know that sounds simplistic; but for me it is that simply put and that complex in real life. I believe in a Higher Power who is personal. I believe that a country and all its benefits are here for all its citizens. When just a chosen few get the privileges then the country isn't being governed correctly at all. That is just this woman's opinion.