Category: Politics

Overheard on . . . Today's News

2/3/2015

“The video shows him being burned alive.”

Nearly five hundred eighty-four years ago, on May 30, 1431, a nineteen year old girl was burned at the stake for heresy, after a church trial that was far more political in nature than religious. This girl is known throughout the world as St. Joan of Arc. She’s been reflected in works of art and literature and is a patron Saint of France.

And… it was her image which overlay itself on my brain when I heard the news that the Jordanian pilot, Moaz al-Kasahbeh, had been executed by being burned alive. To my mind it was a miscalculation of the greatest proportion. By choosing this method of execution ISIS not only reinforced their evil nature, they also demonstrated their absolute lack of understanding of Western culture… the very thing they claim to be fighting against.

Joan of Arc was not canonized because she involved herself in politics, leading battles for Charles VII, King of France, but because of her absolute faith and piety, even at the stake. While there is something dramatic about a young woman riding into battle wearing men’s clothes, her real allure comes from the courage she showed up until the very end.

“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”
Joan of Arc

Throughout history there is one great truth, one belief found as part of every philosophy, every religious creed (more versions of the Golden Rule at Religioustolerance.org):

Christianity
"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31, King James Version.

Judaism
"...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.", Leviticus 19:18

Islam
"None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths."

We must not sacrifice tolerance and we must continue to demand and fight for tolerance from the world in general. It is for this that we fight… for this that St. Joan of Arc fought… for this that Moaz al-Kasasbeh gave his own life.

Deanne

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Overheard at . . . Starbucks

2/18/2014

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“I took a photo when I saw the guy drive away like he hadn’t just hit the parked car.”

The book I am currently working on is based on the difference between moral vs. legal law. In some cases, like hitting another car while driving, the two laws align easily. Legally you are required to stop and try to identify the owner of the parked car. Morality demands the same thing. But in some cases these two laws come into conflict- and that is where it gets interesting.

I was reminded of this while watching a new show I’ve discovered, When Calls the Heart, on the Hallmark channel. It takes place in a frontier coal mining town just after there has been a huge explosion that killed half of the miners in the town. This has left half the women windowed. In this episode the Mine owner has served eviction notices to the widows… something that is legally correct under the contracts the miners signed, but otherwise morally wrong.

It seems there are many time in our lives when we come upon these types of decisions. In this case it is easy to see the side of the widows, but more difficult to view the decision through the eyes of the mine owner. One of the reasons we have laws and contracts is so that everyone knows what the consequences are of a situation. It takes away the subjectivity and makes it, supposedly, and objective decision.

Anyone with kids knows how important this is. As parents we are often confronted with situations where our child has done something wrong, but given the extenuating circumstances we might be able to overlook it. The problem is that kids are very concrete thinkers. They need to black and white to help them make future decisions without having to wonder, is this a time I’ll get into trouble or not.

Marybeth, the main character in my book, likes life to be simple and clear. A rule is a rule, and that is how she makes her decisions. But, as the name implies, even playing by the rules can have unintended consequences, especially when it comes to protecting the environment in a country where laws don’t do the job.

The older we get, the more our big questions in life become about living in the gray area. Complexity demands this and might make us wish for the simple and pure. As I tell my daughter, though, life is about learning. And for my part, the complexity of challenging decisions is part of what keeps me growing and alive.

Have you had to face any complex decisions lately? At what age do you think kids can handle the difference between moral and legal code? I love to hear from my readers. And to prove it leave me a comment during the month of February and you'll be entered to win a copy of any of Julia Green's Decluttering/Feng Shui Kindle books. Check back at the end of the month to see if you won and to let me know which one you want.

(Please note - while I love and appreciate your comments on twitter and Facebook, only comments made here, on my blog, will be entered into the drawing - this way all who read the blog post can engage in a shared conversation about it.)

Happy Journeys!
Deanne

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Overheard on... the news

11/22/2013

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“Harry Reid has decided to trigger the nuclear option.”

And about time! I am so tired of all the back and forth arguing, the posturing and threatening. The thought that someone was doing something, anything, to try to fix our broken system was a huge relief. Fist pumping in the air, I listened as the political pundits debated this move by the Senate majority leader.

And then I became depressed. Perhaps it is my own failing… needing a right answer, an answer that will make everyone happy. At my age I should know this doesn’t exist. And yet I hope. I hope that rather than this partisan bickering we could find a way toward personal and interpersonal peace. When I hear the word War it makes me think of fighting on a battlefield or in a foreign country. But war is waged, every day within each of us.

We really don’t have to look any further than so many family Thanksgiving dinners. Even without the conflict that families bring, our own internal debates about the best way to keep the mashed potatoes warm can be the like a little Normandy.

Peace is warm and fuzzy… it is our rose colored image of what Thanksgiving should be. But, somewhere between that image and the reality of pulling together 7 different dishes, kids and adults, silverware and stemware, I usually lose it. My Zen calm goes up in flames like the yams placed too close to the broiler.

As the holiday approach, as we consider the 150 years since Gettysburg, the 50 years since JFK was assassinated, the year since we lost
those precious lives at Sandyhook Elementary, may we find a new resolve to fill our lives with peace, within ourselves and with our neighbor.

Do you have any good tricks for maintaining peace in the midst of strife? I’d love to hear your comments on this or any of my blog posts. And to prove it, I am going to pick one lucky commenter during the month of November and donate $10 to the charity of their choice. Just leave a comment for any of my blogs and then check back at the end of the month to see if you have won.

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Overheard on. . . NOW With Alex Wagner

10/8/2013

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“… (It) is like going to your credit card company after you’ve maxed out and saying- I’m
not going to change my spending, I’m not going to spend less, but I want you to raise the rate.” Tom Cole (R) Oklahoma

Yesterday Alex Wagner had Oklahoma State Rep., Tom Cole (R) on to discuss the possibility of default on the U.S. debt. His point was in reference to asking Democrats to negotiate over the debt ceiling. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that he meant ‘raise the limit’ NOT ‘raise the rate’ (which will indeed happen if we default), it seemed like a fair point.

But wait!

Blame whomever you wish, the bottom line is that the congress has had a chance to reach a budget agreement for months (since the sequester went into effect, March 1st in fact.) And yet they failed to come together to resolve this and put in place a real budget.

And, what about that sequester? How’s that going? Check the numbers and you will see that the budget is already at lower spending levels than the majority of either party proposed back when they were attempting to resolve this a year ago. Unlike the congressman’s example, we may not like how we got here, but the federal government has been placed on a financial diet. (So feel free to begin referring to last year’s Super Committee as the Jenny Craig of Federal Spending.)

Where does that leave us, then? I don’t know about you, but I am scared. The politicians so far seem unable to acknowledge the harm they are inflicting. And I don’t care how many resolutions they pass to bring select government employees out of furlough, all I see are the kids unable to go to Head-Start, or the families who can’t pay for their housing this month because of a lack of housing assistance.

It is not right. Conservatives claim that government is too big and these things should be handled by private organizations, like churches or non-profits. Show me where that is happening right now. Please, really, show me. I would like to know that these people who suffer are getting more than a 10% discount on their hamburger. I’d like to think that people, other than Colbert, are stepping in to provide the services that are not available because congress can’t accept that they already made a mistake by letting it get this far.

And liberals, stop making this about winning some game. The first rule of negotiation is NOT to back your opponent into a corner. The right is claiming you won’t negotiate. We know that there is room for agreement outside of the two crises that face us. So stop letting your rhetoric block in both sides. It is not helpful!

Tom Cole is an excellent example that things are not always black and white. I hope everyone can see that there are many, many colors that make up our country and each of them have a story. Listen!

I’m done with my rant now… but you may have something to add. I love to hear comments- I just ask that you
keep them civil and fact based.

And, to prove how much I love hearing from you I will be giving away a copy of my book, UNTANGLING THE KNOT, to one lucky commenter in October. Leave a comment for any of my blog posts and at the end of each month I
will randomly select one visitor/commenter to receive a free download of my book. (Note: winner will be notified by a reply linked to their original comment…. Check back at the end of the month for directions on how to claim your prize!)

NOTE: September is now over; thanks to everyone for your fun comments. I have chosen the winner of BETTING JESSICA from the names of those who commented during the month. Congratulations JENNY HANSEN. Please send me and email at dwilstedauthor (at) outlook (dot) com and let me know where I can send your digital copy:>)

FINAL NOTE
I am celebrating my 15 year Anniversary Thursday
So please forgive me - No blog post that day.
I'll see you all again next week!

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Overheard at... the neighborhood BBQ

5/28/2013

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“What is Memorial Day supposed to celebrate, anyways?”

The good news is that this quote was said by a child. The bad news was that we all had different ideas about the answer. So far, our children have grown up thinking it is a holiday when all of the neighbors get together, make a big fire in the grill, separate out the kids drinks from the adult ones, and talk about the newest animals roaming our streets.

And oddly enough, I am pretty sure there is actually some basis for this tradition. My father is originally from a very small town in the mid-west. And many Memorial Days while I was young we celebrated by going back his home town to sharing their holiday festivities. This included a street parade (three blocks, from the firehouse to the courthouse) made up of horses, kids in wagons, all Miss Watsons who were still alive and able to walk, a few tractors with flags on them, and the high school band playing patriotic songs. At the end of the parade route there was a huge picnic set up, with tents and tables and, yes, a huge grill with a big fire in it for BBQing. I seem to recall some silly contests, like pie eating, and a speech by the mayor. I also clearly remember discussion about which animals were plaguing the farmers that year.

So, all in all, not that different from our own, more modern, celebration. The question I have is why? Why do we celebrate Memorial Day like this? How does it represent what the holiday is all about.

According to Time for Kids: Memorial Day is now observed on the last Monday of May. It is an occasion to honor the
men and women who died in all wars.

Not only that, but it was started in 1868 and was named Memorial Day 20 years later. Then in 1950, it became officially recognized when: On May 11, 1950, Congress passed a resolution requesting that the President issue a
proclamation calling on Americans to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer.

So not only do we remember those who have died in wars, but we also unite in praying for peace. In fact, there is even designated a “National moment for remembrance at 3:00 p.m. local time.” Somewhere in the BBQ set-up and fire building I think this moment was lost yesterday. I won’t let that happen again next year though.

And, actually, after the food was eaten and the kids had at least been told the part about remembering those who had died in wars, we did sort of say our own neighborhood version of a prayer for peace… it went something like this:

“Please Lord, let the raccoon who is at war with our neighborhood find a new home. Amen.”

Happy Memorial day to all of my friends, family and readers.

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Overheard at... the primary school

1/24/2013

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“They walk for miles with 40 lbs of water carried on their head.”

Our school has a travelling exhibit right now, brought to us by Africa Bridge, and showing what school life is like for kids in
Tanzania. It seems like a smart way for the kids to learn a little bit about a different culture (they particularly seem to like the soccer ball made from plastic bags and electrical tape.) What is missing, of course, is the true experience of what it feels like to actually walk those many miles lugging the water. It is missing the bugs and dirt and sanitation issues. Like many movies (The Best exotic Marigold Hotel comes to mind here,) it is a scrubbed up version of the reality.

On the other hand, things like the soccer ball and blackboard show that, while the environment may be different, many
activities are not so far off from what our own children experience in their own daily lives. One of my favorite books, Wake Up World; A Day in the Life of Children Around the World, produced by OXFAM, illustrates this point even more successfully. Kids wake up, eat, get clean, get dressed, go to school, play, help out, dream and sleep much as my own daughter does.

But the darker side of the reality is that many children, especially young girls, are not offered these experiences at all. Many spend their lives taking care of household chores and then being married at an early age to go and do this for their husband. They have no voice, no options, and frequently no ownership of anything, even their own bodies. Their lives are treated as a tool, to be used as needed.

I have been very proud to help support, and sometimes work with, an organization, BRAC, who through hands on work in countries throughout Asia, Africa (including Tanzania) and the Americas, helps to give women the options in life they deserve.

This week, as we celebrate the inauguration of our President, we should remember how valuable and hard won our freedom is. What better way to celebrate than to lighten the load of a child in a country without those freedoms. Below you will find an explanation (from our school newsletter) of the work Africa Bridge is doing and how you can help. You can also link to BRAC for more information about their programs as well. Thank you!

* * *
Greetings,

Happy New Year, I am looking forward to working with your school on some important Africa Bridge
projects.

Africa Bridge is a Non-Governmental Organization founded in West Linn by Barry Childs. AB’s work is focused on
vulnerable children in the rural villages of the Mbeya region of Southwest Tanzania. Approximately one out of three
(33%) of the children are orphans due to HIV/AIDS and malaria. All orphaned or vulnerable children are taken in by
other families. We establish income generating agricultural cooperatives for those families supporting orphaned and
vulnerable children. Part of the income from the cooperatives goes to village Most Vulnerable Children Committee
which purchases school uniforms and health insurance for these children. The school uniform enables children
to go to school. The remaining income significantly improves the living and nutritional lives of these families.
AB also builds health clinics and school classrooms for these villages.

This is My School project, part of Africa Bridge, which connects vulnerable schools in rural Tanzania with school
children in the United States. Our goal is to support the educational needs of the Most Vulnerable Children in
Tanzania through the expansion and improvement of their educational facilities and equipment.

The need:
Africa Bridge works with local villagers to help the Most Vulnerable Children get the support and resources necessary
to attend school. This effort has been so successful that the number of children attending school has significantly
increased leading to crowded classrooms. US schools partnerships help fulfill the need for more classrooms, desks,
and other school room resources.

These partnerships create an authentic experience for US students to engage in being world citizens and to learn about
the African experience. Contact us for more information. Emily Pollard Emily@africabridge.org
503-699-6162 or Roger Woehl 503-360-3597. Learn more at www.africabridge.org

Past projects supported in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District include partnering with Pakati Primary in 2011 and
Katusyo Primary Schools in 2012 to help construct new classrooms, toilets, repairs, desks, and school supplies.
Introducing the 2012-13 Project: Mpombo Schools.Mpombo Ward has 5 primary schools and 1 secondary
school. This is the second year for AB to work in the Mpombo Ward (out of a five year project). The schools
range in size from 325 to 530 students. Average class size is 75 students per teacher.

Our priorities for the next several years are classroom desks, teacher toilets and completion of classroom already under
construction. Our goals for this year are to secure funding for 250 desks ($10,750) and four teacher toilets ($5,800).
Total $16,550.

We will be visiting over the next several weeks. Our model classroom will be in the library and I will be
meeting with students to teach a little about Tanzania and Africa. We will learn a little Kiswahili too. Come join us.

Asante Sana (Thank You)
Sincerely,
Roger L. Woehl

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Overheard on... NPR

11/29/2012

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“Who first coined the term, Fiscal Cliff?”

So, have I mentioned before that words matter? Maybe a time of two, huh? Well, this is a perfect example. When the committee for budget reform couldn’t come up with a solution, they put in place severe consequences if a
deal was not reached by January 1, 2013. Bernanke said it created a “Fiscal Cliff” and thus the term was born.

In reality it is more like a Fiscal Slope… but as I learned in grad school, perception is everything. And so, while the result of the Fiscal Cliff will take a long long time to be felt, certainly long enough to have created a deal, my guess is that this won’t matter. January 1st, the market will crash and throw the economy into a tailspin even though no one, technically, at that point will feel the pain.

What if Ben Bernanke had called it a Fiscal Slope? What would have happened then? Would the public understand that there was still some time to get things fixed before the spending cuts and tax hikes hit our wallets? Probably. And this is why every news organization is now trying to clarify this point.

But, the damage has been done. Ask almost anyone why lawmakers are working to create a deal, and the words they will use are, “Fiscal Cliff”.

As writers we work hard to create the right images for our story. Why? Because we know that these images, like a picture book in people’s brains, add depth to the story. A friend and I recently got into a debate about whether I used the “F” word in my story, BETTING JESSICA. I assured her I never would. But she swore I had. After a thorough
search I confirmed that the closest I had gotten was “what the…” Did any other readers fill in the blank there with the “F” word? Presumably so. Had I used the term, “huh?” would readers have done the same thing? No way!

It’s too late now to revise “Fiscal Cliff” in the public’s mind. The picture is drawn and January 1st we will fall off of it, even if it originally only looked like a slope. I am fairly sure, through the power of words, it has transformed into a cliff now anyway.

*******

Don't forget.... Tomorrow, Novemeber 30th, I'll be posting my Free Read on - Free Reads for the Genre-istas. It's a super fun Holiday story so go check it out!

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Overheard in... the elementary school library

11/8/2012

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“He looks weird.”

Three boys were using their library time to goof off, so I asked if I could help them find a book to read. One of the boys answered, cockily, “Sure, how about a book about Obama’s economic policies.” Given that he was probably eight, maybe nine years old, I sincerely doubted he even knew what an economic policy was. But, information is power, so I took all of the boys over and showed them the biography section of the library.

After a quick tutorial on how to find, alphabetically, biographies on the President, I asked the boys if any of them would want to be President someday. Not surprisingly, the cocky one said yes, but the other two shook their head. One of them, tellingly, explained that he wouldn’t want so many people to dislike him.

They looked at pictures of the President in the books, and again, the cocky one laughed and said the above overhear about our President. It was finally at this point that I lost it.

“You do not disrespect the President of the United States, ever!” I told them. “You can absolutely disagree with his, or her perhaps someday, policies or choices, but no matter what, it is a difficult job that they have taken on and they deserve our respect for that.”

It hit home…. And the boy was finally quiet. At least until after I walked away.

I will reiterate this truth I believe in, our words have power, even more so when we are speaking them as adults around children. What we say and how we say it goes right into their head and without the context to understand our emotions, they none the less pick up on our beliefs. And I am not talking about our policy beliefs… I am talking about our moral beliefs. For example, how we treat people even when we disagree with them.

To riff an old jazz song; It ain’t what you say it’s the way that you say it! That’s what gets results.

BTW - I think Obama looked very cute in the picture.
*****

Reader news - BETTING JESSICA readers please note –

Next week I am re-releasing an updated version of BETTING JESSICA. On Thursday November 15th (a week from today) I will have a one day free promotion so that you can grab the revised version if you want it for your
Kindle library.

Also, if you liked reading about Jessica’s foil, Cynthia, in BETTING JESSICA then you might like to read a free story about her coming out November 30th on Free Reads from the Genre-istas. Check it out at: http://freereadsfromthegenre-istas.blogspot.com/

Finally, we are looking at the end of February for the release of my next novel, UNTANGLING THE KNOT. I’ll keep everyone updated here and on my home page.

Thanks so much for sharing the journey.

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Overheard at... Starbucks

11/6/2012

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“This election is a joke.”

It is election day, and around the country people (who haven’t already) are attempting to cast their ballots. It isn’t only the federal election that demands participation. On a state and local level the battles are just as serious and ferocious. I suppose that is why, though it might be a joke, no one is laughing.

So I thought I would add a little bi-partisan humor to your day; something to make you smile as you waited in line to vote or, anxiously, for the results to be tallied.

You might be a….

Republican if:
- You’ve named your kids, deduction one and deduction two.
- The only union you support is the baseball players, because heck, they’re richer than you are.
- You don’t think “The Simpsons” is all that funny but you watch it because that Flanders fellow makes a lot of sense.
- When people say Marx, you think Groucho.

Democrat if:
- You own something that says, “Dukakis for President,” and still display it.
- You’ve never been mugged; you give it away.
- You got teary-eyed during the film, “The American President.”
- Your house smells like a garbage dump because of your commitment to recycling.

The Secret of Success… is sincerity. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made.

All I ask… is the chance to show that money won’t make me happy. (Ashleigh Brilliant)

I wanted to go to… the paranoids anonymous meeting; but they wouldn’t tell me where it was.
(For all you conspiracy theorists out there.)

If all the world is… a stage, then where is the audience sitting?

Everything should be made…as simple as possible, but no simpler.

Why isn’t there a tax… on stuff I don’t like?

And finally…
Everything is controlled by…a small, evil group to which, unfortunately, no one we know belongs.

Voting is not a joke… it is a right and a privilege. So GO! Appreciate this gift of democracy.

(This blog is dedicated to my brother, Michael Sprinkle, for getting involved. Good Luck, Michael!)

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Overheard on... NPR

10/18/2012

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“Researchers are experimenting with feeding squirrels birth control.”

Sign me up! Due to the mild winter and a bumper crop of nuts the squirrel population is exploding. Researchers
could look no further than my backyard for evidence of this. I’ve got a family of squirrels that seems to be multiplying like crazy.

But what to do about them? I have joked with my husband that it could be good practice for my archery skills (though I don’t think I am quite good enough to hit one yet and I’m pretty sure animal control and PEETA from on
this). So birth control sounds like a more reasonable approach.

Still, as one person commented on the NPR transcript… since we can’t even figure out whether birth control is morally ok for humans, should we be giving it to squirrels? A new gallup pole has found, in fact, that social issues like birth control and abortion are top issues during this election for women in swing states. So birth control for rodents might be walking a fine line.

On the precedence side I’m pretty sure we do already spray fruit flies to keep them from propagating. Is it that big of a leap to go to squirrels? And then, if not…. There are quite a few countries I have heard of where wild cats and dogs are a huge nuisance. Take, for example, this article in the NY Times:

Ohhhh, and such a cute picture.
You wouldn’t want to stop this dog from having a little litter of puppies, would you?

Apparently India also has a problem with nuisance monkeys. And, you’ll see from this article they are taking procreation out of the monkey’s hands:Metro News:nuisance-monkeys-captured-and-neutered-in-india

So, where does this leave us with the squirrels? Perhaps if we gave them a choice they would appreciate the birth control option. After all, the mommy and daddy squirrel in my backyard can’t be too happy that there are now
three little extra squirrels competing for our BBQ scraps and my dog’s attention.

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Overheard on . . . Today's News

Overheard at . . . Starbucks

Overheard on... the news

Overheard on. . . NOW With Alex Wagner

Overheard at... the neighborhood BBQ

Overheard at... the primary school

Overheard on... NPR

Overheard in... the elementary school library

Overheard at... Starbucks

Overheard on... NPR

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Deanne Wilsted

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