Well, school is back in session and some kids are being taught, despite the teachers best intentions, that reading is painfully dull, boring, and uninteresting. They are learning that it is something that often must be done, like it or not, to get information to pass tests or perform tasks.
Yeah. Some books are like that. Text books in particular. But, honestly, there are a LOT of books out there that are WOW! Just that, folks, wow. They can blow you away. They can yank your self / home town centered brain right out of your skull, strap a faster than light unit on it, and set a course for. . . Well, for the grandest adventures you never thought of before!
Uh-huh. You got it. I am a reading fool. I started reading young and I still read. When folks ask me how many books I read in a year I get glassy eyed, then I have to ask, "Does that include the ones I’ve re-read?"
Honestly, I usually can’t tell how many books I’ve read because I lose track! Ask some other folks how many songs they’ve listened too! That’s me, only with reading. Books, magazine articles, even stuff I can find online!
My opinion of why kids get turned off reading, other than never seeing Mom or Dad read anything and there being nothing to actually read in the house, is that the stuff that educators tell them is good to read; well, it isn’t all that great. I shudder when I remember some of the stuff I had to read for my English classes in Jr. High and High School. I can summarize them all with one word. BOR-R-R-R-R-ING!
To that end I have compiled a list of five books for "juvenile" readers and another five for "older" readers. Some of these are series’ of books. At least one group you will find familiar.
JUVENILE BOOKS:
1) Any of the Asimov Juvenile books, particularly the Lucky Star series. Yes, a lot of the science in them is now outdated, but the books are still hard core SF.
2) Ditto for the Heinlein Juvenile books.
3) The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
4) Any book by Andre Norton
5) The Harry Potter books ( I said you’d recognize at least one!)
BOOKS FOR OLDER READERS:
Okay, there will be some repeats here. Some of the above books have stuff in them that younger readers just don’t see. I didn’t. The wow got bigger when I reread them as an "adult!"
1) The Hobbit AND The Lord of the Ring.
2) The Power of Myth by J. Campbell
3) A Brief History of Time by S. Hawking
4) Harry Potter, trust me. Older folks get even more out of it.
5) Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
Of course I also recommend just about anything you can find in the science fiction, fantasy, adventure and mystery section of the library or book store of your choice. These are the kind of books that can open up your mind and get you to thinking outside of the box you live in now. I decided to limit myself to just five each but I could go on and mention other authors like Anne McCaffery, Glenn Cook, . . .Oh, yeah, I said I’d limit myself to five.
Oh, science books are good to. Just scarier cause it’s well, real!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Alt. Op # 36. I Remember 9/11
We are coming up on a ten year anniversary. One I do not have an alternative opinion about. It hits way to close to home even though, technically, it never affected anyone I knew personally.
The week before I’d found out that I would indeed be getting that new job in Quality Control at a slight, ever so slight, increase in pay. I’d also learned that I’d have to go through some on the job training. I’d looked at my old clunker and decided I just could not take the chance that it would fail me as I was starting a new job. Besides my birthday would be that very Saturday! My best friend had already said she would be treating me to a movie so, just to feel special that Sept. eighth, I’d put on my nicest pair of shorts and a nicer than usual blouse. I even accessorized a little with a necklace and went to look at cars on the way back from picking which movie I wanted to see. I left the car lot, in debt but driving a truck that had not seen the light of day before 1995! I was feeling good.
Tuesday morning, September 11, I was still feeling good. The new job was ever so much more technical than just standing there shoving plastic pipe into a machine then pulling out the finished product. It at least engaged a larger portion of my brain. Besides I was driving a brand new (to me anyway) pick-um-up truck! The morning sky was a deep beautiful blue and it was not too cold or to hot. It was a perfect morning to be driving home from a third shift job that had just become a lot more interesting. The radio even worked in my new truck so I turned it to my favorite oldies station from Dallas.
They weren’t playing music at that point but I was used to that as the DJ’s during the morning rush hour were always joking and joshing about all kinds of things. This time they seemed kind of serious. I heard them discussing the breaking news about an airplane crashing into one of the World Trade Center buildings. They talked about how there were two extremely tall buildings very near the river. Some one suggested that maybe it was one of the tour planes that had somehow gone badly off course. As I turned off of highway fifty on to the north end of 513 at the Campbell exit it was solemnly announced that yet another airplane had crashed into the other building and that something had blown up in Washington, D. C.
They played music occasionally, mostly I suspected, so they could pay attention to a TV or other radio reports. I kept that radio on all the way home.
When I got there the first thing I did was turn on the TV. There the horror played out in full color. There were reruns of the planes crashing into the buildings, reports from D.C. showing, at first a column of black smoke in the distance, then from nearer to the Pentagon as time passed.
Meanwhile there were reports of people jumping from the heights of the World Trade Centers burning buildings. Long range camera’s showed the cluster of fire trucks around the base of the buildings, the ambulances, some with doors ajar waiting to whisk the injured away.
Then there was the news of that airplane crashing into some field because the passengers resisted the hijackers. Those passengers saved DC they said, as that is where that plain was apparently headed.
Unlike some, I had some idea, slight but there, of what was going on inside those two tall buildings. Inside people of all stripes who worked in those structures were trying to go down the stairs few of them ever saw.
As they sought to escape, men wearing heavy, oh, so heavy, bunker gear and carrying hoses, axes and other heavy instruments of fire fighting were going up as fast as they could. I know that to a man the fire fighters intent was to save as many lives as they could while putting out the fire before it could consume more property. After all. That is the job of any fire fighter. The EMT’s were there too, getting to the people who just couldn’t go any further and helping them. Doing what they do, everyday. Helping the ill, the injured.
Then one of the camera’s started focusing on one of the corners of one of the buildings. I felt a mild stirring of disgust. Was this fool looking for someone to film as they jumped, choosing death by falling, over burning or choking to death on acrid smoke? I looked closer at the image on the screen. No one would be jumping from that area, I realized. The fire burned there, licking through shattered windows. Then I noted how the edge, the corner of the building, seemed to be bowing outward. "Oh, that’s not good." I thought. Moments later it happened.
There on live television I watched as the first and then the second tower fell as if they were the object of a poorly planned and badly executed implosion. I found myself shivering, quivering as I sat there unable to move.
I heard a voice plaintively asking, "But what about the firefighters? What about the EMT’s?" I realized the voice was mine and that I had gone into a kind of dry eyed shock.
I managed to get up and go feed my animals. I managed to eat something myself. I even went to bed and slept. When I got up that evening I learned that all air craft were grounded and I had the odd experience of feeding my critters their evening meal with no contrails from passenger jets crossing the evening sky and glowing in the setting sun.
Of course I watched the news and saw the towers fall again and again. Learned that so many thousand civilians and hundreds of fire fighters and EMT’s had been lost. I saw the mangled remains of dust coated fire trucks. Those mangled trucks somehow brought it home harder.
When I left for work I sadly realized that I no longer had any joy in my new truck and that my fascinating new job had already become just that, a job.
And yes, the next time my pager went off, I like my fellow volunteers, jumped in our cars or trucks and headed to the fire house. What else could we do. Our Brothers in New York would have expected no less.
The week before I’d found out that I would indeed be getting that new job in Quality Control at a slight, ever so slight, increase in pay. I’d also learned that I’d have to go through some on the job training. I’d looked at my old clunker and decided I just could not take the chance that it would fail me as I was starting a new job. Besides my birthday would be that very Saturday! My best friend had already said she would be treating me to a movie so, just to feel special that Sept. eighth, I’d put on my nicest pair of shorts and a nicer than usual blouse. I even accessorized a little with a necklace and went to look at cars on the way back from picking which movie I wanted to see. I left the car lot, in debt but driving a truck that had not seen the light of day before 1995! I was feeling good.
Tuesday morning, September 11, I was still feeling good. The new job was ever so much more technical than just standing there shoving plastic pipe into a machine then pulling out the finished product. It at least engaged a larger portion of my brain. Besides I was driving a brand new (to me anyway) pick-um-up truck! The morning sky was a deep beautiful blue and it was not too cold or to hot. It was a perfect morning to be driving home from a third shift job that had just become a lot more interesting. The radio even worked in my new truck so I turned it to my favorite oldies station from Dallas.
They weren’t playing music at that point but I was used to that as the DJ’s during the morning rush hour were always joking and joshing about all kinds of things. This time they seemed kind of serious. I heard them discussing the breaking news about an airplane crashing into one of the World Trade Center buildings. They talked about how there were two extremely tall buildings very near the river. Some one suggested that maybe it was one of the tour planes that had somehow gone badly off course. As I turned off of highway fifty on to the north end of 513 at the Campbell exit it was solemnly announced that yet another airplane had crashed into the other building and that something had blown up in Washington, D. C.
They played music occasionally, mostly I suspected, so they could pay attention to a TV or other radio reports. I kept that radio on all the way home.
When I got there the first thing I did was turn on the TV. There the horror played out in full color. There were reruns of the planes crashing into the buildings, reports from D.C. showing, at first a column of black smoke in the distance, then from nearer to the Pentagon as time passed.
Meanwhile there were reports of people jumping from the heights of the World Trade Centers burning buildings. Long range camera’s showed the cluster of fire trucks around the base of the buildings, the ambulances, some with doors ajar waiting to whisk the injured away.
Then there was the news of that airplane crashing into some field because the passengers resisted the hijackers. Those passengers saved DC they said, as that is where that plain was apparently headed.
Unlike some, I had some idea, slight but there, of what was going on inside those two tall buildings. Inside people of all stripes who worked in those structures were trying to go down the stairs few of them ever saw.
As they sought to escape, men wearing heavy, oh, so heavy, bunker gear and carrying hoses, axes and other heavy instruments of fire fighting were going up as fast as they could. I know that to a man the fire fighters intent was to save as many lives as they could while putting out the fire before it could consume more property. After all. That is the job of any fire fighter. The EMT’s were there too, getting to the people who just couldn’t go any further and helping them. Doing what they do, everyday. Helping the ill, the injured.
Then one of the camera’s started focusing on one of the corners of one of the buildings. I felt a mild stirring of disgust. Was this fool looking for someone to film as they jumped, choosing death by falling, over burning or choking to death on acrid smoke? I looked closer at the image on the screen. No one would be jumping from that area, I realized. The fire burned there, licking through shattered windows. Then I noted how the edge, the corner of the building, seemed to be bowing outward. "Oh, that’s not good." I thought. Moments later it happened.
There on live television I watched as the first and then the second tower fell as if they were the object of a poorly planned and badly executed implosion. I found myself shivering, quivering as I sat there unable to move.
I heard a voice plaintively asking, "But what about the firefighters? What about the EMT’s?" I realized the voice was mine and that I had gone into a kind of dry eyed shock.
I managed to get up and go feed my animals. I managed to eat something myself. I even went to bed and slept. When I got up that evening I learned that all air craft were grounded and I had the odd experience of feeding my critters their evening meal with no contrails from passenger jets crossing the evening sky and glowing in the setting sun.
Of course I watched the news and saw the towers fall again and again. Learned that so many thousand civilians and hundreds of fire fighters and EMT’s had been lost. I saw the mangled remains of dust coated fire trucks. Those mangled trucks somehow brought it home harder.
When I left for work I sadly realized that I no longer had any joy in my new truck and that my fascinating new job had already become just that, a job.
And yes, the next time my pager went off, I like my fellow volunteers, jumped in our cars or trucks and headed to the fire house. What else could we do. Our Brothers in New York would have expected no less.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Alt Op #35, Water conservation?
You all may remember me complaining about bureaucracy last week or the week before. There’s an example of it right on our water bill. Lone Oak, as well as most other cities in this area have a contract with Cash water. It’s the same all over Texas, I hear. Different cities, different water companies, but still the same.
What chaps is that most of these companies right now are yelling for us to conserve water as we are in the midst of a drought. That in and of itself is not the bureaucratic problem that I see.
The problem is that these companies have a contract with the local cities that guarantee’s them a ‘stable income.’ I see no problem with that as I’m all for folks making a profit. I’d love to make one myself. The problem is that while we are in the midst of this drought these water companies are unwilling to back up their demand that we conserve water with any real reward for good behavior.
"Duh, isn’t the reward for good behavior NOT getting a fine?" you may be snorting in derision right now. Yeah, I can see that, but you may be missing one little bit of the puzzle.
These water companies guarantee their stable income by having the cities sign up for a specified amount of water per month to be sent to their cities. The cities in question must then pay for that amount of water whether they use it or not.
Generally this is not a problem as they pass this cost along to their citizens.
Those of us here in Lone Oak all are (or should be) aware that we have a two thousand gallon minimum on our water bill for water usage. In other words, if we use only that two thousand gallons of water or less every month, then we will pay only a minimum set amount every month (comes in handy when you are planning your personal budget). If, on the other hand, we use a varying amount of water every month, two thousand this month, two thousand fifty next, then fifteen hundred, then fill up our swimming pool and use five thousand, our bills will reflect it. That is also not a problem as far as I can see, unless like me, you habitually use less than that two thousand and are on a fixed income. But if you are on a fixed income the city you live in may give you a break on your water bill. (As Lone Oak does, thank goodness!)
The problem comes in when there is a drought. Then, as a whole, we good citizens get all bent out of shape when we are told not to water our yards or else, especially when we see no relief for our pocket books on the bill for using less water. Maybe the city goes ahead and lowers our rates, mostly it doesn’t. But the real kicker is that the water company does NOT lower the cities rates! They have a contract, after all.
So, let’s say the city does an excellent job of getting it’s citizens to lower water use, and bingo! everyone uses less than two thousand gallons. What happens then? Does the city only have to pay for the smaller amount of water used? HA! Guess again, my friend! No way that happens and if the city doesn’t pay up it, and it citizens, don’t get any more water. This leads to an obvious attitude of "So there’s a drought! I’m still going to use the amount of water I’ll have to pay for anyway" from not only the citizens but the city as well.
That’s no way to save water.
If the water companies really want us to save, to conserve water they need to wake up and side step their own bureaucracies. When a drought emergency is declared they need to inform the cities and the citizens that for the duration they will only be charged for the amount of water they use. Now THAT should save water!
If the water companies want to save even more water on a constant basis they could also encourage rain water harvesting for gardening and animal use, and the use of gray water for toilet flushing. That last would even help the cities with sewer costs maybe as the volume of effluent would be lessened.
Just a couple of idea's folks. Think about it. Then start nagging the water companies.
What chaps is that most of these companies right now are yelling for us to conserve water as we are in the midst of a drought. That in and of itself is not the bureaucratic problem that I see.
The problem is that these companies have a contract with the local cities that guarantee’s them a ‘stable income.’ I see no problem with that as I’m all for folks making a profit. I’d love to make one myself. The problem is that while we are in the midst of this drought these water companies are unwilling to back up their demand that we conserve water with any real reward for good behavior.
"Duh, isn’t the reward for good behavior NOT getting a fine?" you may be snorting in derision right now. Yeah, I can see that, but you may be missing one little bit of the puzzle.
These water companies guarantee their stable income by having the cities sign up for a specified amount of water per month to be sent to their cities. The cities in question must then pay for that amount of water whether they use it or not.
Generally this is not a problem as they pass this cost along to their citizens.
Those of us here in Lone Oak all are (or should be) aware that we have a two thousand gallon minimum on our water bill for water usage. In other words, if we use only that two thousand gallons of water or less every month, then we will pay only a minimum set amount every month (comes in handy when you are planning your personal budget). If, on the other hand, we use a varying amount of water every month, two thousand this month, two thousand fifty next, then fifteen hundred, then fill up our swimming pool and use five thousand, our bills will reflect it. That is also not a problem as far as I can see, unless like me, you habitually use less than that two thousand and are on a fixed income. But if you are on a fixed income the city you live in may give you a break on your water bill. (As Lone Oak does, thank goodness!)
The problem comes in when there is a drought. Then, as a whole, we good citizens get all bent out of shape when we are told not to water our yards or else, especially when we see no relief for our pocket books on the bill for using less water. Maybe the city goes ahead and lowers our rates, mostly it doesn’t. But the real kicker is that the water company does NOT lower the cities rates! They have a contract, after all.
So, let’s say the city does an excellent job of getting it’s citizens to lower water use, and bingo! everyone uses less than two thousand gallons. What happens then? Does the city only have to pay for the smaller amount of water used? HA! Guess again, my friend! No way that happens and if the city doesn’t pay up it, and it citizens, don’t get any more water. This leads to an obvious attitude of "So there’s a drought! I’m still going to use the amount of water I’ll have to pay for anyway" from not only the citizens but the city as well.
That’s no way to save water.
If the water companies really want us to save, to conserve water they need to wake up and side step their own bureaucracies. When a drought emergency is declared they need to inform the cities and the citizens that for the duration they will only be charged for the amount of water they use. Now THAT should save water!
If the water companies want to save even more water on a constant basis they could also encourage rain water harvesting for gardening and animal use, and the use of gray water for toilet flushing. That last would even help the cities with sewer costs maybe as the volume of effluent would be lessened.
Just a couple of idea's folks. Think about it. Then start nagging the water companies.
Alt Op #34 The dread "B" word
I have been informed that last weeks opinion was not alternative but widely shared.
Dang. I must be slipping.
Let’s try this then. We will start with the discussion of a word. One that I am sure we all detest especially when we have to deal with the entity(s) it represents.
That word is: bureaucracy. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2004 edition that word means: “ 1: a body of appointive government officials 2: government marked by specialization of functions under fixed rules and a hierarchy of authority; also: an unwieldy administrative system burdened with excessive complexity and lack of flexibility”
Sounds danged familiar all the way around doesn’t it. We are surrounded by these bureaucracies and none of them like to change the way they do things. After all if they changed somebody who is part of it just might have to go find another job somewhere. Somewhere else where they will have to, OMG! Think. Worse of all by far, if there is change the bureaucracy just might have to change the way they do things or even HORRORS!!! change their paperwork.
You have all probably also noted that a bureaucracy will often cast a blind eye to common sense and punish those who want to do good or who are doing good if they have not filled out the proper paperwork, in triplicate, and gotten it signed, and notarized by all the right officials in the precise order required. Mean while those folks who do nothing but push through paperwork and get it all properly signed and notarized in just the right order by exactly the right officials get what ever they want, whenever they want it and maybe they do good with it and maybe they just spend the money or use up the supplies for themselves. No one really checks. They’ve got the right paper work!
Such is the way of bureaucracy. Bureaucracies also loves centralization. It is so much easier for the bureaucrats to get together for lunch or golf that way. Besides, the more centralized a government gets the easier it is for bureaucracies to grow and envelope ever more of the government until it is strangled into complete submission to the overall bureaucracy.
With me so far. Bet you are agreeing right down the line. Maybe even saying: “Heck yeah! Down with these nasty bureaucracies and the centralization that goes with’em!” Well, I’m with you there.
But I do have a word of warning for you. Let me remind you that I am totally not in favor of all these nitpicking, bossy bureaucracies we have. I’m also dead against an over abundance of centralization.
I must point out, however, that if things aren’t centralized as they are now then “Big Brother” A. K. A. “Uncle Sam” will cease to be. “GOOD RIDDANCE!” you say, and I agree. You do know that there will be a price to pay for that don’t you?
You will no longer be able to say “Somebody should DO something about ____!” (fill in the blank) There won’t be a “somebody” there. YOU will have to do whatever it is that needs to be done about whatever you put in that blank. Worse, YOU will have to take the responsibility for the consequences of whatever action you take.
It’s called independence, by the way. Just thought you’d like to know. It’s something your supposed to get when you grow up and no longer depend on parents. Oh, yeah, it's also what fighting was about back in the War of INDEPENDENCE. Remember that from the history books?
Dang. I must be slipping.
Let’s try this then. We will start with the discussion of a word. One that I am sure we all detest especially when we have to deal with the entity(s) it represents.
That word is: bureaucracy. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2004 edition that word means: “ 1: a body of appointive government officials 2: government marked by specialization of functions under fixed rules and a hierarchy of authority; also: an unwieldy administrative system burdened with excessive complexity and lack of flexibility”
Sounds danged familiar all the way around doesn’t it. We are surrounded by these bureaucracies and none of them like to change the way they do things. After all if they changed somebody who is part of it just might have to go find another job somewhere. Somewhere else where they will have to, OMG! Think. Worse of all by far, if there is change the bureaucracy just might have to change the way they do things or even HORRORS!!! change their paperwork.
You have all probably also noted that a bureaucracy will often cast a blind eye to common sense and punish those who want to do good or who are doing good if they have not filled out the proper paperwork, in triplicate, and gotten it signed, and notarized by all the right officials in the precise order required. Mean while those folks who do nothing but push through paperwork and get it all properly signed and notarized in just the right order by exactly the right officials get what ever they want, whenever they want it and maybe they do good with it and maybe they just spend the money or use up the supplies for themselves. No one really checks. They’ve got the right paper work!
Such is the way of bureaucracy. Bureaucracies also loves centralization. It is so much easier for the bureaucrats to get together for lunch or golf that way. Besides, the more centralized a government gets the easier it is for bureaucracies to grow and envelope ever more of the government until it is strangled into complete submission to the overall bureaucracy.
With me so far. Bet you are agreeing right down the line. Maybe even saying: “Heck yeah! Down with these nasty bureaucracies and the centralization that goes with’em!” Well, I’m with you there.
But I do have a word of warning for you. Let me remind you that I am totally not in favor of all these nitpicking, bossy bureaucracies we have. I’m also dead against an over abundance of centralization.
I must point out, however, that if things aren’t centralized as they are now then “Big Brother” A. K. A. “Uncle Sam” will cease to be. “GOOD RIDDANCE!” you say, and I agree. You do know that there will be a price to pay for that don’t you?
You will no longer be able to say “Somebody should DO something about ____!” (fill in the blank) There won’t be a “somebody” there. YOU will have to do whatever it is that needs to be done about whatever you put in that blank. Worse, YOU will have to take the responsibility for the consequences of whatever action you take.
It’s called independence, by the way. Just thought you’d like to know. It’s something your supposed to get when you grow up and no longer depend on parents. Oh, yeah, it's also what fighting was about back in the War of INDEPENDENCE. Remember that from the history books?
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