A sad modern parable

I used to hate modern decor because [2008-06-17]
it was too cold and angular and plain, but now it looks much better and I like it. Is that what you're aksing?

A sad modern parable [2008-04-21]
If this werenmight be funny.... A sad modern parable A Japanese company ( Toyota) and an American company (General Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>The next year the Japanese won by two miles.Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed>India. Sadly, The End.Here FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>US , claiming they can FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>TOYOTA has spent the last thirty yearsbuilding more than a dozen plants inside the US.The last quarter FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>TOYOTAmakes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

It is a more modern way... [2008-03-11]
and many people prefer face-to-face, but Canon Law still mandates that confessionals be offered for those who wish anonymity. I'm no longer a practicing Catholic, but if I were, I'd be choosing the confessional.

Definitely modern, kitchen has dark blue [2007-06-03]
walls and cabinets, all built in white. Have dark brown slate on floor, so those are the colors and just drawing a blank about the counters.

Oh, do I remember! [2008-12-01]
It was a big deal around Christmas time. We'd take the bus or train to a store in another town because they had a Christmas display made up of moving figures as big as a 3-yo child. People would come from miles around to see it. We hadtwo 5dimes in our town right aside of each other. One was modern, bright lights and big display windows complete with a lunch counter and all open displays. The other was dark with all wood shelves and bins, so cramped only2 people could fit in the aisles if they turned sideways. This store also had the candy in glass cases that you paid for by the pound. We also had another old general store like the older 5 dime but he even sold shoes. He had a pair of red shoes with bow ties on them in the window one year. I wanted them so bad because they matched a skirt I had at the time, but they were $10. I only got an allowance of $.50 a week. I was afraid it would take me forever to save the money. Our school's magazine sale was going on at the time and I worked hard to sell as many as I could to win the $10 prize. I won and bought the shoes. It was one of the happiest days in my life.

Before you push the panic button sm [2008-11-14]
This is a recession, quite possibly the mother of all recessions. It may turn into a depression, but it will run a very distant second to the Great Depression, IF it does. Pre the GP (Great Depression) you several things going on that are NOT true today. We had come out of WWI not that long before. It had been a very bloody war, the first war with mechanized destruction. What the Doughboys witnessed was for them what we saw on 09/11...unimaginable death and destruction. It changed how they viewed America. When these boys came home from the war, they came back to the farm, by and large. We were an agrarian country and with the exception of east coast, there were hardly any factory jobs and most people worked the land. Plenty of places all over the country people worked on shares and they were not all in the deep south and they were not all black. There was not nearly the land/home ownership that there is today. Most of these dirt farmers lived in poverty and barely scraped by enough to eat twice a day. When the great Dust Bowl came through Oklahoma, it took the enormous clouds of dust eastward and dumped it into the Atlantic Ocean. This was a man-made disaster and the story of the Joads in the Grapes of Wrath centers on the Dust Bowl and the farming habits of families, like the Joads caused them problems. It was their fault that the top soil blew across FDR's desk in the Oval Office. There was no infrastructure to speak of, in those days. There were roadways, but not the spider web of paved roads there are today. Goods were carried on the rails, not over the roads. You didnin town and the Sears-Roebuck catalog. If you couldn't find it there or could not afford it you either cobbled something together or did without. You can look the Coal Miner's Daughter about being so low-down dirt poor it is unbelievable. That movie is quite cleaned up and Hollywood presentable. You could look at the sparse surroundings of the ranch house in Broke Back Mountain where Ennis goes after Jack dies, and while the time frame is more modern, the very plain, only the very basics of life appear in that ranch house. They are both a bit sanitized, but reasonably realistic. Today, Americans live extraordinarily different lives than we did 80 years ago. Most people have a vehicle. Most people have more than a dirt floor shack to live in. We, have thanks to the Great Depression and FDR's recovery plan, electricity, roads, water, sewage and other sanitation. We take these things for granted, but we should not. The GP did bring some food shortages, not because of the depression, but because of the lack of infrastructure combined with people on the move to find work to subsist. The food shortages you are thinking of came with WWII and rationing...another problem secondary to lack of infrastructure and subsistence farming where there was not enough food produced to meet the need. If you are going to stock up on food, let be for more common sense reasons. If you put your money in the bank, you will make 2% or 3% return on $500. If you put that same amount into nonperishable food (think canned goods), you make a better return on an investment. You don't earn 2% or 3%, but you can end up leveraging against future price increases that will meet and exceed what interest you make from a bank, which is nothing right now. You will need food whether you buy it now or buy it later. Squirreling away extra under the bed or whatever place you can find room, is a wise investment...financially and in peace of mind.

A sad modern parable [2008-04-21]
If this werenmight be funny.... A sad modern parable A Japanese company ( Toyota) and an American company (General Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>The next year the Japanese won by two miles.Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed>India. Sadly, The End.Here FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>US , claiming they can FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>TOYOTA has spent the last thirty yearsbuilding more than a dozen plants inside the US.The last quarter FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma>TOYOTAmakes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

Sad but true! [2008-04-21]
I had to laugh out loud at your parable, otherwise I would be crying out loud. By the way, I still have the pen they gave me!

Me too. I am best at 125. Fit into a 5 jeans [2008-04-16]
But with the winter and stress, I am in a size 8 and had to put my jeans away. I am losing weight by increasing my metabolism and trying to walk every day, and should do sit ups. Also eating way less since spring hit. Those pounds creep up and stay though now that I am over 40. Man what a difference a few years make. Embarrassingly, though I wanted to cinch my waist because I am sick and tired of my dresses barely buttoning so I got one of those firm cinchers and tummy tuck (i.e. modern day girdle). I sore I'd never do it, but it is taking too long to get the weight off. I figure, maybe if I find a really tight one I can get into those jeans again. Ahh, midlife crisis... it is nothing but grrrrrrrr. LOL.

Very interesting [2008-04-07]
What a great way to think about our history. I wish I had your teachers. Mine made it so uninteresting. I struggled through both grammar and high school and barely passed. However my older sister had the same teachers I did and she excelled at it, so I have to admit that it probably wasn't the teachers but me. Just watching the series really makes you thankful for all our founding fathers did and all they risked. Your so lucky to live in Philadelphia. I would love to live back in that area. I grew up in Connecticut so we learned a lot about colonial days and what it was like. Plus my mom taught us all the skills they used to do (quilting, candle making, canning, etc) in colonial days. She told us if we ever get to a point where we don't have the modern conveniences of electricity or heat or cooking on an electric stove we're going to have to know how to survive. I now live in Oregon and I sure do miss the east coast. I think as I'm reading about history now I will think about your comments about putting things in perspective. My DH says that too. I am definitely getting David McCullough's book now and looking forward to the read.

Not just Catholic, protestants have confession [2008-03-11]
When Luther broke away from the Catholic church in the Reformation (the beginning of now-known protestant or noncatholic denominations), he did not do away at all with the confessional. Churches, even other than Catholic, and especially Lutheran still have the confessional. Most modern-day Lutheran churches, however have counseling with the Pastor. Same thing as confessional. Counseling or confession are both private and under the same guidelines as confidentiality except where crimes are admitted. The modern day confessional for nonreligious people would be the therapist's office.

From a practicine and devout Catholic... [2008-03-11]
The sacrament of confession may take place either face-to-face with a priest confessor or through the more traditional screen in a confessional. The face-to-face method is considered more modern, but in ancient times this was the practice. In fact, public confessions in front of the entire church community were done. Today, both are acceptable ways. Some people prefer to sit and talk to their confessors, others like the anonymity of the screen. It's a preference. Catholic churches built more recently, say from the late 1970s on sometimes do not have confessionals. That was part of the post-Vatican II construction, and a lot of the traditional architectural structures were abandoned. Within the past 10, maybe even 5 years, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has spoken on this topic, and is encouraging newly constructed Catholic churches to include some of the more traditional architectural features to be included, such as kneeling rails before the altar, side altars, confessionals, etc. So the answer to your question is that confession can be done either face-to-face or behind a screen. It's a matter of personal preference, and is sometimes influenced by the availability of confessionals in recently constructed churches. In any case, Catholics are not required to go to confession in their home parishes. They may take part in the sacrament of reconciliation with any Catholic priest and at other Catholic churches. Your friend is doing nothing wrong, and no matter where she goes to confession she is receiving God's grace and spiritual direction. I know this topic comes up from time to time, and debate about whether or not confession to a man is necessary for salvation. I will not join in that debate. Arguments about the Catholic Church arise because of a lack of understanding about what the Church actually believes. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, Few hate the Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think is the Catholic Church. There is a wonderful website which includes a podcast network of great programming on what the Catholic Church believes. One in particular, The Daily Breakfast, usually includes a segment called The Peculiar Bunch, which answers all sorts of questions that non-Catholics have about the things that Catholics do. If anyone is interested, they can visit SQPN.com It's true, a lot of what we Catholics do seems very peculiar! I admit it! But there are reasons why we do these things. Whether or not other people agree with those reasons is another matter altogether. We are all brothers and sisters created by God. Our human dignity is paramount, and stems from being God's very own creations. Therefore, even through disagreements, we should be respectful. I personally think that learning about why different faiths believe what they do is one way that we can show respect for each other and for the human dignity imbued in us by God.

Maintaining a healthy hard drive (sm) [2008-02-24]
Maximizing the life of your hard drive The following is a list of important maintenance and monitoring techniques you can use to maximize the life of your hard drive and prevent data loss. Hard drives are physically fragile � handle with careStatistics show that 25% of lost data is due to a failure of a portable drive. (Source: 2001 Cost of Downtime Survey Results)Contrary to its seemingly rugged appearance, your hard disk is a very delicate device that writes and reads data using microscopic magnetic particles. Any vibration, shock, and other careless operation may damage your drive and cause or contribute to the possibility of a failure. This is especially relevant for notebook users, as they are most at risk of drive failure due to physical damage, theft, and other causes beyond their control. That�s why we recommend regular backup of notebook hard drives, as often as possible. Possible solutions include external USB or Firewire drives (although these are prone to the same risks), desktop synchronization, or backup at a data center through the web. Hard drives write data in a non-linear way forcing it to become fragmented. When files accumulate on your hard drive, they do not just get written in a linear fashion. A hard drive writes files in small pieces and scatters them over the surface. The fuller your hard drive becomes and the more files you save and delete the worse file fragmentation can be. Hard drive access times increase with fragmentation since your drive must work harder to find all the pieces of the files. The more fragmented your data is, the harder the actuator arm has to work to find each piece of a file. A case in point: Disk fragmentation is a common problem for users of Outlook Express and database software. Each time outlook saves new mail, it does so in a different physical location from the previous time. This results in extreme fragmentation, causing longer access times and forcing more strain on the actuator arm. Finally, in the event of a total crash, a fragmented drive is much more difficult to recover then a healthy defragged drive. Luckily, Windows makes it remarkably easy to defrag your hard drive, simply launch the Disk Defragmenter utility (Start Programs Accessories System Tools), choose which disk or partition you�d like to defragment and set it to work overnight or while you are not actively using your computer. Defragmentation will speed up your computer and ensure a longer life for your hard drive. A very small power surge can fry a hard drive � use a UPS and turn off your computer Another little-known fact about the fragility of your hard drive is its susceptibility to electrical failure. An electrical failure can be caused by a power surge, lightening strikes, power brown-outs, incorrect wiring, a faulty or old power supply, and many other factors. If a power surge enters your computer, it may do an unpredictable amount of damage, including destroying your hard drive�s electronics or crashing the heads and possibly resulting in total data loss. The best way to protect your computer from such dangers is to use a highly rated protected power bar or an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Although these devices won�t eliminate the chances of a crash, they will serve as effective protection in most cases. Also, you can minimize the danger of an electrical problem and reduce wear of your hard drive by turning off your computer or using power-save modes whenever possible. It�s a known fact that 100% of drives fail, the question is when will it happen and will you be prepared? *Be SMART, monitor the health of your drive to prevent unexpected crashesAll modern hard drives have a self-monitoring technology called SMART (Self Monitoring Analysis Reporting Technology). What most people don�t realize is that the majority of hard drive failures do not have to be unexpected. Most failures occur as a result of long-term problems which can be predicted. By regularly monitoring disk health and performance, you can know about potential hard drive problems before you lose any of your data. Several excellent utilities are available, including DiskView and Stellar SMART for standard IDE and SATA desktop drives. Also available are tools that monitor the health of SCSI drives and full RAID Array systems. Ariolic Software offers a great utility called ActiveSMART. *The only fool-proof way to prevent data loss is... Backup!If you only take one of the suggestions here to heart, let it be this one: always back up your important data. After all the monitoring and all the prevention measures are in place, one fact still remains: all hard drives fail. Backing up regularly will ensure that you�re never caught without your critical data. For individuals, the simplest solutions include external portable hard drives, dvd�s, and online storage.

Way with Words [2008-02-07]
I snuck into the Bathroom last night, put a color on my hair, the works, did a facial, shaving, showering, etc., blow dry and style, put on a new modern blouse and leggings, Came out and guess what Slim (DH) Oh bout time you stopped wearing that sock cap, your hair looks da* good. Bout time you got out of them sweats... I was getting ready to go to my grandson's music recital at grade school! I thought that was mighty funny!

Since you're selling the house, I would not go with claw foot [2007-11-30]
I think the claw foot style appeals only to a certain market, and you want to appeal to as wide a group of potential house buyers as possible. If the claw foot tub is really what you want to live with, then save that style for the house you build for yourselves. I grew up in an old home with two claw foot tubs. They were huge and comfy, but you have to clean behind them, under then and all around them. Since I was the youngest and smallest, that was my assigned job. Ugh. We've lived in our current home for 23 years and expect to live here until we die. The house was built in 1915, and we have an enormous tub that was installed in 1922. I love it because it's sleek and built into an alcove. At one point my husband was really bent on ripping it out and putting a claw foot tub in there, saying it would look more authentic. Well, this baby IS authentic. It reminds me of a moving train. It's porcelain over cast iron, and it's not going anywhere. We've had it refinished, and it's beautiful and so lovely to soak in. My point is, you can look for something along the lines of art deco/noveau which has the classic, stylized, and even sort of old-fashioned look, but still appeals to modern taste as well. (And no cleaning underneath!)

There are 2 body styles. The 4-door (sm) [2007-11-17]
style like mine is easier to find, but my sister got the 3-door one, which looks even more modern and flashy and tiny. Super cute. It rates extremely well by Consumer Reports - top in its category for reliability. This car has been around a while in Europe, but only arrived here about 1 year ago. On the down side, my very tall hubby does bump his head sometimes when trying to get in, but he sits unusually tall for somebody 6 foot 3 inches. I wouldn't say it has as much leg room as he'd prefer, but it is very drivable even for him.

I have to hand it to Lee C. Bollinger, [2007-09-26]
President of Columbia University. I listened to his speech andparticularly liked: �Let's, then, be clear at the beginning, Mr. President you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator.� And his ending: I am only a professor, who is also a university president, and today I feel all the weight of the modern civilized world yearning to express the revulsion at what you stand for. I only wish I could do better. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Bollinger (Well, duh!) What, did he expect....to be handed flowers and a key to NYC?

Oh, please! End times! People have been saying that since the beginning times! [2007-09-19]
It's just sensationalism. It seems that journalism has gone to a warm place in a handbasket. I briefly majored in journalism back in 1980, and what passes for journalism now would have flunked any of us right our of an entry-level course! It's all sensational reporting, because networks think that brings in the viewers, and thus drives up the advertising price that they can charge during broadcasts. Another of my pet peeves in journalism is the phrase Unconfirmed sources say . . . Yeah. Right. Unconfirmed sources is just another way of saying, Rumor has it . . . Next time there is breaking news, listen for it. It's said over and over again, because the networks and stations want to get the news out first. I don't know what happened to fact-checking and pursuit of the truth in journalism, but it's all about getting info out fast, and keeping the public tuned in with the most sensational reports that they can put out there. Back in the days of the Roman Empire, people were treating each other pretty badly and in unbelievable ways, too. Crucifixion comes to mind. So, I don't really think modern news reports are pointing to end times any more than at any other time in recorded history.

velveteen rabbit [2007-09-17]
THEVelveteen Rabbit ORHOW TOYS BECOME REAL by Margery WilliamsIllustrations by William Nicholson DOUBLEDAY COMPANY, INC.Garden City New York To Francesco BiancofromThe Velveteen Rabbit List of Illustrations Christmas Morning The Skin Horse Tells His Story Spring Time Summer Days Anxious Times The Fairy Flower At Last! At Last! HERE was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy's stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming. There were other things in the stocking, nuts and oranges and a toy engine, and chocolate almonds and a clockwork mouse, but the Rabbit was quite the best of all. For at least two hours the Boy loved him, and then Aunts and Uncles came to dinner, and there was a great rustling of tissue paper and unwrapping of parcels, and in the excitement of looking at all the new presents the Velveteen Rabbit was forgotten. Christmas Morning For a long time he lived in the toy cupboard or on the nursery floor, and no one thought very much about him. He was naturally shy, and being only made of velveteen, some of the more expensive toys quite snubbed him. The mechanical toys were very superior, and looked down upon every one else; they were full of modern ideas, and pretended they were real. The model boat, who had lived through two seasons and lost most of his paint, caught the tone from them and never missed an opportunity of referring to his rigging in technical terms. The Rabbit could not claim to be a model of anything, for he didn he thought they were all stuffed with sawdust like himself, and he understood that sawdust was quite out-of-date and should never be mentioned in modern circles. Even Timothy, the jointed wooden lion, who was made by the disabled soldiers, and should have had broader views, put on airs and pretended he was connected with Government. Between them all the poor little Rabbit was made to feel himself very insignificant and commonplace, and the only person who was kind to him at all was the Skin Horse. The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it. What is REAL? asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle? Real isn said the Skin Horse. It Does it hurt? asked the Rabbit. Sometimes, said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. When you are Real you don Does it happen all at once, like being wound up, he asked, or bit by bit? It doesn said the Skin Horse. You become. It takes a long time. That I suppose you are real? said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled. The Skin Horse Tells His Story The Boy he said. That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to him. There was a person called Nana who ruled the nursery. Sometimes she took no notice of the playthings lying about, and sometimes, for no reason whatever, she went swooping about like a great wind and hustled them away in cupboards. She called this tidying up, and the playthings all hated it, especially the tin ones. The Rabbit didn't mind it so much, for wherever he was thrown he came down soft. One evening, when the Boy was going to bed, he couldn't find the china dog that always slept with him. Nana was in a hurry, and it was too much trouble to hunt for china dogs at bedtime, so she simply looked about her, and seeing that the toy cupboard door stood open, she made a swoop. Here, she said, take your old Bunny! He And she dragged the Rabbit out by one ear, and put him into the Boy's arms. That night, and for many nights after, the Velveteen Rabbit slept in the Boy's bed. At first he found it rather uncomfortable, for the Boy hugged him very tight, and sometimes he rolled over on him, and sometimes he pushed him so far under the pillow that the Rabbit could scarcely breathe. And he missed, too, those long moonlight hours in the nursery, when all the house was silent, and his talks with the Skin Horse. But very soon he grew to like it, for the Boy used to talk to him, and made nice tunnels for him under the bedclothes that he said were like the burrows the real rabbits lived in. And they had splendid games together, in whispers, when Nana had gone away to her supper and left the night-light burning on the mantelpiece. And when the Boy dropped off to sleep, the Rabbit would snuggle down close under his little warm chin and dream, with the Boy's hands clasped close round him all night long. And so time went on, and the little Rabbit was very happy�so happy that he never noticed how his beautiful velveteen fur was getting shabbier and shabbier, and his tail becoming unsewn, and all the pink rubbed off his nose where the Boy had kissed him. Spring came, and they had long days in the garden, for wherever the Boy went the Rabbit went too. He had rides in the wheelbarrow, and picnics on the grass, and lovely fairy huts built for him under the raspberry canes behind the flower border. And once, when the Boy was called away suddenly to go out to tea, the Rabbit was left out on the lawn until long after dusk, and Nana had to come and look for him with the candle because the Boy couldn't go to sleep unless he was there. He was wet through with the dew and quite earthy from diving into the burrows the Boy had made for him in the flower bed, and Nana grumbled as she rubbed him off with a corner of her apron. Spring Time You must have your old Bunny! she said. Fancy all that fuss for a toy! The Boy sat up in bed and stretched out his hands. Give me my Bunny! he said. You mustn When the little Rabbit heard that he was happy, for he knew that what the Skin Horse had said was true at last. The nursery magic had happened to him, and he was a toy no longer. He was Real. The Boy himself had said it. That night he was almost too happy to sleep, and so much love stirred in his little sawdust heart that it almost burst. And into his boot-button eyes, that had long ago lost their polish, there came a look of wisdom and beauty, so that even Nana noticed it next morning when she picked him up, and said, I declare if that old Bunny hasn That was a wonderful Summer! Near the house where they lived there was a wood, and in the long June evenings the Boy liked to go there after tea to play. He took the Velveteen Rabbit with him, and before he wandered off to pick flowers, or play at brigands among the trees, he always made the Rabbit a little nest somewhere among the bracken, where he would be quite cosy, for he was a kind-hearted little boy and he liked Bunny to be comfortable. One evening, while the Rabbit was lying there alone, watching the ants that ran to and fro between his velvet paws in the grass, he saw two strange beings creep out of the tall bracken near him. They were rabbits like himself, but quite furry and brand-new. They must have been very well made, for their seams didn one minute they were long and thin and the next minute fat and bunchy, instead of always staying the same like he did. Their feet padded softly on the ground, and they crept quite close to him, twitching their noses, while the Rabbit stared hard to see which side the clockwork stuck out, for he knew that people who jump generally have something to wind them up. But he couldn't see it. They were evidently a new kind of rabbit altogether. Summer Days They stared at him, and the little Rabbit stared back. And all the time their noses twitched. Why don one of them asked. I don said the Rabbit, for he didn't want to explain that he had no clockwork. Ho! said the furry rabbit. It And he gave a big hop sideways and stood on his hind legs. I don he said. I can! said the little Rabbit. I can jump higher than anything! He meant when the Boy threw him, but of course he didn't want to say so. Can you hop on your hind legs? asked the furry rabbit. That was a dreadful question, for the Velveteen Rabbit had no hind legs at all! The back of him was made all in one piece, like a pincushion. He sat still in the bracken, and hoped that the other rabbits wouldn't notice. I don he said again. But the wild rabbits have very sharp eyes. And this one stretched out his neck and looked. He hasn he called out. Fancy a rabbit without any hind legs! And he began to laugh. I have! cried the little Rabbit. I have got hind legs! I am sitting on them! Then stretch them out and show me, like this! said the wild rabbit. And he began to whirl round and dance, till the little Rabbit got quite dizzy. I don he said. I But all the while he was longing to dance, for a funny new tickly feeling ran through him, and he felt he would give anything in the world to be able to jump about like these rabbits did. The strange rabbit stopped dancing, and came quite close. He came so close this time that his long whiskers brushed the Velveteen Rabbit's ear, and then he wrinkled his nose suddenly and flattened his ears and jumped backwards. He doesn he exclaimed. He isn I am Real! said the little Rabbit. I am Real! The Boy said so! And he nearly began to cry. Just then there was a sound of footsteps, and the Boy ran past near them, and with a stamp of feet and a flash of white tails the two strange rabbits disappeared. Come back and play with me! called the little Rabbit. Oh, do come back! I know I am Real! But there was no answer, only the little ants ran to and fro, and the bracken swayed gently where the two strangers had passed. The Velveteen Rabbit was all alone. Oh, dear! he thought. Why did they run away like that? Why couldn For a long time he lay very still, watching the bracken, and hoping that they would come back. But they never returned, and presently the sun sank lower and the little white moths fluttered out, and the Boy came and carried him home. Weeks passed, and the little Rabbit grew very old and shabby, but the Boy loved him just as much. He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off, and the pink lining to his ears turned grey, and his brown spots faded. He even began to lose his shape, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more, except to the Boy. To him he was always beautiful, and that was all that the little Rabbit cared about. He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter. And then, one day, the Boy was ill. His face grew very flushed, and he talked in his sleep, and his little body was so hot that it burned the Rabbit when he held him close. Strange people came and went in the nursery, and a light burned all night and through it all the little Velveteen Rabbit lay there, hidden from sight under the bedclothes, and he never stirred, for he was afraid that if they found him some one might take him away, and he knew that the Boy needed him. It was a long weary time, for the Boy was too ill to play, and the little Rabbit found it rather dull with nothing to do all day long. But he snuggled down patiently, and looked forward to the time when the Boy should be well again, and they would go out in the garden amongst the flowers and the butterflies and play splendid games in the raspberry thicket like they used to. All sorts of delightful things he planned, and while the Boy lay half asleep he crept up close to the pillow and whispered them in his ear. And presently the fever turned, and the Boy got better. He was able to sit up in bed and look at picture-books, while the little Rabbit cuddled close at his side. And one day, they let him get up and dress. It was a bright, sunny morning, and the windows stood wide open. They had carried the Boy out on to the balcony, wrapped in a shawl, and the little Rabbit lay tangled up among the bedclothes, thinking. The Boy was going to the seaside to-morrow. Everything was arranged, and now it only remained to carry out the doctor's orders. They talked about it all, while the little Rabbit lay under the bedclothes, with just his head peeping out, and listened. The room was to be disinfected, and all the books and toys that the Boy had played with in bed must be burnt. Hurrah! thought the little Rabbit. To-morrow we shall go to the seaside! For the boy had often talked of the seaside, and he wanted very much to see the big waves coming in, and the tiny crabs, and the sand castles. Just then Nana caught sight of him. How about his old Bunny? she asked. That? said the doctor. Why, it Anxious Times And so the little Rabbit was put into a sack with the old picture-books and a lot of rubbish, and carried out to the end of the garden behind the fowl-house. That was a fine place to make a bonfire, only the gardener was too busy just then to attend to it. He had the potatoes to dig and the green peas to gather, but next morning he promised to come quite early and burn the whole lot. That night the Boy slept in a different bedroom, and he had a new bunny to sleep with him. It was a splendid bunny, all white plush with real glass eyes, but the Boy was too excited to care very much about it. For to-morrow he was going to the seaside, and that in itself was such a wonderful thing that he could think of nothing else. And while the Boy was asleep, dreaming of the seaside, the little Rabbit lay among the old picture-books in the corner behind the fowl-house, and he felt very lonely. The sack had been left untied, and so by wriggling a bit he was able to get his head through the opening and look out. He was shivering a little, for he had always been used to sleeping in a proper bed, and by this time his coat had worn so thin and threadbare from hugging that it was no longer any protection to him. Near by he could see the thicket of raspberry canes, growing tall and close like a tropical jungle, in whose shadow he had played with the Boy on bygone mornings. He thought of those long sunlit hours in the garden�how happy they were�and a great sadness came over him. He seemed to see them all pass before him, each more beautiful than the other, the fairy huts in the flower-bed, the quiet evenings in the wood when he lay in the bracken and the little ants ran over his paws; the wonderful day when he first knew that he was Real. He thought of the Skin Horse, so wise and gentle, and all that he had told him. Of what use was it to be loved and lose one's beauty and become Real if it all ended like this? And a tear, a real tear, trickled down his little shabby velvet nose and fell to the ground. And then a strange thing happened. For where the tear had fallen a flower grew out of the ground, a mysterious flower, not at all like any that grew in the garden. It had slender green leaves the colour of emeralds, and in the centre of the leaves a blossom like a golden cup. It was so beautiful that the little Rabbit forgot to cry, and just lay there watching it. And presently the blossom opened, and out of it there stepped a fairy. She was quite the loveliest fairy in the whole world. Her dress was of pearl and dew-drops, and there were flowers round her neck and in her hair, and her face was like the most perfect flower of all. And she came close to the little Rabbit and gathered him up in her arms and kissed him on his velveteen nose that was all damp from crying. Little Rabbit, she said, don The Rabbit looked up at her, and it seemed to him that he had seen her face before, but he couldn't think where. I am the nursery magic Fairy, she said. I take care of all the playthings that the children have loved. When they are old and worn out and the children don Wasn asked the little Rabbit. You were Real to the Boy, the Fairy said, because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one. The Fairy Flower And she held the little Rabbit close in her arms and flew with him into the wood. It was light now, for the moon had risen. All the forest was beautiful, and the fronds of the bracken shone like frosted silver. In the open glade between the tree-trunks the wild rabbits danced with their shadows on the velvet grass, but when they saw the Fairy they all stopped dancing and stood round in a ring to stare at her. I the Fairy said. You must be very kind to him and teach him all he needs to know in Rabbit-land, for he is going to live with you for ever and ever! And she kissed the little Rabbit again and put him down on the grass. Run and play, little Rabbit! she said. But the little Rabbit sat quite still for a moment and never moved. For when he saw all the wild rabbits dancing around him he suddenly remembered about his hind legs, and he didn't want them to see that he was made all in one piece. He did not know that when the Fairy kissed him that last time she had changed him altogether. And he might have sat there a long time, too shy to move, if just then something hadn't tickled his nose, and before he thought what he was doing he lifted his hind toe to scratch it. And he found that he actually had hind legs! Instead of dingy velveteen he had brown fur, soft and shiny, his ears twitched by themselves, and his whiskers were so long that they brushed the grass. He gave one leap and the joy of using those hind legs was so great that he went springing about the turf on them, jumping sideways and whirling round as the others did, and he grew so excited that when at last he did stop to look for the Fairy she had gone. He was a Real Rabbit at last, at home with the other rabbits. At Last! At Last! Autumn passed and Winter, and in the Spring, when the days grew warm and sunny, the Boy went out to play in the wood behind the house. And while he was playing, two rabbits crept out from the bracken and peeped at him. One of them was brown all over, but the other had strange markings under his fur, as though long ago he had been spotted, and the spots still showed through. And about his little soft nose and his round black eyes there was something familiar, so that the Boy thought to himself: Why, he looks just like my old Bunny that was lost when I had scarlet fever! But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, come back to look at the child who had first helped him to be Real. This book has been put on-line as part of the BUILD-A-BOOK Initiative at the Celebration of Women Writers. Initial text entry and proof-reading of this book were the work of John Mark Ockerbloom and Mary Mark Ockerbloom. Illustrations may vary somewhat in size, color, and placement from the original.

I took it for about 15 years. [2007-08-31]
It is an inexpensive older medication. You could take it earlier in the evening, definitely. I never had much trouble sleeping at night while taking it, but it certainly contribute to daytime drowsiness. When you say low dose, do you mean 10-20 mg? If he has you on 50 mg or more, it's definitely going to kick your butt, though 100 mg is not unusual when it's being used for depression. For pain, 10 or 20 might be enough. But when I got off it, the weight I gained while taking it started coming off quite nicely. It is also constipating. I'm now on Cymbalta. It is a much more modern medication that is not sedating and is excellent for pain control. Naturally it's much more expensive though. But for me there is a little constipation. That was the one good thing about being off all meds, but I couldn't get by, unfortunately.

I'm on Prempro. [2007-07-09]
No flashes, no moodiness, no dry skin. I feel great living through modern medicine. All those menopause signs went away with Prempro. I've been on it 3 years.

Oh you think that's bad? How about this? [2007-06-07]
Dressed like a total poshtitute in what appears to be a botched tuxedo/racing ensemble, Victoria Beckham somehow took home the Woman of the Year crown at the Glamour Magazine awards last night. Say whaaaat?! Though Mrs. Beckham was touted by the maga role model and indicative of the modern woman, Beckham's only recent accomplishments appear to be constantly looking hungry and pissed-off, and shtupping one of the sexiest men in the world. Role model indeed ... for automatons and streetwalkers! Other glamorous women honored at the event included Sienna Miller -- who said she had too much wine to make a speech -- and the musical group Girls Aloud (think Pussycat Dolls with British accents). What, Jordan wasn't available? The ceremony was somewhat redeemed by also giving awards to Angelina Jolie (yes, Posh beat Angie for the highest honors), Beyonc� and Helen Mirren -- though none of them showed up to receive the, er, honor.

What kind of look are you going for? [2007-06-03]
Classic? Country? Rustic? Modern? Butcher-block (or lookalike) would work for country or rustic. Stainless steel would work for modern. Tile or slate could work for most styles, depending on the design. I have a Corian-type solid surface countertop which I like. It does scratch fairly easily, but the scratches are easily buffed out with polish unless they are really deep.

Thanks everyone - sm [2007-05-31]
I did go look last night at some apparent repos at an open house I happened to catch an ad for. I loved the set up and space and modern stuff, but I did find all the plastic to be disconcerting, I have to say -- Plastic plumbing and plastic hardware on the cabinets. I also thought those particular repos needed too much cosmetic work, but I'm going to continue to look around when I have time. But I did like the area. And when I said in my other post that I was in a bad area, I don't mean just some noisy kids, I'm talking about the Crips a few blocks down the street, gunfire on a regular basis, drive-by shooting, etc., and I am afraid if I wait too long, I won't be able to sell out at all. I'm just looking for mortgage-free living in something that is low-maintenance, modern, in a safe, decent neighborhood that's not an apt. or a condo. If I have to pay a lot rent, so be it. I'm already paying property taxes and not getting much in return while they continue to jack up the valuations. I'm having a real estate agent over today to see what my options are. Thanks for everyone's input!

Anyone move from a single family home to mobile home? sm [2007-05-29]
I own and live in a house in a midwest city in a bad neighborhood (wasn I spent the day waiting for the plumber to come and jackhammer the foundation (slab house, no basement) to find a leaky pipe that is flooding my DDLast week, it was the electrician with quotes for costly repairs. In the meantime, I Has anyone done this before? Is a mobile home in a decent park less of a hassle than a regular house? I I Some of the pictures I Any advice and comments appreciated. Thanks!

According to Wikipedia, double-wides just [2007-05-29]
depreciate more slowly than single-wides: Others have strongly limited or forbidden all single-wide models, which tend to depreciate in value more rapidly than modern double-wide models. And modern double-wides depreciate less quickly than older double-wides: Newer manufactured homes, particularly double-wides, tend to be built to much higher standards than their predecessors and meet the building codes applicable to most areas. This has led to a reduction in the rate of value depreciation of most used units. Unfortunately that's still losing money instead of making it.

Hope you don't have OnStar [2007-05-12]
Or a cell phone registered in your name. Or one of those flash credit cards with a computer chip. Welcome to the modern world.

OK, first lose the WalMart shoes. Kids are brutal. sm [2007-04-20]
Being completely honest, you definitely need to not buy the shoes at Walmart. Kids are very, very cruel about that. You can sometimes get away with a couple pairs of pants from walmart, like the carpenter-type pants, etc., and maybe a T-shirt or 2. My son is only 10, but he's already really picky about what he will or won't wear. Try shopping at JCPenney, BonTon, the Gap, Kohls, Macy's. Their clothes can be a bit pricey sometimes but just watch for sales now and start slowly collecting stuff. They have awesome sales, especially president's day, Memorial day weekend, thanksgiving (black friday), and awesome labor day sales which are usually just in time for back to school. As far as the haircut, I would take him to a salon and let them offer some suggestions on what is popular and what would work good for your son Good luck! Hope it all goes well!

great post but Koreans have lived in/around USA [2007-04-18]
And he did attend Korean schools in his most formative years, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. I know plenty of Korean people for decades in this country (good people)....they were some of the first Asians in the modern era to come here, no? A very sad situation for all involved..........but speaks tomes once again at what is happening in the USA with guns. I still don *very_curious_indeed*