It's a Culture at War with Itself Thing

Dear America,

old t-shirt proverb says: 

 BE CAREFUL 

WHEN YOU BLINDLY

FOLLOW THE MASSES

SOMETIMES THE M IS SILENT

and we're back to... wrong is wrong, even when it would seem everybody is doing it...

as another one falls to sexual misconduct allegation(s), America is a walking, talking, gawking, mocking -- socking of the solar plexus' times 300  million souls --  social experiment gone totally awry, wrong,  all wrong, gone terribly terribly wrong,  just to put it mildly. 

Just breathe, G...

Just breathe.

This morning, as I opened one of my favorite little red books, A Guide for the Advanced Soul by Susan Hayward, a page quoting J.Allen Boone reads --  "We are members of a vast cosmic orchestra. in which each living instrument is essential to the complementary and harmonious playing of the whole." 

Naturally, having this magnificent metaphysical observation come in the wake of the breaking news on Matt Lauer, my first inclination was to barf.  (And my sincere apologies for being so crude....really.)

What in Sam Hill is going on?  (wait, perhaps I should check the history books, maybe Mr. Hill is guilty of sexual harassment, too...and how inappropriate would that be, right...)

Is all this really about one vast conspiracy masterminding the taking of Trump out?

Are they all in on it -- from Weinstein to Lauer, from Conyers to Spacey, from Halperin to Thrush, and lest we forget Charlie Rose?   And my apologies, again, if you are one of the ones left unnamed; this post has only so much room, you know.

Are they all willing to let the leaks fall where they may just to get to Trump.... eventually....no matter how long it takes or how many have to go down in the process?

OR

Is this just who we are?  

And mind you, this question specifically goes out to Barack Obama to answer.  

I want Barack Obama to explain this, if only to have the opportunity to poke a little fun at him, given how many times the man opined the words "that's not who we are..."  Clearly, he must know who we are, right; he claimed to know who we are and who we are not with a certain flair rather often.

On second thought, never mind. 

Indeed, I mock myself.

President Obama is a man of constant contradictions -- in speeches to the whole, he would aim to go broad and deep and long and wide while making grand overtures to American ideals and principles; however, in action, in policy, he turned on these very ideals and principles with glee.  The true character and trajectory of his presidency was more aligned with the radical, the progressive, the community organizer deep inside his soul, hellbent to transform America and usurp the very ideals laying the foundation of America since our birth.

Although America is not perfect ---

Foundations matter.

Ideals matter.

Principles matter.

Values matter.

The problem America has right now, is that the integrity of the whole is at risk.

And we must have the courage to ask why,while being receptive to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth -- as the answer is far more complicated, Megyn Kelly, than a "sea change" of the masculine and feminine forces.

I , for one, do not applaud or glorify the women staying silent until now. That isn't a display of courage; that is putting up with the injustice, the nonsense, while playing along with it, while doing the whole a total disservice.  To be afraid to go to the geek in Human Resources?  Really?

An easy answer may just be, that maybe we all need to go back to the olden days, when the boys were guided to grow up to be big, strong men -- real men --  the kind that live to honor women, open the door for them, and in no uncertain terms, treat women with respect; while the girls were taught to be ladies...strong, educated, inspired to be anything we wanted to be, all the while aligned with certain and definite standards that actually commanded respect ...anyone?  Oh, yes, I guess some might say that is so Victorian....to which I say, whatever, with attitude.  

A simple observation should reveal to all of us by now ----- America has a problem; we have a definite problem with the simple things... all things associated with the embodiment of good character, keeping the integrity of the whole, alongside the individual, downright duty, to assimilate with the founding principles and values as we go about our day.

ALL OF THIS MUST BE TAUGHT!

America needs to emphasize the good -- through role models and teachers and preachers and leaders -- and double down on the the individual mandate and duty to uphold these things, leaving no boy or girl left behind.

This is a cultural war; and the war on women has got nothing on this -- for that narrative war is derived purely through the media, the same media which is bias-ly and un-piously in bed with the leftist agenda; the end game, the Left controlling the masses, like asses, and destroying all opposition.

And only you and I and the generation of the little ones before us (who are presently observing every step we take) can make this level of sea change, in order to see the change.

This is a day of reckoning.  

The day has arrived for the American culture to take a stand, because THIS IS about who we are; and you're right, Megyn Kelly, it will not be easy.  

But make no mistake; this isn't a man problem.  [As there are many, many good men around America...with a nod to my papa... and to Mike Pence --- just an example of a boy who won't even have dinner, alone, with a woman who is not his wife. yay you.

Strangely enough, it would seem the American culture is pointedly at war with itself.

What are the chances of survival?  What will success, in the end, look like?

Continuing on a thread -- at the end of Chapter Five, Sun Tzu says:  

"23. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men [and women] is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height.  So much on the subject of energy."

 

Which, I believe, if I calculate things correctly, that would depend on the caliber of the energy itself...

This is a problem of, and about, the whole -- be it how we interact and communicate with each other; be it what or who we elevate to stardom and fame; be it how we have drifted from being a people of faith, a life "under God"; be it how we have allowed sex and sexuality become less than sacred; be it the generations of family dysfunction; be it the unconscionable loss of the sanctity of all life, beginning in the womb and ending badly in the inner cities of nearly every metropolitan area from sea to shining sea.

R E S P E C T 

...It's really what we all need a little more of... besides love sweet love.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Society's Sins to Sun Tzu Thing

Dear America,

"Right is right 

even when nobody is doing it; 

wrong is wrong 

even when everybody's doing it."

Quote captured from an old episode of No Reservations.

Bourdain didn't say it, of course; 

it was said during a guest interview of

a rancher, somewhere in Montana

...sorry I can't give you a name.

you know, a number of years ago, while attending a wine fest at Liberty Station in Point Loma, my girlfriend and I met the owners of a few of the Massage Envy's around town -- a husband and wife team...

although he rubbed me the wrong way (badump ba), she, on the other hand, was a stand up kinda gal.  (I know, that was a two-fer-one.)

But this news of 180 sexual assault allegations -- what the buzz?

so one of these women, if maybe all, kinda allowed the rub to wander inappropriately and didn't just get up and run out, right on the spot?  Seriously?

I'm trying to imagine that -- for if it were me, from the very second hands would grope anything....from my little itty bitty buttocks to my little itty bitty tata's, I would be screaming bloody hell and running to the front desk!  I mean, even engaging in reading the entire BuzzFeed piece --as graphic as it is --  is difficult.

And guessing it is no wonder, for duly noted in the post --  the Massage Envy manual claims, "Only 4% of upset customers will tell you when there is a problem."

Um, I don't believe that this is a problem resolved by a free massage or getting your money back, just sayin'.

But for this news to be surfacing at the tail end of such a glorious Thanksgiving weekend....

and when commingled with the news of a couple more high profile guys  (Conyers and Branson), now allegedly guilty of sexual harassment and the like....

and when added to the last few months and a trail of catching tail a mile long -- beginning with Harvey Weinstein --  it feels as if no man stands clear of charges. 

It also feels like a whole lot of women have been way too silent while sitting on a ticking time bomb, and for what?  Why be silent?  As a girl, I do not understand that kind of fear to speak up....after being sexually assaulted!  Suddenly feeling a pang in my upper shoulders and a tightening at the nape of the neck.

I do not understand how one can continue to lay there on a massage table and not high tail it outta of there, while dialing 911, and promptly having the dude arrested on the spot.  In this day and age of social media news going viral -- where's the post?  Where's the alert to the media?  Where's the telling all Facebook friends, all Instagram followers, the latest news?  Thing is, how is it now fall of 2017 while the beginning of Massage Envy's demise -- courtesy of James Deiter, and others  -- began in the fall of 2014?

If the Richard Branson incident, in question, occurred in 2010 -- just how does Antonia Jenae not say a thing until now?

Thing is -- and it's a pretty big thing -- how does an entire hand go up where it doesn't belong received without incident, as in without the return of a swift kick to the groin?  That's just nuts.  Suddenly experiencing a Charley Horse piercing my entire left side, all the way down from my sciatic nerve to the big toe.

Which all leads me to the new book I'm reading for kicks and giggles:  The Art of War by SunTzu, translated by Lionel Giles.  Thinking it wise to take it slow, perhaps with a heating pad on the lower back; for this guy packs so much with so few words.   word.

But just maybe my inner feminist is telling me that women are in a new age of fighting back or playing the victim....it appears out of nowhere like a fine line; -- and just to be clear, this gal doesn't align with feminism in the way true feminists behave and have their origins, okay.  I simply believe strong women -- the kind resembling female strength and conviction and drive -- have existed since the beginning of time.  True feminists, real women,  just DO; there is no need for political agenda, no need for special treatment, no need for exclusivity that runs lock step with Leftists, no need for lambasting half the women in the country just because they lean conservative...but look how quickly we digress.

So, in the first two pages, Sun Tzu says: 

 "18. All warfare is based on deception."

and adding:

 "19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."

and adding just one more:

"20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy.  

Feign disorder, and crush him."

And in this light, may boys and girls begin to recognize that being in relationship with one another -- especially in business -- is sometimes complicated, to say the least; but sad is the day we become enemies -- or worse --  that women begin to use our skill sets of deception and manipulation, using our feminine ways to alter realities in an effort to make our way in a man's world, and turn around to use it as leverage or blackmail; and in equal portion -- for the masculine world to taunt and take whatever they want, whenever they want, unable to keep their hands to themselves or coexist with any semblance of mutual respect and honor with the opposite sex.  Having said that: consent should look and act like clear consent; and the same goes for the other way around.

But we are not enemies, boys and girls; we are on the same side of society as a whole.  The yin and the yang, the forces of masculine and feminine, are dependent upon each other for many things (especially that of reproduction xox).  This relationship between the sexes demands that we respect it, protect it, nurture it, and honor it.... in order to ensure a healthy longevity; and perhaps most important, we must teach it to our children, with each new generation.

To steal a line from a really good movie, He's Just Not That Into You:  "If a guy treats you like he genuinely doesn't give a crap, he genuinely doesn't give a crap."  And likewise, if a girl dresses like a tart, she will be treated like a tart....and so on and so on.  Respect and responsibility go hand in hand.

We all have a responsibility to make it work; and taking the high road in all situations, in all interactions, seems to be the crying, bellowing nature of the day...and without question, calling out to each and every one of us to pay attention.  Nobody is immune, it could happen in a nano-second, so be prepared!  Be completely loaded up and ready to stand on the side of conviction and moral courage.  And then get up the next day prepared to do it all over again.

This is really a war as old as time; good and evil does not get along peacefully, okay?  It never has and it never will.  We must be prepared to fight, but please, fight fair for every inch of mutual respect; we must live with integrity, respective of the golden rules, dating back to the golden child, from one golden sunrise to the next.

Much like the Art of War, some advice is just timeless, priceless, and unmatched -- no matter how old it is, no matter what new age we may be experiencing as a country -- as a boy or a girl in an ever-changing world.

I just love how certain Sun Tzu is..."14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.   15.  The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: -- let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat:  -- let such a one be dismissed!"

That is powerful stuff. (And to think, it's only chapter one!  yippee skippy)

I'm puzzled and conflicted and upset and all tied up in knots over the scope of our sexual dysfunction in society;  but as sure as Sun Tzu says in certain (say that ten times fast), this problem is not only revealing deep-seated societal woes and liabilities, it is giving us a warning shot across the bow. It points the way towards a certain truth -- that for a society to remain solid and good depends upon the attention and retention of all that is good and mighty and disciplined and morally right, otherwise we fall.  And it can be swift. 

Oh, this girl didn't want to start back up with this little itty bitty diary on such a sordid note.  It kinda breaks my heart.  But here we are anyway, in a day that wraps warm blankets and soft music around a sordid tale and somehow, or other, wanders right into the opening strategies of Sun Tzu.  Go hourglass figure under the sheets :).

Hope you all had a beautiful time with family and friends over the holiday -- so grateful to be surrounded with men who treat women with nothing but respect and honor and love. And just as an afterthought, may the last thing you do today is be online x teehee x   wait it out for just one more day and rest in the spirit of thanksgiving for just a wee bit longer, you will thank me. 

See you real soon.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Holiday Cornucopia Thing

Dear America,

"Be completely humble and gentle; 

be patient, 

bearing with one another in love.  

Make every effort 

to keep the unity 

of the Spirit

 through the bond of peace."  

Ephesians 4:2-3

that's just a little sage advice from the Apostle Paul, as we merrily head into the festivities of family and friends, celebrating Thanksgiving.  

[And a cooking tip: 

fresh sage goes with everything. teehee]

Actually, to tell you the truth, this girl is kinda surprised that we get to keep Thanksgiving; how has The Left not destroyed this holiday already?  

Of course, it's getting there, with the tearing down of Columbus statues and all the rest, it may take only a few more years before these stunts turn into a force of capital punishment against the Thanksgiving tradition, and all that comes with the annual celebration.   The Pilgrims survived and lived to not only tell about it, but become the raw seedlings of a new nation....and now look at us.

Since we are not all stupid  -- as if born, like, yesterday  -- most of us are pretty well aware of what has  happened since the first Thanksgiving...at least in part.  It is in part because we are wholly reliant upon what history books tell us; and perhaps more so, we are reliant upon who tells the story, the chosen narrative and perspective.  Translation:  we, as a people, are subject to personal bias, downright lies, the perverse twisting of the truth, and not to be outdone, human error.

HUMAN ERROR describes so much of the errors of our ways -- whether we are talking in the macro or the micro.  

[Oh, cooking tip #2: 

 micro greens are so pretty! 

Make a bed of big greens,

 add a few micro greens, 

and then toss a handful of dainty, edible flowers on top

...boom. Is it a salad or a centerpiece? ]

BUT here's the thing; it doesn't matter how little or how much human error has come before us.

We are here...

I am here.

You are here.

If you are here in this moment -- if you are living within the boundaries of America's fifty states.... then you are reaping the rewards of every good, every bad, and every living breathing thing in between, in THIS here and THIS now. 

Yesterday is gone; tomorrow is not here yet; all we have is this day...and some of us may not even get all of that, right?  Which means, all we have is this moment right now, that which we universally recognize as the present.

Since the days of Plymouth Rock, the last four hundred years of America's history has been sordid, broken, violent....and that just describes yesterday.  Get it?

Some of us in America  -- right now, today, this very minute and especially last night -- are guilty of doing bad things to other people in America. 

Did you know that in the Bay Area alone, it is estimated that 100 children are sold for sex every single night...and Oakland Won't Quit on Trafficked Kids."  (And that has to be old news by now, given that post dates back to 2013.)

As a matter of fact -- today -- it is estimated that 4.5 million are enslaved through human trafficking around the globe!   Multiply the entire population of Rhode Island by 4 and that's how many people across the globe are sold into the sex slave economy around the world every single day.  [Not sure why I picked Rhode Island -- with all things considered, crime wise, the smallest state in the country ranks third, nationwide -- following Vermont #1 and Maine #2.  This little state that could...downright be one of the safest places on earth, deserves desert and a gold star.]

Speaking of Rhode Island and our history of giving thanks -- the U.S. News and World Report opening page, linked above, includes this:

Forced to flee religious persecution in Massachusetts, Roger Williams founded the first permanent settlement in 1636 in Providence on land purchased from the Narragansett Indians. Newport became a major trading and shipping port, and Rhode Island’s economy boomed. 

Rhode Island was the first of the original 13 colonies to renounce allegiance to Great Britain in 1776 and was the last to ratify the Constitution in 1790, insisting that the Bill of Rights be added.…

And I bet the whole town celebrated with a big feast...

Indeed.
Now desperately trying to segway away from human trafficking as the main dish...

In the words of Leo Buscaglia, and his book LOVE:

"An earthquake, flood, or bolt of lightening may destroy him or those he loves.  An accident may permanently cripple him.  But how he responds, reacts and lives with the handicap or through the earthquake or flood is another matter.  This he can regulate.... 

In order to change, then, man must trust that he is capable of change... 

Knowing that one is always capable of change, the second step lies in making the decision to change.  Change does not occur merely by willing it any more than behavior changes simply through insight.   One can know something is evil, painful or dangerous and still pursue it relentlessly. One can only move toward change when he willfully arrives at a proposal to do so... 

The third step in change is perhaps the most difficult.  It involves the actual processes of the relearning." 

If we are the grown ups this year  (ergo, not sitting at the kid's table) --  then we have a duty to act like grown ups, every single day.  (I know, it sucks, doesn't it....Washington D.C. Hollywood, Clinton's old and new....;  but I digress, now swimming in mashed potatoes and gravy and chestnut stuffing and yams with marshmallows toasted on top, and pie -- lots of pie -- and not coming up for air until I pop.)

[Cooking tip #3: 

just be the one who brings the rolls and the wine!]

If we remain true to ourselves, to our children, to our country, to our God -- then we must admit to ourselves that we are not perfect.  We are only human...And this is simply just a good place to start.

And to that end, the humans who have come before us are only human, too. 

Framing America's history with the same allowances and generosity that we extend to our own family -- you know, all the characters who will be joining hands around the table, giving thanks in only a matter of a few days from now -- then we may give each other the best blessing of all. 

The chance to change, to accept our past and our transgressions, to applaud our gains and our lessons, to give thanks for the pure abundance that surrounds us in the every day, then we may actually begin to love each other unconditionally, systematically, and according to my world, in the way God intended -- wholly separate from every ill, sordid, broken, and violent thing that has not only come before us, but sadly, remain in the here and now, today.

Moving forward, we are free to write, or rewrite, our own life, beginning with wherever we may be in the present moment.

We can choose light over dark.

We can make things new.

We can give thanks for every thing and every season -- from the seed planted by our first settlers, to the seed who grew up to be the wheat that made the bread that we will break in a mere three days, to the seed that creates change to reverse horrendous conditions happening every day from sea to shining sea, in America and beyond...

It's what I like to call heirloom seeds.  Every single one of us carries the same genetic material to make the next generation better than the one who came before -- through knowledge, not ignorance; through education, not indoctrination; through love, not hate; through an INDIVIDUAL DUTY to uphold the things of good character and totally native to the foundations laid so very long ago.  Anything, or anyone, that robs us of this goodness, must be overcome, must be overcome.

This is what I pray.

[Cooking tip #4: 

always come with a toast:

'Live light, travel light, 

spread the light, BE the light. 

cheers']

you're welcome.

SO given the holiday -- consider me gone girl until next time.

May this Thanksgiving find you with the ones you love and be blessed in every way.

God's neat; Let's eat! xoxo

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Just a Girl with a little Cleavage Showing Thing

Dear America,

Boys To Men 2.0.1.7.

it's a tale of three boys going to China and returning men.

LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill, Cody Riley each gave a statement yesterday, thanking everybody and their mother, for the swift return to the U.S.A. after allegedly being found guilty of stealing from the Louis Vuitton store, during the team's visit. 

Their statements and their faces said it all.

And whether their statements are insincere in any part, being coerced by coaching staff or parents or anyone else (as each one thanked -- nearly verbatim -- the Chinese government, the U.S. government, President Trump by name, the entire UCLA coaching team and staff, family and associates, yadi yadi yada...) -- it does not matter.  Nationwide, this press conference did what it needed to do for the good of the country, the good of the team, and most importantly, for the good of these three men who returned home.

Yes.  Their actions were stupid.  And they admitted just that over and over and over again.

And we can only hope a fair portion of the nation's children -- alongside the parents of these children -- listened.  And after they all listened, we can only hope these parents explained the set of circumstances and crimes to their children fully, and thoughtfully, and pointedly making clear the lessons we can all walk away with.  

And yet, having said that -- young and old alike --  nobody is too old for a good life lesson....and America is witnessing a number of them hitting the front pages with breaking news, in what seems like every minute of every day.

Nevertheless, this girl would bet her life the three statements ARE sincere; for these boys were able to come home!  Given a natural propensity to do stupid things (given the age group, right?), they came home grateful to be back on American soil after receiving only a passing glance of just how quickly things can change, and not in a good way.  They consider themselves to be part of the lucky ones, an elite crowd; for without perhaps their own connections to connections, things may not have turned out so well, or as speedy -- I mean, c'mon, we're talking a major theft crime perpetrated in the People's Republic of China...for anyone else there would be stiff punishment.

This girl would also bet her life these statements were well on the way well before the nudging of a sitting president from the bench; these boys had to make solid apologies, for their actions were truly a disgrace.  UCLA, the USA, China, their moms and dads -- were all due a get down on your knee, praising Jesus, moment of pure begging for forgiveness with the clear intention never to make this kind of error in judgement again.....And THEY did!  They did.

I only wish the president just waited for it to play out, that's all.

I just wish his usual brash, egotistical approach to everything, just stood still for a moment, thereby allowing time for the boys to do the right thing on their own without the presidential interference (only because it gives CNN and MSNBC plenty of material to bounce around).  But isn't that what we all want as parents, to watch our children figure out the right thing to do on their own?  Isn't this the level of maturity we painstakingly try to model, aiming to teach them well, that lies in wait, only to surface when we least expect it -- and unconditionally love them anyway?

Anywho, after a serious foul --  traaaaveeelllling with a designer Louis Vuitton ball, shaped like sunglasses...badump ba! --  this was their moment to make right and not the president's moment to take credit, just sayin'.

Trump could learn a life lesson or two, as well; better for the nation to witness the president stepping aside, allowing for his state department, or press secretary, to do all the talking and tweeting; and then ---  when asked to respond --  give credit to all the players who made this monumental, international feat of saving the day happen.  

When it comes to ego, sometimes less is more, more or less -- and I would be remiss not to add that the president is not alone with this little life lesson...and we'll even give it a number: 45 (teehee.  that one's for Maxine);  yes, indeed, this girl is right there beside him (not under him, not over him, certainly not touching him, just beside him, okay). 

Which brings me to the second half of today's feature:  how so many men are turning into boys (or is it more correct, never stopped being boys????) hmmmmmmm

Just the other night -- Tuesday -- had dinner with my girlfriends at a brand new eatery in La Jolla, the Red O!  And oh boy, was it good!   From the tres tequila flight, to the Queso Fundido to share, to the main dish of Carnitas in Red Chili Guajillo, to a side of plantains to share, mashed potatoes to share, corn tamales to share, to the plate of churros to share and served with two dipping sauces of chocolate l'orange and caramel filling the last crack of tummy space -- this girl rolled out of the Red O with glee and stuffed to my pretty pink lips.  But I digress....teehee

For part of the night, the subject matter was fixated upon what the O stood for in its name; but for the remainder, we were all about the fall of man....literally.  And don't get me wrong -- this foursome loves boys.  [Although, there must be something said in the fact that only 25% of us are married....hmmmmmm what up wit dat?.....]

well, anyway, it's not like there isn't enough to talk about on the subject -- men have made it rather easy for us to fill a night out on the town chock full of conversation from one bad boy story to the next; ever since the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein went down, the country has been inundated with whispers of unwanted sexual advances (by men), declarations of rape (of men on men, and men on women), tales of catching tail -- of sexual harassment (by men), long overdue claims of sex with underage girls (yes, by men) -- from coast to coast, within government, within elite social circles, from the capital building to the corporate boardroom....it is everywhere and often.

ugh

The thing is -- from the boys to men basketball players, to the pure corruption of our beautiful, sexual nature, this land is my land and this land is your land is in much need of keeping our hands to ourselves.

Of course, on Tuesday -- all of us girls quickly spiraled into cursing all men.  Was it the tequila talking, you be the judge; but just as fast as we ginned up a chorus of we can't live with them -- in an equally, thundering, passionate reply, we admitted that we can't live without them either.

Oh this country.  heavy sigh

Not sure how we manage to embrace our sexuality problems -- ranging from the mild neurosis to full blown psychotic addictions ending with victims and convictions of statutory crimes.  But in the hopes of ultimately gaining control of it,  this girl knows exactly where to start: with the individual. 

You're welcome.

(oh girl, gonna smack you upside the head if you don't settle down.)

Indeed.

so as I try to choke down some humble pie, let me repeat myself:  It always gets down to one.

Do you even remember who we are, as a people, people?

America is designed to be all about good self-government -- which includes, but is not limited to, self-reliance, answering to a higher moral authority,  with a side of a little humility, and a whole lot of grace, bubbling over...

You

Me

If each and every one of us leans towards good behavior, treating each other with respect, then all is good; if each and every one of us begins to lean poorly, behaving badly, if not criminally...treating each other with disrespect, then all is not good.  Get it?

I know, sometimes the answer is so easy we overlook it, even when it is right in front of our eyes.

I bet --  just thinking outside the blog now -- I bet if we dress it up with a short skirt and a little cleavage, point would be moot by a beaut.

 [I know, I don't know how I do it either...teehee]  

[wait.  scratch that....I do know; it isn't me.  It is only by the grace of God I get up and do anything.  I just aim to make God proud, make Him smile a little -- you know, given his view, and all...Things must be looking pretty bleak by now.]

and my apologies, you get all the way to the end to discover there is no cleavage showing.  my bad.

Make it a Good Day, G

Epiblogue

Kudos to the three boys to men that began the day...LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill, and Cody Riley. Pretty sure you guys will turn out okay; as an American, I am proud of you for the courage to say what you needed to say.  God Bless you boys to men, to family, to all the rest of your days.

It's Just an Open Response to Ekow N. Yankah and a couple other THINGS

Dear America,

I believe the children are our are future

Teach them well and let them lead the way

Show them all the beauty they possess inside

Give them a sense of pride to make it easier..

yes, happy tuesday.

and this girl is beginning with the opening lines of a Whitney Houston song, Greatest Love of All! [and my deep appreciation for the mother-lode of lyrics available online....everything from A - Z, including G x]

Becoming a hit, getting the chorus occasionally stuck in our heads, and being completely overplayed for what seemed to be decades, pop culture embraced this cheesy, sappy, sugary sweet song right from the start -- because it was Whitney!  Pretty sure nobody else could have pulled it off...just sayin'.

Gosh, she was gorgeous, and talented, and so full of life!  

Rising into stardom after being raised singing gospel in her church, she made it -- and she did it with her heart in the right place.  What broke her spirit, and maybe her heart, was everything that came with it -- the high life, the fame and fortune that accommodated luxury and indulging in all the things that have the power to change us, inside and out: drugs, alcohol, associating with people who don't have our best interests at heart while partying until the wee hours of the morning.

Although it didn't happen overnight, the fullness of this lifestyle -- the people, the profession, the passion --  preyed upon her, slowly and over time; although she may have tried to correct the course, Whitney lost sight of the greatest love of all and eventually the lifestyle killed her.

The thing is -- what is true for Whitney, is true for all of us -- that being, we are always at choice to change course, to make good decisions, to listen to that still, small voice inside ourselves that knows the way (the right way, right?).

Yeah, we often like to ignore that voice.

But on this day, on the old G Thing, this is just the start of something going on inside my head, across this land we call America, and even across the globe, and it has much to do about nothing and everything. 

If we do nothing -- we lose our heart and soul.

We must do everything to pay attention to our children; I mean, talk about impressionable, right?

So here you go-- in response to an op-ed in the New York Times, November 11th:  Can My Children Be Friends with White People?   by Ekow N. Yankah.  [(@ekownyankah) is a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.] 

Second paragraph:

It is impossible to convey the mixture of heartbreak and fear I feel for him. Donald Trump’s election has made it clear that I will teach my boys the lesson generations old, one that I for the most part nearly escaped. I will teach them to be cautious, I will teach them suspicion, and I will teach them distrust. Much sooner than I thought I would, I will have to discuss with my boys whether they can truly be friends with white people.

to paragraph six:

As against our gauzy national hopes, I will teach my boys to have profound doubts that friendship with white people is possible. When they ask, I will teach my sons that their beautiful hue is a fault line. Spare me platitudes of how we are all the same on the inside. I first have to keep my boys safe, and so I will teach them before the world shows them this particular brand of rending, violent, often fatal betrayal.

"Gauzy national hopes," Mr. Yankah?  Good one.

Oh dear sir; mine may be pink, but certainly not gauzy; if you wanna conversation about it, let's start at my dreams being pink, and frilly, and happy......and yes, at peace with my fellow man,  no matter the color of skin.

Teach them suspicion and distrust?  Oh that is a fine start. 

Should I be now teaching my little white girl the very same thing, but in reverse?  And when I say reverse, it is in every sense of the word -- as in, ass backwards  and in every possible way taking any of the strides this land has made across race relations to a brand new low?  It's a new low -- given we have seen America at its worst before, and now you want to go back?  This is YOUR answer? 

And in spite of having a pretty normal childhood yourself -- as you say...

Let me assure you that my heartbreak dwarfs my anger. I grew up in a classic Midwestern college town. With all its American faults, it was a diverse and happy-childhood kind of place, slightly dull in the way that parents wish for their children. If race showed in class lines, school cliques and being pulled over more often, our little Americana lacked the deep racial tension and mistrust that seem so hard to escape now.

This doesn't make any sense.

But what does make sense is your anger towards this new president, Mr. Yankah -- that seems to be the root cause:

 Of course, the rise of this president has broken bonds on all sides. But for people of color the stakes are different. Imagining we can now be friends across this political line is asking us to ignore our safety and that of our children, to abandon personal regard and self-worth. Only white people can cordon off Mr. Trump’s political meaning, ignore the “unpleasantness” from a position of safety. His election and the year that has followed have fixed the awful thought in my mind too familiar to black Americans: “You can’t trust these people.”

oh wow..."you can't trust these people."
(no comment)

so sad
so sad
so sad

and as for your rather jaded opinion of Martin Luther King's dream.....

Meaningful friendship is not just a feeling. It is not simply being able to share a beer. Real friendship is impossible without the ability to trust others, without knowing that your well-being is important to them. The desire to create, maintain or wield power over others destroys the possibility of friendship. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous dream of black and white children holding hands was a dream precisely because he realized that in Alabama, conditions of dominance made real friendship between white and black people impossible.

Let me first give you a little two cents on this idea of meaningful friendship; you can't have real, meaningful friendship by group, or by an entire swath of country and Americana all at once.  This kind of friendship is PERSONAL!  It is INTIMATE!  It is shared experiences with another soul, most likely of like minds (again, having nothing to do with color of skin), over a common interest, or something, that grows -- naturally and organically.  And that kind of friendship is rather priceless, if not hard to find, no matter the color of our skin. 

And certainly -- after my fifty some odd years -- sensing that if you find that kind of friend, a certain and steadfast trust comes with it, almost by default, as the two of you have earned it over time and effort and whole lot of mutual respect and love.

Martin Luther King was speaking of this "famous dream" -- on behalf of the Greater Good -- because, I believe, as a preacher,  as a deep thinker, and as an American who truly cared for race relations -- HE truly BELIEVED we could achieve it! 

Matter of fact, I STILL BELIEVE IT!

So - teaching our children well, in my mind,  means teaching our children to believe it, too.

And not only believe it like happy endings in a fairy tale, but believe it in the core of their very being -- as if they were actually raised with the understanding.   Not stopping there, that they can be not only be a part of this dream coming true, like bystanders, but actively apart of this dream  --  intimately, integrally, and honorably connected in the very creation of this dream coming true. 

It does not have to stay a dream.

Dare I say to you, Mr. Yankah -- teaching YOUR children suspicion and distrust is NOT the way.

How many African-American families have been teaching this, do you know?  Has this been a hidden agenda and generational course correction all along, that all of us white people simply don't know about?   [G side note:  the Political Editors at The Patriot Post have just put up 2016 statistics on hate crimes...and it's worthy of a read.]

ah oh.  now look at what you've done; now I'm starting to feel a wee bit angry....

I have to stop thinking about this.  My head and my heart and my soul hurts like a motherf@&***(

Let's go in another direction.

France:  2017
The French courts are considering to allow adults to have sex with thirteen year old's -- only with their consent, of course.   Read all about it, here.  Or  here. 

This being now the occasion, when answering the age-old question of when having sex with a child isn't rape, leads us frantically to another question -- just how in the world did we get here?

Much of the comment feed dwells in the realm of the bad influences arising from the influx and homesteading of families bound to the Islam, which permits the gross, yet widely accepted, allowance for grown men taking sexual advantage of children, beginning as early as kindergarten.

But no matter its origins, France is embracing this new age where sex with children will be generally, and widely, and unconscionably, be acceptable?

As we meander from teaching our children well to protecting them first -- this girl suddenly realizes that we may be going back to the stone age there, as well. ugh.

One last thing in the news, as we play with this idea of teaching our children well, and protecting them as best we possibly can -- let's move on to the GQ's idea of the CITIZEN of the YEAR.........drum roll, please........................Colin Kaepernick.

The guy of mixed race who was adopted by a white couple, given everything he ever needed, and made it to the NFL, only to become the poster child of a downright perversion of the truth surrounding systematic racial bias within police departments nationwide.  [As you know, we have discussed that here on more than one occasion....and we will not go there today....But feel free to read old G things....they will surely delight, but I digress.]

So the CITIZEN of the year goes to the citizen who doesn't even choose to vote?   Who doesn't salute the flag?   Who wears socks pocking fun at the PoPo -- personifying pigs as cops, or is it cops as pigs?  And after being raised in a country famous for capitalism and all the benefits of a free market --  citizen of the year goes to the guy who loves Ernesto 'Che' Guevara  -- a radical,  militaristic, guerrilla warfare fanatic who dreamed of communism healing all wounds and societal issues?  The guy who is now whining his way through the court system because he failed at doing his job, and doing his job well?  This guy is named CITIZEN of the year?  Wow --  if this is the new role model for all of our kids to follow, then we all need to go to our rooms until we are ready to talk about it without yelling and screaming.


Nearing the end of this day, this blog, something tells me more than anything else, the choices that we make, who we associate with, and what we give our attention to, becomes our tomorrow - both large and small.

We have work to do; we have a duty to uphold order, to preserve the integrity of our relationship with the whole AND with each other, individually.  And although this stance is nothing new on the old gthing, it may all begin and end upon what we say to our children.

It will take every parent to tell their children --

"first, I am here to protect you 

and to love you with my whole heart."

Second,

"we must choose to find the good in all people, 

no matter the color of our skin -- 

let us trust each other

 to say and do the right thing, 

no matter the situation. 
AND this begins with YOU, honey --
 be good,
 trustworthy, honest, caring,
loving, and the best
you can possibly be and  
good things will happen."

Third,

 "choose the greatest love of all

-- to love yourself -- 

then, aim to find the Great Spirit inside you

 that guides you, 

helps decipher between right and wrong, 

and blesses you with a unique purpose in life.

--- Finding something Greater than ourselves 

to dwell upon, to place our attention, 

always seems to be a good idea...

For it teaches us good things:

 things like humility and grace,  

instilling an attitude of gratitude and courage, 

even during the most difficult of days 

(and those days will come)."

Oh I could say more,

this girl could probably rattle off a hundred things to say to our children, en masse.

But this is a great start; better than Mr. Yankah's approach, right? 

[Mr. Yankah is off on the wrong foot just by buying into the myriad of false narratives trumped up by the leftist media and liberals in general.  It would do him a world of good just to stop listening to those voices, and listen to what his heart taught him during his childhood....but what do I know; I'm just a girl, you know.   teehee]

The thing is, at the end of the day -- it's a beautiful thing to have this free will playing hopscotch with us each and every day; for it gives us everyday, imperfect human beings a chance to change our ways...to change course... to believe we can become true friends, if it is meant to be....and to believe in Martin Luther King's Dream.

It all begins with the very next step we take, along with the very next words of advice we give our children.

oh this girl can dream 

and believe the dream can come true indeed.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's God and Goodness Go Together Thing

Dear America,

Spring Forward, Fall Back

Spring Forward, Fall Back

Spring Forward, Fall Back

and isn't this just the story of, and through, the ages....

isn't this just the story of mankind, in general -- be it individually or in the collective.

IN the wake of another tragedy at the hands of one truly broken soul, Americans are struggling to come to an understanding; finding common ground on such an horrific loss --- over and over and over again -- is heartbreaking, exhausting, crippling our grip on just who we really are as a nation, as we share in the lives of each other within this greater community that we recognize as these United States of America.

To have such an act of evil occur -- and within the four walls of a place we go for sanctuary, once again -- prompts most of us to question everything, including God;  even still -- unbearable as it is, even in that moment, God was there.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.    From one man he made a nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him, though he is not far from each one of us.  For in him we live and move and have our being.  As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" 

This is the Apostle Paul, speaking to the people of Athens, according to Acts 17:24-28

For all of us who recognize this intimate connection with our God, our Father -- a connection originating with our own individual intent to seek Him, taking express action to know HIM, in order that we may live and move and love and have our being in Him -- God was within the hearts and minds of everyone in that church, because it is there, inside us, where God lives (for all, of course, except for the evil one).

God was there in Sutherland Springs.

But to question is good; questioning all those in authority over our lives is good, and that goes double for all government programs, especially if it involves its number one responsibility -- ensuring the nation's security.  As we have all come to find out, the perpetrator of Sunday's massacre was deemed unstable, he had a history of assault against his own family and animals, received a court martial from the Air Force, was imprisoned for a year, and even spent time in a psych unit somewhere...and somehow or other, the red flags never surfaced in the background check when he went to purchase a gun; human error failed us.

We live and we learn; and sometimes it is painful -- for some days are just more difficult than others.

For believers, God is always there -- even when we are in the middle of questioning everything.  God wants us to be real with Him in all ways, completely -- through all our days, from our joys to our pains.

In my daily devotional just yesterday, Sarah Young-- speaking as Jesus -- said this:

"Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way.  I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence.  This entails being satisfied with much or with little, accepting either as My will for the moment.  Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive.  Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every situation."

Oh my, just how do we do that when an entire family of eight are gone in an instant -- or after a toddler, with a lifespan amounting to a blink of an eye, is surely swept into angel's arms for a journey onward and upward into heaven? 

God is there; He knows where each of us will have our start and where we shall have our finish.

In the meantime, we must press on; we must live and learn and endeavor to be the best people we can possibly be, so that ultimately, our individual and collective efforts can negate the acts of evil that come our way, opening every path available to overcome.  The hope is, to live with our God and our Good showing; ergo, to give this kind of good true authority over all.

Logic tells me that no matter the inanimate object of choice, if evil wants to have its day...it will be done.  And there are all kinds of levels of evil -- from the sexual deviants in Hollywood, preying upon innocents, that go under the radar, but not really, for decades (like the Harvey Weinstein's and Kevin Spacey's)......and even systematically, within places we naturally thought safe, totally protected, if not out of bounds entirely, like the Catholic Church.... to radical Islamic extremists who hate the infidels, specifically, the entire Western World, and carry on with every intent to kill us all...to radical oppressors around the world like Kim Jong-un........to all the psycho killers and gang members in between -- evil lives and moves and has its being here, too.

Cities like Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles prove this logic day in and day out; do you really think all these guns used on the streets of the inner cities are acquired legally?

Home Depot truck rentals prove this logic, as well.

God, our Father, is so far away from the hearts and minds from these perpetrators/terrorists.  But if you are a person of faith, you know God is Good, that in all things we can seek God, find God, and be comforted by God, and be given guidance directly from God in moving forward -- no matter what happens on this precious earth, more importantly, in our neighborhoods, churches and schools, and in all the places we call home.

If we choose to know God -- to live and move and have our being in God -- then we automatically, genuinely, and faithfully fear no evil.  We choose to live courageously, even if we are hated for every thought and prayer in the process.  Just when did thoughts and prayers become political?

Answer:  perhaps in springtime 2008, when a young Senator Barack Obama made this statement, in part and while in Pennsylvania: "...And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."  Although Obama later tried to dial it back, the Left -- as a whole -- has since taken this sentiment and double downed with no regrets.

Of course, in reference to narratives and political agendas, the Left just loves to ignore the fact that two innocents clinging to their guns, joined forces to save the day down in Sutherland, Texas, last Sunday.  Heroes.  Two men of faith.  And, of course, God was there... Hmmm I wonder -- any connection there worthy of a conversation, if not also answering to the plaguing questions of this day itself?

Turning to our current administration:  Is it hatred when a president tries to protect our national security, knowing where some of this evil comes and using this information to support better vetting, even if it seems extreme?  Is it hatred to call it like he sees it, be it on twitter or at the presidential podium? 

Speaking of podiums -- did you all happen to listen to his speech in Seoul, South Korea last night?

This girl was struck by the words chosen by the South Korean leader, Moon Jae-in...."Now let me introduce you to the leader of the world, Donald Trump."  He didn't differentiate the "leader of the free world" from the whole world.  tee hee  It gave me such a giggle -- thinking the leftists have to be squirming in their seats and ready to throw up...

Moon spoke authority over Trump as if he, himself, is actually in relationship with a solid leader of the free world.  It seems, over and over again, when the world, large and small, is in relationship with this president, it responds to America's president with the proper respect. 

I wonder -- if given the same respect here at home -- just how different our experience under this Trump  Administration might just be...By the way, President Trump gave a great speech, addressing South Korea's neighbor to the north, that which is beholden to pure evil -- it was a moment reinforcing America's steadfast relationship with liberty and freedom around the globe, stressing the need to meet such a challenge with Kim Jung-un together, with acts of strength and diplomacy.  And it was good.

The forces of good and evil are forever at play, here on earth.

That is just reality.

And none of this surprises God -- even though it may shock and scare the living daylights out of each one of us.  God knows the day we begin to the day we end, for each and every one.

Good must overcome; and in the end, good will overcome.

God is here, there and everywhere and is waiting upon us to seek Him, to praise Him, to find Him even amidst the hatred that lives here, there and everywhere, too.  God is the One and Only Thing that does not change -- as long as our connection to this God is clear, and faithful,  this is where the One True Authority over our lives must live, and move, and have its being.

God and goodness go together; the offspring of a certain belief system not only believe it wholeheartedly, it was the very catalyst for change that started a revolution and produced the very republic that we all live, for better or worse.

God bless the people of Sutherland Springs.
God bless the people of South Korea, and all the rest of the days on the president's travel calendar.
God bless this day in America, and all the days of our lives.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's in Memorium Day

Dear America,

pro bono

if you must know, this itty bitty Latin phrase, merely explains me...G;

for this thing that I do --  and maybe not every single day -- is just about keeping a diary of America..........for the greater good of America.

Pro Bono literally translates to "for the good;" to be sure, we are more familiar with its use in the general -- defining services rendered at no charge.

[Ergo, it works for Gthing in both references, for this thing isn't exactly a means of shaking my money maker and reaping its just rewards...teehee... No matter...parvis imbutus tentabis grandia tutus when you are steeped in little things, you shall safely attempt great things -- in other words, 'once you have accomplished small things, you may attempt great ones safely.']  

....P.S. (in postscriptum:  let's give a handsome nod to The Art of Manliness, here.  

Albeit two days in the making in this response -- but this morning, with America face to face with another act of evil, in Lower Manhattan, New York -- my mind is swirling around this very idea: "for the good."  For there is a definite line between good and evil, love and hate.

In other words, there is no grey area. 

No matter what situation we are in, no matter the color of our skin, no matter our religion, no matter if we are rich or poor -- there should be no question respective of this choice we make in every thing we say or do, large or small: there is a way of good, for the greater good.....and then there is not.

This girl is also struck with learning more about the victims; the word stems from its Latin roots, victima.  Why does it sound so much prettier with the "a" on the end? -- perhaps to buffer the senses of the loss, perhaps to bring in the feminine aspects of sensitivity and grace and healing?  But never  mind, nowadays we just go straight to the heart of the matter -- v i c t i m  .  period .

In the immediate hours after the animal (according to the president) plowed through a bike lane on a beautiful fall afternoon in NYC  -- two things happened:  

1.  The mainstream media did everything possible to avoid calling the animal for what he truly is  -- a  Radical Islamic Extremist with ISIS ties and firm allegiance (knowledge of this almost immediately verified, according to the notes/and ISIS flag that remained in his truck). 

2.  And in widespread media reports, the eight victims were referred to as Americans.

IN reality -- five men were Argentine -- one Belgian woman -- and yes, two Americans -- one from New Jersey who worked at the World Trade Center, and the youngest victim, at the age of 23, lived in the West Village and was working his first real job.

Perhaps, due to my own personal connection to Latin America -- having my baby girl spend half a year in Argentina just last year --  this dichotomy of' relationship between good and evil, love and hate, here/not here becomes almost too great to reconcile.  It's as if these guys are one of my own (-- although, mathematically, let me just say, it would be impossible.)

But there they were -- nine Argentine guys -- celebrating life and thirty years after graduating from General San Martin college, in the bike lane, in New York City's Lower Manhattan, here, on American soil.   Go to this link, please, for the full story at BBC News - world-latin-america.

When my girl returned home from Buenos Aires with a backpack overflowing with memories, photos of her every move, taste buds delighted with every bite, and having, clearly, fallen in love with the city generally thought of as the Paris of South America....Deo volente, God willing, I was overcome with joy; naturally, suddenly feeling a sense of release and showing my relief in tears-- my baby responded with this:  Oh mama, nothing bad ever happens in Argentina.

And to this day, we both dream, in part, of returning to the place that nothing bad ever happens, together; imagining a beautiful life figuratively placed on a pedestal, or of another world entirely, clearly one that is divine, charming, dazzling in every way and the fashion to match; oh yes, two girls can dream.

It is just so immense, this sadness inside -- for the eight families who have lost a loved one after Tuesday's rampage, have suddenly, and without warning, without planning, without any sign from God  whatsoever,  have had all of their dreams come to a screeching halt.  Just like that.  In an instant.

Over thirty years, there are innumerable variables -- between the nine Argentine men bonding in school and graduating, to staying in touch, to building families and careers before coming to America for a visit with well laid plans to celebrate life and friendship and honoring a connection made for a lifetime...They were in Boston, then decided to go to New York City, and then decided to rent bikes, and then decided to go to the place they would meet the untimely and unconscionable intersection of good and evil.  Where is the good, God?  Where is it?

We could fall back on a couple Latin phrases for strength:  "quam bene referre, non"  "it is how well you live that matters, not how long."    "Non progredi est regredi", "to not go forward is to go backward."

For certain, quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur...."whatever has been said in Latin seems deep...sounds profound."  [again, in continuous recognition of a place called The Art of Manliness]

Speaking of manliness,

how about these two Latin phrases:  "si vis pacem para bellum'  "semper fidelis!"

As in, "if you want peace, prepare for war," and accompanied with "always faithful" -- proud motto of our very own U.S. Marines.

To think, the mayor of New York City, de Blasio -- has just responded to the president's call for the Islamic Extremist to get the Death Penalty, with this:  “I’m not someone who believes in the death penalty in general,” the mayor said at a news conference outside Stuyvesant High School Thursday. “I believe this is an individual who should rot in prison the rest of his life.” 

How non viriliter agite, eh?   De Blasio fashions his response to an enemy combatant with a general rule of liberal gobbledygook.  De Blasio -- An Islamic Extremist soldier drove his truck over innocents -- killing eight and wounding many more  -- and you can't see the direct action of lawful purpose, manifesting a cause and effect for the ages?  The actions of this radical deserves being answered like men --  with right reason, just cause, and in absolute order; eye for an eye is the only answer.  It separates the good from the evil with a clear line for all the world to witness.

Oh, there is more to say; but a bit of normalcy is calling my name.  

tempus fugit

time flies....

heavy sigh

I have a job to do, so I must go.

heavy sigh

The distraction will do me good.

heavy sigh

virtus tentamine gaudet

strength rejoices in the challenge

vivere est vincere

to live is to conquer

Make it a Good Day, G