Reading Challenge 2009 update

How are we all doing on the Reading Challenge 2009? I've gotten three down and can recommend each one.

Historical Fiction

OR

Both of these books were very enjoyable.

The first was a very interesting braid of two stories of the Mormon church: one of Brigham Young's 19th wife and one of a 21st Century murder by a 19th wife. While I emphasize that this book is fiction, it did peak my interest to learn more about the Mormon beliefs and lifestyle. I do not recommend reading it as a friend of mine did and skip the 21st century story because it seems strange or confusing. You must read the whole book to truly appreciate the story that David Ebershoff has created here.

As for the second, I picked this one up on a whim. Confessions of a Pagan Nun looked to be a quick read and with moving, that was exactly what I was looking for. Suprisingly, I found this book not just to be good but great. The author did a wonderful job introducing to the main character as she a nun looked back over her life to explain how she came to her to Saint Brigit and more importantly if she the convent is the right place for a truly God fearing person? Raised a Druid, Gwyneve, has a deeply spiritual relationship with God and nature. Can a Druid become a nun? or are the two irreconcileable? Should they be reconciled? This is a short read that you will never forget.

A Biography

This book was a little farther off my regular reading diet. Kay Redfield Jamison heroically comes out about her own struggles with mental illness. A psychiatrist herself, Kay, exposes her own battle and I think in the process shows other that they not only can survive with manic-depression but possibly thrive. Although I wish she could have included more writing from her manic or depressed states, she does a brilliant job explaining that clearly I don't fully understand the illness to want such a thing or think that I could understand what it said even if such rantings did exist. I was left in awe of the life that Kay has lived dispite this debilitating disease and admire her for being willing to jeapordize it so that others may hear her tale.

What have you been reading?

Technology on the move - Think Tank

Knowing is important, but predicting and anticipating can open new doors, what are your thoughts based on these opinions and facts?

How Far Have We Come? Black and White Prejudice

I was privileged this weekend to sit in on a diversity seminar for new teachers. The program was wonderful, but I must say that it pointed out that we have not come as far as we think we have. Certainly, we have taken admirable and large steps, but the journey is far from over. This was emphasized not only by the following video, but also by the responses of the participants in the seminar. I found that several people heard and agreed with many of the issues that the speaker highlighted, another group was shocked and appalled that such behavior, opinions, and attitudes still exist, but there was another group adamantly denied that there was such an issue and that even if there were it was not a societal issue but a personal or family issue. Interestingly, I thought that the last group emphasized another part of the talk: when the dominate group is forced to view the world through the lens of a subordinate groups eyes, they may be forced to see that they themselves have perpetuated, complied with, and enforced rules/ behaviors that have cause harm to others. Such a view may be very painful and some may turn away instead of looking directly at it.

I hope that you have the strength to look and discuss the issues:




Note: This video was made by 16 year old filmmaker, Kiri Davis, in 2006 and was repeating an experiment done by Dr. Kenneth Clark in the 1940's.

Taking Proper Pictures to Sell Your House

I haven’t fallen off the planet. We’ve just been completely side tracked trying to find a home and get ours sold. On the positive side, we are finally moving in the right direction. I cannot even tell you how much value our home has lost, but at least things are finally progressing.

Having said that, obviously we have been perusing realtor.com like crazy trying to find our new home. I have become somewhat of an expert about all the listings in our target area. I am amazed at some of the crazy ways that real estate agents show off homes. I wonder if they have ever heard, “put your best foot forward”. I have come by pictures that are formatted incorrectly and appear even smaller than the thumbnail they are already allotted. While I have posted something incorrectly before too, I went back and fixed it as soon as possible. Why would an agent post a picture sideways? And leave it that way? I am also dumbfounded by the toilet pictures.

How does this improve the odds of a sale? Of course, this one also had me scratching my head.

I will try to speak up more often and let you all know what is going on.

Lending America

Would you believe to add to the other day's blog that when DH deposited his check at the bank, the teller told him that we had been pre-authorized for a $5,000 credit card. I give my DH a real hats off when he told them, "NO!" He told them that I had called to reduce our rate, they had refused, and yet now they wanted to offer us more money. Our request would have cost them a couple $100 dollars in interest, but would have secured the principal that we have borrowed. Their offer would extend the principal that we have borrowed and possibly put us in a position that would put the entire borrowed amount in jeapordy.

Will this country never learn? Can't businesses be ethical and profitable? It is time for a new business model. I implore companies to begin to look at how their lending practices can add to their bottom line but at the same time be sensible for their customers and therefore the financial stability of this country as well.

Reading Essays

Well here is another Reading Challenge issued by BooksandMovies.today.com.




This may be the perfect reading challenge for those of you that are not quite out of the diaper and nap times. It is also a good addition to those of us who have a little more time.

Perhaps 2009 should be a time of thinking, a renisance, a renewal of the mind. Certainly we should have always done this, but this past year has emphasized that the world has problems, there are issues in our society that need to be solved. If our society can create i-phones, OnDemand, and blogs then we, each and everyone of us, can start to delve deeper into the problems of our society and begin considering solutions. I believe that the first step toward this is to THINK, to READ, and to DISCUSS. Essays maybe the perfect place to start as well as perhaps listening to some talk radio. Be sure to watch the news in the morning and / or read a paper. Then talk, debate, argue. I am probably preaching to the choir.

Let us Read, Think, Talk, Solve! Then come here and tell us all about your thoughts.

The Financial Forcast by Mr. Sunshine

Mr. Sunshine, Congressional Budget Office Acting Director, is speaking about the Federal Budget deficit & Economic Outlook on C-Span. You can’t make this stuff up. I don’t know about you but the Federal, State, local, and my personal budgets and the word "Sunshine" don’t seem to go together anymore. Synonyms are instead: fear, frustration, gap, depression (psychological issue not monetary / economic issue). It seems that all those who do wrong are being helped and all those that are trying to do right are getting stamped on. I keep joking with the kids that they are experiencing the second depression and that they should remember this.

I feel so badly for the kids because they hear about our lack of money close to every day. I never thought it would be this way. For us, it is a convergence of so many issues: job change, labor dispute, truck problems, house not selling, and retroactive health insurance cancellation. The only sunshine that I can see is friends, family, laughter.

This week, I was very frustrated when I called one of our credit card companies (which shall remain nameless) in an attempt to reduce the rate on our credit card and was refused after a review. When I asked a few months ago, they said that they couldn’t reduce the rate on the card I had BUT I could open ANOTHER card and then transfer the money. I opted NOT to open another card. I waited a few months and called again– given the financial situation, you would think that credit card companies would consider reducing rates on credit cards in an attempt to help those that are paying their bills continue to do so. Instead they are waiting to help until customers are faltering, working with consumer credit companies, or declaring bankruptcy. Doesn’t this seem a little backwards? As she denied me, I thought to myself: let’s see, if you reviewed my accounts (which are paid timely) and I showed more assets, then you would have reduced my rate, but if I had more assets would I need the reduction? The government is giving money to companies that are raping us and we are left paying more to these companies and to paying more taxes. Frankly, I have nothing left to give.

Then to top off this financial week, we dropped our house price another $15,000. When we finally sell on the open market, we may get less and have endured a longer periof of frustration than the house down the street that was forclosed and settled for an amount almost equal to our current sales price. We continue to pay our mortgage and other bills, commute to another state for a job, and the owner of the other houses gets more for walking away from his house then we will get for sticking it out. Granted he still owes money because he took out more equity than the house was worth, but it all seems so backward. For me and my family, our financial sunshine is behind a very big cloud and I swear that cloud is getting darker everyday.


How are you all doing? If any of you have ideas or hints about how we can all get through this financial crisis, I would love to hear your ideas. I know that for us some of the small ways that we have been trying to save money:

- Our thermostat is down to 60 degrees and we are using our wood stove
- We have greatly curtailed our driving. I try not to move the cars for days on end.
- When we bought our new car, we actually bought used and looked for good gas mileage.
- We look for less expensive meals and cheaper foods.