Strange Dream

Unlike Freud and Jung, I give little credence to the validity of dreams outside of the realm of sleep.

But last night gave me pause to reflect on what dreams may really mean, in terms of the body communicating with the mind.

My dream consisted of being a student. I was working on a worksheet. Strangely, I was the teacher and also the student. Someone said that the worksheet was very hard, so I decided to sit down and work out the answers myself.

While the majority of the worksheet was incredibly easy, I was baffled by a particular word. The word that I kept seeing and saying to myself was syncope.

Strangely, syncope is a medical term. I knew that in my dream; however, I couldn't relate it to the history worksheet that I was completing. I scanned through the chapter in the textbook that the worksheet covered. I could read the other words, but no sign of syncope. Being a dutiful student, I turned to the glossary. No help there. Then I turned to the index, feeling more anxious and confused. Still, there was no help.

I knocked the book off of the table where I was working. I wrote down, it deals with the heart and fainting.

Ironically, the feelings that I had in the dream were signs of syncope!

What does it mean? Was my dream attempting to tell me about something going on in my body? Is it a foreboding message?

Merry Christmas to me!

Christmastime

Finally, a holiday for all the unwed teenage mothers.

Merry Christmas!

Hugs and Sexual Harassment

A 17-year-old Georgia high school student was suspended from school over a hug he gave to his teacher. Depending on who you ask, you get different versions about whether it was consensual with butterfly kisses, sexual, or just plain innocent.

As a teacher, I have a very strong view on this issue.

I teach adolescents who are learning about their bodies and its new capabilities. That's just nature. I can't control that beast. My steadfast rule is that you don't touch me and I don't touch you.

Certainly, I would never tolerate a student giving me a "hug" from behind or a "clingy" hug. There are exceptions, of course, to every steadfast rule. I have been known to allow a student a side-hug, in the view of another teacher, if the situation allows it and they initiate it. Let's face it, if it were the other way around, the mobs would be out in full force to put that teacher on a rail and run her out of town.

At 17, I would fully expect that a student would be able to control himself, even if he is from a family that "hugs." Not everyone is from that sort of family and, unfortunately, hugs can quickly escalate into something much more sinister, whether it is overt or covert. There is nothing like a good scandal to get the tongues a-waggin'!

I also teach my students that "no" means no. If someone tells you to stop doing something, whether it is physical or verbal, and they continue that behavior then it is undeniably harassment (shades thereof are open to context). Tried and true, as I like to say.

If a student gives you a hug, and you feel uncomfortable, then I believe a teacher (or anyone) is fully within his/her rights to say "no." It is something that students are not used to hearing. They perceive it as not applying to them, because they are only capable of seeing to the tip of their nose.

The bottom-line is that I don't want to become the main story on CNN's website!

The Walking Dead

Am I the only person who watches AMC's The Walking Dead, but secretly wished that I didn't?

I started watching this series at the end of season 2, at the recommendation of a friend. I watched it on Netflix and then caught up with season 3 through iTunes. Now, I'm officially on the full-strength formula via AMC.

It was a very promising series. It was full of cut-throat, zombie-slashing action that cut straight to the chase. There was never a dull moment. People were dying left-and-right. Then, after I wished they would take refuge in the prison, they did.

In prison, they we remain.

I feel like a prisoner on Sunday nights. Instead of living vicariously through these dystopian do-gooders, I am now forced to face the humdrum possibility that the "end of the world" won't be very exciting after all.

Some Sunday nights I secretly think to myself, "I wish I'd blown up in the CDC building in Atlanta."

Of course, please don't tell my friends. On the other-hand, they may agree with me.

What stops a thief from stealing a car?

I was reading through some of Yahoo!'s usual news filler this morning, and I noticed an article that really made me chuckle out-loud. It would seem that the best security feature any car can have is a garage.

Originally, the article made me click on it because I thought it was going to discuss sophisticated anti-theft options on the vehicles. Instead, it made numerous references to "soccer moms" and the "suburbs," which I found a little less like anti-theft for my vehicle and more about what's chic for the modern-day suburban soccer mom to drive around her babies. (Unfortunately, the Chevy Suburban did make the cut. I suppose it doesn't fit so well in those cookie-cutter houses' garages in the 'burbs!)

Boredom

How do you really know when you're bored? You log on to Yahoo! Messenger. The scary part is that you remember your username and password. Then you realize some of your old "friends" are logged on too!

Awkward.

Let's Shut It Down

Shut 'er down, boys! She's had enough.

I think it's about time for the government to shut down for a while. It's worked so hard for the good of the American people over the last many long years.

The only thing is it is driving down my stocks!

It's 3am and a phone is ringing in the White House...

I am reminded of that famous Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign commercial today. It sounds like there is a phone (probably a lot of them) ringing at the White House as I type this. Who is answering that phone?

The President has scheduled an address from the White House today at 1:15pm. He has also done due diligence by contacting the Senate and House leadership, which is customary before an attack on a foreign nation. I think all of the indicators are there to support the fact that the United States has already carried out some sort of assault against assets inside of Syria.

America is not ready for another war, even if it doesn't involve "boots on the ground." We can barely tread water as things stand today. I am saddened that people are dying in Syria, but it is hardly the responsibility of the United States to do anything about it. The proverbial can of worms will soon spill over and we will be left with a much larger mess to actually clean up in the end!

What Embassies are Closed?

Out of curiosity, I did a search to see which embassies across the Middle East and Africa were closed in light of a "major" insurrection by Al-Qaeda. My search yielded that perhaps there isn't a clear answer. Google couldn't give me a straight answer (I almost fainted), so I decided to go to the one place that should have an available list for the public to purview: the United States Department of State.

On the State Department's website, the individual conducting the press interview about the situation indicated that he didn't have a list in front of him. I guess he didn't think the question would arise. I find this strangely odd, considering I was led to believe that Al-Qaeda was a thing of the past. (Does anyone remember 9/11 and the War on Terror?)

For now, I'm stuck with the line I found on CNN.com: major threats are in the "Middle East, Africa and beyond..."

Should that level of vagueness make me feel safe? I suppose this is another example of the government knows best.

The new chic

It seems the new way to die is in an anonymous hotel room. We have examples like Whitney Houston, and now this guy from Glee.

(I think I must be the only homosexual male in the Northern Hemisphere not to watch that show.)

George Zimmerman acquitted

Florida pariah George Zimmerman was found not guilty by a jury of his peers for the 2nd degree murder of Travyon Martin.

For some reason I am not surprised!

Egypt Coup

What we've learned about the "new" Egypt is that if the people don't like you, the military will step in and fire your ass!

The military informed President Mohamed Morsy, as of 7pm local time, that he was no longer the president of Egypt. Further, they dissolved the nation's parliament and suspended its constitution. According to reports, the military council has formed an interim civil government, until the specifics of the forward process can be hashed out.

I know the pharaohs are spinning in their tombs!

Gay Marriage, DOMA, & SCOTUS

If there will be a landmark opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding same-sex marriage it certainly came when the court struck down key provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In addition, the Supreme Court vacated the order of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, regarding California's controversial Proposition 8, which now makes it legal to marry in California for same-sex couples.

Perhaps, this Supreme Court make-up works in some fashion. We saw liberal justices partnering with conservative justices, and vice-versa, to render these landmark decisions.

In other news, I heard some people say they were going to move to Canada over this.

Such a comment only shows individual ignorance, considering same-sex marriage is legal in Canada! Good luck with that!

Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for All

I'm going to jump head-first into the National Security Agency (NSA) and Edward Snowden maelstrom.

As I write this post, I have my leather bound copy of the United States Constitution setting next to me on my desk; it comforts me. It is a reminder of what this nation was/is/will become. Humbly, I believe that those individuals who drafted this most remarkable document would be appalled with what our government is currently doing. Our government is keeping tabs on terrorists, and now it is keeping tabs on law-abiding American citizens, because, you know, just because. It's no biggie! Or so they would have us believe.

Since 9/11, we as a nation have given our heart and tears to those people who died during this most unfortunate event. We, too, as a nation have grieved the losses of soldiers in the field of battle in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, we as a nation must now give our very soul to the machine that drives us closer and closer to an information controlled society. Isn't that exactly what the terrorists of 9/11 wanted?

Unfortunately, they wanted a country that embraced individual freedom above all else to suddenly become a country controlled by xenophobes, who were willing to take from us our most precious personal liberties: freedom of speech, freedom from unlawful search and seizure, and due process of the law. They didn't believe that by flying those planes into the World Trade Center it would cause the collapse of our government or force a coup within our government. But they understood very well that such an act may scare the American people into accepting restrictions of their liberties in the name of protection and safety. That's what they feared most about us as a nation: the rule of law.

If my government must keep a list of who I call, text, and email, without my expressed consent or legal due process for just cause, then I'm not sure I need that government. That's the bottom line. I do not concede my personal liberties or personal choices to the United States of America. I do not believe it is most capable of deciding how I live my life or with whom I communicate.

I am reminded earnestly of the Gestapo of Nazi Germany and the STASI of East Germany, which both gathered information on its citizens in the name of "just because." If we allow this action to go unchecked the next logical step may be to set up a toll-free number for people to call in and report their neighbors, friends, and relatives for suspicious activities. Then, there will be visits by black cars in the middle of the night. Perhaps, people will go missing for hours, days, or forever.

People say that Edward Snowden is a traitor, but perhaps he is a patriot. We use that word a lot (not as much as we used it after 9/11) to describe people who I would hardly classify as a patriot. Like the Founding Fathers, he has put his personal fortune and very life on the line to expose an injustice within the highest echelons of our national government. I applaud him for his sacrifice. I hope that a Western European country will take him in and protect him from the unconstitutional covert fallout that is certainly heading his way.

Will we has Americans heed his selfless warning?

Signed,

A natural born, tax-paying citizen of the United States of America

P.S. I'm sure this post will be collected, analyzed, and stored by the NSA.

Skin Report (Acne and Keratosis Pilaris)

I spent part of my day at the dermatologist's office. Yes, I like to go there, because for once in my life I can feel positive about something personal. I used Accutane (isotretnoin) for many months to get rid of my prepubescent, pubescent, and adult acne. Although, it is all gone, I still take a smaller dose of the drug as maintenance. It keeps my skin smooth and soft, limits oil production, and increases collagen production.

BUT...As the saying goes, "The Lord giveth and taketh away."

It would seem that a possible side-effect of using the isotretnoin is an exacerbation of an inherited skin trait (thanks Dad), called keratosis pilaris. It was one of those minor things I noticed when I took my shirt off and saw my upper arms. My arms looked as if they had a rash of hard, reddish pustules. From what I can gleen about the skin condition, my skin reproduces skin cells at an accelerated rate (sort of sounds like cancer). Then, the new skin pushes the old skin up, which forms little mounds of dead, unshed skin.

It really wasn't a problem until it started to show up on my forearms. I have noticed in recent weeks (and months) that my forearms are developing the same pustules. The same can be said for other parts of my body, such as my chest, abdomen, and the backs of my thighs. People see my forearms, if I am not wearing a long-sleeved shirt. In short sleeves, it looks like I have a rash on my arms. I've been asked if I have poison ivy. To say the least, it's embarrassing.

Before I go any further, I need to disclose another skin condition that I have, called eczema. During my previous trip to the dermatologist, I had a nasty case of eczema on my left forearm. It was red, scaly and hateful. To ease my discomfort--and increase my sympathy factor--I told people, if they asked, that I was a burn survivor. Yes, it looked that bad! The dermatologist treated that with a combination of triamcinolone acetonide cream, with Cetaphil as a vehicle, Locoid Lipocream, and Clobex. My forearm, as far as the eczema goes looks brand new. No hyperpigmentation or scarring, just fresh, smooth skin.

Today, she thought it was possible that the triamcinolone acetonide (which is a topical steroid) could have caused the keratosis pilaris outbreaks on my forearms. So no more of that for my arms. I am now using a new skin care regimen consisting of a keratolytic emollient, Hylatopic Plus Cream, Uramaxin 45% Cream, and Locoid Lipocream. (As a side note: I found out that Hylatopic is sometimes used to treat the skin of cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.)

And, yes, I'm still taking isotretnoin, like a boss!

Chatty Car

I suppose some people may think it is good for your car to tell you its problems. I agree...sort of.

It's fine to let me know that a problem may exist, but it doesn't have to tell me every time I tap the brake, or even start the ignition.

I have a Mercedes ML350. It likes to tell me that it needs the rear lights fixed, it needs the brakes fixed, and it wants me to check its oil level.

Okay?

Those are all things I'll get around to eventually (I hope). But, for example, each time you touch the brakes an annoying beep sound goes off and a reminder message goes up on the dashboard screen about the brakes! It doesn't matter if it has told me that 40 times in the last ten minutes; it's going to do it!

Come on! What happened to cars that just threw up a vague symbol on the dash and left you guessing?

Adderall at Betty Ford

I think the very definition of an addiction is a psychological and/or physiological inability to function without a chemical (i.e., drug).

So, if I cannot go to rehab for 90-days without my Adderall (amphetamine salts), then that may point to a larger problem. I sometimes suffer from attention deficit disorder, but that is hardly a reason for me to start taking Adderall.

With that said, there may come a day when I am sent to rehab for a few of my addictions, but I doubt that I can find a facility to accommodate my other addictions, while I'm attempting to kick-the-bucket on another one!

I wonder how my Betty Ford conversation would go?

"Hi. Yes, I'm calling about one of your dependency programs. I have a problem with alcohol. But here's the thing: If I can't double my dose of Xanax to get off of alcohol, then I can't use your facility's program. Oh, really? So, you're saying I can't take Xanax while in rehab. Hmm? That's strange, because it looks like to me you could use one drug problem to help you with another drug problem. Good-bye!"

Bottom line: Unless I can drink alcohol while I'm weaning off of my Xanax, or vice-versa, then I'm not going to rehab.

Sorry. Case closed.

North Korea

We've all heard a lot about this xenophobic little country that sits on the other side of the world. Its neighbor to the south has been threatened, along with the United States, with harsh militaristic tactics.

The threat of "nuclear" war is imminent, according to the propaganda machine of North Korea.

Kim Jong Un, the untested boy, who inherited his power from his father and grandfather, is trying to fill some really big (er...) shoes by picking a fight with the biggest bully on the block (i.e., the United States).

Here's what I think:

1. The Chinese aren't doing much to calm down the rhetoric spewing from the Korean Peninsula, which makes it harder to swallow for countries like the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.

2. The United States seems to be stirring in the pie, too, by sending in fighter jets to South Korea and beefing up its missile detection network in the Pacific. This only serves to encourage Kim.

3. If the United States is going to "up" the stakes, then it needs to make it a real life exercise. With the blessing--or disinterest of China--the United States needs to take care of business by either withdrawing its beefed up operations in the region; thereby, calling Kim's bluff. Or, simply carpet-bomb the little third world country back to the Chinese border, starting at the DMZ and pushing northward.

This would show them that the "boiled pumpkin" really does have teeth and knows how to use them. I know it is cruel for the innocent people who are stuck between a rock and China, but it really is the only way to give this little country a chance for any kind of new start in the international community.

I'm not advocating an occupation. It is more of a calling card: "Hi, we received your message and dropped by. If you want to see us again, just use our name on the television...or drop a note-in-a-bottle into the sea! See ya, Uncle Sam."

Easter

On this holiest of holy days, I want to reflect on probably something I have probably already said at some other time and/or some where else.

Facebook is a good place to keep in touch with people, but it is also a good place to be reminded of how foolish people can be. I am far from the most religious/spiritual person on the planet, but I don't take take out of my day (irony here) to tell people about it by plastering their Facebook walls with countless posts.

Whereas, Christmas has a since of joviality and the spirit of giving (and, yes, a virgin birth for good measure), Easter is simply a day to celebrate something that to me is quite absurd to me: execution, burial and resurrection.

So what's my point?

Were people executed by crucifixion? Yes.

Were people buried in caves/tombs? Sure.

Did someone come back from the dead after a crucifixion? Nope.

Yes, Easter is more about the eggs and bunny rabbits, for me. After all, Easter was originally a pagan celebration of fertility (duh, it's spring). I'll take my fertile little bunnies and life-giving chickens' eggs over the belief that some Jewish person chose to die for my sins, had to be buried for three days, and then brought back miraculously from the dead for all the world to marvel, even 2,000+ years later!

Pope Francis

During the second day of Conclave, the cardinals elected an Argentine as the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the first pope to be elected from Latin America.

Hugo Chavez Dead

Venezuela's vice president, Nicolas Maduro, has announced the death of the country's president, Hugo Chavez.

Now what will happen to the price of oil?

Benedict XVI Renounces Papacy

I suppose there is some consolation that one person can see that he or she is not fit for the job they have and do the right thing by stepping aside. It would seem that Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ, and fisherman of men, will stand down from his position as the head of the world's Roman Catholic Church on February 28.

His successor will be selected by 118 cardinals, or Princes of the Church. Of the 118, Benedict has appointed 67.

What do you call it? Resignation? Abdication?

According to his own words, the Pope is "renouncing" it. He's casting it off. His burden is lifted.

There be kings here!

Who knew that a king's final resting place could be under a parking lot?

It would seem that fate was true for English King Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet family to rule, who died in battle over 500 years ago.

This only proves that in the end we are nothing but bones wedged under someone else's dirt. It's still terribly interesting!

"Why I Raise My Children Without God"

I found an article (iReport) on CNN that I really enjoyed reading. It spoke to many of the same feelings I have, although not as a parent, about God. As a child, I believed in God not out of his ability to be rational or fair, or out of love, but out of fear of what would happen to me if I failed to do so. I was taught that God was behind every bush and corner, and we never knew when he would spring out and cast us into Hell for any minor transgression. Growing up led me to the realization that God is no different than the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, or Jack Frost. It's just that somewhere along the way, our ancestors forgot to inform us that God was a similar imaginary figure. God may not be such a terrible concept, if he wasn't so violent and full of malice. God teaches hate, and makes those who do hate bold. If only everyone could agree to simply love and accept each other unconditionally. I tell children that everyday: Simply accept each other as we are. (I think there may be a hymn about that.)

 

I did not write nor do I own the following material. It is available, as of the date of this blog's publishing, at: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-910282

 

 

God is a bad parent and role model.

If God is our father, then he is not a good parent. Good parents don’t allow their children to inflict harm on others. Good people don’t stand by and watch horrible acts committed against innocent men, women and children. They don’t condone violence and abuse. “He has given us free will,” you say? Our children have free will, but we still step in and guide them.

God is not logical.

How many times have you heard, “Why did God allow this to happen?” And this: “It’s not for us to understand.” Translate: We don’t understand, so we will not think about it or deal with the issue. Take for example the senseless tragedy in Newtown. Rather than address the problem of guns in America, we defer responsibility to God. He had a reason. He wanted more angels. Only he knows why. We write poems saying that we told God to leave our schools. Now he’s making us pay the price. If there is a good, all-knowing, all-powerful God who loves his children, does it make sense that he would allow murders, child abuse, wars, brutal beatings, torture and millions of heinous acts to be committed throughout the history of mankind? Doesn’t this go against everything Christ taught us in the New Testament?

The question we should be asking is this: “Why did we allow this to happen?” How can we fix this? No imaginary person is going to give us the answers or tell us why. Only we have the ability to be logical and to problem solve, and we should not abdicate these responsibilities to “God” just because a topic is tough or uncomfortable to address.

God is not fair.

If God is fair, then why does he answer the silly prayers of some while allowing other, serious requests, to go unanswered? I have known people who pray that they can find money to buy new furniture. (Answered.) I have known people who pray to God to help them win a soccer match. (Answered.) Why are the prayers of parents with dying children not answered?

If God is fair, then why are some babies born with heart defects, autism, missing limbs or conjoined to another baby? Clearly, all men are not created equally. Why is a good man beaten senseless on the street while an evil man finds great wealth taking advantage of others? This is not fair. A game maker who allows luck to rule mankind’s existence has not created a fair game.

God does not protect the innocent.

He does not keep our children safe. As a society, we stand up and speak for those who cannot. We protect our little ones as much as possible. When a child is kidnapped, we work together to find the child. We do not tolerate abuse and neglect. Why can’t God, with all his powers of omnipotence, protect the innocent?

God is not present.

He is not here. Telling our children to love a person they cannot see, smell, touch or hear does not make sense. It means that we teach children to love an image, an image that lives only in their imaginations. What we teach them, in effect, is to love an idea that we have created, one that is based in our fears and our hopes.

God Does Not Teach Children to Be Good

A child should make moral choices for the right reasons. Telling him that he must behave because God is watching means that his morality will be externally focused rather than internally structured. It’s like telling a child to behave or Santa won’t bring presents. When we take God out of the picture, we place responsibility of doing the right thing onto the shoulders of our children. No, they won’t go to heaven or rule their own planets when they die, but they can sleep better at night. They will make their family proud. They will feel better about who they are. They will be decent people.

God Teaches Narcissism

“God has a plan for you.” Telling kids there is a big guy in the sky who has a special path for them makes children narcissistic; it makes them think the world is at their disposal and that, no matter what happens, it doesn’t really matter because God is in control. That gives kids a sense of false security and creates selfishness. “No matter what I do, God loves me and forgives me. He knows my purpose. I am special.” The irony is that, while we tell this story to our kids, other children are abused and murdered, starved and neglected. All part of God’s plan, right?

When we raise kids without God, we tell them the truth—we are no more special than the next creature. We are just a very, very small part of a big, big machine–whether that machine is nature or society–the influence we have is minuscule. The realization of our insignificance gives us a true sense of humbleness.

I understand why people need God. I understand why people need heaven. It is terrifying to think that we are all alone in this universe, that one day we—along with the children we love so much—will cease to exist. The idea of God and an afterlife gives many of us structure, community and hope.

I do not want religion to go away. I only want religion to be kept at home or in church where it belongs. It’s a personal effect, like a toothbrush or a pair of shoes. It’s not something to be used or worn by strangers. I want my children to be free not to believe and to know that our schools and our government will make decisions based on what is logical, just and fair—not on what they believe an imaginary God wants.

Barack Obama takes his second (third) oath of office

In what was a very low key event, held in the Blue Room of the White House, Barack Obama officially began his second term as president of the United States shortly before noon today.

This time they did not "flubbed" the oath of office.

The ceremony with all the "pomp and ceremony" begins tomorrow, since today is Sunday.

Trillion Dollar Coin

The recent uproar over the "trillion dollar coin" has brought up some economic questions for me, as a person and teacher.

My students have asked me in the past how come we can't just print more money and let people have it to spend how they see fit. It sounds like a stupid idea, on the surface, but it would seem that our government might be willing to do it.

My go to response is that money has to have a guarantee of its worth. I suppose since we know longer use a gold standard, it is merely the word of the Federal Reserve that the money is good for whatever its face-value may be.

In essence, I suppose a platinum trillion dollar coin is a solution...from a child's perspective. If the government can do that, why not simply strike a $17,000,000,000,000 coin and pay off the national debt with a brand new surplus in the Treasury?

We really can have our cake and eat it too!