I do not want a gun

There have been many times in my life when people have looked at me in disbelief.  That look has often been followed up with the question, "What kind of American are you?"

What have I done in my life to deserve harsh questioning of my citizen's credentials? Usually, I have revealed  (to both non-Americans and Americans) something that flies in the face of American stereotypes.  For example, I don't put ketchup on my fries (I like mayo).  I also don't drink any type of carbonated soft drink - never have.  Okay, I have one can of ginger ale in my fridge for when I suffer the occasional upset tummy. I have never sued anyone (though with winter upon us, I am looking for an icy patch on which to slip). I don't own a television.  I don't drink coffee. I hate "Black Friday."  I hate football. I am, at best, agnostic. All organized religions give me the creeps.  Bud Light makes me want to vomit.  I'm vegetarian, thus no hamburgers for me. Finally, I have never ever held a gun in my hand.  I have seen guns, but I want nothing to do with them.

I am completely exasperated at the current call for teachers to have guns.  The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary was horrifying.  I have wept uncontrollably at every gut-wrenching story I have read. This shooting, however, nor any of the mass shootings that have come before this make me want to have a gun. I love listening to every wanna-be Dirty Harry talk about how he (in general) would take down the "bad guy." These machismo-heavy pronouncements remind me the power of fiction.

Think about it.  One minute,  we have a guy who has spent his entire adult life teaching teenagers manners and some academic skill (let's say accounting), the next minute we have Rambo, saving innocent lives. He's Bruce Willis, he's Charles Bronson, he's John fucking Wayne, feted by a ticker-tape parade and a trip to Disney. Who knew that Americans lived such vivid fantasy lives?  All this time, I thought we were the most concrete operational people who had ever ruled the planet. I thought Americans saw the world as black or white, with us or against us. I had us pegged as people who lacked nuance and tact.  Such wild fantasies debunk all my beliefs.

Perhaps this is our ultimate problem - we believe our own headline and refuse to read between the lines.  Down deep, we all believe that we, through excessive violence, can save the day. You know, like Jesus did. Or Gandhi. Or Dr. King. Or Sheriff Bull Connor.  Wait, he doesn't belong on that list.  You get my point.

I like the way guns and violence are portrayed in this short clip.  It also contains one of my favorite quotes of all time.

We'll fight them in the Senate!

Today, workers in the state of Michigan suffered a considerable set back when the state house vote to pass "Right to Work" legislation. If you remember my entreaty to vote yes on Proposal 2, there are many problems with "right to work" states. Well, here we are Michigan.

The Senate will take up the bill next week.  According to the AFT, there are a number of state senators who are on the fence about this legislation.  We must put the pressure on now to help them decide which side of the fence to choose.  Call the following senators and please call them often.

District 15 - Mike Kowall  517-373-1758
District 16 - Bruce Caswell  517-373-5932
District 17 - Randy Richardville  517-373-3543
District 20 - Tonya Schuitmaker  517-373-0793
District 22 - Joe Hune  517-373-2420
District 24 - Rick Jones  517-373-3447
District 26 - Phil Pavlov (don't get me started on this guy)  517-373-7708
District 29 - Dave Hildenbrand   517-373-1801
District 31- Mike Green  517-373-1777
District 32 - Roger Kahn   517-373-1760
District 33 - Geoff Hansen   517-373-1635


It doesn't matter where you live, just call these senators to let them know that "right to work" for less legislation is bad for Michigan.

Here is the phone list for all senators.  Heck call as many as you can and keep them on their toes.  If you want to know about your specific senator, take a peek at this map to find your senator.

While you're at it, look at what's coming down the road for public education in Michigan - a parent trigger bill. 

I wonder, once public education is fully in the hand of private, for-profit companies, how long will it be before parents are nickled and dimed on everything except tuition.  Uniforms, you know because we fear children expressing themselves through fashion choices.  Books. Extra-curricular activities.  Locker rentals. I mean, the Steinbeck says, the monster "breathe (sic) profits"

The Wild West and Mrs. Robinson

I am a very busy woman.  My job requires that I do an excessive amount of work and home.  Paper grading has essentially destroyed my social life.

Also, unlike many of my age peers, I became a mom quite late in life (age 37) and still have a young son, not anywhere close to high school graduation.  He's autistic, which requires a lot of time.

Those two factors led me to sign up at a couple of on-line "dating" sites. I have to say, I am not impressed.  One site is a paid site and I have not gotten one date from it.  I am going to cancel my subscription to it and save a few bucks a month. The other site is a freebie and it's like the Wild West.

I had no idea how many young (by young, I mean 25-30) men harbored older women/teacher fantasies. I have received more than a dozen messages from men in that age range. I am charmed and flattered.  Sadly, these gentlemen have no idea how to actually communicate with women.

First on all, they are pretty quick to want to text message.  I feel like texting is the new first base. That's because getting a woman to text a picture is clearly the new second base. Not that the picture sharing is a one way street.  I have received one too many pictures of half naked (and very muscular) torsos - taken in the bathroom mirror. Of course, they want a picture, equally naked, in return.  This is when our conversations come to a crashing halt.  I won't send that kind of picture.  Perhaps if we had been dating for a while and I wanted to get him worked up a bit, I could see myself willing to send a raunchy picture.

I don't want to make any hasty generalizations, but I find this race to raunch disheartening.  I like sex, but the men who are trying to contact me seem to be missing out on the beautiful dance involved in human intimacy. They seem to want porn at their finger tips and to make no intellectual connection.  Why not agree to meet for coffee and then see if there's a spark?  I don't get it. Is this a generational issue?  I cannot compare because very few men my age have contacted me.