Welcome to Small Reflections


"Nothing is ever achieved without enthusiasm."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Duck photo source: Lisa's Chaos
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Giraffe Journal

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both self-hosted at WordPress
where I publish as myself
rather than under a
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I've not had much time for posting or blog visits, but if you're interested I hope you'll find time to check out my new blog, Giraffe Journal or my Labyrinth Journal website ... both self hosted at WordPress.

Thanks for your visit and have a delightful day ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Saturday Morning Musings ...

Make Time for Small Reflections
NaBloPoMo-Day22
An excellent holiday idea for your consideration
In case you missed it the first time around, there's still time to participate in the Holiday Mail for Heroes program sponsored by the American Red Cross.
Click the link for specific & important guidelines to ensure your cards can be passed along to service members, veterans, and their families rather than being returned to sender.

The goal is to collect and distribute one million holiday cards to spread holiday cheer and facilitate thanks to these brave individuals and families. Please send signed cards to the address below, postmarked no later than Wednesday December 10th.

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Additional things on my mind today ...
Today is Billie Jean King's birthday. She was born in Long Beach, California in 1943 & started playing tennis at the age of 11. Over the course of her career she won 20 Wimbledon titles and four
US Lawn Tennis women's singles matches. In 1973 she defeated Bobby Riggs in 'a battle of the sexes' and remains a inspirational force to many.

Others born on this date include novelist George Eliot (born Mary Ann Evans 1819-1880), comedian Rodney Dangerfield, actress & author Jamie Lee Curtis, tennis star Boris Becker, and actor Mark Ruffalo.

On this date in 1963, I was on the campus of East Los Angeles Junior College when I learned that JFK had been assassinated ... and over the course of the next few days, the nation mourned.
No radio or television stations were covering the motorcade through Dallas so the only film record came from an amateur camera man named Abraham Zapruder who recorded the 26.6 seconds before, during, and immediately afterwards on 8mm film.

What stark contrast to the restraint exercised by the media in those days as compared with the daily visual bombardment of violence on news programs & in TV programming (with the notable exception of violent footage from Iraq and/or coverage of wounded & dead soldiers returning to the US) ... and the violent images in films, on MTV, and in video games.

I'm reminded of what Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) predicted in his 1964 book UNDERSTANDING MEDIA: The Extensions of Man resulting in the famous slogan, 'the medium is the message' ... in which he suggested television would alter the structure & working of the human mind forever.

Reminding myself there's good & bad in everything ... I do sometimes wonder about the minds of adults who as infants spent hours entertained by television images from their infant seats rather than exploring their environment first hand with real objects.

I'm planning to plant
these two flats of pansies this weekend ...

A little humor from Comedy Central
... just because ;--)
Death Row in a Women's Prison Three women are about to be executed. One''s a brunette, one''s a redhead, and one''s a blonde. The guard brings the brunette forward and the executioner asks if she has any last requests. She says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready! Aim!"

Suddenly the brunette yells, "EARTHQUAKE!!!"

Everyone is startled and throws themselves on the ground while she escapes.

The guard brings the redhead forward and the executioner asks if she has any last requests. She say no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready! Aim!"

Suddenly the redhead yells, "TORNADO!!!"

Everyone is startled and looks around for cover while she escapes.

By now the blonde has it all figured out. The guard brings her forward and the executioner asks if she has any last requests. She says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready! Aim!"

And the blonde yells, "FIRE!!!"

Small Reflections, Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages." Thomas A. Edison

9 comments:

Martha said...

Those pansies are so pretty. Hope you'll share photos of them in your garden soon :-)

Kara said...

Thanks for the card idea. I love that. I'm gonna make some cards this week to send. Oh and I laughed at the joke too....hee, hee....

Pamela said...

two years ago I did nablopomo
and after that I decided it would be NO mo blo po ha ha.

Jo, a retired teacher said...

I worry that the media determines the message and is no longer just the way we get information. Now the people who are in control of media decide what we should know. Fortunately, there are lots of kinds of media for those who go looking.

The joke is cute and I have a long-time friend who fits those blonde jokes perfectly.

There is a book called Endangered Minds that addresses the changes in brains--good and bad.

Roan said...

Loved the joke. Thanks for the laugh. Interesting musings, and thought for the day. BJ

Anonymous said...

Your mention of infants in their infant seats in front of television sets brings to mind what I'd see when I'd visit a relative's house. Her children spent their waking hours, nearly from birth, sat in front of a television. They had TVs in their bedrooms for almost as long. Neither one reads for pleasure nor has plans for college. These kids are contemporaries of my two children and the difference is startling.

Hootin Anni said...

Ahhhhhhhhh, yes. The weather is cooling down enough to replant the pansies. I do so love those flowers!!

Oh my, I so remember the Bobby Riggs and B J King matches. Wonderful memories of such a great sport. That is when I used to play a lot of tennis myself. Well, with my sister as my opponent.

Have a glorious day today. My Sunday blog is part one of the Ranch hand breakfast at King's Ranch. Too much to write about so, I'm breaking it up in parts. LOL

kitten said...

Pretty pics and loved the joke.

Karen said...

Oh no, a dumb blonde joke--you're so funny storyteller!

I've tried really hard to not let Nathan watch tv to excess--but it can be so hard, especially when you're a stay at home mom with no family nearby. Sometimes, the only break you get is to plop them in front of the tv! I console myself with the fact, however, that we are not a family who has the tv constantly on--and we only watch "grown-up" tv when he's in bed. Hopefully, PBS and the gentle shows on Noggin won't have harmed him!

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