Halloween Re-Cap November 5, 2009
Posted by Beth in Miscellaneous Musings, Personal.Tags: family, musings
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I had a great Halloween!
At the local thrift store, Twice As Nice, I stumbled on a spooky, fun and inexpensive find:
69 cent electric eyeballs that fade from red to blue to green to orange and back. Initially I bought 10 for my daughter’s birthday to give away as a party favor, but we forgot to give them out. The day before Halloween, I went back, expecting them to be all sold out but hit the jackpot. Nobody else seems to have discovered just how cool these eyeballs are–so I bought the rest, about 40 in all. I placed them all along the walk and the stairs up to our front door, and then around the corners of our front porch. Here’s a part of the effect:
The rest of the porch is “decked out” with a variety of ghouls, ghosts and skeletons which I have purchased through the years–almost always the day after Halloween at 50% off. The pirate head is sound-activated and drops down on a string then slowly ascends while calling out gruff and nasty warnings: turn back or face your DOO-O-O-O-O-M. etc. The bat actually flaps its wings and flies around in a circle. And of course there are the obligatory fake spider webs draped all over everything, conveniently sticking to the stucco and hanging potted plants. The more benign decorations are left over from when the kids were younger. It seems their fascination with ugly and dead has only grown through the years.
Just as last year, my kids had great costumes. This year, Eva was a 1940’s pin-up girl, complete in black and white. Ben was another anime character, this time Wolfwood from Trigun.
For the past few years, they’ve gone out on their own with friends while Jon and I get to stay at home and hand out candy, checking out all the creative costumes as the kids traipse through our neighborhood. For two hours, the doorbell is constantly ringing, and the street is flowing with trick-or-treaters. We probably had over 100 come to our door. I am always careful to buy lots of candy, saving all the good stuff (Heath bars, Reece’s cups, dark chocolate kisses) for last so if when I over estimate, it’s only another plus!
As a final treat for you readers, I link to an article that looks at Halloween as a lesson in economics: an opportunity to experience the value and benevolence of free trade!
Halloween and its Candy Economy
I know I sure got my share of enjoyment in exchange for the sweets I gave away!!
Your Founding Father September 17, 2009
Posted by Beth in Miscellaneous Musings, Politics, Uncategorized.Tags: musings, Politics
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“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America.”
– Preamble To The United States Constitution
Just in case you missed it at the bottom of 3 Ring Binder’s post “Memorizing the Preamble:
Celebrate the Constitution and find out which Founding Father you’re most like.
–Then let me know which one you are most like!
(I am most like Madison.)
“Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression.
In our Governments the real power lies in the majority of the community, and the invasion of private rights is chiefly to be apprehended, not from acts of Government contrary to the sense of its constituents, but from acts in which the Government is the mere instrument of the major number of the Constituents.”
– James Madison, (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President, Source: in a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1788
Lady Justice May 2, 2009
Posted by Beth in Art.Tags: Art, musings
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Statue of Justice from St. Louis University School of Law
I came across this bronze when looking for an image to accompany a post on my poly-econ site. I love it so much that I wanted to share it with those of you who just visit me here. What thrills me is the strength and energy the sculptor portrays. Most if the time, Lady Justice is a calm, passive figure who presents the scales as the center of attention. If present, the sword is draped at her side, ready at hand, but held relaxed and in reserve—just in case. This image reminds me that justice is an active force, not just a passive judgment. To be of real value, one must judge and then act on that judgment. Judge, and prepare to be judged.
Justice is the identification of vice and virtue, and then acting in concert with that identification–with admiration and praise of the good equal in importance to condemnation of evil. The more important the principle at stake, the more vigorous one must be in it’s identification and defense.
My logo for Aisa Academy is the Scales of Justice, one pan labelled “fact,” the other “value,” accomapnied by the motto “Ideas Matter.” I am realizing now that the statue above is more complete. The scales represent the judgment, the blindfold represents impartiality, but the sword represents the follow through, the action required to implement one’s impartial judgment. All three are essential and so elegantly captured above.
Addendum 5-28-09: LB located the artist, James Muir, for me . Thanks! The official title fo the work is “…and Jusice for All.“ See the comments to this post for more info on the piece.
Free Will and the Pursuit of Happyness April 18, 2009
Posted by Beth in Miscellaneous Musings.Tags: musings
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I don’t know a lot about Chris Gardner, but what I know I like. He’s the real life protagonist in the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” which if you haven’t seen it, the time to do it is now.
Mr. Gardner is coming out with a new book, Start Where You Are. I just love that title–for me it speaks volumes. Gardner has a website with a series of video clips. A couple of my favorites is below. In it he emphasizes taking responsibility for your own life, and for your own happiness. By starting where you are, you stay focused on reality. Great concepts. Inspirational to see how he applies them.
Global Warming: Was it Ever Really a Crisis? March 2, 2009
Posted by Beth in Miscellaneous Musings.Tags: musings, Politics
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Hundreds protest Global Warming
This was sent to me in an email from a friend, who got it from another friend, and so on, so I am unable to give it proper attribution. Let me know if you come across the originator’s name. I would love to give him/her credit.
On this subject, I would like to alert those interested in this topic to the existence of a conference which will occur next weekend in New York City: The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change “Global Warming: Was it ever really a crisis?” March 8-10 NYC The Marriott Marquis
I attended the one last year and found it very informative and encouraging. It was exciting to see and meet several of the authors whose scientific works and blogs I had been reading– Willie Soon, Bill Gray, Patrick Michaels, Roy Spencer, Ross McKitrick–and the absolute highlight of the conference, the keynote speech by Vaclav Klaus. So much was going on, it was hard to choose which lectures to attend. I really regret not being able to attend this year, but since I am “self-funded” -it is a luxury I cannot quite justify after seeing our savings shrink in half. This year Richard Lindzen is speaking–perhaps the one major dissenting climate scientist who was absent from last years program. I regret I will not get to hear him speak.
If you are interested in listening to any of the talks from last years conference, you can access them here. I especially recommend the talks by McKitrick, Spencer, Gray and Klaus–though many others were very worthwhile.
In addition to the conference, I ventured out on my own and learned how to use the subway–no small accomplishment for this rural girl– so I could visit the Met–another wonderful experience. I also was able to meet up with my brother-in-law who lives in NYC. Well, maybe if the economy turns around, I can attend next year…..
Or better yet, enough people will hear what these scientists and economists have to say, and there won’t be a need for such a conference.
I can hope an dream, can’t I?
