FS 2.3 Spring Is In the Air

Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow but the groundhogs around here are out and about. Now that it is starting to warm up you can see them sunning themselves in the afternoon. So, spring is in the air and with it a get busy, get moving feeling. I was re-energised recently with a visit to a very curious little shop. From the moment I walked in and started speaking to the proprietor I found a little bit of everything that I seek. The shop was filled to brim with odds and ends that I found unique and inviting but the people and their stories, information and willingness to help really stuck with me.

After my outing I went home and dove straight into one of the books I bought that day. This is when things started coming around full circle. My creative muse jumped right out of the closet and bashed me on the head. I allowed her to scream at me just this once,"to stop making excuses, you know you can do this, and the ever so obvious Listen to your inner voice!" Because she is right.

It is a time to plant new seeds on more ways than one. As many of you know the gardening bug hits me pretty hard this time of year and this year will be no exception. I am already starting some plants inside. It is a time to push past the obstacles and negative influences in our lives. Do not give into doubt, rejection, or hurtful remarks. Hold close those near you who support and applaud your time, effort, and ideas. It is time to breathe new life into our everyday by trying fresh new things. So, I say ... go out on that limb and jump right off. Talk to those people who you think are unapproachable, they may surprise you.

So, here it goes my dear friends and readers. I am in the works of starting something wonderful. At this moment I am still getting it off the ground but I will keep you posted and hopefully soon will have a link to send you. All the best!---CK

FS 2.2 Why I Loath and Despise Lexile

For several years now I have had to deal with the Lexile framework for reading program in our local schools. The service this website lexile.com offers is a catalog of books that are placed into reading levels. Kids take tests to show their level of reading and are given a range that they are to read books out of. School libraries shelve the books by the lexile level. So this all sounds well and good to get kids to challenge and improve their reading skills. There is a catch though. If a child finds a book they really want to read it must be within their lexile range and most teachers will take no exceptions. Children who have advanced reading levels for their age and grade are left with books that are too mature in subject matter or not interesting at all. I happen to be a parent to one of these children.

Ever since the Lexile program was integrated in our schools my child has less and less of a desire to read at all. The level my child sits at right now and range assigned to her has also taken away any chance for her to read fundamental classic literature. Basically my kid can read the latest crap novel about teen age romance but she cannot get any credit at school for reading Hemingway, Jack London, Dickens, Poe, H.G.Wells, Ray Bradbury or C.S.Lewis

It is both a blessing and a curse to raise a gifted child. We trust or educational system to ensure that they have the tools and knowledge to equip them for life and further education. I am not saying that it is entirely their responsibility. I take part in my child's education by staying on top of their grades, homework, projects and interests. The Lexile program and the teachers who do not demand that all children have a basic knowledge and exposure to the books, art and ideas expected to be taught in grade school I hold accountable.

I spoke with an educator in the gifted program at our school that dislikes the Lexile program as much as I do. I was informed that many of their "levels" posted for classic literature are based off of adapted versions of these books. This knowledge appalled me. So, when a kid looks up Great Expectations by Charles Dickens the level posted is much lower because it is based off an adapted by Joe Smith version of the book. Way to go Lexile! Thank you for dumbing down the children of our future. ------CK

FS 2.1 Crossing the Line

A story I came across today forces me to cross the line. I told myself I would not post blogs that were either religious or political in nature or content. Knowing that these two subjects turn friends into enemies no matter how harmless the concern or idea.

Today BBC news has posted a story titled, "US Firm To Remove Biblical Reference On Gunsights"

Of course the title got my attention but as I read on I became fuming mad. Here I will break down my side of the story......

The biblical reference in question is written as follows...

2COR4:6 and JN8:12 if you can read that clearly I would like to point out that the actual raised lettering is 2 times smaller and at the end of a stock number.

Trijicon, a company out of Michigan has been making products for the US military for over 20 years. They also supply the UK, Australia and New Zealand and yes the company is owned by a devout Christian. How offensive are these versus?

second Corinthians 4:6

⁶For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

John 8:12

¹²When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I don't know about you but I am not offended by these references at all. They may not be the versus I would choose to display but they are a message of hope and faith. My anger stems from political correctness once again taking away a selfless and human kindness act, a message of hope for those in a place that feels like hell. If anyone needs a message of hope and faith in a time of despair it is our soldiers serving on the front lines. Let us not also forget that 99.9% of soldiers bearing these arms had no idea that these coded references existed on their weapon sights until this story was posted. A particular 11Bravo very close to me included. As for why this story is coming out now after 20 years of people not noticing. Apparently weapons stolen and falling into the hands of our enemies have caused this insane act. So now because the same people shooting at our soldiers are offended we are suppose to change our ways.

Can I get a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!

The shame on you list includes...

ABC news for bringing this one out in the open (first reports)

Welton Gaddy for your asinine quote "Images of American soldiers as Christian crusaders come to mind when they are carrying weaponry bearing such verses," Welton Gaddy said.

This is not a call for "onward Christian soldiers" Mr. Gaddy! No versus are actually written anywhere on the weaponry! Up until this story was broadcast the stamp on the sights 2COR4:6 and JN8:12 didn't mean anything to anyone except the people at Trijicon.

The Interfaith Alliance for claiming that the gunsights clearly violate the laws agains soldiers proselytizing in a predominantly Muslim country.

Can we take a poll and see just how many people were converted to Christianity from 2COR4:6 and JN8:12 being stamped on a weapon sight?

Just when exactly did Americans lose all self respect? Why do we decide to roll over and become everyone else's doormat? Why should we feel the need to cater to those who's goal is to harm and destroy us. From the eternal words of Theodore Roosevelt "The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life."

Let it be known that I am not an overly religious person. I simply stand up for people who are doing good deeds and getting punished for them. Hats off to the people at Trijicon for standing up for their morals and beliefs by placing a coded message that would stand out to those looking for it but not be noticed or offensive to those who do not. Trijicon has gracefully promised to not only stop stamping their message but also send out kits to remove the lettering. Is this the right thing to do? With the pressures and publicity this story has got I can understand their decision. Losing several government contracts could not do well for their business. On the other hand this does not change the fact that the message is out and that publicity alone may damage business for Trijicon. Our demand to make Trijicon stop stamping this code on the weapon sights they produce for our military is the same as slapping someone in the face when they say that they will pray, light a candle, or simply keep a loved one in their thoughts who is deployed with the military. ----CK

FS 2.0 King Reads

Firespark, you sparked my interest to go back and pick up where I left off the Dark Tower series. For those of you who haven't heard ... Word on the street ( http://www.stephenking.com/index.html) is that Mr. King will be working on another novel for this series. Can I get a "hell Yeah!" The working title is... The Wind Through The Keyhole. Hints say that this one may not be directly about Roland but don't let that discourage you. As we all know there is a world of back story to build an epic.

Yesterday, I went to the bookshelf with much excitement and dusted off our copy of Wolves of the Calla. I let the dishes pile up a bit and brewed far too many pots of coffee as I fell back into middle earth. My horoscope for today says it will be very much the same with slight interruptions and something about a turtle of enormous girth.

Other news is that the question was put out to Stephen King fans on facebook ... Which would you like to have first, another middle earth story or a sequel to The Shinning called Doctor Sleep? Do we have to choose Stephen? We are a house divided on this topic. My husband wants another Dark Tower book ASAP. I on the other hand being nostalgic, would really like to see where you can take us from The Shining. The title Doctor Sleep is quite intriguing, no far more than that... I am bouncing with the anticipation of a kid with ADHD. For you Mr. King I will force myself to be patient after all "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."---CK

FS1.9 Another gift of poison from Monsanto

Three GM corn varieties from the makers at Monsanto

First off I must say that there is nothing natural or healthy about a strain of corn that is resistant to caustic herbicides like Round-Up. I think we can all agree that we learned in science class that plants absorb chemicals, minerals, and nutrients from the earth. This is what makes them grow and in turn, makes them nutritious for us to eat. So, basic knowledge would tell us a plant that grown in this condition has absorbed these toxins and now we are going to serve it for dinner. How bad is this for the human body? Well the lab rats that Monsanto tested this on have come down with permeant liver and kidney damage after only 90 days of consuming this corn in their diet. Let us not forget the wonderful corn plant also gets turned into corn syrup which is found in everything from juice and soda to canned fruits and veggies. Corn is the great American filler to so many of our processed foods. Even our pets will be affected as most dog and cat food has a base of corn products. The only good news I can give you is, if you are using biofuel your car it's kidneys and liver are still safe.

Do your own research:

http://weber-farms.com/blog/2010/01/13/unbiased-study-of-three-gm-corn-varieties-on-mammalian-health/

http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm

http://science.slashdot.org/submission/1149908/Organ-damage-in-rats-from-Monsanto-GMO-Corn

FS 1.8 New Year New Rules

It has been awhile since I last blogged.... So it may be a week late but here is the New Year and with it comes new expectations and goals. Happy New Year to you all and I hope that you reach and exceed those goals. I am currently working on a month by month basis to achieve such feats. I find looking too far ahead tends to lead to disappointment, which in turn make it seem less achievable. My list is probably very much like your own. Get fit, get healthy, be productive etc etc etc... I also have a few goals to instill important skills and less frustration in the young people in my life. Less video games more hands on entertainment. and the ever present chores first then fun applies to us all. What we are really reaching for is a new beginning and new motivation. Best of luck in finding all that you seek. CK

A Fish Story I Could Not Resist

Did Something Fishy Cause Benson The Giant Carp To Go Belly Up?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124991924916619783.html?mod=yhoofront