finger eleven - Paralyzer

How to Follow and Comment on this Blog:)

I'm new to blogging, as I've learned some of you are, so I don't feel so dumb:) SO, I decided to write a little instructional note to help out! (See...we're learning together again! Told ya that's what this blog's about!:)

1- To the left side of the screen you will see an icon that says, "Follow." Click that.

2- A box will open with several ID options (Twitter, Google, AIM, Yahoo, Netlog,
OpenID). If you are reading this, you have at LEAST one of these accounts:)

3- Select which account you wish to use. Click that button. (Ex: Click Twitter:)

4- Sign into the account you chose.

That's it! You're a "follower." You are NOW prepared to...COMMENT!

At the bottom of each blog entry, there is a box marked "Comment." Oddly enough, if you click on that button? A box pops up and allows you to enter your idea! (This of course provides that you are already a "follower" and "signed in." You can also play with the widgets like "share" or check "funny" or whatever...:)

Lastly, if you see a particular post you would like to keep track of comments about or to the blog just in general, you can "subscribe," and when new comments are entered, you will be informed by e mail (or sign up for the feed).

I think that covers the basics?? If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to ask. I might not know the answer, but I can find out:)

AR & Don't ask. Don't Tell.

Here goes...a couple of months back, I wrote to my two Arkansas Senators, Mark Pryor & Blanche Lincoln inquiring about their individual stance on the "DADT" policy. I did receive computer generated responses from both. Here is Senator Pryor's response:

Dear Ms. Langley-Higdon,
Thank you for contacting me regarding our country's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the armed forces. I appreciate hearing from you. As you may know, in June of 2010, the Senate Armed Services Committee adopted a compromise amendment by Senator Lieberman that would repeal the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy currently in effect for U.S. military personnel, but only after certification by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that a replacement policy could be implemented without affecting military readiness. Earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, announced a working group within the Department of Defense to evaluate the impact and plan for the implementation of a full repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The report is to solicit input from service members at all levels and is scheduled to be completed by December 1, 2010. I believe military input into this decision is crucial. Readiness should be our highest priority in making decisions that affect the military. That's why I must vote against repealing the policy if it comes to a vote before the views of the military have been fully and fairly considered. I will be sure to keep your views in mind as this issue comes before the full Senate. Again, thank you for contacting me. I value your input. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my office regarding this or any other matter of concern to you
Sincerely,
Mark Pryor
United States Senate

The letter from Senator Lincoln was re-worded but essentially identical. So, I posted this letter to my FB account in a note and tagged some of my friends who are either IN the military, married to someone in the military, homosexual, political, religious or anybody I thought might be interested in the topic :) Sadly, I forgot about the post and blog entry due to some intense all-nighter "art" making. HOWEVER, today, I found the note again & saw some of the responses it generated. It got pretty ugly. I HONESTLY did NOT mean to cause a brawl...just an exchange of ideas! SO, after gathering opinions from both sides (repeal or don't), here's my take:

I, PERSONALLY, do not believe that homosexuality is a "learned" or "acquired" behavior. It only makes sense to me that a "lifestyle" that can include: public ridicule, potential violence toward the individual and/or their friends and partners, parental disapproval, etc...etc...etc...would not be something someone would "choose." In the same way that I happen to have been born attracted to the opposite sex (men...YUM:), others feel that same, uncontrollable attraction to their own sex. If tomorrow, I woke up in a parallel universe where the social norm was SAME sex coupling, I do NOT think I could be attracted to women just because that is what people "do!" Could you? *I DO think women are very beautiful and can appreciate them for it, but it doesn't make me wanna have sex with them:) lol

Secondly, with regards to gays in the military, I cannot imagine how this is anything other than discrimination based on a popular belief that homosexuals are sex fiends who will undoubtedly rape his/her fellow soldiers in the bunkers nightly? Ok. I am using a bit of hyperbole there, but honestly... It's my understanding that there is NO sex allowed among soldiers in the field, right? (DO correct me if I'm wrong, please!) Therefore, just as the men and women are not allowed to get any, the men could not have sex with one another either (even if they wanted to:) Right? Easy fix. No sex for anybody. Catch a male/female hooking up, you get the same punishment as if a man on man situation was discovered. Am I oversimplifying this? Please understand, I do have SOME understanding of the male mind/body/ego...but, if you put a gay soldier in a tent with a straight soldier, is the straight soldier SO threatened with his own sexuality that he cannot accept the choices of his tent mate (refer to the aforementioned NO SEX FOR ANYBODY policy:) that the soldier cannot eat, sleep, live, FIGHT, AND DIE right beside you?? I honestly hope that the attitudes of a majority our brave soldiers are NOT the stereotypical "Bubba" who cannot co-exist with anybody who isn't all about guns, beer & the USA!!! I don't think they are. I think MANY of those in the military are NOT still hung up on such a non-issue (after all, what does sex have to do with defending our country and freedoms...Freedoms, yeah. I like freedom. I wish each American truly had access to equal liberties. I hope if we can have discussions like this and exchange ideas, we can come to a better understanding of ourselves, our world...EVERYTHING!
Finally, PLEASE know that this is ALL about love, growth and learning. I do not judge my friends based on even MAJOR moral/political/legal issues. Some of my favorite people (including my husband) have COMPLETELY opposite views on many of my deeply felt personal commandments. I hope we can use this as a way for us ALL to learn a little more about ourselves, our world and each other!! (OK, that last line sounded like a Hallmark or something...I am NOT a dork. Well, yeah...I am, but I'm fun, too!! Hang around and find out!! ;)

Better Than Ezra - Absolutely Still

Gulf Oil Tragedy continues...

It seems to continue to get worse each day. I hear and see more and more destruction and loss due to this epic atrocity/accident. There are two sides to the moratorium on drilling. My initial reaction is definitely to BAN ALL DRILLING IMMEDIATELY! However, the lives of the people in that area are being affected in SO many ways already...they are losing thousands of jobs based in tourism, seafood industry, etc. Some are being driven to TAKE jobs in the oil industry in order to survive this mess. I'll definitely have to weigh both sides more before coming down on one side hard. I'd love to hear your ideas! Until then, this video really is heartbreaking:( http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/

Another "green" thought...

I was watching yet ANOTHER newscast about the terrible issue in The Gulf today. I am now following @bp_america @crisiscamp @gulfoilcleanup on twitter...I was already following a few others ( @gulfaid @bpoiltragedy ). Gonna investigate how *I* can help...and I'll worry about who's responsible for the cleanup later:) I'll be sure and post again after I've had time to do the research. If you know of any tips, send me some info!!

Today's Tam "green" thought

Went to the local "super center" the other night...I realized I never even NOTICED a big box inside the door where you can recycle plastic bags?? Has that always been there?? :) So, even if you're not committed to "going green" enough to buy all those reusable bags (which are quite cheap, but I'm not sure I can talk my husband into lugging 40 or 50 of those things back and forth from the grocery store all the time:) you can STILL be more earth friendly. After you accumulate the mandatory number of plastic bags we all keep stuffed in a drawer or under the sink for emergencies :), you can take the REST of those bags (seems like I had hundreds at a time before I started recycling) and just drop them off on your next trip to the store! I'm in!! My city doesn't pick up recyclables, so we have to take them to a drop off place. This will cut down a lot on the trips to the recycle center!:) It seems like I find really simple ways to help everyday!! Hope you do, too!!
I'm still working feverishly on the art and the site, btw...VERY, VERY soon! :)

I'm having another really great day! Balance really seems to be in place at the moment. For a few weeks, I've been in that "Zen" mode (as I like to call it:) Still super busy on the website. SOOO glad it's almost ready for launch! I can't wait to be finished with that part and get back to the actual "art" of this process:) Recycling observations for the day: I found LOADS of packing materials in a shipment I received today. It took me 30 minutes to even get to the small product for a couple of reasons...1- there was A LOT of packing (they did NOT want that thing broken:) 2- each different type of packing material I pulled out had to be examined for a few minutes, because I was already trying to figure out how I could use it in my art or recycle it!! lol THE POINT: I never took the time or THOUGHT to take the time to notice how much we waste and what a difference one person could actually make in the big picture. So, I'm refortified in my "GO GREEN" phase and hope to be reporting really cool ways to use things you may have never thought of before! :)

"Going Green" Tips a la TLH & Cody:)

According to www.DoSomething.org, "if you replace 25% of your light bulbs with flourescents, you can save about 20% on your lighting bill?" Ok. That was kinda lame...not the kinda facts i'm hoping to share, BUT it's kind of an example of things I will probably be blogging about. I hope you will enjoy and interact! I'd love to hear your ideas, too.