Enter the Substitute

Photo Credit - George Hoden - Public Domain Pictures

I’ve added a new hat to my wardrobe of life experience, I became a substitute teacher this week. I think that this will be a workable solution to help me make ends meet and still allow me to moderate my energy levels so that I don’t end up with a flare up or an illness. Being on disability makes it very difficult to survive. Some people think that we just sit back and let the money roll in while we do nothing to earn it, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that living on disability alone a person, most likely, will not be able to support their self. In addition, some people forget that the amount of disability a person receives is dependent on what they paid into the system in the first place. It’s not a handout, it’s an insurance policy.

Anyway, I digress. Substitute teaching, it’s a good thing. I can choose which days to work so if I’m not up to it I don’t need to accept a job. I can also do half days which is necessary since it takes me so long to become mobile in the mornings. I’m certainly not going to become rich doing this but it should fill the gap enough that I won’t have to worry about the normal day to day bills. But, there’s more to this substituting than meets the eye because it’s really not about me, it’s about the kids.

It’s been about 35 years since I was in high school and, yes, things have changed. I’m quite sure that as time goes on and I continue to spend more time in the schools I’ll see even more changes, or maybe even similarities. My first day allowed me to see just how different things are now. It was hard to fathom as I experienced a world that I once lived in which has now become almost alien. This first experience was in a high school, today I was at a middle school. I would strongly suggest that any parent, if given the opportunity, take a day out and spend it at your child’s school. I’m certain that it will be an eye opener for you. The days of the quite, focused learning environment are gone, probably for good. Your children are not being given the gift of education that you were handed. No, the kids today who want to learn have to fight every second of their day to get that education which I, honestly, took for granted. Between the over stuffed classes and the disruptions caused by the students who don’t want to be there, it’s honestly a miracle that anyone can learn anything. I’m here to tell you, things have changed more than any person, of my era, could possibly imagine.

That said, when you get down to it, the kids I met and worked with are super. I had a lot of fun with them and could tell that down deep they are all just kids. I don’t know if their lives will be impacted by my presence and I don’t know what this school/war zone will do for, or to, them, but I hope that they will leave my class feeling better about themselves and others. To the parents I’d just like to remind you how important it is for you to be a part of their lives and the biggest part of their lives, right now, is school. They need you to be there for them, seriously. You can’t expect to understand and share their lives if you fail to be involved in the largest area of it.

What Do You Believe In?

Photo Credit - Public Domain Pictures, Anonymous 

Faith, it’s a source of pride to some. Others see it as a necessity for survival, and some claim to have none at all while they blindly move forward in their day to day lives without ever acknowledging the most basic belief which keeps the human animal moving on. It’s been my experience that every person has faith in something. This doesn’t mean that everyone believes in the same thing or that all people have a vision of God in their mind when the word “faith” is used. But, in and of itself, faith is something that is there in each of us.

Faith is there for us when hope fails, it never goes away, and it’s as integral to our minds as a heart is to our bodies. Most of us probably don’t even think about it, again, much like the heart, it works on its own pushing us into one direction or the other, playing us like cards. I’m talking about our most natural instincts here. Our minute, meaningless actions transpire because of faith. We place one foot in front of the other believing we will walk, and we do. We don’t start out this way, of course, we are taught to have faith. As our parents encourage our first steps we begin to develop a deep sense of faith by trusting them to not let us fall. As our faith in ourselves grows stronger we become surer of ourselves and we build our lives equivalently to our faith. Those of us who have little faith seem to achieve little, and those with an enormous amount of faith achieve fantastic things. The faith we have can be used for our benefit or our demise, but no one is without it.

So, tell me, where does your faith lie? Do you place your faith in the unseen, assured that somewhere out there an entity of some form is watching out for you, planning your life in a manner which will, in the end, grant you the rewards you seek? Is your faith within yourself the driving force? Are you pressing onward in this world because no one else is going to do it for you? Or, do you have a little of both? Perhaps your faith is something you’ve never really considered; maybe you’re totally unfamiliar with your faith. If so, then maybe it’s time to think about it. Know and understand your faith and you will know and understand yourself.

I’m not saying acknowledge your faith and move on. I’m suggesting a thorough inventory of your core beliefs. Take some time to evaluate your life, honestly. I don’t mean for you to drag yourself down by looking only at your shortcomings, or to give yourself a false sense of pride by ignoring them. Be honest with yourself about yourself. Search inward to discover the driving force of your animal. Don’t expect anyone else to understand it, this is uniquely you. The faith you live by is a result of all your life experiences. Some may find that their faith is dark and well hidden. Some might, instead, see their faith as so strong and vibrant that it actually blinds them, and so, hides their true self in plain site. Whatever you find, where ever you find it, once you really have it, it’ll be yours to do with as you wish. You can be your own captain if you truly understand where your faith has led you thus far. So, I’ll ask you once again, what do you believe in?

Scientists Have Discovered Non-Human Intelligent Life!

Picture Credit Piotr Siedlecki

What’s the what? Yes, non-human intelligent life has been found. The catch? It’s not alien life. In fact, it’s been in front of our eyes the whole time, right here on good ol’ planet earth. Sorry if I’ve broken your alien dreams but this news isn’t any less fantastic just because it’s on our home planet instead of out there in space somewhere. If you think about it, it actually gives credence to intelligent life off planet since we now understand that intelligent life might not be what we expect it to be.

Here’s the low down. Mammals; some of them have very large brains, enter the dolphins, the whales, the elephants, and the apes. Take into consideration that dolphins and whales, as we know them today, have inhabited this planet, for millions of years prior to homo sapien sapien. In fact, they were the dominant species on the planet long before we were even a spec on the evolutionary scale. We’ve known for some time now that these animals are intelligent but, after watching Nova on PBS last night, I know that there’s a lot more to this intelligence than most people may think.

What are some of the characteristics that scientists look for when determining if life is intelligent? Here’s a few of the biggies; is the animal (and yes, humans are animals) self aware? In other words, do they understand that they are an individual with their own thoughts and can they recognize themselves in a reflection? As a comparison a human toddler is around two years old before they understand that their reflection is not just another child. They are around four to five before beginning to understand that their thoughts are their own. When dolphins were shown their reflections all of them displayed actions which are considered to be signs of self awareness. They examine their teeth, their fins, their eyes just as a human does when we look into a mirror. We and they, tend to look at the parts of our bodies which are otherwise difficult to see.

What about language? We often feel that our ability to develop and use language sets us above the other animals. Well, what if you were to learn that many animals do have a language which they share with others of their kind? We have just been too dumb to learn it. We assumed that because they do not speak in a manner familiar to us, they were unable to form true language. We failed to take into account that the physical attributes that allow us to speak as we do are different in these different animals. Once again enter the dolphins. We now know that the series of clicks, ticks, and other noises dolphins use are quite literally used as language. It is known that every dolphin has their own name and uses it exactly as we do. Yup, they use their name to identify themselves to other dolphins.

Photo Credit Anna Langova

What else? Can an animal think about what another animal is thinking? Experiments with chimps show that they do. Scientists looked for the ability to manipulate another being because it demonstrates that the target animal understands the actions and desires of another animal. In another experiment an ape was placed in a cage without any food. A second ape was placed in a conjoining cage and given fruits and vegetables. The apes did not know each other; they were not related or previously acquainted. The ape with the food, unlocked the conjoining cage allowing the first ape to come through and share the food. Both apes sat together and ate their meal. The compassion from the second ape exhibits a high level of intelligence and ability to empathize with others.

Speaking of empathy, we turn to the elephants. I think most people have heard about the elephant graveyards where family members of passed elephants come to mourn their dead. Did you know that when presented with the bones of other large species the elephants will recognize other elephant bones every time, even if the bones are from unrelated elephants? Another amazing fact is that elephants understand when other animals are in pain and they try to do something about it. They have been seen gently stroking a distressed animal with their trunks in an attempt to comfort them.

Photo Credit Piotr Wojtkowski

All in all animals are, of course, awesome! I think it’s great that scientists are finally beginning to appreciate their intelligence as well as their magnificent nature. And, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense that some of these animals are very intelligent. After all, they’ve been around a lot longer than us. Maybe, just maybe, we’re the ones who need to catch up. Perhaps our animal cousins are sitting back and waiting for us to finally understand we do not own the market on intelligence, and that life and intelligence may not have to be exactly like us to be legitimate. For more information and tons of fascinating facts tune into Nova on PBS. You can catch the whole episode here:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/inside-animal-minds.html#animal-minds-smartest

Craftastic Crochet!

Photo Credit - K. Whiteford

Yes! I know there has to be people out there who get just as excited as I do when it comes to crafting. For me, the bug hits hardest when the craft is crochet. Don’t get me wrong, I love to sew and I get bitten by that bug almost as hard. But, I think my heart lies truly with crochet. It’s a very forgiving craft and I love that about it. If something isn’t turning out the way you planned you unravel it and start over, or ditch the project completely and use the yarn for something else. You can’t necessarily do that with sewing. I mean, if you make a mistake cutting the fabric, ouch! It’s all over but the crying, you know? Sure, you can repurpose items but it just doesn’t feel the same to me. I learned how to crochet when I was a young teen and I didn’t sew until I was in my early thirties, maybe that has something to do with it as well.

Anyway...I digress...Crochet is awesome because you are virtually unlimited as to the types of projects you can do and even the mediums that you can use. I’ve seen projects done with everything from trash bags to rubber bands. Each new project idea I see amazes me. Some people who crochet are truly talented and create masterful pieces of art equal to none. If you’ve never taken the time out to look at some of these gorgeous works then you are missing out. In fact, I think I’ll include some links at the end of today’s blog that will demonstrate exactly what I mean. Personally, even though I have crocheted for many, many years, I think some people’s work makes me look like an amateur.

For my latest project I’m using jewelry wire, yes you read that correctly. It’s flexible and twists easily. I’m using a 3.25 mm metal hook and I’m creating a beaded bracelet. Beading any medium can be achieved simply by pre-stringing the beads onto the medium you are using for your project. I chose various sized blue and silver round beads with a few square copper ones for highlight. As you work through the project you just slide the bead up to the hook and crochet it right into the stitch. That’s all there is to it. You do need to be sure to include enough beads for the entire project. I’d rather have too many than not enough, when your project is finished just slide any remaining beads right off. Here’s a picture of the bracelet so far. When it’s complete I intend to add some joining rings and a clasp to fit it to a wrist. I’ll include a picture of it completed in a future post.

As for now, one of the reasons I chose to write about this today is because of a contest that I became aware of. It runs only until April 25th, 2014 so I needed to share it now. Selfishly, I get an extra entry for including the link in my post :-)  But, seriously, if you enjoy crafting you’ll want to enter. The prize package includes many items for various uses, not just yarn for crocheting. Any crafter, I think, would be thrilled to get this prize. I know I would be. The number of products in the prize package are way too numerous to list here, but to give you an idea of what you could win here’s the list of companies providing items for the grand prize:

Coats and Clark, Darice, Design Master, Elmer’s, Fiskars, I Love to Create, Krylon, Leisure Arts, Lion Brand, Plaid Enterprises, Polyform, RIT Dye, Shur Tech Bonds, Simplicity, and Sizzix.

For a complete list of items included in the prize package and to enter go here and enter daily:

The-Super-Spectacular-Grand-Prize-Giveaway   

Now, go and create something beautiful. Get out of the box, let your imagination take over and try something new, even if it sounds a bit nuts. Your results may very well thank you. And as promised, here are some links to some of my most admired crochet work.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/maquissima/103768170/in/faves-katrinkles

https://www.etsy.com/listing/22580286/mothers-day-sale-crocheted-lampshade-in?ref=fp_treasury_3

http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2012/07/summer-days-gorgeous-crochet-hammocks-for-relaxation-and-rejuvenation

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/b7/7d/81/b77d81b694d0a6b52df2ccd33af59579.jpg

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a6/ea/da/a6eadaef80279615adbbd34904f25d1b.jpg

A Disturbing Disturbance in the House

Photo Credit: DeeganMarie

Here’s a follow up on Rep. Ryan’s budget proposal. You know the one that is going to almost eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Americorp and every other safety net the USA has in place to protect the country’s poorest, sickest, and most vulnerable?  If not, refer to my previous article on the topic - http://iseethegreengrass.blogspot.com/2014/04/rep-ryan-is-trying-to-kill-me-and-my-4.html

In a vote today in the House of Representatives his budget was passed. All but 12 members of the GOP and the Democrats voted for the budget, passing it 219 to 205 with 8 members of congress not voting.

While it most likely will not pass through the Democratic Senate, it does set up an example of which side of the budget our congressional representatives are on. Seeming as we have a mid-term election coming our way this year it would behoove an American voter to know where his/her representative stands. If you are one of the many millions who rely on any of these programs, as well as, some that I haven’t mentioned, it may be in your best interest to visit the voting record site to see how your representative voted. Keep in mind that just because it may not pass the Senate does not mean that the representatives who stand behind this budget will stop pursuing major cuts to these programs.

Another situation that could arise would be if the mid-terms end up seeing an end to the Democratic Senate. If this were to happen you can bet that the budget would most likely be met with a grand reception. So here it is, it’s up to you, once again, America. Take the time to see where your representative lies. The following link will take you to the budget vote where you can see just how your congressional representative voted. If you don’t like the vote, don’t put him/her back in office. It’s that’s simple.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/113-2014/h177

Rep. Ryan is Trying to Kill Me and My 4 Year Old Grandson

Picture Credit _ Frits Ahlefeldt

Someone help please! The title of this article is quite literal in my eyes. Yes, it is of a political nature but nonetheless a slow, torturous, means of death for me, my young grandson, and every other American in a similar situation. I’m going to give all of you an insight into my personal life. This is not something that I would normally do; I tend to keep these things very private as I have become pressured into shame over the years because I “Live off of the government.” But, it’s time the TRUE story be told!

I am disabled, I cannot work a regular full time, or even part time job anymore because I have a disease which is slowly turning my ribs, back, and pelvis into one solid bone. I also care for my 4 year old grandson because his mother (my daughter) died. Now, here comes the personal financial stuff. My disability, which I EARNED when I was able to work - *side note here* - Disability is NOT a government handout. It is a payment made to the person calculated according to THEIR earnings, just as Social Security Retirement is a calculated portion of a person’s EARNINGS where we pay into the system from every paycheck we receive, that said...I receive a mere $800.00 a MONTH, along with a $200.00 a MONTH death benefit paid to my grandson (Calculated, again, as a portion of taxes which my daughter paid into before she passed at the young age of 21). So, my grand total of cash that I must live on is about $1000.00 a MONTH - that’s a MONTH people. Let me ask you if you could pay your mortgage, pay for your gas, electric, water, and phone, as well as, put gas in your vehicle and pay its insurance, put clothes on your back, and buy the necessities for your home such as toilet paper, oh and don’t forget paying for a portion of your prescriptions (which in my case are a lot of prescriptions) all on $1000.00 a MONTH? I intentionally did not include food in there because we do get a government “Handout” of $198.00 a MONTH in food stamps and WIC. This is the ONLY food that we get since I only have a $1000.00 a MONTH to live on. My very serious point here is that I am living off an amount of money that, compared to most people, is only about 1/4 to 1/2 of what is considered an average monthly income. Get the picture?

Enter Mr. Ryan whose federal budget proposal will take that measly amount of income I receive and basically slash it in half. His plan will all but eliminate the only life lines I have - The Food Stamp program, Medicare, and Medicaid. He would be willing to plunge me and my grandson into such a sever state of poverty that we would, most seriously, end up dying slowly from a lack of food and medical care. Perhaps the government should just ship us off to Africa because we will be seeing the same type of scenario here in the US as they have in impoverished Africa. I am not exaggerating. Taking away the ONLY lifelines that the very poor and disabled have will create an impoverished and dying population right here in the good ‘ol US of A.

I’m not proud of having to be on assistance and I certainly did not work for a BA in order to “sit on my ass and collect money I didn’t earn” But I think that if Mr. Ryan were in my position he would see things very differently. I’d like to see him squeak out an existence on my income and then tell me that I get too much money from the government so it needs to be cut. America! I’m begging you, please, please help me and my grandson! Tell Mr. Ryan and others of like mind that I’m all ready living on an income incapable of sustaining us and that, in good conscious, he should not be willing to cut the only line of help I have. And then, remind him, that you, and he, are only one illness or accident away from suffering the same fate yourself.

Thank you

You can contact Rep. Paul Ryan at this web address

https://paulryan.house.gov/

Article Information

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/us/politics/paul-ryan-budget.html

PS - I would just like to add that I am painfully aware of the massive number of people in this world that are living in conditions which make my situation look like a dream life. I am sorry if I have offended any of you but I have related this article to people within the US as that is where I reside. 

To Sci-Fi Live or Not to Sci-Fi Live?

Photo Credit - AMC

I’ve decided to write on a topic today that’s not too heavy. I know that a few of my topics can get pretty personal and hit some deep notes for people. Today’s post is not one of those, so prepare to have a bit of fun.

Before I get into the whole story let me explain about “Bubblews” This is an amazing social networking site. “What makes it so amazing,” you may ask? It’s different than any other site because it PAYS YOU for every post, of 40 CHARACTERS or more, which you make. It also pays you every time someone views and/or comments on one of your posts. Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, I wrote that correctly. We’re not talking 40 words, we’re talking 40 characters. Once your total income reaches $50.00 you can cash it out to your PayPal account. Pretty cool, huh? Oh, and it’s FREE to join. I’ve been on the site since February of 2014 and so far, I’ve found it to be all it’s claimed to be. So, what are you waiting for, go join already, but do it AFTER you finish reading this post, thanks. That said, I can now go on and finish today’s post.

I started a post on Bubblews this past week which I intentionally listed under the “Personal” category instead of the Sci-Fi category even though the post is strictly Sci-Fi. Why have I done this? I thought it would be fun to start a story that anyone, and everyone, could participate in. I’m calling it Sci-Fi Live. Here’s what I did.

I made the post appear to be a genuine conversation type topic but it’s not. The story began with an introduction to a strange night at my “boyfriend’s” house. The next post refers to his lost dog, and then finding his dog deceased. The intent behind this is to build a reader base where the reader can also become the writer/creator of the story through participation in the comment section of the posts. For example, in the first post I mention a loud boom that I heard, and then I ask if anyone else heard anything. I had hoped that people would catch on right away, as I included a disclaimer, but so far only one person has *shrug* What are you going to do? It’s for that reason that I decided to write about it here. This way I can explain my intentions without damaging the integrity of the story line.

I plan on leading the story into an alien/zombie apocalypse type scenario and I’m hoping that I can get people to play along. That’s where the whole “Live” portion of the Sci-Fi Live comes into play. I thought it would be a lot of fun to have various people describing their own part in the story. Perhaps they too heard the boom, or maybe they will eventually be fighting off zombie type creatures as they plead for assistance in the comments. Part of the disclaimer reads that any comment made will be utilized in the story line, so maybe John Doe will be telling Jane Smith that their house was over run today and they had to find a new location to hide, ect... I hope I’m making this clear. If not, please let me know and I’ll try to clarify it further.

My overall hope for this effort is that people will begin to start their own interactive stories on Bubblews. I think this could become an awesome medium for people’s creative well being. And, what’s best of all? You get paid to write it! How awesome is that? Every writer I’ve ever known wants to get paid to write and now we have an opportunity to do so, plus we aren’t leashed to a specific topic or condition. It’s all us! I’m really quite excited about this idea if you haven’t noticed and I hope that it takes off, primarily because it has the potential to be really fun. So, I’m going to go and write today’s post on Bubblews and I hope to see you there.