December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 19

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Something With 'S' "

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 18

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Someone I Love"

from The Pragmatic Progressive Facebook Page

and -
I love

Willie

So, Of Course, I Love -


THIS!

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 17

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Shooter's Choice"

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 16

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Quilt"

 

 

 

 

If you were the editor, would you run this photograph?
 

 

 

 

By Shane Gericke

 

Would you do it?

 

Would you run this photo?

 

It’s the famous—or infamous, depending on your viewpoint—photograph published recently by the New York Post. In it, a man sees himself about to be crushed by a New York subway train. (He was pushed onto the tracks by a crazy guy, who was, fortunately, arrested.) Unfortunately, no one helped the man get off the tracks in time to avoid death—including the freelance photographer who took this photo. The Post made sure to drive a stake through the readers’ hearts by superimposing the word “DOOMED” in letters so big you could use them as signal flags.

 

The publication raised a stink with millions. They believe the newspaper should have had the sensitivity to not run a picture of a man about to die in such a horrid fashion, that it should have spared his family the public spectacle. They believe the photographer should have thrown down his camera and heaved the man onto the platform, saying that even newsmen are human first and news gatherers second.

 

The photographer, for his part, says he was too far away to rescue the poor guy. Instead, he ran his motor drive to set off his flash, in hopes of warning the subway driver. He says he didn’t know he’d captured such a gripping image—or any image at all, since he was running like a madman—and only afterwards realized he had a brilliant shot. (It is a brilliant photo, even if you despise the subject matter.)

 

As a freelancer, he survives on the sale of such photos, and the Post paid him a handsome amount and made his photo the entire front cover. Details: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/197176/ny-post-subway-photog-every-time-i-close-my-eyes-i-see-the-image-of-death/

 

So, what would you do?

 

My first instinct was to say I wouldn’t run it: profiting from this man’s death is obscene. If I were the editor in charge—and I was a newspaper editor for 25 years, before moving into crime fiction—I would have spiked that photo.

 

Then I thought some more.

 

How does this differ from the photographs we applaud, the photos we declare iconic, and in many cases award the Pulitzer Prize for photographic excellence?

 

Photos like these:

 

FALLING MAN: He jumped from the World Trade Center rather than burn to death after the September 11 attacks. Details: http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/the-falling-man-10-years-later-6406030

 

 

 

NAPALM GIRL: Her clothes were burned off by an American napalm strike during the Vietnam War, and her naked body was displayed worldwide. Details: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-06-02/napalm-girl-photo-vietnam/55347678/1

 

 

 

STARVING CHILD: She collapses crawling for a food pile during a famine in Sudan, the photographer does not help, and the vulture awaits his meal. Details: http://www.famouspictures.org/mag/index.php?title=Starving_Sudanese_girl

 

 

 

EXECUTION: And in perhaps the most famous photo of the Vietnam War, a South Korean police chief executes a Viet Cong guerrilla who’d killed a dozen people just before this photo was taken. Details: http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/the-execution-of-a-vietcong-guerilla/

 

Short answer: They don’t differ one bit. The subway photo is the Viet Cong execution brought to 2012.

 

There are scores of other photos in the “iconic” category, each as jarring and heartrending as the subway shot.  Would I have published them? Would I have run the ones I just showed you? Yes. They are brilliant composed, tell an important story, and grab the heart, as all great journalism must.

 

So why wouldn’t I run the subway photo?

 

After long reflection, I realize I would. It is a shattering image, tells the story of a man about to die, and thus deserves to make the light of day in print.

 

This is not as easy a decision as you might think. I’ve run into these kinds of situations twice: once as a photographer, once as an editor.

 

The first was a house fire. I was on a midnight-shift ride-along with my policeman father when he got the call of a fire in progress. I had my camera, hoping for some action that night. (I was a college newspaper reporter at the time.) We arrived, and the home was fully engulfed. Huge flames, lots of drama. I shot a roll of fire photos. (Yes, kids, we used film back then, not digital imagery.)

 

Then came the heartbreak. The man who owned the home returned from wherever he’d been. He stared at his loss—and then broke down crying.

 

I raised my camera. Perfect shot: sobbing homeowner in foreground, furiously burning house in back. This kind of emotion is rare in local news photos, and it would draw editor interest like bees to nectar.

 

But I couldn’t push the shutter.

 

My heart had gone out to the man. I remember thinking, “He’s going to have to live with his face in the papers. I won’t.” So I didn’t take the photo, and only turned in the lapping flames, which, happily, the local paper bought and gave me a front-page clip for my collection.

 

I was in college then. I had the luxury of making that ethical choice. Working photographers depending on the sale of pictures to pay their rent might not.  

 

The second incident came at my first newspaper job out of college. I was editor of the front page, and selected the photographs that would appear. That morning, a car had crashed, killing four area teenagers. It was a huge story, and our photographer had captured a stunner: wreck in the background, white-sheeted body in the foreground—and the hand of one of the dead teens sticking out of the sheet in the ultra foreground, fingers curled in death, but not the least bit bloody or burnt. It was a perfect, chilling, make-you-weep photograph.

 

I chose to run it.

 

My boss, the managing editor, vetoed my decision.

 

When I squawked and demanded to know why, he said, This tragedy greatly affects the community that reads our newspaper. I’m not going to destroy these families by running this kind of photo of their dead children. So he cut off the hand and the sheeted body and ran just the photo of the wrecked car. Neutering it completely.  

 

A decision that, being 23, I thought sucked.

 

But now, at 56, understand, and perhaps even agree with. A wise editor knows his or her audience.

 

Which the Post does, in spades, and with that knowledge, chose to run the subway photo.

 

As would I.

 

How about you?

 

 

About Shane Gericke

 

Bestselling author Shane Gericke has been held at knifepoint, hit by lightning, and shaken the cold sweaty hand of Liberace. He was born to write thriller novels! His latest, Torn Apart, was a finalist for the Thriller Award for Best Novel and a Book of the Year selection by Suspense Magazine. A national bestseller in print and No. 1 bestseller in Kindle, Shane, whose last name is improbably pronounced YER-kee, spent twenty-five years as a newspaper editor, most prominently at the Chicago Sun-Times, before jumping into fiction. An original member of International Thriller Writers, he was chairman of the ThrillerFest literary festival in New York and founding director of its agent-author matching program, AgentFest. He also belongs to Mystery Writers of America and the Society of Midland Authors. His novels—available in print and e-books—are in translation worldwide, and RT Book Reviews chose his debut, Blown Away, as the nation’s best first mystery in 2006. He lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, the home of world-famous detective Dick Tracy, with whom Shane shares no resemblance except steely jaw and manly visage. Check him out at http://www.shanegericke.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 15

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Peace"

 

 

 

One of the things we laugh about (one of the many) at our photo group is how serendipity plays such a huge part of our group.  We've made "her" our patron saint and given her a name.  We're thankful for how she comes to our aid in so many ways in finding the perfect picture for our prompts on a particular day.  And in oh so many additional ways.

 

Today is a perfect example.

 

I took this picture of a peace sign in one of our local Boone shops a few weeks ago.  When "Peace" was added to our monthly list of prompts, I knew I wanted to use it.  I then played around with it at PicMonkey (a free on-line photo editor that just rocks!  http://www.picmonkey.com/ ).  I wanted to make it a bit more Christmasy and I added the little pink heart to cover up the pricetag.  (Laws, but I do love PicMonkey).

 

Coming up through the 60s when I did, this symbol has a great deal of special meaning to me, as it does for so many of you.  It's one of our icons.  It may have started out trite, but it has grown, at least to me, to be a sign of true meaning.

 

In light of yesterday's horrifying events, today's post became even more special.

 

Serendipity, I thank you.

 

Images and words.  That's what Meanderings and Muses is all about. 

 

And as I've said so many times, it's a big part of my heart.

 

A heart which is broken today and because I don't have the words I want to share someone else's with you.  Along with a few images that have touched me.

 

This is from Lander Bethel, Pastor of Grand Avenue Presbyterian Church in Sherman, Texas. He wrote it in response to Mike Huckabee's insane statement that the Sandy Hook murders took place because we have taken God out of school. "God has not been removed from the schools - as if God could be legislated out of something. Organized public prayer has been prohibited from our public schools. That doesn't remove God, nor does it forbid prayer offered privately. God's sovereignty isn't limited by legislation. How small and insignificant that would make God. Where was God when this terrible thing happened? God was there with the divine heart being pierced and broken again with the children whose lives were taken from them, the teachers and principal whose lives were snuffed out. God was there with those who suffered and continue to suffer through this sad loss. Maybe if our understanding of God were big enough to know that we all belong to God - those who suffer terrible pain and loss, as well as those who suffer such deep mental illness who perpetrate such hurtful things, we might work to find ways to offer more effective help that could prevent some of these things from happening. Surely this is some of the healing that God would call us to do before there is more deep hurt."    My thanks to Viccy Kemp for sharing it with us.


IF you feel the way I do about handgun control, and would like to "Seriously, respectfully and quickly work to end the violence committed by assault weapons," the White House has posted a petition.  You can reach it here: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/seriously-respectfully-and-quickly-work-end-violence-committed-assault-weapons/ZJQwY22g - you'll need a White House Account, which you'll be able to set up when you sign, and it only takes a minute. 


As we all knew would happen, Facebook has been slammed with words and images.  Some have touched me in positive ways - powerful ways.  Some have made me sick.  Facebook is a forum for all views and all opinions.  Meanderings and Muses is MY forum.  One I'm thankful I have, especially on days like today.

Here's the image that sums up exactly how I felt last night after my feelings and emotions moved from shock, horror, immense sadness, anger, confusion, and a feeling of loss.  All the many phases of all those emotions we all went through together - alone.  This is the image that will live in my heart.  I saw it at Erica Heller's FB page.  It's a photograph by Graham De Lacy - http://grahamdelacy.com/landscape01.htm

Graham De Lacy

 

And another powerful image.  A sculpture depicting a revolver with a knot in its barrel on display on the plaza outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. It was created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward and is called 'Non-Violence'.

 

 

 



And finally - MY truth is that gun control is past due.  I want the killing of innocent people to STOP. 

It's time for us to speak out, even if our voices shake.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/seriously-respectfully-and-quickly-work-end-violence-committed-assault-weapons/ZJQwY22g





December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 14

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Mess"



EEK!  Don't look under there!!

 

Meanderings and Muses 2013 Guest List

  

Cheers, My Friends,
for a Happy Holiday Season
 

Some of you may remember the first Meanderings and Muses post was July 25, 2008.

The first Meanderings and Muses guest blog was January 11, 2009.

And thus began the tradition of guests.  A guest list which has been an impressive line up, if I do say so myself - including:

Alafair Burke, Alan Cook, Alan Orloff, Alexandra Sokoloff, Alice Duncan, Andi Shechter, Andrew Grant, Ann Parker, Ashley McConnell, Avery Adams, Barbara Fister, Barbara Fradkin, Ben Small, Beth Anderson, Beth Groundwater, Beth Hoffman, Bill Cameron, Bill Crider, Bronson L. "Bo" Parker, Bobbi Mumm, Brad Parks, Brandon Seidl, Brant Randall, Brenda Buchanan, Bruce Cook, Cara Black, Carola Dunn, Carolyn Haines, Carolyn J. Rose, Caryn St. Clair, Casey Mayes, Cathy Lee Carper, Chris Cavender, Chris Grabenstein, Chris Roerden, Clea Simon, Cleo Coyle, Coco Ihle, Cornelia Read, Craig Johnson, Dana Cameron, Dana King, Dean James, Deborah Crombie, Deborah Sharp, Debra Ginsberg, Deni Dietz, Denise Hamilton, Diane Chamberlain, Don Barley, Donna Andrews, Donna Moore, Doris Ann Norris, Duffy Brown, E. J. Copperman, Earl Staggs, Elaine Viets, Elizabeth Spann Craig, Elizabeth Zelvin, Ellery Adams, Evelyn David, Felix Baron, Gary Corby, Gerrie Ferris-Finger, Gilliam Roberts, Gina Gilmore, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Hilary Davidson, Irene Fleming, J.T. Ellison, Jane Cleland, Janet Rudolph, Jeff Cohen, Jen Forbus, Jenn McKinlay, Jenny Milchman, Jeri Westerson, Joanna Campbell Slan, Joelle Charbonneau, Jonathan Quist, Judith Greber, Judy Hogan, Julia Buckley, Julie Dolcemachio, Julie Hyzy, Karen Olson, Karen Schindler, Kate Gallison, Kathryn Wall, Kaye George, Kelli Stanley, Ken Lewis, Kris Neri, Krista Davis, L.J. Roberts, L.J. Sellers, Larry Karp, Laura Childs, Leighton Gage, Lesa Holstine, Leslie Wheeler, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Lillian Stewart Carl, Linda Fairstein, Linda Palmer, Lonnie Cruse, Lou Allin, Louise Penny, Lucy Burdette, Maggie Barbieri, Marcia Talley, Margaret Maron, Marian Borden, Marilyn Meredith, Mark Coggins, Mark de Castrique, Mary Ellen Dennis, Mary Jane Maffini, Mary Reed, Mary Welk, Megan Abbott, Melinda Wells, Meredith Cole, Michael Alatorre, Michael Crawley, Michael Wiley, Mike Orenduff, Miranda James, Molly Weston, Morgan Mandel, N.J. Lindquist, Nan Dillingham, Nancy Lynn Jarvis, Nancy Martin, Nancy Means Wright, Nancy Peterson Farina, Neil Plakcy, Nikki Strandskov, P.J. Coldren, Pari Noskin Taichert, Pat Browning, Patricia Neely-Dorsey, Patricia Stoltey, Pattie Tierney, Patty Andersen, Peg Brantley, Rachel Brady, Radine Trees Nehring, Reed Farrel Coleman, Rhonda Dossett, Riley Adams, R.J. Harlick, Rob Walker, Robert Fate, Robert S. Levinson, Roberta Isleib, Robin Burcell, Robin Minnick, Robin Spano, Rosemary Harris, S.J. Rozan, Sandra Parshall, Sandra Ruttan, Sara J. Henry, Sarah Byrne, Sarah Shaber, Sasscer Hill, Scott Nicholson, Shane Gericke, Sharon Wildwind, Shelley Costa, Shelly Fredman, Shirley Wetzel, Simon Wood, Susan Anderson, Suzanne Adair, Sylvia Dickey Smith, Tasha Alexander, Thomas H. Cook, Tim Hallinan, Tim Myers, Toni L.P. Kelner, Toni McGee Causey, Tony Burton, Twist Phelan, Vicki Delany, Vicki Lane, Wendy Bartlett, Zoe Sharp








And now, ta DA  -

it's time to announce the 2013 Meanderings and Muses guests -



January 6 - Margaret Maron
February 3 - Mary Jane Maffini
February 17 - Deborah Crombie
March 31 - Hallie Ephron
April 14 - Earl Staggs
April 28 - Roberta Isleib
May 19 - Reed Farrel Coleman
June 16 - Kathleen Prater Taylor
July 7 - Bronson L. "Bo" Parker
July 21 - Sharon Wildwind
August 25 - Diane Chamberlain
September 15 - Hank Phillippi Ryan
October 13 - Sarah Shaber
November 10 - Vicki Lane
December 1 - Krista Davis
December 15 - Lesa Holstine


If you're wondering why the list is so much shorter than in years past, well, I want to start spending a little more time writing.  If you've been following my journey with my first novel, here's my manuscript news.   After receiving comments back from first readers and putting "Whimsey" to bed for a few weeks, I am now in the process of making a few changes and doing another sweep of edits. January is the month I hope to start the scary, heartbreaking process of agent querying. 

However, I think that while I'm involved in agent querying I'm going to start researching reputable small publishing houses that accept direct submissions.  And I'm also going to start looking into EBook publishing. Anyone with knowledge about these things, or opinions you care to share, I would love to hear from you.  Either here as a comment, or through email - barleykw at appstate dot edu

And to all of you who have supported Meanderings and Muses (and me) - Thank You - You're the best!

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 13

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Makes Me Feel Merry"

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 12

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Made Me Smile"

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 11

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Lights"

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 10

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Jump"

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 9

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Hot"

 

Who Knew A Bunch of Killers Could Be So Wonderful? by Jenny Milchman

Jenny Milchman is a suspense writer from New Jersey. Her debut novel, COVER OF SNOW, is forthcoming from Ballantine in January 2013 and is available for pre-order now. Her short story The Closet will be published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in November 2012. Another short story, The Very Old Man, has been an Amazon bestseller, and the short work Black Sun on Tupper Lake will appear in the anthology ADIRONDACK MYSTERIES II.

Jenny is the Chair of the International Thriller Writers Debut Authors Program, and the founder of Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which was celebrated in all 50 states and four foreign countries in 2011.

Jenny hosts the Made It Moments forum on her blog, which has featured more than 200 international bestsellers, Edgar winners, and independent authors, co-hosts the literary series Writing Matters, which attracts guests coast-to-coast and has received national media attention, and teaches writing and publishing for New York Writers Workshop and Arts By The People.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Knew a Bunch of Killers Could Be So Wonderful?

by Jenny Milchman

 

The mystery world is a warm and welcoming one, as any frequent, or even not-so-frequent, visitor to this very blog knows. Kaye is the warmest and most welcoming mistress of mystery herself, and when she decided to venture forth in a whole new way, I think she also found the welcome I’m about to describe.

 

My introduction to the mystery world began when I attended a local MWA meeting at a downstairs bar and restaurant in New Jersey. I remember that Mary Jane Clark was a featured speaker. I hung around the periphery of where she was talking in a state of awe. After the dinner, the host asked for any news from attendees. I had mentioned to someone at my table that I’d recently signed with an agent, and when the call for news was made, my tablemate all but shoved my hand into the air.

 

“I have a literary agent,” I murmured into the crowd, and the whole room burst into applause. Even Mary Jane Clark was clapping.

 

What nobody in that room could’ve known was that I didn’t find this bit of news very applause-worthy. In fact, the agent I’d signed with was my third, and I knew all too well by then that agent doesn’t necessarily = book deal. I was writing my seventh unpublished suspense novel at the time to prove this corollary.

 

But when the writers and mystery lovers in that dim, wine-wet bar began clapping, something happened. I felt a sense of camaraderie that propelled me through my current novel, and even onto the eighth, which turned out to be the one that sold.

 

Yes, that third agent, about whom all the MWA members were happy, did indeed sell a novel of mine.

 

But she couldn’t have done it without another warm welcome from the mystery community.

 

What happened after that dinner? Well, I kept writing, and my agent started submitting. And as had occurred with my other novels and other agents, we got close. But the interested editors were always turned down by their editorial boards. No offer was made.

 

And then the mystery world began extending itself. Louise Penny, Timothy Hallinan, and Stefanie Pintoff all agreed to look at unpublished manuscripts of mine. If that didn’t exactly make NY publishing all of a sudden open its arms, for sure it enabled new submissions to be made.

 

And then one day another author agreed to read my manuscript. Nancy Pickard’s book, The Scent of Rain & Lightning, was being talked about everywhere that year. And Nancy had an editor she felt was uniquely suited to my work.

 

Nancy turned out to be right. And that’s how my debut novel finally came to sell.

 

Because of a warm welcome extended by the mystery community.

 

After my book sold, writers I’d admired for years, even decades, were there to say hello. Linwood Barclay, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Julia Spencer-Fleming, William Kent Krueger, Laura Lippman, Hank Phillipi Ryan…the list of favorite writers who, when I reached out to them, reached back goes on and on.

 

The world of mystery and thriller authors is the warmest I’ve ever found.

 

Not bad for a bunch of people who kill folks for a living, huh?

 

Jenny Milchman’s debut novel, Cover of Snow, will be published by Ballantine on January 15^th.

 

 

 

 

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 8

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Hat"

 

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 7

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Decoration"

 

Made Up Mexican Casserole

and it's so easy!


I brown 2 lbs. of ground beef along with some chopped onion

when the ground beef has browned, drain it.

Stir in a package of Taco Seasoning and follow the directions of the back of the package.

After I've done this, I toss in some jalapeno peppers.

After I've seasoned the meat, I let it cool for a little bit, then spoon the meat into flour tortillas - usually six of them - and place seam side down in a casserole dish.

Whatever seasoned ground beef I have left, I pour over the filled tortillas.

Pour a can of enchillada sauce ove the tortillas and top with shredded cheese.

I used a Mexican Cheese mixture and then some extra sharp cheddar.

Bake at 350 until it's bubbly around the edges and the cheese has started browning.

Serve topped with whatever you want - Salsa, onions, lettuce, quacamole, sour cream, etc. etc. etc.

Enjoy!

December Photo A Day Challenge - Day 6

Topic of the Day

 

is

 

"Cross"

 

Things I just don't get . . . .

As I creep along into my dotage I’ve come to realize there are an awful lot of things I just don’t get.

 

I don’t get mean people. 

Don’t get me wrong - I'm not talking about someone who will react in a like manner when someone has been mean to them – hell, I’m most definitely one of those.  I mean people who are just plain mean.  And worse, they seem perfectly okay with it.  Boring - don't you find them boring as all get-out??

But.  You all know exactly how I feel about mean people.  I've blogged about it for years and harped about it all over the place. 

So, today I want to talk about other things I just don't get.

 

I don’t get people who want to show me their wounds.  You know, I figure that bandage there tells me all I want to know about your boo-boo. 




Same for an illness.  "I'm sick" is all I need to hear.  Really.  I won’t feel a bit more empathy for you once I’ve heard the list of symptoms that are going to cause me to turn green than I did in the beginning with “I’m sick . . . . “  (I know, I know - I'd make the worse possible nurse on God's green earth . . .  sigh).

 

 

I don’t get arrogance.  You know people who think they know sooooo much more than the rest of us? I find it to be an especially unattractive trait.  And boring. 

Guess what . . . .

 

 

I don’t get “drama.”  I don’t mean the occasional “Oh My GAWD” moment.  I mean those people who have a drama a day – two a day – the more the merrier.  sigh.  After a while it becomes expected.  and boring.  (unless you're Norma Desmond)

  

 

But, there are people who need that spotlight so badly that even pity is a reward for them.  It's sad, but it's also kinda scary - and boring - I think, for someone to be that needy all the time. 

And I really don't get negative. We're all going to have a bad day. We're all going to have to face some tough times. But what do people get out of facing each and every day with a cloud of doom and gloom hanging over their head? Negativity is exhausting. And boring.

I don’t get couples who will go out socially with other people and then spend the whole time bickering.  Or worse – tell a “funny” story about their spouse, partner or date which in actuality isn’t funny, but meant to embarrass.  Hey – break up already!  Or at the very least, stay home.  Alone.  You’re boring too.

 

Which leads me to sarcasm.  I'm sorry, I really don't get sarcasm.  Oh, I mean - I "get" it, but why? Don't get me wrong, I think the occassional "Oh, REALLY?" said jokingly between friends shows a close camaraderie and I think that's enjoyable.  But - there's that other kind of sarcasm.   Often times used as a passive aggressive way of belittling someone when actually the person being sarcastic is probably pretty insecure.  Or just doesn't have the guts to come out say what they really mean.  

I don't get people who can't say "thank you."


Or who cannot for the life of them bring themselves to give someone a compliment.

Pitiful as it may be - there really are people who just cannot be happy for someone else, not even someone they call a friend.

It's sounds, from this post, that I'm a terribly unsympathetic person. 


I don't think I am, really. 


Well, okay, maybe I am. 


But you know, "Maybe" it's because I'm an introvert - which makes me a little less tolerant of people. 

Or, chalk it up to my being a Sagittarius - NO tact whatsoever, I'm told.  Well, okay - so I do tend to speak my mind a little . . . .


(and yes, I look exactly like this!)

And I can't close without saying this.  This is something I "get" but truly hate.

The person who calls themself a Christian and yet will call a person of color a nigger and a person who lives an alternative lifestyle a fag.

Oh yeah, I "get" that person.  And get as far away from them as possible.  There is no room in my world for this type of ignorate hate-filled hypocrite.


Whatever.  I make no apologies.  I yam who I yam -

me and Popeye.