Two Delightful Santa Books for Children

I recently discovered two fascinating children's books by a unique author with a compelling story.  If you've never heard of Elizabeth Rooks, you've been missing out on a real treasure.  Luckily, I found these books just in time for Christmas 2012 - I think they would make great gifts!  The books are titled "Where Does Santa Go on Vacation after Christmas?" and "Where Does Santa Work after Christmas?".  I don't usually do book reviews, but I love Elizabeth's personal story and the way that she helps us answer the tough questions about what Santa Claus does the rest of the year!

"Where Does Santa Go on Vacation after Christmas" follows Tyler, an imaginative and curious young boy, Tyler, and his quest to discover where Santa vacations during the year.  Tyler and the reader together discover the glorious variety of cultures that make up our world.  The best part of this book is that it teaches children that even someone like Santa has trouble fitting in when he visits different parts of the world.  What a fun way to teach children about diversity and understanding others.

Tyler’s character is instrumental in the second book, “Where Does Santa Work After Christmas,” as well.  Through this book, children discover that Santa has more than one career – he isn’t just a jolly, bearded man in a red suit.  Santa shows children about different professions through his roles as a veterinarian and a fire-fighter and teaches children compassion and responsibility.

These two books are an endearing complement to any book collection, and would make an excellent Christmas gift this year.  They can both be purchased either at Elizabeth Rook's website and on Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

Are "Gatekeepers" Necessary in the Publishing Business?

On the internet, self-publishing is everywhere.  Ebooks and Kindle books abound.  There are literally millions of blogs.  I am self-publishing this blog post.  Information is being thrown at us from every direction.  The question is:  Do we NEED gatekeepers (i.e. publishers, editors, etc.) to filter these items for us?

Critics of self-publishing say that we need gatekeepers for our own good.  The gatekeepers will make sure that we are able to find the best books and magazine articles.  Otherwise, how will we sort through all of the available options and how will we know that the information is accurate?

Those that support self-publishing say that people are able to decide for themselves what they want to read.  In addition, supporters claim that it is actually a GOOD thing that more sources of reading materials than ever are available.  They also accuse the publishing industry of greed... obviously, self-publishing has the potential to substantially eat into their profits.  

Where do you stand on this issue?

Obama - Accidental Gun Salesman of the Year?

I have been amused. dismayed, and fascinated since the election of our latest president.  Sales of guns in "large retail outlets" have risen more than 39% since the beginning of the year.  

During hard economic times when most industries are experiencing unusual hardships, why are many types of businesses related to weaponry experiencing some of their best sales periods?

And what does President Obama have to do with it?  

Before the election, many conservative pundits and entertainers did a bang-up job of attracting the attention of many conservative voters that otherwise lacked passion for some of the core conservative issues (i.e. certain foreign policy and economic issues, among others).  It is not to say that these voters were no longer interested in these traditional issues, but that the situations had become very dire and they may have been willing to consider a change in direction for the country.

These conservative pundits (both amateur and professional) filled up the airwaves and bandwidth with incessant chatter about then Senator Obama's stance on gun control.  Some of these voices went  as far as to say that Obama was going to immediately rid the nation of guns (would that be such a horrible thing, honestly?).  These efforts were so effective in scaring the population that in October 2008, rifle and firearm sales were up by 14% from the previous year.  This is BEFORE the actual election, and before the introduction of any sort of legislation by Obama or other Democrats in the new session.

In Cobb County, Georgia, there has been an extremely high increase in permit applications - the numbers show that there were 3,238 applications in 2007.  Compare this to 7,576 in 2008.  The 2009 figures promise to be just as dazzling.

With the types of reasonable, "common-sense" gun control measures that President Obama supports, all of law-abiding citizens in this country that want to use guns for self-protection or hunting will still be able to do so.  Those that are interested in paramilitary group start-ups might have a bit more trouble.

So, everyone who has participated in this frenzy should just feel a little silly because the best of them was "got".   If I were one of  these people, I would be asking myself what kind of nonsense has been going on behind my back while I was stocking up on ammo and stockpiling weapons in my secret underground cellar in my backyard...  

Perhaps, just perhaps, there are more important issues to be dealt with.

  

Found: Money - Would you keep it?

A driver in San Diego found a little over $700 while driving on the Interstate.  There were some drug-running suspects on the loose and they let some of the money fly out of their window, which is how it ended up on the road.  

The driver is keeping the money and considers this to be a lucky event.... would you keep the money?  What about some of the people who say that this money is drug money?

I, personally, think that this person is 100% correct in keeping the money.  I recall all of the old sayings:  "possession in 9/10ths of the law" and "finders keepers, losers weepers".  In this case, the weeping loser is the government :-)

The full article is available to read here:  http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Driver-Who-Kept-Money-Explains-Why.html

Our adversion to "profanity"

I was reading a book about language today, and came across a very interesting concept. The book did not discuss this in detail, and I was unable to come across any reliable internet sources to read further, so I will be left on my own to think about this one:

Is our aversion to profanity simply a well-ingrained superstition?

Different cultures deal with profanity differently, and in those cultures different things are considered vulgar or profane.

What I could determine, simply by the definition of "profane" is that it is an old word and definitely religious in origin.

Could it be that we should sit back and think about why we think certain things are profane? What do we think will happen to us? I am talking about more than what we think our friends, co-workers, or family might say behind our back... Is there a bigger fear that we have about saying certain things? Are we like the old believers in Greek mythology, thinking that we will be struck by lightening?

I am interested to hear other thoughts on this issue.

Virginity!

This post is dedicated to all of those American women who frown sympathetically when the conversation turns to the Muslim women in Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia.  You know what I'm talking about, when someone says that "at least we have it better than they do."  

Well, yes, we do have it better than they do, in certain ways.  However - not to burst your bubble - I would like to point out that we are not quite as "liberated" as we would like to think we are.  We are foolish for not seeing the hypocrisy, as obvious as it is.

There are tons of reasons I can point out, but here is one case:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/01/22/virginity.value/?iref=mpstoryview

Yes, the virgin who sells her virginity online for millions of dollars.  This post is not about her, nor the Australian pervert who bought it.  It IS about the American society that finds this interesting.  It IS about the talk shows where people debate whether she really is a virgin or not.

My dear ladies, this is not much different than a dowry being paid to a family for a daughter's VIRGIN hand in marriage.  The "community" still gossips about whether she really was a virgin or not.  The only difference is in this case, the daughter gets the money and doesn't have to stay with the smelly old guy.

Most of us are still stuck in the 1700's, whether we would like to admit it or not.  We fool ourselves into thinking that things have changed, but they have not changed as much as we think they have.   Women still talk about other women who are more sexually liberated as whores, but yet men are valued for their conquests.  What's new?  What's old?   

More on this subject later...  I have plenty more to say.

 

Are Children's Lives Really Harder?

This post is inspired by an article today on the BBC, entitled "Selfish Adults 'Damage Childhood' ".  The article cites a study that concludes, among many other observations, that children have more difficult lives than they had in the past.  

I suspect that British society is similar enough to American society that I can make some basic comparisons without sounding ridiculous.   But first, let me just say, that this sounds like a pile of baloney!

My children, for example, have it MUCH easier in many ways than I did growing up.  Our society overprotects them.  They can't play outside without direct adult supervision.  Instead, they are surrounded by  vast seas of computers, game consoles, books and toys.  Our middle class lifestyle, like most Western households, affords them a comfortable supply of decent clothes to wear.  They are also fortunate enough to have musical instruments to play and access to quality instruction.  In addition, they go to a public school (with no cost), where they have an arguable sufficient education.  Finally, there are extra activities such as Boy Scouts, Chorus, etc...

They don't have to walk to school in the snow, worry about where dinner is coming from tonight, wonder if they will make it to work on time, worry about their boss being angry with them for not working fast enough, etc...  

Have any of you ever read David Copperfield?  Well, if you have then you know that kids these days have it much easier than they did in the 1800's (i.e. not having to get jobs at 8 years old).   There are many, many children in developing countries that still live in conditions not unlike those of David Copperfield.  

Let's get some perspective!