How Hot Is It?

I am not sure if you've heard, but it's hot. Like crank-up-the-AC-and-worry-bout-the-light-bill-later hot.

On our local news channel's Facebook page, they asked for some "It's so hot..." metaphors. I thought these were pretty funny. But don’t laugh too hard. You don’t want to get overheated (Please note: The following may have been edited for grammatical errors.)

"It's so hot
...you can start a fire by rubbing two Girl Scouts together."  
...the trees start looking for shade."
...the ice in the ice maker keeps turning to water."
...the devil says, 'Nice day huh?'"
...I saw a mosquito carrying a canteen!”
...worms are begging people to go fishing."|
...the thermometer reads TO BE CONTINUED"
...chickens lay hard boiled eggs."|
...the grass screams in pain when you water."
...the potatoes cook underground. All you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper."

 Here are some I found on Yuksrus.com:

It's so hot|
...the cows are giving evaporated milk.
...the trees are whistlin' for dogs.
...the birds have to pick up the worms with potholders.
...Scientists recently detected beads of sweat on the Statue of Liberty.
...Campbell Soup has changed the directions on its cans to: "Just pour and eat."

How hot is it at your house?

Photo credits: Google images

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A Word About Certain Words

Yesterday on "The View," Whoopi Goldberg made mention that Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn was being re-written to remove any use of two specific words.

An article discussing the same subject can be found here. The article also details those specific words, in case you weren't aware.

I immediately knew I wanted to write about this, but I chose to sit on it for a day. Off and on, I was thinking about how I really feel about this.

My first reaction, which is also my current reaction, is that the entire project shouldn't be done. Who is to say that any words that are used in the text are wrong and should be omitted?

Oh, wait. The same people that choose to ban that very book out of libraries years ago.

My complaint is two-fold:

1. If the powers that be felt that the book was unfit to be read, how is their "power of speech" more right than Mark Twain's?

2. How can a book be changed as not to offend anyone with certain words yet the very words in question are an integral part of history?

Sure, we don't use these specific words in daily conversation. But we don't use other words either and some of those words may offend those they reference. Remember the term "politically correct?"

Should someone go through and rewrite any book that references policemen, firemen, secretaries, or handicapped?

From the moment someone begins to understand language, he or she could be offended by a word or two. An educated person can look past certain nuances. An educated person should be able to read the context clues. This skill is taught as early as Kindergarten.

We teach our children from early on that certain words are not acceptable. There are certain words that used to be censored from television, but now are as common as one would say leg, dog, or cat. However, the words that are still censored or not used on television can still be heard or seen. Words that I may not allow at my house may be just fine at yours. For example, we made "shut-up" a bad word. But that is for us, in our home.

My point is this: The first Amendment gives us freedom of speech; however, that seems to be a bit of a misnomer.

You can't yell fire in a crowded room. You can't say anything that can will cause harm to another person (slander). You can't write anything that could cause harm to another person (libel). In various situations, it is just understood that certain language is not acceptable, such as a teacher in a classroom.

But, even with our limits when it comes to words, that doesn't mean words that aren't accepted for general use anymore have to be erased as the times change.

I have never said the n-word. I heard it when I was growing up (not a lot), but I never liked it. As an adult, I chose never to use it, even in private conversation or writings that would that would be contextually correct. But does that mean that I am right?

No.

There are other words that I don't like and won't use. I could become offended and find a few hundred people to back me up and have any literature banned that contains those words. Or request that books be written so that I may not be offended.


No, we don't have freedom of speech in the literal sense, but we certainly to have freedom of opinions.

And in my opinion, Huck Finn needs to be left alone. Should the author go ahead with this project, I am reassured that I still have my copies with the original text, tucked safe on the bookshelf so that my boys may have the same experience of a rich novel that I did.

Some Prefixes Should Be Obsolete

Day 22: Something that upsets me

There are many things that get up in my crawl. Y'all have been witness to this on more than one occasion.

I have a new issue that has been eating at me for the better part of the week.

Why is it that people that happen to be homosexual, whether it be gay or lesbian, feel like they have to "come out?" Have you ever seen a presentation where some celebrity stands and says, "My name is So-and-So and I am a heterosexual?"

It upsets me that I live in a country run by a government that feels it is morally wrong to love and even be married to someone of the same gender. Moreover, a person that happens to be gay or lesbian feels the need to hide it because of prejudice and what it entails.

It upsets me that a survey was sent to current military personal asking how he or she would feel if someone that was gay or lesbian was in their company.

It upsets me that so much emphasis is put on the label "gay." In watching any sort of news program, if the person being talked about happens to be gay, it is mentioned. But it's never the opposite.


Who a person loves and spends time with is not a measure of his or her worth as a human being. It's time to put an end to the labels. Let's drop the homo- and hetero- off of and just be...

sexual beings.

At last

I don't talk politics, in my blog or in real life. Except with my husband, of course.

Today is a phenomenal day. I am proud that several teachers in our school were able to play the streaming video from CNN so that the children wouldn't miss this extraordinary day.

I found this entry in Nicholas' Writer's Workshop notebook:

Our New President
Our new president is going to recycle and be a good president. His name is Barack Obama. All my [friends] voted for [McCain] and it was hard for me because I didn't know if I should vote with my [friends] or me. I chose me. I think he is going to be the best president.

This is the same kid that asked his Daddy on 9/8 who he was going to vote for and responded to the answer with, "Well, get ready to pay more taxes."

Talk to the kids about this day. They understand more than you'd think.

Another great entry can be found here.

This just couldn't wait....

I just ran across this article.

Here is the gist of it:

WICOMICO CHURCH, Va. (Jan. 6) - A 6-year-old Virginia boy who missed his bus tried to drive to school in his family's sedan -- and crashed.
His parents were charged with child endangerment. State police said the boy suffered only minor injuries and authorities drove him to school after he was evaluated at a local hospital for a bump on his head. He arrived shortly after lunch, Sgt. Tom Cunningham said.
It happened around 7:40 a.m. Monday on Route 360, about 61 miles east of Richmond.

Two things immediately popped in my mind

1. If any of the kids missed the bus, they would go home and plop down in front of the tv or something. I am not sure if that is something I should brag about, but those are the facts.

2. Why in the H&// was the mother still sleeping?! I mean seriously. Apparently, the father wasn't home. He wasn't aware of the situation anyway.

Thank goodness that the little boy wasn't hurt. With the determination this kid has, he'll be president one day.

Mark my words.