ann penn

My Comments (14 so far…)

Liz Smith on Milkmen, Ice Men and Newsboys

The milkman, the bread man, the egg man, the ice man and the rag man with his horse drawn cart (these two in the city where my grandparents lived). In summer, the fresh vegetable man - a farmers’ market at your door. Mom was at home and didn’t drive, so these were a blessing for her; she went to the grocery once a week. And we kids were free to go out and play and roam the neighborhood….

Is Facebook Too Pushy? by Sybil Adelman Sage

I joined FB to keep up with family, and for the most part it has been good. I have no desire to have more "friends" than I can handle.

When I joined, I did NOT ask FB to email all those in my address book with a friend request - this is the source of many of those requests that come to us. And if you don’t respond, FB itself will keep repeating the invitation.

As to those emails every time someone responds to your post, you can turn them OFF! Go to the preferences for your account and reset that automatic email feature to off. Look at what else is there that you may want to tweak.

You can also cancel a "friend"; and you can hide those rather annoying game reports. Click the button to the right.

I have used it to see family pics, especially distant relations, and news from a few old friends. I have not "friended" anyone who lives nearby and I see regularly in person.

Cemeteries Dying Out: Mr. wOw's Plan B

Thanks for bringing up theses points. As a college student I would often study in a local cemetery surrounded by the graves of Revolutionary War dead. It was peaceful, out of doors, quiet. I know of at least two cities where there are cemeteries that are tourist destinations in themselves because of the trees, plantings, and scenery, not to mention some remains of historic or at least memorable people.

And since my husband and I have gotten into genealogy we have learned a lot of family history from visiting cemeteries, information that we would not have found otherwise.

My own parents and grandparents were all cremated and then buried under a stone. Such graves take up little space, but there is a marker that gives basic information for future seekers. And when a woman is married, it is a joy to find her birth name on such a marker. (The worst ones simply refer to "wife")

These place are green areas that contain our history. Think twice before you want to get rid of them.

Liz Smith Knows Her Charities Help Actual People

Alas, when an artist donates her or his work to charity, our IRS policies in the US only allow her or him to deduct the cost of materials, not the value of the work.

Too often artists who are starving or close to it are getting requests for such donations. Many would like to oblige, but often they cannot afford to give up the return on the time and skills involved in producing the work.

A more reasonable tax policy would generate far more donations to charities, and reap greater rewards for those truly in need.

Margo Howard: The Origins of Obama Rage?

I think it is too simple to be mere racism. We all know there are racists in America, and that will continue. But the opposition to Obama, IMO, is deeper and comes from an extreme right wing who will use all the tools at their disposal: racism, religion (extremely conservative Christianity), false accusations (the birthers), etc., to achieve their goal of control of the US.

We need to stop wasting time responding to side issues and get on with the business at hand: health care, the economy, etc.

Obama (and others) will always have racist opposition (and so can some whites from blacks; it can cut both ways); talking about it won’t change the true racists. Let’s stop talking about the things that won’t change and work on what we can change. The best answer to the detractors is to return to good government.

Margo Howard: The Origins of Obama Rage?

And that his "white" half roots can be traced back in America to before the American Revolution… longer than my roots.

Liz Smith: George Clooney's Missing Marrying Gene

Thanks for the kind remarks about Nick Clooney. He was a wonderful newscaster and later wrote a very thoughtful column in the now defunct Cincinnati Post and Times Star Newspaper. I dearly miss reading his common sense. I, too, was sorry when he didn’t get elected to the US Congress from KY; since it wasn’t a district where I lived, I could not vote for him… with regret.

Joan Juliet Buck's Impossible Nightmare

Having lived in Europe in the 1980’s when American companies were bombing targets, I was amazed at the US attitude that it would never happen here. There were other warnings - the first bombing incident in the Trade Cenrer, PanAm 103 (where I lost a friend), etc.

I knew that it would happen here eventually. But on 9-11 I was totally shocked by the scope of what occurred. My husband had called me to ask me to check the TV as he had heard something was going on; on the phone with him, I saw the second plane hit. I said "This is no accident; we are at war." Then the anxiety of reaching my NY son (a mile from the towers); phones didn’t work, but email did. How great it was to hug him about ten days later.

There will be another incident at some point in time. These people are thugs masquerading as religious. If we are vigilant, there will not be another incident of that scale. But it should not control us as a people, force us to change our values.

When I was living in Europe and as an American knew I was a target to some, I realized that I probably had a better chance of being killed somewhere by a drunk driver than a terrorist. We need to be vigilant, but we need to keep perspective too.

Dear Margo: A Personality Makeover, Courtesy of a Jerk

Special Kay-

My initial reaction was this guy sounds like someone who turns out to be an abuser (either psychologically, physically, or both). I would advise LW1 to continue to be in her friend’s life as the friend may need someone down the road. Let her back off from a lot of contact, but keep the communication open.

She could decline to be a bridesmaid (perhaps it is too expensive…), but still attend the wedding.

Annie P

Do you think ground combat positions in the armed forces should be open to women?

There is another factor that seldom gets a mention in this discussion. Post military benefits are often greater for those with combat service. For ages women who have served, including in dangerous places, have been denied this perk of service. Changing the system will allow women who serve to have all the benefits that their male counterparts incur.

Dear Margo: Out of the Mouths of Babes: Their Parents' Opinions

I call those overbearing, "I’m always right" ones "Super Christians". As opposed to normal ones who have actually listened to what Jesus reportedly said and try to follow that ("Judge not", etc.)

A Conversation With Keneisha Sinclair: A White Woman Learns About Black Hairstyling

The grass is always greener… I’m a white woman with hair that wants to be poker straight and totally limp, but I look better with a bit of body and curl, so I get very expensive perms every two or three months… My hair is so straight I need to start out with a perm that comes out looking like an afro to get it to last more than three weeks.

My sister got the curls. When we were in HS she would complain on damp days that her hair was curling while I, after sleeping all night in painful rollers, would see mine go straight as the rollers came out (no perm then). Sis has always had hair that was wash, dry and go.

I think a woman (of any race) who can wear it very short and natural has it made.

Creating Awareness: Celiac Disease – Follow Your Gut Instinct!

A few years ago I cleared up some digestive problems by going on a gluten free diet. I was surprised when a chronic skin condition also cleared up.

Gluten intolerance is very prevalent among people of Scandinavian, Irish, and Italian extraction (though not exclusive to these groups).

To stay on a GF diet one must read labels constantly. It is amazing how many foods have hidden gluten in them.

The only way to really expose the extent of this in the US population (where most doctors deny that it is a common challenge) is to have oneself tested. The more people who get diagnosed, the more it will be taken seriously.

I have urged my siblings to get tested, but so far they have ignored my suggestion… one can only do so much.

The new iPod Shuffle is even smaller and holds more songs than before. Does it tempt you? If not, is there any gadget that does?

No, I’m not tempted by the new shuffle. It requires ear buds, and they do not work with my too-small ears. However I love my older shuffle. It’s small and weighs next to nothing, clips to my collar. I’m not big on music, but I use it for recorded books, one at a time. That way I can "read" while doing household tasks, gardening, or sewing. It’s great with the sewing machine because I can still hear with the machine going full tilt (I’m a fiber artist and that is my power tool). Once I’m finished with a book I delete it, then add another.