tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44487799505402691532024-02-06T19:13:13.562-08:00Sole FocusNews, Views, Rantings & Ramblings by Carey ParrishCarey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.comBlogger654125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-89346575497080273122017-03-16T20:00:00.001-07:002017-03-16T20:00:16.399-07:00I Survive<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<b><u>I Survive</u></b></div>
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My time here is fleeting.<br />My waning years are nigh.<br />But I will be remembered.<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br />Because through my words, I survive.</span></div>
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My bones are growing weary.<br />My spirit still flies high.<br />You may dismiss my very being.<br />But still, I survive.</div>
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I may not claim to genius.<br />I may have only common ties.<br />But I will be immortal.<br />Because in spite of all, I survive.</div>
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This life has been painful.<br />It has given me it's shares of highs.<br />But even at it's very death.<br />I can say I survive.</div>
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Through thousands of dawns and thousands of eves,<br />I have wakened and I did lie.<br />But at the bittersweet end of it all,<br />I survive.</div>
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You may record me into yesterday.<br />You may tell the world I died.<br />You may pretend that I never was.<br />But like all before me, I survive.</div>
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Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-58333245427134164642016-10-25T17:54:00.001-07:002016-10-25T20:33:48.037-07:00Spotlight Interview with Writer Gregory G. Allen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLinJ5_QqSgrG_CjAHENvU-dyQb4IfqKnEd0bRZiOL8iMpHcOhF005u1ksz4BqjayBjYZ3ttwob6nEQ0l87F0HC6OxnsBuxi9t7iQLSvubfLQx1piq3fOIbWyLhQ0FbdgSXbCdjD9zDQ/s1600/GGA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLinJ5_QqSgrG_CjAHENvU-dyQb4IfqKnEd0bRZiOL8iMpHcOhF005u1ksz4BqjayBjYZ3ttwob6nEQ0l87F0HC6OxnsBuxi9t7iQLSvubfLQx1piq3fOIbWyLhQ0FbdgSXbCdjD9zDQ/s320/GGA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the most talented writers on the scene today, Gregory G. Allen has penned novels for adults as well as stories for children. He's also actively involved in the theater. His work includes the short film "<em><strong>Mother</strong></em>," based on a book he wrote, for which he received national acclaim. After entertaining children's audiences with the book <strong><em>Chicken Boy</em></strong>, whose title character has autism, he has recently released a new book for kids calls <em><strong>Irving, The Theater Nut</strong></em>, which has resulted in glowing reviews and praise. Greg and I have known each other for some time and when I saw what a commotion <em><strong>Irving</strong></em> is causing, I couldn't stop myself from asking him for a few minutes to discuss his new book. As always, Greg was as welcoming and charming as ever. </div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Hi, Greg. Welcome back. It’s been a while since we talked in a forum like this.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
It has and I really appreciate you talking to me again since I haven’t had a
book out in a few years.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
You are, of course, most welcome. You’ve recently released a new children’s book, <em><strong>Irving, The Theatre</strong></em> <strong><em>Nut</em></strong>. Tell
me about Irving.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
Irving is this squirrel who knows he should be gathering nuts (as that is
what’s expected of him), but really wants to be a performer. He watches
children rehearse in a nearby theater and he has a dream to join in on the fun
that he sees them experiencing.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Where did the idea for this book come from?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
I started a new job a few years ago as a theater manager in a historic theater
in New York State and my second week, a squirrel got in the theater. I
completely forgot that I had gone home, written an outline for a new children’s
book and only discovered it earlier this year.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
What’s been the reaction to the book?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
It’s truly amazing because I was excited to return to my roots of children’s
theater with this book and not certain how that would play with other people.
There are more theater geeks/nuts in the world than I thought! People are
loving the themes as well as Morgan Swofford’s beautiful illustrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
What message were you hoping to share with this story?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
I wanted to share that it’s okay to be different - if you want to go to play
practice after school…Go! Just be you. Yet there are other smaller themes
parents and teachers can discuss of working together, diversity (as it was
important for me the children in the book not all look alike), and following a
dream. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
You’ve always been heavily involved in the theater yourself. How much did that
motivate this story?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
It was a huge motivation. I spent years doing children’s theater as a child. It’s
how I got my start. I also got my Equity card (theater union) as an adult
touring in a children’s theater show where we would do musical versions of well
known children’s stories. I toured as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. And the
past ten years I’ve returned to the stage once in a while to feed that passion.
So yes…I’m a HUGE theater nut so I’m so happy to use that part of my life in
this book. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
You’ve also been the director at one of your local theaters for a while now.
How much do you enjoy this type of position?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
I think I’m one of those people that love all aspects of theater and the arts.
I was the artistic director of a theater in New Jersey for several years, but
even after I stepped away, I would still return and direct for them. There is a
joy in working with a cast and crew to create a shared vision for the stage. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
What sorts of challenges does it present for you?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
The director sees the overall picture (which can be anxiety-producing) and
steers everyone along on the same journey. You plan out the moments of your
rehearsals, work with each designer so that you all have the same goal, and
sometimes it can become nerve-wracking if things aren’t moving along at the
time you feel it should be. That’s why I love to return to the other side, take
on a role, and just worry about my own performance. :-) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYxK72M8Obs6zHiQnsAOfKp_tiQalTeJR5Gq0xuMZVj94M4qnQRzBBIdai5SbdVdcmTunzOe2iht8Ex-Srt_QP3wALxiu5z7zSmGxFA1c2oquwYYHFGsMpIrCbPvgwnKdpR_LzOfZwMQ/s1600/IrvingColor21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYxK72M8Obs6zHiQnsAOfKp_tiQalTeJR5Gq0xuMZVj94M4qnQRzBBIdai5SbdVdcmTunzOe2iht8Ex-Srt_QP3wALxiu5z7zSmGxFA1c2oquwYYHFGsMpIrCbPvgwnKdpR_LzOfZwMQ/s320/IrvingColor21.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Do you feel that you’ve found your true calling or is there more you to
accomplish?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
Honestly, I don’t know what my true calling is. It’s definitely to continue
working in the arts and telling as many stories as possible…whatever medium
that may be. I’m a storyteller at heart and that can be books, film, or stage.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
You recently were heavily involved with an independent film called “<strong><em>Mother</em></strong>”
that received national acclaim. What would you like to share about that
experience?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
It was absolutely amazing. From adapting a book of mine to a short 11-minute
film. Bringing together a cast and crew that were all incredible and made our
two-day shoot SO easy. To post production and working with an editor who
brilliantly helped shape the vision to taking the film to festivals all of last
year. Every moment of it was special in a different way. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Is <em><strong>Irving</strong></em> possibly headed for a theater or film adaptation?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><strong>GG</strong></em>:
It’s still so new that I’m not sure, but a few people have said to me that it
needs to be a children’s play.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Are you planning or working on another book at the present?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
Right now - no. You know how it is. It takes so much time to work on a project
that sometimes I need to pull back and just…be. Right now, it’s all about
talking about Irving and getting him to as many people as possible. We’ve
already heard from regional theaters that want to carry the book in their gift
shop and I’d love to do some events at actual children’s theater companies to
talk about the book with children who are living it.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
What kinds of things have you been doing in your personal time lately?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
I still love to travel. this summer we took a family vacation on an Alaskan
cruise for my mom’s 70th birthday. It was a great way to celebrate on the ship.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Have you seen any movies that you can recommend? And if so, what makes the film
stand out?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
The last movie I saw in a theater was <em><strong>Florence Foster Jenkins</strong></em>. I enjoyed it. I
tend to watch most films at home now. (I’ve turned into that person.) Though I
want to see <em><strong>The Girl on the Train</strong></em> as it was filmed up in the town where I live.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
What are you reading?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
Currently reading Seth Rudetsky’s <em><strong>The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek</strong></em>. (He
wrote a great review for Irving and I just HAD to read his YA book about a teen
theater-lover.)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
The election is really a boiling point across the country right now. Do you, as
do most Americans, feel that this is the election that will set the stage for
the USA’s journey forward in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
I think every election cycle seems like a turning point for our country where
we usually go back and forth from party to party. I think this year we had so
many other things brought up with an independent like Bernie Sanders being such
a large voice, and a Washington outsider like Donald Trump making such headway
with people. It shows our country isn’t pleased and I HOPE that change will
come, but we must remember that change for the sake of change isn’t always
good. I don’t think our democracy should be thrown out the window. I think
smart change needs to occur and Americans need to come together to make change:
not divide in some sort of civil war. That actually worries me more than
anything else. That this election has brought out the worst in people and I
just hope there will be mending. (As a country and even among our own friends
on social media and in our lives.)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
What would you say is your proudest achievement?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
Wow. That’s a hard one. I was always taught by my parents that I could do
anything. I’m so proud they instilled that in me or else I would never have
tried to do half of what I’ve done. Sometimes I fail, but that’s okay. I just
keep trying something else new. (I know, I know - I didn’t answer your question
because it’s like Sophie’s Choice and I can’t pick one.)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>CP</strong>:
Greg, thanks so much for visiting with me again.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>GG</strong>:
Thank you for talking with me again!</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><strong>Carey Parrish</strong></em></span></div>
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Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-33298814181593749232016-05-10T15:49:00.002-07:002016-05-10T16:55:14.651-07:00"The Lottery" -- A Think Piece<div style="text-align: justify;">
Almost sixty-eight years ago, <em>The New Yorker</em> published a story by novelist Shirley Jackson called "The Lottery." It has become one of the most renowned short stories in American literature. Set against the backdrop of small town America, the narrative, written in third person, takes place on the 27th day of a summer month in a village of around three hundred people. The town is about to take part in an annual tradition that seems to have everyone present oddly pleasant but nervous. </div>
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There is a cast of young, middle aged, and old represented herein and the views of each generation differ regarding what they are about to do. The town's oldest man, Old Man Warner, goes on about how "people have changed" and "this isn't way it used to be done." He says: "There used to be a saying, 'lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' " When someone tells him that other counties are either considering or have already done away with The Lottery, he decries it as worthless and how others shouldn't listen to "the young people." He firmly says: "There's always been a lottery." A large pile of rocks is nearby. </div>
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As the story progresses, the man in charge of the event, named Joe, accompanied by the town's postmaster, Mr. Graves, calls everyone to order. Joe is "sworn in" to do his official duty as the Lottery organizer. Then each male head of household comes up to the podium as his family's name is called and removes a folded slip of paper from a black box, each one having been instructed not to open the paper until everyone has received his. Small talk throughout the crowd is mostly mundane, with some making remarks such as "we're next" throughout. The first round is only for the men unless someone is unable, as is the case with a Mr. Dunbar who broke his leg and his wife is drawing for their family because their oldest son isn't sixteen yet. </div>
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Once each family has his paper, they are instructed to open them. All are blank. Except one. Bill Hutchinson is holding a slip of paper with a black circle drawn in the middle. People notice immediately. </div>
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"Bill Hutchinson's got it." <br />
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His wife, Tessie, who arrived late, begins protesting "it's not fair. Bill didn't have enough time to draw the piece of paper he wanted." Her husband quiets her. </div>
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"Be a good sport, Tessie," says Mrs. Delacroix. <br />
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"We all took the same chance," Mrs. Dunbar reminds her. <br />
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At this point Joe tells Mr. Graves to collect the family's pieces of paper. There is Bill and Tessie, with sons Bill Jr. and Davey, and daughter Nancy. It is revealed that there is an older daughter named Eva who is present with her husband, Don. Tessie cries out that they should have to "take their turn" as well but Joe reminds her that married daughters draw with their husband's families. The five eligible members of the Hutchinson family are then instructed to pick a piece of paper from the box and not open it until they all have drawn. A girl in the crowd whispers she hopes it's not Nancy. One by one, each family member's paper is unfolded. Tessie has drawn the one with the black dot. There is mostly silence. </div>
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Joe says: "Okay, folks. Let's finish quickly." <br />
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While Tessie protests that "it isn't right, it isn't fair," members of the community go for the rocks, encircle Tessie, and she is stoned to death. </div>
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The end. Period. The story ceases here. </div>
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When <em>The New Yorker</em> first published "The Lottery," it was received with a resoundingly negative response. So negative that hundreds of letters of protest began pouring in and the switchboards were lit up with incoming calls from concerned readers, many of whom cancelled their subscriptions. The magazine forwarded the letters addressed specifically to Shirley Jackson to her. She was taken aback by the way people reacted to her story. She told a journalist that even her mother scolded her for writing it, advising her to "write something that will cheer people up." When asked what her purpose was in writing "The Lottery," her reply was vague. </div>
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"Explaining just what I had hoped the story to say is very difficult. I suppose, I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village to shock the story's readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives." </div>
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Sounds good to me. <br />
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Ms. Jackson went on to write "The Haunting of Hill House," a thriller set in a haunted mansion that most critics consider one of the most important novels of the 20th Century. Even Stephen King credits it in this manner. Yet it is "The Lottery" that continues to bring the late author her most ardent attention. I first learned of the story in middle school when our social studies teacher showed us a short film made in 1969 based on the work. I remember being absolutely horrified by it. I couldn't get it out of my mind. My mother even called the school to complain about it. As I later learned so did many other upset parents who couldn't get their kids to sleep for days. </div>
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Over fifty years later, people are still talking about this story. It is a galvanizing piece of literature. Nowadays the critics are kinder and discussions are mostly people trying to figure out what it means. In spite of the author's own recollection of why she wrote it, there are other points of view which are just as valid. For me, it says that tradition, even when it's bad, is a difficult thing for humans to do away with. We feel bound to them for some reason, as if it is a betrayal of our ancestors to stop things they did for centuries. Even in the story, it is revealed that the lottery has changed over time. The box used isn't the original box but is constructed of pieces from the first one. It is old, splintered, weathered, not exactly black anymore as the color has faded. No one has yet decided to build a new one though. There is a recitation and a salute that was once included with the lottery but has now been discarded. Traditions are important to us, no doubt about it. Even when we don't do them exactly as our forebears did.</div>
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I also think there is something to do with how society destroys the individual in our world. We live in cities and towns where laws govern us and we follow structured routines, almost mechanically in a lot of cases. Society consumes a person, makes us become a functional member or discards us, sometimes violently. And permanently.</div>
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And lastly, there is an element of sacrifice that one makes for those around him. How we go kicking and screaming some of the time, as Tessie was doing when she insisted that her married daughter and son-in-law be forced to draw with the family. She knew that this would put them at risk of being killed but her survival instincts and desire to protect as much of her family as possible was at work, and she wasn't considering that in years past she was one of the people who was throwing the rocks. We give up a lot of who we are to live in our society and when it's our turn to give back, we aren't always very good at doing so. Are we? </div>
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The video of the short film I saw at age 13 is below. NBC produced a television movie based on the story with the same title in 1996 starring Dan Cortese and Keri Russell that won a Saturn Award. People are still talking about this story all these years later. It is powerful. It is disturbing. It is impossible to take your eyes away from. </div>
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Shirley Jackson died of heart failure in 1965 at the age of 48. I wonder if she had any idea that this one short story would still be such a topic of debate and obsession.</div>
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Peace,</div>
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<em>C</em></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-82671343739860245452016-05-08T16:48:00.000-07:002016-05-09T05:49:12.983-07:00Sister Wives - A Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the past five and a half years, the TLC network has aired a wildly successful show called "Sister Wives." The series debuted on September 10. 2010. The Browns and their journey have captivated millions of fans and have restarted the debate on plural marriage in the United States. People who watch the show are divided on whether or not the family is morally comprehensive or not. It is a complicated discussion, to say the least, but the show has made a big impact on 21st Century America.<br />
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I'm someone who grew up in a relatively small town in North Georgia. A child of the sixties, I remember when everything in my hometown was either in the downtown district or at Bryman's Plaza. There were no malls. This was way before K-Mart or Walmart came to be such retail giants. Grocery stores were locally run family owned places like Green Spot, Town & Country, Big Apple, and two chains known then as Winn-Dixie and Big Star. The black families lived in town and the white families lived in the county. I didn't have a black classmate until I was in high school. And <em>everyone</em> went to church <em>somewhere</em>. Religion was a major part of every family. And <em>families</em> were the cornerstones of the community. This was Southern USA in every sense of what was then the south in this country. Bigotry and prejudice was still very present. People were mostly Baptist. There was a generous Methodist community. Churches of God and Churches of Christ were present. We had a small Catholic populace and an even smaller Jewish congregation. The matter of plural wives was non existent here. And when it did come up, everybody agreed it was a sin. A horribly offensive way to live. </div>
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Growing up in the seventies, I was exposed to television and all the cultural revolutions that were going on in our nation at the time. I became much more liberally minded than most of my brethren. I began learning about the United States of America, what principles it was founded on, and what it means to be an American. I was able to look past what my parents and grandparents believed and see everything in a "bigger picture" sense. Yet I still didn't give the subject of plural marriage too much thought because nobody around here did that and I didn't know anyone who was involved in a family of the sort. <br />
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I was middle aged by the time "Sister Wives" began. I remember watching the first episodes with a great curiosity. I wanted to know what made these people tick. An offshoot of the Mormon Church, the practitioners of plural marriage were mostly located in areas of Nevada and Utah. I thought it was an interesting entry in the reality television genre to feature a family who lived a nationally illegal lifestyle. I also thought they were very brave to come out in such a public sense. And soon I became a fan not only of the show but of the Browns themselves. While everyone around me was morally outraged by the Browns and the show itself, I found myself cheering them on. I didn't see a sinful situation or a bad example for others. I saw a basically balanced family with amazing adult guidance. I saw people who only wanted to live their lives and raise their children without the threat of criminal indictment. I saw people who were willing to risk their freedom to bring their lifestyle choice into the public domain and maybe, just maybe, make a difference for other plural families by their example.</div>
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Kody Brown is the patriarch of the family. He leads an incredibly complicated life. He not only has the responsibility of leading the family as its head but also in being the main breadwinner. For nineteen children and four wives. A part of me wanted to ask him: "Man, are you insane? Why would you take on such a task as this?" But I watched him take care of each child, of each wife, and spend generous amounts of time with each family. He had their love and their respect. Somehow he was making it work. And in almost six years I have never heard one of the children on the show complain about needing more time from their dad. I am impressed by that itself.</div>
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Meri is wife #1. She and Kody married when they were young and have a daughter together. Meri is much more grounded than she thinks she is. She is very much the one who holds this family together. She has not only consented to live a plural family style of life but she has opened up her own insecurities and vulnerabilities to show just how difficult this life has been on her. Yet she gives her sister-wives support and she rarely lets anyone other than Kody know how she often struggles with their dynamic. She holds it together, for herself, and for everyone else. I don't think this situation would work without someone like Meri to keep things in place and flowing. She also is not afraid to let people see when she messes up, when she is human. I see Meri as the compass for this family.</div>
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Janelle is wife #2. She has six children with Kody. She had a difficult adjustment coming into the plural family. She leads in a different manner from Meri. They have developed a close friendship over the years but do disagree in principal on a lot of the dynamics of their situation. Yet they support each other and care for the children and want only for the family to continue to thrive. Kody may not realize how lucky he is to have two women with such different outlooks who can put aside their personal differences for the good of everyone else. </div>
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Christine is wife #3. She also has six children with Kody. Christine is much the stabilizing factor in the family. She fought her own demons about being in a plural wives circumstance and she overcame her fears by forming individual friendships with her sister wives and by working on her relationship with Kody with openness and acceptance. She offers support to others without compromising her own integrity. </div>
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Robyn is wife #4. She was a divorcee with three children of her own who came into the show after it's debut. She and Kody have had two children of their own since then. Robyn managed to come into this situation without any malice toward her sister wives. She accepted the lifestyle and readily embraced it before she married Kody. She's strong but she relies a lot on Meri to keep her grounded and aimed in the right direction. In fact, during season five, Kody wanted to adopt Robyn's children from her first marriage and Meri, who was the only one legally married to Kody, offered to give him a divorce so that he could marry Robyn in a legal sense and make the adoption possible for the sake of the children. It worked out for everyone involved but Robyn was lucky to have Meri there and willing to make that sacrifice for her, for her children, and for the family as a whole. Once again, Meri proved that she was the foundation for the wives. Whether they recognized it or not.</div>
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The show has taken a lot of twists and turns since it began. We saw the Brown family have to uproot itself from their home in Utah and move to Las Vegas to avoid possible indictment by the state of Utah over their situation. We've seen the wives overcome personal differences to stay united for the good of the family. We've seen Kody juggle four wives and four households to live the life he believes he was meant to live. The children have been well documented in their observations of the family they are a part of and whether it is a dynamic they would want for themselves. Nothing, in my opinion, has been left to chance. And I have indeed become a full fledged fan of this family and their show. I say to others leave them alone and let them have their happiness. Who are we to say they're wrong? It's not up to us, as their societal peers, to approve of or to judge them. It is our responsibility to go about our own lives while allowing them the same gracious right.</div>
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Tonight the Brown family will begin the sixth season of their hit show and they will once again allow millions of people into their world. Most fans have come to the opinion that I have about them. A lot of people still decry their lives and their situations. I say to them show me that you've done better in your life than they have in theirs. I say to them prove to me that they aren't entitled to live their life as they choose; just as everyone else in America gets to do.</div>
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So bring on season six of "Sister Wives." I'm in their corner. And so are millions of other people. They have shown us that we can't allow anyone to tell us how to live our lives. Our personal freedoms are worth so much more than society's approval.<br />
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Peace out,</div>
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C</div>
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Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-59032377810386136802015-09-11T17:36:00.002-07:002015-09-11T17:36:51.605-07:00Nobody's Child<div style="text-align: justify;">
My parents are both gone now. I'm too old to be an orphan. But I feel like one. Yet I can't claim that title because <i>I am</i> too old for it. So instead I tell myself that I'm nobody's child anymore. And that's how I feel. I don't have parents to go to when I need to talk. Or when I need someone to listen. Or when I just want to be with someone who loves me. That part of my life is over. I'm here alone and that feels so alien I can barely entertain the notion of it.</div>
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Yet this is my new normal. I'm going on with my routine, trying to maintain the schedule I always set for myself, but I don't feel "right" anymore. I'm flailing, if you will. It's like I don't have an anchor anymore. I'm afloat in life by myself and I don't like it. For the first time in my experience, I'm on my own in every sense of the term. </div>
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I still have family members and I still have friends. Deep down I know I'm not alone but in my heart I no longer have the support system I always relied upon and I don't know how to continue without it. Life isn't the same for me. I wake up each morning, I get ready for work, I go to my job and I do the things I'm supposed to do. In the afternoons, I come home and have dinner and get myself ready for the next day. Just like so many others do. But I feel adrift because there isn't anyone to call or to check on or to just chat to like there used to be. I don't want to wear out my welcome with my friends, and there are some things you just don't want your family members to know you're feeling. So I'm very much alone in that respect.</div>
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I'm nobody's child anymore.</div>
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Being without my mother is a pain that I cannot explain. Only someone who's been through this event can know what I'm talking about. My mother was my best friend. She was the one person I could always turn to, who I could always count on, who I never imagined being in this life without. It is a physical pain to realize that I am without her. I've never had a broken heart this excruciatingly inescapable. I have a feeling the rest of my life will be marred with this knowledge. I loved my mother more than anybody else and being here without her is agonizing. But what choice do I have? None. </div>
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And I'm left with the knowledge that things will never be the same for me again. And I don't like it. And I would give anything to change it. But I can't. I'll never have that sort of comfort available to me again. I'll always want Mama's warmth and her support. I'll always want to tell her the good and the bad things going on in my life. Yet I'll never have that security again. I'll never have the same relationship I had with Mama with anybody else in my life. That hurts like nothing else. I've never hurt like this before. And I don't know if, or when, this pain will ever go away.</div>
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So I'm back where I began. I'm nobody's child. I'm alone in a great many ways. Being the eldest child in your family comes with a burden that is hard to explain. You're the one who everyone looks to for the answers, the strength to go on, and the security that things will be the same in the family as they've always been. And you want to give them that assurance but you don't know how you can because you aren't sure yourself that you have it in you to offer anything to anybody.</div>
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I'm afraid. I have no one to turn to for the assurances I need so I can't offer any security at all to anyone I love because I don't have it to give. I have myself and that's all I can extend. Worse, I can't feel alright about myself because I no longer have the support system I always leaned on to get me through the uncertain times in life we all experience. I will have to face whatever comes along by myself. I won't be able to seek the same advice I always had to turn to anymore. Everything that happens, every decision there is to be made going forward, will be mine to own. And that's what scares me.</div>
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I'll have to learn to trust myself. I'll have to learn to accept my own judgements. I'll have to become my own somebody to turn to. But I don't want to do any of that. I want to have things like I always had them.</div>
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But I'm nobody's child anymore. And I never will be again. </div>
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And that sucks. And I don't know if I can accept this reality. </div>
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But what choice do I have?</div>
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These are the cards I've been dealt. I'll have to play them with whatever skill is mine to use. There is nothing more frightening than realizing this. Nothing. </div>
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Nobody's child. That's me. </div>
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Where do I go from here? I guess I'll just have to wait and see.</div>
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<i>C</i></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-41806406236398839652015-09-06T05:58:00.000-07:002015-09-06T05:58:48.245-07:00Religious Liberty and The Law of The Land<div style="text-align: justify;">
In following the saga of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who was jailed last week for being in contempt of court after ignoring a Federal judge's order to resume issuing marriage licenses in Rowan County, to both hetero- and homo- sexual couples, I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by the public's reaction to this situation. As expected, there are two camps occupying the issue: those who support Kim Davis and those who do not. I'm hearing all this discussion about religious liberty and the matter of how far it can be taken. Some people are saying that Ms. Davis was singled out because of her faith and her devotion to it. Others believe she was discriminating against same sex couples and using her office as a platform to flex her religious liberty. This has become a hot button issue that is playing itself out in the glare of the media spotlight. </div>
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One thing most people are ignoring is the simple fact that Kim Davis is in jail for breaking the law. She is not incarcerated for being a Christian or for exhibiting her dedication to her religious beliefs. She hasn't been chosen as an example of anything other than what can happen when a person chooses to break the law. So many people are using her situation to exploit their own agendas, whether for or against same sex marriage, and bending and twisting the facts to suit their needs. It is yet another case of sensationalized journalism making more out of this than is actually there. Kim Davis willfully ignored the order of a Federal judge, even after the Supreme Court declined to stay his order, and in doing so she put herself in a position to be jailed. Contempt of Court is a crime. Plain and simple. And Ms. Davis is suffering the consequences of her actions.</div>
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I will typically applaud anyone who stands up for what he or she believes in. I think exercising our privilege of being a free nation is one of the most fundamental rights we have as American citizens. Our Founding Fathers designed a country where those who call themselves Americans can be at liberty to believe in whatever we choose, so long as it doesn't violate the law. And this is where my support for Kim Davis ends. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think it is admirable of her to state her opposition to same sex marriage due to the teachings of her faith but she has no right whatsoever to use it as a means to prevent other Americans from receiving their civil rights. And just weeks ago the Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry is something all Americans have and can enjoy at their own discretion. No one can say: <i>'Well, I don't agree with that because my religion is against it, so I won't obey that law.' </i>You don't get to pick and choose which laws you're going to follow. Our legal system doesn't work that way. Not even for the religious. I wonder if Kim Davis refused marriage licenses to Jewish people because they don't accept Jesus as the messiah. I'll bet she didn't. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet she did use her position to support her opposition to same sex marriage by deciding that her office wasn't going to issue any marriage licenses at all. This is where she overstepped her bounds. As an elected official, elected by the tax paying citizens of Rowan County, Kentucky, she has certain obligations to fulfill no matter what religion she practices... and issuing marriage licenses to the people who live in Rowan County is one of those obligations. It's in her job description. Not only has she broken the law by placing herself in contempt of court but she has also given the Kentucky state legislature all the ammunition it needs to impeach and remove her from office. She did all this to herself. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What it boils down to is this: Ms. Davis has confused her Freedom of Religion with her duty as an American to obey the law. In doing so, she stubbornly refused to be redirected by a Federal judge and it cost her her freedom. The judge even offered her a way out of getting locked up by telling her that she could go free if she wouldn't prevent her deputy clerks from obeying the law and still she wouldn't accept that the law is the law no matter who you are or what religious beliefs you hold. She seems to think that because she is against same sex marriage she has the right to impose her values and ideals on everyone else in Rowan County due to her position. The only example she's setting is showing the rest of the world what happens to people in the United States who choose to break the law. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kim Davis is not a martyr. She isn't a champion of Christian morals. She's not Joan of Arc. What she is is a person who's in jail because she ignored the order of a Federal judge to follow the letter of the law. She didn't take into consideration that everyone has the same Freedom of Religion that she does or that hers doesn't supersede anyone else's. She tried to get away with breaking the law and look what happened to her because of it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hers is an example of an exercise in futility. It is a classic case of why a person shouldn't try to do a job that their conscience can't accept because it conflicts with their religious ideals. Kim Davis had the chance to avoid jail by preserving her beliefs while also allowing her deputies to provide a service she felt she could not. And she chose to use her office to deprive others of their civil rights. In plain terms, she committed a crime. Now she has to pay for it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Religious liberty and the law of the land don't always complement each other. When they conflict for someone on a personal level, common sense should prevail. If your religion doesn't permit you to do something then stay away from whatever it may be that offends you. It's not that difficult to reconcile the two when you get right down to it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But to get back to my original intent in writing this piece, I reiterate that Kim Davis is not in jail for being a Christian. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
She's in jail because she broke the law. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>C</i></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-81626605152952591482015-08-23T07:33:00.000-07:002015-08-23T07:33:54.577-07:00Rearrange<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sometimes life just rearranges itself on you.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You wake up one morning and everything is different. The people who were the closest to you in life are all gone. You aren't alone. There are still family members and friends to support you and keep you from feeling that you're just by yourself. But it's not the same. And it never will be again.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Life is a tricky thing. You get too comfortable in it sometimes. Your home, the people you love, the mundane aspects of your daily routine, the highs and the lows, all get so familiar that you fall into the trap of thinking it will always be this way. Then, when the morning comes that you wake up and everything has changed, you're left with this uncomfortable realization that you are actually in control of very little. That scares you. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What's even more scary is knowing that you have to go on, trying to make a new path for yourself, trying to find a new purpose for yourself as well. I've been here before. Twelve years ago when my grandmother died, I didn't know what to do with myself then either. Yet I had my parents to turn to for advice. My mother was someone I could talk to about almost anything. I was younger then and the life ahead of me seemed somehow more exciting than it does now. I remembered dreams I'd had as a child and it occurred to me that I could make them come true. So I set out to do just that. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I wanted to be a writer. A professional writer. With the aid of the internet I got involved with writers groups online and it all seemed to take off from there. I started a web magazine that was very popular for a few years. I got to interview some very famous people and become friends with many of them in the process. Friends who knew a thing or two about making dreams come true and who were more than happy to share their knowledge with me. Five years and four books later I felt good about myself and where I had gone in life. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then my mother was diagnosed with cancer. She needed me. I was there for her like she'd always been for me. It meant giving up some of the things that I had achieved over the past few years. As her illness progressed, I began having some health issues of my own. A heart attack that required stent placement and then later a herniated disk in my back caused me to get depressed. I had stopped writing almost entirely by then. The world was going on around me and I was stuck in this place where my world revolved around my mother, my health, and my job. A little at a time, I lost every last piece of the life I made for myself in the years after my grandmother died. I was back to where I started... with almost no life. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Life rearranged itself around me again thereafter. Both my parents were gone and I had back surgery. I was home with nothing to do but watch TV and I avoided thinking about the future by focusing on trivial things. I realized I'm not young anymore. I'm middle aged and I have health problems that require daily medications to manage. I have a job that isn't really a challenge anymore because I've been doing it for so long that I've learned what to expect and how to handle the upheavals that come with it. So what do I do now?</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm too old for this, I tell myself. I don't have it in me to find a new purpose in my life, I think. It's too much work to get back to where I was as a writer before Mama got sick, I hear myself thinking. It'll be easier to just go to work, watch TV, eat, and wait on my turn to go back to the universe, echoes in my mind. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But that isn't what I want to do. I want to have my life back. I still have friends who can help me find my way into the future. I'm financially secure. I have a chance now to travel to most of the places I've always wanted to go in the world. I can plan for my retirement without having to worry about being one of those little old people who has to work at Walmart because Social Security isn't enough for them to live on. I'm doing okay with my health right now. My back problems are pretty much resolved and I'm stable on my meds. My family members are all supportive of me. I'm not alone. I have myself and I have all the tools at my disposal that I need to make my life happen again. I just have to do it. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Life just rearranged itself on me. Again. It's time to pick up and move on. Again. I have to do something with myself. Again. I'd hate to think that where I am now is all I'm going to get out of life. And it doesn't have to be all I get. It's my choice, my decision. There are too many years left to waste. Let's see if I have it in me to redefine me. Again. I think I do.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We'll see.</div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-60475255938305933622015-06-28T07:14:00.000-07:002015-06-28T08:11:07.316-07:00What The USA IS... And What It IS NOT<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The United States of America is
a Constitutional Republic, modeled after the Roman Empire in many respects, and
is not a Democracy in the true sense of the word. Democratic principles are
applied, such as voting and the representation of states and regions and
districts in Congress, but if we were a true Democracy there wouldn’t be any
need for things like the Electoral College or the Equal Protection clause in
the 14<sup>th</sup> Amendment to the Constitution. By fashioning this nation as
a Constitutional Republic, our Founding Fathers organized a country which was
meant to protect and serve all of its citizens, not the majority of them, and
certainly not select groups who would put their own beliefs and wants above their peers. Avoidance of majority rule and ensuring against the
tyrannical influence of sects of the populace is why we are a Republic and not
a Democracy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With this knowledge allegedly
taught to all Americans while we’re in grade school, I am once again at a loss
when it comes to how many of my fellow Americans don’t seem to understand how
our country is organized and why it was set up this way to begin with. All this
hubbub over Same-Sex Marriage is, quite simply, ridiculous when you consider
the nation we call home and the cornerstones of what it means to be an
American. Extending the legal rights of marriage to LGBT couples is no different
than Civil Rights is to Americans who are not Caucasian. In case anyone is
unaware, in many states a person couldn’t marry someone of a different race
until the 1970’s. It was the same argument then as it is now. Two consenting
adults who love each other and wish to be married have a fundamental right to
do so, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. The 14<sup>th</sup>
Amendment guarantees it with the Equal Protection clause. “Life, liberty, and
the Pursuit of Happiness” is an American right that we all are supposed to
enjoy. And not just opposite sex couples who might be white and religious.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is Un-American in the very fabric of the word. The
Equal Protection clause is also why the majority cannot vote away anyone’s
right to be married, or anything else. See, once again, in a Republic, a majority rule is not
allowed to dictate the rights of others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And why did our Founding
Fathers create a nation based on the principles of a Constitutional Republic?
Because they were sick and tired of being lorded over by a Monarchy that
presumed to tell them how to live and what to believe and which taxed them
mercilessly without representation, maintaining control through the
instillation of fear. They wanted to live in a country where the government was
by the people and for the people and where all Americans could be treated
equally with the same rights applied to everyone. Yet here we are in the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century still requiring the law to maintain our country in the manner in which
it was set up to begin with because we have so many people who want the USA to
be something that it is not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s talk about state’s rights
for a moment. When the movement to abolish slavery began gaining steam in Washington, many of
the southern states seceded from the Union in order to not only keep African
Americans in slavery, but also because they felt their rights under their state
constitutions gave them this freedom. The American Civil War that followed
was not only fought to ensure the freedom of the slaves, but to also preserve the Union and to establish the sovereignty of the nation over
the state. In other words, Federal law always supersedes state law. Do you know
why? Because it is the duty of the Federal government to maintain this country
as a Constitutional Republic, governed by the Constitution and its amendments,
where no state can strip away a citizen’s rights because a majority decides
that they can’t have equality. That, again, is Un-American in the very fabric
of the word. This is why segregation was ultimately outlawed and why schools
and universities were required to open their doors to anyone who wished to
attend them. The same principles apply no matter what the situation may be.
Americans are supposed to be equal to one another when it comes to the rights
we enjoy as individual citizens of the United States of America. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lastly, a Constitutional
Republic also excludes the influence of religious doctrine in its government.
Why? Because now, as then, there are so many differing religions and belief
systems and values based upon the doctrines of these religions that it would be
all too easy for one to have a majority over another. You wouldn’t expect
Jewish Americans to be forced to live by Christian or Muslim or Hindu or
Buddhist, or any other religion’s edicts, would you? Certainly not. Religion is a
personal matter where one chooses his own path to ensure his own spirituality.
It has no place in a government that represents free citizens in a nation where
equality is supposed to be guaranteed to everyone. Most of the Founding Fathers
were non-theists anyway. They wouldn’t have dreamed of setting up a government
based on or including religious principles. Instead, they established Freedom
of Religion so that everyone could worship as he or she chooses, or not worship
at all. In this manner, individual equality is again guaranteed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, to anyone reading this,
here is where I want you to pay attention and pay attention good. I am appalled
to see so many of my fellow Americans insisting that they are losing their
liberties and having their rights infringed upon. By extending those same
rights and liberties to LGBT Americans, they are sharing them and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you are losing nothing</i>. You still have
the right marry, to worship in any manner you choose, to believe what you want
to believe, to vote for whomever you wish to vote for, to speak your peace
without recrimination from the government. In other words, you still have the
right to live a life of freedom. And so does everyone else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And to all those elected
officials and clergy representatives and ordinary citizens who are encouraging
their families and neighbors to ignore the law and do what they wish, there are
still laws on the books regarding treason, obstruction of justice, civil
disobedience, and inciting others to unlawful behavior. I have a feeling that
by confusing the adherence to these laws with Freedom of Speech, there are
going to be some very unhappy Americans who are going to find themselves behind
bars, charged with and probably convicted of Un-American acts. Your Freedom of
Speech does not include rebelling against the government. That was, is, and
will always be a criminal act. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you don’t like the
principles by which the United States of America was founded, move to Canada.
(Inside joke I wonder how many people will get.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you do like them, enjoy your
freedom as an American citizen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Peace out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><strong>C<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-49155857022083788642015-02-01T17:10:00.000-08:002015-02-01T17:10:06.797-08:00Did You Know?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Did you know...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The very first Social Security check was issued on January 31, 1940 to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont, in the amount of $22.54. Ms. Fuller died in January, 1975 at the age of 100, having collected more than $22,000 in benefits. Ironically, she'd only paid in a little over twenty-four dollars in taxes to Social Security during her last three years working as a legal secretary prior to her retirement.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pretty impressive, I'd say.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>C</em></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-33052619794118322462014-10-17T16:56:00.001-07:002014-10-18T03:36:32.414-07:00The Issue of Marriage Equality<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello, friends! I know, I know...I haven't blogged in a LONG time. To be perfectly honest, so much has gone on in the past couple years for my family and myself that I honestly lost the desire to write anything.<em> Anything</em>. It's been a hard road but it's one that has been a learning experience. Now, and for the past few months, with things settling down and me feeling more like myself, I have been getting that urge to write again. To express myself in the written word is something I've always treasured and have had some success in doing as well. So I'm back, for now, and hopefully to stay.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Marriage equality is a topic of which I've had some very strong opinions for the last few years. As of today, same sex couples can now wed in twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia. It's been a long time coming but the Supreme Court has finally begun settling the matter once and for all. The freedom to marry whomever one chooses is indeed a right. It is not a privilege for the religious. If it were, atheists wouldn't have been capable of getting married. This is, and has ultimately been deemed, a moot point.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am quite perplexed by the arguments that religious groups and conservative Republicans keep giving about how allowing same sex marriage will enable some people, namely pedophiles, to claim their way of life as a right as well. It is mindboggling to me that there are people out there who can confuse the right of consenting adults who love each other to get married with the issue of children, who cannot under the American judicial system consent to sexual encounters, being victimized by adults who have questionable desires. I just can't quite make sense of that. The difference is too far apart between the two subjects to even consider. Consequently, I can only conclude that this argument is yet another tool being used by the Right to confuse the matter and hold up progress for those who are demanding equality. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Back in 2008, when California offered up Proposition 8 on its ballots, I remember having a discussion with my friend Danny on the matter. As a conservative Christian, he was understandably opposed to same sex marriage and felt that it was indeed a topic which could be settled by voters. I quite vividly recall telling him: "Wait until just one of these cases comes before the Supreme Court and there are going to be a lot of very disappointed opponents to this issue."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And I was right. The Supreme Court has a pretty good track record when it comes to fairly applying the law to all parties it represents. When circuit courts across the country began striking down same sex marriage bans as unconstitutional, as such bans prevent all Americans from rights such as their freedom of expression and the pursuit of happiness, the Supreme Court declined to hear arguments from states wishing to keep their bans in place. Effectively, SCOTUS said that the lower courts got it right and they had nothing to add on the matter. In the three weeks since their declination to hear these cases, the justices have cleared the way one time after another for same sex couples to marry as they choose. SCOTUS sent a powerful message with their initial decision. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What it boils down to is very simple. The religious or moral views of certain groups of Americans cannot infringe on the rights of others to exercise their own religious or moral views. You can't vote away the civil rights of those you don't agree with. If some people can marry at will then all people should have this same preference. You might not like it but you cannot stop it. I predict that within the next year same sex marriage will be legal in all fifty states and every US territory in the world. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was very amused by the response of certain state governors and attorneys general after the SCOTUS ruling. Their defiant statements that they would "ignore" the Supreme Court's decision was ludicrous. I suppose they do have the right to go to jail for obstruction of justice, just as every American citizen has the right to marry the person of his or her choosing. North Carolina has already made its position clear on this matter. When a magistrate there refused to marry two men on religious principles, the state said that magistrates will enforce the law or be removed from office. One magistrate resigned, as was his right to do, just as the two men who were refused their civil rights have the freedom to marry. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because it really is a matter of civil rights. It reminds me of the National Guard being mobilized to desegregate schools when states tried to defy the law in the sixties. Bigotry and prejudice are not tolerated in the eyes of the law. This matter is no different. People are what they are, no matter their color, nationality, creed, or sexual orientation, and they cannot be denied the same rights that others enjoy. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And for those who are still trying to argue that homosexuality is a choice, I always reply to them with one simple question. "When did you choose to be straight?" Shuts 'em up every time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Marriage equality is here. And not just in the US. In countries all around the world, people are either already allowed or are being allowed to marry the partner of their choice and society doesn't mind. It is only those who feel that their religious or their moral views entitle them to decide how the rest of the world should behave who are up in arms over this. And they'll just have to learn to live with it. Society is not going to allow an injustice of this nature to continue any longer. <br />
<br />
The absolute foolishness of the human condition never fails to surprise me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And, as Walter Cronkite used to say every evening, that's the way it is. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Love,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>C</em></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-73098103940081970132014-05-04T06:14:00.000-07:002014-05-04T06:14:33.560-07:00An Early Morning WalkI went for a walk.<br />
An early morning walk.<br />
In the crisp cool air.<br />
The beautiful sunshine.<br />
The smell of freshly cut grass<br />
And the singing of the birds<br />
Kept me company.<br />
To commune with myself.<br />
To clear my mind.<br />
To feel ready for the new day.<br />
I could feel the beating of my heart.<br />
The worries of life momentarily abated.<br />
As I concentrated only on my stride<br />
I knew that in these solitary sojourns<br />
One can find himself<br />
And feel at peace with himself<br />
To the tune of each breath.<br />
Inhale.<br />
Exhale.<br />
Just be.<br />
I went for a walk.<br />
An early morning walk.<br />
And I felt...<br />
Alive.<br />
<br />
<em>Carey Parrish</em><br />
4 May 2014Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-15569097847680214772014-03-02T15:19:00.000-08:002014-03-02T16:47:08.700-08:00The 2014 Academy Awards - Final Predictions<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is Oscar night! After all the waiting and wondering, the questions will be answered in a few short hours and we will see who takes home a golden statue. Having seen the nominated films, followed the buzz around the nominees, and taken into account who walked away with a Golden Globe, etcetera, I have made my own predictions as to who will win and my final round of choices isn't that far off from my first ideas.</div>
<br />
<strong><u>Best Picture:</u></strong> <em><strong>12 Years A Slave</strong></em><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The story this film tells and the moral implications it imparts are just as profound and just as important in 2014 as they were when the book was originally published in the late 19th Century. The performances are strong and the whole enchilada sparkles with Best Picture potential. I think this one will upset <em>American Hustle</em>, which was my first pick for the award this year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><u>Best Director:</u> Alfonso Cuarón for <em>Gravity</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It isn't often that the Best Picture and Best Director awards don't go hand in hand but with <em>Gravity</em>, Alfonso Cuarón skillfully combined the film's special effects with a cast that delivered fine performances amid a story that was both powerful and exciting. Cuarón's deft hand wove the whole thing together with a finesse that kept it from becoming a special effects jamboree. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><u>Best Actor:</u> Matthew McConaughey in <em>Dallas Buyer's Club</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My original pick in this category was Bruce Dern for his performance in <em>Nebraska</em> even though McConaughey had the best performance of the lot. And this is why I've changed my prediction. The buzz around Mr. McConaughey is enviable and, again, his was the best job well done this year. He is the Best Actor and as such rightfully deserves the Oscar.</div>
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<strong><u>Best Actress:</u> Cate Blanchett in <em>Blue Jasmine</em></strong></div>
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My mind didn't change on this one. Cate Blanchett is at the head of the class in her category. Her performance in Woody Allen's <em>Blue Jasmine</em> was superb. The buzz surrounding her has not waned either. She is well deserving of the award.</div>
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</div>
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<strong><u>Best Supporting Actor:</u> Jared Leto in <em>Dallas Buyer's Club</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a few years away from the film industry, Jared Leto returned with a sizzling performance in an important movie and the results are top of the line. I originally felt that Leto was the best in this category but I found myself leaning more toward Michael Fassbender for his work in <em>12 Years A Slave</em> because he is "owed" so to speak. But I've changed my tune on this one. Jared Leto should win and I believe he will.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><u>Best Supporting Actress:</u> Lupita Nyong'o in <em>12 Years A Slave</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
No change on this prediction either. Ms. Nyong'o was my original choice and she remains such. Her performance was splendid and she has been the odds on favorite, not to mention taking other honors along the way, and I do not foresee her walking away without the Oscar tonight.</div>
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</div>
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Possible upsets include <em>American Hustle</em> (it did win the Golden Globe for Best Picture) and <em>Gravity</em> (if Cuarón prevails for Best Director and the typical formula holds true) in the Best Picture race. Steve McQueen could take the Best Director award for his work on <em>12 Years A Slave</em> using the same rationale as <em>Gravity</em> and<em> </em>Cuarón. Bruce Dern might still be given the Best Actor Oscar as a "career award" win. Judi Dench just might upset Blanchett for Best Actress for her performance in <em>Philomena,</em> as could Amy Adams in<em> American Hustle</em>. Fassbender is still a real threat to Jared Leto in the Best Supporting Actor nod. Both Jennifer Lawrence (<em>American Hustle</em>) and Julia Roberts (<em>August: Osage County</em>) could spell an upset for Nyong'o if the "second statue in a different category" rule comes into play this year.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is impossible to be one hundred percent sure of anything where The Academy is concerned, because with them anything goes. They have been both predictable and surprising over the years and this time will likely be no different. I am never one to believe I will be right on every pick I make but for what it's worth this is my last round of predictions for this year's Oscars. We shall see, we shall see.</div>
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The 86th Academy Awards will be telecast on ABC beginning at 8:30 p.m. this evening. One thing I do feel safe in predicting is that a lot of switching back and forth between the Oscars and <em>The Walking Dead</em> will take place. LOL. </div>
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<em>C</em></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-89368544208679482042014-02-24T06:17:00.000-08:002014-02-24T11:34:20.212-08:00Book Review: Gifts Not Yet Given (And Other Tales of the Holidays) by Kergan Edwards-Stout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMOh5vsIEaVo6coeeRBjsguPE_RqCC-AYE0qncx64EdsQPtQ4R9-b6goCqTJZudw4aoSn7CFoqdRtDzJJeR6Mvz7HlhgG5HZPj68PsJQAGj5YN6EipTFwKOnk9IhWW1ch3_LXsOqqN08/s1600/Gifts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMOh5vsIEaVo6coeeRBjsguPE_RqCC-AYE0qncx64EdsQPtQ4R9-b6goCqTJZudw4aoSn7CFoqdRtDzJJeR6Mvz7HlhgG5HZPj68PsJQAGj5YN6EipTFwKOnk9IhWW1ch3_LXsOqqN08/s1600/Gifts.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Following the success
of his stunning debut novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Songs For
The New Depression</i>, author Kergan Edwards-Stout returns with an anthology
of short stories called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gifts Not Yet
Given</i>. And it is another page-turner from this talented scribe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Each story is centered
around a holiday but this is not a book for holiday reading only. The stories
and settings run the gamut in terms of seasonal and personal meaning. The book is
brimming with characters you’ll love not only because they’re so well written
but also you’ll know someone in your own life who could be almost every one of
these folks. While “A Doris Day Christmas” and “The Stepping Stone” are
personal favorites contained herein, each entry is a masterpiece unto itself. The
stories are written with a deft hand by an author who knows how to entertain
his audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Very few writers can
touch a reader’s heart but Kergan Edwards-Stout knows how to do just that. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gifts Not Yet Given</i> easily jumped onto
my top ten books read in the past year and it will remain a favored selection
in my library. With so many writers competing in the literary world today, it
takes a true author to rise above the pack, and Mr. Edwards-Stout is one of
those few gifted storytellers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5 Stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Buy the Print or Kindle Edition <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Given-Other-Tales-Holidays/dp/0983983739/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i" target="_blank">Here</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUazSQ7axkPxgONAn-LFs7GY5AwHM8jq5I3TQBAnIolCbo8IDbc6Eo1iORSFLgRCjoBTl73cioVXK29mw1j0cSgvhkBPQPKnMCqF7MvHaWkN3jSDlQpYXt5o6sZs52Km8SGcEJjZsylDc/s1600/Kergan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUazSQ7axkPxgONAn-LFs7GY5AwHM8jq5I3TQBAnIolCbo8IDbc6Eo1iORSFLgRCjoBTl73cioVXK29mw1j0cSgvhkBPQPKnMCqF7MvHaWkN3jSDlQpYXt5o6sZs52Km8SGcEJjZsylDc/s1600/Kergan.png" /></a></div>
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Visit Kergan Online <a href="http://kerganedwards-stout.com/" target="_blank">Here</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em>C</em></div>
<br />Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-27390282107169330842014-01-18T17:52:00.002-08:002014-01-18T17:52:44.621-08:00The 2014 Oscar Nominations
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 2014 Oscar nominations are
out! Every year, I see the noms and I make at least three predictions of who
the winners will be. My changing mind depends on different variables: the Oscar
“rules” that always apply to the awards, the best performances in each
category, and the voracity of the campaigns which precede the final round of
voting for the winners. It would be nice if one could base his predictions on
the best performances but with the Academy this is not possible. So, based on
the facts at hand right now, these are my current anticipations for this year’s
Oscar winners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Best Supporting Actress</u>: Lupita Nyong’o in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years A Slave</i><br />
<u>Best Supporting Actor</u>: Michael Fassbender in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years A Slave</i><br />
<u>Best Actress</u>: Cate Blanchett in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue
Jasmine</i><br />
<u>Best Actor</u>: Bruce Dern in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nebraska</i><br />
<u>Best Director</u>: Steve McQueen for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12
Years A Slave</i><br />
<u>Best Picture</u>: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Hustle</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Current ideas on why these
predictions will win:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Lupita Nyong’o</u>: This is her first film and she was
superb in it.<br />
<u>Michael Fassbender</u>: He’s owed after the Academy refused him a nomination
for showing his privates in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shameless</i>
and because he’s the oldest nominee in his category.<br />
<u>Cate Blanchett</u>: She’s generating the most buzz in this category and she
was nominated twice before, without winning, for portraying Queen Elizabeth I.<br />
<u>Bruce Dern</u>: The “Career” award given out every year.<br />
<u>Steve McQueen</u>: His film told a very important story and he told it with
a deft hand.<br />
<u>American Hustle</u>: It won Best Picture at The Golden Globes and the
temerity of the ingredients which have made it so successful is enviable.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Current ideas on possible upsets:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Best Supporting Actress</u>: Either Julia Roberts in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">August: Osage County</i> or Jennifer
Lawrence in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Hustle</i>. Both
fall under the “Second Statue in a Different Category Rule.”<br />
<u>Best Supporting Actor</u>: Jared Leto in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dallas
Buyer’s Club</i>. His was The Best performance in this category.<br />
<u>Best Actress</u>: Either Amy Adams in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American
Hustle</i> or Judi Dench in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Philomena</i>.
Adams benefits from her position in the lineup while Dench had The Best
performance in this category.<br />
<u>Best Actor</u>: Matthew McConaughey in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dallas
Buyer’s Club</i>. Another Best performance case.<br />
<u>Best Director</u>: David O. Russell for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American
Hustle</i>. His picture won Best Film at The Golden Globes.<br />
<u>Best Picture</u>: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years A Slave</i>.
It didn’t win Best Picture at The Golden Globes and it was really The Best film
of the year.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll update you all when I’ve
changed my mind. LOL!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">C<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-34087482991086493672013-12-23T19:19:00.000-08:002013-12-23T19:19:47.085-08:00A New Christmas Carol
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Twas the night before Christmas<br />
I was alone in my house<br />
My computer was my company<br />
It was not quiet as a mouse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Greetings poured forth<br />
From friends from afar<br />
Loving and uplifting<br />
They kept me on par<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As I sat at my desk<br />
Above on the rooves<br />
I heard the unmistakable sound<br />
Of reindeer's hooves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I have no chimney<br />
So I peered out the window<br />
And saw Santa bungee jumping<br />
To the ground below<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I rushed down the stairs <br />
I threw open the back door<br />
He staggered into my kitchen<br />
And fell flat on the floor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I helped him to a chair<br />
And asked what he meant<br />
For a man his age<br />
Had no business trying such a stent<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">With a glimmer in his eye<br />
He took a glass of brandy<br />
And smiled as he sipped it<br />
Saying: "Now that's just dandy!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Santa got tipsy<br />
After his daredevil jump<br />
And the reindeer tapped their hooves<br />
Giving the roof a thump<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He finally rose to go<br />
Assuring me he was well<br />
He told me he was fine<br />
This wasn't the first time he'd fell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He thanked me for the care<br />
His face all alight<br />
As he fished in his bag<br />
Drawing out something bright<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It was a star for the tree<br />
The brightest I'd ever seen<br />
It shined with wonder<br />
Like Santa's brandy induced sheen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Then he went out<br />
And took up his bungee cord<br />
He called: "On Dancer! On Prancer!<br />
Pull me back on board!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Up, up he went<br />
And then the sleigh flew<br />
Over my head<br />
Into the dark velvet blue<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Santa had come<br />
From the North Pole far<br />
And fallen to the ground<br />
Rattling his teeth ajar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Now he was off again<br />
On his appointed rounds<br />
Away from my kitchen<br />
And these humble grounds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I held the star <br />
And watched it twinkle<br />
And then I thought, after the brandy,<br />
Santa should have stayed to tinkle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He waved as he left<br />
Smiling back in my direction<br />
As if to thank me<br />
For assisting with his correction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">And I heard him say<br />
As he drove out of sight<br />
Merry Christmas, young man<br />
You made this old elf feel all right!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-9490160934242020752013-12-21T17:44:00.000-08:002013-12-21T17:44:41.033-08:00A Personal Request<span class="userContent"><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" style="text-align: justify;">
I have a personal request to make in this writing. It concerns a very dear friend of mine who is in need at the present. </div>
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I first met Eric Arvin through the miracle of the internet when we were both dreaming of becoming professional writers. Eric was just finishing up his debut novel, <em>The Rest Is Illusion</em>, at that time and I was planning to start a web magazine to help out some of my writer friends who needed an outlet for their work. Eric's novel became very popular, beginning his now massive fan base, and my web magazine came to fruition as Web Digest Weekly, a venture that achieved my original hopes for it... and then some!</div>
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I finally got the chance to meet Eric in person in the fall of 2009. He and I took a trip together to Michigan to see a mutual friend, writer Salvatore Sapienza, who at the time owned a B&B with his partner Gregg Smith in Saugatuck. I drove from my home in Georgia to Eric's hometown in Indiana and the two of us then went on to Michigan together. We spent a wonderful weekend there, getting to know Sal and Gregg, and exploring the town. I got to see one of the Great Lakes for the first time during that trip. It was a great experience, cementing us in a life long friendship that has grown stronger with time.</div>
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Eric is sadly now dealing with some very difficult and frightening health issues and will need extremely risky surgery to have a chance at overcoming this crisis. Eric suffers from a condition known as "cavernous hemangioma." This is, quite simply, a benign growth in the brain in which a calcified mass displaces brain tissue as it grows. Eric has already had surgery for this condition once, back in 2005, and it left him with severe disabilities which he has dealt with through sheer determination and the will to lead a normal life. </div>
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Recently, Eric began experiencing difficulty breathing and was taken to the hospital where he had to be placed on a ventilator. Diagnostic evaluations have confirmed that a hemangioma around his brain stem, which was treated surgically eight years ago, has grown back and is now causing him the problems he is currently dealing with. His options are to have this very risky surgery in the hopes of again relieving his symptoms, to try and preserve Eric in his present state (with a tracheostomy and on a ventilator,) or to do nothing and allow the hemangioma to continue growing until he becomes quadriplegic and eventually succumbs to the disease.</div>
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Eric is a fighter. He has already overcome this condition once and has decided to have the surgery again. Eric is a very determined person and he doesn't shy away from challenges. Not even one as potentially lethal as this. Before his initial diagnosis and surgery a few years ago, he had moved to Australia and was planning a life there. The diagnosis forced him to return home to Indiana and his family to seek treatment. In the years since, he has not only regained much of his independence, but he has also become a successful, award winning novelist. Nothing stops him from attaining his goals. Eric confronts each and every obstacle he encounters with a firm resolve to come out on top of whatever it is he is facing. And so far, he has triumphed over everything.</div>
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A few months ago, Eric met the love of his life. He and author TJ Klune have not only fallen in love but they are planning to get married. They want to have a life together which will make them both very happy. They spent the summer together and made some plans for the future which they only recently put in motion, including moving to a new state, just prior to the return of Eric's health problems.</div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Many of our mutual friends have donated to a relief fund that has been established for Eric so that he and TJ will be able to handle the financial aspects of this tragedy. A lot of money has been raised but more will undoubtedly be needed, not only to cover the immediate costs of medical care but also for future rehabilitation treatment that Eric will almost certainly require once he is well enough to leave the hospital. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">All of you who know me are aware that rarely ever do I ask for things like this, but if you can, please help Eric and TJ. A donation of even $5 or $10 is greatly appreciated. And keep Eric in your thoughts as he faces surgery in the coming week. He is a brave and courageous individual, a fantastic writer, and a good friend. In plainer terms, he is someone I love very much.</span></div>
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Here is the link to the crowd-funding site for Eric:<br /><a href="http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-eric-arvin/116877" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-eric-arvin/116877</a></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Thank you,</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Carey</span></div>
</span>Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-50010529182779424872013-11-15T18:23:00.000-08:002013-11-15T18:23:53.494-08:00Normal Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
Three weeks ago I suffered a heart attack. In medical terminology, this is called a Myocardial Infarction. It's what happens when a portion of the cardiac muscle is deprived of oxygen long enough that damage occurs. This is what I experienced. I was at work that morning, and fortunately I work in a hospital so I was in the right place at the right time, and I received the care I needed. In the next few days, I will go back to work and resume my normal life. </div>
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But what is a "normal" life?</div>
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</div>
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I've been given three weeks to digest what happened to me. I shouldn't be surprised that I had a heart attack because cardiac disease runs in my family on both sides. Yet I am appalled to know that I did suffer this event. It is something I consider an affront. Maybe this is arrogant of me to feel this way but I do and that's that.</div>
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These last three weeks have given me a lot of time to ruminate on the details of what happened to me. It has also made me feel very vulnerable in my mortal life. You see, eleven years ago two of my cousins, who were only a little older than I am right now, died suddenly from heart attacks. One was 47 and the other was 52. The latter didn't have to die but he did because the physician who performed the intervention following his heart attack punctured a coronary artery and then didn't respond to the pages from the staff in the heart cath suite when they were trying to reach him once my cousin began "crashing," as we in the medical field say. But I digress.</div>
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I had a heart attack just like they did. My maternal grandfather died after several heart attacks and my paternal grandfather also had coronary artery disease, which required that he undergo angioplasty to thwart it. My grandmother on my mother's side had a triple bypass in 1989. My paternal grandmother, to my knowledge, is the only grandparent I had who did not have heart disease. My dad also had it, as it was determined about ten years ago that he too suffered a myocardial infarction, although his was considered a "silent heart attack" and neither he or his doctors knew about it until after the fact. So I shouldn't be surprised that I traveled the same path as they all did.</div>
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</div>
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But when it's you it feels totally different. For one thing, I am sure that had I been at home when the episode began I would have almost certainly just stretched out on the sofa and waited for the "spell" to pass. I wouldn't have recognized it as a cardiac event. And when they did my heart cath it was discovered that my MI was caused by a ninety percent blockage in a section of my right coronary artery. So that means, had I been home when this happened to me, I would have just rested until the acute phase was over and in a few days the ninety percent blockage would have either totally occluded the artery or a clot would have completed it, and I would likely have died at that point. Just like my two cousins.</div>
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This isn't comforting knowledge, friends.</div>
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</div>
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But things didn't turn out that way. I was already at work the morning this befell me and I did receive the care I required. I was transferred to a hospital with a cardiac unit, had a heart cath and then a stent placement to reopen the artery that was being constricted, and am now on a slew of new medications to help me prevent a repeat of this experience. I am also learning a healthier diet and a better physical exercise regimen to assist me in my quest for better cardiac health.</div>
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</div>
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I was just this week released to return to my job in a few more days. I am very relieved to be getting back to my normal routine as well. Three and a half weeks off have been excruciating at times. For one thing, daytime television blows out loud and I've not, for some reason, been able to focus on any writing projects. (How diabolical!) In other words, much of the time I've been bored out of my skull and can't wait to resume a schedule which will keep me occupied physically and mentally for most of the day.</div>
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</div>
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Yet not everything about this forced time off has been negative. I've gotten to spend some quality time with my family and for that I am extremely grateful. My mother has been battling some serious physical ailments for the past year and having extra time to be with her has been a godsend. I've also had additional hours to devote to meditation and chanting, that have strengthened my spirit for the journey ahead during which I plan to lead a healthier lifestyle. These "bonuses" are worth their weight in gold.</div>
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Things I'll miss about being home every day? For one, I have gotten far too used to sleeping in each morning. Rising at four a.m. again will be a jolt to the system. Also, I've let myself become much too habited to having a late morning nap every day. This I will have to forego with my return to work next week. Also, and this is a minor point, but when I was growing up my mother and grandmother always had their "stories" they watched each afternoon. There is only one "story" that I grew up with still on the air now. <em>Days Of Our Lives</em> is something I've never truly given up and since I've been off I've found myself turning the TV over to NBC every weekday afternoon at one o'clock to see the residents of Salem again. The Soap Channel shows each day's episode of <em>DOOL</em> every evening at eight and therefore I can continue watching if I so choose without much of a hiatus. </div>
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So I've recovered from my heart attack and am now ready to go back to my normal life again. I feel very lucky to be doing so beginning in a couple of days. I struggle with wondering if I will ever feel as secure in my body again as I did before this episode unfolded, but I won't waste time worrying about it because doing so would be futile. No one knows what the future holds and to put off enjoying life to worry about what may or may not happen doesn't make very much sense. I shall simply go from one day to the next enjoying the time I have and planning for my future, but realizing that today is all that is really important. </div>
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Normal life, I'm ready!</div>
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</div>
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And that is my sole focus for now.</div>
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</div>
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Love,</div>
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<em>C</em></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-36967191490277788662013-10-26T05:39:00.000-07:002013-10-26T05:39:40.432-07:00So I Had A Heart Attack
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This entire past year has been
one of the most trying I can recall. Between illness in my family and unusual
stress at work, both my personal and professional lives have been difficult.
Yet this past Wednesday something happened that I wasn’t expecting and that put
me in a position I definitely was not comfortable with or ready to face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had a heart attack. I was at
work on Wednesday morning when my left hand began to suddenly ache. And it wasn’t
a pain I’d felt before either. This was like having a toothache in the muscle
just below my left thumb. It throbbed. Then my left elbow became involved. This
progressed to my jaw feeling “funny.” I had this incredibly anxious feeling as
well; like I was doomed or something. My chest didn’t hurt but it felt like a
pressure was assaulting it. I knew I having a “spell” of some sort but I didn’t
expect it to be a heart attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A friend of mine insisted I go
back to the emergency room and they must have known something was wrong when
they looked at me because they went into action. I couldn’t shake that feeling
of anxiety and my hand was killing me. My friends at work did everything the
current standards say to do. I was given aspirin and oxygen and put on a
cardiac monitor. I received nitroglycerin, Ativan for the anxiety, and then
Morphine for the pain when the nitro didn’t completely relieve it. After a
while I was easy and resting again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the course of the next few
hours my lab work revealed that I had indeed suffered a myocardial infarction.
I was transferred to a hospital where they have a cardiac unit. The
cardiologist in charge of my care is someone I’ve known for a long time and who
I trust. He explained to me what the treatment plan was going to be. It was a
surreal experience to be on that side of the scene. After so many years being
the nurse, I was the patient and I didn’t quite like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day I underwent a
heart catheterization which revealed a 90% occlusion in a portion of my right
coronary artery. A stent was placed, the blood flow to my cardiac muscle
returned to normal, and I went back to my room. A slew of new medications were
ordered for me and I began receiving education on what to expect now and what
to do after discharge. It all still felt surreal but there I was and I absorbed
every detail they gave me. On Friday it was determined that I was well enough
to come home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I never had another episode of
pain like the one which started this whole event.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now I’m on the other side of a
heart attack. I am to start cardiac rehab soon. I’m taking my new prescriptions
as I’ve been instructed to do. I am off work for two weeks; something I wasn’t
happy about but which my research has revealed to be standard practice.
Everything I Googled, from the American Heart Association to the Mayo Clinic,
indicated that most people can return to work after an MI with intervention in
two to three weeks if they do well and if there wasn’t a lot of damage. So this
impromptu time off is another thing I need to get used to, I guess. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But it feels odd to be here. I’ve
had a lot of illness in my life but knowing I had a heart attack isn’t comfortable
knowledge. I’m going to have to redefine some things in my lifestyle if I want
to prevent a recurrence of this experience. I have to be better to myself now
and get used to taking medications that once I only taught others how to take.
I also have to learn how to take things slower with less stress. Can I do it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I have family members who are
depending upon me right now because of other obligations in my personal life. I
have a job that needs me to be present in order to prepare for upcoming events
there. A part of me feels like I’m letting everyone down but I realize that if
I don’t do the things that have been laid out for me to do I might not be able
to satisfy any of my obligations. I have no choice but to do what I have to do
in order to return to my normal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I had a heart attack. Just
like millions of other people do each year. I had an intervention to correct
the problem that caused this. I am recovering and looking forward to getting
back to myself again. It’s not going to be easy to take things slower for a
while and to be “better” to myself. But I can do it. In hindsight, I’ve done
much more difficult things than this. And I likely will have to face more
daunting tasks in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m strong and I’m tough.
Anyone who knows me can testify that challenges aren’t things I slink away
from. I typically come out on the good side of anything. This will be no
different. I feel it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I’m off to get started. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Love,<br />
C</span></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-6808419126752884962013-07-22T17:05:00.000-07:002013-07-22T17:05:28.549-07:00Another Birthday<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today marked yet another milestone for me on my journey through life. I turned a year older. It was a fabulous day and I was surrounded by family and friends who love me and are always there for me. I couldn't be happier or luckier. </div>
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</div>
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Now firmly installed in my middle age, I must say that this time in my life is giving me the best years of my life. Being well into the second half of my forties, I feel empowered and in control of my destiny in a way I've not experienced in the past. I'm not being naïve either. One thing life has taught me is that there is no such thing as security; that is merely an illusion. We must strive each day to do the best we can and to make every opportunity that comes along a positive experience. This is about choice.</div>
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</div>
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I am happy because I choose to be happy. Like everyone else I know, I've had more than my share of sadness and bad times in the past. Most likely, I'll have the same amount in the future as well. The difference is whereas I once resented and suffered through the negative episodes I have learned to be objective about them. I don't see these things as being against me anymore. I have learned to be proactive about my life and to plan and organize myself for whatever comes along by planning and organizing the present - <em>today</em> - so that I feel more ownership of myself. We are all basically at the whim of fate but we can minimize the impact of life's developments if we accept our own accountability in the events we involve ourselves in. </div>
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No matter what has happened to me in the past, I know that my own actions and choices allowed me to be in whatever position I happened to be in at the time. And I accept this fact. I learn from my past rather than ruminate over it or become mired in depression over the bad things that happened. And even when we find ourselves in the worst circumstances, there is always something to be gained from having gone through them. There are only a few events in my life that I now truly regret. Why? Because I've seized the lessons that these episodes taught me and I choose to expound on these rather than pass up the opportunity to turn them into useful experiences. </div>
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</div>
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Karma is something in which I firmly believe. I am convinced that whatever we put out into the universe will come back to us. My combined practices of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation have given me the insight to accept my own responsibility for my life and to carve the life I want for myself out of the remnants of my own past. I can't move forward if I can't let the past be the past. Yesterday doesn't matter anymore. Other than the life lessons you take away from your yesterdays, nothing in the past can effect you today unless you allow it to do so. The key to achieving this clarity lies in your ability to put your focus on today and tomorrow rather than in events that have come and gone. </div>
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</div>
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And this is why I feel so empowered by these years of my life. I am free to be myself and to make my plans for the future and to accomplish anything I choose to attempt because I know that I have overcome my past and in having realized this I can achieve my future. If I set realistic goals for myself and if I am willing to work toward them then the only stumbling block I will face is myself. If I believe in myself I can move mountains. </div>
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</div>
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So today I turned a year older. I had a wonderful birthday with my family and my friends around me. I received so much love and so much support that this day was a complete success for me. I believed it could be so and it was. As I move into this new year, and the next one after this, I will continue to put my faith into my own abilities. I will keep living each day as it dawns and I will not let the past define my future. I will continue to accept myself as I am, with all the flaws life has given me and with all the experience I've acquired through them, and I will become a better, happier person because of everything that has led me to today. </div>
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</div>
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And I wish each and every one of you the blessing of learning to do the same thing for yourself. You can be happy and content or you can be miserable and resentful. It's your choice. </div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Love,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
C</div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-28637127380077868782013-06-26T16:45:00.002-07:002013-06-26T16:46:16.976-07:00Tears Left Over<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">This line from the Declaration of
Independence is perhaps the best known sentence in the English language. It
perfectly captures the essence of equality and what that meant to the men who
established this nation. These were people who were desperately trying to
escape an oppressive and unfair existence under King George III and the British
Empire. And in no manner does it separate people into classes or castes. It
applies to ALL Americans, no matter who you are or what you believe or how you
worship – or don’t – or who you love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">This has been a very important day in
the evolution of the United States. Equality has once again been brought front
and center and once again it has been upheld. In declaring the Defense of
Marriage Act unconstitutional and by declining to rule on the Proposition 8
challenge, the Supreme Court effectively said that same sex spouses are
entitled to the same rights as opposite sex couples and that marriage is not
just the union of one man and one woman. Same sex marriages may now resume in
California and there will be little to keep this equality from spreading
throughout the rest of the country. It’s already legal in twelve other states
and the District of Columbia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">For a long time I’ve felt that once the
Supreme Court was asked to rule on a same sex marriage lawsuit the matter would
be dealt with and in a fair and just manner. And I was right. The Supreme Court
has a pretty good track record when it comes to fairly applying the law. People
who oppose gay marriage on religious or moral claims are wearing blinders when
it comes to equality and the rights of the individual. They feel that it’s okay
to vote away civil rights and to say that because their religion or their
philosophy opposes gay marriage then everyone else must be held to their
standards. And that isn’t equality. It’s oppression, plain and simple. This
country was not built on that ideology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Like millions of other people, I was
very happy with today’s rulings by the Supreme Court. It paves the way for
everyone to enjoy the same rights when it comes to love and marriage and the
responsibility of the government to recognize these rights. Yet I still feel a
great deal of sadness for all those who’ve been deprived of their rights who
cannot now enjoy them because they passed away before the law enforced them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I think of Thea Spyer, who felt that
she was providing for her partner, Edie Windsor. It was Edie who brought the
lawsuit challenging DOMA. Edie and Thea were married in Canada and when Thea
died of ALS, Edie was informed that her tax burden due to Thea’s bequest would
be north of $300,000. The IRS told her that her marriage was not recognized in
the United States. It is because of Edie’s courage and determination that no
other same sex spouse will have to go through what she did. But my heart breaks
for all those who up to this point have been subjected to such unfair practices
by their government and I am equally saddened by how Thea would have felt had
she known that her wishes to take care of Edie would come at such a cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I think of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon,
who lived together as a married couple for over thirty years, and who were
eventually allowed to legally marry but just a short time before Del passed
away. That two consenting adults who love each other and want to be married had
to go through so many years of being treated like second class citizens before
their desire to tell the whole world that they were in love and wanted to be
married could be fulfilled. And all the millions of other people who have been
denied the right to marriage because an unjust society refused to recognize
their right to love whomever they choose, my heart goes out to them as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">For you see that’s what marriage is. It
is the culmination of a union between two people who love each other and who
are willing to make a public statement to that effect. All they want is what
opposite sex couples can freely have. It is not for society to determine who
someone should love or who someone should spend his/her life with either. Love
is universal. In denying a person the right to wed because said person might be
in love with someone of the same sex, society is in effect telling them that
they aren’t as good as their heterosexual counterparts. And that goes against
the Declaration of Independence where it stipulates that “all men are created
equal.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">So while today is a landmark moment in
the fight for equal rights in the United States, there are still so many tears
left over for those who were not given the same consideration that the Supreme
Court said today was due them. Those people will never know the freedom that today’s
rulings extend to their descendants. Just as slavery once shackled millions of
African Americans who did not live to see their emancipation, there are
multitudes of LGBT citizens who will not know the joy that today has brought.
At least we didn’t have to go to war to bring about the changes that are now
unfolding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Or did we?</span></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-75288069259488812072013-06-23T10:21:00.001-07:002013-06-23T10:24:39.174-07:00Book Review - Moral Authority by Jacob Z. Flores<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Most debut novels quickly
vanish after their release. Only occasionally does one stand out and receive
the accolades it deserves. Such is the case with <em><strong>Moral Authority</strong></em>. Writer Jacob
Z. Flores has crafted a story, told from three points of view, that resonates
with readers because of its relevance to headlines of today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mark, Isaac, and Samuel are
three very different young men living in America in the year 2050. For more
than thirty years, The Moral Authority has held considerable sway over the
nation and is in fact a fourth branch of the federal government. Conservatism
run amok, The Moral Authority exerts its controlling tentacles over society by
requiring citizens to live according to its edicts or risk criminalization if
they don’t. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mark is bold and daring. Samuel
is corrupted by power. Isaac is remorseful of his past. As the story unfolds,
the reader becomes entangled in their lives. One will find true love in a
barren place. One will find a redemption for himself that he isn’t expecting.
One is destined to fight to hold onto his way of life by any means necessary. Dominating
each is the painful reality of either following the law of The Moral Authority
or living in the perpetual jeopardy that personal freedom entails.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With the question of equality
unsettled in the world of today, <em><strong>Moral Authority</strong></em> is a book that gives its
audience a look at what the future might be like if lawmakers of the present yield
to religious and conservative pressures, restricting rights instead of
embracing them. Echoes of Orwell permeate the story without overshadowing it,
adding to the message that it conveys, resulting in a novel that is likely
larger in scope and importance than it intended to be. <em><strong>Moral Authority</strong></em> is an
impressive debut for Mr. Flores.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4 ½ Stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon.com Link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moral-Authority-ebook/dp/B00DFC78RI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372007827&sr=8-1&keywords=moral+authority+by+jacob+z+flores" target="_blank">Moral Authority</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>Carey Parrish<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-6120319239759180492013-06-02T14:34:00.004-07:002013-06-02T14:36:04.001-07:00Unending Sentence<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman;">The unending sentence is a long stream of words for which there
is no period as there is </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman;">no end to the thought process which creates it as is the stream
of consciousness that flows endlessly from the maker of the sentence whose
thoughts are ever flowing and expressing themselves but sometimes not while the
thinker goes on thinking and the words go on flowing whether spoken or left
silent and still the thoughts go on and in the mind there are no periods to end
sentences because the author is the brain and the brain knows no boundaries and
the thinker is a captive of his own thoughts trying ceaselessly to put order to
them and never quite succeeding only he thinks that he is and the train of
thought goes on and on and on and on…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman;">Copyright </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">© </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2008 by Carey Parrish</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRoman;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">
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Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-22441476101551474572013-05-26T17:21:00.000-07:002013-05-26T19:11:23.100-07:00A Portrait of Nancy Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdJI0cFN-3HTqieNnpy1w3qpuT_d-qiwEhTXAqAYRnAhR3zcfrPhIL-OOdcomPytbRcTVwEIYWLJdkQe-a8nxsKD5fXW87M0sgZ6CC22hnPUSwrK83okf6fGneWvb8-awZYIPi8f-o_g/s1600/Nancy+Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdJI0cFN-3HTqieNnpy1w3qpuT_d-qiwEhTXAqAYRnAhR3zcfrPhIL-OOdcomPytbRcTVwEIYWLJdkQe-a8nxsKD5fXW87M0sgZ6CC22hnPUSwrK83okf6fGneWvb8-awZYIPi8f-o_g/s320/Nancy+Green.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">If
you ask most people who Aunt Jemima is, most likely the reply will be a pancake
mix and syrup. While this is true, it is also a generalization as the story of
the original Aunt Jemima is pure Americana. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
Aunt Jemima pancake story began in the 1880’s when newspaper man Chris Rutt and
a friend named </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Charles Underwood bought the
Pearl Milling Company and had the idea of developing and marketing a ready-mixed
and self-rising pancake flour. The name “Aunt Jemima” was inspired by a
vaudeville show that Rutt attended where he heard a song of the same name sung
by a minstrel performer in blackface wearing an apron and a bandana. The
product was met with favorable results and in 1890 the two men decided to
expand the marketing of their product by employing a woman to personify the
fictional Aunt Jemima. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nancy Green
was 56 years old when she was hired by Rutt and Underwood to bring Aunt Jemima
to life. She was known for her excellent cooking and for her warm, approachable
manner. She began promoting the pancake mix at shows around the Midwest. Her
rapport with her audience was a rousing success. In 1893 the popularity of both
the product and Green was so great that the rechristened Davis Milling Company
began an aggressive campaign to increase sales. They took Green and Aunt Jemima
to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago where she prepared pancakes
before thousands in character as Aunt Jemima. Her appeal was such a crowd
pleaser that special policemen were utilized to keep the masses moving through
her booth. More than fifty thousand units of Aunt Jemima pancake mix were sold.
Nancy Green was such a success at the Expo that she was awarded a medal by its
organizers and Davis Milling offered her a lifetime contract.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This amazing
success belonged to a woman who was one of the first groundbreaking
African-American women in history. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7M5sFVuUs_rTk-conRpoBAcwFziMDhMUfh1n7PHWHezQiDCocpcB2o3Y0sOoMqGFnf1iwWcj99Kry7KrPeHJGL4L5hNDrJPyflRZpwLW9fORs_yszPF_oQfyM9yXuTAFOlmsxMkVvZ0/s1600/Nancy+Green+-+Aunt+Jemima+by+AB+Frost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7M5sFVuUs_rTk-conRpoBAcwFziMDhMUfh1n7PHWHezQiDCocpcB2o3Y0sOoMqGFnf1iwWcj99Kry7KrPeHJGL4L5hNDrJPyflRZpwLW9fORs_yszPF_oQfyM9yXuTAFOlmsxMkVvZ0/s320/Nancy+Green+-+Aunt+Jemima+by+AB+Frost.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p><em>Portrait of Nancy Green as Aunt Jemima by A.B. Frost</em></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nancy Green
was born a slave on March 4, 1834 in Montgomery County, Kentucky. Not a lot is
known about her early life. Following the Civil War and her emancipation in
1865, she moved north and worked as a cook and a housekeeper. She was married
to a man named Hiram Green. The couple </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">had two children who predeceased her and she was
widowed by the time of her employment in 1890 by Davis Milling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With her
sudden popularity in middle age, Green became one of the first African-American
spokespersons and her portrayal of Aunt Jemima made her a living trademark. She
became famous on a national scale and used her notoriety to expand her career.
She was soon travelling as a storyteller along with her work as Aunt Jemima.
Her shows were almost always sold out events and her warm persona gave her an
enduring following with audiences everywhere she went. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nancy used
her fame as well as the money she made from her work to bring attention to the
plight of African-Americans struggling in poverty to survive in the years
following the Civil War. She became one of the first black philanthropists and
her efforts to improve the quality of life of her contemporaries would help lay
the foundation for generations which followed her in what would become the
Civil Rights Movement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nancy Green
died at age 89 on September 23, 1923 from injuries sustained in an automobile
accident in Chicago. She was still performing as Aunt Jemima right up until the
end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In the decades
following her death, the Aunt Jemima character would be recast and portrayed by
a variety of actresses. The logo would change as well but the warmth of the
character would not be lost. Even in the sixties, when the Aunt Jemima
characterization became reviled by civil rights activists in much the same
manner as Uncle Tom, the smiling face and inviting demeanor of the trademark
would not be tarnished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The legacy
Nancy Green left for those who’ve followed her is one of courage, talent, and
the indomitable strength of the human spirit. The success this woman achieved
remains enviable. That this impressive distinction belongs to a woman who was
born into slavery, worked her way through life in the bleak years for
African-Americans that succeeded the Civil War, and culminated in one of the
first celebrity statuses attained by a black woman is inspiring. Her name is
inscribed in the annals of American history with dignity and with pride in what
one person can accomplish no matter what odds they face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nancy Green
is a legend. And rightfully so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>Carey
Parrish<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
<br />Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-90125720198761115812013-05-25T17:42:00.002-07:002013-05-25T17:42:27.446-07:00Book Review - The Mingled Destinies of Crocodiles and Men by Eric Arvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi73c1N5SSYEHpsm9BroB2JVhq1SZcki2llhJG6W0OwyLgwcRpG7ieKWVRwzzITd97_hmvAwbSlnkLiEpKdNxL0HOOk-liAyU37dB0YmVH6LeXzC9Z5aIIBWILCOItoDxoggxuEu0qoo/s1600/Mingled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi73c1N5SSYEHpsm9BroB2JVhq1SZcki2llhJG6W0OwyLgwcRpG7ieKWVRwzzITd97_hmvAwbSlnkLiEpKdNxL0HOOk-liAyU37dB0YmVH6LeXzC9Z5aIIBWILCOItoDxoggxuEu0qoo/s320/Mingled.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Novelist Eric Arvin’s latest
literary offering is nothing short of a masterpiece.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In a story that weaves together
the worlds of fantasy, paranormal activity, and romance, the result is not only
a highly entertaining read but also a tale that will resonate with the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><strong>The Mingled Destinies of Crocodiles
and Men</strong></em> is set in a time where mystics such as Minerva True occupy an exalted
place in society. It is Minerva, who is a “river dweller,” that recognizes the
danger situated in ancient lore that threatens her world on a hilltop which
once hosted a chapel. Few people heed her prophetic warnings and soon there is
only a small group who stand with her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Leith, the handsome hero, and
his lover Aubrey are locked into the coming struggle which Minerva has
prophesied. There is also a mute boy called Deverell who is destined to play an
integral part in the drama which will overwhelm them. And Calpurnia, Leith’s
half crazed mother, is drawn into the plot mostly by her own ambitious agenda.
For Calpurnia’s mission is a threat not to only to Minerva’s plight but to
everyone who will play a part in the climax of this inspired fable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><strong>The Mingled Destinies of
Crocodiles and Men</strong></em> is a story which captures and captivates its audience from
the beginning. The atmospheric essence is intoxicating on its own. Yet the tale
itself is an exercise in sheer adventure and enthralling delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In a world filled with writers,
few on today’s scene can be considered authors. Eric Arvin is among that
special lot. Each successive story that flows from his boundless imagination is
magic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5 Stars.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon Link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CV8IHRW/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CV8IHRW/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img</a></span></div>
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<em><strong>Carey Parrish</strong></em></div>
<br />Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448779950540269153.post-61327887622253113492013-05-02T15:53:00.002-07:002013-05-03T01:40:48.577-07:00A Mission In Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEUPOt-KB2YBZgCyDxHSLE-nLfARViXOu8UXkqzkxofCiZCvk1_izW5iM7dFFVytbzeq_hLsPhiVc_wen56NTPh2JVglayL4rzYtBCigFfwSGwQrTdLaC51MywzZODDxq2TFoRX0o2JM/s1600/MIA-Globe-Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEUPOt-KB2YBZgCyDxHSLE-nLfARViXOu8UXkqzkxofCiZCvk1_izW5iM7dFFVytbzeq_hLsPhiVc_wen56NTPh2JVglayL4rzYtBCigFfwSGwQrTdLaC51MywzZODDxq2TFoRX0o2JM/s320/MIA-Globe-Top.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Compelling entertainment is
often a difficult find in the digital age. With so many choices both online and
off, it can be discouraging to people who want more than fluff in the shows
they watch. So when a series like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missions in Action</i></b> comes along, it
is a virtual breath of fresh air. Produced by Around The World Productions, the
series is an uplifting experience following people from all over the globe who
are in need of help, and who are getting it. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Featuring Alexander Boylan,
star of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Around The World For Free</i></b> and winner of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Amazing Race</i></b>, whose
travels have taken him to many exotic locales, it was the plight of those less
fortunate that he found along the way which inspired him to begin work on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missions
In Action.</i></b> Along with his production partner Burton Roberts, the duo
put together this inspirational series focusing on their efforts to bring aid
to the people whose lives touched them and to also bring attention to the
ongoing needs of the very people whose stories they are sharing. Working with
organizations such as </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Compassion
International, World Vision, and ChildFund, among others, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missions in Action</i></b>
produced nineteen segments. Yet, as is often the case with quality
entertainment, obstacles soon began popping up. Speaking with Burton via email,
he explained the dilemma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“As you know, we were able to film nineteen episodes last year to
highlight people in need around the world,” he says. “While those episodes
turned out better than we could have expected, we unfortunately were not able
to get much distribution or traction anywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“The lack of interest stemmed from the fact that the show has a
Christian angle to it and our partners were mostly Christian based charities. Rather
than continue to fight this challenge, we have decided to embrace the Christian
aspect of it and reach out to friends and family to help generate more of a
buzz and to give them a chance to be a part of this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“We are using a social funding site called Indiegogo to help raise
funds, and we have created incentives for people to help out and be a part of
it. For example, after so much positive feedback from viewers about
sharing the stories with others, we have created Daily Devotionals and Lesson
Plans that people can get with the episodes so they can use those at home or in
church and with families or small groups as inspiration and talking
points. “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Additionally, Burton and Alex have produced a video to help
promote the work they’re doing with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missions In Action</i></b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BwJXoNRqV9Q?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mother Teresa once said: “Never
worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person
nearest you.” This sentiment is clearly present in the work of Alexander,
Burton, and everyone else associated with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missions In Action</i></b>. This is a
superior show and the stories will both move and overjoy you as you watch them.
It truly is a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mission in action</i> and
this writer is awed by the dedication of the men who are so committed to keeping
the work alive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Indiegogo Link: <span id="yiv1358718339yui_3_7_2_19_1366740100096_79"><a href="http://igg.me/at/MissionsInAction/x/1556492" target="_blank">http://igg.me/at/MissionsInAction/x/1556492</a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>Carey Parrish</em></span></div>
Carey Parrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896477393663507829noreply@blogger.com0