Mon Amie Julie sur lepetitjournal.com

J'ai eu le plaisir de lire un interview avec mon amie Julie sur lepetitjournal.com.

J'ai encore davantage de plaisir à partager cette photo de l'article, ainsi que ce lien avec vous:
http://www.lepetitjournal.com/content/view/35232/2363/

Today was a Good Day

• It was beautiful and warm outside.
• Chanel didn't bark at the cleaning lady.
• I had an entire conversation in Spanish, although I only understood about 25% of it.
• Morgan called.
• Sandrine and I got over our differences.
• I heard from friends on Facebook.
• Morgan called.
• Morgan called.
• Morgan called.

I sure do miss her!!

"That's Not Cool"

I wanted to share a link for the Ad Council's website, That's Not Cool.

This website was developped specifically for 8th and 9th graders, to help them learn how to "Draw the Digital Line." That is, how to use the Internet and forums such as Facebbok or MySpace in a way that is psychologically sound and emotionally and physically safe.

I saw a piece on this site on the Today Show, and went to look at it. Having a 9th grader of my own, I can use all of the input I can get on such matters, and thought the site provided thought-provoking guidance and ideas in a non-confrontational and "cool" manner.

http://www.thatsnotcool.com/

Amending #17

After reading my friend, Dido's, list, I wanted to clarify an item on my own.

I live a quiet, personal faith, resulting primarily from a traumatic experience in1994. My belief in God, however, does not necessarily conform with the tenets of any organized Christian religion. I don't believe in Hell, but I do believe in Heaven, or at least, that the fundamental essence of what make you You does not die. If it is not housed in a particular physical location, than it cannot be confined or constrained by our physical body. I have had conversations with my mother since her passing that were more real and more meaningful than many of the conversations we had before she passed. Who can say that those experiences are any less real than any other? Likewise, who can say that any person's beliefs are better or worse than anyone else's? I believe in Jesus; just like I believe in Mohammed, in Buddha,in Abraham Lincoln, in Einstein, and in Khalil Gibran. I do not worship any man, preferring to live in accordance with the simple premises of right and wrong, good and evil, insight and ignorance, and kindness and courtesy.

25 Random Things About Me

1. I have always been painfully shy.
2. I have two beautiful children, a son, Mikaël, 22, and a daughter, Morgan, 14.
3. I miss my Mom more than I ever thought I would.
4. Many of my friends knew my Mom, but didn't know she was my Mom. (She was AVHS' French teacher when we were there, "Doc.")
5. I went to boarding school in Gourin, Morbihan, France, in tenth grade.
6. My son went to the same school for ninth and tenth grade.
7. I am artistic and creative; I love to draw, write, and take pictures.
8. I don’t like Minnesota winters. I don’t like it to be too hot or humid, either.
9. I grew up in Northfield and Apple Valley, MN
10. I live on California’s beautiful central coast. The Monterey Bay is my true home.
11. I am a dedicated friend.
12. I believe in forgiveness and new chances.
13. I usually go to bed before 11, and get up before 7.
14. I am 5’7” tall.
15. I LOVE helping people, especially helping people learn.
16. I believe everybody deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.
17. I live a quiet, personal faith.
18. I am a devout Democrat.
19. I would like to visit Africa and go on a photographic safari.
20. I want to be a professional photographer.
21. I hope to publish at least one book.
22. I speak my mind, even if my voice shakes.
23. I love animals, large and small.
24. I doubt there will be peace in the Middle East in my lifetime.
25. I wish I’d been able to have more children.

I Can't Believe how Hard This is!

Let me tell you, I can't believe how hard this is: getting divorced, again; living at a hotel; sending out hundreds of resumes, to no avail. I have never felt so alone, so needy, or so hopeless.

I'm sorry for laying that on you, but one good friend told me to reach out to my friends, instead of hiding away inside of myself and my pain. So this is an attempt at that.

Top Ten Reasons We'll Miss Him

I Can See Forever, Though it's a Cloudy Day

Pelican Flight 4

Another Pacific Sunset

Les gens sans qui je serais bien mieux dans la vie

Il y a de toutes sortes de personnes dans ce monde. Des timides, des forts, des faibles, des bavards, des méchants, des gentils et des c*ns ou des c**nes. Il faut faire avec. Parfois avec joie et plaisir. Parfois, malgré soi.

Ce qui m’étonne quand-même, c’est le genre de personne qui, même sans forcément bien te connaître, même sans jamais t’avoir rencontré, se donne le droit de te critiquer, de t’engueuler au téléphone, d'essayer de briser ta relation avec ton époux, de raconter des conneries sur toi derrière ton dos, etc. Malheureusement ce genre de personne pense souvent avoir le droit de dicter le comportement, voir la vie de familles entières. C’est le genre de personne qui se croit tout permis. Le genre de personne qui se sert de ses propres enfants pour manipuler l’autre parent des enfants, et pour dicter la vie journalière de sa « belle-famille, » et ceci sous peine de ne plus avoir le privilège de partager du temps avec l’enfant-pion qui est, lui, réduit au rôle de pantin sous l’emprise du parent qui en a sa garde.

C’est ce genre de personne que moi je trouve les plus c*ns ou les plus c**nes.

Malheureusement, j’ai l’occasion d’avoir une telle peste dans ma vie. Une personne qui, sans me connaître, veut me détruire, et non seulement moi, mais mon mariage et mon mari. Cette personne pense qu’elle a le droit de se servir de son enfant pour manipuler non seulement l’autre parent de l'enfant, mais aussi toute la famille de ce dernier. Et tout ceci n’est qu’au détriment de l’enfant, car le plus que la personne pousse, le plus de mal qu’elle fait dans les vies des autres, le plus de monde qui lui en veulent, qui ne peuvent pas la voir, qui ne veulent jamais la voir, jamais la rencontrer…. et qui ne peuvent pas non plus s’empêcher de trouver que l’enfant de cette personne est un enfant pourri gâté par la personne et qui vivrait bien mieux sans plus jamais l'avoir dans sa vie.

Heureusement, malgré le pouvoir que cette personne se donne, malgré le mal qu’elle cherche continuellement à me faire, et qu’elle réussit à me faire en mettant en permanence ma belle-famille contre moi, en se mêlant de choses qu’elle ne connaît pas et qu’elle est trop bête pour comprendre, je peux au moins être satisfaite du fait que je n’ai jamais eu à la regarder. Car de personnes comme ça, je n’en ai vraiment pas besoin du tout. Et je pense bien que la personne qui me guète, qui cherche à me nuire, à me détruire, ferait mieux de s’occuper de ce qui la regarde et de me laisser, moi et les miens, tranquille, enfin.

Et je suis bien contente de ne pas être le genre de mère qui se sert de ses enfants pour forcer les autres à faire à mon gré au risque de ne plus pouvoir les voir. Je ne comprends même pas comment de telles personnes puissent exister, c’est tellement contre la nature, contre ma nature, et contre les choses qui me sont les plus chères, c’est à dire, le respect et la gentillesse.

Le respect et la gentillesse sont étrangers à cette personne. Elle ne sait ni être respectueuse, ni être gentille – préférant juger, manipuler, pourrir, guetter, et nuire à autrui, et, surtout, à moi.

Mais ça m’est enfin égale. La personne en question ne doit même pas avoir du respect pour elle-même, elle ne doit avoir aucun amour-propre. Sinon elle ne pourrait pas se comporter comme elle le fait, ni essayer de me faire autant de mal, ni réussir à faire du mal comme elle le fait non seulement à moi, mais à mon époux, et à toute ma belle-famille.

Parfois certaines personnes, surtout celles de ce genre, feraient bien mieux de fermer leurs gueules et d’ouvrir leurs cœurs.

Notre Temps avec Christian et Nathalie

Je ne sais toujours pas ce sera l’avenir de mon mariage. Depuis que je lui ai parlé de mon malheur avec lui et les choses qui m’ont blessées, monsieur fait de gros efforts.

Cependant, je ne sais pas si j’arriverais à surmonter le mal, à tout pardonner… et même si j’arrive à pardonner, je ne sais pas si ce sera suffisant. Est-qu’il est allé trop loin ? Je le crains. Mais je ne SAIS pas encore.

Malgré tout ça, nous avions eu le bonheur de recevoir le frère à Fabrice, et son amie, la semaine dernière. Ils sont incroyablement gentils, simples, abordables, et nous avons passé une journée merveilleuse avec eux. J’ai même eu la chance de parler seule avec Nathalie lorsque les deux frères sont partis sortir Chanel. Notre conversation m’a beaucoup aidé. Grâce à elle, j’ai pu dire au monsieur que je suis malheureuse dans notre relation. Je ne suis pas aussi malheureuse que je ne l’étais chez mes beaux-parents, mais je suis quand-même malheureuse face à son mauvais comportement, ses rabaissements, ses critiques et ses réflexions. Il est bien le résultat de l’environnement dans lequel il a été élevé. Malheureusement.

Enfin, Nathalie m’a appris une chose : la vie est trop courte pour accepter la vivre malheureux.

Alors, si je ne peux pas, si nous ne pouvons pas être heureux ensemble, vaut mieux se séparer. Même monsieur est d’accord avec cela.

Enfin, rien n’est fait encore. Ces choses prennent du temps. Il faut que je m’installe, que je retrouve mon équilibre, et le reste suivra.

Nathalie et Christian ~ Plus que de la famille, ce sont de vrais amis

D’ici-là, nous avons quelques photos de notre temps avec nos chers Christian et Nathalie que je veux partager.

Celle-ci est une jolie photo des deux frères. Je la trouve très chouette cette photo, et je pense que l'on voit bien sur leurs visages le bonheur que nous avons tous ressenti cette journée-là.

According to Facebook, my birthday means:

You have the boss character, but not a leader. Most people look up to you for your capability and confidence although they find you quite stubborn. You should listen more to others. You are a unique and charming individual. Your Love, You hardly take the moderate track. You either love or hate someone. Whom you call friends are the chosen ones. If any of them betray you, you won't let them get away without having hard time.

"My mother, myself, my president" - Julia Ramirez

Interestingly, over time, across continents, and due to who knows what, I have lost touch with my closest high school friends.

Even more interestingly, thanks to the Internet, class reunions, and informal gathering, I have a number of good, close friends, who I went to high school with, but who I did not know particularly well at the time. They are my good, close friends from high school.

My good friend from high school, Julia Ramirez, posted this beautiful note to her Facebook profile yesterday. With her permission, I am able to share it with you:

I’ve never been especially close to my mother. Well, mainly in my teens and 20s, but when I hit 30, it changed. I became fearless in telling her the truth – my truth – letting her know when she’s done or said something that hurt me – things that crossed the line, things I didn’t appreciate. It, the truth, might not have always been welcomed on her part and was made quite clear by her choosing, at times, to express her annoyance by simply hanging up on me. But I never stayed mad at her. She’s from a different generation, a different mindset but one that I’d never be a part of. And now as an adult and, hopefully, a mature woman, even though I still want to scream at her, I've learned to look past the moments of aggravation. I love her. Implicitly. And when it comes to historic events, such as today, I can’t help but seek out her thoughts, her feelings, her words. So I called her and she left me feeling more hopeful than I ever thought I could be.

We spoke about the Obama children, Amy Carter and Chelsea Clinton, but the conversation ultimately went back to her vivid memories of the Kennedy and King assassinations – such pain was obvious in her voice. She talked specifically about the day Kennedy was assassinated. She was worried when my two older brothers – who were in Catholic elementary school – hadn’t come home at their usual times; neither had my father, and was terrified something awful had happened to them all. Finally, they arrived an hour later than expected, and ran to my mother asking her if she knew why they were late. She had a feeling but waited for them to tell her: “President Kennedy was shot and the sisters told us to go to church and pray.” My father, for some reason felt compelled to say, “It happened in Texas.”

“Why did it matter where it happened, I don’t know,” my mom said. Though, dad followed up by saying, “I hope it wasn’t a Mexican who did it.”

She couldn’t believe they laughed at such a horrific time, but maybe it helped – in some miniscule way – to lessen the hurt, if only for a minute. But she mostly wanted to talk about what had happened, wanted to discuss – share this – with her family.

Although the conversation was all over the board – just as is this post – we agreed that neither one of us ever thought we'd ever see the day a black man would become a president. But she ultimately ended the discussion with Nixon’s impeachment. “I was at work that day and we were watching in the break room. Many cheered, and not to say I didn’t agree, but I felt so sorry for Pat Nixon.” She couldn’t fathom the humiliation, “to be thrown out for something she had absolutely nothing to do with. I couldn’t imagine.” And though no one in my family has ever been Republican, and probably never will be (who knows?), that was the closest I ever heard my mother speak in nonpartisan terms, and it made me happy. It made me optimistic. It made me realize that I not only voted for the right person, I chose the right person to talk to on this unbelievably amazing day.

So, it looks like Nipsy Russell – although, joking – was wrong when he asked: “Can a black man ever be president? Yes; if he runs against a Mexican.”

Man, how I wish you were here, Nipsy.

I love you, mom.

Godspeed, President Obama.

Sens. Kennedy, Byrd Removed From Luncheon

Sens. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., have been taken from an inauguration luncheon for President Barack Obama.

A Capitol police officer stood up at the luncheon and said medical attention was needed.

During a talk to members of Congress and others, Obama called attention to Kennedy, saying "I know that while I was out of the room, concern was expressed about Teddy."Obama said that Kennedy "was there when the voting rights act passed, along with John Lewis, was a warrior for justice." "And so I would be lying to you if I did not say that right now a part of me is with him," Obama added. "And I think that's true for all of us. This is a joyous time. But it's also a sobering time. And my prayers are with him and his family and (Kennedy's wife) Vicki.

"

STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W. Va., arrives in a wheelchair for the inauguration of Barack Obama.

In May, Kennedy learned that he has a malignant brain tumor.

Kennedy is the lone surviving son in his storied political family. His eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash, brother President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and brother Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.

Considered a liberal lion in the Senate, Kennedy was first elected in 1962 to fill the seat vacated by his brother, John, when he won the White House. He was re-elected in 2006. His term ends in 2013. The senator made a failed run for the presidency in 1980.

He made headlines in January when he endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president, calling up the memory of his brother John, who was also a young senator when he beat Republican Richard Nixon in 1960.

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking at Mason Temple, Memphis, TN on April 3, 1968.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered this speech in support of the striking sanitation workers at Mason Temple in Memphis, TN on April 3, 1968 — the day before he was assassinated. License to reproduce this speech granted by Intellectual Properties Management, 1579-F Monroe Drive, Suite 235, Atlanta, Georgia 30324, as manager for the King Estate. Write to IPM re: copyright permission for use of words and images of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy in his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about. It's always good to have your closest friend and associate say something good about you. And Ralph is the best friend that I have in the world.

I'm delighted to see each of you here tonight in spite of a storm warning. You reveal that you are determined to go on anyhow. Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our world.

As you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of general and panoramic view of the whole human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, "Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?" — I would take my mental flight by Egypt through, or rather across the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop there. I would move on by Greece, and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality.

But I wouldn't stop there. I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and esthetic life of man. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even go by the way that the man for whom I'm named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church in Wittenberg.

But I wouldn't stop there. I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating president by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but fear itself.

But I wouldn't stop there. Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, "If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will be happy." Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a away that men, in some strange way, are responding — something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the cry is always the same — "We want to be free."

And another reason that I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we're going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demand didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.

That is where we are today. And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period, to see what is unfolding. And I'm happy that He's allowed me to be in Memphis.

I can remember, I can remember when Negroes were just going around as Ralph has said, so often, scratching where they didn't itch, and laughing when they were not tickled. But that day is all over. We mean business now, and we are determined to gain our rightful place in God's world.

And that's all this whole thing is about. We aren't engaged in any negative protest and in any negative arguments with anybody. We are saying that we are determined to be men. We are determined to be people. We are saying that we are God's children. And that we don't have to live like we are forced to live.

Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the salves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh's court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that's the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.

Secondly, let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we've got to keep attention on that. That's always the problem with a little violence. You know what happened the other day, and the press dealt only with the window-breaking. I read the articles. They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that one thousand, three hundred sanitation workers were on strike, and that Memphis is not being fair to them, and that Mayor Loeb is in dire need of a doctor. They didn't get around to that.

Now we're going to march again, and we've got to march again, in order to put the issue where it is supposed to be. And force everybody to see that there are thirteen hundred of God's children here suffering, sometimes going hungry, going through dark and dreary nights wondering how this thing is going to come out. That's the issue. And we've got to say to the nation: we know it's coming out. For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.

We aren't going to let any mace stop us. We are masters in our nonviolent movement in disarming police forces; they don't know what to do, I've seen them so often. I remember in Birmingham, Alabama, when we were in that majestic struggle there we would move out of the 16th Street Baptist Church day after day; by the hundreds we would move out. And Bull Connor would tell them to send the dogs forth and they did come; but we just went before the dogs singing, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me round." Bull Connor next would say, "Turn the fire hoses on." And as I said to you the other night, Bull Connor didn't know history. He knew a kind of physics that somehow didn't relate to the transphysics that we knew about. And that was the fact that there was a certain kind of fire that no water could put out. And we went before the fire hoses; we had known water. If we were Baptist or some other denomination, we had been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some others, we had been sprinkled, but we knew water.

That couldn't stop us. And we just went on before the dogs and we would look at them; and we'd go on before the water hoses and we would look at it, and we'd just go on singing "Over my head I see freedom in the air." And then we would be thrown in the paddy wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in there like sardines in a can. And they would throw us in, and old Bull would say, "Take them off," and they did; and we would just go in the paddy wagon singing, "We Shall Overcome." And every now and then we'd get in the jail, and we'd see the jailers looking through the windows being moved by our prayers, and being moved by our words and our songs. And there was a power there which Bull Connor couldn't adjust to; and so we ended up transforming Bull into a steer, and we won our struggle in Birmingham.

Now we've got to go on to Memphis just like that. I call upon you to be with us Monday. Now about injunctions: We have an injunction and we're going into court tomorrow morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional injunction. All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say, we aren't going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on.

We need all of you. And you know what's beautiful tome, is to see all of these ministers of the Gospel. It's a marvelous picture. Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, and say, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Somehow, the preacher must say with Jesus, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to deal with the problems of the poor."

And I want to commend the preachers, under the leadership of these noble men: James Lawson, one who has been in this struggle for many years; he's been to jail for struggling; but he's still going on, fighting for the rights of his people. Rev. Ralph Jackson, Billy Kiles; I could just go right on down the list, but time will not permit. But I want to thank them all. And I want you to thank them, because so often, preachers aren't concerned about anything but themselves. And I'm always happy to see a relevant ministry.

It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preachers must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.

Now the other thing we'll have to do is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are poor people, individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor. Never stop and forget that collectively, that means all of us together, collectively we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did you ever think about that? After you leave the United States, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and I could name the others, the Negro collectively is richer than most nations of the world. We have an annual income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That's power right there, if we know how to pool it.

We don't have to argue with anybody. We don't have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. We don't need any bricks and bottles, we don't need any Molotov cocktails, we just need to go around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our country, and say, "God sent us by here, to say to you that you're not treating his children right. And we've come by here to ask you to make the first item on your agenda fair treatment, where God's children are concerned. Now, if you are not prepared to do that, we do have an agenda that we must follow. And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you."

And so, as a result of this, we are asking you tonight, to go out and tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk. Tell them not to buy—what is the other bread?—Wonder Bread. And what is the other bread company, Jesse? Tell them not to buy Hart's bread. As Jesse Jackson has said, up to now, only the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain. We are choosing these companies because they haven't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they can begin the process of saying, they are going to support the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And then they can move on downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right.

But not only that, we've got to strengthen black institutions. I call upon you to take your money out of the banks downtown and deposit your money in Tri-State Bank—we want a "bank-in" movement in Memphis. So go by the savings and loan association. I'm not asking you something we don't do ourselves at SCLC. Judge Hooks and others will tell you that we have an account here in the savings and loan association from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. We're just telling you to follow what we're doing. Put your money there. You have six or seven black insurance companies in Memphis. Take out your insurance there. We want to have an "insurance-in."

Now these are some practical things we can do. We begin the process of building a greater economic base. And at the same time, we are putting pressure where it really hurts. I ask you to follow through here.

Now, let me say as I move to my conclusion that we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point, in Memphis. We've got to see it through. And when we have our march, you need to be there. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus; and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters in life. At points, he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew, and through this, throw him off base. Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But with him, administering first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother. Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn't stop. At times we say they were busy going to church meetings—an ecclesiastical gathering—and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn't be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that "One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony." And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem, or down to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That's a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effort.

But I'm going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It's possible that these men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as a setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.

Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you.

You know, several years ago, I was in New York City autographing the first book that I had written. And while sitting there autographing books, a demented black woman came up. The only question I heard from her was, "Are you Martin Luther King?"

And I was looking down writing, and I said yes. And the next minute I felt something beating on my chest. Before I knew it I had been stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery. And once that's punctured, you drown in your own blood—that's the end of you.

It came out in the New York Times the next morning, that if I had sneezed, I would have died. Well, about four days later, they allowed me, after the operation, after my chest had been opened, and the blade had been taken out, to move around in the wheel chair in the hospital. They allowed me to read some of the mail that came in, and from all over the states, and the world, kind letters came in. I read a few, but one of them I will never forget. I had received one from the President and the Vice-President. I've forgotten what those telegrams said. I'd received a visit and a letter from the Governor of New York, but I've forgotten what the letter said. But there was another letter that came from a little girl, a young girl who was a student at the White Plains High School. And I looked at that letter, and I'll never forget it. It said simply, "Dear Dr. King: I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High School." She said, "While it should not matter, I would like to mention that I am a white girl. I read in the paper of your misfortune, and of your suffering. And I read that if you had sneezed, you would have died. And I'm simply writing you to say that I'm so happy that you didn't sneeze."

And I want to say tonight, I want to say that I am happy that I didn't sneeze. Because if I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1960, when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream. And taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs up. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been here in 1963, when the black people of Birmingham, Alabama, aroused the conscience of this nation, and brought into being the Civil Rights Bill. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have had a chance later that year, in August, to try to tell America about a dream that I had had. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been down in Selma, Alabama, been in Memphis to see the community rally around those brothers and sisters who are suffering. I'm so happy that I didn't sneeze.

And they were telling me, now it doesn't matter now. It really doesn't matter what happens now. I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, "We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong with the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we've had the plane protected and guarded all night."

And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Barack Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama's inaugural speech as the 44th President of the United States of America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/20web-inaug2.html?em

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Grab it & Do it!

Grab it...

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

According to Facebook's "Which Angel are You?" Test:

Angel of Joy



Your joyous, caring and full of life! You love bright colours and have a mischevious nature, you can also cause a bit of trouble if you wanted to but reframe and enjoy the littlest things in life! You're one of the brightest coloured people ever, and everyone loves you, you bring brightness into people's lives and you're beautiful, whether it's mentally, physically or both!

Ça y Est.

À moins qu'il ne change complètement de comportement et d'attitude d'ici cet après-midi, je vais quitter mon mari. Peut-être pas aujourd'hui, mais bientôt.

D'abord, je trouve que dans le mail qu'il vient d'écrire à ses enfants, il ne soutient pas du tout ses filles, ainsi donnant raison à sa mère. Et malheureusement, mais comme d’habitude, sa mère a tort.

Je lui ai dit qu'un bon père soutiendrait toujours ses propres enfants dans un cas pareil, lorsque ses parents à lui ont tort.

Il m'a répondu que ses filles n'en ont rien à foutre de lui, qu'elles ne le contactent pas, etc.

Je lui ai répondu qu'il n'avait rien à voir dans cette histoire, que c'était entre ses parents et ses enfants, et que ses parents avaient tort, donc il avait la responsabilité de soutenir et d'encourager ses filles.

Il a dit qu'il ne le ferait pas, vu le comportement de ses filles envers lui.

Je lui ai répondu que dans ces cas, sa mère se comportait mal envers ses propres enfants à lui, et qu'un vrai père ne prendrais jamais le coté de sa mère, contre ses enfants, dans de telles circonstances.

Il ma répondu que ma mère est une pute comme ma fille, et que mon père n'est qu'un alcoolique comme mon fils.

Ma mère n'est même pas vivante, alors il est allé vraiment trop loin cette fois-ci, et c'était ça le coup de grâce.

Je ne supporterais plus jamais une seule méchanceté de sa part, pas un seul rabaissement, pas une seule critique et pas une seule réflexion. Jamais plus il ne me battrait ni même ne lèverait la main sur moi sans que j’appelle la Police.

Je lui ai répondu que c'est fini entre nous, que je veux mes affaires, mes meubles et mon argent. Il m'a dit que rien ne m'appartient et qu'il n'a aucune intention de me rendre ni mes affaires ni l’argent de mon héritage qu’il a été bien heureux de dépenser.

Il m'a dit que ce n'est pas le fait de me perdre qui lui fera des soucis, et il est parti. Eh ben, tant mieux, si ça ne lui fasse pas de souci, je me ferais moins de soucis pour lui alors.

Il n'a plus de chances.

Il m'avoue qu'il fait exprès de dire des choses pour me blesser lorsqu'il est fâché de moi, mais en traitant ma mère défunte de pute il est allé vraiment trop loin.

Il n'est pas l'homme que je pensais qu'il était.

Il est toujours amoureux de sa première femme, et n'aimeras jamais aucune autre femme, donc il ne traitera jamais aucune autre femme comme il le faut.

Il ne connaît pas la vérité, ni dans sa vie, ni dans son cœur.

Je ne peu pas vivre avec quelqu'un qui me traite tout le temps comme de la merde, comme une moins que rien. J'en peux plus. Il est trop, trop méchant, il m'a fait trop de mal.

Ou bien qu'il ait une tumeur au cerveau qui lui change complètement le caractère. Ou bien qu'il se rende compte à quel point il est mauvais avec celle qu'il est censé aimer, et malgré tout ce que j'ai fait pour lui, et qu'il se comporte convenablement. Mais, malheureusement, je ne le crois pas capable.

Enfin, je ne sais pas que dire de plus.

Bonne journée à vous, chers lecteurs.

Morgan Dancing on the Pacific's Edge

Morgan & Mom

Morgan and Mikaël

My Nerd Test Results

---

Quick Fun Facts:

372162 unique people have taken this test.

Based on these unique user's answers...

29.8% of test takers are gals,
68.4% are guys,
...the rest (1.8%) are confused.

15.5% of test takers get aroused by "iPhone," while
36.9% get utterly ill.

32.2% of all test takers would choose the Internet over sex, and
26.6% of married test takers prefer the Internet over sex.

Only 4.5% of test takers own a Jar Jar Binks t-shirt, though
49.7% of them don't own a lightsaber (priorities == messed up).

Morgan's Ninth Grade School Picture

Mon Amie, Sandrine, et mon Chat, JakeJake