The Purple Clamor - ELEMAREdesign

Losing the Constitution (March 15, 2008)

2012-01-20T20:44:00.000-05:00

Losing the Constitution

The other day I heard something that chilled me: "The media has too much freedom." Those words solidified my uneasy suspicion that the implosion of the mainstream media is being accelerated and deliberately orchestrated by unseen powers behind the scenes to incite the public to anger, fear and ultimately, to lead us to willingly abridge or abolish another of our Constitutional rights.

The most effective strategy to completely destroying something is to do it from within; external attack only galvanizes defenses. But if the credibility and integrity of an institution - any institution - can be destroyed by what is perceived as its own arrogance and irresponsibility, people will abandon it scornfully, or at least view it with permanent skepticism and distrust.

We must view the media as unreliable, biased, seditious, even traitorous, to successfully destroy its power and relevance in society. IT’S WORKING! Can you imagine talk of limiting freedom of the press otherwise? Consider two recent, outrageous, and very successful examples of this deliberate plan to simultaneously manipulate public opinion and undermine the media: the set-up of Dan Rather and of Newsweek. Bad personal decisions by individuals notwithstanding, we all lost faith in the credibility of these two giants of mainstream media.

Now consider other ways we’re distracted but witnessing our Constitutional rights and values-based foundational institutions being destroyed from within:

* fear of gun crime has led to laws that really only restrict law-abiding citizens while failing to prevent criminals from obtaining weapons;

* trust in true representative government is eroded by politicians’ corruption and scandal on local, state and national levels;

* fear of terrorism has led to unprecedented abdication of personal rights;

* illegal aliens and enemy combatants demand the same Constitutional rights as American citizens;

* American judges are subtly quoting "world law" in their decisions;

* our COUNTRY is being called the "homeland" which blurs national borders and national sovereignty;

* marriage is attacked by subversives who have infiltrated legislatures and the judiciary nationwide;

* religion is disgraced by pedophile clergy.

Do you see a pattern here? The very pillars upon which this country was built are being laid to waste, one by one, successfully, from within. And in many cases, we unwittingly demand that it be done.

The only way the United States can fall in line with the New World Order of one global government is to destroy that which makes America strong, independent, and unique: our Constitution. Slowly. Quietly. Deliberately. And, most absurdly, through the outcry of the people themselves, who sincerely seek a "fix" to the distracting and absolutely orchestrated micro-menaces, but who fail to see the macro-consequences.

Don’t say it can’t happen. Too much of today’s reality was unthinkable just 10 years ago. Do I sound paranoid? You may think so. But that doesn’t mean I’m not right. Pay attention.

(Written March 15, 2008)

Break the Cycle: Trimming RI Government One Grant at a Time, Part I

2011-05-27T16:59:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered how so many states came to be in such debt? How has government grown so big and expensive? Do you believe politicians when they say there's no place left to cut?

One debt factor is the old trick and ugly trap of unfunded mandates.

What are they?

Those in charge of the federal government have 2 motives: (1) they need to justify their own jobs, and (2) they want more control over you so they can justify their own jobs. Therefore, whatever hare-brained idea for more social engineering pops into the latest bureaucrat or czar's head, it gets proposed.

But because of that pesky 10th Amendment in the United States Constitution declaring state sovereignty, the federal government can't directly replace state authority.

Instead, Washington dangles the carrot of federal grants to successfully coerce compliance. Cash-strapped municipalities and states eagerly grab the "free" money. I'll avoid the obvious point that you and I are still the source of that "free" money, even if local politicians are too stupid or too sly to admit it. So, states willingly adopt policies, pass laws, create new or expand existing bureaucracies, and implement programs they would never consider of their own volition -- and usually step on your liberty in some way, but that's another topic. To politicians accepting the "free" money, tomorrow's strings are of little consequence in light of today's financial windfall.

Oops! Tomorrow is Today!
However, federal grant monies dry up after a couple of years, and states and cities are left with more employees, more departments, more equipment, more office space, more mandates to perform more programs. But no more money.

So, it comes to a decision: scrap the program and lay off the workers (as if the unions would permit that nonsense!), or find a way to fund the whole thing through existing funds or - far more likely - borrowing money. Or raising taxes.

Can you name a government program that has been eliminated in the past 10 years? I can't either.

Now consider that what I describe is for one grant, one program. Realize that the pattern is repeated over and over.

Did You Say, "Nothing Left to Cut"?
Is it becoming clearer how we got where we are? Local governments don't cut programs when federal money runs out; after all, the "new" program is now a couple of years old and has developed an expectation of a "service" that must continue, right?

I say, "Wrong!" Rethink those unfunded mandates. Better yet, don't even accept the federal money in the first place. But if local government does accept a grant, then have the testicular fortitude to end the program when the money ends.

And what about federal taxes? When the feds no longer fund a particular program and the cost shifts to local government, do your federal taxes go down to make up for hike in local taxes? Of course not. The feds dream up another liberty-clipping, social engineering project to propose and fund.

Current example for Rhode Island? The Race to the Top education grant. That's Part II.

On Unconditional Love, Part III: Selfishness

2011-05-21T15:25:00.004-04:00

This is the third blog inspired by a passage I read of John Galt's radio speech in Atlas Shrugged. Part I is here and Part II is here.

A well-heeled trick of the lovers of the Morality of Death is mis-defining "selfishness"- especially in regard to what they say is your moral obligation to give unconditional love to those and that which are unworthy of such a gift. I'd like to present a more rational definition.

Click for larger view

You are likely familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. (Here's a good commentary about it.) If you understand the pyramid, you know that unless your basic needs are met, you cannot progress to the next level of individual fulfillment. The key word here is individual. Cheating, by mooching off others or looting their achievements for your unearned benefit, doesn't count. Although it appears that some of these needs can be given to you - and that is exactly what the poverty pimps and social engineers want you to believe - you cannot achieve successful progress unless it's achieved under your own steam.

Notice one of the basic needs - right above the needs common among all animals, is morality, a distinctly human trait. Morality is also found at the top of the pyramid - when one has reached the pinnacle of individual success and achievement.

Every quality in the top level of the pyramid - the ultimate fulfillment of the individual - springs from reason, a rational, thinking mind. You cannot create by accident. You cannot solve a problem by ignoring it. You cannot accept "facts" without thinking - they do not even become facts unless and until evidence is first examined, then tested, then results of what is learned are synthesized.

You must choose between life and death. It must be a conscious choice, using your mind - not your heart, which eschews reason - weighing your options and anticipating the consequences. There are standards to meet - objective standards beyond your immediate gratification - a moral imperative to value your life if you expect to survive, and a moral responsibility to make the most of your life if you expect to thrive - not through the charity of others, but by your own effort. That is rational selfishness.

The fruits of your individual achievement - happiness as a result of living by your uncompromising standards self-respect - flow outward from you. Others who respect themselves will value your self-respect, too. That is the reward of your rational selfishness.

Those who do not respect themselves envy and revile your achievement and cannot value your self-respect; they exist by the Morality of Death, and choose death - their own and yours. If you let them. That is the contagious lure of evil, one you must re-learn to resist and reject.

In a previous blog, I wrote about the intertwined conscience and consciousness. When you work to create something - anything - it's usually for compensation of some kind, whether it's self-satisfaction or the work for which you get paid. For example, if you are in business for yourself, the built-in incentive of a monetary reward for your work is attained only if you simultaneously value your personal achievement - taking pride in what you produce and making it the best it can be, because it reflects your character, and you acknowledge your responsibility to yourself to be the best you can be. That high personal standard does not permit the compromise of creating an inferior product.

See how they are linked? Using the example of the self-employed is just a clear illustration; the principle that the quality of your character (conscience) is connected to and comes through in the quality of what you produce (consciousness) is the same whether you build airplanes or flip burgers.

The well-formed conscience doesn't come from government nor from a misguided sense of obligation to perform for "social good." Whatever social good comes from your work is the result of your quality work, not its primary purpose. The well-formed conscience comes from pride in your effort and your productivity to be and do the best for yourself, and then take one more step beyond. That is the ideal cycle of human evolution: explore, learn, discern and analyze what is learned, apply it, and explore some more. The bounty of your "Self-First Best" emanates outward from you and builds and brightens those around you. That is the Morality of Life.

Corrupted "self-first only" is what breeds the misery we experience. "Self-first only" is the devastating betrayal of your responsibility to yourself. It starts with compromising your standards a little, getting used to the discomfort, and compromising some more, until you no longer feel the pang of guilt over your own self-betrayal. That is the Morality of Death.

Those who exist under such a soulless code are the first to accuse you of being selfish for putting your self-respect above their emptiness, your survival above their comfort, your self-actualization above their abdication of their responsibility to care for themselves. Who, in reality, is selfish?

To treasure what is worthless, to demand what is unearned, to extort another's wealth, to expect one to furnish another's comforts, to blackmail one's virtues to support another's corruption... and to convince the victim that he - not the moocher and the looter - is evil and selfish unless compliant, is the ultimate crime of man against man, of man against himself. Who, in reality, is selfish?

Part I: Unconditional Love
Part II: God

On Unconditional Love, Part II: God

2011-05-21T15:24:00.005-04:00

In Part I, I quoted an excerpt about love from John Galt's radio speech in Atlas Shrugged. It got me thinking about the fallacy of what we are told is "unconditional love" and how to reconcile that with what I've been taught and what I know about God.

In reality, even God - the ultimate, oft-cited example of unconditional love - sets conditions: you are saved if you repent and amend your life. If. That's a condition, folks. If you persist in a life of evil, corruption, depravity against your neighbor, against yourself (which are the equivalent of acting against God), the all-loving and all-powerful God will not save you. He's pretty clear on that. Even if those who preach in His name are muddy about it to save your "feelings."

The most evil thing a priest, rabbi, preacher, or any other "man (or woman) of the cloth" can do is mislead you. And every time they re-set the objective moral standards - the Morality of Life - to make you feel good about your bad choices - the Morality of Death - they mislead you.

There are many motives for that: their need to fill the pews, which in turn fills their coffers with donations; their warped personal morality converted into tolerance of yours; their misunderstanding of God, focusing on His benevolence but ignoring His justice.

Ayn Rand, the author of Atlas Shrugged, did not believe in God. I do. She postulates that faith is a weakness, an excuse for the weakness of man. I say faith is the primordial source of strength. It's what you do with that strength that makes the difference.

Faith as permission for you to violate your moral code in a way that ultimately injures you (even if you don't think so at the moment) is not faith. Belief that "someone" will take care you no matter what foolishness you perpetrate, is not faith. A creed that others should live and toil to support your choices, no matter how irresponsible and self-destructive, is not faith.

Faith is believing - knowing - that what you may not understand right now will ultimately become clear -- not by accident, but because you apply yourself to its understanding. Because you forge ahead despite the disapproval of other, lesser beings around you who lack your ambition, your strength, your vision, your will, your conviction. Your faith.

"Blind faith" is a tool of the Morality of Death. It manipulates you to abandon what you know from the sum total of your knowledge, your aspirations, your experiences and your observations, in favor of what another tells you is true. Blind faith relies on accepting contradictions.

Based on my study, my observations, experiences, analysis, and synthesis of all those sources of knowledge, it is my conclusion that God is the well-spring of uncontradicted objective moral standards, the objective truth, man's essential foundation, the external standard not just for your survival but for your fulfillment and happiness. The Morality of the Living. It is up to man's rational mind to recognize the benefits of this morality and use his free will to pursue it. A well-developed conscience contributes to the well-developed consciousness, and vice versa. They are intertwined. Not the same - by any means - but interrelated. Faith is not a compromise of the mind, it is its reinforcement, its encouragement, its inspiration.

The greatest fulfillment for "being human" comes from living the Morality of Life, making the right (and so often difficult) choices, to choose life over death. That sounds like an easy choice, a "no-brainer" - life over death. There is no such thing as a no-brainer. Everything requires conscious evaluation of whether it is good or bad (evil). Objective moral standards are essential for survival and the only way to achieve happiness. And they are actually quite selfish. More on that in Part III.

God has set standards and expectations for our behavior - what will bring us life and happiness - even if we are free to choose or reject them. He is very clear that He is willing to forgive our lapses along the way - providing we recognize the lapses as deviations from the standards, with no expectation to permanently substitute the strengths of the standards with the weakness of our lapses. Failure to meet the goal is not a failure of the existence of the goal. Nor is it justification to change the goal. It is a reason to start again, choosing a different method, a different path, to achieve the objectively righteous goal. Or to accept the consequences.

Too many clergy today are, in fact, willing to substitute compromised standards and preach them as moral perfection to console the sheep's conscience - their corrupted conscience. Every compromise corrupts the next moral choice, making it easier to corrupt the next moral choice, and so on, until the moral code is not only amoral, it is immoral. Immorality means there are no consequences, everything is relative.

Umm... no it's not. God's "unconditional" love is only unconditional if you adhere to the Morality of Life. He gives it freely. Not because He wants to bend and twist you into obedience, but because it brings you the most fulfilling happiness. That is His love.

God is patient - and generous with His patience - but He is also just. Justice demands discernment of right and wrong, and embracing right and rejecting wrong. That means His standards - the same standards that nourish and protect the inalienable rights bestowed on you at birth - demand you cultivate self-respect through your thoughtful, deliberate work and achievement. Yes, "inalienable" rights of the individual are under attack. Unthinkable! But you know they are, even if you refuse to acknowledge that reality. Those who reject God's Morality of Life - maybe it's even you - are the ones who destroy that which is rightfully yours by birth. Ironically, it takes work to keep inalienable rights inalienable.

God demonstrates what love is through the Morality of Life: love is valuing your achievement as an individual, acknowledging your imperfection but overcoming it to fulfill your potential, honoring the architect by constructing, sharing, appreciating and respecting yourself and others.

Deliberate and persistent violation and stubborn rejection of the Morality of Life, blind faith and immersion - revelry - in the Morality of Death, leads to God's shrug. He does not "punish" you, or destroy you, or commit you to damnation. You punish yourself, destroy your own spirit, condemn your eternally joyous soul to eternal despair solely by the choices you make.

God's love is not unconditional. Like everything else you achieve, it's up to you to earn it.

Part I: Unconditional Love
Part III: Selfishness

On Unconditional Love, Part I

2011-05-21T15:21:00.002-04:00

This is an excerpt from John Galt's radio speech in Atlas Shrugged.

"Love is the expression of one's values, the greatest reward you can earn for the moral qualities you have achieved in your character and person, the emotional price paid by one man for the joy he receives from the virtues of another.

"[However,] your morality demands that you divorce your love from values and hand it down to any vagrant, not as a response to his worth, but as a response to his need; not as a reward, but as alms; not as payment for virtues, but as a blank check on vices.

"Your morality tells you that the purpose of love is to set you free of the bonds of morality, that love is superior to moral judgment, that true love transcends, forgives and survives every manner of evil in its object, and the greater the love, the greater the depravity it permits to the loved.

"To love a man for his virtues is paltry and human, [your morality] tells you; to love him for his flaws is divine. To love those who are worthy of it is self-interest; to love the unworthy is sacrifice. You owe your love to those who don't deserve it, and the less they deserve it the more love you owe them - the more loathsome the object, the nobler your love - the more unfastidious your love, the greater your virtue - and if you can bring your soul to the state of a dump heap that welcomes anything on equal terms, if you can cease to value moral values, you have achieved the state of moral perfection."

The term "your morality" of which John Galt speaks is what he proves in the speech is actually a Morality of Death - that which is embraced, expounded, and insidiously imposed on us by today's social engineers, globalist politicians, union bosses, poverty pimps... in general, the enemies of individual strength and achievement, evil enemies who seek power for themselves and desire to enslave us to their cannibalism of our mind, spirit, self-reliance, and creative productivity.

I, like you, was taught that true love is unconditional. I have spent most of my life feeling tortured, conflicted that I could not comply. My mind kept saying NO! to the irrational demand for "love" at any price, for whatever reason, no matter how unworthy the object, while I attempted to give it anyway because I was "supposed to."

Now I understand why it is not possible for me to love "unconditionally." It's not because I cannot tolerate mistakes or flaws - I certainly make mistakes and have flaws. But it's uncorrected mistakes and cultivated flaws coupled with the sense of entitlement to the precious gift of my love without regard for its value and without any effort whatsoever to be worthy of such a gift as love.

For years, I have called it the "lie of tolerance" on the social scale. We are mentally beaten into accepting what was previously and would be otherwise unacceptable in civilized society. And we are told that it now does define "civilized society." We are told to accept that which brings about our physical, mental, and spiritual demise in favor of pleasing someone else who has no standards, no values, no moral code of behavior, no motive of action except to bring about his own destruction - and ours, ultimately.

Those of us who espouse the Morality of Life simply cannot abide the Morality of Death that is all around us and espoused by those currently in political and economic power. We cannot accept behavior that contradicts our moral code - standards I cannot compromise, even though I have tried - without killing a piece of our own spirit. I've done that, too.

This applies to our society as well as our personal lives. Which moral code will you choose?

Part II: God
Part III: Selfishness

Cicilline: Caught by Time-Lapse Photography

2011-04-20T16:28:00.001-04:00

Providence Mayor-turned-Congressman David Cicilline did nothing to Providence that any self-serving Democrat politician hasn't done for decades all across this state. The only difference is, Cicilline got caught faster.

Manipulating accounts and ledgers to escape the ugliness and unpopularity of tax hikes and service cuts is the typical way many politicians handle their finances. This is especially true if the politician is actively seeking higher office: find the most expedient way to settle the immediate budget problem under his watch, so he can move on to bigger and better things.

In Providence's case, the state funding cuts were so large, Cicilline's compensation for those losses had to be just as dramatic. The result: he utterly robbed the next mayor of any hope of finding even a little wiggle room. Within weeks of his inauguration, Mayor Angel Taveras fired every teacher and announced tax increases to fill this year's deficit. Cicilline's fiscal choices – the ones he insists make him "so very proud" – devastated the city's solvency.

Let us also not forget that, after stalling the fire fighters union for almost eight years – his entire mayoralty – Cicilline crafted one of the worst contract benefits – compounded cost of living adjustments (COLAs) – to rid himself once and for all of the embarrassing fire fighter protests at his fundraisers. Compounded COLAs will cost citizens millions more in tax dollars over the lives of the future retired fire fighters. But that outrageous betrayal of the taxpayer will come due in the future, when Cicilline's name will long be forgotten as the architect of his self-serving political decision. Or so Cicilline thought.

Like time-lapse photography, the time and distance between bad financial decisions for political expediency and the bill coming due and payable, was weeks, not years, as Cicilline hoped. Cicilline's treachery was exposed almost immediately after Taveras took office.

Yet, Cicilline vociferously defends his actions. After all, it's not his fault the city faced $50 million in cuts to state aid. That statement may be correct, but it is how Cicilline chose to handle the problem, and the fact that he hid the enormity of the impact of the cuts, that is so despicable. It is his angry defense and justification that he "protected the taxpayers of Providence" that is so reprehensible. The gossamer protection only lasted until he jumped out of the city fire into the alleged safety of Congress. Cicilline did nothing to fix the problems, he merely indentured the city into debt to hide them.

That is the essence of Democratic politics as usual – momentary expediency with payment due in the future, creative financial reporting now to look good, with the real problem bequeathed to some future administration. That's what Cicilline expected.

Instead, there is a direct and irrefutable line drawn between Cicilline's choices and Providence's devastating deficits and unavoidable tax increases.

Cicilline is so angry because the tried and tested tradition of deception and fiscal tricks of the generations of Democratic politicians before him, didn't work for him. Yes, Cicilline got caught by time-lapse photography.

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 to be released on April 15, 2011

2011-04-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

In August 2008, I went to Borders just to buy Atlas Shrugged. I got the hardcover "Centennial Edition" (pictured here). It seemed appropriate to buy the formidable-looking book, considering the legendary content.

The title and its author seemed to hover on the fringe of my entire life, but I resisted the embrace. It was written in 1957. My high school history teacher at Mount St. Charles Academy, Brother Leon Cyr, talked about Ayn Rand in class; I remember the name because it was so unusual, but I don't recall what he said about her. In ensuing years, I occasionally heard about this book, but never quite made the leap to buy and read it, or even take it out of the library for free. I knew the significance of the title - what a tantalizing image it brings to mind! - but not the significance of the title to the book.

Despite the resolve in 2008, when I got it home, I was intimidated by its 1,350+ pages with relatively small print... it felt heavy in my hands. I used to read a lot, but the habit had been broken somewhere along the way. This would represent an ambitious return to reading for pleasure. I... hesitated.

Consequently, the megamonster volume sat on my bookshelf for two years. I felt a vague guilt as I packed it into a box when I moved; there was a possibility it could languish in the dark for years.

Last Christmas, my children bought me a complete 12-book series I wanted to read. Those volumes had thick, hefty pages with large type - inviting to read - and, although it took me a while to get started, I zipped through them. The habit was re-established! So much so, that when I closed the cover on the last book in mid-March, I felt an emptiness.

The cure niggled at my consciousness. I was ready. I ransacked the boxes in the attic and retrieved Atlas Shrugged. I actually heard the pages sigh, "It's about time," when I pried open the stiff cover.

Ironically this week, I learned that the first third of the book (it is divided into three parts) has been made into a movie - Atlas Shrugged Part 1. (Does anything really happen by accident?) It's an independent production with a small budget by Hollywood standards - $25 million - the first in a planned trilogy.

It makes one wonder why - if this is the second most influential book ever, after the Bible* - hasn't it been made into a movie before? LOL, the answer lies within its pages, of course! Wikipedia describes the interesting 40-year "development hell" of this film. Note some of the names.

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 will be released on April 15, most fitting if you know Ayn Rand's philosophy about taxation. It is not scheduled to come to Providence in its initial release; the closest it will come is Bellingham, Massachusetts. (Bellingham??) But, according to the Web site, we the people have an opportunity to influence distribution by "demanding" Atlas Shrugged Part 1 come to a theater near us. Of course, this is a nothing more than a grand viral marketing scheme for free publicity and build buzz, but I will gladly participate because it is in my self-interest to do so. (Ayn Rand would be pleased.)

Visit the official Atlas Shrugged Movie Web site.

*1991 survey by the Library of Congress and the Book-of-the-Month Club

Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP) Auction

2011-03-28T12:33:00.003-04:00

The Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP) is a charter school in Providence committed to keeping at-risk middle school students on the right education path by giving them the opportunity to complete two years in one. Each child accepted to the school has stayed back at least once.

The founder and principal is a man who has faced his own extraordinary personal challenges, Robert Deblois, left quadriplegic after a swimming accident in college. He and the school's dedicated staff shine in a documentary, Accelerating America, which follows the compelling stories of three students (America, Yazmine, and Jason) for a year. WSBE Rhode Island PBS (digital 36.1) aired the award-winning documentary by Tim Hochtner, which is how I became aware of UCAP's great but very difficult - almost impossible - work. As a Rhode Islander, it was surreal to watch; I had to keep reminding myself that this was happening in my state, my community, not some neighborhood in the Bronx. Here's a link to an online version of Accelerating America (sorry, it's a very poor resolution video).

In addition to all of the hard work and a very special kind of patience and commitment it takes to help these kids focus and succeed, it also takes money. UCAP hosts different fund raisers throughout the year.

My recommendation, my request: Watch the film. Then browse the Spring Fling Auction to benefit UCAP. Or make a direct donation.

Brendan Doherty - The First Day Remembered

2011-03-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

When I was a young woman just starting my work career, I was fortunate enough to work for Eleanor Benjamin, a funny, bright, dedicated, and innovative woman, who also happened to be the wife of Rhode Island State Police Major Lionel "Pete" Benjamin.

She took me with her to the graduation ceremony at the State Police Academy, and pointed out to me a handsome young man among the graduates. It was Trooper Brendan Doherty. Even back then, Ellie knew he was exceptional.

He is.

I just wanted to note that special memory I have... He might not even remember meeting me, but I always remembered that day - the first of his illustrious career.

~*~*~*~

I heard today on a radio talk show on my favorite station - 630 WPRO - one of the callers hoping that Colonel Doherty's resignation would wake up the "governor" to the wrong path he is on.

HA! Fat chance! To Chafee, this resignation is merely "one down, one to go" with Education Commissioner and aggressive education reformer Deborah Gist next on his hit list from insanity hell. I can picture the little weasel rubbing his paws together, a goofy weak-chinned grin on his punkish face.

Breaking News = Breaking Hearts

2011-03-03T18:50:00.003-05:00

Rhode Island State Police Colonel Brendan Doherty resigned today. He has been on the force for 28 years - the last four as the Colonel.

Why did he resign? Because he's a man of impeccable integrity, honor, and principles.

What does that have to do with his resignation? In my opinion, it's because the governor, Lincoln Chafee, has no integrity, no honor, and certainly no guiding principles that are worth spit.

Chafee was elected in November with a mere 36% of the vote - most of that orchestrated by the slimy union hacks who've ruled our state and controlled the despotic democrats for more than 60 years. He's a progressive liberal, rich white guy who suffers from a weak mind, the predictable (but regrettable) "rich-white-guy guilt" complex, and he has an enormous debt to special interests. For example, this "governor" - facing an unprecedented structural state deficit (that means institutional spending outstrip the income and can't be fixed without HUGE revision and courageous decisions) - declared in his inaugural speech that his first two priorities would be (1) rescinding our previous Governor's executive order implementing e-verify for state contractors, and (2) homosexual union. What??

This "governor" has also clearly indicated that he intends to put the brakes on the critical, much needed education reforms introduced by Education Commissioner Deborah Gist. Teachers unions hate those reforms. Teachers unions were behind the "governor"'s win. In fact, the head of the National Education Association (NEA) was on Chafee's transition team after the election! I am counting the days in great fear until Gist announces her resignation, too - another devastating loss to our state.

Furthermore, this dolt on Smith Hill proposes a brand new tax on all things that are not currently taxed as HIS solution to fix the budget deficit - not one word about C-U-T-S. His idea of improving worker productivity is making sure the workers are "happy," which means to me that he has no intention of making any cuts at all. He's such an abysmal embarrassment in so many ways.

Chafee did rescind the e-verify executive order as his first order of business as governor. In that order, besides maintaining the integrity that state contractors hire only legal residents, another part authorized police to check immigration status of people arrested for crimes. That went out the window, too. Colonel Doherty is was also the RI Commissioner of Public Safety, in charge of implementing this immigration verification of criminals. Colonel Doherty took seriously his duty and responsibility to enforce the laws of our state and our land. Chafee made it clear THAT was to stop.

So how can Doherty - a man of law, of integrity, of honor, of intellect - be expected to tolerate working for a shallow, soulless, pandering, mental midget? He isn't.

And so, here we are, watching one of the best, most respected men in law enforcement step out of the slime to keep himself unsoiled. GOOD FOR HIM!!

Bad for us.

I am researching procedures for recalling elected officials. Want to help me?

Proper Preposition

2011-02-23T18:20:00.000-05:00

I received this announcement in an e-mail today:

"George Weigel to discuss his book on Pope John Paul II"

Please read that again. Does anything about the statement strike you as odd?

When I saw the headline, I immediately pictured a man waving a thick hardcover book, barking some schmaltzy marketing pitch, while standing on the body of the dead pontiff.

That's the power of the preposition.

"George Weigel to discuss his book about Pope John Paul II"

Jes' sayin' ;)

Voice-Overs

2011-01-09T22:59:00.001-05:00

For some time, I've been meaning to upload some of the voice-overs I've done for WSBE Rhode Island PBS. But, because I see it as self-promotion and that's not one of my strong traits, it's not exactly been a priority.

Recording voice-overs is not part of my job, but it's convenient (and economical) for the station - and a treat for me. I love doing these! Most of the time, I write the copy, which is part of my job. That's a great advantage - I write exactly what needs to be said in the way I want to say it.

I fell into the role of auxiliary voice-over talent for WSBE quite by accident. One day several years ago, there was an emergency announcement that had to be recorded and played on the air. Our regular voice talent was not due in for days. So, I just wrote the copy and recorded the announcement. Hearing the spot on the air later, one of the station's producers asked, "Who's voice is that?" He sought me out to tell me he was impressed.

After that, I was tapped periodically to do spots, even though we had an official "voice" of the station - Joanie Pfeiffer - who has a gorgeous voice. I mostly did the upbeat spots for kids programming, or the ones that had 20 seconds of copy to fit into 15 seconds of time, LOL, or when underwriters insisted on using the word "we" in their copy (I was adamant that OUR voice should not also be the voice of an underwriter) or when we just needed a voice style different from Joanie's sultry sophisticated one (not that I can't be sultry and sophisticated, too, ha). But when new president Bob Fish took over, he stated emphatically that he wanted a new station voice; that was the end of Joanie's contract and the start of one with Fish's friend from commercial radio, Gary DeGraide. In the meantime, I've continued to record some of our on-air spots.

Which brings me all the way back around to this: Finally uploaded and tested, my personal voice-over page is ready. I now invite you to indulge me and check out the voice-over samples on my Web site.

American Foursquare Remodel 16 - Parlor Updated Pics

2010-11-14T23:37:00.001-05:00

No stories to tell, just pictures to show. : ) These were taken on September 25, 2010. Here is the earlier blog.

American Foursquare Remodel 15 - Spare Bedroom to a Sitting Room

2010-03-06T15:58:00.005-05:00

I decided to make one of the bedrooms a sitting room - perfect for the TV that I don't watch. And maybe for the antique trundle Singer sewing machine I recently acquired, once it's refinished and refurbished.

Two matching love seats were left in the house. The colors and style are not my current taste, but the love seats are in good enough condition for now.

The walls started out as painted wallpaper. I remember the original paper in here - a dark juvenile print with galactic spaceships, astronauts, stars and planets. Cartoons, really. Awful.

So my parents painted it pale pink. Like the bathroom. Softer and more subdued for a bedroom, certainly, but not quite right for a sitting room.

The right way to do this room would be to strip the painted paper, of course. But it was in pretty good condition (visible wallpaper seams notwithstanding). So I decided to simply paint it. Brown, LOL.

Actually it's called Cardamom. I first saw the swatch in Home Depot as a Behr paint, but decided after a friend's recommendation to take the swatch to Sherwin Williams, who matched it perfectly. Sherwin Williams has a fun online gadget - upload a photo of your room, and paint it virtually. Great tool, especially useful to avoid a $40-a-gallon mistake. *gasp* Not that Behr was that much cheaper in price. Anyway, I found the tool after picking the color, but I have had fun playing with it.

I used Behr Premium Plus interior paint for the living room and den ceilings (Cream Silk) and living room walls (Caraway - you know from my photos that it's a deep green, whatever hue this swatch depicts), and have been quite happy with the paint quality. I have two more gallons - Premium Plus Ultra, which is supposed to have primer already in it - ready to go for the hallway and staircase, in Chianti (a burgundy red, although this site's swatch looks more icky rust on my monitor). Behr is available at Home Depot, whose hours are more convenient for me. But Sherwin Williams was suggested as a "better" paint, so I tried it.

I do like the plastic jug Sherwin Williams uses. Duration interior with a satin finish worked great... after three and in some places four coats. Really. That was disappointing. I expected for the price it would cover better. Maybe it's because I was applying it over painted wallpaper. Maybe it was the deep color. Whatever, I was not particularly impressed with the performance. But I do like the color.

Once again, I wanted a picture rail installed. I had it placed about 9-10 inches below the ceiling to accommodate a wallpaper border someday.

As I did in the parlor, I changed out the plastic outlet covers for wood ones, then painted them to match the walls.

These walls are screaming for pictures or something. That's the final step, yet to come. I have a collection of framed family photos that might make a great wall mural...

The rug comes from a past Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction (and buy the way, the 2010 auction is online beginning April 1, and televised April 26 - 30. And yes, the misspelling of buy/by is intentional).

American Foursquare Remodel 14 - Parlor

2010-03-06T13:06:00.003-05:00

The parlor was the first room painted - even though it's almost the last story told. There is so much that still needs to be done in this room and the whole house - the decorative details that makes a house a home - but it's getting there slowly. Very slowly it seems.

Here are the before pictures. The beautiful lincrusta frieze was hardly visible, painted the same color as the walls.

I can't rightly call these "after" pictures; more accurately, they are 'tweens, with more to follow as I unpack all those fragiles still safely boxed, and put the room together.

A view of the picture window before the new wood trim.

The beautiful new trim that matches the original casings elsewhere in the house. An earlier blog discusses the trim work.

I replaced the outlet covers with wood ones, then painted them to match the walls.

A few decorative details added. I resist taking a full room view, though - still too many misplaced furniture pieces, boxes, ladders, tools around, ha!

This is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. My parents brought it back with them from their visit to Fatima, Portugal, many years ago (I'd have to really strain to remember the year, it was that long ago). She always had a lot of religious meaning to my parents - Our Lady of Fatima, not the statue! And I was raised in that tradition. But more than that, it's a beautiful sculpture as well. At the time my parents died, neither my brother nor I had room for such a large piece. We were going to donate her to a church, but I never got around to doing that.

Now that I'm in the house and living with her *smile*, I can't just give her away. I figure I've acquired and am willing to display lots of beautiful women statues (like the Guiseppe Armani on the mantel) without giving it any more thought than perfect placement. So why not this one, too? Because it's religious? Absurd. So this beautiful piece of Portuguese religious art has a special place on the window ledge in my new parlor. : )

Link to the latest pics (September 2010)

American Foursquare Remodel 13 - Main Bath Update

2010-02-28T04:52:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of the lace curtains and wall decoration in the main bath on the second floor of my American Foursquare circa 1932.

Note the light fixture above the medicine cabinet - the one I don't like (gives off horrible lighting for make-up application) but don't hate enough to change now; it's on my target list for future replacement.

Here is the link for some "before" pictures.

American Foursquare Remodel 12 - The Den

2010-02-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

The Den is done. Well, almost. (Is any home project really ever done?)

Here are some before and after photos of the same basic area of the Den. The wallpapering is all done now, but there is more rearranging and finishing touches to be done in the rest of the room (including re-hanging the double doors).

Here's the picture rail on duty - as well as a view of the new door casing, and a close-up of the swag border. :)

I have to admit it seems odd that that particular border was matched with that particular paper, but they were!

I bought this area rug from Overstock.com. I was a little hesitant about buying a rug by description only, without actually seeing the quality and - equally as important in this case - the colors. Was I ever delighted with this purchase! It complements the color scheme beautifully and its quality rivals much more expensive rugs. Great deal!

Lady Emily reclining on the chaise. She is such an alpha-female! (A little Aries... need I say more?)

This sculpture is called "Fanciulla Con Rosa" or "Rose" by Giuseppe Armani.

She's dated 1996 and is signed by the studio master artist. All Armani sculptures bear his signature and studio mark of authenticity imprinted on them, but in some cases, these hand-crafted pieces are also signed by the studio artist. Rose is one such piece. Her decoration matched the room's color scheme, so I put her on display.

I love the movement and celebration of beauty of each of Giuseppe Armani's sculptures. So much so, I collected more than 2 dozen pieces of various sizes on the secondary market (many of the sculptures were already retired and not available in retail stores). One of these days, I'll photograph all of them...

American Foursquare Remodel 11 - Main Bath

2010-02-14T15:58:00.004-05:00

The main bathroom on the second floor has brownish-tan tile on the lower half and floor, and had pale pink painted wallpaper above. The shower is beautiful, with the surround tiled in matching style, and sliding glass doors (which could use a little rehab). In their later years, my parents put safety handles on two walls of the shower. I think the tub, toilet, and sink were supposed to be beige, but they look pale pink against the tile. The large vanity has a non-descript white laminate top, but two sets of nice deep drawers and a double-door cabinet between. There is also a deep, narrow linen closet in the room. All that adds up to adequate storage.

I don't care for the medicine cabinet and really dislike the light fixture above (it's terrible for applying make-up!), but I don't hate them enough to change them just yet.

At first, I was going to simply repaint the walls - to get rid of the pale pink, and just to get the room moved over to the "Done" list. I matched a dramatic dark brown Sherwin Williams paint to the color in the tile decoration. (Yes, in case you haven't already noticed: for better or worse, the entire house is moving from light colored neutrals to dramatic deep-base hues.) Before painting, I tried to fix the couple of small areas where the painted wallpaper was loose. When I did, I found the paper underneath was not well adhered; it came off the wall in one large sheet. The entire room was stripped in minutes! (Photos were taken on November 11, right after painted wallpaper was removed.)

That left me with a new dilemma. I had already bought the paint, but had not considered wallpaper at this point. However, removing residual paste would be a messy, stinky job of vinegar and hot water. I prefer wallpaper anyway. Plus, I already had the border I intended to apply, purchased 4 years ago to match the entire ensemble I bought at Kohl's when I moved into my Victorian apartment. (Now I'm glad I never got around to applying it to the apartment's bathroom!)

So, the search was on to find wallpaper to match the border as well as the tile...

My first stop was browsing online. Then - because color matching is essential - find someone locally who had the book. Have I mentioned that all my wallpaper choices to date happened to be from books that were discontinued? Yeah, I thought so. Sherwin Williams in Attleboro had the book in the store, but I was warned the patterns could be unavailable when I took the book home...

Of course, I found the perfect match in that book. Not just the main colors, but the background of the wallpaper has that same multi-shade "diffuse clouds" look and color of the tiles. I had to have this paper, and convinced the distributors to sell me what they had.

When I measure for wallpaper, I measure wall height and width, and barely pay attention to doors, windows, and other subtractions. That ensures I always have enough paper - and often a roll left over - even if the pattern has a drop-match (which can wreak havoc on accurate calculations!) Limited stock meant I had to be far more accurate with the measurements - including account for the border - and had to prepare for little if any left-overs. No room for mistakes. I made it by the skin of my pasting brush.

The room still needs window treatments and I have some wall decor, but it's functional... and picture-ready. :)

More pictures are here in an update.

American Foursquare Remodel 10 - Kitchen Wallpaper

2010-02-14T07:16:00.002-05:00

OK, the kitchen is 99% done... unless I act on my harebrained fantasy of refacing the cabinets. There's just baseboard trim left.

Here is the "before" look - plain off-white walls and some wood trim, natural wood, white counter and backsplash tile. (Again, these "before" pictures were taken with my cell phone camera back in October 2009; pardon the poor resolution.)

Here is my new "Tuscan inspired" wallpaper and area rug. I went with grape clusters. Hope that's not too "Kitchen Kleeshay."

I love the quality of the paper - it was a dream to work with. Of course, the wallpaper book is discontinued and it was tricky to get the paper - juuuuust enough with only scraps left over! In fact, the original order was canceled by one supplier, and I did a little arm-twisting of another distributor to send me what he had and I'd make do with it.

Interestingly, that same scenario played out for the bathroom and den wallpapers, too. But I managed to get the right amounts to do the jobs each time. Whew!

American Foursquare Remodel 9 - Wood Trim

2010-02-13T16:13:00.004-05:00

The window and door casings in the den and living room were changed by my parents circa 1986 when they made some major renovations to their new house. I don't remember the casings before my parents changed them, but my guess is they were not the originals, considering the ugly rustic appearance of the rooms before my parents successfully eradicated the look. Somehow, weathered gray barn board paneling in the den and a huge boulder wall where the fireplace peeked out in the living room didn't strike me as period-sensitive remodeling. I admired my mother for seeing beyond that ugliness to the jewel beneath. But she always did display an aesthetic sense.

That said, they installed economical colonial casing during their remodel. Now during mine, I wanted to reproduce the original wood trim to match the rest of the house.

Wood work and trim create play between shadows and light to silently convey style. The original woodwork in this American Foursquare has its own beauty, character, and balance worth carrying into the rooms where it was missing.

This is the den with the colonial casing. Narrow. Kind of plain.

This is the original window casing and trim (from the hallway) and baseboard (from the dining room):

And here is the brand new wood trim in the parlor window and den baseboard. Alan did a superb job.

It was a major pain to find the solid crown cap for the windows and doors, as well as the base cap. I finally chose an Azek crown trim that was closer than any real wood trim I saw. Custom milling was out of the question because the amount I needed didn't make it financially worth it for carpenters to create the tool. Even this cap crown had to be trimmed to better imitate the original, though. Again, Alan did a superb job with measuring and installing.

The base cap isn't an exact match either, but the new profile compliments the old.

I also wanted a picture rail installed in as many rooms as I can afford. I can hardly believe it's so hard to find - it's such a great idea! Decorating or re-arranging height and location of mirrors, pictures, and other wall decor is a matter of moving the little "S" clips instead of marring the walls with unsightly holes.

Here are samples of the picture rail installation. In the den, I wanted it close to the ceiling because of the wallpaper border I chose.

Here is a link to the room after wallpaper and painting was finished.

In the parlor, it's installed under the existing (and re-painted) lincrusta* frieze.

*Lincrusta ("Lin" for linum or flax, where linseed oil comes from, and "crusta" or relief) is a heavily embossed linoleum wall covering made from totally natural materials - linseed oil and wood. Very durable, washable, and paintable, it is practical as well as decorative - it also hides wall imperfections. Launched in 1877, it gave the Victorians an affordable alternative to plaster ornamentation. source: lincrusta.com

Lighting is an amazing thing. The flat paint of the ceiling and frieze lincrusta, and satin finish of the picture rail are really the same color, and in person, it's obvious. Any variations in these images are caused by the camera angle and ambient light.

Shopping sources:

JT's Lumber for the picture rail and Azek trim
Builders Surplus for the select fir boards
Home Depot for the select fir boards
Lincrusta and Anaglypta Paintable Wall Covering
Another beautiful Lincrusta site

American Foursquare Remodel 8 - Discoveries

2010-02-13T14:43:00.002-05:00

Old houses can be great time capsules, preserving little secrets that permit modern generations a glimpse into life as it was lived decades ago. So it is with my 1932 American Foursquare.

When the dining room ceiling was first demolished in November, I found an odd collection of what looked like razor blades littering the floor covering.

They were razor blades. I thought it was some discarded trash left by the handyman and cleaned them up. But they looked very old...

Then there were more. And more.

Then I looked up.

There, over the built-in china cabinet, in the small space between wall studs, floor joists and horsehair plaster, was a deep pile of black razor blades balancing precariously on what looked like a ledge.

Apparently, old medicine cabinets had an opening wherein used razor blades could be discarded. That opening dumped into the empty dead space between the walls behind the medicine cabinet.

That style cabinet has long since been replaced, but the razor blades sat undisturbed for years. I took a few to keep, and - as a good steward of historical finds - left the rest for someone else to discover someday.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The second surprise was even more fascinating. It was a huge mud wasp nest built against the beams. The workmen were astonished by its size.

I had no idea its age or how long it might have been there, but:

there were no wasps around it
no sound coming from it
no visible outdoor light coming into the area
the house had been vinyl sided many years ago, which possibly ended access to the hive by its builders

Despite its abandoned appearance, no one volunteered to remove it, LOL.

I decided it couldn't stay, in case it could be active again in the spring. What nightmares could that cause with angry, protective wasps working in their house and getting into my house!

So I climbed a ladder armed with a large trash bag, and encased the hive.

I expected some firmness, some resistance. Instead, it simply disintegrated into dust in my covered hands. There wasn't even anything left of the structure to examine.

That's one bit of history lost to future generations. Somehow, though, I don't think they will mind.

American Foursquare Remodel 7 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 4 - Final Chapter

2010-02-13T13:33:00.004-05:00

Alan finally convinced me he and friends could do the work necessary to fix the ceiling. His laser-level eye could see that more than just one floor joist was sagging. I could see that, too. He had a plan.

So, with the help of two construction friends on a weeknight during Christmas week, a power saw was set up outside on the porch to cut and notch several new floor joists that would sister the old joists on both sides. It was c-c-c-old and noisy work. But the pizza was great (my contribution). Of course, there was something devastatingly wrong with the floor jack; its hydraulics had seized, rendering it useless. The guys were disappointed and very apologetic. But a lot of work had been done.

Add a few more days, buy a floor jack, and set it to lift the sagging joists - slowly - so as not to crack or otherwise damage the tile walls and floor of the bathroom above.

Alan finished the jacking/sistering work, meticulously applied new strapping - verifying the boards were level as he went. I hired another team of his friends to apply the sheet rock and plaster. It was New Year's Eve - more than two months after the initial leak from the cracked stack pipe on October 30.

These images have loads of focal distortion, but trust me, the ceiling is straight and level... And I have 9 inches above each window for my wallpaper border. : )

David, measuring the boards.

Larry, taping the seams.

(Yes, I should have removed the last of the old wallpaper before the plastering was done. It's not like I didn't have enough time; I just kept doing other things until it was too late.)

Aaaaaaahhhhhh..... Beautiful!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You may be wondering why I hired Gem Plumbing & Heating to do the construction work once the plumbing - their expertise - was finished, when I had a close contact with competent - and much cheaper - craftsmen.

Several reasons (several proven false): a bigger company has more workers to keep a job going; it's easier to schedule continuity of service and have only one point-person rather than a bunch of contractors for accountability; trade license and insurance; since this is the paid guns' full-time job, work would be done quicker, rather than in "spare time"; and probably the most important: it's easier to yell at a contractor you're paying, than one you have a relationship with who's giving you a discount or doing you a "favor." : )

One last note about the cursed ceiling: Larry the plasterer got some of the toxic mixture in his eye. Very bad! He tried to finish the job anyway, but the pain and irritation grew too great. His partner, David, took him to the nearby Our Lady of Fatima Hospital around the corner from the house, where the ER docs diagnosed a torn cornea.

A few days later, with a patch on his eye, Larry returned and the ceiling was finally finished on January 4, 2010.

American Foursquare Remodel 6 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 3

2010-02-13T12:27:00.003-05:00

Joe the Handyman's mother-in-law passed away on Thanksgiving weekend. May she rest in peace. But that meant another delay. That sounds cold-hearted. Considering my experience with Gem Plumbing & Heating to date, I was feeling pretty cold-hearted. And cold - the missing ceiling was causing drafts.

Jim and Joe and I met in early December to assess what was needed to fix bad plumbing/construction problems from years ago and to correct the wavy strapping. If I had any doubt that my trust in Joe was misplaced, it evaporated in that meeting. Joe said he removed three ceilings. Lie. He said he always intended to apply shims and a second layer of new strapping over the first layer. Lie (not to mention bad practice). I know he considered his work done when he left my house on November 20th.

Revised plan: jack up the floor joist ends to level them, apply a sister joist, apply new level strapping throughout. No additional cost. (No kidding.)

Here's what I found after the new work on December 9 - an ugly slap-together layered mess... that was only moderately level along the joists, but STILL not level across the joists.

Strapping STILL wavy - this is NOT camera lens distortion - the level proved it:

The damned strapping was now lower than the original two ceiling layers! What would the measurement be after the sheet rock and plastering? The original spacing between the top of the window casing and the old ceiling was a perfect 9 inches - the exact size of a wallpaper border I already had waiting to be applied.

NOW, without even considering the new ceiling layer, measurement over one window less than 9 inches. Another measurement was just about 7 1/2 inches. WHAT THE HELL??!!??

At this point, I also photographed the other damage done during the original ceiling demolition:

Funny how one little thing can really set you off. The fact that my wallpaper border would no longer fit between my ceiling and windows - when it fit perfectly and evenly in October before any construction - was that one little thing that caused me to just explode.

I called Jim - even though it was about 8 at night - and fired Gem Plumbing & Heating on the spot. No more meetings, no more discussions, no more fixes to fix the fixes that weren't working. I'M DONE! And don't even think about billing me for this crappy work.

I would now have to find someone else to remove the abortion of wood nailed to my floor joists and build a new ceiling.

American Foursquare Remodel 5 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 2

2010-02-13T09:11:00.006-05:00

A day or two later, Joe the Handyman (that was how Gem Plumbing & Heating referred to him) filled my house with his voice and presence. He reminded me of my father, or maybe my grandfather (although I can't recall my grandfather speaking English). This older man with a shock of thick white hair had a thick and familiar Azorean accent. I was comfortable with his choppy English and I understood exactly everything he said. He spoke with great authority, what he would do and how it should be done. He even offered tips about other projects I planned. We chit-chatted about the house in Portuguese. It all worked to make me feel confident in his expertise.

But it was now around November 16. Time was becoming a factor: I had to leave my apartment by November 30, the closing was scheduled for Monday, November 23, and the movers were coming on November 25, the day before Thanksgiving. The kitchen floor was a tar paper mess and there were giant construction trash bags and displaced appliances increasing the chaos, waiting for the end of the messy plaster job in the adjoining dining room to finish that job. There was little wiggle room wherein the house would still be empty.

Originally, Joe said he would demolish the old ceilings and apply the strapping in one day, and the plasterer would come in the day after and work his magic; plastering might stretch to 2 days.

OK, three days. Not bad, I guess. I now awaited the cost estimate.

Guy, the ~~salesman~~ project manager from Gem Plumbing & Heating, said Joe could come in on Friday, November 20, and the plasterer would come on Monday and Tuesday. I made it clear that if there were any other delays, work could not be continued until Friday after Thanksgiving at the earliest. Fine with Guy. Then he delivered the news: $4,200 for everything, from the stack pipe work (already finished) to the brand new ceiling.

After I picked up my jaw off the floor, I signed the contract on the night of November 18, and authorized a $2,000 deposit from my bank account.

During online banking on the evening of November 19, I discovered that Gem Plumbing & Heating had withdrawn the entire $4,200 from my checking account. Instantly! Can you say "overdrawn"? I was furious and called Gem Plumbing & Heating immediately, even though I knew it was well after business hours, just to log the mistake.

The next morning, Joe and his assistant arrived at the house bright and early to demolish what looked to me like a perfectly good ceiling - with a huge hole in it. Oh, and Joe let me know that the plasterer would arrive the Monday after Thanksgiving... one week later than expected and after I had moved in. Did Guy know this? We had specifically discussed the timetable. Did he lie to me, knowing he was quitting the company anyway? This was not going well.

I called Gem about the money snafu and the woman said it would be faster for them to write me a check than issue a credit. She would even deliver the check to me at work for the inconvenience, to stem a snowballing bank fee fiasco.

No one ever met me at work that day as promised. This was really not going well with this company.

After work, I went to the house to see what Joe had done. The refund check was sitting on the counter, too late to deposit.

Wait - what the hell was that mess under the bathtub? OMG, the joist had been all but severed by some previous plumber!

And look at the huge amount of flooring that had been cut out. Was this bathtub even safe? (And why wasn't my ceiling fan removed before the strapping was applied?)

Old knob and tube wiring... ran under the bathtub. Copper piping curved elaborately under and around. A two-by-four allegedly reinforced the severed floor joist. Actually, the severed joist edges were almost one inch off level! WHO DID THIS?

Back to the present: the issue of the strapping itself. Not one shim. Not one. The strapping looked wavy even to my naked eye. A test with a large level up on a ladder confirmed the strapping was off in several places. How was sheet rock supposed to be installed on these roller coaster tracks?

And there was more. Perfect woodwork around the windows was gouged. Horsehair plaster walls were crumbled at the top, with the missing plaster now causing holes which needed repair under the ceiling line.

Call Gem to get their asses in for another inspection before the plasterer even considered arriving.

Guy told me he was quitting Gem Plumbing & Heating the night I signed the contract. He assured me the new ~~salesman~~ project manager would take good care of me. Jim. Nice guy.

He bore my wrath rather well.

American Foursquare Remodel 4 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 1

2010-02-13T01:23:00.006-05:00

These BEFORE photos of the dining room were taken on October 18, 2009:

Facing east - toward the kitchen

Facing north - the 3-window bay

Facing south, toward the parlor

Facing west, toward the front door

Note the narrow space between the built-in china cabinet and the window on the right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On October 30, 2009, I was called at work by a panicked employee of Barrett Floors: there was water gushing into the basement from the second floor bathroom. Toilet. Mind you, I had basically just arrived at work about an hour before the call, after having met them at the house to let them in.

When I arrived back at the house, the two men had already shut off the water main and had the 'flood' under control with the wetvac. Trying to gather my wits, I wondered who the hell I was going to call; I was an apartment dweller for the past 10 years... but here, I was on my own.

I opened the yellow pages and - *POP* - I saw the ad for Gem Plumbing. Of course! I even started to hum their catchy jingle... 8-6-7, 5-3-0-9... Gem Plumbing & Heating spends a gazillion dollars in the Providence radio market. The Gemma sons - owners of the family business - and daughters are active in breast cancer awareness and fund raising since the death of matriarch Gloria Gemma. I was happy to call a reputable company with a well-developed civic conscience...

Arriving within 3 hours - while the floor sanders noisily transformed my floors - the plumber diagnosed the problem as a cracked stack pipe. A what? The main pipe that carries waste water from the tub, sink... and toilet, down to the basement, and out to the sewer line. Uh oh. He said he couldn't actually do the work; it required a ~~salesman~~ project manager to confirm, estimate price and book the work. Tomorrow. Greaaaaaaaat.

When I spoke with Guy, I discovered I knew his father - wow, small world! - who was also a plumber, and who occurred to me as an option to call to get another bid. But, I learned, his father had retired and the business was gone. My short list got even shorter.

Guy confirmed it was the stack pipe. Since it was cast iron, he also recommended the dining room ceiling be opened up to check the bathroom plumbing; if they were old lead pipes as he suspected, they could be damaged when the stack pipe was disturbed. I approved.

But what about the ceiling repair? I didn't want a patch in my new home - the old ceiling looked perfect. So we discussed applying sheet rock over the entire ceiling. $$$$$ but I know me - I would never be happy with visible seams and bulges from a patch. Guy assured me I would be happy... but the final estimate would have to wait until the ceiling was opened to assess the full scope of the work. We were talking a couple of thousand dollars though. *gulp*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Some of the paneling on the basement wall had to be removed to allow fuller access to the stack pipe. (Of course, the pipe couldn't be located in the unfinished portion of the basement!)

There was another HUGE surprise waiting behind the wall: a wide open crack almost the full vertical length of another section of the stack pipe!

...gross...

The two-man team from Gem Plumbing & Heating arrived on November 11. First, they had to open up their work area. (Oh! My poor perfect ceiling!)

After cutting their hole of about 4 feet by 4 feet, they discovered that the plumbing was actually already PVC. That was the good news.

The bad news? Apparently my parents had already done what I proposed to do: cover the partially destroyed ceiling with an entirely new one, as there was evidence of a second ceiling already in place in the rest of the room, with only one ceiling - much of which Gem had just removed - in the area under the bathroom. All work stopped. Guy the ~~salesman~~ project manager was called in.

New plan: since a third ceiling could not be applied, the entire dining room ceiling would have to be demolished, new furring strips / strapping applied, and then the sheet rock for the new full ceiling installed.

Wait. Demolished?

Guy said he'd call the company's "Handyman" to come in assess the situation and help establish the cost for all this unexpected work. Tomorrow. The two-man team then opened the wall and went to work on the stack pipe itself.

The narrow "box" for the pipe was only as wide as the pipe joint - about 5 inches. It was also tucked a tad behind the china cabinet (see picture above). That meant the cast iron pipe could not be cut, and slid up and out as planned. Instead, it would have to be broken in place. In fact, the space was so tight that, as the plumber was hammering the front of the pipe, the back of it broke through the opposite wall.

Now I had a hole in the wall of my staircase, too.

And this was only the beginning.

American Foursquare Remodel 3 - Kitchen Floor

2010-02-04T07:20:00.002-05:00

Oh, what the heck, I was becoming a floor-removal pro, right? So I decided to take on the kitchen floor.

It was a full one-half-inch of contemporary vinyl sheet flooring - adhered like skin to cut plywood pieces, nailed about every 6 freakin' inches with long nails over very old linoleum tiles, adhered to some other layer, glued to the floor.

I spent hours with a bevy of tools to clear a 2-foot by 2-foot area... *groan* This is a view of the tan/brown linoleum tiles under the vinyl-plywood layers:

Look at that beautiful grain! This is a view of the cleared area near the entrance to the dining room:

These photos were taken on October 30th - a day indelibly etched in my memory. That's the next chapter.

To conclude this one, however, this work of removing the floor took several days. Work by Barrett Floors was put on hold until this work (and other work... the next story) could be done. Finally, I accepted some help with this job. With a power saw set to the depth of the plywood, it was cut into smaller, more manageable pieces, and I was left to remove the bottom two layers (much easier than the splintering plywood layer) and remove the skadillion nails (not hard, but tedious - and sometimes hazardous, haha, working on my hands and knees).

The kitchen wood floor wasn't in such good condition, but I was still thrilled to have the original hardwood floor in the kitchen! I think the old water stains that mar the edges and a few gaps between boards give the place character, but that's just my bias.

Here is the finished floor. Again, Jay from Barrett Floors did a great job, despite the small tight space he had to work in and the limited space to move the stove and refrigerator out of the way. Photos were taken on December 2 (yes, please note the dates: started October 30 and finished December 2).

Wow, this last photo makes the floor look slanted - it's not. But it does give you a decent view of the kitchen layout.

American Foursquare Remodel 2 - Den Floor

2010-02-03T22:10:00.002-05:00

While the house was empty, I wanted to make some changes - painting, wallpapering, and removing old carpeting - and set about in early fall.

The first thing I wanted to do was remove the old, worn, dark teal carpeting in the Den. I wasn't sure what was underneath, but anything would be better than that carpeting.

I hoped there was a wood floor underneath, since there was wood in the adjoining living and dining rooms. What I didn't expect was ugly beige small-mosaic-tile-look linoleum sheet flooring under the rug. (The photos are from my cell phone, sorry for the poor quality.)

This had to be replaced with a new hardwood floor. : )

`Along the threshold under the pair of doors you see in the photo, the linoleum chipped and revealed wood underneath. It looked in pretty good condition - even though it was a small sample - and the grain seemed to match the grain in the living room (the room on the other side of the double doors).

That meant another layer to be removed. But that's OK. It would be worth it to preserve the original floor!

There was that black sticky tar paper junk between the linoleum and the wood. What a mess! Once the top linoleum layer was removed - one little damned chunk at a time - it was time for the professionals to be called in. (The best money I ever spent!)

Barrett Floors came in and transformed the floors from this:

to this, in a couple of hours!

Close-up of the grain - beautiful!!

This is the completely finished floor the next day (October 30, 2009):

While one workman hand-sanded the edges, he speculated that the kitchen floor might be the same wood...

What?

He and I gently scraped away at a little piece of flooring at the threshold... and... Yes!

(Nice way to solicit more work and a new job, LOL!)

Diary of an American Foursquare Remodel 1

2010-02-01T21:43:00.004-05:00

I am attempting to buy my parents' house in North Providence. The "attempting" part is a long story, reserved for another time.

It's not the house in which I grew up with my parents and brother. My mother wanted a larger house - a dining room in particular - after my brother and I left home. Even with a second kitchen, lavette, and large family room on the lower level (yes, that's the basement), the 5-room ranch in Pawtucket was just getting "too small" to accommodate the new grandbabies being born and family dinners my mother loved to host.

So, my parents found a lovely three-bedroom two-story home - with a nice dining room - in a quiet, modest, residential neighborhood in North Providence. For years, I considered the house a colonial.

Wrong.

It's actually a very typical example of an American Foursquare, a simpler architectural style that succeeded more ornate Victorian architecture (which I adore, by the way) from the mid 1890s to the late 1930s (this house was built in 1932). It's actually two-and-a-half stories, with basically a square footprint, a front porch with wide stairs, a walk-up attic with a center dormer in the hip roof, and a bump out or bay in the dining room - all telltale traits of the American Foursquare. As soon as the weather gets better, I'll take a few exterior photos. In the meantime, I used an image from artsandcraftshomes.com.

Because I was so attracted to Victorian style, this house never did anything for me. But that was OK - it was my parents' house that I only visited, not anything I had to live in or decorate.

All that changed about 8 months ago when, three years after my Dad passed and four and a half years after my Mom passed, my brother insisted we had to do something about getting rid of the "albatross" of a house, as he called it.

I had reservations, though. This economy was (is) terrible, and the housing market tanked right after my Dad died in 2006 - probably the biggest reason we were still holding on to the mortgage-free house three years later - and was even worse now. Could we hold out a little longer? Or maybe one of us might need a place to live if we lost a job and our financial situation tanked, too. My brother would hear none of it. So I agreed, and he set about getting it appraised for sale.

In the meantime, I was happy living in an architectural gem of an apartment in a Victorian mansion in Pawtucket, the city where I was born and raised. Besides, I didn't like the North Providence house much anyway, right?

But I kept thinking that desperate people were selling, but smart people were buying now. I weighed the pros and cons, and darn if the pros didn't constantly outweigh the cons.

I toured the house and critically analyzed each room, asking 'what is it I don't like about this house?' The list came down to cosmetics. :)

So, here I am. Typing the story from the den of my very own home. I moved in November 25 over the Thanksgiving weekend. It was supposed to have been after the closing, of course, but it didn't happen that way. But I'm getting ahead of myself again...

Tale of a Monarch

2009-11-18T23:38:00.005-05:00

My father passed in March 2006. What my brother and I thought might be a bad cold or even pneumonia was actually a massive coronary that unexpectedly but quite efficiently swept our dad from our lives. Stunned, I remember standing outside the hospital and saying to my brother, "We're orphans."

An odd reaction to be sure, especially for a grown woman with 4 college and high school children of her own. Having lost my mother a little more than a year before, the sense of loss and abandonment was overwhelming.

In the summer of 2007, about a year after my dad passed, monarch butterflies started to appear around me in greater frequency than I considered usual, and in places I considered odd. I was not looking for butterflies, mind you - but each seemed to make sure I noticed it, fluttering close enough to demand my attention.

One of the oddest places was right on the beach at Scarborough. Not the grassy area where wildflowers grow, but the breezy sandy beach. I've seen plenty of sea gulls there, but never the elegantly fragile orange and black wings of a monarch butterfly. Yet that summer, it happened a few times.

The other oddest place was at work. On the north side of the TV station building is a storage area with double garage doors. The "driveway" area is completely paved with aging asphalt, and abuts another commercial property's paved driveway. There is a tall steel microwave tower, a dumpster, and chain link fencing. The only thing remotely green are scraggly weeds clinging to cracks in the pavement.

One pleasant afternoon that summer of 2007, I was outside enjoying the weather on a break as I edited some material. Sitting on a low concrete platform near the door, I was visited by a monarch butterfly. I had never seen butterflies in that area before - moths and other insects, maybe, but not butterflies, and certainly not monarchs. This one didn't just flutter by. It actually landed on my knee! It perched, opened and closed its wings a few times, then fluttered off.

And thoughts of my dad immediately washed over me. I was stunned by the feeling - so strong, and so unrelated to where I was and what I was doing.

I share this very personal story with you because I just watched the full version director's cut of 41, a remarkable story about the Station nightclub fire's youngest victim, Nicholas O'Neill. WSBE Rhode Island PBS airs the 90-minute version of this documentary again on very early Friday, November 20th at 12:30 A.M. (Set your DVR.) I invite you to watch the film, too, and hear the way this young man touched - touches - lives of those around him in unexpected and lingering ways.

Directed by Nicky's older brother Christian O'Neill and Christian De Rezendes, the film's trailer is a click away. You can also visit the Web site to get more information.

Pawtucket School Committee Disgrace

2009-09-15T20:24:00.003-04:00

I just got back from the unfinished Pawtucket School Committee meeting. I had heard and seen enough. The Pawtucket Teachers Alliance contract was approved 4-3, and includes a pay freeze this year (but the "steps" raises will continue, so the net effect is NOT a flat salary budget), and 2% in FY 10 and 2% in FY11. The Teachers Alliance also agreed to pay a little more in health insurance and increased office visit copays.

The "Gang of Four" who approved this contract - in a year where the Pawtucket deficit is $8 million - are Amy Breault Zolt, Nicole Norquist, Joanne Bonollo, and James Chellel. The three taxpayer defenders are Chairman Dave Coughlin, Joseph Knight, and Raymond Noonan.

Additional facts: the contract still had one more year on it - so the teachers did not have to come to the table, but they did. The total savings agreed to in this one year will be $2.1 million. Very commendable. *applause*

BUT WAIT! The justification I heard from the 4 school committee members who voted to approve the contract was actually just fawning and falling over the teachers - who far outnumbered the non-teacher people in the audience.

No one says the Pawtucket teachers - heck, teachers all over the state! - do not deserve raises. The job can be very difficult, with challenges few citizens or parents know and appreciate, and even more parents just don't give a CRAP about. (In many cases, it IS the parents who are the root cause of the children's problems.)

But that doesn't change the fact that - WE CAN'T AFFORD IT!

I love my four children with all my heart. But in this economy, birthdays are getting cut back and Christmas will have fewer and less expensive gifts. Is it because I love my children less this year? THAT'S ABSURD. It's because I can't afford it.

What is equally absurd is foolishly going into DEBT to give my children the same or more than I have given them in years past when my living expenses were lower and I had more discretionary income. I DON'T ANYMORE. So how is going further into debt doing them any justice? Does it prove I love them more if I spend more? NO!

I work for a non-profit. I haven't had a raise in years. And I don't have a pension. And what I pay for health insurance increased, too. I am definitely worse off financially today than I was 5 years ago. Heck, I am worse off than I was a MONTH ago! There isn't one single expenditure I have - utilities, food, fuel, clothing, anything - that has gone DOWN or even stayed the same; everything has gone up. Except my pay.

But I am grateful for the salary I do get! I am grateful to have health insurance (although, thankfully I haven't needed it)! I just have to find ways - sometimes painful ways - to balance my budget and not go into debt to keep up a lifestyle that is no longer sustainable. My lifestyle has to change to match my reality.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO APPROVED THIS CONTRACT? You are responsible for making sure your budget matches reality, too.

Nicole Norquist waxed on about how generous it was that the teachers agreed not to take a pay raise; they are the 3rd lowest paid in the state already. Pawtucket Police and Fire are among the top paid in the state, and their "give backs" weren't nearly as generous in their recent union contract negotiations. SO WHAT? You are not responsible for Police and Fire - mind your own budget!

I see. So, my neighbor agrees to go into debt to make her kids happy at Christmas... I should do the same for my kids?

(Of course, later in the meeting, Ms. Norquist realized she had just thrown Police and Fire unions under the bus, so she tried to back-pedal and diminished her criticism.)

And Mr. Chellel, "grant" and "Title I" money that pays for certain programs comes out of my left pocket while you're picking my right pocket. Your logic isn't logical - it's disingenuous. Unless that program money comes from a private corporate grant, it's still my money and my neighbor's money.

Government does not earn wages. Government - municipal, State, and Federal - can only TAKE money from the true wage earners to pay for what government does.

Take effective action; do not dig a deeper trench of debt. Every single School Committee in Rhode Island should unite, march on the State House and demand the cowardly General Assembly come back into session armed with machetes to make the spending cuts necessary to resolve the mess it refused to address this summer. It's not the Governor - it's the legislature! AND NO NEW TAXES.

1. Unfunded mandates are NOT mandates anymore; they are off the table - and off taxpayers backs.

2. Certain aspects of the outrageously high Special Education budget need to be cut cut cut. Schools are NOT respite care facilities or "warehouses" as one speaker said, where parents abdicate care of their children from 8 to 2. If your child has special needs for transportation to and from medical appointments, arrange for the transportation yourself. School Departments should get OUT of the transportation business to get your disabled child to and from the doctor or therapist during school hours. If your child requires a nurse mate or personal assistant to care for bodily functions and maneuvering throughout the school building, it is the parent's responsibility to arrange and pay for that special aid, not the school budget.

School's responsibility is to teach a child to read, write in proper English, calculate mathematics, discover science, learn history... you know the list. Personal care and teaching life skills are inappropriate in any public school classroom.

3. English as a Second Language... oh my, this elephant in the room. It would be far more effective to have all children with English deficiency go to ONE school only. Immersion. A maximum of one year for young children, whose language acquisition skills are amazing. Two years MAX for mid-elementary school children. Up to three years for middle-to-high school students. Career ESL programs are a waste of money. One or two English-learning classes are a waste of time. It would be far more effective to keep a child "back" a year or two to fully prepare them for success in an all-English speaking curriculum, than to continue kicking them up the chain to keep them with their "peers." If they can't speak and comprehend the language well, kids the same age are not real peers - they are only the same age! These children only struggle their entire school career chasing English proficiency they will never achieve, sitting in "mainstream" classrooms as only part-time English learners.

And finally, the time for municipal, state and federal employee unions has come to an end. Compensation - salary and benefits - for government employees should NOT exceed the compensation of the taxpayers who pay them. Abolition of government worker unions may seem like pie-in-the-sky, because unions have become so powerful in Rhode Island over the decades. But they no longer fight for worker justice against dangerous working conditions as they did a hundred years ago; unions now arm-twist and promise campaign contributions and reelection votes, in exchange for largess for their members, to justify their continued existence. Unions are outdated and have outlived their true usefulness. They handcuff administrators who could affect real cost savings, while enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. Unions "disincentivize" creative solutions and individual achievement by lumping together lazy sloths and productive workers, based only on seniority. Government jobs should be public service, not a plum career.

I am proud of the three Pawtucket School Committee members who - while they acknowledge and appreciate the work done by teachers - put fiscal responsibility ahead of emotional capitulation headlong into avoidable debt.

Independence Day

2009-07-03T07:37:00.001-04:00

Every country has a July 4th. But only in the U.S. does that date mean Independence Day.

Thank you, soldiers, from colonial days until today. Thanks to them, I will celebrate tomorrow with my beloved friends.

Between the frankfurters and the fireworks, may you take a moment to thank them, too.

Let freedom ring and may liberty always win!

Happy Father's Day, Dad

2009-06-21T15:03:00.005-04:00

To tell you about my dad, I also have to tell you a bit about my mom - their lives were so intertwined. They lived together almost twice as long as they had lived as singles; had my mother lived five more months, they'd have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

My parents were immigrants. They left their village in Sao Miguel, Acores, Portugal, to make a better life for themselves and their future children (me and my brother). My mother came first with her father and brothers. About 2 years later, she went back to Sao Miguel to marry my dad in May, then returned to America. My dad arrived the following January.

Before they got their own apartment, my dad moved in with my mother in my grandparents' home and started working the third shift at American Insulated Wire in Pawtucket. A month after his arrival, my mother got pregnant - complete with a long bout of morning sickness. In this different, non-tropical climate, his blondish wavy hair grew darker brown. On weekends, he was expected to live the life of a day worker - chores, shopping, Sunday morning church services followed by big family dinner - when all he wanted to do was sleep. He had no family or friends of his own except his new family and their friends. Years later, he mused that in those early days if he'd been able to walk back to the Acores, he would have, LOL.

Eventually, he switched to the day shift, and worked 12 hours a day for years. He stayed at the same place until his retirement - about 40 years - making all modes of rubber- and plastic-coated copper wire. He never quite learned perfect English - he didn't have to; my mother took care of the day-to-day details and he worked in a conclave of fellow Portuguese immigrants.

When I was 4, my parents bought a 5-room ranch - eventually expanded to an 8-room home when the basement was remodeled with a family room, second kitchen - in Fairlawn, where my brother and I lived until we left the nest. Ironically, my parents bought a larger house after my brother and I each married; our growing families made it hard for my mom to have us all together for dinner, so a big colonial with a separate dining room was in order. : )

After my brother was born, my mother worked second shift at a mill. That allowed her to be with us in the morning to get us off to school; we'd go to my grandparents' after school, and my dad picked us up there after work. He'd feed us supper, give us baths, supervise our nightly prayers, and tuck us into bed. Growing up, we didn't go on "vacations" but we went almost every Saturday night in summer to the drive-in. That was in the days of good, family-oriented double-features, and huge, fun playgrounds with lots of other children and families doing the same thing. To escape the heat of the city, we often went often to Lincoln Woods or Colt State Park on Sundays after church, to picnic in the shade and wade or swim in the water (it was so different then).

A fiery spirit, he blustered in quick anger - usually justified - then cooled as quickly. I inherited my unwavering sense of justice - and that cute dimple in the chin - from him. I inherited his temper, too, but that's a story for another day.

I never quite appreciated him as a man when I was a kid - he was my dad, after all, not a man, right? But one day when I was in my late teens, he and I were chatting at the counter about something or other, and the light from the open doorway shone just right on his face - without his glasses on - and I realized his eyes were not really just brown, but a beautiful gold, with flecks of color. I finally saw my dad as a man that day. He was quite a character. In his own way, he was a fun-loving and funny guy, and he was unquestionably dedicated to my mother, his kids, his religion, not necessarily in that order.

My mother retired two years after he did. They did some world traveling in their later years - finally taking time for themselves. When my mother was only 66, she started her free-fall into the black hole of Alzheimer's disease. It is such a heartbreak to look into the empty eyes of the mother who loved you more than her own life, and know she doesn't know who you are.

My father took care of my mother as she failed in her disease - a 24-hour obsession that would have broken most people. My mother eventually reverted to infancy - she had to be fed, bathed, dressed, and changed; she didn't speak, she didn't walk on her own... but he talked to her and told her stories, he walked with her, got her dressed up and took her to church every Sunday. Besides occasional hospital visits, he kept her at home until her very last day. After she passed on December 20, 2004, he was lost - profoundly lonely without his beautiful Evangelina. His broken heart finally stopped beating on March 29, 2006. Now I am the one who's profoundly lonely.

My brother and I began cleaning out our parents' home, dividing and dispersing the possessions they worked a lifetime to collect. Each drawer my brother and I opened revealed another fragment of their lives - our lives - that we know intimately, remember fondly, had forgotten about, or never even knew. It's an amazing journey. Drawers so orderly, items neatly folded or filed in short stacks. There were notes here and there in my father's handwriting - as if he knew he would have to guide my brother and me through all the sorting.

My mother died years before her body was buried, so I grieved in slow small ways, gradually. Although I scour the memory files in my mind, I can't conjure the last time I heard her say, "I love you, Lucie," even though she said it so often in my life.

My dad's death, however, still has me struggling. Responding to what I thought was a cold - pneumonia at worst - was in fact a massive heart attack, completely unexpected and very efficient; he died a few short hours after the ambulance took him to the hospital. My brother and I were there the whole time, holding his hands, stroking his forehead, watching in disbelief as this simple, humble, wonderful man with the strength of love of a dozen men, slipped from our midst.

I still miss my dad so much. Happy Father's Day, Dad.

Living on a "Fixed Income"

2009-06-13T17:57:00.006-04:00

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of hearing poverty advocates talk about people living on a "fixed income" - as if they are somehow different from everyone else.

How many people do you know with a FLEXIBLE INCOME? When gasoline shot through the roof and National Grid and New England Gas got their rate increases, my boss didn't raise my salary to make up the difference. Did yours?

I live on a fixed income, too! I work for a salary - no over-time, no bonuses, not even a raise or COLA because we're always on such a tight budget. My employer is bombarded by increased costs in every area, including health insurance premiums, some of which rightly had to be passed to me. Consequently, I technically make less now than I did 5 years ago. I'm not complaining, just stating facts. If you work for salary like I do, WE ALL LIVE ON FIXED INCOMES!

Another social services lie, brought to you by the moochers and looters who want to make what's yours theirs.

Gaspee Day June 10, 2009 (Part 2)

2009-06-11T07:11:00.002-04:00

Gaspee Day "Tea Party" in Providence on June 10, 2009 (Part 1)

2009-06-10T19:33:00.008-04:00

At the Rhode Island Statehouse today, about a thousand like-minded people gathered to renew our commitment to STOP the runaway tax and spend policies that enslave us, our children, and our grandchildren. We are sick of representative government that isn't.

This video is from the 630 WPRO AM Web site. I was the first interview that Nick did (sort of a test run for him), and show up last in the clip. ;) I took almost 200 photos at the event; I'll post a few in a separate entry.

Critical Collaborator

2009-06-06T21:06:00.004-04:00

My Watcher. MY Watcher. My WATCHER. I acknowledge her, embrace her, fear her.

My collaborator on everything from party invitations to short stories, she is a stern, pinched-faced mother, teacher, know-it-all. Physically, she is a figment of my memory, a tribute to ideal discipline from my early school years. After decades of training, she has raised procrastination, harsh criticism, and paralyzing editing to an art form. A perfectionist, her motto is, "If at first you don't succeed - and you won't - edit, and edit again."

Armed with her subversive philosophy, my Watcher imposes her very rigid pre-writing rituals. First, we must rummage through drawers for colored paper on which to write; yellow legal pads are her favorite. In an absolute pinch, white paper will do, but only if it is ruled (otherwise, how will she be able to cram her changes between, above, and below, unless the writing is in neat rows?)

Second, we hunt for a pen, but no mere ball point will do. She is partial to felt tip pens; the murderous slashes she makes while editing are bolder when inflicted with Flair.

Third, the mandatory cup of coffee must be drunk from our favorite tall, yellow pedestal mug. If it's not on the shelf, she insists I dig it out of the dishwasher, since it holds the most coffee and we will need all of that caffeine.

When I finally start collecting thoughts and mapping out the general direction of our writing, my Watcher starts inspecting her surroundings. In less time than it takes me to write my name, she finds everything in the room that is out of place. Lips pursed, she runs her eyes, like a white-gloved finger, along the top of the television, where the dust, snatched out of the air by static electricity, adheres in silent, ugly recrimination. "You really should do something about this room before you start writing. Besides, it could be therapeutic: clear the cluttered room and you clear the cluttered mind." But my mind wasn't cluttered until she started talking.

Sometimes, when she and I reach an especially paralyzing impasse in my writing, I could swear that if I look up, she'll be Sister Mary Anyname standing there, cloaked in black from head to impatiently tapping toe, arms folded across the white cardboard chestplate, clenching a long wooden pointer. She'll be frowning, I know, eyes narrowed to slits behind glasses, a lipless flat line where her mouth should be.

But she's no nun; those are MY clothes she's wearing. And that could be MY face, if it relaxed. She is older than I, though. She must be. That would account for her vast experience and superior wisdom.

But then why, if I am younger, is my hair graying while hers is unchanged? Why should her perfect, ageless face remain wrinkle-free, while mine shrivels under her scrutiny? Why must I be the only one in this twosome who bears the scars of our constant battle?

Her answer is appallingly simple. "I am perfect and unchanging because you need me to be. Otherwise, your imperfect writing could never improve."

She continues, "Your need empowers me to drive you to perfection, an unattainable but admirable goal. The unrelenting vigilance for which you curse me permits you rent-paying tenancy in the neighborhood of acceptable writing. From our most bitter struggles spring some of your best works."

I hate that she's always right.

Haze

2009-06-03T23:47:00.002-04:00

I just finished viewing a film called HAZE by Pete Schuermann. It was one of the fastest hour and 20 minutes in recent memory.

The film is about a young man, Lynn Gordon "Gordie" Bailey, a University freshman in Boulder, Colorado, who died of alcohol poisoning in September 2004, during the Chi Psi fraternity initiation week.

The powerful story is told by Gordie's friends, his parents, his sister, officials in higher education, medical experts, and through amazing footage of college students doing the most outrageous and dangerous things under the influence of alcohol.

I found out about the film through a call at the office today from a Dallas PR professional representing the film (Gordie's family lives in Dallas). He called to let me know it is being screened at Salve Regina University on Saturday at 4:45 PM, as part of the Newport Film Festival this weekend. According to Bill, Gordie's grandmother lives in Newport. Also according to Bill, Salve Regina has made watching this film mandatory for all incoming freshmen.

I understand that decision by the University. This gripping documentary packs a powerful punch. While it celebrates Gordie's short life, it also tells a bigger, more universal story that graphically reveals the epidemic of college binge drinking. It's a message that needs to reach parents of children preparing for the unbridled - and unprecedented - freedom of college life.

As parents, we routinely teach our children about the dangers of drinking and driving. Although terrible tragedies still happen - teenagers are convinced they are invincible (just like we all were at 18) - the public education campaign about the consequences of underage drinking and reckless driving has had some effect.

However, warning our high school and college-age kids about the likelihood of death caused by the alarming trend of consuming enormous amounts of alcohol in a short time span is just not on parents' radar screen.

Until you watch this film.

Rhode Island parents may want to consider attending the screening at Salve this weekend. Gordie's mother Leslie Lanahan and filmmaker Pete Schuermann will be there.

If you can't make it on Saturday, or if you live outside the Rhode Island area, then invest some time in your children's health and safety, and watch it on hulu.

I'd love to know what you think of the film.

environMENTAL?

2009-06-02T23:02:00.001-04:00

Conservative. "Tree-hugging hippie." Do they have to be mutually exclusive?

?? OR ??

I don't think it has to be an "either or" choice. In fact, either extreme - loony left or radical right - is unproductive. Both extremes are harmful because they lack balance and perspective.

So, I guess that makes me a hybrid.

I do drive one - a Toyota Prius (I love it!)

No paper OR plastic for me - I use reusable grocery totes. I switched as many light bulbs as I could in my home and office to compact fluorescents. I haven't had a cut Christmas tree for more than 10 years... and...

and I love Michael Savage, Jerry Doyle, Glenn Beck, and the hosts on my local "conservative" talk radio station, the No.1 station in my demo. (It's also where I listen to Coast to Coast AM.) *grin*

I consider myself rather conservative: I believe you should take care of yourself and be responsible for the consequences of your bad choices and not expect the government to bail out your stupid ass.

In fact, I think government has way too much control over what we can and cannot do - and it's getting worse by the day. Particularly when it comes to taking my money from me and deciding how to ~~squander~~ spend it. I'm not a fan of this new "redistribution" philosophy.

I work for the local PBS affiliate, generally considered a liberal organization. Public television is also a hybrid - seen by other media and the public as a TV station, but not just that; it's a non-profit organization, but it's not just that, either.

I may be conservative, but not a Republican. In my experience, lightly scratch a politician until a small piece of the veneer falls off and you'll find s/he is a

Republicrat or Democan:

Both seem hell-bent on destroying our beautiful country, differing only in how and how fast. The campaign leading up to the most recent Presidential election frustrated me because my hybrid candidate, Ron Paul, didn't get a fair shake in the "mainstream" media (I was disgusted and disappointed by their display, but not surprised).

I love and appreciate nature, and I try hard to be considerate in what I do and how I impact it.

I do not believe in the sham theory of man-made global warming, but in cyclical earth changes.

Humans produce pollution that defiles water, land, and air; no argument there. But to think humankind is solely responsible for and in control of environmental changes we're experiencing is just plain hubris. The sun, its flares, sunspots (or lack thereof) and solar storms have far more effect on the climate changes on our planet.

Gore's theory is just another form of brainwash to control you through taxation. HUGE taxation on energy is already far along the Washington gravy train careening us toward poverty. *cha-ching!*

BTW, can someone tell me please how BUYING carbon offset credits does anything more than line someone's pocket? What good does it really do for the environment? Isn't it just a license for someone to continue doing the same bad stuff? (Plus make some people very rich in the process?)

*sniff sniff* smells like SCAM to me!

As a matter of fact, just yesterday, June 2, the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) released an extensive report (880 pages) "challenging the scientific basis of concerns that global warming is either man-made or would have harmful effects."

* * * * *

A Little Inspiration

2009-06-01T22:47:00.004-04:00

A while back I ran across this quote:

"We are not born brave and heroic.
It is the result of a decision we make
to live lives based on noble principles
inspired by courage
and impelled by commitment."

Wow. I loved it. But who said it?

Mr. Rich Ruffalo, a Paralympic Gold Medallist and Winner of the 1995 U.S. Teacher of the Year Award. According to his Web site:

At age 32, Ruffalo lost his eyesight but never lost his "vision." At the Walt Disney Company McDonald's American Teacher Awards, Ruffalo was named both the Outstanding Coach of the Year and the Outstanding Teacher of the Year for 1995.

Here's the full quote: "We are not born brave and heroic. It is the result of a decision we make when we choose to live lives based on noble principles inspired by courage and impelled by commitment.

"The essence of our humanity
is the spirit that lies within ourselves.
It is a reservoir of tremendous potential.

"When you tap into this potential,
you can move mountains...

"And even if you can't do that,
you can still drill right through them."

Double WOW!

Tap into your Power, friends, and start movin' and drillin'! Hugs and best wishes to you all.

Some Fitting Advice

2009-05-31T15:00:00.022-04:00

Does this make me look fat?

Once upon a time, when someone asked you a question, you were expected to answer honestly. Now?

... My feet hurt from walking on all these eggshells...

Political correctness: a prevalent form of coercive speech modification to compensate for distorted hypersensitivity.

What, now I can't tell the truth?

Then why do you ask me? Because you want me to be an accomplice in your delusion?

What about sound judgment? What about rational thinking? Objective reality? TRUTH?

* * * * *

You: Does this make me look fat?
Me: Yes. Return it to the store and buy something that fits.

Simple, direct, and honest.

But in the millisecond it takes to envision the look of horror on your face if I really say that, I've already started rummaging through my mental card file of politically correct and sensitive alternatives.

Politically-Correct Me (completely avoiding a direct answer to your direct question):
"You know, I really like that loose black number you wore last week. You look great in it. Why don't you try that?"

That works. You waddle off and change your clothes.

Besides being dishonest, all this hedging and spin seems so… counterproductive. What good does it really do? You will continue to buy those slinky size 6s and stretch them over your size 14 body unless someone has the courage to suggest you start browsing a little farther up the boutique racks.

Yikes – look at teenage girls. I suppose I should be glad they have such a positive body self-image, especially considering eating disorders and anorexia. But don't they have a full-length mirror in the house? How about a real BFF with a brain and common sense to share?

Orange-peel jelly belly below a crop top. Saddlebags and thunder thighs crammed into skinny jeans.

Maybe what they have is a fun-house mirror - the kind that distorts the image to be something it isn't. Something it definitely isn't.

Even slender girls seem to have those mandatory "love handles" (don't get me started on THAT euphemism) hanging over the top of their pants. Why? What are they thinking? Oh. I guess they're not thinking.

Hellllllloooooooo, it's not called a 'muffin top' because it's yummy. It's overflow. Too much in too small a space.

Now, I have nothing against a size 14 body, don't get me wrong. In fact, one of the most beautiful women I've ever known was a shapely size 14. She just knew the secret: she wore clothes that FIT.

I think women of all sizes are so much more beautiful when they do. Who cares about the size number? I don't wear the size tags hanging out of my clothes, and I noticed you don't either.

So be real, be "fit," and be really beautiful. : )

The beautiful "Walking on Eggshells" image is used with permission from the artist (c)2009 bonniebythebay

Jay is Back! (yawn)

2009-05-30T15:47:00.008-04:00

Well, well, well. Jay Severin is coming back. I received this email today from "The Management" at Boston's 96.9 WTKK:

"On Tuesday June 2nd, at 3 p.m., Jay Severin will return to the weekday afternoon timeslot on Boston's Talk Evolution 96.9 FM-WTKK. Jay regrets the remarks for which he was suspended and understands that his comments were indeed wrong and hurtful to the Mexican and Mexican-American communities. Accordingly, we feel it is time to end Jay's suspension and welcome him back to WTKK. All of our hosts have strong opinions and talk radio is a format for open and spirited debate about the many issues we face in Boston, New England, our nation and our world. There will no doubt be times when you disagree with Jay - and our other hosts too - but our ultimate goal is to maintain a level of conversation that is entertaining, compelling, and thought-provoking, yet civil and respectful. While we will not always succeed in walking this line, we will continually strive to do so.

We hope you'll experience what Jay has to say this Tuesday and every weekday from 3 to 7 p.m."

I stopped listening to Jay Severin when his snide derogatory remarks about women outnumbered what was once bold political commentary. I am no feminist - I love having my femininity appreciated and being treated like a lady (provided I act like one, ha). I like a strong masculine man - not one who will compete with me for the eyeliner. But the kind of guy whose grungy comments reduce a woman to a pair of boobs on long lean gams is just as repulsive as the hyper-emotive doormat-with-a-dick.

Jay Severin is an entertainer. Most radio talk show hosts are - even my loved local and national favorites at 630 WPRO-AM. That's one reason audiences tune in - entertainment. However, for me, when genuine substance jumps into the back seat so antics and stunts can drive, I get out of the car altogether.

I lean conservative, shun political party affiliation, and can differentiate between speech that expresses dissent, and speech that's bigoted, sexist, racist, or prejudiced. I'm all for a feisty well-argued debate! But if I have to sift through too much grunge for the occasional gold nugget, I'm gone. (Which is why I don't watch commercial TV.)

Good luck back in Boston, Jay. But this one Best and Brightest won't be listening on Tuesday or any day.

A Mother's Axioms

2009-05-29T19:26:00.003-04:00

The marvel of life is that it is a journey of continuous opportunities for learning, many times from the most unlikely sources. I am amazed at the education I have received from my four children. Each is unique in his (three) and her (one) approach, but their lessons have not failed to elucidate. Often, the lessons seem to contradict my long-held beliefs. However, their wisdom is worth sharing. Here is a sampling of the new axioms:

If you leave the empty ice cube tray on the counter, it will refill itself.

The wallpaper looks much better when loose seams are torn away.

Painted woodwork makes an excellent drawing surface.

Toilets are not meant to be flushed unless the equivalent of a roll and a half of toilet tissue has been used.

Bedtime is a suggestion.

A drink of water tastes best when drunk out of a fresh glass each time.

A phone call for Mom implicitly permits family room gymnastics, raiding the refrigerator, climbing up onto shelves, turning up the television volume, arguing over toys, or any and every combination thereof.

Doors close best when slammed.

All chairs are rocking chairs.

Beds make the best trampolines.

Spills needn't be wiped up; they evaporate with time.

Chore time exists to renew fascination with neglected toys.

Blowing on the tops of furniture works as well as using a dust cloth.

The family room must be constantly maintained at a moderate level of mess to be considered comfortable.

For every toy that is put away, two must be taken out.

Clothes are more accessible if left on the floor.

Church services produce the irrepressible urge to poke at siblings sitting next to you.

Parental instructions must be conveyed at 80 decibels to be heard and followed.

Following hours of after-school silence, the day's routine activities must be discussed at bedtime.

The later the hour, the greater the desire for a bedtime story.

If at first you don't get permission, cry, cry again.

Announcing "Bedtime!" elicits hunger and thirst.

Always leave one square of toilet tissue on the roll. It's the considerate thing to do.

Mom's news programs on television signal it's time for kids to wrestle on the floor in front of the TV.

Light switches are made to be turned on. And left on.

A napkin is always within arms reach. It's called a sleeve.

Books without pictures beg for crayon illustration.

If it belongs to Mom, it's more fun to play with, use, hide, or wear.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR CHILDREN? : )

To Thine Own Self Be True

2009-05-25T22:27:00.004-04:00

What do Shakespeare's words mean?

To me, it's to stick to your principles, even if those around you have lost theirs, or don't have any, or - worse - try to convince you you're the one who's off-center.

This world is more and more topsy turvy every day - the line between right and wrong is not only blurred; in many places it's been completely erased.

Without a moral compass, do we really know what it means to be true to oneself? Without a properly formed conscience, can we trust our distinction between right and wrong?

Let's back up - Is there still objective right and wrong? No, not just what you or I feel like doing or not. I mean REALLY OBJECTIVE right and wrong - a high standard of behavior that includes controlling natural urges and impulses, and showing courtesy for others.

Burping, farting, picking the nose - all natural urges and impulses. But isn't it still wrong and impolite to freely indulge them in public?

What about the one talking on her damned cell phone every place she goes, without regard for those around her who couldn't care less about her chatter, and who in fact resent her selfish noise pollution and imposition on their privacy?

But why doesn't anyone speak up and put the cellphoneidiot in her place?

Give cellphoneidiot a look of disapproval and she'll likely confront you on it, instead of realize her voice is a little shrill, a little loud, and more than a little inappropriate for a room full of strangers.

***

There is a lie that's been perpetrated for years: the lie of "Tolerance." Speak out about something you know is objectively wrong and offensive, and be prepared to be called any number of ugly names because the politically correct police say you should be "Tolerant" - even if it means compromising your principles and playing the role of rug.

Just say no. Dissent is not intolerance, no matter how much the offenders tell you it is.

For "To Thine Own Self Be True" to have the full power it was intended to have, you first have to know what "true" is, and what it is not.

The Blue Screen Was The Final Hint

2009-05-23T00:25:00.001-04:00

I knew it! I just knew it! My work computer has been acting strangely for a few days and finally failed - with that dreaded BLUE SCREEN - on Tuesday. I suspected this...

At 05:01 UT (Universal Time), on Thursday, May 7th, 2009, Mercury the cosmic trickster turns retrograde at 1°44' Gemini, in the sign of the Twins, sending communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www into a general snarlup! The retro period begins some days before the actual turning point (as Mercury slows) and lasts for three weeks or so [emphasis added], until May 31, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac.
Everything finally straightens out on June 14, as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde... (source: Astrology on the Web)

Have you been having "communications" problems these past couple of weeks, too?

Children: Spun Sugar or Clay?

2009-05-22T21:52:00.004-04:00

The pervasive politically correct, bleeding heart, liberal mindset insists we treat our children like brittle spun sugar dolls that should be handled as little as possible. We don’t want to hurt their feeeeeelings. Don’t want to damage their self-esteeeeeem.

I say it’s our parental obligation to view our kids as beautiful globs of clay instead. Particularly in the first five years of life before we are obligated to turn them over to the liberal cesspool of the education system.

While our children are young, we parents need to grab ‘em with both hands and shape, smooth, tool, twist, blend, taper, and craft for all we (and they) are worth. That means loving and nurturing them by drawing clear lines between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Tempering privileges with discipline. Saying no, and following through. Saying yes, and following through.

Clothes, food, and a roof are not enough. Toys, TV, video games, and summer camps do not compensate. Get your hands dirty. Feel the clay goosh between your fingers.

Kids are open and curious. And they constantly test the limits. Not because they want to aggravate us, but because they need to understand what is OK and what’s not OK. They’re learning about the world – their world – and we parents must embrace our responsibility as their teachers. If we neglect that duty, our little sponges will absorb whatever liquid knowledge leaks their way. And we may not like the results. Too many clueless parents do not take charge of what goes in, and then despair over their child’s unruly and defiant behavior. Children may be individuals, but they need guidance to shape their values and behavior to function properly in society. That’s your job, Mom. That’s your duty, Dad.

Our consistency is among the most important gifts we can give our young children. And it doesn’t cost any money, just thought and time.

Nothing is more unsettling to a child than to be able to do something without reprisal today, and be berated for it tomorrow. Worse, get in the habit of doing something over a period of time, only to have Mom or Dad blow their top about it much later. It breeds confusion. Fear and uncertainty.

Strict parenting does not damage a child’s self-esteem; weak parenting does.

Consider this when your two-year-old bundle of self-centered "me-me-me" impulses does something that’s “so cute”: will it still be so cute when she does it as a four-year-old? No? Nip it in the bud when she’s two and you won’t have to deal with it when she’s four.

True self-esteem and self-confidence are not built by having every urge indulged. That pattern is just an artificial prop. Self-esteem and self-confidence are actually developed from having those urges trained properly. If the only things our children experience are impulse indulgence and praise for mediocrity because we are afraid to offend them, they will surely crack and crumble like spun sugar when life’s hammer falls.

(written May 5, 2007)

Just Who (or What) is ELEMARE?

2009-05-22T17:17:00.004-04:00

The name ELEMARE is a phonetic spelling of my monogram – L.M.R. So, now you have the correct pronunciation, too!

I’m a mother of four wonderful young adults – three boys and a girl – and was lucky enough to be a full-time at-home mom for 10 years. In that time, I also served terms as the president of the Quality Hill Neighborhood Association, the Preservation Society of Pawtucket, the St. Leo the Great Home & School Association, and served as a member of the Pawtucket Historic District Commission and the Pawtucket Zoning Board. I currently work in public relations and publicity – and often feel like I live under a rock now, compared the close, active connection I once had with my community.

Although I work at a TV station, television is not something I enjoy much; by choice, I don’t subscribe to cable – unfathomable to some, but true nonetheless! Unless it's PBS (which is free over the air and doesn't require paying cable's outrageous subscription prices), TV is mostly weak content to fill the space between commercials. There are a couple of exceptions, but not enough for the kind of destination viewing I used to do in the early days of Hill Street Blues and when that quirky Twin Peaks aired.

A Scorpio, I’m fascinated with astrology, mystery, and spirituality. Is it any surprise I'm a fan of Coast to Coast?

I’m passionate (at least opinionated) about everything – it’s love or hate with me. They really aren’t opposites, you know – they are both intense feelings. The true opposite of love is apathy. You won’t find much apathy here. : )

I love to write – I love the power of words – but often, free expression is stifled by the traditional constraints of all the business writing I do. Add a harsh internal editor, and it’s a recipe of dry ingredients – flour and salt.

Still, when you push a balloon down on one side, the other side pops up in defiance. So, this blog is that defiant pop up. Poetry or prose, rant or rave, I might inspire you; I might offend you. But I will be honest with you. I can’t cook any other way.

Here, I add the butter. You're invited to add seasoning. Let’s stir things up together. : )

The Purple Clamor - ELEMAREdesign

Losing the Constitution (March 15, 2008)

Break the Cycle: Trimming RI Government One Grant at a Time, Part I

On Unconditional Love, Part III: Selfishness

On Unconditional Love, Part II: God

On Unconditional Love, Part I

Cicilline: Caught by Time-Lapse Photography

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 to be released on April 15, 2011

Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP) Auction

Brendan Doherty - The First Day Remembered

Breaking News = Breaking Hearts

Proper Preposition

Voice-Overs

American Foursquare Remodel 16 - Parlor Updated Pics

American Foursquare Remodel 15 - Spare Bedroom to a Sitting Room

American Foursquare Remodel 14 - Parlor

American Foursquare Remodel 13 - Main Bath Update

American Foursquare Remodel 12 - The Den

American Foursquare Remodel 11 - Main Bath

American Foursquare Remodel 10 - Kitchen Wallpaper

American Foursquare Remodel 9 - Wood Trim

American Foursquare Remodel 8 - Discoveries

American Foursquare Remodel 7 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 4 - Final Chapter

American Foursquare Remodel 6 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 3

American Foursquare Remodel 5 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 2

American Foursquare Remodel 4 - Dining Room Ceiling, Part 1

American Foursquare Remodel 3 - Kitchen Floor

American Foursquare Remodel 2 - Den Floor

Diary of an American Foursquare Remodel 1

Tale of a Monarch

Pawtucket School Committee Disgrace

Independence Day

Every country has a July 4th. But only in the U.S. does that date mean Independence Day.

Thank you, soldiers, from colonial days until today. Thanks to them, I will celebrate tomorrow with my beloved friends.

Between the frankfurters and the fireworks, may you take a moment to thank them, too.

Let freedom ring and may liberty always win!

Happy Father's Day, Dad

Living on a "Fixed Income"

Gaspee Day June 10, 2009 (Part 2)

Gaspee Day "Tea Party" in Providence on June 10, 2009 (Part 1)

Critical Collaborator

Haze

environMENTAL?

A Little Inspiration

Some Fitting Advice

Jay is Back! (*yawn*)

A Mother's Axioms

To Thine Own Self Be True

The Blue Screen Was The Final Hint

Children: Spun Sugar or Clay?

Just Who (or What) is ELEMARE?

Jay is Back! (yawn)