Daily Musings - page 18

That's quite a story, and a shining example of our American beaurocracy art work. It never fails to amaze me just how 'pass the buck' the majority of the 'big-wigs' can be.

I will keep you on my list of people to pray for, and thanks so much for sharing your story. If you can get in touch with one of the TV stations ... with your lawyer's permission, of course ... it might help.

Well, I will do whatever the lawyer advises. It is now almost 24 hours after I received the news, and I am feeling much calmer. This is just another hurdle to jump - and lots of people would love to have my problems - my problems are relatively easy to deal with; I am not living in a war zone or watching my children starve to death. So, I will keep things in perspective. I must admit Churchill got it right - you can always trust the American government to do the right thing - eventually :-)
This has certainly been our experience since we arrived - one hurdle after another - but eventually things get sorted out.

And I must admit the recent MacLean's magazine (Canada's version of Time) reveals that things are not much better for people trying to immigrate into Canada.

I REALLY appreciate your support, everyone. Thank-you so very much.

Michaela, I really hope this works out for you. It would be so terribly unfair to let you make a life here and then send you away. The lawyer should know exactly how to handle the situation, though. As you said, that's what they are paid to do.

my 'bug shot' this week is a lovely ladybug munching on those nasty aphids that are sucking on my roses

Seandor - thought about your situation and came up with an idea. Yes do what the lawyer say's. Throw this toward your lawyer.

Contact Bill O'Reilly he has his own website and also is on the Fox New Channel. It just seems like what this man takes on he gets the problem to the right person. ex. Vermont judges have let rapist's get off the sentence very very leinant. ex. Man rapes girl and gets 8 weeks in jail because of the judge's decision.

The stories hits Fox News and Vermont judges take on a different attitude. OReilly hits the right government people. He will have some on the show with their lawyers.

Here is the links.

http://www.billoreilly.com/

http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/index.html

You will have to find your way around a bit. Good luck.

Seandor, I don't mean to be negative but, I do not have the faith you have in our beaurocracy, nor do I have faith that people will always do what they are paid to do. You need to stay very involved and reach out to anything that can assist you. Again best of luck.

Michaela, I should clarify what was confusing in my suggestion about "state" senators and congresspersons from my last suggestion. What I meant was the senators and congresspersons from your state - not those in state government....sorry for that lack of clarity! Good luck! Glad you are feeling some calm.........stay close to the garden....lots of therapeutic calm there!!!

Most importantly, what is your lawyer saying about your prospects???

Changing subjects, I have noticed that many of my favorite fragrant plants are not nearly as fragrant this year. Specifically Clethra and Hostas, both of which usually fill the air with their scent. I have to go right up to them to smell them. Anyone else having this problem? Did not have it with the Lilies.

My Sweet Autumn Clematis is not smelling fragrant at all to me. The Stargazers blew me away. I haven't gone to smell my scented Hostas yet.

The pinks seemed fine in the early season, but we have had so much rain here, I think that may have affected things in a huge way. Most of our blooms seem to be struggling to even bloom at times.

Well, the first lawyer says it is not hopeless but will require a lot of work and has passed me on to her partner . . . not sure if this is a good sign . . . lol

Lilies were amazingly fragrant as are some of my phlox - but not others. go figure.

Just been assigned my sixth course to teach this term . . . and I thought 4 per term was bad. One of the sociologists is on sabatical and they cannot find enough adjuncts to teach the intro courses. Oh well, I can probably use the money to pay the lawyers :-)

Now, that's Positive Thinking!

Hey . . . I try!

SIX? OMG!

Yeah - I expect I will be a bit fried by xmas. . . :-) babbling like an idiot.

That's OK. We'll take good care of you ... we'll send lots of warm sheets to wrap you up tight and make the world go away!

Excellent! Right now I am supposed to be preparing the research methods course . . . sigh - I better get back to work. Classes start next week.

Amazing how life just seems to give you a full plate when you need to take your mind off of something stressful.

Yeah - well, they say work is therapeutic - the gods must figure I am really going to need the extra work lol

We have a thread for the babbling.

Candyce, you mean those white sheets with the long arms and buckles on the end? That's what I'd be wearing after six courses.

Yeah, I suspect that is what Candyce means lol

Got an idea - don't give tests! That will save a whole lot of time and you will be the most popular instructor ever! Are you on Rate My Professor?

Six is a lot. For students or teachers. First Freshman semester in Engineering was six classes. Luckily I had credit for the English courses from the AP test.

Yeah - at least I was a few years ago - probably have all sorts of hateful comments by now. Most of the postive ones were probably written by me from different computers :-)

Yeah, those 'jackets', too. But around here, the psych ward also uses nicely warmed flannel sheets to cocoon the poor dear. In my opinion, I'll take a few of those over the jacket with the buckles.

Oooooooo - never thought of that!

Well six is nuts for students. I have 3 intro classes, a social deviance class (maybe we will study the NE forum), an urban sociology class, and the research methods class. - So just 4 preps - but lots of research papers to grade.

Don't know too many deviants who are very social.

You know me!

Candyce - sounds like you frequent the psych ward more often than I would have guessed. LOL

Naw ... I just 'know' people!

Ah - but deviance means something special in sociology. A deviant is anyone who varies from the norm - or who engages in behaviour that would be condemed (at some level) by an audience. So we discuss physical deviance - but it is not a negative judgement on the physically challenged. We discuss cognitive deviance (where apparently many DGers fit in) this is holding ideas that are unusual - could be followers of cults, or beliefs in UFO, astrologer, religious extremism, etc., we discuss sexual deviance (like working in porn films), but my favourite part of the course is the last three weeks when we discuss white collar deviance and deviance of the state.

Let me guess which part the guys like most.

Yeah - but guess which part the students find the most shocking . . .

The professor??

Deviance of the State.

Well, I think they are a little shocked by me, because I am very casual and joke around a lot in class. But many of them are STUNNED by the discussions under deviance of the State. Think of the Iran-Contra affair. Hardly any student has even heard of it - or the Savings and Loans crisis. I don't delve too much into current events - these are very touchy issues, but most of them can make the obvious links.

I find it hard to believe they're shocked by that given their low opinion of the political process, not to mention their lower participation.

I really encourage them to get involved. I never steer them towards any particular party, but I do tell them that unless good people remain involved, politics will be left to the rascals.