The last 2 weeks have been crazy busy and I am still in recovery mode.

It took a few days to prep for four days of classes up at Bead Fest Santa Fe. And one of my nearest and dearest, Gail Crosman Moore, came to stay at my house while she taught there as well.

The classes went very well indeed and I could not have been more pleased at the accomplishments of all of the students, everyone made some beautiful things. I get a great deal of satisfaction in teaching and seeing each person do things that they could not do at the start of the day. To me, there is not much that is more exciting.

I had one or two disappointments during the weekend, each professional as well as personal. My biggest disappointment came when I discovered that I had a full tool set-up removed from my classroom after I had closed up my room for the day and locked all of the doors as I left.

For any of you that know how I teach, I provide ten full tool set-ups for students to use. I max my classes at 20 so the ratio of tools to students is really very good and each set-up has cost me about $485.00. Times that by 10 complete set-ups and you can all see that I have invested a great deal in making sure that the students that take classes from me have an excellent experience. This hit is a big one and more than anything else it just saddens me deeply.

I had a great time hanging with my friend Gail and getting to spend time just with her before and after the craziness of teaching.

Now don't think that even through all of the busy times that I have not had the chance to keep up with all of the craziness that is happening in the world around me. Man has it been a fascinating week or so…

The GOP still is acting like a bunch of self important self absorbed, self aggrandizing jack-asses. It is truly amazing to watch as their dialog is solely centered on annihilating anything that is not a mirror image of themselves. I find it depressing that the only thing that matters is this touted ideal of smaller government that actually has nothing to do with smaller government and everything to do with them prescribing my morals. What ever happened to "The Land Of The Free?" I guess it is just freedom for them and not for anyone that does not agree with them.

We are all Trayvon Martin

What I cannot accept or even come close to understanding is the senseless death of Trayvon Martin. I have listened in stunned amazement to the details of what Mr. George Zimmerman did leading up to his gunning down this young man for no justifiable cause. All Trayvon needed was 2 minutes to get home to safety. Is was a mere 70 yards that stood between him, the door to his house and his continued existence.

Let's break down 2 minutes out of one day… there are 60 seconds in one minute and 60 minutes in one hour and 24 hours in one day, this breaks down into 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds in one day. All this young man needed was 2 minutes out of 1,440 minutes or 120 of those 86,400 seconds. 

All Mr. Zimmerman had to do was heed what the 911 operators requested and not follow him.
All Mr. Zimmerman had to do was show a modicum of restraint and not pull out a gun and pick a fight.
All Mr. Zimmerman had to do was be a responsible citizen and not act like a Neanderthal.

I was hopeful that after the shootings last year in Tucson, after so many lost their lives, that we might actually be able to have a dialog in this nation about real gun control. But if you have followed the laws that have been passed it is just letting things get worse.

There are now places in our nation that let people carry concealed weapons onto the grounds of elementary schools and pre-schools. There are now laws that let faculty and students carry concealed weapons onto college campuses. The Bills keep being passed, the Governors keep signing them into Law and it just goes on and keeps getting more extreme. When is enough going to be enough. When are we going to stop allowing a lobbying group decide what is good for our nation and let the people say what is logical.

This really does come down to the NRA having too much clout. I do not see the need for extended clips or semi-automatic handguns or the need for hand guns that can fire the 30 plus bullets from that extended clip in a matter of seconds. No "hunter" needs that… I grew up with and around hunting.. no true hunter I knew growing up or know now, needs or uses that type of firearm to "hunt" with. That firearm is only used to hunt one thing…. another human being.

Thursday March 8th ~ 2012

International Women's Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year.[1] In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. (click on the link above to read more!)

  I started reading about IWD when I opened up Google for a search this morning and was greeted by a very fun GOOGLE image. I love it when they do fun stuff like this. I was barely aware that this "day" existed and as I read on I was amazed with evolution of this day and how it has taken on so many forms of expression, from political statements of suffrage to other nations version of Valentine's Day.

I feel that this year the day has taken on a deeper mean of many of us. This has been a year of taking away a woman's rights of choice and access to essential medical needs. Time and time again, the GOP led state governments (all led by males, I might add) have taken it upon themselves to tell women how best to take care of their own medical needs.

Everything came to a boiling point for many, two weeks ago, with the Transvagonal Ultra Sound Bill in Virginia. The passage of this Bill would, in essence, forcibly rape a women with a medical device, require her to undergo a procedure that is not medically necessary in order to procure a medical procedure that has been guaranteed to every women since 1973 with the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Furthermore, the passage of this BIll would also place every Medical Professional in an absolutely untenable position regarding the Doctor/Patient relationship.

Then to my absolute amazement, well, not really, Mr. Limbuagh opened up his Pie Hole, inserted his foot and did not stop chewing off his foot for the next thee days. His tirade stemmed from the testimony of Sandra Fluke, a graduate student, whose testimony regarding the importance of keeping contraceptive drugs available and affordable for women seemed to anger Mr. Limbaugh.



His characterization of Ms. Fluck was, in no uncertain terms, reprehensible. He called her a "slut" and a "prostitute". And In return for the taxpayers giving her this "free" access to  this contraception Mr. Limbaugh demanded that she post her sexual encounters on You Tube for all of us to be able to watch.

Sandra Fluke, not once brought up the need for sexual contraception, her testimony talked about how these drugs were necessary for a female friends medical condition and how the lack of this medication causes great harm to her friend. That was the extent of her testimony and nothing more.

The ensuing firestorm has not let down during the past week. Mr. Limbaugh has seen over 40 of his sponsors leave, he has had 2 stations drop his show and there is loud outcry for the Armed Services Radio Network to drop him as well. Needless to say, Fox News has called foul and even a conspiracy. Amazing!

But I feel that the most important part of this narrative that has received little to no attention is the fact that the "men" who are running for the GOP nomination have not had the backbone to stand up and disavow Mr. Limbaugh's 3 day tirade. This was that moment that could have shown each of these men as caring fathers, as men who would stand up for women and show that women are an integral part of the fabric of our society, not a disposable after thought.

Mr Romney was quoted: "I would not have put it in those terms."

Excuse Me? Does that mean you AGREE?
That is what your comment sounds like to me...

Mr Santorum was quoted: "What he said was absurd."

That is all you can say? Really?
You are supposed to be a man of God and that is the best you can come up with?
How about bearing false witness…
Come on Mr. Theologian and Chief Wanna Be!

Each of these men are fathers, each of them have daughters, each of them have families and yet, each can tolerate that kind of hate speech against women?

John McCain had his moment and he proved the kind of moral and decent man he was when he stood up to that idiotic woman who said that Barak Obama was an Arab. Mr. McCain showed us all how to behave and none of you could muster the spine.

Mr. Romney, Mr Santorum, How are either of you supposed to lead the country, when you can't even join the voices of outrage. You disappoint me more than you could ever know. I applauded President Obama's phone call to Ms. Fluke and I applauded Mr. McCain when he stood up as a decent man and I despise each of you more than you could possible know.