THOUGHTS AT THREE A.M.

MAKE WAY FOR PHOENIX!!

There is a new blogger in the line-up of my people list headed "PEOPLE WHO THINK!" If you're a reader of STEEL (and why aren't you?) then you already know her! She's that ready wit that adds fresh insight to any conversation,Phoenix!

Check her out!

She's only posted her second blog,and has already hit the ground running!

OUI?

HOW LATE NIGHT T.V. IS LIKE GOING TO CHURCH!

Oh,I'm going to get razzed for this one, but then,stranger things have occurred to me at 3 a.m.! So, here goes.I know I have made it abundantly clear that I have church three times a week,and I watch late night talk shows. Namely, Jay Leno, for his wit, Headlines,and Jay walking: and Craig Ferguson for his honest wit, and things like, "Welcome back, my naughty little donkeys!" and the sound of a whip cracking!

At first glance, you would think that late night talk shows and church have nothing in common. But if you pick it apart, you will find there is more alike than you thought.

The warm up, while you are coming into church and getting settled, is music that brings you into the presence of the Lord. It puts you into the mood to receive his word.

The warm up for the late night talk show is done off camera, before they are on the air, but the purpose is the same. They tell those gathered there what is expected of them when the cameras are rolling ,and though the majority of the words that will be spread are foolishness,there is that kernel of truth,but with a spin of fun in it; but sometimes the spin is the truth, and can be deadly serious.

Then, the main speaker comes out. All eyes are on him, and he holds the audience in rapt attention. He speaks of daily life,and uses examples of current affairs that help you to understand more fully what is really happening. Sometimes you laugh, and sometimes you are saddened by what is said,but usually by the time he is finished, your spirits are lifted.

Then, the talk show takes a commercial break, and the church takes the tithes and offerings. You go to the kitchen for a snack,and the church has the communion, or the Lord's supper.

Then the show or the service resumes, and the talk show has their guests to come out and talk. Those who are promoting their new movie have clips, and talk about exciting things that happened on the set.

The church has those who wish to come up and testify, of healing, deliverance, or a miracle of salvation. Visiting missionaries come and talk about the places they have been,and sometimes they have films or clips from far away places,and pictures of churches they have helped to build,and even bring people with them who were pagans when they arrived,and got saved and are now preachers or missionaries themselves.

And finally, both end the experience with the "Special Song".

However, the difference here is, the song is the closing of the show, but in church, the song draws those who need prayer to the altar.

Anyone drawn to the singer when the talk show is ended usually just gets an autograph, if they are lucky,and that is the end of it. I might recall a joke, or a line that was funny, but for the most part, it was just time filled, until the next show.

But when you are drawn to the altar,and you kneel in prayer,and you are sincere, you make a connection. There is a timelessness about that touch from God, that nothing can duplicate. No matter what you have to say to the Lord,he is there, and he is listening,and if you are open to him,you can't help but get up with a feeling of peace and serenity,and an innate sense that everything is going to work out alright.

And so, although the formats seem to be quite similar, I guess that is the real difference. I am fond of Jay and Craig. They both seem like decent men, and for the most part, I enjoy hearing what they have to say,but when they are done, I don't feel as though I have learned anything.

But I Love God, and Love hearing a spirit-filled preacher saying,"If you have your bibles,open with me please to...;  and he opens up the word of God,and makes the time you are studying come alive! These were real people,and God interacted with them,and it was all written down so that we would be able to understand that what was done with them were to be used as examples for us to bring us knowledge, thus helping us to make good choices in our daily lives. Time spent in a church like that helps you to come away with a feeling that you have learned something to make your life happier,and that is never a waste of time.

Most of us may never go before the Judge that jailed Paris Hilton...twice.

But all of us will go before THE JUDGE,and have to make account for our lives,and how we spent the gift of life that he gave us. I for one am glad that I understand that he is the same, yesterday, today,and forever,and if I repent of my sins,and ask forgiveness, he is faithful and just to forgive. To some, eternity is the unknown,and I don't blame them for being frightened of death. That's why I want to learn all I can about the Lord,and what to expect, because knowledge is power.

And from all I have learned, heaven is a beautiful place.

OUI?

FOR YOU ! A $4000.00 CHECK FROM CITI`FINANCIAL!!

How would you like to get a check in the mail, and cash it, today! Hundreds,maybe thousands of people just like you and me are getting them, and you could too! Of course, there is one catch to your having received one of these checks. It's not a check at all, but a sales marketing campaign to bring in new loan applications. But they make it sound oh so wonderful, "It's your opportunity for a fresh start" and,"could solve all your problems" What they fail to mention is that this could be a way of getting even further into debt than you ever dreamed possible,and if you are already low or fixed income, but struggling to keep your credit card payments current,this check could ruin you for years to come.

This is the kind of thing that makes me angry, because they don't care about you, even though they give you that impression. All they care about is to get another person to sign on the dotted line, and bring in more money.

Now, I wouldn't fall for this ploy, because everything that comes into my house is viewed with a jaundiced eye, and scrutinized carefully for any possibility that it might be a scam. But what about persons who don't ? What about someone who gets this "check" in the mail and takes it at face value,and runs off to the local office, to take them up on their offer?

Well, I'm here to tell you to read those fake checks, and all other such "Offers" word for word,and then, read it again. And, if you didn't ask for a loan, be very, very suspicious.

Watch out! Not everybody is going to tell you the truth,and not everybody is your friend!

OUI?

A THANKS TO THOSE WHO COMMENT!!

Just a blurb to all you dear folks who have left comments! I just spent two hours writing a thoughtful, appreciative letter in response to a wonderful comment on a song that I have transcribed the Lyrics to. It is rare to get such a comment, because most don't take the time to tell me how much it meant to them to find the words to a song they loved, or that touched them, or gave them chills,or even made them cry.

It put a golden moment in the midst of an otherwise difficult day.But, that's the way love is, isn't it?  I give to you..you give to me,and I am inspired to give yet again.

And then, when I tried to save the entire piece,the system messed up,took me outside the forum,and lost the whole thing.

As I said, it has been a difficult day,so the one comment didn't change anything/ but it did make it easier to take!

So now, I am not going to spend another two hours trying to retrieve all that I had to say,so let me sum it up with just one fine point.

Your comments are precious. Every last one of them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

OUI?

DO YOU HAVE THE DISIPLINE IT TAKES TO BE A DIABETIC?

A while back I was talking to Mogwi, and she said something that struck me so funny I just laughed and laughed. It was after I had been diagnosed with diabetes,and we were talking about diets. She had been curious what all my food program entails, and since I also have high blood pressure, I have certain foods I must avoid,beyond sugar and carbs, such as salty snacks. It had become second nature to me to run down the litany of things, so I said, no sugar,carbs,salt, caffeine or alcohol.She made a funny sound, like a gasp,and I said, what's wrong? I thought she had fallen or something. She said," Don't tell me you eat like that all the time!" Well, I said of course...except for the occasional times when I have a low blood sugar event, when I can have candy to bring my blood sugar up, it is necessary to stay on a strict food program. I can't call it a diet, because that denotes that at some time or other you can dispense with the limitations and eat anything you want. Mogwi was very quiet for a moment and then said, "My doctor wants me to be tested for diabetes, but I already told her I can't be diabetic, I don't have the discipline it takes!" Her implication was that that it was easy for me, since I have been doing it since 1994! Well, I couldn't help it! I guffawed in her ear to the point that she almost became insulted. Well, long story short..(too late!) a few months later I got a frantic phone call from Mogwi, she had just found out she was diabetic,and she felt herself in trouble, because there was no way she was going to be able to live like me! For all of her adult life she has eaten whatever she wanted,and just knew she wasn't going to be able to resist cakes, pies,cookies,ice cream and regular pop,among other things. I felt really sorry for her,and tried to calm her down, pointing out that once she replaced those sugary things with fresh fruits and a variety of fresh vegetables,and got used to portion control of meats and whole grain breads and cereals, she will feel better,and won't hardly miss the junk at all. Well, I almost had an argument on my hands. She wouldn't listen to me, but kept wailing and boo-hooing. Convinced she couldn't do it, she has struggled with the problem from that day to this. She has gone through a terrible time, with her legs, feet and ankles swelling and retaining water to the point that they continued to puff up like toads and  began to get so large they would rip open and weep water through the skin. She would disappear for days at a time, and then finally I would find out she had been taken to the hospital,pumped full of water pills, the proper food and medication, and then returned home, only to go through the same thing again.

Well, I feel awful for having laughed, but at the time, what she said was funny. Only thing is, I didn't realize she was making a self-fulfilling prophesy. When she heard the diagnosis, she had no intention of putting forth any effort to maintain a proper food program, even though I was willing to help her any way I could.

Just yesterday I got a call from Jenny, and was not surprised when she too was diagnosed diabetic.  She called me, since she knew I was following my doctor's orders,and wanted help getting started. She already knew of the possible complications of not paying attention to her diet,and I was very encouraged that she already knew that portion control was key,such as a serving of meat was about the size of a deck of cards,and that a regular serving of pop has 9 tablespoons of sugar in it!

Like the man said, "They can be taught!"

OUI?

"DO YOU SPEND YOUR LIFE SETTING YOUR WORLD TO RIGHTS?"

Order and correctness. Where am I? Who am I? I do it from the moment my day begins.From the time I open my eyes and begin to look around, I am in constant pursuit of of them. The way my bed is spread,and my pillows are stacked. The articles on my bedside table, and the way they are arranged. Have they been moved? Is something missing? I glance quickly from area to area, often with a mental musical exclamation of sudden rapid movement, and then once I am reassured all is as it should be, I move right along to the next area. Often I awake with a cough, or a general need to be up and out of the bed, heading for the bathroom,and yet still along the way I find myself doing my mental inventory.

As paranoid as this all may sound, I don't believe it is anything outside of the normal behavior of someone whose been put through a lifelong position of responsibility and  a total need to fulfill everything placed on their shoulders. You can't know what it feels like to have a young, strong, healthy, curious child in the house with you, who wants to be up and doing at the crack of dawn, and you are a person who rarely rises before noon....and there is no one else in the house to look out for things. One learns to grow up and change lifetime actions quickly.

So soon changes become signs and signals. A thing out of place is a tip-off of a possible impending disastar. A piece of food on the floor, may just be careless housekeeping...or it could mean that something else is being done behind your back. And the search goes on. Am I at home, or still in the hospital?

Well, so far it looks as though I am finally at home, but I have to pry my eyes open, and unglue my breathing...and sooner or later I will discover if the sounds  I hear are from the window, or the television. Eventually someone will come in response to my call for help, and I will be able to have a breathing treatment,and a drink of water, and answers to all my questions....and about the time I am able to choke down a sip of coffee, I will be reassured that I am home!!

"WKRP" REUNION ON THE TODAY SHOW TO ANNOUNCE IT'S RETURN!!

Loni Anderson, Howard Hessman,Tim Reid...Okay, let's start again. It was great to see Jennifer, Venus Flytrap,&Dr.Johnny Fever again,and it's wonderful that those shows can be seen again,  Now, or very soon, out on DVD-But I did miss  seeing  Bailey Quarters, Less Nessman,  " the big guy", Andy, and even good old Herb Tarlick,who was so infatuated with Jennifer, along with fifty million other men across America. And after hearing them talk today, I know I'm not the only one who wants to hear the Big guy say again."I swear to God, I thought turkeys could fly!" Or hear Less Nessman say" The Godless tornado's" emergency speech, or talk about his "Walls!"

Well, I'm certainly going to invest in a copy of anything available of the shows of "WKRP in Cincinnati" whenever I can, whatever is included, I know it's going to be great!

OUI?

CRAIG FERGUSON! COMIC WITH A CONSCIENCE!

I love him! I love Craig Ferguson for his opening monologue on Monday, February 19th! He has been in there slinging jibes at Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears right along with all the other comics on late night television, and then,he had an Epiphany! He came face to face with a celebrity and their spouse whom he had made some jokes about,and even though the person tried to be polite, Craig could tell that that person was just very angry with him. Well, you can tell when someone looks daggers at you whether or not they like you! And it made him stop and think. Anna Nicole Smith. The pundits and the tabloids are just having a field day, and she is dead. Really Dead! And the whole thing is just a terrible sad tragic situation, but the comics don't seem to care. These are real people, with feelings, going through God knows what;and is it really necessary to carry on this way at another persons expense? And then Craig revealed his own personal meltdown,and went on to say that these 28 day rehab places are not all as good as some others. Craig has been sober for 15 years, after being helped through his problem, and then was sent on to a lifetime of vigilance. That's what the good rehab places say. This is a chronic condition that you will have to deal with for the rest of your life! And the bad ones will say, you're good, off you go!The Reverend Ted, for example, when he gets out of the rehab,and is now cured of his "gayness"! This is clearly an unscrupulous bunch of people running that rehab!

The Point, he said, is that I have been sober for 15 years. There is no way I have a drinking problem. I could easily have a drinking problem again, but right now, I don't have a drinking problem. I have a thinking problem...and I'm not advocating abstinence,he said, this is for me. And he said, certain types of people can't drink, and  I'm one of them: and it looks to me that Britney has a similar problem going, with alcohol. She's a woman  with two kids, she's 25 years old, and she's a baby herself. She's a baby! You know- and the thing is, you can embarrass somebody to death!( Look at Anna Nicole) It's embarrassing to admit you're an alcoholic. It's embarrassing! Now, I'm not absolving this woman of her behavior, I'm not, you have to be responsible for your actions, sick or well! All of us are accountable. If you have a chronic condition, say, kidney disease,you're responsible to get yourself to dialysis. It's your responsibility  to deal with your condition in whatever way you can. Now, everywhere I have ever been, everybody knows an alcoholic. Whether you work for them, or they work for you, or there's a parent, or a sibling or a child...everybody who doesn't have the problem themselves, knows someone who does...a friend, or God forbid some of you are married to one, you know what it's like! Now, I have found that you can't beat it with money! If you could, rich people wouldn't die! You can't! I have found this, and this is only for me, but I have found this. Find other people who have had similar experiences, and talk to them. It doesn't cost a thing! Not a thing! And it's very easy to find---It's very near the front of the telephone book. Good Luck!

Standing Ovation, Craig!!!

Now, he's a really good comic,and very expressive, so there were moments of laughter throughout this monologue, but by and large, the audience was captivated by his serious talk, and felt the intensity of his compassion for the subjects to whom he spoke,and when he was through,for an instant they were silent,and then broke into wild applause! I was so impressed at his brave stand,I like him better than I did before!

Thank you Craig, and God bless you.It's about time one of you late night funny men said something Kind and compassionate about the celebrities with problems, instead of just kicking them when they're down!

OUI?

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AFFAIRS ARE RAMPANT! WHOSE RESPONSIBLE?

I just heard about another case again today, in Illinois! A teacher having sexual relations with a 17 year old student! What is happening here? Why is this going on? I would think that by now, there would have been some investigating going on as to the teacher's education and background! Where does the overall fault lie? Is it with the collages that train these prospective teachers? Do they just kind of gloss over the part about being  the adult in the situation? Have standards of the schools fallen so low that there is no longer a morals clause in the contract the new teachers sign, or has that too been thrown out along with God and the Bible? Or have the employment forms now failed to mention that it is against the rules for teachers to sleep with the students? And while we're on the subject, why haven't ABC, CBS, or NBC made an in-depth study of these teachers and their backgrounds and schooling? Maybe there is a connection between these women, and their collages where they got their teaching certificates!

Now, I know that teenaged boys can get very hung-up on a pretty teacher, and there are any number of ways for them to finangle ways to spend time with them alone. They can feign ignorance, and plead for more personal attention;and a soft hearted lady can find herself in the clutches of an amorous,hot-blooded youth before she even realizes his intentions. But somewhere between "can you help me?" and the point where he breathes "Let's do it, honey!" There has got to come a time where she can straight arm him and become aware that all is not kosher! No matter how charming he may be, certainly she has to come to the understanding that he has more than Algebra and Literature in mind,before they are steaming up the car windows, or buttons and zippers are involved!

Have these students parents done nothing to educate their children about the birds and bees? Did the teachers skip too many classes of their own in collage,and are therefore incapable of discerning the proper behavior with children? Do they themselves not understand what the word NO means?

Personally, I think it's time to bring the prudish school marm back! You know, the  kind that wears the tweed skirts, the shapeless blouses, and orthopedic oxfords, without a stitch of make-up and wearing coke-bottle glasses,the thin hatchet face,and the hair done up in a bun! Or, just old, fat and smelly,but still sharp as a tack!Or at the very least, School boards should now arm every young attractive teacher with a list of those sorts of "tutors" for their students who plead for extra help! You may find my suggestions  strange, because after all, everyone knows that students learn better when they have the slightest bit of a crush on their teacher,and yet, is it really the best environment for a school to have teachers ankling around, Pregnant by the pupils?

I think not!

OUI?

WHY WE DON'T LIKE WHAT WE SEE IN THE MIRROR!

When we are little, the mirror image is fascinating. But then after we realize that is actually our own faces, we begin to compare it to those around us. It doesn't take us long to start to find flaws, either in ourselves, or in others. Standards of beauty develop. Usually, what we see in others becomes more desirable than what we have. I have always had pin straight hair...I guess it just goes with the German and the Swedish in me. Although if I grow it long enough, it does have a nice wave to it.From little on, my mother, grandmother ,and sister have tried to get my hair to take a long lasting curl, and it just doesn't happen. Any time a big event was coming up, the night before was the same story. Shampooing, and curling my hair. If they used the curling iron, it would be beautiful when I went to bed,and be sweat out in the morning. If they tried putting rollers in my hair, any kind, even the soft pink foam ones, when I woke up the next morning, the rollers would be all around  me in the bed, and my hair would be hanging, weepily with just the barest hint of a curl. That set me up for a lifetime of trying to get that curly hair,and for the most part, failing miserably.

So yesterday, a pal,(She of the naturally curly hair variety) let me know that she had gone and had her hair straightened!I was appalled! Why would anyone pay good money (I hear the process is very expensive) to have straight hair?And then, it dawned on me. She must have thought many times, why would people go and pay good money to get their hair permed? I've tried it a few times, but was never really impressed with the results, because then no matter how it turns out, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with it until it grows out enough to be able to cut it off. Myself, personally, I like to leave my hair fairly long, and unprocessed,because even if it is a long drawn out ordeal to curl it, at least when I am done, if I don't like it, I can change it...(or just wait a day or two and it will change all by itself!) Also, it is more versatile this way. I have clips and scrunchies so I can get it up off my neck, or clear up on top of my head, or just brush it out and leave it hang.

Besides which, I have come to the conclusion that it is in the perverse nature of man to be discontented with what he has, and forever desiring of what he has not. People with curly hair want straight hair, and those of us with straight hair, want it curly. That is the whole premise of the billion dollar cosmetic industry!

So, there you go. Everybody seems to want what they don't have,simply because, they don't have it!

OUI?