Year of the Red Monkey--February 4, 2016

According to Chinese Fortune Calendar February 4, 2016 (4713th Chinese Year) is the first day of the Year of the Red Monkey. The Chinese New Year is on February 8, 2016.

The status of things and events will change rapidly for most signs of the zodiac. Keep in mind the Red (fire) Monkey is quick and clever.  Thinking before you leap is an important trait in life, and is of utmost importance in the Year of the Monkey.

The monkey is a trickster, intelligent, quick witted and a delight to be around. For those born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 and 2016 this is your year to shine in competition and in personal finance.

Some famous Monkeys are Leonardo da Vinci. Mic Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joan Crawford, Charles Dickens and Lyndon Johnson.

According to the astrologers 2016 will be a year of individual collaboration and unique intelligent solutions to problems.  Staying fit mentally and physically is a must in the Year of the Red Monkey. The year will bring progress and good fortune to those who can enjoy the ride and not get caught up in the stress of change. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Standing With Working People

                 Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

 As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day it is important to remember why the Reverend King was in Memphis, Tennessee.  On the eve of his assassination on April 3, 1968 he delivered his memorable, I've Been to the Mountaintop speech in support of the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike.

The sanitation workers of the Memphis Department of Public Works voted to go on strike after repeated attempts to grieve horrific working conditions. The deaths of two garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker caused by a malfunction of the dilapidated truck sparked their decision to go out on strike.

The Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike was met with violence, arrests and tear gas ordered by the Mayor of Memphis. Mayor Loeb called in the National Guard and declared Martial Law.  Dr. King was in Memphis in support of the peaceful striking employees.

Unfortunately, Martin Luther Kings, Jr. was killed the next evening on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Dr. King stood firm in his belief until the end of his life that economic justice is critical for all citizens, regardless of the color of their skin or religion.

On April 8, 1968 some 42,000 people led by Coretta Scott King marched throughout Memphis in  peaceful protest, The strike ended when the city agreed to recognize the union and met some demands for better working conditions and pay.  Nonetheless, the union had to continue its efforts to force the city to make good on their agreement.

Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964. He is the youngest person to have received the Peace Prize.

Home IS Health

I recently went through a bit of an unhealthy siege.  In part due to a virus combined with a negative reaction from an antibiotic and the other part stress. I am feeling great now, but it renewed my interest in a healthy lifestyle.


According to the Cleveland Clinic--Go Green. Whole grains, green vegetables and removing sugar from your diet reduces inflammation in your body and decreases the triggers for disease. Get rid of the "white" in your diet, for example, white rice, bread, and cut down on dairy products.  I reviewed numerous diabetic recipes and Mediterranean diet recipes and you do not have to give up flavor to enjoy a healthy diet.  The idea is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cures.

As Fall turns into blustery winter-like days there is nothing more energizing that squash dishes. The Pioneer Woman has a host of delicious recipes for cold overcast days. With a few modifications you can swap out the sugar for Agave syrup and enjoy Spaghetti Squash with Shallots and Maple Syrup.

Here are some links to interesting and delicious healthy recipes:

Diabetic Gourmet

Eating Well

Mayo Clinic Mediterranean Diet

A little exercise and don't forget the water intake--Done!

Connectivity, Compassion & Pope Francis

The Unstoppable Sophia Cruz

Around our earthly home;five year old Sophia Cruz epitomizes the plight of immigrant families. She turns to the one person she trusts, Pope Francis. Sophia does not understand the complexities of immigration laws, but she fully comprehends the sanctity of her family. 

Pope Francis's landmark United States visit will be remembered as a humble servant of God pleading for humanity and compassion for all people around the globe. Pope Francis will be quoted and referenced for connecting the dots among the numerous concerns of our day. The internet is a gift from God and dialogue between people of varying cultures is his message. 

Earth is our home with each living being, animal, plant, organism and particle essential for our collective good.  Gracias, Pope Francis@Pontifex.

Himno a la Alegria--Ode to Joy

Beethoven

Go Set A Watchman:Review

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I must say, Miss Harper Lee, you really had me wondering where you were taking me until I reached page 116 of your Watchman.  For some, the novel is a reflection of the 1950s in the rural South and our favorite tomboy Scout of To Kill A Mockingbird. She returns home to Alabama for a couple week vacation from her residence in New York City. Scout is Jean Louise, age 26, employed and has her baccalaureate degree. During the first 116 pages, I didn't like Jean Louise--she appeared to be a sophomoric rebel without a cause.

As the novel progresses, some readers may view Scout's awakening or reckoning as that time in life where one sees their childhood images and ideals shattered by the "stark reality" of coming of age. The South is changing and in turn her familial security blanket is tattered. 

For me the novel reminded me of the first time I witnessed de facto discrimination in Little Rock, Arkansas. I was about seven years old in the mid-1950s. On our summer vacation to my Dad's home state Maine, he took a wrong turn and we ended up hot and tired in Little Rock. We stopped for lunch and my brother saw a swimming pool next to the diner.  Yippee, we thought. My Mom grabbed our swim suits and we were off for a quick swim before getting back on the road to our motel destination.

Along the chain link fence surrounding the public pool stood a number of black children. Inside the pool were white children playing Marco Polo and screaming at the top of their lungs. I noted a sign that distinguished hours where black and white children could swim. In seconds flat, we were back in the car hot and sweaty with a valuable lesson. Actions speak louder than words. Parents prevent bigotry and racism. In our home along Seal Way we met people of many races, beliefs and color.


It was the era of "Separate-but equal" of the 1950s. This is the crux of Go Set A Watchman. In 1954 the United States Supreme Court in Brown vs The Board of Education said, separate-but-equal in education was racial discrimination. The old ways of the South and every where had to change. The question then became how to remedy the disparate treatment of Black Americans.

Harper Lee lays out the turning point in full living color, benevolent racism and bigotry. She throws in the State's Rights--Tenth Amendment in a way that lays bare the intrinsic evil of discrimination based on color.  Separate can never be equal because there is an intrinsic evil in treating people differently. Toni Morrison and Alice Walker works showed the devastating humiliation of "the old ways".

Make no mistake, Harper Lee intentionally jarred us a little with Go Set A Watchman. The story is as relevant today as it was in the 1950s. I hope you read it and leave a comment about its relevance to a current event.

Fee-Free Writing Competitions

A good way to improve your writing skills is to enter writing competitions. Another advantage to entering writing contests is to gain interest from a literary agent.  Many contests require an entry fee which ranges from a token $25 to $100.  The following competitions for the remainder of 2015 do not require a fee.  The key to success is to follow the submission guidelines carefully or the first readers will reject your hard work outright.

1. MINOTAUR BOOKS--First Crime Novel
Prize:  A book deal and $10,000 advance against future royalties

The competition is open to anyone over the age of eighteen
Submissions are due: December 14, 2015 at 11:59pm EST
One manuscript submission per person. A minimum of 65,000 words
Note: This is a highly respected publisher. Minotaur is a division of St. Martin's Press


2. REAL SIMPLE--What Single Decision Changed Your Life
Prize: 1st prize $3,000 and 2nd and 3rd place winners
Essay content with 1500 maximum word count.
Submissions are due: September 21, 2015 (postmarked) or submitted online
Open only to USA residents and District of Columbia
Note: This is a credible essay contest with a good history of awarding good work

3. Self-e Library Journal--Genre Romance, Fantasy, Mystery and Science Fiction
Prize: $1,000 for best self published ebook
Digital ebooks only
Submissions are due: August 31, 2015 at one minute before midnight
Author must own copy write and distribution rights to their submissions
Note: The winner and two runner ups get a full Library Journal review and a full ad in the Library Journal publication. An awards dinner in Boston, but it looks like authors pay for their own travel. 

Three Billion Miles to Pluto & Back Home

The New Horizons Spacecraft has traveled more than three billion miles for a fly-by with Pluto that is scheduled for July 14, 2015.  The nine and a half year long trek is an engineering masterpiece demonstrating the best our Earthlings have to offer regardless of national origin.

The piano size New Horizons Spacecraft weighs a little over one thousand pounds and so far is capturing and sending home remarkable images of its very long summer vacation.
                                                                  

                                                        The Best & Brightest From Earth


Back home, the United States and member nations of the United Nations Security Council are trying to hammer out a deal that promises to curb Iran's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capabilities. The negotiations are an attempt to stave off a conflict which in effect could blow our curious little planet Earth into oblivion.  A graphic depiction by the New York Times explains the end game of the current negotiations that may end on Monday, July 13, unless a deal is made.  

                                                                      

                           U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry & Iran Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif


The irony of the similarity of  terms: Pluto--Plutonium signifying the best and worst Earth has to offer the cosmos is noteworthy.  I sure hope nothing gets lost in translation or in transmission of the differences. 

In closing, I recommend a film currently on Netflix which demonstrates how apparently small nuances in culture and language can trigger catastrophic results. There are no small, insignificant or trivial mistakes in international relations.  The heart and trust collide in The Reluctant Fundamentalist.