Cinn's Friday 5

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don't be afraid of your freedom!

[01] What historical figure do you admire?

So very many. Hard to pick one. Uhm, Gandhi? Shakespeare? Bonhoeffer? OK, I can't really pick one.

[02] What historical landmarks have you enjoyed visiting?

Traveling around Europe means non-stop history. However there are a few places in the states that have been meaningful too. So I'll go with the Colosseum and Little Bighorn.

[03] What era in history intrigues you most?

The early church era, the Holocaust, and the settling of the American west.

[04] What era in history do you find upsetting?

Most of them. There is no period of time that doesn't include 'bad stuff.'

[05] What teacher made history most interesting for you?

I had excellent history teachers all the way through school. Probably why I majored in history in college, eh?

The Queen's Meme

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The Freedom Meme
I hold these truths to be self-blevident! (That’s blog + evident for all you non-blog speakers)

I declare myself to be free from the need to work on work stuff at home (for awhile).

I wish I could free myself of feeling guilty about just about everything.

I am thankful that Sparky freed me from trying to be everyone's best friend.

I don't mind paying for better seats on airplnes but checked luggage should be free.

I am free to make poor food choices over and over again. In fact, I look forward to it!

If I could choose one freedom I don’t have today it would be freedom from guilt, in case you missed it before.

In a free and perfect world there would be no poverty.

I am going to write my Declaration of Independence on a piece of tin foil. Why? I have no idea.

I wouldn’t mind being taxed on what I wear but I highly resent being taxed on what I eat.

When I was younger I was free to run around in the sun all summer but now that I’m older I prefer to limit my chances for skin cancer by staying inside.

I declare myself free from the destructive habit of gossiping.

I declare myself joyfully addicted to books!!!

I don’t think the world will ever be totally free of Teh Stoopud.

With complete abandon, I free fall into sleeping.

In a hypothetical Superman existence, I would use my power to do good doing cleanup on the Gulf Coast.

I wickedly use my my power to do evil doing absolutely nothing. As in, being lazy.

If I weren’t so dependent on security I could be truly independent about travel.

When I need to free my thoughts from stress and worry, I get on the internet.

I would like to freely kick 90% of the media in the seat of his/her their hypothetical pants.

I want to be (legally) allowed to smoke a wee bit of pot every single day and pay no consequences.

I want the freedom to let my silliness run amok also and enjoy double Dutch every single day.

If I could re-write the Freedom of Information Act I would remove ......... from the public record. [That is NOT what the FOIA is for!! And, as a matter of fact, it was just recently rewritten. Wow, I'm stunned by this question!]

I daily need the freedom to create order in my part of the world and I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks about it.

If I had the power to throw one person in jail it would be Fred Phelps.

If I had the power to free one person from bondage of any kind it would be Aung San Suu Kyi.

If I could "speak truth to power," I would say to the world that we should trust women.

The 3 most important freedoms I have in my life are: speech, religion, and assembly.

My favorite freedom song is Nicole C. Mullen's "Freedom."

Patrick's Place

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Saturday Six

1. Do you first think of "Equality" as opportunity or as an even playing field?

To me, it means everyone starts at the same point and no obstacles are intentionally manufactured for any one person that are not already in place for the others at the beginning.

2. Do you first think of "Freedom" as the absence of restrictive power abuse and inequality or as the chance to achieve or fail?

I think of freedom as lack of restrictions balanced by responsibility.

3. Do you feel generally comfortable with government being able to step in and make changes to society and social lives when necessary, or is this something you think should never happen?

I think the "when necessary" is pretty hard to define. I don't like government fixing everything, but when it makes the mess (i.e., the Iraq War) it should clean up the problems (i.e., disabled veterans and the economy in the dumper).

4. Should children receive more discipline or more nuturing?

These are not opposing ends of a spectrum. I think everyone needs nurturing for all of their lives. I think kids need to learn how to discipline themselves, and they can't do that if their parents (or others) never teach them.

5. What leads to a happier person: being fulfilled or being self-reliant?

Depends wholly on your definition of "fulfilled" here. A lot of people I know are fully self-reliant and very happy about that. I would argue that you can't be happy if you aren't fulfilled.

6. What’s more important with regard to your own rights: that others not interfere with yours or that others must observe yours?

I'm a big believer in the Gadsden Flag motto. I don't really care of others are nice to me, just that they leave me alone if I'm not messing with them.

Curious as a Cat

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1) How often do you take the easy way out of a situation?

Far more often than is good for me, probably. I'm really very, very lazy.

2) Where do you feel the most free?

In the mountains, or drifting off to sleep, or home alone in a very quiet house.

3) What is your prediction for the Next Big Thing? [technology, medicine, or any other field--you pick]

Would love to see better treatment for a multitude of diseases, primarily diabetes and Parkinson's.

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.Public Domain Photo

Oh, yeah, totally all about the shopping. I think it's even Ikea shopping! THAT I'm all about!!

Curious as a Cat

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1) What would you do if (or What will you do because) your workplace was (is) closed today and you could (can) do anything you wanted?

There is no school today either, so we are just sitting around goofing off: me on the computer, Sparky with his video games. Later on, I will try again to take FIL's stuff to him; I called this morning just as he was leaving for dialysis, so had to abort the original plan. If I could choose ANYthing--I'd be off on a day-trip to anywhere that doesn't involve anything in my real life.

2) Have you ever been emotionally attached to someone in a way that was detrimental to you?

Yes, and that's all I'ma gonna say about that, except that most of being a mom (especially the early months) is detrimental to one's personal health to a point.

3) What is the most beautiful word you know, in any language?

Staying with the theme: "Mama." Or really, any of those first baby words.

4) What one thing limits your freedom the most?

My conscience. (Betcha thought I was gonna say Sparky, eh? :-) huh)

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.
Public Domain Photo

I wanna be on vacation!!!!! OMG this looks lovely. Unless, of course, it's related to "Survivor" and then it would be depressing and boring. I love that show, but the thought of being trapped on a beach for weeks at a time with no plumbing or bugspray makes me nauseous.

Curious as a Cat

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1) What is the single most important ingredient for a spiritual life?

Peace and awareness of one's own needs.

2) Who is the person you know with the freest spirit?

Little kids in general. An adult? That's harder; we tend to box ourselves in. Some people I know from church, I guess.

3) How does it make you feel when you hear people argue?

Do NOT like this. I always feel like worms are crawling around my insides.

4) What one thing would you give to each of your ex-lovers?

I think I've already given them the best gift, that of my disappearance from their lives.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.
Public Domain Photo

Ooh, food! Looks like steak or something, and I think--from the position of the utensils--it's not an American doing the eating. I wonder: is that a pepper or a piece of prosciutto?