You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October 2012.
Okay it’s a tough job, but apparently our crew has been genetically engineered before birth to do this job so none of us can stop. The madness goes on and the patrons groan, or actually they join in. All day long any patrons wearing a Halloween outfit who came to our desk at youth services at The Alachua County Library District @HQ got a prize from us! The whole deal is fun as usually around here. And , though some may dispute this, I was perfectly normal before coming to work with this group-honest!
Early on they began to gather-
We gathered ready to serve patrons-they are good with salsa and onion chips.
Our numbers began to increase(Where are the crackers?)
- At first we were feeling super friendly-
But then my mouse whispered something and got us all in a stir!
- Meet our scheduler—She has the magic touch!
Happy Halloween, and just think, next year it will be 2013
Working here is a real howl…..and a scream. Welcome to our Library:-)
Franqueesque.
Avatar Magic, By Gerald Franquemont, is now on Kindle and it can be downloaded onto most computers and reading devices.)
One question both political sides face is how to deal with an entire group of people who feel entitled to a monthly check, and who want more and more: this is a huge problem in this country? Yes, we need a system in place that makes these people to do some sort of work for our society rather than pick up a check or receive one in the mail. Again as I’ve written before , we need a mandatory enrollment in a CCC corp for all those who are fit to work in lieu of them getting free checks. No one rides for free.
I worked a short stint for HRS here in Florida, the benefits department, and left because the cases I had made me want to puke. Here’s one thought within this ongoing system of subsidy–people who get school lunches free(that is paid for by tax payers) for their kids now ask us to give their children presents for Christmas and food when school is out since they can’t feed their kids! How about stop having kids you can’t afford to feed or to celebrate??? The middle class has to family plan within their means, and most do–why is it so off the charts to talk about family planning for those who ask us to pay their family’s way?
The recent rant that Obama doesn’t value our soldiers or our US consulates is a boat load of crapola…give me a break,,,what a stupid thing to put out there, hoping to hit that emotional nerve of misunderstanding..it’s stuff like this people put out over and over hoping to get that emotional response knee jerk reaction from people before they can think about it. Really? Obama doesn’t value our soldiers past and present? Really? Huh,Huh? So stupid.
Another constant debate is over Obamacare, and I’ve no idea why Obama’s campaign hasn’t flipped the outrage over this policy into the slogan that “Obama Cares!” Anyway if you are a family making less than $250,000 a year then you will not see your taxes go up, once you take time to read the bottom lines. It is all here, and yes it is convoluted, confusing and not easily read but this is federal Law: what do you expect!?!? http://www.factcheck.org/2012/07/twisting-health-care-taxes//
For us working folks maybe it is enough to say that yes, The Supreme Court found that, “the federal government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance( but it can impose a tax).” And that international studies show countries who offer working people national health care have workers who live happier and live longer than do Americans at this time.
Here’s an interesting point about why we don’t hear too much about Obamacare from either candidate: previously, Romney has defended the law he signed when governor of Massachusetts, called by some Romneycare, which included a similar individual mandate on a state level.(As Obama’s National health care bill). While Republicans have been vocal about pointing to the penalty being termed a tax, Romney’s campaign has been careful to avoid being drawn into a comparison on the point.( He did the same thing as Governor)
Certainly our history lessons are skewed, and perhaps every country does the same to different degrees? But in the end Americans get to vote and to make a difference( for now). I am a supporter of Obama. I simply can’t imaging another President who has done so much with so little and in the face of so much opposition. Obstructionists have used filibusters more times in congress against President Obama than it has ever been used before in all our past administrations combined!!!!!
And according to Romney’s recent campaign speeches it is the Republicans who have Ecology in their hearts and minds??? Is this Animal Farm or something? And we’ll get leaders in Education from the GOP???? They cut educational budgets as much as possible-see when Bush Jr was Governor of Texas that Texas had the lowest funded educational budget in these United States! I hear Romney say that The GOP is for our workers??? What?! They support Union busting left and right, and with wages being high or low, or back room deals being made or not, the issue here is the GOP consistently says the workers don’t need or have a right to have a voice at the table for negotiations within the work place!
And for the record: Unions need to acquire benefits for part-time workers; at least 1/2 benefits for 1/2 full-time makes sense.
If Obama does win, or if Romney does win, Wars will happen as our military deems them to be necessary; politician’s will remain in the pockets of those with money; some socialist programs will remain in effect and some open market ideas will remain too. But the middle class will work like dogs, for very little savings either way. But Head’s UP! To the point of Women’s rights I believe there is a lot at stake depending upon which party wins this election. Yes I hated it when Bush JR. was President, but I survived 8 years of it, and if Obama wins you will too….though fishing would be more fun than standing behind filibusters made by either side.:-)
Franque23
Oy Vey. Some one get a cross quick!
Avatar Magic, By Gerald Franquemont, is now on Kindle and it can be downloaded onto most computers and reading devices.)
Any way you read it the message is clearly the same: there is a vampire in every plot no matter how you stir it. There’s a Vampire around every darkened corner and they need air traffic controllers at night to get about their way. None of this is right, and it just shows you how literature is going six feet under.
Okay there will never be vampire pillows right?
Let’s face it: there has only been but one Vampire, the guy who used to say ” Hello. It’s nice to veet you,” or ” I vant to drink your bluud.” And when you did come to this guys house you still weren’t certain if he was just another weirdo, (think of your neighbor) , a bit off, or something else. He had to serve scrumptious beef cooked rare along with a bottle of blood-red wine in order to entice even the most weary traveler who had lost their way on that fog ridden night to stay over. Now, hell if you believe what your read, Vampires stand on street corners running for election!
Now it’s sexy to be a vampire. It used to be when we said “Bite me” to our best friends it wasn’t a good thing, and we didn’t mean for them to come over and start slurping on our necks. I mean just how ridiculous is it to have an entire school of vampires? Frostbite: A Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead ( who I suspect may be a vampire) writes of a huge highschool full of blood suckers who never age. Wouldn’t you think someone might notice the two hundred year old freshmen class? Or that America’s blood bank ran dry while making its way right thru this high school full of walking capes and women dressed in see thru night gowns?(One of my favorite things about Vampires-the women usually didn’t dress back then which means today they could be hosting Seasame Street until Romney shuts it down.) And since when did a High School football team have to have their teeth filed in order to be allowed to play? See: never gonna happen. Vampires just don’t run a muck in the streets dating one another; this whole casket of Vampire garlic isn’t what it’s crept up to be..
Of course I do know several vampires-heck Jed, Greg, Ken and Mike are vampires, but this means I may only encounter one or two of them at a time up at the lake when I’m on vacation or down home when I’m working. But the winged out printed and film world certainly has become a Cirque Du Freak serial by Darren Shan, but it all took that last turn at bat for the worse just this month. This is when Betty and Veronica, (a comic book okay?), came out with Vampironica! The vampire slayer. Next Superman will have super teeth, unless he goes into Urban Fiction, in which case something else on him will be super large.
I mean come on-not that many people ever came from Transylvania to start with, now their relatives come out of cracker jack boxes.* Isn’t “My, what big teeth you have?” from Red Riding Hood? It’s all invasive ,this Vampire bite fest, kinda like weeds are in a lawn, when it comes to any Public Library’s collection. Currently the search term “Vampires” pulls up too many hits to count on our catalog here at Alachua County Library District, AND searching this same term brings up 75,300,000 hits on google. Hot lips that’s one hell of a lot of spikes, er hits! Basically we’d have to de-forest the entire world in order to make enough spikes if we wanted to shove one through the heart of every known vampire who is not really living but here today and never gone tomorrow.
I’ll take a stab in the dark here and speculate that soon we’ll be able to buy vampire lollipops——don’t look now:
Holy snot! Are these lollipops all day suckers?
I’d trust these two to run any High School; they’d leave no child left behind!
this neighbor I don’t know about-spoooookey.
The only real deal.
Franque23–bat at cha later; gotta smoke on out of here.
*Made up, but coming I think.
- They are making the move to marriage!
She has changed
They are gonna have soooo much fun
This will not be Kelly’s wedding dress, and someday wordpress will let me write in a field outside of the picture box:-)..PS-this riding event was sponsored no doubt by Morgans: to see which rider spilled the least wine as they rode.
Black belt Kelly wearing a medal.
- We couldn’t be happier for Kel-Bel, and for Hiro! Pssss…more pictures coming….
Dale and I thought that this was love, the real deal, when we met Hiro and saw him with Kelly…..
Hiro didn’t stand a chance:-)
Kelly went to Africa and came back to get her man! Don’t you wonder in what order these pictures will show up in this blog? I do.Byeeee until the next picture post on Kelly!Franque23
- can’t do a blog on Kelly without a horse shot, This is Amadeus. Bye for now, but more shots coming.
Franque23-Dad.
Kelly never met a cake she didn’t like as a child, but she likes Hiro much better than that. The first time she told me she loved him was a wonderful moment for me.
- They are having fun! Soon off to see the world together!
( click on pictures to enlarge)
I stared into a miraculous starry night sky listening on my cell phone as Kelly’s boy friend, Hiro Shiohara, told me how great he thought she was. Of course I couldn’t have agreed more.
“So I just have to ask you for permission to marry Kelly.” Hearing those words made the stars dance.
Only parents know how wonderful those words can sound. Kelly had found her man, and Hiro is a good man, a strong man who shows his heart in his smile and wears it on his sleeve. Yes; I couldn’t be happier than I am to think of these two having found one another, and to know they had made a committment to each other.
I know some about Hiro, having met him at Kelly’s Master’s ceremony in Philly just earlier this year. He’s been living in America for the past ten years, and during this time he earned his masters in business from the University of Central Michigan. Presently he lives in New York City working for a Tea company. (Kelly loves tea BTW)He is an easy-going fellow and I suspect a well-organized man as well. He is tall and muscular, two plus’ for Kelly who has some height to her frame and she loves to compete athletically. Hiro enjoys Brazilian jujitsu – (it’s a martial art) and watching Mixed martial arts -( it’s a craze) and I think this to mean he enjoys beating the snot out of people for sport:-) like Kelly does. He loves Vietnamese food, and Kelly says he makes some mean Japanese food. He has three siblings, two are married. They, and the rest of his family, are all still living in Okinawa, Japan. His Dad worked on the military base but is retired now, and of course we haven’t met them as of yet…
If I had to guess I’d say these two are a match made in heaven. And although the timing seems like a shot-gun wedding really the date is set just before Kelly will go with Hiro to Johannesburg, S.A. ( December)where Kelly landed a job in Educational Administration after having just finished a six-week stint working there to complete her masters.
From there the current plans are for the couple to stay in Johannesburg for approximately two years after which time Kelly hopes to go to london for her PHD. Hiro will look for jobs in both places before they end up in Okinawa, Japan. I suspect children may be accompanying them as they make their way thru life, but I don’t know any of their plans in this regard.
Since they will be soon off to Africa their entire gift registry consists of any denomination of money.
Gifts or well wishes can be sent to the new couple to this address :
Hiroyuki Shiohira/ or to Kelly Franquemont @= Kelly soon to be Kelly Jeanne Shiohira.
687 86th St Apt B2 Brooklyn, NY 11228
Kelly will be Kelly Jeanne Shiohira as of next Friday.
Of course, I’ve known Kelly from her beginning…
- This hat fits!
Kelly is that rare child who has undoubtedly given much more back to her parents than we have given to her. If ever she came upon an accomplishment waiting to happen, she made it happen for herself and for all those around her. She is a team player, a softball Florida State Champion( she lead off in the last winning game for The Championship and batted an astounding 853 combined during all games in that bracketed series); she is a Hunt Seat Champion of the Southeast, # 1;
- Will was her first great horse.
she is an accomplished pianist, her playing being awarded five stars( the highest possible) by an international panel of judges;
- Baseball champ, top pianist and proud Mom..
she was an IB know-it-all; a leader of the J.E.T. program in Japan during her five years teaching in that country and of course she earned her Black Belt while in Japan and competed there: against the men. Kelly’s latest honor that I know of was her inclusion while earning her master’s in International Education at The University of Pennsylvania into the oldest student literary society in America, the elite Philolexian Society, better known as the Philo Society. This society was the first group to offer an English translation of the Rosetta Stone back in 1858. The list of her accomplishments goes on: soccer player, long distance runner, horse trainer, riding instructor, wonderful writer, avid reader, great dog trainer and happy daughter , true-heart and loyal friend, great sister, all apply to her life. As you can tell I am her biggest fan! And guess what? I have the pictures to prove it!
Have the best time Kelly. Congradulations! Love,
Dad(franque23) and Mom.
.
- Friend called one day to say they’d made the three-mile trip safely!
- Wonderful big Sister!
- Kelly loves to be the leader!!!
Kelly and her horse Toby: Twice Southeast Regional Champs in Western and Jumping; one time Southeast Regional Championship in Hunt Seat.
I’ve complained a lot about the obstructionists in Congress who have blocked Obama’s attempts to get our economy moving with Job Acts. But then I came across this list of accomplishments that can be fairly attributed to President Obama’s Administration! Wow–this man has gotten it done. Here’s the list
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act-Equal pay for women;
Children’s Health Insurance Program;
2009 Stimulus bill;
Ordered kill of Somali Pirates;
Eased restrictions on Cuba;
Serve America Act;
Fraud Enforcement Act;
Federal funding of stem cell research;
Credit Card Act;
Matthew Shepard Act;
Student Aid Act;
Wall Street Reform Act;
Rescue of the US automobile industry;
Health insurance reform;
Timetables for bringing our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan;
Extension of unemployment compensation;
An end to discrimination against homosexuals in the military;
Assisted in the overthrow of Gaddafi, at no loss of American life;
Dismantled Al Qaeda to a shadow of its former self;
Fair Sentencing Act;
Small Business Jobs Act;
Veterans’ Benefit Act;
2010 Tax & Jobs Compromise;
Food Safety Modernization Act;
New START Treaty;
US Forces Kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan;
America Invents Act;
War in Iraq ended with last American troops crossing border into Kuwait;
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Credit;
First President to publicly support the legalization of same sex marriage;
12 straight quarters of GDP growth;
32 straight months of private sector job growth;
Stock market (DJI) climbed from 8,279.63 1/9/2009 to 13,334.97 10/11/2012
There may more great accomplishments to add here, but this is quite a list!
Franque
(Avatar Magic, by Gerald Franquemont, is on Kindle and can be downloaded onto most computers or reading devices.)
(Thanks to Barbara for the paraprosdokians. Sorry for the screwed up formating, light print-“Sometimes the best of intentions never were!” Would this be a paraprosdokian?)
Paraprosdokians are figures of speech in which the last part of the sentence is surprising, or humorous. I listed some below that a reader sent me. I don’t usually clip things like this and then post them but I’m thinking after watching two Presidential Candidates spend over 500 million dollars, over a half a billion, on their campaigns we all need to laugh, or we will end up crying over how the American People have lost control of their own National Elections!
Almost half of that money( 500 million) is coming from outside groups, like Super PACs — and the vast majority of the outside money is going to support presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Outside groups have spent a whopping $238 million on the 2012 general-election campaign. And about $9 out of every $10 – in total, $205 million – spent by an outside group is going to support Romney or hammer President Obama”
The is my question to all the people who favor having the free market take over and determine how our economic playing fields level out in America: How well do you think the free market systen is working in our National Elections? Again, how is the free market in our US Electoral process working for The US? Is it fair that Super PACs donate 9 out of 10 dollars to one candidate? And any Joe Schmo can raise 250 million dollars to run when ever he wants right? Some ask why America would need to regulate anything in its economy or social systems when it’s perfectly fair and best for our Country to let caring big business rule everything?
Just asking before more laughs:
1. Where there’s a will, I want to be in it…….and more:
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
5. War does not determine who is right – only who is left..
6. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
7. They begin the evening news with ‘Good Evening,’ then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.
8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
9. Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. On my desk is a work station.
10. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.
11. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
12. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
13. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
14. I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not so sure.
15. You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
16. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
17. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
I’ll be posting a more normal type of post soon. NOT! HA! Normal will never happen here.
Franque23.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Avatar Magic, By Gerald Franquemont, is now on Kindle and it can be downloaded onto most computers and reading devices.)
The exciting thing is I’ve finally finished writing the sequel to my first well-edited book. I’m still busy hunting for possible agents to represent this first book or for publishers to buy it. I am also considering the Kindle 90 day option as my best choice when he comes to getting this story ‘out there.’ One author I know told me just yesterday to go that route. I hope all of you will read this book when it hits your reader! Updates on this book will follow in the coming weeks.
But today’s news is I have gotten around to writing my first six word book. The site linked below is fun to look through and it makes a great quick read over any snack, lunch hour or lazy afternoon. I just joined this site today, and I am looking forward to entering the weekly six word caption contests the site offers members. I pass this information on thinking some readers may not know about this site, and that it may be of interest to those who read my franque23 blog; maybe a bunch of you will join this site also and join in on the fun? I’d love for you to post your six word book in the comment field here too.
Here’s one thing to remember: your six word book doesn’t have to be autobiographical by any means-it’s all for good, quick reading, fun and thought! This is my first six word book:
Of course my father was nobility.
Smiles, and enjoy!
Franque23
I have so many weeds in my yard I may never go outdoors again. Heck, I could call a yard guy but I’d need ten of them, and I can’t hang that much money out for a process that amounts to being an expensive weed distribution program. Of course there was a time back in my twenties when I spent so much time trying to get weed that if I ever got all those hours back for my life I’d be about six years old today. Who knew back then that all I had to do if I wanted weed was to buy a house in Florida and try to cultivate its yard?
The only way I’m going outside is if I have army fatigues and jungle camouflage face paint on; who knows what could be out there. At least I know it won’t be neighbors: they can’t get out of their houses either. Welcome home honey!
This neighbor is hoping to find his house before the cops find him.
Soon the weeds will take over the roads and that will be just about it for my community. First our wonderful neighborhood called Lake View Estates featured a dried up lake, then we had a dearth of rain, then a Jubilee of frogs and now a fungus wearing mat of Virginia Creepers,(they follow you a night) Air Potatoes(you can’t even mash them), chickweed(sans chicks), Kudzu(what the world will become If Chinese Privet doesn’t take over first!?!?!), African mile-a-minute(it actually can run) Tall Morning-glory (who thinks itself better than the shorter variety), Cat-claw(we need more vets) and a few hundred other weeds that are listed here below*has invaded every square inch of space we have.
Virginia never looked creepier
Can you find the Kudzuuuuu?
But because we are all Americans we know there is more than one way to skin a weed. Or just have fun with it like this happy couple entwined with the love of weeds.
Normal everyday wear in my neighborhood.
Someone once said just get down with it…….so she did….
But we’re not the first culture that has had to deal with a weed problem. Heck, we all know the Japanese are known for eating stuff like fish eyeballs, cow guts, zazamushi(aquatic insects), the meat of the deadly puffer fish, and don’t miss the fish sperm and worse, but the Japanese also eat weeds-really. If you visit Japan you’ll notice a veggie on most any buffet table that is really quite tasty. Knotweed (but it really is a weed) grows out of every road crack, plowed field, garden and volcanic steaming mountain side in Japan. Here’s the scope on Knotweed: “Japan knot-weed grows on disturbed soil, along roadsides and riverbanks, in other moist areas, and in fields. Often displacing other plants and (it’s)difficult to eradicate, it’s so tasty that some municipalities have surrendered, and hold annual Japanese knotweed festivals instead.”**
Leave it to a society that features co-ed bathing and super large penis festivals***to know how to eat weeds!…I gotta love the Japanese, but not so much the invasive weeds in my yard. My neighbor who recently moved in is from Russia. She loves Gainesville and the warm weather here. But this is what she said just the other day: ” OMG! I don’t believe the vines. They’re growing into my house; they’re everywhere; nothing is safe!”
Yeah, we have a year round growing season in Florida and the weeds don’t miss a beat. It’s enough to make a fellow pull his hair out, but of course I’ve been in Florida for 42 years now so guess what I don’t have? I just pull weeds for the exercise and the mantra meditation. “You darn weeds; you darn weeds; you darn…..”
Having fun.
Franque23
*http://www.se-eppc.org/weeds.cfm
**http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Knotweed.html
***http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/world/810309/in-japan-for-the-penis-festival
Franque23's Blog 