tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66020346246240278702012-02-08T22:52:01.871-05:00The way things are & the way I wish they could be: commentary, opinions, ideas, thoughts, hopes, & dreams.Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-85682003709597217602010-02-06T21:49:00.010-05:002010-02-06T22:51:05.576-05:00

Over the past 6 months I've done quite a bit of traveling (and teaching) throughout the United States. Whenever possible I try do do a bit of sight-seeing between working and I thought I'd share some of the photos I've taken. It's a bit of a big post, but I wanted to share some of the beautiful places I saw with you.This first photo was taken on my drive back home from Charleston, SC (I've posted

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-61127958359991605892009-08-04T15:46:00.003-04:002009-08-04T16:02:25.779-04:00

I've been up in Charleston, SC for the past week (mostly working) and got to do some tourist type travel this past weekend. I thought I'd share some of my photos with you of this lovely, historic town.This first picture is of the Joseph Manigault house that was built in 1802. I took a tour of the interior, but since they don't allow flash photography (and I didn't have my tripod with me) I'm not

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-78530327746571002432009-07-24T08:16:00.004-04:002009-07-24T08:37:08.558-04:00

A message to the NASA Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee:As a child I was fascinated by the space program. I wanted to become an astronaut and took all the math and science classes that I could in preparation to becoming an astronaut; I even started flying lessons at 13.Unfortunately my future was taken away from me as launches were cut and almost everyone (except me apparently)

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-50686415461803940162009-07-18T06:04:00.011-04:002009-07-18T06:20:55.622-04:00

Earlier this year I went on a cruise to the Western Caribbean. I thought I'd share a few of my photos from that trip. This first one is the sunset from one of the lower decks of the ship. It's blurred, but I love the feeling of movement over the water.This next photo is from our first excursion in Mexico (no flu here!). We went to a cave that the Maya used. You could swim here or explore further

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-20105920500018015282009-06-14T19:16:00.003-04:002009-06-14T19:22:23.584-04:00

These are such magnificent birds -- I just wanted to share these photos that I took recently.Hope to be back and posting articles again soon.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-5032617739317462472009-01-11T08:00:00.003-05:002009-01-11T08:08:36.641-05:00

There is nothing like taking a trip by plane to make one feel relaxed, happy, and comfortable. While that may be true for the CEO’s and other higher ups of the world the rest of us are stuck with what I like to call “sardine class.”Here are some of the many joys and opportunities that await the average traveler:Depending upon the airport that you are flying from and the time of day you will need

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-51650907161862580902009-01-04T14:08:00.004-05:002009-01-04T14:14:49.789-05:00

With the election of our new President, America will be under the leadership of a child of the TV generation. The generation that grew up without electronic babysitters is fading away. What got me to thinking about all of this was an article that I read on FactCheck called “Our Disinformed Electorate.”Since MTV hit the airwaves the popularity of fast action and the sound bite has only continued

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-65178512502815314162008-12-28T17:44:00.004-05:002008-12-28T17:53:18.469-05:00

The inauguration of America’s first African-American President will soon be upon us. No one can argue that this is a historic event in our country’s history. Who knows? Some day we may even elect a woman as President.I’m not here to talk about gender or race though. What I do want to discuss is the unbelievably vast amount of things that many people are expecting President-Elect Obama to be able

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-39870566298052958552008-12-16T20:08:00.000-05:002008-12-16T20:10:59.543-05:00

Are you an average American like me? Then you too can all forget about getting anything from the bailouts that our elected officials are handing out to wealthy business executives.While the fortunate ones are treating themselves to spa visits and bonus checks (just because they change the name doesn’t change what it is), I’ve been digging down under the cushions in the couch looking for fallen

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-63622473650037068612008-12-07T21:08:00.008-05:002008-12-07T21:29:28.311-05:00

I have just returned from a trip to the frozen north. I was just south of Michigan in an area that gets lake effect snow, and I was definitely not in my element. While many people may know how to deal with this white stuff that was covering my rental car and the highways, it was quite an adventure for me. Here is the view from my car:I had to borrow a scraper and brush thingie from the front desk

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-54271733227944312152008-11-30T19:31:00.000-05:002008-11-30T19:33:36.786-05:00

Recently a very good friend of mine had to go to the hospital. I know that she'll get better, but it will be a long road to recovery. However, her illness got me to thinking about friendship in general.Humans are by nature social beings. We need the company of others. Very few of us could survive for long without having other people around. We need some kind of contact with others, however

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-31193860008623758922008-11-09T22:43:00.007-05:002008-11-09T23:13:28.464-05:00

I thought I would share a few photos that I took this past week while visiting the local animal park. I won't call it a zoo because they have worked very hard to give the animals as natural a habitat as possible. Many are endangered species that they are working hard to save. Unfortunately, we have not been good stewards of this planet.This fellow looks like a zebra, but is really a relative of a

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-45305473507798005812008-11-02T22:48:00.002-05:002008-11-02T22:54:51.462-05:00

Did you get a chance to hear Barack Obama’s Closing Argument speech? View it here at YouTube, or read it here at Politico. Regardless of who you are planning on voting for, you should read or listen to what he said.I’m not here to tell you who to vote for. I’ve made up my mind and by now most people have too. However, I want to talk about a few things that Obama said in his speech that gave me

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-55758890746089662012008-10-26T22:32:00.003-04:002008-10-26T22:47:41.596-04:00

I don't know about you, but I've had enough! All the political fighting and mud slinging. All the bad news about our economy. Suicide bombers in the Middle East. Home invasions and murders. It's all just too much.Since my proverbial tilt meter has gone off, I decided to try and find some good news. I must admit that it took some hunting, but there is some out there. Here are a few sites you can

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-68502275403696120712008-10-19T08:00:00.003-04:002008-10-19T08:00:02.715-04:00

By now I think even the most skeptical and conservative would have to agree that we are in, at the least, a recession here in the U.S. Personally I’m inclined to agree with those that feel this started late last year as that is when my computer consulting business saw the bottom drop out of it.Because this is an election year there has been much mud and smoke thrown about as both major political

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-67041649198086926632008-10-12T20:40:00.003-04:002008-10-12T20:45:50.608-04:00

I don’t have to tell you that the news has not been particularly good lately. The bad times are going global, and about the only good news is that the price of gas is going down.Are we headed for another Great Depression? I hope not. However, do you know how the last one started? Here is an excerpt from a commentary posted at CNN: “The Great Depression resulted from a series of economic and

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-35357023038244652442008-10-05T14:32:00.002-04:002008-10-05T14:44:46.738-04:00

Not far from my house is a creek that is being cleaned up by both the city and county where I live, and they have done a great job. This past week I had the opportunity to canoe along a portion of it with a group that was inspecting the cleanup progress. Looking at these photos, would you believe that I live in a very large metropolitan area? It just goes to show you that nature is still out

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-78206656905669639252008-09-28T15:02:00.007-04:002008-09-30T12:03:13.429-04:00

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana, the Spanish born American Philosopher, Poet and Humanist who made important contributions to aesthetics, speculative philosophy and literary criticism.History is a subject which does not seem to interest as many people as is should, especially young people. This concerns me because there is a lot that can be learned

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-37989247089202466732008-09-21T14:43:00.002-04:002008-09-21T14:50:41.093-04:00

The Associated Press reported today that the Democratic and Republican candidates spent $94,000,000 dollars in August. That’s $94 MILLION dollars in one month. What did they spend over half of this money on? Advertising. Here’s a quote from that AP report:“Their campaign finance reports, filed before Saturday's midnight deadline, shows that more than half of their $3-million-a-day spending rate

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-49370689665430823782008-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:002008-09-14T08:00:01.832-04:00

As I write this it is Saturday morning (I'll be driving all day Sunday) and Hurricane Ike is pounding Houston, Texas. My good hopes and best wishes go to those in the path of this storm. It has already wrought great damage to Cuba and Haiti on its way to the United States. Fay and Gustav had already brought considerable damage to those nations. Now Ike has left them in a desperate situation. What

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-44194234641851827252008-09-07T08:00:00.000-04:002008-09-07T08:00:10.216-04:00

A friend of mine, and fellow blogger, asked me to contribute a favorite childhood story to her for use in a post she is working on. While I didn’t mind sharing a story, I had to stop and think for a bit because I realized that I hadn’t thought about my childhood much in quite a while.All of that musing got me to thinking about how memory works and what a remarkable thing it is. My friend shared a

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-35826597898055362772008-08-31T09:00:00.003-04:002008-08-31T09:00:02.824-04:00

Considering everything that is going on, I thought I would share a few flower photos that I've taken over the past year. There is enough bad news and depressing things to read or see. I don't know about you, but I needed a change of pace. I hope you like my photos.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-63891147982548718412008-08-24T18:12:00.003-04:002008-08-30T12:33:43.468-04:00

I think we can all agree that it has been a tough year. Incomes are either flat or down while costs of stuff is up. Personally, I don't see things getting any better for quite a while. This is an election year, but the people we elect in November won't be able to begin doing anything until next year. Who knows how much time it will take for what they do to actually take affect. Optimistic is not

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-41762440744158893232008-08-17T10:00:00.002-04:002008-08-17T20:19:24.552-04:00

My post last week was about alternative ways to produce energy for yourself. While there were many good suggestions there, what do you do if you don’t have the money to purchase one of those systems? Well, whether you rent or own, you can make some simple changes to where to live that can save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs over the year. Let’s take a look at a few of these cost saving

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-17986474575111891672008-08-11T22:02:00.002-04:002008-08-11T22:09:31.053-04:00

Since blogging about our oil problem last week I’ve been thinking about what other sources of energy are available for us today. I’m not talking about all the things you hear about that someone is developing and touting as the salvation of us all. I fear that most of those will just disappear. However, there are other sources out there that we can use – maybe not for everything, but enough to

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-60553111488134252322008-08-03T19:46:00.002-04:002008-08-03T19:54:49.314-04:00

One way or another we are all feeling the pain because of high prices at the pump. Costs for goods are up, wages down, people aren’t able to buy all the stuff they could last year at this time, sales are down, jobs are being lost. So now that everyone is fixated on the price of gas, a “perfect” solution is being offered: drill everywhere for more oil. Sounds easy, right? Wrong.Let’s look at a few

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-22326141740488436612008-07-28T21:44:00.002-04:002008-07-28T21:50:49.747-04:00

Amid all the bad news being reported (record deficit by our current administration; more bombings: Iraq, India, Turkey, etc.; job losses; rising costs; the list goes on and on) is the story about the gunman who killed two people and wounded seven others in a church in Knoxville, TN, because – among other things – he hated liberals and the liberal stance. I find it very interesting that there have

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-75562894668573745312008-07-20T08:59:00.005-04:002008-07-20T09:15:02.744-04:00

I have always enjoyed photography and try to take a camera with me wherever I travel, even if it is only my little point-n-shoot digital. Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite point-n-shoot photos with you. These first two were taken when I got to travel to the island of Terceira in the Azores on a business trip: This next one is a sunset shot that I took in my front yard. Yea, it's not a

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-76765303068193090612008-07-13T17:49:00.001-04:002008-07-13T17:52:11.895-04:00

Last week I wrote about how disinterested I am in the national elections this year. This got me to thinking about who the candidates are and what choices we really have. For good or bad, the only candidates with a real chance of actually winning are the Democratic and Republican (I did that alphabetically only with no intended implication of one being better than the other) candidates. However,

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-41142946578658162182008-07-06T12:20:00.005-04:002008-07-06T12:48:46.208-04:00

I came across this while surfing through some of my favorite blogs the other day. It's a new word recommendation for the dictionary:Elec-tile Dysfunction: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for President put forth by either of the two political parties in the 2008 election year.This really resonated with me. Back in January I wrote a blog about the primary elections going on

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-74016859788198012262008-06-29T19:32:00.005-04:002008-06-30T16:48:40.547-04:00

What is one of the greatest gifts that one person can give another? Well, there was a song by the Beatles that had a line that went something like this: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” There are two phrases that come to mind also: “circle of friends” and “circle of life.” [which is also the title to a song by Elton John and Tim Rice] Humans are, for the most part, very social.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-72277127408299452362008-06-22T09:57:00.003-04:002008-06-22T10:13:51.378-04:00

Guess you could call me a water person since I love to take pictures of rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Since the northern hemisphere is now officially in summer I thought I'd share some of my summer photos with you.The lake photo above was taken on Lake Adair in Orlando, Florida. I took this in the morning on my way to work.This creek (shown above) is behind my house. It's very peaceful back

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-81825567431739576932008-06-15T16:34:00.004-04:002008-06-16T18:27:36.366-04:00

There are moments in your life when the universe seems to smile on you with all of its glory. I do not know what I’ve done to deserve such an event (can such a thing be earned? I really have my doubts.), but recently I have been the beneficiary of something wonderful and truly remarkable. Let me explain. As most of my friends know I was adopted at birth. The story I had of my birth mother was

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-18401895311385470182008-06-02T18:14:00.004-04:002008-06-02T18:21:27.590-04:00

One week ago an emissary from Earth landed near the north pole of Mars. The Phoenix Mars Mission has a primary goal of determining how much water ice is on Mars which will be a big factor in shaping how humans ultimately might be able to colonize the planet. Planetary colonization is not just the stuff of science fiction. If we are to survive as a species then we must expand beyond planet

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-66388277433009317972008-05-26T13:38:00.002-04:002008-05-26T13:45:26.408-04:00

Memorial Day has become, for many people, just another 3-day weekend. The Uniform Holidays Bill, passed in 1968 and made a federal law in 1971, moved Memorial Day from May 30th to the last Monday of May. Now, I have nothing against a 3-day weekend and Memorial Day specifically, but with the ongoing “war” in Iraq and our troops still in Afghanistan I feel compelled to talk about a couple of issues

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-49919771749073067562008-05-18T14:05:00.002-04:002008-05-18T14:12:20.087-04:00

Every photographer has favorite subjects. One of mine is when the sun is starting to go down. The range of colors shifts to the warm side of the spectrum and everyday things take on a whole new look. Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite images with you. Hope you like them.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-19611089670930998202008-05-11T15:24:00.003-04:002008-05-11T15:30:41.287-04:00

I recently received a “chain” e-mail from a friend that contains a great amount of misinformation. Such e-mails get passed all over the internet and are accepted as the facts when in truth they are anything but. They are designed to look legitimate by inserting a few facts amongst a ton of disinformation. These e-mails work on the theory that if you tell a lie enough times it becomes the truth.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-49352585747635637762008-05-04T12:09:00.005-04:002008-05-04T12:20:26.617-04:00

Just about everyone realizes that oil is not a renewable resource, at least not at the rate that we are consuming it. The industrialized nations are sucking oil back at incredible rates. One estimate by the International Energy Agency printed here in April 2004 shows a consumption of 75 million barrels a day. A more recent estimate extracted here from the CIA World Factbook in June 2007 shows a

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-54947120583355865272008-04-27T15:03:00.004-04:002008-04-27T15:10:01.731-04:00

I came across this political cartoon the other day by Corky Trinidad and it got me to thinking about what this country would be like if all the Iraq war money went to something else. First, do you know how much money the United States is spending on the war? zFacts has an interesting chart that updates continuously and a few frightening facts. Here is an excerpt from an article at The

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-22087784309496338802008-04-20T10:58:00.002-04:002008-04-20T11:02:51.383-04:00

A good friend of mine is recovering from a much needed but complex surgical procedure. While she is facing a bit of time recovering, the surgery has resolved a situation that was causing her considerable pain. My friend is also fortunate in that she has health insurance. For many of us here in the United States having health insurance is a luxury we can’t afford. I’m one of those people who

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-18801247495656948012008-04-13T13:19:00.008-04:002008-04-13T13:51:52.405-04:00

Every human, every plant, every animal, everything we have ever known has come from one place: Earth. We argue over borders, fight over territory, and pollute the land, soil, water, and air. It is our only home. We think of it as limitless, with endless resources available for us. It is not. Earth is a lovely planet, but it is finite and fragile. To help illustrate this I have collected a series

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-74398862608881661632008-04-05T21:39:00.005-04:002008-04-05T21:53:44.693-04:00

Go to the grocery store and you may hear “paper or plastic?”, but mostly the bagger just stuffs everything into lots and lots of plastic bags. Go to any store and purchase something, even if it is only one small item what do they do? They stuff it in a plastic bag. Do we really need all those bags? In one word, NO!Here are some interesting facts for you from a company called ChicoBag, which sells

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-75063730738546398582008-04-02T11:46:00.019-04:002008-04-02T12:21:39.335-04:00

I've been out of town on a vacation with some friends, so I'm a bit late in my usual postings. Also, I didn't want to post on All Fool's Day - or April Fool's Day as it is more commonly called. Did you know that the tradition of April Fool's Day goes back to the sixteenth century? The generally accepted theory is that its origins go back to the creation of the Gregorian calendar. Want more info?

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-90793378629575834312008-03-23T18:48:00.003-04:002008-03-23T18:54:59.719-04:00

Having recently completed my yearly ritual visit to my tax accountant with my big bundle of paperwork I’ve been thinking about tax options. A good friend of mine keeps telling me about the Fair Tax – actually it was her mantra as I was helping her complete her on-line taxes last week. So, I’ve been taking a look at it and I like what I see.What are some of the advantages? Well, for one I wouldn’t

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-56383168730223835562008-03-16T10:13:00.005-04:002008-03-16T10:22:12.704-04:00

My Blog has been awarded an Excellent Blog Award by Frances Ellen Speaks . Wow. Thanks Frances!I’ve done some checking around about this award and have found that it originated at ProjectMommy. I’ve also discovered that this is something that you should pass on to other deserving Blogs. Here’s what ProjectMomy said: “By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-11554259397054527902008-03-10T19:08:00.000-04:002008-03-10T19:13:19.126-04:00

Well, just when you're expecting one thing the universe throws you a curve ball. My boyfriend - who doesn't remember dates - actually remembered my birthday (or did he read my Blog?) and sent flowers and a balloon. He's also taking me out for a nice dinner. I also got a phone call from an old friend that I haven't spoken to (although we sometimes trade e-mails) in years. She called just to with

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-84096255538456422522008-03-09T08:56:00.003-04:002008-03-09T09:01:50.434-04:00

Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m in a rather down mood. No, I’m not hung up on the age thing. I feel that age has three categories: chronological, mental, and physical -- as long as the mental and physical are less than the chronological then you are doing OK. My problem is that I’ve no one left to celebrate with, or maybe I should say that there is no one who cares to celebrate with me.Birthday

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-1100259864080893782008-03-02T15:30:00.002-05:002008-03-02T15:34:28.917-05:00

The Beatles did a song called “When I’m 64” asking if that certain someone would still love them and care for them at that age. Well, I’m not to that age yet, but I am planning on doing something on my 75th birthday -- and you might want to consider it as well. Give me a minute to explain a few things and then I’ll fill you in. Hopefully most of you know about the North Star. It is in a

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-57972422423702629262008-02-24T13:32:00.003-05:002008-02-24T13:41:34.783-05:00

I've spent this week working on two writing jobs and I must admit that my creative index is a little low at the moment. I was starting to stress out about what I was going to post this week - and after talking about stress last week I should have read my own advice. But then what do I find in my e-mail in-box but this wonderful gem that I'm going to use for my post this week.The English language

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-46435381144726270142008-02-17T16:45:00.003-05:002008-02-17T16:54:04.886-05:00

I don’t remember who told me this, but when I’m stressing out (something most of us do too often) I try to follow it: “Don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.”Let’s face it, life can come at you pretty hard these days. I’m still looking for a job but that doesn’t stop the bills from coming in. Listening to the news I know I’m not the only one trying to make ends meet. Money

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-75370142703841040842008-02-10T11:44:00.000-05:002008-02-10T12:13:03.696-05:00

I worry that we are becoming a nation of blind people. By blind I don’t mean that we are unable to see, but rather that we lack the ability, and especially the knowledge, to see. The knowledge I fear that has been lost to us is common sense and critical thinking.Let’s start with public schools. I know that they are failing our children (who are the future of our country) because of something that

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-17083531787567393442008-02-03T14:22:00.000-05:002008-02-03T14:33:06.652-05:00

This is not the Blog I had in mind for this week, but like many people at this time of year I’ve been bitten by a bug. No, I’m not talking about the small, flying type of bug like a mosquito, but rather the stealthy type that hops from person to person. I’m not sure who I should thank for this cold or flu or some combination of both that has felled me, but they could have kept it to themselves.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-59344004198410322862008-01-25T21:42:00.000-05:002008-01-27T12:36:12.004-05:00

The other week I did a Blog on the things that I love. Since I'm really sick of politics right now I decided that I would just post some pictures that I've taken in the past of other places that I love. It's winter now in the U.S. and lots of people are dealing with snow and cold weather, so I thought some pictures of green plants and other non-frozen stuff might be nice.The picture shown above

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-32904062864401798852008-01-20T13:34:00.000-05:002008-01-20T13:44:17.364-05:00

The presidential election year is upon us: newspapers, TV news, talk-show radio, and – for those states where their vote counts – TV commercials and signs all over the place. Politicians, their staff and volunteers are all out trying to get your vote, and your mailbox is full of flyers telling you why one person is better than all the rest. To support all of this an unbelievable amount of money

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-90221442631787713982008-01-12T21:29:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:36:48.266-05:00

I love the beach.I love the ocean, the sound of the waves as they crash on the shore.I love swimming in the water, the fun of riding the waves.It is sad though to see so much trash and debris on the beach and floating in the water. I wish we took better care of our home.Last year, on my annual beach vacation with friends we were unable to swim in the ocean because there was just too much

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-59943664816791876842008-01-07T14:39:00.000-05:002008-01-07T14:46:05.244-05:00

Humans have been quite adventurous in the past. Our ancestors crossed vast continents, explored the wide oceans, braved ice and deserts as they expanded across the face of our home, Earth. Who knows how many lives were lost in this process, how many ships never returned, how many wagon trains never reached their destinations? Did this stop us? No, if it had we would not be where we are today.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-61519824822547980702008-01-01T11:33:00.000-05:002008-01-01T11:45:06.832-05:00

Ah yes, here we are at that fateful time of year where many a person will resolve to do this or not do that. It’s another tradition that has been with us for a very, very long time. I got to wondering how long we’ve been doing this to ourselves and discovered that this goes back to the time of the Babylonian’s (who’s most popular [recorded] resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment). Seems

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-20126805394466854202007-12-24T16:37:00.000-05:002007-12-24T16:42:06.291-05:00

My last Blog included a list of some of the events and holidays taking place this month. Tomorrow is a very big holiday for millions of Christians – Christmas. If you are interested in some history on this holiday, the folks at How Stuff Works have an article on How Christmas Works .Personally I’m a secular humanist. Never heard of one of us? I’m not surprised, there aren’t a lot of us around –

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-45305342868120167912007-12-16T16:30:00.000-05:002007-12-16T16:44:03.099-05:00

My goodness, but December is a busy month. Just look at this list:December 5th – 1st day of HanukkahDecember 22nd – Winter SolsticeDecember 23rd – Full moonDecember 25th – Christmas DayDecember 26th – Kwanzaa beginsDecember 31st – New Years EveDepending upon your religion, or lack there of, you are probably quite busy now: shopping, mailing holiday cards, traveling to see family or friends, etc.

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-90811081887265385272007-12-09T14:03:00.000-05:002007-12-09T14:14:50.481-05:00

I’m mad, not as in crazy but rather angry, upset, and quite disappointed. An elderly gentleman that I respect greatly for his wisdom and knowledge said that he felt all the money that the government spent on the space program was an absolute waste. He feels that “all that money could have been put to better use solving problems here in our country”. This is not the first time I’ve heard someone

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-11925322444085713172007-12-02T10:44:00.000-05:002007-12-02T10:52:34.022-05:00

What inspires you: people, places, things? For myself, among other things, it’s quotations that other people have said over the centuries that inspire me. So, lacking inspiration for a topic this week, I’ve decided to list some of my favorite ones here. They are in no particular order, mostly just as I find them from where they are stashed – my bulletin board, stuck to the side of the fridge,

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-39779850425011615682007-11-25T10:35:00.000-05:002007-12-02T10:56:05.882-05:00

Here in the U.S. many of us have just celebrated the annual tradition of Thanksgiving. There are many opinions of how it all started and I’m not going to weigh in on that. However, here are a couple of sites where you can read different opinions: The Thanksgiving Story (they even have a fun quiz you can take), and How Thanksgiving Works (includes information on Thanksgiving customs in other

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-49651663398262327382007-11-18T08:46:00.000-05:002007-11-18T09:03:41.706-05:00

There’s an old saying: “You never miss the water till the well runs dry.” Much of the world lives on less than 4 gallons of water a day. Here in the U.S. we use approximately 100 gallons of water per person per day. For statistical information and other excellent information about this issue please visit the World Water Council. I must admit I am shocked by how much we in the U.S. use. Check out

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-3329351848491525072007-11-14T20:07:00.000-05:002007-11-14T20:21:08.541-05:00

I’ve been thinking about my recent post and realize that I sound like doom and gloom. That’s not how I really want to be, nor is that the tone that I want for this Blog.With that in mind I want to post my ideas for how to resolve the election/government mess:We have certification tests for all kinds of professions: everything from selling real estate to practicing law, medicine, and even working

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-34427357231184657992007-11-11T11:45:00.000-05:002007-11-11T12:05:00.068-05:00

Watching the current political campaign ads has reminded me of how little things change. The cycle goes like this: Current politicians do something bad (lie, steal, cause harm to the citizens or nation, etc.).Election year comes around and new candidates run promising to “clean up”, “address wrongs”, “solve problems”, and make other encouraging noises to get elected.We elect the ones that

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602034624624027870.post-19284462784360974762007-11-03T11:01:00.000-04:002007-11-03T11:50:25.918-04:00

There may be a few folks who remember a scientist by the name of Carl Sagan. Back in 1980 he released the Cosmos series, a show that introduced the concepts of science to people in a way that almost anyone could understand. It was a great series, one that I enjoyed. If you were to view it now it may appear to be a bit dated on some topics, but his widow, Ann Druyan, re-released the show on DVD a

Lee Cantrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840592400378580000noreply@blogger.com1