Thanksgiving in Sand

November 25, 2012 by 2 Comments

Thanks written in sandCare to take a guess about which hashtags were most popular during Thanksgiving 2012?

#Thanksgiving and #turkey, maybe?  Or, what about #Sandy?

I’m not sure about the hashtag answer, but I did read the ABC News report about the Instagram claim that more than 100 photos per second were being uploaded to its site on Thanksgiving Day with the #Thanksgiving hashtag.

What about you?  Did you express your thanks and gratitude this year via social media channels?

This year, rather than via snail mail or email, I sent a Thanksgiving card to family and friends via a Smilebox-enabled Facebook post.

And, what about giving this year?  Have you by chance made a charitable contribution to help those in need during the 2012 Thanksgiving season?

It’s not too late to make a donation to those in the U.S. who have suffered from Hurricane Sandy.  The Charity Navigator organization has provided a list of legitimate charitable organizations aiding Hurricane Sandy victims.

In the spirit of giving and Thanksgiving 2012, I’d like to mention another legitimate charity that is aiding Sandy victims and was recently established by a New Jersey-based musician and former N.C. high school classmate of mine.

Sand Aid is a New Jersey-based charitable organization, established by Rodney Hargis, that’s organizing benefit concerts to raise funds for Sandy victims.  I invite you to join me in contributing to Sand Aid.

Let’s let our fellow Americans in New Jersey know that we recognize that their dreams and homes are more than the “castles made of sand,” that Jimi sang about.  Let’s help them keep their foundations strong.

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Learning With Apples and Mrs. Beasley

November 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Mrs. Beasley doll image at www.vintage-bliss.com

Mrs. Beasley talking toy image at http://www.vintage-bliss.com

Earlier today, I heard Microsoft chairman Bill Gates responding to the question of what it will take to reinvigorate the U.S. K-12 educational system.

Incorporating technology that engages students more in the learning process into American classrooms was a part of his answer, and I agree with that suggestion.

After hearing Gates speak today, my mind drifted back to my childhood.

I recalled my first Apple personal computer and how my twin sister and I often excitedly sat on the same chair seat while we together learned how to use a computer for the first time.

Prior to the computer, we had some engaging toys that stimulated our thinking — a favorite one being Mrs. Beasley.  Who’s Mrs. Beasley?

Before Cindy Brady’s character on the famous ‘70s TV show, “The Brady Bunch,” had her Kitty Carryall doll, there was another young girl on another famous show who carried another famous doll, and that doll was Mrs. Beasley.

The character of Buffy on the late ‘60s TV show, “Family Affair,” was Mrs. Beasley’s owner.  I first became aware of Mrs. Beasley in the early ‘70s, while watching reruns of Family Affair, and I can remember the excitement of becoming a Mattel Mrs. Beasley talking toy doll owner myself.

The Mrs. Beasley doll had a voice recorder inside its body that posed questions to its owner, when the owner activated the recorder with a pull string.  Much of the joy that came from playing with Mrs. Beasley derived from the voice recorder technology component of the doll.  Mrs. Beasley’s ability to “talk to” her owner was highly engaging.

But, what did I learn from countless hours spent “talking” with Mrs. Beasley?  I don’t have an exact answer, but I’m sure that my verbal, thinking and imaginative skills were stoked.

I’m pleased to say that I still have my Mrs. Beasley doll, though she is now mute, due to the fact that her voice recorder is no longer working.  Even so, I’ll never forget Mrs. Beasley’s question, “If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?”

If my Mrs. Beasley doll could ask me that question today, I would respond by telling her that one of my wishes would be for all of the world’s children to have the pleasure of access to engaging technologies while learning.

What about you?  What role do you think technology can play in engaging our youth in the learning process?  And what were some of your favorite, pre-computer, engaging technologies and toys? (If you’d like, listen to a working Mrs. Beasley doll pose all of her questions.)

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A Day for Film and Doughboys

November 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Wikipedia image of a typical wartime American doughboy

Wikipedia image of a typical wartime American doughboy

Have you ever lived by a coastal shore?

I could answer that question in the affirmative, having lived for a short time in one of North Carolina’s premier port cities, Wilmington.

My Wilmington abode was located a mere mile or so from Wrightsville Beach, N.C., and I can attest to the fact that there’s something different about living by the sea.

The coastal lifestyle is different, the local cuisine is different, local fashions worn by the local inhabitants are different.  Even the air itself is different.

Speaking of the air in Wilmington, over the years, the sea winds of Wrightsville Beach and the gentle Cape Fear River breezes downtown seem to have stirred up creative spirits and welcomed those with artistic souls.

Wilmington is the home of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNC-W), and, if you’re a native of North Carolina, you’ve probably heard about the UNC-W Film Studies program and Wilmington’s ties to the Hollywood film industry.  Just this year, for example, big Hollywood names like Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were in town working on location on a soon-to-be-released Hollywood film.

One of the largest examples of Wilmington’s role as a host to homegrown creativity is its annual Cucalorus Film Festival, which celebrates independent film and independent filmmakers.  More than 100 independent and international films will be showcased at this year’s event, which concludes today.

No longer living at the N.C. coast, I won’t be making any Cucalorus viewings this year, but I’m excited to share that I will be attending a 2012 Veteran’s Day release of Doughboy the Movie, an independent film that celebrates our U.S. Veterans and was produced by some creative souls in the hills of Wheeling, West Virginia.  Check out the Doughboy the Movie trailer to learn more about the movie and the Wikipedia doughboy definition to learn more about the significance of doughboys in U.S. military history.

What do you think?  Do you think living in a certain landscape can spark one’s creativity?   If so, which type of landscape do you think can engender the most creativity out of one’s soul?

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Oh Sandy!

November 4, 2012 by 2 Comments

National Guard graphic imageThis post is part of a 2012 monthly series of MySheCave.com posts on the topic of the U.S. Constitution.

Similar to when Elton John changed his Candle in the Wind lyrics to honor the late Princess Diana (the revised tune was titled, “Goodbye England’s Rose”), if we were to ask Barry Manilow to revise his famous tune, “Mandy,” to honor the victims of this past week’s Hurricane Sandy, he could tweak one of the most famous lyrics of the Mandy song to be:

 “Oh Sandy well,
You came and you left our hearts breaking.”

The devastation from Sandy’s wake has left so many of us living in outlying areas wondering, “How can we help?”  Here is a list of charitable organizations to which you can denote to help victims of the storm.

One of the ways the U.S. federal government has been assisting Hurricane Sandy victims is through the deployment of the National Guard of the United States.

Do you know which Article of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the existence of the U.S. National Guard?

According to Wikipedia, Article One, Section 8; Clause 14 gives the United States Congress, “the power to pass laws ‘calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.’ ”  The Wikipedia entry goes on to state that Title 10 of the United States Code defines National Guard members as a subset of the “Militia.”

What is your experience with the U.S. National Guard?  Are you aware that the National Guard is the oldest component of the U.S. armed forces?

Do you personally know any members of the Guard?  And, have you ever witnessed a live deployment?

Without doubt, many of the Hurricane Sandy victims likely viewed the National Guard vehicles and troops who were trudging through the floodwaters earlier this week like guardian angels.

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