When I encounter a “women” who has steam coming out of her nose, with dragon claws waiting for an attack, and the scales standing at the nape of her neck, I think, “It must be a full moon.” I have to admit I say this when I see a person who is showing everyone how their day is going.

I just recently found out that we are in for a radical solstice, December 21st, a full moon liner eclipse. You might look at it as a fearful event, but if we are aware of it, then we should prepare ourselves for the panic stricken people who react to that “full moon moods.”

Being a Navajo I uphold the tradition on luner and solar eclipse. During lunar eclipse we are told to not sleep, eat, and drink. I was taught to not be outside or look at it. My grandmother also taught me to not ask so many questions, something I didn’t listen to very well. My questions were always,”Why?” or, “What will happen?” Needless to say she never gave in to my questions. I always thought it to be a monster that came and took naughty kids back to its home in the sky, and yes I was extremely naughty.

In my wise old age of 40 something, I have come to answering my own “why” and “what will happen” questions. With the help of my wonderful husband we have answered our own kids questions of “whys” and “what will happen.” Here it goes, because of our relationship with our mother earth and the universe, we are effected by everything we do and say. Our ancestor knew this and have experienced it to know the outcome, we have to be obedient and listen to their teaching. I have learned that it is a monster and have direct attack on our health, such as cancer, heart diseases, stomach diseases, eye diseases and other major health issues.

Article “Why Ireland Is Running Out of Priests” by Bryan Coll

Apparently there is a shortage of priests in Ireland.  A prediction was made by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin about the future of the church: If young men don’t make a difficult decision to become a priest the country parishes may not survive. The Archbishop of Dublin, told his congregation about his prediction. Once regarded with great prestige, pedophile priests are involved with sex scandals. Not only sexual abuse was found, but  of physical abuse. In the orphanages, hospitals, and schools. A dissatisfaction grew among the congregation and are falling away.

Relaxing the strict rules of celibacy and allowing marriages, would certainly save a lot of heartache and not have such a disturbing image on the Catholic Church. Rules that are driving out good men. An announcement made by Father Sean McKenna, of having a relationship with a female has stepped down.

Forsaking marriage, celibacy, money, and having a life to become a priest is  a lifetime commitment and a sacrifice. Under these circumstances it is hard to become a priest and a difficult decision.

Understanding religion is sometimes hard. They have so many rules, what you can and cannot do. For example; if you are a mormon you are not allowed to have any drinks containing caffeine. I belong to a religion that had rules and rarely did I keep them. Needless to say I have fallen away from the church. Being a Native American, having all these taboos it is also hard. But I will obey these rules/taboos in order to save myself from becoming out of balanced with the universe.

While we are in the recession we as Americans are having trouble finding jobs. We have to cinch our belts around our finances putting ourselves on a budget. There is a growing concern of the new shoplifter. That happens to be the middle class people. The middle class people feel they have to maintain the quality of life they are loosing grip of. These newcomers feels they are not risking getting caught. Justifying the need to steal because of the recession. These middle class people are not stealing necessities they are taking things like cosmetics, mobile phones, clothing and things that they once saw as candy.

Shop owners that are feeling the impact of the recession, have to cut back on the security they employ. Researcher found that the “shrinkage” level has jumped 5.9% at over 10,000 retail chain stores they surveyed in the world. The increase of shoplifter in North America at 8.1% is at the top, The middle East at 7.5%, and Europe at 4.7%. In losses North America at $46 billion, then Europe at $44 billion, and in Asia-Pacific region at $17.9 billion.

Shoplifters have an idea that stealing is not a crime towards businesses that don’t have faces. They have no ideas what kind of chain reaction it has on everyone’s pockets. Prices have to go up on items in stores to off set the loses the shoplifters have left behind.

As an ex-retail manger, i personally had to be the security for the store I managed. I have caught kids and adults stealing art and craft items. These are something that they can’t live off of, unless they were to resell and use the money to buy food. Needless to say the shoplifters never came back into the store. My store had a shrinkage problem and no matter what i did, it was always there. We struggled to survive and in the end the store closed. As a result my employees and I lost our jobs. No matter what happens to individuals these shoplifters will continue to steal out of habit and because they’ve gotten away with it for so long.

The snatchback an article about a young boy who was born in the United States who lives with his mothers ex-husband, went to visits his biological father Jason in Costa Rica. The boy Andres call his stepfather, Todd Hopson, ”dad”  for the first 9 years of his life. He played little league baseball  that Todd has nourished. Andres mother Helen decided that she wanted to go to Costa Rica to visit relatives and Andres’s biological father. Thats where it all came to blows on who has rights on the boy. The biological father Jason decided to keep the boy and now wants the paternity rights and kept him. Jason was not willing to let go of Andres and Jason wanted to what was right even though he never made the claim to being the biological father when the boy was born. Helen wanted to keep the boy but was termed an unfit mother due to her drug habits. Todd went three years trying to battle the legal systems. So the story turns into a Snatchback. Even though Todd was not the legal father, Andres wanted to be with the only father he knew.  Todd hired someone to do the snatching. Gus Zamora, clams to have returned 54 children to the left-behind parent. With some strategy, hired guns, alternate vehical, and an escape plan they planned to get Andres back. Gus did his work and was payed 40,000 dollars for the job. Andres is back in Florida and playing little league baseball, like he never left.

I never believed that these things happen and as the stories goes it happens all over the country. But why put young children through this process where it will cause more pain. I dont know what Helen was thinking on taking the poor child to see his biological father, but in return caused a lot of pain in the child, ex-husband, and the father. Although Andres is back with the only father he knew, he now knows that there could be danger lurking on ever corner. Todd should have thought about the outcome in marrying Helen and thought to the unborn child. Things we do out of love, causing trouble in the long run. If we could make the world a better place for children by the snap of a finger then I would, so that children would live with the love parents should be able to give to kids.

I can help but wonder what my children would do if we were to spilt and it is a hard picture to conjure up. Out of love for my children i would never put them in a situation where they have to switch homes or have to choose which parent to be with during the holidays. Thats too much for a child to bear.

Newly recruited for cub scout

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=It’s%20a%20spoon,%20its%20a%20fork,%20its%20a%20….weapon&st=cse

This 6 year old first grader was suspended from school and faces a reform school for 45 days. Zachary Christie’s offense was taking a camping untensil that has a spoon, fork, and a knife, to school. He violated the school distric zero-tolerance policy on weapons. In Newark, Deleware the Christina School district adopted The zero-tolerance policies on the possesion of weapons on school grounds. Because of the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings many school around the country had to adopt the same policies.

When are we gonna finially relize that the laws that are being formulated needs to be comb through with a fine tooth comb. There needs to be a process where the fine tooth comb can eliminate words that could change any unessicary judgements made on innocence. So I say less legislation and more brain thinking people in government.

I understand that this age group is not so good at rationalizing or reasoning that this new tool could be recognized as a weapon. I’ve wondered had I given in to my 5 year old the oppertunity to take a toy to school would he have wanted to taken his new toy a bow and arrow that was given by an uncle and maker of the toy weapons, which he would not part with, would he have been treated the with the same reaction. I am a firm believer of not taking toys to school so but just the thought had me quivering. So we should make an example of this story and the six year old. What has the world of parenting come to these days, we should also remind ourselves as parents, that we want the best for our kids. That means say no to what might get the child in trouble.

Art replaces "FOR RENT" signs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/nyregion/13galleries.html?_r=1&hp

A new wave entering this recessions as landlords are having to sub lease to tenants that are flexible to temporarily light up a window with their pastel portraits, interactive sculptures, and contemporary artworks. These “pop-up galleries” is helping the artist to attract some art enthusiast and helping the landlord get the attraction from the next wave of paying tenents.  While the lights are always on , the crime rate has diminished and the artist are in the spot light.

The locals do enjoy looking at the different colorful windows that the new tenant has to offer. They say it is an improvement to the city. Even the passer-by  gets a chance to see what the artist have to offer. That is what they mean by word of mouth. I won’t be surprised if the painting or portraits that are sold is by word of mouth. Commuters, workers, and the passer-by all agree that it improves the area and that it doesn’t look so dismal when they are on their way in their day’s activity. It really isn’t as depressing as the recession is looking to be.

It really helps that the artist and landlord coming together and strike a deal that best their situation and in turn make the world, if just in the area of New York area, a better place, then it should get some interesting article in the New York Times to inspire the other parts of the world. As an artist who is just starting out this article is that jumpstart or the fire that is needed to inspire me to develop my oil painting and photography that would consist of a gallery.

Because of the 2005 evacuation of Jews, the go by the slogan: “Never forget! Never forgive!” Jew believe that they belong to the land and they were commanded to live in it and settle it. They say whoever stands in their way will be punished by god. Because of their misgivings the Jews have armed themselves and established unauthorized outpost, and are considered the most dangerous.  By putting up these outpost they are keeping the Israeli army away from their main settlements. Being forced to move has made the Jews retaliate for the Israeli army fear a bloody internal clash. Palestinian are being pushed back and forced to leave their farms and are blocked at time from cities. The abandon area are taken over by Jews.

This kind of reminds me of the way Native Americans Indians were treated so long ago. Jews are trying to hold on to what was given to them so long ago even if it means a bloody clash.

Native Americans could only hold their lands for so long and it almost always ended in a bloody clash.

My question is why we as Americans putting ourselves in harms way when there is homeless Americans, economic crisis, and terrorism in the United States. We should be helping our country first instead of helping others, such as the peace talks at summit meetings.