My Website: Buffalo Bill and the Girls

Here is the link for my website: http://sites.google.com/site/buffalobillandthegirls/

I hope you enjoy it!

My Website: Buffalo Gill and the Girls

This has been a difficult couple of weeks for me. I have not had enough time to devote to my class work as I would have liked due to a family illness that I needed to tend to. So, I am feeling like my website is just sort of thrown together. The time I would have been spending on it over the last two weeks has been spent driving to Columbus and back. However, I have put together what I hope will be an entertaining website for AMS205.

I have been pretty fascinated by how we are manipulated into seeing history in whatever way the government or media outlets want us to see it. This is true now, but was especially true before the advent of television, radio, and the Internet. For example, in AMS205, we have learned that the "Wild West" was not really as glamorous and beautiful as we have been led to believe. The actuality is that it was harsh, deadly, and that our ancestors took what they wanted from people who were only trying to protect what was theirs. I wanted to show that Buffalo Bill was marketed, and that his real story was just as interesting as his "his-story" of the Wild West. But when you remember Buffalo Bill, you are probably remembering the "story" and not his real story. I also wanted to show that while the American Girl dolls are probably a good investment for a child who likes dolls, all of the marketing and accessories could make a parent need to take on a part-time job just to pay for the stuff! I think that if American Girl dolls were real history, they would probably not need hairdressers and a different outfit for every day of the week!

So, my website is looking at history vs. "his-story". I chose to compare the reality and the fantasy of Buffalo Bill and of the doll line, American Girl Dolls. I know that seems a little weird, but I thought it was interesting to explore how Buffalo Bill was presented as "fact" to Americans, and how the dolls, which are based on historical characters, are presented to young girls as factual. What I've found out is that, as I expected, there is some truth to both Buffalo Bill and the dolls, but there are also many ways in which both are manufactured to sell an item to the public.

I really did enjoy this assignment, even though I don't feel like I devoted as much time to it as I would have liked to. I have never even considered developing a website before, and while I know that a Google website is not actually developing, it is good enough for me! There are some things that I didn't quite figure out as far as putting things where I wanted them and taking them out once I put them in the wrong place, but all in all, I learned a lot about using websites. I don't feel quite so bad about not being able to figure out a couple of things since I asked Librarian Kathleen to help me with a bread trail on my home page, and even she couldn't figure out how to get it out of there! We tried for a good while, but eventually gave up.

I think I was trying to market this website to parents of children (mainly girls) between the ages of 6 and 13. My goal is to make them aware of the fact that these are nice dolls for young girls, but that the books are a little superficial and don't exactly lean towards progressive when addressing women's issues. However, in fairness, I don't think that they could actually portray young girls in past historical settings and show an extremely left-wing young lady! At any rate, I wanted to show my audience that the dolls are part fantasy and part history, and should be presented as such. I used the legend of Buffalo Bill to show that history can be made to look one way when it was actually something else, so the books that go with the dolls should be used in conjunction with actual history readings.

“…THE ONLY INDIAN WHO SAW JIMI HENDRIX…”

It seemed a pretty natural selection for me to make for this blog. I was a teenager when Woodstock took place, I object to war, I’m a huge fan of music – especially from the 1960’s and 1970’s, and I’ve seen first hand the effects of alcoholism and broken families. Oh, yeah, and I also am ashamed of the way my government has treated American Indians.

I think the main theme of this chapter of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is how Victor and his father relate (or do not relate) to each other. While there are many themes in this chapter of the book, this is the one that seems to be threaded throughout. It is heartbreaking.

I found the themes in this chapter of the book to be interrelated, yet I really thought the way Alexie showed Victor’s father trying desperately to get away from traditional Indian values and Victor’s mother trying just as desperately to cling to and revive her traditional values most interesting. Alexie ties so many things together in this chapter and the entire book, it is almost hard to keep up with them, but I can easily pick out the father-son relationship.

It about broke my heart to read the passage where Victor is describing how he would wait for his father to get home at night so he could play “The Star Spangled Banner” for him while his father drank himself to sleep at the kitchen table. It reads “I would fall asleep under the table with my head near my father’s feet. We’d dream together until the sun came up.” It reminded me of my first husband and his father, and it made me very sad. I am so grateful that my children never had to live through that type of experience.

I find alcoholism such a destructive disease, and it certainly is evident in the Indian Nation. Alexie describes it so accurately in this book, and eloquently in this chapter. It is frustrating to know how hard the native Indians have been hit by this disease, and how little seems to be done to help them.

Another very poignant part of this chapter for me is the reference to war. I am very much against war (at least unnecessary wars) and thought it was interesting that Victor felt bad because he had not had a chance to fight in a war like his father had. His father’s reply, “…why the hell would you want to fight a war for this country? It’s been trying to kill Indians since the very beginning. Indians are pretty much born soldiers anyway. Don’t need a uniform to prove it.” I really think that this quote ties our class into this work of fiction. I am amazed at how much I have learned about the “Wild West”, and there is a small part of me that wishes I hadn’t learned it. Bad as it was/is, at least there is still time to try to make it better for our first Americans. I will start by knowing that my ancestors took this land from the Native Americans, and will learn more about what I can do to help them reclaim their traditions and dignity.

Jack and Bill Went Up the Hill...

Several years ago, my husband and I decided to watch Season 1 of the series “24”. I was fascinated by the concept of making each one-hour episode a part of one day in the life of Jack Bauer. We enjoyed the first three seasons, and found Jack’s ability to always get himself out of incredible fixes pretty amusing.

However, after a couple of seasons, it seemed that the torture and violence became more ingrained in the show, and my husband told me that he didn’t want to watch any more of the seasons on DVD because he objected to the torture portrayals.

I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t really notice the increase in torture as the seasons rolled by on my DVD player. I was actually more annoyed by the ridiculous situations people (usually Jack’s daughter) got themselves into. However, once the increase in torture was pointed out, I knew what he meant and agreed with my husband that Jack would never darken our door again.

I stopped watching the show, but admit that occasionally I wouldn’t mind watching it to see what Jack’s up to these days. I’m betting it’s still the same ol’ violence, torture, and bad attitude…

After reading the assigned articles this week, and after reading a few more online, I have a little more insight into this show. I can see that Jack Bauer could be compared to the cowboys of the Wild West, and that the “terrorists” could be compared to the Indians. Cowboys vs. Indians. Jack vs. Osama. Hmmm…

I think it is a stretch to compare Jack Bauer to Buffalo Bill though. While Buffalo Bill was a hero in the true sense of the word (or not actually so true), Jack Bauer is depicted as a guy who does whatever it takes to get the job done, and has absolutely no problem with doing illegal acts to accomplish the task. My impression is that Buffalo Bill would be the hero in white, and Jack would be the hero in black, sneaking around in dark alleys watching Buffalo Bill’s back, hacking off a finger or hand here and there. I heard Jack even got into the vampire craze by biting someone’s neck. Seriously??? Jack might be Buffalo Bill's scary cousin down in the basement playing with the Indian head that Bill chopped off. Come to think of it, perhaps they are more alike than I thought!

I think a lot of people love to watch Jack’s escapades because he is almost superhuman. He is the epitome of right, and routinely exterminates the evildoers. He will “do whatever it takes” to protect his country and the people in it. Who wouldn’t want to be his best friend? Well, I guess I wouldn’t want to be. I value my kneecaps waaayy to much...

I think 9/11 scared a whole lot of people. I think that Jack represents what many people want in a leader – someone who breaks the rules and doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way. Strong, one-minded George (oops – I meant Jack!)

I am a very liberal minded person, and I am completely outraged by some of the information that was reported about the Bush administration’s torture tactics. I believe that this can only be bad for the United States and worry about the young men and women who fight for us now and in the future. If they are captured, they will have no chance. It’s like all bets have been called off and there are no longer any rules. I worry about my grandchildren, especially my grandson, and what it will be like for them in fifteen or twenty years. I don’t like the way it looks - perhaps Jack will still be around to protect them.

East vs. West

Education is wasted on the young. If I had not returned to college, I would never had read The Great Gatsby again. Had I not re-read this treasure, I would never have understood the brilliance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing. I read this book once before, like so many other people, when I was in high school. It is a shame that teenagers have to read this book because they probably don’t get to really see what the book is about. Of course, they probably have a teacher standing in front of the class telling them, but who listens when you are thinking about your boyfriend and the football game on Friday night?

I was completely astounded by this book. Mainly, I think, because I missed so much of it the first time around. I did not see the amazing symbols (the green light, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, and Valley of the Ashes for example). Nor did I even notice the beautiful way Fitzgerald writes. The way he puts sentences together is simply amazing, and his understanding of descriptive writing just blows me away!

So, I must say that I am thrilled to have been introduced to this long-forgotten friend. In addition, I believe I am making some sense of why this book was on our reading list for American Studies (it had escaped me previously as to how this was related to the “Wild West”).

First, I was struck by the similarities between East Egg, West Egg, the East Coast, and the West Coast. East Egg represents the aristocracy of old money and class – something that Americans thought they were leaving behind in Europe. This type of attitude did not seem to be part of the American dream. West Egg represents new money and citizens who are considered crude and with garish manners. In the United States, it could be said that the East Coast represents money, power, and class, while the West Coast represents frontierism, new money, and crassness (at least back in the Wild West days).

I also found a real link between Gatsby and the Wild West Show of Buffalo Bill. Gatsby’s life was built around a dream (of being with Daisy), and he formulated this huge show of wealth and material items to impress her and make her believe he is all she could hope for. However, this is merely a show – Gatsby is an actor in his own strange play. Gatsby spent most of his life creating a new identity in a new place to get what he wanted. Buffalo Bill created a new identity to get what he wanted (fame) as well. Buffalo Bill created a new story about the settling of the West.

In Chapter 9 of The Great Gatsby Nick muses after Gatsby’s death about how West Egg would look to the explorers of the “New World”, and thinks that America was once a destination for explorers and those who dream of a new life. This would coincide with both Gatsby and Buffalo Bill. Both men, one fictional and one “real”, were inventors of their own images, and masters of their destiny. As we know, only one was successful in manipulating his destiny.

We should not forget that Fitzgerald was really commenting on social values of the day, and perhaps Gatsby should be required reading for all Americans lest we forget that it’s ok to dream, but be careful the dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare…

Map of Banned Books

In honor of Banned Books Week:

This is pretty interesting (and unbelievable)!

http://bit.ly/AXa7r

Be sure to click on the link directly under the map on the left that gives you the info in a larger map.

The Great Gatsby Re-Read

When I was a girl, I read The Great Gatsby and loved it. When I say "girl", I mean I was in high school. Now I am reading it again, and this time I understand it.

I always thought F. Scott and Zelda were the epitome of wealth and extremes. I think I was right, but in the wrong way...

Website Weary

Ok, I admit it. I love dolls. I have always loved dolls as far back as I can remember. The earliest pictures of me as a child always show me holding some type of doll in my hand. I played with Barbies and paper dolls long after I should have given them away to some unsuspecting cousin. I still have my first Barbie, even though she’s a little worse for the wear after my daughters wrought their special brand of havoc on her. I have a doll collection that is small but suits me nicely. No explaining it, so don’t ask…

Therefore, it makes sense that I will attempt a website explaining and detailing the effect that American Girl Dolls have on the telling of history. These dolls are larger play/collectible dolls that portray different periods of American history. I am somewhat familiar with these dolls because I bought a "Molly" doll (who is a WWII-era doll) for my daughter, Molly. She, of course, still has her Molly, and I will try to get it away from her long enough to let you see one up close and personal. However, Molly is liable to tell me that Molly is living at my house in a box, and if that's the case, I have no idea where Molly (the doll) is. Molly the daughter is in Columbus, and that's another story. Now she plays with dogs and her husband instead of dolls. I wonder if I have a picture of Molly with Molly?

At lunch today I started squirreling around on the Internet to see what I can come up with. There is an amazing amount of stuff out there about these American Girl dolls. There are also some scholarly articles about them, but I haven't had a chance to look at them yet. I might end up hunting down Dr. K and Librarian Kathleen for help with the hard-core scholarly stuff, but I think I'm on the trail!

I can tell already that the story lines and the books about the American Girls are rather "Buffalo Bill-esque". I think I will find that they portray history in a pretty white American way, even though one American Girl is Indian, one is African American (a slave), one is Hispanic, and there are settlers and immigrants as well. Oh, I forgot the Jewish New Yorker. No stereotyping here...

I hope I don’t live to regret doing this research. I love Molly’s Molly, and I really hesitate to think that I bought into the whole “his-story” rather than history. I guess I can feel better by telling myself that I bought this really expensive doll because she had the same name as my Molly. History had nothing to do with it, and that’s probably the truth. However, it will be interesting to see how the American Girls’ stories and history match up – if at all.

To follow up our class today...

In 1883, Sitting Bull was a guest of honor at the opening ceremonies for the Northern Pacific Railroad. When it was his turn to speak, he said in the Lakota language, "I hate all white people. You are thieves and liars. You have taken away our land and made us outcasts. A quick-thinking interpreter told the crowd "the chief was happy to be there and that he looked forward to peace and prosperity with the white people." Sitting Bull received a standing ovation.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-Words.html

Do you suppose this last part is true?

And another thing...

Ok, I have an addendum to my previous post (which is the real post for this week).

In looking around on the Internet for Buffalo Bill stuff, I came across something that really needs your attention! This is just too good to miss! This is the Paris Disneyland, and get a load of what they are showing visitors about the USA's "Wild West Frontier"! This was posted on the Internet on March 17, 2009:

As you read this, the final performance of the original Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show at Disney Village has come to an end. This Friday, a new set of stars arrive to disturb the natives…

Whilst various aspects of the build-up to Mickey’s Magical Party have been met with a little concern from longtime Disneyland Resort Paris fans — there’s a PR-friendly way of saying it — none have been met with that classic Disney fan anger more than the plan to introduce Mickey Mouse and friends to the usually very historically-accurate Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

The bad news for those fans? The final performance (at least for this year) of the original show was at 21:30 earlier tonight, Tuesday 17th March 2009. And, after two days’ break, this Friday 20th March 2009 will see the very first “soft opening” performance of the new Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show… with Mickey and Friends, as it will now be titled.

The marketing visuals we posted previously have been given their final treatment:

So what exactly has changed? A full press release was recently published in French, which we’ve translated below:

MARNE-LA-VALLÉE, France — It’s a grand premiere! From 4th April 2009, Mickey and his friends, Minnie, Goofy and Chip ‘n’ Dale invite guests to join them at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

They allow the audience to relive the conquest of the American West and to meet Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley and the cowboys of the Wild West.

Right from the moment they arrive, guests will be welcomed by Mickey and invited to step into a souvenir photo to capture a memory of this evening filled with adventures and unforgettable encounters.

Before entering the arena, the audience can enjoy a festive ambiance in the company of Sheriff Goofy and a live musical act.

It’s showtime!

Just as Walt Disney presented his film to the public, Auguste Durand-Ruel, the master of ceremonies of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, presents the show alongside Mickey, Minnie and their friends Goofy and Chip ‘n’ Dale.

All throughout the dinner show, Mickey and his friends will take part and join the audience in their epic adventure across the wild American West.

Wearing their cowboy hats and encouraged by Mickey and his friends, parents and children will support the colour of their “ranch” in several games and events held in the area.

The unique participation of Mickey and friends in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show will transport the audience into a grand celebration of the West!

The exact concept of the characters’ introduction still seems open to a little interpretation, but should the idea actually be that Mickey and the gang are visiting and taking part in the show with the audience, as spectators rather than stars, the transition may not be as painful as thought.

However, from a behind-the-scenes blog of the show, we can learn that “The Cattle Trail scene has become a full-blown Disney Character Ho-Down Musical” and that the characters “dance, sing, wave, and “speak” via recorded bites in various scenes.”

With word that the Disney Hotels have been offering tickets to the show discounted by 50% upon check-in in recent months, though, it may be that Buffalo Bill fans can’t be too picky about the invited guests. Nevertheless, the Native Americans in the cast still planned to sing a traditional native song to commemorate the end of the show as we know it.

http://www.dlrptoday.com/2009/03/17/final-call-for-buffalo-bills-wild-west-show-natives/

I've Been Buffaloed!

I always knew that my Kroger and Target stores were trying to fool me - placing items that I don't really want or need in places where I will notice them. Without even thinking, I plunk them into my basket and off I go to the checkout with about $100 worth of junk that I don't need and only think I want.

However, I honestly did not know that my local museum is pulling the buffalo hide over my eyes as well! Honestly! A museum that is set up to show you what they want you to see when they want you to see it??? Who'd a thought such a thing?

And so goes the Buffalo Bill Historical Center , "The Voice of the American Past". This museum is amazing enough to read about it through the voices of Dickinson, Ott, and Aoki in their article "Memory and Myth at the Buffalo Bill Museum". However, to "see" it in person, via the Buffalo Bill Historical Center website is something to behold.

Having been fortunate enough to read Dickinson et al.'s article yesterday, I have the advantage of seeing what is really going on at the BBM (Buffalo Bill Museum). I think it would be fair to say that I would have a good idea anyway if I had just visited the website. This is pure and unadulterated "cheese" (perhaps Limburger?) and commercialism at its finest.

I'm not even sure where to start with the article, "Memory and Myth at the Buffalo Bill Museum". I really enjoyed reading this as it opened my eyes to how we are constantly being manipulated in our everyday lives. Subliminally, we are told what to do, where to go, and what to buy by simply showing up somewhere. It's really rather amazing how this happens, and is really something that I might want to study in greater detail. To say that the museum is glossing over the truth of the "frontier" is a bit of an understatement. The authors of the article point out in vivid detail just how the curators of this museum seemingly take delight in preserving all things "West" while not actually telling the true story of the West.

The article opened my eyes to several things: First, Buffalo Bill wasn't real. I am a child of the 1950's which I think just generally makes me a little naive when it comes to believing what I see and hear. I was raised without the benefit of knowing everything about the world, and my knowledge was shaped by what I was told, not by what was on the Internet (and there is much debate about whether anything you can find anywhere on the Internet is true either...) Regardless, I believed what I was taught in school, as I am quite certain my teachers believed as well. Second, our nation's way of thinking about the "frontier" is based not on fact, but on what we have been told. More like "his-story", not history.

I really liked the way the authors wrote this article - I found it a really good read and underlined the heck out of it! It furthered my knowledge of how the West was really "won" and why we should all work to make our history real and not "his-story". The Buffalo Bill website is, well, pretty amazing and must be experienced to be believed. Did you see the pictures in the art museum and in the gift shop? Pretty amazing stuff! My favorite is “Madonna of the Prairie”. You should definitely find this one! This picture is copyrighted, so I’m not going to post it here, but you should definitely find it! http://www.bbhc.org/wgwa/index/cfm

Research Presentation Today

“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

-Jerry Seinfeld

I have to give my research presentation today...

Borderlands

This has been an interesting week for me. Pasha, and I are doing our research presentation on Saturday regarding the "borders" that exist (real and imagined) between the United States and Mexico. I have read, re-read, and read again Pat Mora's poem, "LaMigra". I find it intriguing and disturbing. As I mentioned to Pasha, I feel that Part I of the poem is pretty clearly defined - the border patrol demands obedience, and there is a large price to pay if their demands are not met. It seems clear-cut, and very troubling. The female part, Part II, is a little more detailed, and demanding in its own right. It seems to me that the female in Part II is taunting the border patrol, not only with her femininity, but with her ability to know the land and her abilities as well. Frankly, she seems to make the border patrolman appear as a big, pathetic dolt.

It was a pleasure to read Gloria Anzaldua's writing from Borderlands La Frontera. Not only was it extremely well written and interesting, but it was fun to translate as well. I absolutely agree with Ms. Anzaldua's concept of una raza mestiza, and very much hope that she is correct that "En unas pocas centurias, (in a few centuries) the future will belong to the mestiza." This is a real hope of mine - that race and class will someday be a non-issue. I know that it won't happen in my lifetime, and probably not even in my grandchildrens' lives, but maybe someday...

I really enjoyed Anzaldua's use of metaphors in this piece, especially when she speaks of borders. In follow up to this week's reading, I have done a little research on Mexican women, and in particular, Mexican women who live in border towns. Of particular interest is information on the "femicide" that continues to go on in the border area of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. For additional information on this dire situation, please follow this link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104981339&sc=emaf

This situation in Juarez certainly gives little hope to Anzaldua’s belief in the long struggle that will bring us to the end of rape, violence and war. In August 2009 alone, there were over 300 murders (USBorderWatch.com 9/2/09), and authorities expect the total murders for 2009 to exceed the 1623 in Juarez in 2008. Juarez and El Paso, Texas share the same border, and Juarez has a population of 1.5 million people, mainly because of the export factories resulting from the NAFTA pact between the U.S. and Mexico. These factories are also known as “maquilas”.

According to Mike Davis’ MAGICAL URBANISM Latinos Reinvent the US City, in discussing these border-town maquilas, he indicates that El Paso/Juarez has 1.5 million residents, and Tijuana/San Diego has 4.3 people. If that is the case, and assuming that both areas have the same “opportunities” (maquilas), then why is Juarez this hotbed of gang-related crime and femicide? Why isn’t it the same in Tijuana?

I very much enjoyed reading Mike Davis’ MAGICAL URBANISM Latinos Reinvent the US City. As a late (1953) baby-boomer, it is almost inconceivable to me that the United States will soon be a country where the Anglos will no longer be the largest population. Because of my age, I have had to adjust my thinking and have no problem with being a minority. In fact, chances are that I may never see that happen. However, if I do live that long, I will embrace the diversity that has become (will become) the United States. By that time, our country will have stepped up to the plate and most folks will be willing to admit that this country was never really ours to begin with, and that if we share it with others, then it we will be richer for it.

What I learned today...

The early North American Indian made a great mistake by not having an Immigration Bureau.

-author unknown

Savagery and Civilization

"...the frontier is the outer edge of the wave - the meeting point between savagery and civilization".

-Frederick J. Turner

That's the line in "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" that grabbed my attention. The Indians vs. the good guys - them vs. us. But that is not really what Turner's writing is about. It is about why and how the frontier developed. It is a theory, but a well worn and well respected one.

However, in reading Patricia Limerick's "Adventures of the Frontier in the Twentieth Century", I find a more like-minded comrade. I have long been troubled over the way that many Americans feel the world is theirs for the taking, and that we are the chosen ones. I have been appalled by the treatment of American Indians and by treatment of immigrants, legal or otherwise - especially during the "wild-West" period in history. Limerick really hits it on the head when she indicates "But the idea of the frontier permits the United States to make an appeal to innocence and exceptionalism". Why is it that when Americans invade and conquer, it is for democracy and "a better life" when if another nations or people do this, they are a threat and should be stopped? I think Limerick states very clearly that the word "frontier" is not always the great adventure it's cracked up to be.

Limerick goes on to explain that with all of the faults of the term "frontier" as used in our current mindset, it is still an adhesive that binds us as a nation of explorers and entrepreneurs. She explains that with all of its faults, the "frontier" is still seen as an all-American way of life and something that we are proud of. Finally, Limerick makes the wise statement that if our understanding of the term ever changes, it may change the way this nation sees itself - for the better.

I, myself, would like a happy medium between the glamourized "wild West" and the reality of a harsh and often-cruel environment. Certainly there were good reasons to expand to the West, and there were surely better ways to do it, but the painting "American Progress" tends to highlight many of the injustices that were dished out along the way. I would like to see the American history written to show those injustices and the cruelty so that future generations can better understand what we did right - and what we did wrong.

I apologize if this writing tends towards "ranting", but I feel very strongly about how we Americans perceive ourselves and how we are regarded by the rest of the world community. For us to recognize our part (and our government's part) in the making of the "wild West", it would go miles towards a better understanding for our future generations of how to get along with our neighbors at home and worldwide.

"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development." This is one of Frederick Turner's statements regarding the American West's settlement. Was it really "free land"?

Getting Started

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow."

- Mark Twain

Having a little trouble getting started, but will dive right in tomorrow. While I have enjoyed many documentaries and movies about the West, I have never studied it or even given it too much thought. Busy week at work and at home, so class gets some attention tomorrow and Friday! I always work best under pressure anyway...

I will tackle this, and I will control the blog!

If I lived back in the wild west days, instead of carrying a six-gun in my holster, I'd carry a soldering iron. That way, if some smart-aleck cowboy said something like "Hey, look. He's carrying a soldering iron!" and started laughing, and everybody else started laughing, I could just say, "That's right, it's a soldering iron. The soldering iron of justice." Then everybody would get real quiet and ashamed, because they had made fun of the soldering iron of justice, and I could probably hit them up for a free drink.”

dmg Jack Handy quotes (American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. Famous for his Deep Thoughts comedy sketches.) http://thinkexist.com

5 Things About Me

I have three children and three grandchildren

• I love to watch HBO series, like Sopranos or True Blood



• I live in an old, old Victorian house, circa 1865.



• My husband is a psychologist and a professor



• I have a goofy Boxer who slobbers and pants incessantly! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_(dog))