“Just a Thought” from Don Clucas August 15, 2016.... Come on America, Leave Gabby Alone

Come on America, let’s get off Gabby’s back! She’s a wonderful young woman who has poured her heart and soul into representing her country in two Olympics (my apologies to all my teachers who told me not to use so many clichés in my writing).
She stood politely at attention when the national anthem was played, and didn’t do anything to show even a hint of discourtesy or lack of patriotism. So what if she didn’t place her hand over her heart. There are no hard and fast rules to say we must do “this or that” when the anthem is played or the pledge of allegiance is recited...as long as we are not being discourteous. Yes, the military has its rules of etiquette, but those rules do not apply to civilians.
Even in our religious life in this country, there are no set rules to the position we take when we are praying....seated with hands folded and palms together, or standing with hands clasped behind our backs? Standing in a group holding hands with those next to us? Kneeling on a bench? Lying in a bed? Driving on a steep mountain road with one hand grasped tightly on the steering wheel and the other hand wiping sweat off our forehead?
In his book Praying Jesus’ Way, Curtis Mitchell addresses the subject of “the procedures of prayer.” In the section “Posture in Prayer,” he quotes the poem entitled “The Prayer of Cyrus Brown” by Sam Walter Foss:
“The proper way for a man to pray,” said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
“And the only proper attitude is down upon his knees.” “No, I should say the way to pray,” said Reverend Dr. Wise,
“Is standing straight with outstretched arms, And rapt and upturned eyes.” “Oh, no, no, no,” said Elder Slow, “Such posture is too proud.
A man should pray with eyes fast-closed, and head contritely bowed.” “It seems to me his hands should be serenely clasped in front,
With both thumbs pointing to the ground,” said Reverend Dr. Blunt. “Last year I fell in Hidgekin’s well headfirst,” said Cyrus Brown,
“With both my feet a stickin’ up and head a-pointin’ down;
And I made a prayer right then and there, the best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed, a-standin’ on my head.”
So, if Cyrus Brown could pray “a-standin’ on his head,” what’s the big deal (oops, another cliché) about Gabby courteously standing at attention without placing her hand over her heart?...Just a thought. 

"Just a Thought from Don" Native Americans at the DNC

I can’t put my figure on an exact time when my love for “all things Indian” began. It just seems like I’ve always been drawn to anything and everything that has to do with the Native cultures of our country. And it doesn’t end there. Although my passion has always been for anything which represents American Indians, I have also had a keen interest in Native cultures from north and south of our borders.

Attempting to “put a finger” on when it all started, it may have been in Miss Boyd’s third grade class (1949-50) at Lowell Elementary School in my hometown of Santa Ana, California. My dad once told me he was certain it was Miss Boyd and the history lessons she presented on Indian life which truly got me interested in school in general.

During the following summer vacation we visited my Grandpa Jim Clucas and his wife (“Aunt” Ferne) in Idaho. My two prized souvenirs I brought home from the trip were a postcard bearing a photograph of Chief Joseph, who immediately became one of my lifelong heroes, and a small obsidian arrowhead, which I still have to this day. 

I won’t bore you with all the details of my interest in Indians (and yes, the word Indian is politically correct). But those who have known me, and do know me best – family, friends, teachers, students, and those who have read my books – understand how much the Indian, or Native American, culture means to me.

With that in mind, and with absolutely no hidden political meaning to this writing, I want to commend the DNC, and especially Bernie Sanders, on something I have witnessed during the campaign of the past months and the convention during the first couple days.

Along with all other important issues which have been discussed and brought to the forefront, many of which are extremely important to my wife Joanie and me, was the inclusion of the needs of our Native peoples. This was very evident at the DNC Convention, but more notably to me was the fact that Bernie Sanders was the only candidate from either major party who consistently included Native Americans in his campaign speeches and the debates.

My master’s degree is in education with an emphasis in American Indian Education. In 1974, I wrote what would later become my thesis. It was a curriculum guide for school teachers and was meant to basically help non-Indian instructors teach Native culture and history in a proper and realistic way. Since that time, there have been many gifted educational writers who have published materials in this area. I am truly grateful to them for the work they have done.

As I watched the DNC state delegates announcing their votes, and realized how many of the committees were represented by Native people, I couldn’t help but wonder….  ”Which of them were inspired by a teacher who helped them to take pride in who they are?” 

Presidential Candidates and the HonorThey Bestow on Their Families By Don Clucas

• “Just a Thought” by Don Clucas
  
  
  I’ll be the first to admit I could be absolutely wrong in one observation I’ve made during the 2016 presidential campaign, and you can be free to point it out to me if I am. For now, however, I’m sticking with what I think is the case. It concerns presidents, both past and present, as well as those who have campaigned during the past several months in an attempt to obtain the highest position in our land.
  First, however, I ask that you indulge me by allowing me to write some words of thanks concerning those who have gone before me, and had such an important part in making me who I am (for better or for worse) – my ancestors. And when I use the term “ancestors,” I’m not speaking about the ones who came across the Atlantic on those big boats many years ago, nor the hardworking pioneers who trudged across the plains during the westward movement. I’m talking about the ones who were alive during my lifetime and did everything in their power to raise me up to be a good person – Mom, Dad, my grandparents, a great-grandfather. And a BIG bunch of aunts and uncles as well as great aunts and uncles (both biological and by marriage). And after Joanie and I were married, there were her parents, her step-dad, and her grandmother. And, of course, it goes without saying…there was Joanie.
  Every one of these people put a lot of effort into making certain I followed the right path, worked hard, treated others with respect, and was a good citizen, and of course, loved God. Did I ever fail to be the responsible person they wanted me to be? Of course I did – I’m human. But was it because they hadn’t tried? Of course not. And while we’re at it, were they perfect? Of course not. But they never ever gave up on me.
  Okay. Back to the presidents and the candidates. You thought I forgot, didn’t you?
  It seems to me that as long as I can remember, presidential candidates and those who have gone on to fill the office itself have always done a great job of acknowledging their families and the influence they have had on their lives. I especially think of those who have had a keen awareness of the important role their mothers and spouses have played in their lives. Many have had their mothers seated at special events in which they, themselves, have been involved. I recall, most recently, of Barbara Bush’s attendance at debates which included her son Jeb. And on the other side of the campaign Hillary Clinton has always acknowledged the tremendous influence her mother, Dorothy Rodham, has had on her life. I’m certain, there could be many more similar instances which could be cited concerning other candidates. 
  However, the one glaring thing that stands out to me (finally, back to the point of this piece) is that I haven’t observed this in the case of Donald Trump. Although I have read quite a bit of information regarding his parents, Trump himself doesn’t seem to have a need to speak about them. Nor does there seem be a desire for him to give credit to anyone else in his family line who might have come alongside him in an attempt to properly “mold him.”
  What does seem to be the case is that when he has been on the campaign trail, he is surrounded by the family he has put together. And is there a fatherly and husbandly pride shown when he introduces them and talks about them? I believe there is, but it always seems to have the hidden (or maybe not-so-hidden) message of “Look at my family. See what I’VE created!” 
  
  
  Just a thought…by Don Clucas 
• 
  

Social Drinking

Social Drinking; Why Do We Drink Spoiled Liquids?

A touchy subject for sure, one which I nagged about, worried about, and fiercely taught about under the D.A.R.E. program at Carnelian Elementary School. I'm fairly certain that all my "ravings" fell on disinterested ears. I think this is the first time I've ever written down my thoughts on this subject, and not sure why I needed to today, January 1, 2016. Perhaps it was the flow of beverages at the party we attended last night, or the number of accidents reported on the news today.  Whatever, here it is.

Both my parents were alcoholics. That fact alone shaded how I reacted to drinking all these fermented fluids.  I witnessed first hand how alcohol changed a person's personality and reactions to others.  A funny and loving father changed into an angry and hateful person who caused me to tremble; a beautiful, happy mother became irrational and cruel, a fearsome woman to be avoided if possible. Most adults in my life were drinkers who slurred their words, spent nights in jail for DUI, and engaged in horrific arguments while "under the influence."

Experts say the tendency to alcoholism is inherited, and I, admittedly, have been scared to death it would happen to me. At least one of my mom and dad's grandchildren has been severely impacted by alcohol abuse.

Some feel the key is moderation, and many of our acquaintances drink moderately.  Many probably have some each day, and may not be sure where the line of moderation and addiction is drawn.  I know my mom began having "one little drink" with her work buddies daily during the war, and she fought a lifetime temptation. After she quit in 1952, she never drank again, but felt if she did, she'd slip back into drinking. My husband suffers migraines and doctors have told him one glass of red wine would give him an instant headache.

Aside from the negative effects on me of even a glass of wine (my head seems to lean to one side and everything becomes hysterical) thinking about what makes them causes a bit of nausea. I remember asking my school students if they would reach into their garbage disposal and eat something, to which they would all gag and scream, "NO!" Every alcoholic beverage is made from something spoiled which doesn't appeal to me.  Yes, a touchy subject for sure, but just my opinions and experiences.

Here's a partial Wikipedia list of of fermented beverages:

Beverages by raw material[edit]

For micro-organisms, see List of microorganisms used in food and beverage preparation and yeast in winemaking.

The names of some alcoholic beverages are determined by their raw material.

Grains

Name of fermented beverage

Name of distilled beverage

barley

beer, ale, barley wine

Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, shōchū (mugijōchū) (Japan)

rye

rye beer, kvass

rye whiskey, vodka (Poland), Korn (Germany)

corn

chicha, corn beer, tesguino

Bourbon whiskey, moonshine, also vodka (rare)

sorghum

burukutu (Nigeria), pito (Ghana), merisa (southern Sudan), bilibili(Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon)

maotai, gaoliang, certain other types of baijiu (China).

wheat

wheat beer

horilka (Ukraine), vodka, wheat whiskey, weizenkorn (Germany)

rice

beer, brem (Bali), huangjiu and choujiu (China), Ruou gao(Vietnam), sake (Japan), sonti (India), makgeolli and chungju(Korea), tuak (Borneo Island), thwon (Nepal)

aila (Nepal), rice baijiu (China), shōchū (komejōchū) and awamori (Japan), soju (Korea)

millet

millet beer (Sub-Saharan Africa), tongba (Nepal, Tibet), boza (the Balkans, Turkey)

buckwheat

shōchū (sobajōchū) (Japan)

Fruit juice

Name of fermented beverage

Name of distilled beverage

grapes

wine

brandy, Cognac (France), Vermouth, Armagnac (France), Branntwein (Germany), pisco (Peru, Chile, Grozdova), Rakia (The Balkans, Turkey), singani (Bolivia), Arak (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan), törkölypálinka (Hungary)

apples

cider (U.S.: "hard cider"), Apfelwein

applejack (or apple brandy), calvados, cider

pears

perry, or pear cider; poiré (France)

Poire Williams, pear brandy, Eau-de-vie (France), pálinka (Hungary), Krushova rakia / Krushevitsa (Bulgaria)

plums

plum wine

slivovitz, țuică, umeshu, pálinka, Slivova rakia / Slivovitsa (Bulgaria)

apricots

Kaisieva rakia (Bulgaria), pálinka (Hungary)

pineapples

tepache (Mexico), Pineapple Wine (Hawaii)

juniper berries

gin, borovička (Slovakia)

Opinion Piece by My Husband, Don Clucas

Ben Carson and the Pyramids
By: Donald Laine Clucas
November 19, 2015


I am not writing this piece as a letter of support for Ben Carson as president of the United States. In fact at this early “stage of the game,” I have no idea who I will be voting for. For one thing, none of us knows which candidates will be left standing when it comes voting time. However, one thing I know for sure is Ben Carson has a right to voice his opinion on a subject such as the use of the Egyptian pyramids without coming under verbal attack from other candidates such as Donald Trump.
First, a speech made in 1998 about a subject such as the use of the pyramids has no bearing on a person’s ability to be the so-called “leader of the free world.” What it does, on the other hand, is demonstrate a person’s ability to use his or her God-given intelligence to consider other possibilities (i.e. “think outside the box”) which is exactly what I challenged my students to do throughout my forty-year career as an educator.
As a college student, one of my areas of emphasis was anthropology, especially the discipline of archaeology. My main area of interest was local California Indian cultures. As a teacher, I had the privilege of passing on what I had learned to my students, both in the class and in the field. One of the main concepts I taught them was “archaeology is not an exact science.” The reason for this being that we do not (and most likely will not ever) know all the answers to the archaeologic puzzle. In other words, much of an archeologist’s time is spent in guess-work.
For example, many of the artifacts such as projectile points (arrowheads) or various grinding stones my students unearthed throughout the years were easily identifiable simply because their use has been noted in recent times. However, there were other pieces such as the obscure discoidal, a small shaped stone (similar to the mano, which is a small hand stone used for grinding seeds and grains) found in limited areas of Southern California. Archaeologists have several theories as to the purpose of the discoidal, but no one knows for certain. And no one probably will ever know because the stone has never been used in modern times, therefore knowledge of what it was meant for is lost to history. The most common theory is that it was used for religious purposes. But if an historian or archaeologist was to discover some form of proof that it was used for some other purpose such as, say, a weapon, would that entitle us to belittle the ones who had previously voiced their theories as to its use? It’s a rhetorical question because we know the answer. It would not.
In 1998, Ben Carson voiced his opinion concerning what might have possibly been the reason for building the pyramids – a theory which was first voiced by the Syrians in the 16th century.  In fact, it is only one of 13 theories concerning the building of the pyramids. The use of the pyramids as tombs is simply another theory. Although it has usually been the most accepted theory, it is just that – A THEORY. The concept has been taught for so long, however, it has been accepted as complete fact. And it may actually be the true reason the pyramids were built. The fact “mummies” have been located within the pyramids have led to that belief. In fact, alternative archaeology reporter Scott Creighton has voiced the same theory and a 2011 article published in the Smithsonian stated there is no consensus as to why the pyramids were built.
However, we do not have enough historical records to give us all the answers. As with so many other things from the past, we may never know the exact truth. But then again, if we didn’t have these things to argue about, what would most of us have to talk about?


 

Pinecone

CRACK!!! As our super-quiet afternoon was suddenly interrupted, we turned to each other and cried, "What was that!" We checked the garden area the sound came from, and finding nothing, went back to reading. However, our daughter's dog, which we were keeping for the day, had jumped up from her nap and had run behind a chair. She was taking no chances. 

CRACK!! Again, the noise startled us enough that we began to try to figure out the source.

"Could something electrical have shorted?"

"A worker with a nail gun has been shooting it carelessly!"

"A meteorite on its way through hit the ground!"  (Really far out ideas, I know)

CRACK!! The dog leaped onto my lap and stuck her head under my arm.

On our driveway, we have several potted plants, shells, and a few other collecttibles. At the last CRACK, Don realized the sound came from a huge pinecone we had picked up on Palomar Mountain a few months ago. It was sitting in the sun, and as it heated up, the piñon seeds were loosening.

 I knocked the 8" x 5" diameter cone over, and probably twenty-five piñon nuts attached to their helicopter-like wing, scattered onto the driveway. We enjoyed throwing a few up into the air to watch them twirl back to earth. After separating each nut from the fragile wing, I stored them in a plastic bag along with perhaps thirty others which had fallen out earlier. (No CRACKS heard then) 

So, in a nutshell, (no pun intended) our mystery sound was another evidence of God's creativity and care for His creatures. The stunning spiral of this "widow maker" as they are sometimes called, not only is beautiful, but productive, as it released its bounty under heat. Each seed had a propelling device to help land it somewhere fertile. Those which don't make it to the ground, in a forest setting, will feed the animals. Ours will taste great on salad!  If we can get their amazingly hard shells to  CRACK!! 

You've Just Won $1,000,000! Hahahaha!!

Today my friend and I had a good laugh over her mail from yesterday. She had letters from eight different organizations, each one guaranteeing her $1,000,000 or more if she would jump through their hoops, and of course, remit money to have the privilege of winning such a grand prize.  I added up the total of her "winnings," and it came to just over $70,000,000. That's for just one day of USPS delivery of monetary good news.

Although it gave us some humor and fun moments of "Where shall we go on a cruise?" speculation, it really made me angry.  I took down the names of the eight organizations from yesterday's mail, intending to track them down. How naive! Before I was even finished typing in the first organization, a website,  http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/sweepstakes.php  popped up. As I followed the links, I found forty-two pages, approximately 1,260 listings of mail scams, all in alphabetical order!  Thank goodness there are good people keeping track!

If we could peek into the lives of hundreds of people, especially seniors who are often bored, we could probably find two or three such letters that people have taken seriously at some point in their lives, building their hopes up for sudden wealth while wasting untold time submitting the "next step" toward winning, and losing out.

Lesson learned is "There's no free lunch," and there certainly isn't any wealth to be found in the daily mail! I printed the list for my friend, and I'm sure she'll be checking her mail against that list from now on.