The True Inspiration of Live Music

On a recent trip to Des Moines, Iowa I had the distinct pleasure of enjoying a live classical symphony: the Des Moines Symphony playing Beethoven's Pastoral symphony and selections from Rimsky-Korsakov.  I am not a huge classical music fan, my rock and roll roots have a firm grip on my listening favorites, but the impact a symphony such as this could change my mind and at least broaden my horizons.

"Fluoride Feminism"

"Men weren't really the enemy -- they were fellow victims suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily inadequate when there were no bears to kill."--Betty Friedan

Is Feminism Relevant today? I have my own answer to that question, but I am enjoying
searching the ins and outs of the topics one covers when pondering that question.  When on a college campus in the late 70's, I was at the tail end of the feminist revolution of the 60's and in the midst of what Betty Friedan called the "Second Stage" of Feminism. Friedan advocated growth for both men and women and support for the family unit. Feminist ideals have always been important to me, and learning what women before me have struggled for has been important: I don't ever want to take for granted those everyday liberties that women use.
In conversations with women younger than myself, I frequently get the impression that the concept of Feminism is strictly an "historical" reference in their lives and not relevant to day to day living.  I believe Feminism should not be relegated to the history books, there is more growth needed.  Each generation can learn from the evolving precepts of Feminism.
  In  their book: Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future,Jennifer Baumgarnder and Amy Richards, (both born in 1970) write: "For anyone born after the early 1960s, the presence of feminism in our lives is taken for granted. We scarcely notice that we have it--it's simply in the water."
 The development of some of the feminist ideals should not remain stagnant.  So that is why I read about, write about and talk about feminism today. More thoughts to come....

Seek out Your Passport

Seek out and obtain your Passport.  Your Passport to the National Parks, that is.  Is has some of the same concepts as a traditional Passport, you get it stamped at your various destinations, but it is a whole lot easier to obtain and contains more information for you than just where you have been.  I have visited many National Parks, but just recently obtained my passport at America's largest National Park: Wrangell St. Elias in Alaska.  Now I just have to "catch up" with all the Park's I visited in the past and fill in the dates.  It is fun to cruise through the Passport, finding the places you have seen and remembering the visit. It is also a great partner for assisting in planning your next trip.

The Passport to Your National Parks program started in 1986, to help travelers in the U.S. gain a broader understanding and appreciation of the treasures of America's National Parks.  It serves as a great souvenir to take with you on every trip to "log in" and have your book stamped with the cancellations of the specific park you visited. More than just a souvenir, it has a terrific overview of all the parks and includes maps, color photos and background information on the Parks. The Passport book is divided into 9 geographic travel regions making travel planning and finding specific parks much easier. You can purchase the Passport at just about every National Park, but if you are itching to get a copy right away, you may find it at www.eParks.com