What REAL Men Want
While scrubbing the shower this morning, I came up with the following thesis in reply to Reality Steve's "What Women Need to Know About Men"

What REAL Men Want

Essentially, men are far simpler creatures than their female counterparts. Men view their surroundings with far more objectivity then do women and as a result they generally have a stronger, more natural tendency to get things done quicker, faster, and with more resolve. Women bear the natural inclination to think things through. As I am a woman, I am hear to think through the simplicity of the nature of men.


Steve says men need five things and that covers all the bases. While I think his pentatheory bears some regard here, it is but a smaller part of the bigger picture. These five things are but a subcategory of the TWO things all men absolutely require. And, even as a subcategory, the titles themselves are somewhat limited in scope to the actuality of the desires if they are to represent the entire "male" species.

Simply said, all men seek solidity and release. Solidity is the soundness of a personal niche in a chaotic exterior environment. Release is the expenditure of pent energy as a result of existing in a chaotic exterior environment. Biology and upbringing will play a part in each man's individual inclination to lean towards a preference of seeking one over the other; but general speaking, a normal, healthy male will seek to find a balance in his life of these two elements. And what one does not gratify with the intent of the former, he will seek to rectify through expression of the latter.

Since we here at Rance enjoy our Hollywood icons, let us take a second to use some of them as our examples. I believe one character that seeks solidity over release would be Ben Affleck. Ben seems to be a solid, upstanding gentleman who is extremely bright, charming, and gracious. As we all know, over time Ben has expressed some release with things like a little social drinking and an overexposed relationship. As his life progresses in the search for solidity, however; Affleck is a fine example of resolving the issues of "release" in the attempt to gain and maintain solidity.

On the other hand, let's take a look at Colin Farrell. Granted, media senationalism can cloud the truthfulness of many situations; but regardless, I'd be perfectly willing to place Colin in the category of currently seeking release over solidity. Not that it is necessarily an evil characterization, but release is the category which men seek the outlets of women, sex, food, sleep, and recreation (sports).

Although I do allow room for natural inclinations in this category; the main premise is that most men will seek a balance of the two and any counterbalance of one category will be offset by an abundance of the second category.

As Colin matures, he will likely come to embody the ideals of someone such as, say, George Clooney. George is constantly under media scrutiny of being an unscrupulous womanizer; but, I really just don't feel that this is a fair evaluation. I think George is a decent guy who underneath his cool, suave exterior does so seek the means to find solidity in his life.

George has achieved a notoriety in his life as a rambling bachelor with no desire to settle down; however, I will bet that if he ever found a woman that could appreciate his needs and reciprocate his good intentions, that he would hang on to her with all that he had. Of all the women that fantasize about Clooney, how many are on the giving end versus how many are on the receiving end of what this magnificent man has to offer? How many women envision themselves decked out in designer clothing, decorated with fabulous jewelry, attending high profile events; returning to an enormous mansion to bathe in the bubbles of the finest European champagne? Now, how many women day dream about cooking George a nice meal after a day spent nursing the babies, organizing the closets, and scrubbing the floors? Yeah, that's what I thought.

This is where the miscalculations of the inexperienced come into play. Women, in particular, have a tendency to view men in the simplistic, demeaning terms of mere animals who seek sex, food, sports, and sleep; and in an effort to gain what women desire, they will flaunt these perpetual male needs to suit their own selfish desires. For example: using sex to gain material commodities, or using food to achieve romanticism.

Many people think men have this need to express a level of machismo, and as a result women can play the role of "helpless and harried" therefore forcing men into this macho role. Whereas, the point of my theory is that men who seek solidity really don't want to come home and change lightbulbs and take out the trash. They deserve to come home to a woman that is competent and capable in her own self. He needs to come home to a woman that can change her own lightbulbs and take out her own trash.

If a man comes home to a warm, clean home; a hot meal upon the table; happy children; and a loving, smiling companion; that is his solidity and therefore he does not need to seek release. If a man comes home to a messy house, bratty kids, and a brutal self-serving partner armed with a mile-long to-do list; this man is far more likely to need to seek release. It is this man, who despite his good intentions and legitimate needs; will go to the bar, get drunk, and make an ass of himself around strange women. Eventually, he will learn that his home does not equivocate the security he needs in his chaotic world and he will turn away to seek that solidity somewhere else.

Now, I am sure generations of women's rights groups will come pounding down upon me, but before you do; merely seek the simple interpretation of what I am trying to say here: If you want a happy, loving mate; identify his needs and willingly meet them! Men don't "need" those aforementioned five elements. They "need" security. They need security in themselves; in their homes; and in their relationships. Above a clean house and hot food; they need things far more important:

They need spontaneity; they need commitment. They need dependability; they need reliability....

They need a date to the movies.... someone who isn't afraid to run across the parking lot in the rain.... someone who will stand in line with them to get tickets...someone who doesn't need diet and someone who loves extra butter....someone who saves the last bite of popcorn for them... someone who picks up their own trash at the end of the flick... someone to discuss the elements of the film and not just how hot Brad Pitt looks in a skirt...

They need someone who can catch the phone, hold the door, hail a cab, or run for the elevator....

They need a StarCraft partner... or WarCraft... or poker... or tennis... or hiking... or biking... or racing... or whatever! Not just someone to go and see and do.... But someone to play and cheer and enjoy.

Men need someone who can remind them of their mother's birthday; even when they forgot yours.

They need the strength to overcome; without the resentment of having to overcome. Beit drinking, or smoking, or drugs; or finishing school, or gaining employment....

Admit or not, men DO need a shoulder to cry on; but they also need a hand to hold when no one else is there... Sometimes a second opinion helps; sometimes strength is found just in the silence of understanding.

Men do need affection. A nice back rub after a long day on the job; a nice foot massage after a relaxing day off. A nice something else for no reason at all.

They need someone that is capable. Men don't need to come home to a driveway full of snow after every single storm. Men shouldn't have to put the toilet seat down after every single pit stop. Men shouldn't have to change every light bulb, and empty every trash can, and they certainly shouldn't have to come home after a long day and clean up after anyone else....

To wrap up the point, I will reiterate that men are simple creatures. But, not so simple that their needs should be trivialized. Men DO want and need many of the same things women do; as does anyone who deserves a solid, secure, and loving environment in which to be happy. However, I think women many women need to realize that as a partner, they have an obligation to help meet the needs of their man and give him the environment he seeks and deserves. Otherwise, instead of coming home to you for solidity, he will go elsewhere to find his release...


I've been wrong before, but I'll bet most men in this world would rather make love to their own woman complete with dish pan hands, stretch marks on her thighs, smile lines around her eyes, and baby spit on her shirt; then even the fanciest supermodel in all the world.

That's what REAL men need.

The Schooling of Cell Phones
Sitting in his second-period computer class at Eastern High School, Gray Taylor, 15, felt his cell phone vibrate. To avoid being caught by the teacher, he answered quietly - and discovered an unexpected caller.

"Why are you answering the phone in class?" Gray's mother asked. He whispered back, "You're the one who called me." His mother said she had intended to leave a question on Gray's voice mail.

Such scenes are playing out across the country, as hundreds of high schools have reluctantly agreed to relax their rules about cell phones in schools. Rather than banning the phones outright, as many once did, they are capitulating to parent demands and market realities, and allowing students to carry phones in school - though not to use them in class.

The reversal is a significant change from policies of the 1990's, when school administrators around the country viewed cell phones as the tools of drug dealers. In Florida, carrying a cell phone in school could be punishable by a 10-day suspension. In Louisiana, it was deemed a crime, with a potential penalty of 30 days in jail.

But now the phones have become tools used by parents to keep in touch with, and keep track of, their children. And schools are facing a more basic reality: it is no longer possible to enforce such bans.

Thanks to the falling prices of mobile phones, and the aggressive efforts by carriers to market "family plans" to parents and teenagers, the phones have become so commonplace that trying to keep them out of schools would be like trying to enforce a ban on lip gloss or combs.

Over the last two years, more than half a dozen states, including Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan and Nevada, and numerous individual school districts, have either abolished or relaxed their bans. In June, Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida signed a law, based on a proposal forwarded to the Legislature by a group of high school students, to no longer make possession of a phone in school a felony and leave punishment up to counties. Since July, half of Kentucky's district's have rescinded a ban on outright possession.

"There's a feeling across the land that it just ain't a big deal anymore," said William Scharff, president of the American Association of State Policy Services, a national association of school boards. "More and more states are taking a liberal attitude towards kids carrying phones."

About half of American young people from 13 to 17 are expected to have a cell phone by the end of 2004, according to the research firm Yankee Group. And in many high schools, including poor urban ones, administrators say the figure is closer to 90 percent.

The new policies vary widely, and in many cases they indicate a grudging capitulation by school administrators. While some schools permit phones to be displayed in plain sight, others require the phones to be stowed in purses, pants or backpacks. Some still ban certain kinds of phones, like those with cameras, fearing locker-room high jinks.

Most schools continue to forbid the use of phones and other electronics during class time. The gadgets are seen as offering too much temptation to stray from schoolwork or to cheat on tests, not just because they can be used for phone calls but also because they can be used to check the Internet, play games or send text messages to other students with phones. (Some high schools require students' hands to be on top of their desks at all times, to thwart under-desk messaging.)

But the nation's teachers are up against teenagers like Tina Burgess, a senior at Middleburg High School in Florida. Last year, as project for public speaking class, Tina and other students compiled research to challenge the state law that made it a felony to possess a cell phone in schools. The project piqued the interest of local legislators, who asked Tina and her classmates to present the case to a legislative panel last spring.

Tina summed up the students' argument that cell phones had become as common as wristwatches and should not be seen as any more disruptive or extraordinary. "To you, this is a tool," she told the lawmakers. "To me, this is like jewelry."

Around the nation, many parents say they have grown accustomed to the easy means of keeping tabs on their children.

In Lansing, Marikay Teremi, 40, said she thought of the cell phone she gave her daughter Sarah, a junior at Eastern High School, as a life line - whether as a way to know if her daughter might be late coming home from basketball practice or simply to stay in touch. "The cell phone is not for her convenience," Ms. Teremi said. "It's for her security. It's for my peace of mind."

Sarah, a junior who also plays on the volleyball team, says she likes being able to stay in touch, too. "I'm always checking in with my mom to make sure I'm not running too late," she said.

But some other parents say they wish Eastern High, a school of 1,500 students largely from poor neighborhoods, had never lifted the ban. The school did so last year, even while the statewide prohibition was still in place. At first, the school adopted an informal policy of letting students carry phones. Teachers and administrators say students would talk on the phones during classes, or play games or even use the cameras.

This year the school decided to tighten its informal policy, by adhering to the state's new law allowing cell phones to be in students' possession, but not openly displayed.

Theresa Gonzales, 43, has three teenagers at Eastern High, including two seniors, Robert Nick, 18, and Tiffany Nick, 17, who both have cell phones they paid for with money from summer jobs.

Even with the new, tougher strictures, Ms. Gonzales says her children's phones can be a distraction if they are used during class.

She says that if she needs to reach her children at school, she can do what parents have long done: call the school. And she dismisses a commonly heard argument in favor of cell phones: that they would be handy in a disaster like the Columbine shootings. "I can't live in total fear," Ms. Gonzales said.

Students at Eastern High said the new, tougher guidelines had not stopped the frequent use of cell phones at school. Restrooms are popular places for students to sneak phone calls. Some still take calls even in class - or play games under the desk.

Alicia Barajas, 17, the senior class president, said she was in her Advanced Placement English class recently when a student received a call - and ignored the substitute teacher's request to end it. "He was like, 'I've got to take this,' " Alicia said.

Around the country, schools that have relaxed bans, or that never had them, continue struggling to balance the needs of faculty, parents and students against the reality of a ubiquitous technology.

At Mission High School in San Francisco, the city's poorest, with 950 students, the principal, Kevin Truitt, said that the school had never banned cell phones but did require that they be kept out of sight and not be used during classes.

A first violation of the cell phone rules draws a warning. On a second offense, the school confiscates the phone, and it regularly collects a dozen or more a day.

In the past, Mr. Truitt said, he asked the parents to come to school to retrieve the phones. But late last year, that changed, after parents began complaining. Now, students themselves can retrieve their confiscated phones at the end of the day.
The parents consider the phones their children's personal property, he said. Besides, he added, "they want to be able to call in and check with their kids."

I'll tell you right now that the problem isn't cell phones. (Cell phones don't distract people; people distract people.)

It is the total lack of respect that students and parents have for the public school system; its teachers and administrators. That lack of respect is a direct result of a lapse in effective parenting.

I personally don't advocate public schooling as the best alternative for most. But, it is the only alternative for many. In so being, if you choose to send your child through the public system, it is your responsibility as a parent to teach your children to respect and abide by all of the rules as laid forth by the system.

I will argue that cell phones are NOT jewelry. And if that is the mindest that those students have, then phones should not be allowed. If my daughter were to attend public school she would carry a cell phone as a safety mechanism. However, if she were to misuse the phone during instructional time or in violation of any of the rules, she would lose the social privileges that caused her to misuse the phone.

Children of today need positive role models that can effectively illustrate and emulate the rules that pertain to not only existing in society, but succeeding in society. Those role models should be the parents, but parents are failing their children at such alarming rates today.

It is inherent in children, no matter how mature they seem, to depend on these role models. When they don't have the proper role models; they will seek guidance wherever it may be; and, often that will also be the path of least resistance in doing so. Meaning, children rely on other peers for guidance. And, as those peers also lack effective parenting, all the children suffer by not learning the necessary rules of respect and understanding.

As adults, we know that if we ignore the bossman and break rules in the process that we will lose our jobs. However, many folks fail to pass on the necessity of giving the same level of respect to the school system.

Chances are, if you really despised the rules of your place of business you would probably find some other means of earning a living. Please don't forget that you DO have a choice in educating your children. Public schooling is far from the only alternative. Private schooling, charter schooling, homeschooling, correspondence courses...Just to name a few. So, if you don't like the big, bad school system, don't just teach your children to disrespect it; DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.


Bit of useless information: Snubby doesn't own a cell phone.

Candid Bitching: Ruining Perfectly Good Things
Back in the day, you could make a perfectly good living by selling your wares via eBay.

It was simple, and more importantly, it was profitable.

Now, you can't even host a good auction because of all the fees. You can't even have more than one picture to illustrate your widgets.

Between the fees for listing and selling and taking PayPal, there's no room for profit.

I've had fees on my account since April. eBay has no trouble finding my credit card to bill me the late fee for not paying, but can't manage to bill me the actual fees and clear the air.

And that's just selling.

What about buying?

I can't even do that anymore.

No one will take credit cards via PayPal anymore. I've been burned too many times to shop any way other than by plastic; especially online. I just won't do it.

Shipping on an item that costs $1.99 and weighs 8 ounces is $10.35. I can buy 3 at WalMart and pay sales tax and still save money.

Also, the individual sellers, whom I feel eBay was created for have totally been pushed out of the market. Now, when you search for something you only get 300 identical listings at the exact same price as a retail store from various scheister companies.

Companies that won't take credit cards; charge you half a mortgage for shipping; and don't have a return policy, a warranty, or a guarantee.

What's the point?

Not to mention the $250.00 PayPal stole from me a few years ago. How do people expect you to use balances to pay when every time you leave a balance PayPal finds some way to freeze or confiscate your money.

No wonder the asshole who owns the company is in the top ten billionaire list...

Sheesh...

How about someone who makes a living honestly? I don't suppose there is such a thing.

Ebay Schmeebay.

I'm also working on a WalMart boycott. Sam Walton is and always will be one of my top personal heroes, but you know the man has to be turning in his grave over the monster his company has become...

One day when money is of no object to me, I will never again shop in a big box retailer. I will only shop at locally owned stores where my money directly affects the food that is placed upon the table of the owner.

One of my social projects involves how much money you can spend in WalMart at one time before someone is nice to you. I'm on $800 and counting with no such luck. As a matter of fact, I think the more you spend, the ruder the jerk-offs become.

WalMart Schmalmart.

Candid Bitching: With Friends Like These
I, as a Snubby, deliberately choose not to make and take friends in this life. Oh, don't get me wrong. I am very considerate. Very polite. And unnecessarily nice and understanding to just about everyone I meet.

But, for some reason, the buck stops there. I thrive on the "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am" mentality for all of my social relations. And should ever I stray from it, I regret it.

Many moons ago, Snubby owned and attempted to operate a business. Thanks to tons of factors and circumstances (some my control and some beyond) the business went bust and so did my good name.

I lost everything but my house.

Anyhoo, the other day I was visiting a city in which an "old friend" resides and I thought it would be quaint to let the kids play together while we chatted about old times.

I was "friends" with this "friend" in the day of owning my business, so naturally, one of the first orders of conversation was what happened to the business.

I explained to her my devastating loss; down to losing my cars, my possessions, and 50 pounds of my ass from starving myself due to working too hard and only having enough money to feed my child and not myself.

I told her how despite not having to do so, I paid all of my debts to the members of my community and that I technically didn't owe anything to anybody.

Said "friend" chimes in with "Oh, well, technically you still owe me sixty bucks.

Sheesh, already.

But, guess what?

Said "friend" actually expects me to pay her back now!

I had to start by taking her and her three kids out to dinner with me and my two kids. If you've ever eaten in a restaurant with 5 kids under the age of 4, you know that this punishment is far worse than losing your $40,000 SUV.

And I've already received an email from her asking if I can give her an idea as to when I will be paying her back. With a P.S. that she had a great time and I am more than welcome to visit again anytime.

Now, remember, Snubby is not gainfully employed. I live off of resources alone. There is no cash flowing from my pockets, so this bitch, oh by the way who happens to be the wife of a plastic surgeon, is seriously mistaken.

As they say, with friends like these; who can afford enemies?

Teaching Children to Help Others
My children and I don't have everything, but we need for nothing. And we know how lucky we are.

We know what a good feeling it is to work together to help others out when we can. We do try to incorporate regular activities into our daily schedule, but of course some days make more of an impact than others.

I am particularly proud of today. We donated over 300 pounds of food to our local food bank. With Alysia's help we had over 220 jars of baby food.

You just can't walk away from that and feel bad about anything.

When we go to a park (and there are quite a few here) we always try to pick up trash and cigarette butts. We've even replaced hardware on a broken swing.

As we played in a waterfall over the weekend, we gathered some broken glass and threw it away.

We pick up trash along our own road and even help keep the yards of our elderly neighbors a little more tidy from the passersby who think it is okay to throw garbage out of their windows.

We haven't had a chance to volunteer lately, but I'm working on a few ideas.

After 9/11 Alysia and I worked with the Red Cross to collect donations from local business owners. Granted, she was very young; but it's never too early to pass along values. We still have some of the news clips of her working on the project.

We've donated thousands and thousands of clothing and household items; food and water; and other necessities to many outlets. We've worked with local families; regional disaster victims; and even helped export items to several areas in at least 12 economically disadvantaged countries.

Everyday we work consciously towards the adage of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Luckily, our town has easily accessible recycling facilities and even with the help of a 4-year-old, we know our household can make a small difference in our local environment.

There are tons of other things we have done. Some are every day things that blend quietly into just being alive, and others are larger scale. I enjoy reflecting on each of them because they make you feel like a better person, and they also help to inspire you to think of more and better ideas to do even greater things now and in the future.

Hopefully with all of our efforts combined, we can make a small difference in the world around us.

We hope everyone does a little of the same, too.

Real Race Cars Turn Right

For the Petit Le Mans,

RoadAtlanta, here we come!

Loud cars, fast turns, and the joy of pissing in a little green box.

Gotta love the most fan-friendly sport out there!

Blogging Your Life Away
The problem with a blog lies within the fact that the speed at which it progresses is but an infinitesimal speck in the vast realm of one's true reality.

In one brief moment at your keyboard you may be inspired by a fantastic quote; moved by an mesmerizing piece of art; or angered at the ignorance so audible in most of the works of the media.

You may be quick to quote your moment and expand on it with the intent to form a personal thesis nothing short of a literary masterpiece. However, two days later, you log back on and face an essay that seems so far from what you intended that it actually violates the most meaningful principles for which you stand.

You may give grace to the glory of god and all of creation only to realize you prefer to sit proudly in your front row seat of the denominationally vacant. You may laugh hardily at what you think is gifted humor only to admit you have done so at the expense of another.

A blog is but a tiny piece of you. It is a tiny piece that may or may not even have a place at all in the greater scheme of whom you really are in this life.

Just because I quote JFK, I am not insinuating a lifelong partisan commitment; nor, am I even admitting to being a registered voter. Just because I quote or mock celebrities, don't believe that I waste my hard earned time and dollars endlessly obsessing about sensationalized "characters." Just because I attempt to create a little fiction in a blog on occasion, don't feel that you can't trust the words that actually escape my lips.

If I could even capture 1/10 of what I do, 1/100 of what I say, 1/1000 of what I read, or 1/10000 of what I think, perhaps I could make this place a rather inspiring one.

I spend so much time during the day jotting notes and quoting quotes, as well as creating fiction and adding color to my own memories in the hopes of providing mere entertainment and slight enlightenment of and for myself and those around me.

Between living our lives and digesting our experiences, we aren't left with very much time for expressing our reflections via a blog. Psyche itself is a catch-22 with life. If you aren't in touch with your inner self, you simply can't enjoy life the way it is to be intended. However, if you spend too much time within, it becomes an obsession and then you'll have no life to live.

Whatever your fears, your worries, your concerns; or your delights, your dreams, and your preferences; blog if you can. But, never bear the burden of feeling obligated to do so on a regular basis.


If you spend all day writing about it, you'll have no time left to live. If you spend your whole life living it, someone else will just have to write about it.

Shirley Temple Black
The following article is of great interest to my family. I have a child that has been referred to as "Shirley Temple" more times than Lassie has been called home.

For some reason I never bought into the whole "curly top" phenomenon, so every time we hear the comments of comparison, both Alysia and I are secretly rolling our eyes while we smile as if we are surprisingly flattered.

I just assumed Shirley grew into one of those wrinkled old croons holed up in their Hollywood Hills hideaways. Certainly not a lifestyle I want my daughter to submit to in the end.

However, a little enlightenment goes a long way. I'm especially and pleasantly surprised to see that Shirley chose a life of public service and did so proudly in a variety of positions under many different administrations.

Granted, Alysia prefers animal science to political science; but it is refreshing to see that Shirley was actually taken seriously above and beyond the curls, the dancing, and the singing. There is so much more to my daughter than her physical presence; and as a mother, I await the day where she can be valued for who she really is inside.

Thanks, Shirley. I promise we'll stop rolling our eyes now.


From the start, Shirley Temple had what the camera loves: bright eyes and a curly top, a magical presence and irrepressible charm -- and an amazing talent. President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, proclaimed that "as long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right." She was the star of more than forty motion pictures, most of them made during the 1930s before she had celebrated her 12th birthday. The recipient of a special Academy Award for her performance in Bright Eyes, Shirley Temple became a unique symbol of American movies and a joyous tonic for a nation greatly troubled by the Great Depression. She was a household name throughout the nation and the world.

Her father was a banker and her mother a housewife, yet Shirley's future in show business was all but ordained. Her mother claimed that Shirley's very first words were a lyric to a Rudy Vallee song. Baby Burlesque, a movie studio that specialized in slightly wicked parodies of movie hits--with tiny tots in roles made famous by adult stars--gave Shirley her first professional work. Soon, the precocious little girl with adorable dimples was playing Jane to a pint-sized Tarzan and Wild West femme fatale to cowboys in diapers. Her saucy, wide-eyed impersonation of Marlene Dietrich destroying the hearts of baby legionaries with a pout and a song that can still raise an eyebrow or two. By 1933, the Hayes Code put a stop to Baby Burlesque productions and the hard-working five year-old found herself unemployed along with the rest of the country. Not for long, though. A year later at Fox Studios, she graduated from contract player to full-blown star with just one picture.

Stand Up and Cheer was released in 1934, became a national sensation, and Shirley Temple has personified young Hollywood ever since. On screen Shirley had the wondrous ability to radiate sheer happiness, she was everything Depression-era parents wanted their children to be. Only six years old, Shirley had already made 20 films. On loan to Paramount, she catapulted to international fame with Little Miss Marker, based on the classic Damon Runyon story. Fox welcomed back its prized star with the first of several custom-made showcases, Baby Take a Bow. Later the studio released Bright Eyes, featuring a fully dimensional character that gave Shirley an opportunity, for the first time, to demonstrate her dramatic gifts alongside her song-and-dance expertise. It solidified the formula that would serve Shirley so well in future roles: ragamuffin clothes, parents in peril, boundless optimism, and an uncanny ability to melt the hardest of adult hearts. It also introduced Shirley Temple's signature song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop," which sold half-a-million copies, and earned its star a special Academy Award.

In 1935 Fox Studio became 20th-Century Fox and its dynamic head, Daryl F. Zanuck, made the cult of Shirley Temple his top priority. In that year alone, four of Shirley's most memorable films were released. The Little Colonel, a civil war drama with music, introduced the sweetest, unlikeliest couple in tap dance history, as little Shirley Temple and. the great Bill "Bojangles" Robinson showed the world how to dance up and down stairs in incomparable style. They were an incandescent and daring duo, as the times still did not permit any affectionate, physical contact between blacks and whites. Our Little Girl and Curly Top followed, the latter introducing another song classic, "Animal Crackers." The Littlest Rebel reteamed her with Robinson as she single-handedly kept northern carpetbaggers from devouring the South.

Shirleymania was now in full bloom. President Roosevelt publicly praised her "infectious optimism," Fox saw unimaginable earnings from Shirley's pictures, and Shirley-endorsed products--dresses, cereal, and soap. Shirley Temple dolls were selling at a rate of 1.5 million a year. At seven, little Shirley saved her studio from bankruptcy and Zanuck was grateful. The studio's top talent were put to work on her pictures. Fox's Shirley Temple Development Division employed nineteen writers and Zanuck even assigned his own body guard to protect his precious star. Rarely--if ever--has the Hollywood studio system ground its Byzantine machinery to such happy effect.

At eight, Shirley Temple was dispatching exquisitely some of the most demanding song-and-dance routines ever performed on a Hollywood soundstage. Prestigious literary adaptations, such as Wee Willie Winkie, directed by John Ford, and Heidi were released in 1937. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Little Miss Broadway were released in 1938, and The Little Princess a year later. The Blue Bird in 1940 marked Shirley's 44th film and her last as a child actress. She was 12 and her career was nine years old.

She made a few more films as a teenager and young adult, including the classic WWII melodrama Since You Went Away for David 0. Selznick (Look Magazine welcomed her to adulthood in 1944 by proclaiming her the year's most promising newcomer), The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer opposite Cary Grant and Myma Loy, and John Ford's Fort Apache, with John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and her new husband, John Agar.

But at 21, already divorced and anxious to take the first real vacation of her life, she left Hollywood and went to Hawaii. There she met her second husband, Charles Black. Although she continued to act on radio and television throughout the 1950s, she never made another feature film. Instead, she dedicated her life to public service. As a child she was the world's best know ambassador of goodwill. This new chapter in Shirley Temple Black's career was a natural.

She has served our country under four presidents: Richard Nixon appointed her United States Representative to the United Nations in 1969, for Gerald Ford she was Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana and later the first woman White House Chief of Protocol, for Ronald Reagan she served as a foreign affairs officer with the State Department, and George Bush appointed her Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. In 1988 she published her best-selling autobiography.

For most of the 20th century, Shirley Temple has been this country's little princess, as she continues to captivate and conquer generation after generation whenever her films are shown on television or videotape. As a child, Shirley Temple has given us immeasurable joy and hope, embodying the American spirit through song and dance. As an adult, Shirley Temple Black continues to open her heart and make a difference in the lives of all who know her. The country, indeed the world, owes a great deal to Shirley Temple.

The Faith of JFK Part I


Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.

--Reverend Phillips Brooks (as quoted by John F. Kennedy at the 11th annual Presidential prayer breakfast, February 7, 1963)

Our own deep convictions must be the ultimate guide to all of our actions.

--John F. Kennedy while discussing the impact of Robert Frost upon those in the business of government.

...there are no permanent enemies.

--John F. Kennedy speaking before the Irish Parliament, Dublin, June 28, 1963

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils, for time is the greatest innovator.

--Francis Bacon (as quoted by John F. Kennedy at Bergen Mall, Paramus, New Jersey, September 15, 1960)

What good is the right of free speech for a man who does not say anything?

--Franklin Roosevelt (as quoted by John F. Kennedy in Amsterdam, New York, September 29, 1960)

Life's Newest Star
I don't mean to be a stranger to my own blog; but, hey, that's life. At least I have started the habit of attempting to catalog my thoughts via pen and paper. A little low-tech, I suppose, but better than nothing.

I'm so happy. The baby started walking today. She's been skirting the edges for weeks but just didn't have the faith in herself to let go of her guide. Today was the day, though! Yay Trillian!

Every success in your own life quickly fades to nothingness; making way for the accomplishments of your children.


Every journey you have traveled upon is but a tack on the map when your baby takes her first step.

Every lyric you have ever harmonized is but wind on the horizon when your baby says her first word.

Every fine delicacy you have ever feasted upon is but mere ashes the first time your baby feeds you a cheerio.


Every struggle you have ever championed suddenly is irrelevent when your child overcomes an obstacle of her own; whether it is learning to walk, learning to read, memorizing the times tables, or making a new friend. All of life's beautiful moments are no longer about you; for life's newest star is your child.