Pauline's Happenings

It has been a little crazy work wise once we finally got home from checking out camping gear. The camping store was overwhelming……there is so much to figure out what we need and all that. I feel brain fried.

Harold has been totally surfing park sites, looking up info on tours…….he also found this link : Bear Safety

If You Encounter a Bear

• Running may elicit a chase response. Bears can run faster than 30 mph (50 km/hr). You cannot outrun them. If the bear is unaware of you, detour quickly and quietly away. Give the bear plenty of room, allowing it to continue its activities undisturbed. BACK AWAY SLOWLY IF THE BEAR IS AWARE OF YOU! Speak in a low, calm voice while waving your arms slowly above your head. Bears that stand up on their hind legs are not threatening you, but merely trying to identify you.
• SHOULD A BEAR APPROACH OR CHARGE YOU—DO NOT RUN, DO NOT DROP YOUR PACK! Bears sometimes charge, coming within ten feet of a person before stopping or veering off. Dropping a pack may encourage the bear to approach people for food. STAND STILL until the bear moves away, then slowly back off.
• IF A GRIZZLY MAKES CONTACT WITH YOU, PLAY DEAD. Curl up into a ball with your knees tucked into your stomach and your hands laced around the back of your neck. Leave your pack on to protect your back. If the attack is prolonged, fight back vigorously.
• IF A BLACK BEAR MAKES CONTACT WITH YOU, FIGHT BACK.

As we were going over this, we figured to just stand there as a bear charges will take balls of STEEL….lol Other then punching them on the nose, how the hell do you fight a bear!?!

We have a lot to learn, that is for sure.

Election years just feed into my addiction to political news and info. And everyone has heard of the false email going around about Obama being muslim. Now I’m disgusted by that in that it is lie and it is something started by racist and underhanded tactics. In my issue of The Nation, I read this article that made a very good point : Obama, Being Called a Muslim Is Not a Smear

**Instead of his campaign just denying the lies that are being spread, they should have called it for what it was…..RACISM. Because most muslims are not the extremist stereotypes that we continously see on the news and that internet lie is plays into that.

Obama tackles race divide in major speech

**It was very impressive that Obama addressed the issue of his pastor’s comments without the normal waffling and excuses. He actually talked to the public as if we were adults……what a concept! He actually talked about race issues and how each community deals with it. How many of us have had family members, especially the older ones, say the racist stuff that you don’t believe in? And refuse to pass on to your kids? You normally just ignore once they are at a certain age. I know I did….especially my grandfather, my mother was raised to be racist but she refused to be one and that is how my parents raised me.

If I was around people my own age, I would argue with them about their racist views and now that I’m older, I argue with folks my parents age….but when it comes to people my grandparents generation….there is nothing you can say to change them. Their life experiences are too deep in them and they won’t listen….the generational differences really come into play…I learned that the hard way while working at a veterans home while in college…..I bit my lip so many times.

Of course, the news clips will be full of nothing but sound bits….never the whole thing…. so here is the transcript :

‘A more perfect union’