Guns For All The Wrong Reasons

The military needs the right tools for the job and I don't have a problem with them having the guns they need especially during war although I'm against violence. I have 2 uncles whom were proud Marines so I know what they went through and I respect the military because of them. Unfortunately even military weapons of all types have filtered down to be had by the general public through illegal means and that includes sniper rifles and automatic weapons. President Kennedy's death comes to mind and he isn't the only one to die from a sniper's bullet. 

All you have to do is look at the news reports. Guns and the stupid people using them are causing more deaths of innocent people in the U.S. than ever before. Most states are practically handing them out to the public and countless non-military people even obtain permits to carry that gun until it is pried out of their cold dead hands. Even if you don't own a gun I bet you know someone, a family member or friend (not in a job that requires a gun) that does. There are more guns than people to shot them.

With a permit to carry a person can take their gun on airplanes, buses, trains anywhere they go in this country in any public venue. All they need is their gun and a permit to carry. Don’t fool yourself when you get on an airplane there are more people carrying guns then the cop on the plane and it’s all legal.

I personally know too many gun-toting Americans including people in my own family. Not only are they proud of it they have more than one gun to their name and a lot of them have never gone to a shooting range to practice shooting these guns.

My father was killed by a handgun in 1990 in my hometown. Right after my father was killed the Indiana police were quick to hand that same gun over to my brother who took it back to Florida. The Indiana police should have destroyed that gun. If a gun is just handed over to another person where is the gun control there and this was a murder! The cops do this all of the time when someone dies with a gun and TV lies.

Criminals have been caught with all kinds of illegal guns with silencers and guns that have been altered. The police (who are sometimes the problem) can't keep up and the murder rate caused by guns has gone up alarmingly. Handguns can be bought very cheaply on the street with the serial numbers ground off, ready for a new crime.

After the parent’s of the children killed at the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School petitioned the government to support common-sense legislation to reduce gun violence. Despite a 90% backing of this legislation, it was voted down by the lawmakers this week. Now children in grade schools will need armed guards because the government is afraid to go up against the NRA lobbyists giving them even more power than they had before.

They should be ashamed of themselves. At least the parent’s from Sandy Hook tried and they have a lot of courage to have gone through what they did and then have this happen.

We must not forget the 20 first- and second-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School, along with six of their brave educators, who gave their lives in the Newtown Shooting. Change must happen to honor their memories! In tribute to them, and to the many other individuals who lost their lives in other horrific mass shooting in America, we are inviting our members and friends to take an active role right now in the battle to secure common sense legislative solutions to growing gun violence in America. We will deliver this petition to leaders in the U.S. Congress and to the Governors of all 50 states. Your contact information will not be shared publicly. Please forward to your friends and invite them to sign as well. Now is the time for action!

My father was one of these gun enthusiasts who always said his guns would protect him. He had been a champion tag-team wrestler in his time and got killed in his own home while sleeping on the couch with his own handgun. I was outraged at the time and the police were no help. If there were no guns allowed in this country he’d still be with me. Those kids would still be with their parents.

Gun laws vary widely by country. The UK and China both ban private ownership of guns. Many other countries enforce laws that make it extremely difficult to own a gun, especially if you have a criminal record. Some countries with strict gun control include Australia, Japan, Singapore and Canada.

In Canada for example, "handguns must be registered and potential buyers must undergo training, a personal-risk assessment and a criminal background check; supply two references; and have their spouses notified before purchase" (Source: Washington Times)

In the United Kingdom, the right to private gun ownership is not guaranteed by law. Police in the UK don't generally carry a gun. In the UK, citizens are "not allowed to possess semi-automatic and automatic firearms, handguns or armor piercing ammunition"

There was a plan to stamp serial numbers on bullets for more control that would make it harder to commit crimes with all guns. I think that's a great idea. 

Better yet, if there were no guns allowed then people would have to fight hand to hand which I feel would be a lot fairer. If someone attacks you without a gun at least you have a better chance of survival. People might think twice about attacking one another and deaths caused by guns would go down. Or maybe I'm just dreaming of a better less violent world without guns?

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Cell Phone Facts To Consider

Cell phones are so convenient, what would you do without one? They let you make those important on the spot calls and important text messages during the day.

What a lot of people don’t know, and cell phone companies have been keeping from the world is that a cell phone is nothing more than a radio. It is a complex radio, but a radio none-the-less. Let’s take a look at a brief history of cell phones.

In the early 1950’s cell phones were called Radio Phones, in select urban areas, there were large central antennas that were specifically allocated for these radio-phones. Since radio technology itself was only in the building phase, only about 25 channels were available for private use. So basically only 25 people could be talking on their radio-phones at the same time. It wasn’t an efficient system to say the least and a better system was needed so they came up with the cell approach.

The cell approach divided each city up into small divisions, or "cells". The technology behind cells has changed dramatically over the years, just as cell phones have, only now most standard cells are about 10 square miles large. They are usually in the shape of a hexagon. Nowadays, every individual cell has its own base station, rather than only one for an entire city.

Now modern cell phones (meaning they were created in the last 20 years or so) are made to be low-power transmitters (either 0.3 watts or 6 watts), which is much lower wattage than in past decades. This means that the same frequency can be used in the same city, at the same time, but in different cells. This is what makes our current system what it is today.

I got my first cell phone in 1998 and at the time hardly anyone had them that I knew. They were simple but they did the job with very well with an antenna that you pulled up when you used it. It had an old style (green) digital screen with no pictures or texting but it’s convenience was obvious! They were really cheap to have in 1998 but I didn’t have it for long and I wasn’t to buy another one until 2007.

In many ways, cell phones do make our lives better and more convenient. Let’s face it, what can’t the smartphones do? Big Brother and sharing personal information just seem to be growing at a faster rate, whether we like it or not.

Just consider how much personal information you put on your cell. Losing it is one thing, but all the applications you put on your cell use your personal information to some extent. Next time you download an application take the time to look at how much information you're sharing with it. That would normally be a lot, from memory to your images. It usually lists this information after it tells you all the cool things the application can do for you and how you can’t live without it.

Cell phones that have internet can give you the same problems that you encounter on your home PC. Better have a virus checker on that cell, most people who have cell phones don’t think they need them. Always run a virus checker to keep an eye on your naughty apps too.

I’m on my 3rd cell phone and my first “smartphone” and I love my phone. There, I finally said it. Me, the person who always said; “Why do I need a smartphone when I have an awesome computer at home?” The Android cell phones cannot be denied, I have an Evo5 4G with a 3D camera.

To top it all off now there are studies that say our cell phones are possibly carcinogenic causing brain tumors and cancer.

Just lately the World Health Organization put out a new classification for cell phones. The new classification indicates that there is some link between cancer and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields that are emitted by cell phones, but extensive study is still necessary. The panel found that the evidence that cell phone radiation was linked to one type of brain cancer was “limited” and the disassociation with any other type of cancer was “inadequate.” According to the report, the “limited” classification is just one step above the “inadequate” classification.

The problem is with the antennas or certain circuit boards in the cell phones. Holding them up to your head while you talk and exposing this directly next to your brain is what causes these tumors or serious problems. Using your headphones while talking or anything that keeps your cell phone away from your head is the best way you can protect yourself from these problems. Don't put cell phones in your bras women!

The panel that did this study consisted of 31 scientists pulled from 14 different countries that reviewed two large studies that found a relationship between cell phone use and Glioma, a form of brain cancer. The scientists reviewed those studies and other scientific literature for eight days at a meeting in Lyons, France.

There’s no doubt in my head that using cell phones, especially as much as we rely on them now is not a good thing for us. Just consider how many minutes you use yours a month and how you use it. You might be concerned by the answer you come up with!

Here are some cell phone facts:

1. About 20 percent of teenagers have cell phones, many of whom are girls.
2. About ¼ of all Americans have cell phones, but nearly 2/3 of all Europeans do. There was also digital phone technology in Europe about 10 years before there was in the United States.
3. In 1994, 16 million Americans were subscribers to a major cell phone service. Today, more than 110 million Americans currently subscribe. 1.2 billion people are estimated to be subscribers by 2010.
4. There are also disposable cell phones. They are available online and only cost about $12.95.

Whatever your opinion on cell phones it’s hard to live without the convenience of having them. The fact that they are incredibly useful and fun means they will be around for a long time until the next thing comes around to take their place.

This has been updated in 2017 and cell phones have changed even more. I now have a Samsung Galaxy s7 and I love it! Soon, I'll get an s8.

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Poop On Your Cell Phones

By now most of you have heard the facts about flushing the toilet without shutting it and the waste that gets spewed all over your bathroom stuff in there but what about something we carry in our hot little hands all day and take everywhere? Our cell phones.

You know you take it everyplace you go. There was a good article recently that said with all of the choices that we have at home to get online or do searches with that cell phones are at the top of the list. Not home computers or tablets, cell phones. I hear a lot of people complain about trying to read the small screens and use the tiny keyboards but it’s becoming a well-known fact that we use our phones more than any other device, especially at home.

When you consider those facts it may not be a surprise to you that our cell phones could be harvesting E. coli and infectious diseases from bathrooms, dirty hands and who knows what else.

You hold it up to your face, use it while relieving yourself, take it into public bathrooms, play with it while eating, take it to hospitals, your car and handle it all day. You may wash your hands but after that, you pick that dirty cell phone right back up again.

NED University Journal of Research did a study in 2012 and published a paper on this subject. Here is what they found.

Mobile Phones: Reservoir Of Infectious Diseases In University Premises
The objective of this study is to find out the level of contamination of mobile phones used in University premises. These mobile phones could be a reservoir of pathogenic microorganisms and can also contribute in the spread of infectious diseases among the users in different environments. During this study, 367 mobile phones of teachers, students, non-teaching staff, medical staff and canteen staff of the University were screened in order to check the presence of different microorganisms including normal flora and pathogenic species. Isolated bacterial species were identified by the standard microbiological methods and biochemical tests. Eight different commonly used disinfectants were tested by Agar Well Diffusion method to find out the effective disinfectant for the cleaning of mobile phones. 98.6% of the total mobile phones were contaminated with bacteria. Overall, 250 (69.0%) samples were contaminated with different members of coliforms group of bacteria. 5% Acetic acid solution and Dettol (4.8% Chloroxylenol) were found to be active disinfectants against bacterial isolates. Presence of coliforms and other pathogens on mobile phones indicates the potential unhygienic conditions in university staff and students. Incidences of infectious diseases are greater in those people who use mobile phones for more than two hours per day. This is an alarming situation which can result in an outbreak of diseases on university premises.

Or at work, or in the home, it’s no wonder people get sick so often. I never gave this much thought myself until I was watching Anderson Cooper on TV and he discussed it. It makes sense even if you never considered it until now.

When asked if they wash their hands 95% of people said they did it regularly but obviously they aren’t telling the whole truth. Men’s hands were more contaminated then women and men wash their hands less when exiting restrooms. I don’t think I have to point out that people with dirty hands have the most “poop” on their phones.

If you stop to think about every place scientists have ever turned up fecal bacteria-grocery store carts, swimming pools, fast food restaurant soda fountains and kids’ play areas, ATM keypads, your purse, your washing machine, prewashed salad greens, food court trays, and pretty much everything in a hotel room, it makes it hard to lay your hands on anything again.

You know what to do about this because (if we ever learn to develop it,) it’s just common sense. Wash your hands, disinfect your cell phone with wipes, don’t share your phone especially with sick people, and keep your phone away from the bathroom.

A little cleanliness never hurt anyone, even when dealing with technology.

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Life In Your Years

The seasons' change and time flies. Do you feel like you spend the time you have in your life wisely?

We only go around once and during that time we have to hustle in order to get what we really want, spare time.

Time Used Up

• First, you’re born. You have about 78 years left statistically speaking.
• You’re sleeping for about 29 years of that time. That leaves you with 49 waking years. 
• Time to get educated. You spend 31,000 hours studying or in class. Added up, that’s about 31/2 years. 
• You’ve graduated congratulations! Time to put in your 91,000 hours at work. That’s about 101/2 years.
• All that time you spend in traffic. Say goodbye to one whole year of your life.
• Brushing your teeth, showering, sitting on the toilet and dressing. That’s 21/2 years.
• Eating and drinking take 4 years. You’ve got 28 years left.
• Shopping, grocery runs, Amazon.com; it adds up to about 21/2 years. 
• Cooking, cleaning, yard work and 6 years spent doing chores. 
• You spend 11/2 years caring for kids and loved ones. That’s 18 precious years left….
• Of which you spend half watching TV, playing video games, online, or pick your poison you spend about 9 years doing it and you have only those 9 years left. 
• Out of 78 years on this earth, 9 years and 6 months are yours. Nine years to spend with your family and friends. To play, laugh and cry. To fall in love. To see the world and fulfill all of your passions.

So why are you still in front of the computer? What would you rather be doing? Go out and do THAT instead.

"It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years." by Abraham Lincoln

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What Is It About Mondays?

Yeah, Mondays can suck. Monday is the day after the weekend and being such, has become one of the least popular days of the week. But what do you really know about the day we love to hate?

Basic Monday Facts

Monday is the day between Sunday and Tuesday. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the first day of the work week. Monday is derived from Old English, mōndæg literally meaning “moons day”. Monday aligns with the celestial body, the Moon, and the astrological sign of Cancer, and is represented by the symbol of the Moon, ☾.

Common Monday Names

The term ‘Mondayitis’ has become a popular saying among employees who work a common working week starting on Monday.

In times past Monday also became known as ‘Blue Monday’, named when the first day of the week was set aside for doing laundry. Bluing was used to keep clothes white and from that product the day became known as ‘Blue Monday’. Although today Mondays are not typically set aside for laundry as they once were the term ‘Blue Monday’ still exists as many employees begin their working week after a weekend break.

Monday’s Health And Color

According to the British Medical Journal, there is a reported 20% increase in heart attacks on Mondays as opposed to the other days of the week. As the color of the moon is milky white the ancient system of health care called Ayurveda which centers on holistic health recommends wearing milky white and being around white flowers on this day of the week.

Songs About Monday

♦ Monday Monday – The Mamas and The Papas

♦ Monday Morning – Melanie Fiona

♦ Manic Monday – The Bangles

♦ Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters

♦ I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats

Books On Monday

♦ Monday Begins on Saturday – Boris and Arkady Strugatsky

♦ Mister Monday – Garth Nix

♦ Monday Mourning – Kathy Reichs

♦ Monday with a Mad Genius – Mary Pope Osbourne

Number Of Monday’s In A Calendar Year

There are either 52 or 53 Mondays in a calendar year, depending on what day of the week a year starts. It will also depend if the year is a leap year. In 2010 and 2011 there will be 52 Mondays and there will be 53 in 2012. So if you are not looking forward to next Monday remember you are not alone, and try to look on the bright side – there are still six other days of the week in between.

Named Holidays

♦ Easter Monday - follows Easter and is celebrated as a holiday in some cultures.

♦ Cyber Monday - follows Thanksgiving- refers to the increase in online sales.

♦ Hansel Monday - first of the new year in which gifts are given to convey good wishes in Scotland and Northern England.

♦ Clean Monday - or Ash Monday- the first day of Lent. Refers to being free from sin.

♦ Big Monday - ESPN's College Basketball presentation.

♦ Black Monday - October 19, 1987- the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 508 points.

The Worst Day

In many cultures, the first day of the work week holds the honor of being the worst day. Another interesting fact about Monday, the second day of the week, is, the French used to call automobiles that turn out to be lemons, "Monday Cars."

The Brighter Side

On the brighter side, there are two positive things about Monday. First, if you were born on this day, then you're not homely. After all, the old rhyme goes, "Monday's child is fair of face". That's a good thing. And second, when you're going to shop for a new car, do it on a Monday. Car salespeople make the bulk of their sales on the weekends. When Monday rolls around, there are usually few customers in sight, and the weekend is a long ways off. That's why car salespeople are more desperate on Monday, and they'll be more willing to cut you a deal.

Miscellaneous Monday Fact

A strange Monday fact is it’s associated with Silver when it comes to Alchemy; an ancient chemical science.

Eleven Monday Fun Facts

1. Most of us don't crack our first smile until 11:16 a.m.

2. The best-preferred way to beat Monday blues is by watching television or having sex.

3. Over 50% of employees are late to work.

4. Most people will moan about it being Monday for a whole 12 minutes.

5. People between the ages of 45 and 54 are likely to suffer the most Monday blues.

6. Workers only manage 3 1/2 hours of productive work.

7. Monday is the most likely day to commit suicide.

8. Most heart attacks happen on Mondays.

9. Monday is the least rainy day in the week.

10. Monday is the best day to buy a car.

11. You’re most likely to have a hangover on a Monday.

Enjoy your Mondays! Keep On Bloggin'!           

The Fucking Little Town Of Austria‏

 Just a little place in Austria.

There it is, on a map. it makes me wonder…

Are the residents called Fuckers?

What are the mothers called?

What would you be learning at the Fucking High School?

Does the Fucking Hospital help you with anything else?

If your friend came from another town, wouldn't they be your Fucking friend?

NOW YOU CAN FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FUCKING

FRIENDS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE

FUCKING TOWN!


A laff from the internet past. Look it up, it's true!

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After Being Put Into A Coma I Haven't Felt Better

What Happens When Someone Is Put Into A Coma:

Sometimes someone is so ill they are put into a coma to save their lives. That is what happened to me. I had two seizures before getting to the hospital and my left lung was filled with puke and had collapsed. I was spiking a high fever and phenomena was setting in already. The Doctor's decided that a coma was the best way to save my life. I was put into a drug-induced coma. Luckily I never needed a ventilator after they cleared my lung out.

Someone who is in a coma is unconscious and will not respond to voices, sounds, or any sort of activity going on nearby. Not even intense pain will bring forth a response. The person is still alive, but the brain is functioning at its lowest stage of alertness. You can't shake and wake up someone who is in a coma like you can someone who has just fallen asleep.

I can tell you from first-hand experience that you can't hear people when in a coma-like some believe you can. Reading to someone in a coma from a book is just for your own comfort, not theirs. All I remember from being in my coma was my never-ending very strange dream that I had.

My dream was unlike any other dream I ever had while sleeping normally at night. The dream was probably based on my brain functioning at such a low level and all the drugs in me but it was very eerie. I dreamed about people in my life, and some that weren't yet. I wish I could have remembered the imagery it was very creepy and when I woke up I was totally freaked out until I realized I was awake and where I was.

My dream drove me to question what really happens when you die? If I would have passed away would I have dreamed until the very last brain cell gave out? And then what? For me, being so close to death was not an empty time that I couldn't remember and ever since then it's caused me to rethink my prior beliefs. But to what?

Then there's the way I have felt since being out of the coma and hospital. As soon as I came out of the coma and the doctors started telling me what happened it was hard to believe it was so serious because even with the tubes sticking out of every orifice and then some I felt surprisingly well. I even left the hospital faster then they wanted me to. I really shocked my doctors especially since they still can't find out what caused all this to happen!

I remember reading stories about coma patients who claimed that being in a coma 'reset' their brains and bodies in a new way that hadn't expected. I felt this way too and after having people who knew me tell me this I decided to look into it. Unfortunately for me I couldn't find much. Most of the articles were just about comas and were all very similar. People awakening from comas did not feel this way, often having to relearn even the most basic of functions. I was very lucky indeed!

People may emerge from a coma with a combination of physical, intellectual and psychological difficulties that need special attention. Recovery usually occurs gradually....patients acquire more and more ability to respond. Some patients never progress beyond very basic responses, but some can recover full awareness. Regaining consciousness is not instant: in the first days, patients are only awake for a few minutes, and duration of time awake gradually increases. In reality, the coma patient wakes sometimes in a profound state of confusion, not knowing how they got there and sometimes suffering from the inability to articulate any speech, and with many other disabilities.

This is unlike the situation in my life where I awoke from my coma and was instantly able to continue my normal life. Of course, I was not in a coma for a long period of time. When I woke up I was up for good and didn't relapse back into unconsciousness. I was anxious to walk, speak and do everything I could to go home from the hospital. The doctors were very surprised at my state after being on death's door. I was not confused in the beginning but I couldn't remember anything that happened to me and had to be told what transpired that week and why I was at the hospital.

This is a statistic that really freaked me out! The most common cause of death for a person in a vegetative state is a secondary infection such as pneumonia which can occur in patients who lie still for extended periods. For me I got pneumonia right away from swallowing my vomit and an ultra-high fever so I was very lucky I had the best staff working on me at Kaiser. They saved my life.

So what I found out after researching this is that I'm a lucky person to have come out of it like I did. It was very hard on my body and I took a month to recover from all of it fully. Even the day after I came home I felt so much better than I had in years! I couldn't put my finger on it but when other's noticed it too it confirmed what I had thought had happened. I was somehow a new person! I even looked better and I couldn't believe it.! A lot of my old pain was gone and my wrist that I had pinched a nerve in before had healed! The numbness was gone and I could move my fingers again. It was like a miracle! I felt so well that I was being more active than I had before this happened to me! (Bear with me on the use of "!".)

The odds were against me and I survived. The fact that I didn't go into a coma on my own and they induced one is like arguing apples and oranges. A coma is a coma and they are very dangerous. I had several medical problems that alone could have killed me, but no. I had my dream during these goings on that must of helped my brain deal and I really believe this! I also think that the coma reset my brain, not unlike an electrical circuit can be reset. Everyone knows the brain runs on electrical impulses. My brain got reset to a time before my injuries before I felt so bad, it went back to a happier mental pattern in my life and all I can say is I'm super lucky and it's very awesome! I'm thankful I'm not learning how to tie my shoes again or speak. I'm truly blessed and will not squander this new chance I have been given!

Thank you, my higher power!

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Nerve Damage To My Left Hand

I fell asleep at my desk after a long night on the computer and woke up with a numb left arm. Thinking it fell asleep I tried to wake it up. My arm got feeling back but I couldn’t control my left wrist or hand. I was dumbstruck as to what was wrong.

I have fallen asleep at my computer a zillion times and never had a problem like this no matter if I woke up with keyboard lines on my face. (Which has happened before.) Why this time? I had no good answer.

As I continued to look at my new problem I kept trying to control what couldn’t be controlled. My wrist would flop around as I tried to lift my hand up and down. It looked awful! My fingers wouldn’t work and my wrist wouldn’t turn. I really did it this time.

I'm used to touch typing and right now I can't do it with my left hand so I have to do half and half. No using my finger to type either. It is really scaring me, this time I pinched my hand and it caused my wrist and fingers to lose some function.

I already have bad knees and now this! I have never been so scared in my life, only some function has come back...I'm trying to get into my Doctor's for tomorrow but they aren't known to be fast. We will just have to see I guess. I'm in God's hands now.

To do anything that takes any finesse with my fingers fails and my wrist flaps around like the boneless man at a freak show. I can move it only not very fast with some control. Losing even some hand/wrist motions is very sobering. I hope it’s not permanent!

I can’t write so that’s why I haven’t been posting much lately. I’m lucky to get this up and it took me awhile to do it. I’ll update you on this new problem as soon as I find something out. I can only pray that it will go away.

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Tenniel's Drawing Of Alice Was Not Correct

When Lewis Carroll had John Tenniel draw Alice for him he had a model and girl in mind. Alice Liddell was a neighbor girl who Carroll had photographed before. He was quite taken with her and based his heroine's name on her, starting his book with her name.

When he first saw the drawings that Tenniel had done he was mortified that it didn’t look at all like Liddell and he had drawn her body totally out of proportion. The artwork stayed in the book and became a part of history, even though Carroll proclaimed his dislike for it publicly.

Alice Pleasance Liddell was born May 4th, 1852 in Westminster, London.

Tenniel's pictures of Alice are not pictures of Alice Liddell, who had dark hair cut short with straight bangs across her forehead. Carroll sent Tenniel a photograph of Mary Hilton Badcock, another child-friend, recommending that he use her for a model, but whether Tenniel accepted this advice is a matter of dispute. That he did not is strongly suggested by these lines from a letter Carroll wrote some time after both Alice books had been published. The letter is quoted by Mrs. Lennon in her book on Carroll;

"Mr. Tenniel is the only artist who has drawn for me, who has resolutely refused to use a model, and declared he no more needed one than I should need a multiplication table to work a mathematical problem! I venture to think that he was mistaken and that for want of a model he drew several pictures of "Alice" entirely out of proportion-head decidedly too large and feet decidedly too small."

In "Alice On Stage," an article cited in the first note on the prefatory poem, Carroll gave the following description of his heroine's personality:

What art thou, dream-Alice, in thy foster-father's eye? How shall he picture thee? Loving, first, loving and gentle: loving as a dog (forgive the prosaic simile, but I know no earthly love so pure and perfect), and gentle as a fawn: then courteous-courteous to all high or low, grand or grotesque, King or Caterpillar, even as though she were herself a King's daughter and her clothing of wrought gold: then trustful, ready to accept the wildest impossibilities with all that utter trust that only dreamers know; and lastly, curious-wildly curious, and with the eager enjoyment of Life that comes only in the happy hours of childhood when all is new and fair, and when Sin and Sorrow are but names-empty words signifying nothing!

Hearing Carroll describes his creation, "Alice" in his own words is such a treat!

Although many people think Carroll a pedophile that couldn’t keep away from 7-year-old girls there is no proof that he ever took advantage of Liddell or any other young girl. He was a photographer, writer and a true artist that based his fiction on fact like many others before him and had a great interest in children and childhood.

Through the many years since his writings "Alice" has held the imaginations and fantasies of more people than even he could ever have imagined. Through fan art, movies, books and video games "Alice" has had many personalities and faces and will continue to be with us forever.

Lewis Carroll has taught me that everyone has their own Wonderland that resides in each and every one of us in our imaginations.

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Will The Real Alice Please Stand Up?

Lewis Carroll had many talents besides his famous books. He was a mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, poem writer, a good artist and photographer. Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. 

Before Lewis Carroll wrote his books about Alice In Wonderland he already had a girl in mind for his character. She was actually a neighborhood girl he was infatuated with and her name was Alice Liddell.

Alice Liddell was not at all like the “Alice” we now are used to seeing with golden locks of hair brushed back from her blue eyed face. When Carroll thought of his Alice he pictured Alice Liddell. And his book was to start with her name.

Even thought Carroll was an artist and did his own drawings for the very first book that he presented to Alice Liddell, when he finished his book to be published he had John Tenniel do the artwork for it.

John Tenniel was a cartoonist and his work was satirical, often radical for doing a book like Carroll’s but he did the drawings for Carroll’s works nonetheless and Carroll was not happy with the results.

Tenniel's pictures of Alice were not pictures of Alice Liddell, who had dark hair cut short with straight bangs across her forehead. Carroll sent Tenniel a photograph of Mary Hilton Babcock, another child-friend, recommending that he use her for a model, but whether Tenniel accepted this advice is a matter of dispute. That he did not is strongly suggested by these lines from a letter Carroll wrote some time after both Alice books had been published. The letter is quoted by Mrs. Lennon in her book on Carroll;

"Mr. Tenniel is the only artist who has drawn for me, who has resolutely refused to use a model, and declared he no more needed one than I should need a multiplication table to work a mathematical problem! I venture to think that he was mistaken and that for want of a model he drew several pictures of "Alice" entirely out of proportion-head decidedly too large and feet decidedly too small."

From The Life Of Lewis Carroll by Florence Becker Lennon

The symbol at the lower right corner, which you see on all of Tenniel's drawings, is a monogram of his initials, J.T.

I must say that I can see what Carroll means about Tenniel’s drawings. It does look like a “caricature” of Alice although I rather liked the strange drawings from the books. When I first read Alice In Wonderland I had no idea that a “real” Alice existed nor that Carroll didn’t like the art in the book.

The comparison with the fictional Alice has been a very controversial one. There are at least three direct links to Liddell in the first two books. First, he set them on May 4th, (Liddell's birthday) and November 4th, (her "half-birthday") and in Through the Looking-Glass the fictional Alice declares that her age is "seven and a half exactly", the same as Liddell on that date. Second, he dedicated them "to Alice Pleasance Liddell". Third, there is an acrostic poem at the end of Through the Looking-Glass. Reading downward, taking the first letter of each line; spells out Liddell's full name. The poem has no title in Through the Looking-Glass, but is usually referred to by its first line, "A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky".

A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky

A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily In an evening of July--
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear--
Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die.
Autumn frosts have slain July.
Still she haunts me, phantom wise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream--
Lingering in the golden gleam--
Life, what is it but a dream?

In "Alice On Stage," an article cited in the first note on the prefatory poem, Carroll gave the following description of his heroine's personality:

What art thou, dream-Alice, in thy foster-father's eye? How shall he picture thee? Loving, first, loving and gentle: loving as a dog (forgive the prosaic simile, but I know no earthly love so pure and perfect), and gentle as a fawn: then courteous-courteous to all high or low, grand or grotesque, King or Caterpillar, even as though she were herself a King's daughter and her clothing of wrought gold: then trustful, ready to accept the wildest impossibilities with all that utter trust that only dreamers know; and lastly, curious-wildly curious, and with the eager enjoyment of Life that comes only in the happy hours of childhood when all is new and fair, and when Sin and Sorrow are but names-empty words signifying nothing!

Hearing Carroll describe his creation, "Alice" in his own words is such a treat! Through the many years since his writings have been out "Alice" has held the imaginations and fantasies of more people than even he could ever have imagined. Through fan art "Alice" has had many personalities and faces and will continue to be with us forever.

Keep On Bloggin'!