Understanding

Anyone who has never felt depression or been touched by someone with this disease may have a hard time understanding.

While there is still a stigma today with having a "mental" illness, more and more is being discovered and treatment is readily available for most.

I have Bipolar Disorder. I really hate saying "I'm bipolar"...because I'm not defined by my disease. It's something I have...like diabetes. It's a chemical imbalance and the ONLY thing that keeps me sane is medication. And even then the symptoms find their way in to destroy my days.

Reading The Bloggess, she posted a link to a post she made in 2009 ... It explained the feeling of depression so well.

In the grips of a massive "down" I know in my head that there is nothing to be so hopeless about. My logic is still present. But it doesn't change the way my body reacts to whatever chemicals are screwing around in my head. I think my logic is one of the only things that has saved me from offing myself in the past. That and my stubbornness and desire to not destroy my family. Suicide really is a very selfish act. And again, The Bloggess has a great post addressing that too.

Could This Work?

Turning Detroit from the Motor City into the Farm City? It seems a rather fascinating idea and I think it's more constructive than the current direction Detroit is in (which seems only to be down).

Detroit was once the 4th largest city in America and it held the title of Motor City because most of America’s cars came from there. Flash forward 40 years, and Detroit’s population has dwindled from a high of 2 million people to just over 800,000. The average price for a home in Detroit is $15,000, the lowest in the country. With so many empty spaces, criminals have no shortage of hideouts and drug factories.

...

There is a lot of unused land in Detroit. This John Hantz thinking about how to use all of that vacant land. He is pitching a proposal to turn Detroit into a modern farming community.

People gotta eat right? It would provide jobs in a city with a 25%+ unemployment rate. Not to mention the feeling of accomplishment people have when they are part of something and produce something ... and earn something instead of being handed welfare.

I can't imagine the overwhelming logistics of this proposal, but determination and American can-do spirit can generally accomplish anything. I wish this millionaire all the best.

In 2032

I don't remember the first time I saw this movie, but it spoke very deeply to me.

What does that say about me? I'm not sure. But if you get past the fact that it is a Stallone movie, I think there really is a deeper message about freedom. (And Sandra Bullock rocks it.)

The more I hear about progressives wanting to force us into universal health care, monitor our speech to make sure we aren't "hateful", and trying to make us eat what "they" want... the more I think about this movie.

"I'm the enemy...cause I like to think. I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, Gee, should I have the T-Bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with a side order of gravy fries. I want high cholesterol. I want to eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section.....

I've seen the future and you know what it is? It's a 47 year old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas drinking a banana broccoli shake singing I'm an Oscar Meyer weiner."

The BEST part of the movie by far is in the first three minutes of the clip above.

The world has become a bunch of sissies. Yup...I think they call them Metrosexuals now.

Huge Contest Ending Soon

I know...three posts in one day. :) And I'm actually getting 'real' work done too. I must be on a Bipolar high.

Whatever...Okay, I have to thank Sense to Save for alerting me to this ginormous contest (is ginormous really a word? It doesn't turn up with that red squiggly line underneath it LOL) over at Money Crashers.

The value of all the prizes is now over $9,000!!!!!! Holy Giveaway Batman! And there are dozens of ways to earn extra entries...I cannot even imagine how they are keeping track of everything.

So, in the spirit of spreading the love, and getting extra entries, I'm writing a post to let you know about it too. And I'm going to cross post this on my other blog.

Good luck (and if you win...you'll share with me right?) =)

This is Not a New Issue

My first car was a 1986 (or 87, I can't remember) Toyota Corolla that my mom bought - she bought it without me so I didn't even get to help pick it out. Thankfully I still loved it and eventually I bought it from her (and even paid it off!).

After I'd paid it off and owned it outright for approximately two months I had the scariest thing happen...I was driving to work, on a street where the speed limit was around 25 mph, and all of a sudden my gas pedal wouldn't stop...and my brakes weren't slowing me down.

The car kept speeding up more and more and I was seriously panicking. Finally I just turned the car off in the middle of the street. That's about all I remember, aside from the terror I felt. I was only 19 or 20 at the time...not the most experienced with scary car things.

Even worse...after I restarted and kept driving it happened AGAIN a few days later. So I went and bought a new car. This time a 96 Toyota Corolla, which never gave me the same scary experience.

Now I have a Toyota Rav4, a 2004, and have never experienced this same thing. But then they come out with a recall saying that a bunch of newer models have this accelerator sticking problem and it makes me really nervous. Because it is NOT a new issue from my perspective. When I traded in my 86 at the dealership I did tell them about the accelerator issue I had and they were not surprised. So when will my 04 crap out on me?

All of my cars have always been Toyota (aside from hubby's truck, which is a Ford) and my dream car is actually a 4Runner. Maybe I need to rethink that.

Racial Victimization Causes Violence

If you constantly tell kids that they are victims, that they will never get ahead because of the color of their skin, that they are "owed" something from others because of the color of their skin ...

You will get kids who are messed up.

"Asian students say black students routinely pelt them with food, beat, punch and kick them in school hallways and bathrooms, and hurl racial epithets like "Hey, Chinese!" and "Yo, Dragon Ball!""

Blacks are not the only race in the world who have been oppressed in the past. Schools teach about slavery to a fault. But they don't seem to teach about other incidents of slavery in other countries (some still ongoing), or about the horrible treatment of other races even here in America (Chinese, Japanese, Irish, etc.).

Would this behavior be tolerated in any way shape or form if the assaulting students were white? No WAY. There would be none of these wimpy protestations that the school district is doing all it can. There would be immediate expulsion of students and loud protests by the offended parties.

"Ackerman apologized to the students but was criticized for bringing a busload of black "student ambassadors" to one hearing , students who were not involved in the strife. She also stirred tensions when she complained that the cultural crisis was "taking up a lot of my time.""

I also think that if the ones being beaten up were white we wouldn't even hear this much about it.

More details are sure to come out and I'm sure there are "guilty" parties on both sides (as my mom says, it takes two to tango) but those responsible for the bullying need to be severely punished and removed from the school to allow those who want to learn to do so safely. I really can't imagine being scared at school.

Creating or Saving?

I think I'm doing my part for job's creation...at least according to The One's definition.

You see, a couple of weeks ago I gave my official notice. I'm quitting my job. =) My last day is April 23 (I'm staying until there is a replacement who I can train).

My company is also "outsourcing" quite a few jobs to a foreign country. But my open position is now available to (hopefully) one of those who will lose their job to said foreign country.

Thus I've SAVED a job.

Right? :)

And this job can be added to the count of saved jobs. What are we up to now? Thousands? Millions? How's that Hope and Change working out?

The Dinner Roll

This is, I think, a very powerful example of so called compassion run amok. Just because others are in need does not mean the government needs to forcibly take from some who have made good choices or had good luck.

Borrowed from the Liberty Zone who "stole" it from Misha.

The Dinner Roll

Once upon a time I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a FREE country. There’s nothing that the government can do to me if I’ve broken no laws. My wealth was EARNED honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen. “Sorry ’bout that,” said the President. “Andrew is very hungry.”

“I don’t appreciate…” I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. “Of course,” I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp. “And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty,” said the President.

I didn’t say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I withheld my comments and decided to play along. I don’t want to seem unkind.My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

“Eric’s children are also quite hungry.” With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me.

I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room. And their grandmother can’t stand for long.”

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken.

I turned back to the President. “Their grandfather doesn’t like the cold.”

I wanted to shout, “that was my coat!” But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table.

I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn’t moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

“Andrew’s whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven’t planned for retirement and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do.”

My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak, and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

“By the way,” he added, “I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I’m firing you as head of your business. I’ll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There’s a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can’t come to you for jobs groveling like beggars..we need to spread YOUR wealth around…”

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived.. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.

Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands. “You should have stopped me at the dinner roll,” he said.

While the elite and government tell us we must be compassionate no matter the cost, they fly in their tax subsidized jets and eat their $100 a pound Kobe beef. They tell us to not have such high expectations and that we must all come down to some imaginary "fair" level. They insist that the regulations they impose on us are for our own good. And again they try to impose guilt - that somehow success is wrong and should be punished while relying on government is the only true way to live a fair life.

It's all bunk and it must be stopped!

White Guilt Should Die

I have never once seen in person any sort of "whites only" sign in relation to anything - rest rooms, water fountains, or bus seating. Nor have I ever gone to school where students were segregated by color. I've worked my entire work life with people of all races.

So why in the hell should I feel guilty over slavery or the policies of segregation from decades and decades ago?!?!

In my Entrecard browsing I came across a post about Martin Luther King Jr day from one of my jewelry blog stops. It was definitely interesting and I can't imagine growing up in those times - and I hope that I would be as adamantly against the segregation of people based on the color of their skin as I am against the supposed guilt I should feel for those actions now.

As a child, the blog author actually had it right, while her father had it wrong:

"When I was about 12 yrs old I complained to my father that since I hadn't been alive during slavery in America, and that neither I or my family members had participated in the segregation of blacks, why did I or we have to pay the price in the world that we lived in?

My father very wisely and sternly explained that as long as I had a white face in a world where blacks continued to be segregated, where prejudice against blacks still prevailed then, I too, would bare the guilt and the shame of those before me."

Her father was WRONG! And I believe quite cruel for telling a little girl that she should feel shame and guilt based on sins perpetrated by those that came before her.

I can understand if he'd explained that (at that time) blacks were still being segregated and so their "forcing" (not in a negative way, mind you) her into black schools and experiences was their form of showing how wrong it was. I totally get that and it was an admirable action they took in those times. But doing so out of guilt or shame was wrong. Do it because it's the right thing to do to support equal rights (not special rights...equal rights).

And I think we're pretty much there. Yes, there are still issues and racists do exist. But they are shunned. ACTUAL racists...not this racial political crap where if you disagree with affirmative action you're labeled a racist. Or if you disagree with The One you're clearly a member of the KKK.

No, I mean actual racist institutions where I would not allowed to sit with a person of a different color skin. Fifty years ago that would be frowned upon and in some cases illegal. Now it is unheard of.

Of course, there are still places that promote segregation and the separation of the races, but since they are politically correct we don't talk about them. You certainly wouldn't see a Caucasian Fund or a college that promotes their "white" history. So we obviously aren't all the way to MLK's dream of judging people by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin.

But I think we're getting there. And my son will NOT be made to feel guilty for sins of people before him. If his teachers ever try to pull that crap I will go ballistic like a mama bear. No one is going to try to make him feel shame for being white. That is wrong! Just as wrong as someone looking down on someone who has black, brown, red, or yellow skin (who came up with 'yellow' skin for Asians??? or red for Indians? My cousins are Asian and they aren't yellow...I have yellower skin then they do!).

He will also learn that while politically correct racial politicians bitch and moan about supposed modern day grievances, there are actual slaves still being bought and sold in our world. The U.S. spilled blood to end the practice here but other countries still practice this horrific human abuse today. There are ACTUAL guilty and shameful people out there in the world. Why don't we try to solve that problem instead of creating imaginary ones here.

Clearly, We Need a New Law

I mean, if people screw something up it's up to the government to fix it right?

So, if the government screws up they clearly need to create more laws to govern themselves. Right?

The best line from this article?

"When a mistake happens, "It doesn't hurt them, but it doesn't help them. What they want is what they're there for,""

Really? It doesn't hurt them?!?! Injecting someone with Insulin instead of the H1N1 vaccine could very well hurt them. What if they're diabetic and already have a slightly low blood sugar?!? What if they don't KNOW that they are diabetic or borderline?

Good grief, what a stupid statement. Insulin isn't just sugar water. I had to give myself shots for several months while I was pregnant and it most certainly is a big deal.

Maybe school nurses shouldn't be in charge of administering vaccines. But then again, a Dr's office is just as likely to screw things up. My Dr's Office gave me an expired vaccine several years ago. And if I'd been upset enough I could have changed doctors.

But don't worry...these types of mistakes won't ever happen when government is in control of ALL health care. And if they do...you can always switch to ... oh wait ...

Apparently I'm Poisoning My Baby

Warning: Strong language is included in this post...I'm not a fan of the "f" word but I feel it's warranted.

I'm super sensitive about criticism heaped on moms for feeding their children formula. Frankly, without formula my baby would have just about starved to death.

This comes up because I got a survey from some company that I'd never heard of so I did a quick online search and their name came up in a mothering forum. The thread was instructing other moms to NOT fill out the survey because it was from an EVIL formula company trying to figure out how to market to breast feeding moms.


First of all, if I had decided beforehand to formula feed that is no one's business but mine. As it was I was desperate to breast feed and the guilt I felt for not being able to (in combination with post pardum) had me suicidal.

One person called formula POISON!

"I have gotten that survey a couple of times. I answered it honestly, and then I wrote, "formula is poison" in the margins of all of the pages just to get my point across that I would not use any of the crap."

Oh For Fuck's Sake.

This just pisses me off so much. I felt SO incredibly guilty for not giving my baby the "best" nutrition that I could. Nature just didn't want to allow me that pleasure (and I'm not going to go into all the crap we went through...we tried everything!). And for some breast feeding Nazi to judge me over something that I had absolutely no control of is disgusting and malicious. And to say that formula is "crap" and "poison" is cruel.

I KNOW that breast feeding would be the best for my baby (and God knows I tried) but he seems to be growing just fine and is extremely healthy (for goodness sake he's already wearing 6-9 month clothing and he's not even 4 months old!). The pain and sorrow I went through in his first three weeks were hell ... even my lactation nurse finally said that I should move on and enjoy my baby. Just thinking about that time brings tears to my eyes. And you know what? The moment I stopped trying to force my boobs to "work" I started sleeping better and truly enjoying my new little one...and went back to my "normal" self.

Does this look like a little boy who is malnourished or being fed poison?!?

It's All About Faith

Hubby and I went on a date on Sunday. We were going between seeing Avatar or The Book of Eli and we went with Eli. I'm SO glad we did!

It was an incredible movie...truly inspiring and moving. And violent. :) It's definitely not going to be for everyone. But for folks like hubby and I who are Christians but also watch some pretty violent shows and movies it was the perfect mix. Medved gave it a so-so review, based mostly on the violence...and it WAS violent. It showed some things quite graphically and there were several mentions of cannibalism. But it really all worked with the tone of the situation they were in.

Oh...just a warning...PETA must HATE this movie because the opening scene involves the killing of a cat. It was a little disturbing, but it really does set the tone for the horror that humanity has fallen into. And if you can just move on past that (it was tough for me) and remember the type of situation the world has fallen into you'll be fine.

Having a Christian - and a bad-ass Christian - as the hero and main character is incredibly refreshing. The premise is that he's guarding the last Bible in the world, after a massive apocalyptic event (after which they apparently blamed Christianity and burned all the bibles), and has to deliver it in order to save humanity, which has sunk into the most base instincts and actions. Some of the comments from the main villain were sort of slams on Christians (being weak minded and needing to be controlled) but really the whole thing revolves around the faith of one man who follows God's word. Denzel was amazing.

I won't give away the ending but it was a huge shocker! HUGE! And seriously...I had tears in my eyes. I would love to see it again and will probably buy it on DVD when it comes out.

I Love Electricity

Our power went out last night around 1 a.m. I cannot emphasize how much I love having power. I don't see how people got through life without it oh so many years ago. When our power went out when I was younger, I loved it. It was fun and exciting (and no school was always a hopeful possibility).

Now I just want my lights, TV, and computer. I took Marshal to Fred Meyer just to get out of the house and get some distractions. He was great ... looking at all the colors of the packaging on the shelves. It was adorable.

I cannot even explain how much I adore him. Even though he's going through a very fussy phase - he's teething and there's lots of screaming - he just makes my heart ache with love. I wish there was something more I could do to relieve his pain. We're using teething tablets and tylenol. But only sparingly and mostly around evening when it's bed time. He seems a lot fussier then, but yesterday he screamed for 45 minutes straight when grandma baby sat.

When the power came back around 5 p.m. this evening I literally jumped up and down in excitement. I can not imagine my stress at putting my baby to bed in the dark (with candles and kerosene lanterns) and trying to sleep with the generator running. And it just now occurred to me that we could have plugged in a couple of lamps. Duh. We just had the fridge and our neighbor's fridge plugged in...oh and the coffee pot and toaster. The essentials. :)

It's back to work tomorrow. I'm completely swamped and have to start working on my desk notes and training schedule. Last day count down - April 23! And in the mean time I need to study my butt off and get my Insurance License. SO exciting!

Run Amok

Amok? Is that how you spell it?

Anyway...just heard a report on the radio that a "blue ribbon" panel charged with investigating the Fort Hood shooting said that the military should not just be concerned with Muslim extremism, but with religious extremism of all kinds.

*sigh*

Move along. Nothing to see here. PC remains the name of the game.

Great Analogy

As I work from home today, I'm listening to the radio and Rush just gave a great example in regards to punishing success.

If I punish my son for getting an A, because it's not fair that he got a better grade than the neighbor kid who got a C, by saying that they both get Bs...what am I going to get in the future? It won't be a son who strives for an A and it won't be a neighbor boy who strives for a B. It'll be two kids who work less to achieve little.

The same is true of businesses. If you PUNISH success by raising taxes, increasing fees and regulations, and demonizing businesses that make a profit...you will NOT encourage growth in our economy. You will get fewer businesses and fewer individuals who strive to achieve through risk, development, new products, and success.

I understand that the Democrats really don't care about the little people...they care mostly about their own power (and let me add that most of those in the "elite" GOP have the same attitude - it's all about remaining in office...principles be damned). Through any means necessary.

Hypocrisy

It amazes me that lefties hate Republicans/conservatives so much that their so called "peaceful" and "loving" ways go out the window...

“They mixed gasoline with oil so it would stick to clothing and skin and burn longer..."

THAT is terrorism. The plan was to attack the Republican convention. Free people with differing ideas are considered the enemy to these anarchist, communist, crazy people.

It's okay to damage property and take lives if the cause is "social justice" (as long as it's THEIR definition of social justice) and obtaining "equality". That is INSANE! And wrong.

And as the article says, imagine if these terrorists (because that is exactly what they are) were "conservatives" planning to attack the Democratic national convention. We would have heard about NOTHING else! Yet, have you ever heard of this foiled attack?

I hadn't until today. And I learned about it online, not in the Lame-stream media.

A sad state of affairs.

{EDIT: Yes, I spelled Hypocrisy wrong in the title...it's changed now. What can I say. I suck at spelling!}

Tragedy

I remember when the Tsunami hit in 2000. I know I don't need to say which Tsunami because we all know which one I mean. My eyes were glued to every news story and I could not watch enough of the videos that were released by tourists and news organizations. Traveling there to help was not an option for me even though my heart just ached for those people.

And now again my heart aches and the only thing I can do is send money. It feels like such a meager effort - click a button and go on about my day. There are people still trapped under rubble. Security is a huge issue and the people are expecting a lot of looting / stealing.

The Anchoress has put together a great post that lists places to donate. I picked Food for the Poor - a charity that Michael Medved also supports. Their admin costs are astronomically low - at only 0.6%!!! That is insane. Their fund raising costs are less than 2% of expenses. So you know that the money you send is going to the people in most need - obviously those in Haiti right now.

While I wish I could go down and help directly, reality is that I am a mother, a daughter, a wife, a coworker. My responsibilities are here...and so I send what little I can (and am taking advantage of my current work's matching gifts program...every little bit helps!).

Please pray for those in Haiti today and in the future...and give what you can.

Fascinating - and Cowardly

For postings that are older than a couple of weeks, any comments made on those posts have to be moderated. Mostly so that I know someone left a comment so I can respond but also to avoid spam messages. Those crafty spammers like to go back to old posts and leave crap messages with lots of links.

But today's comment needing approval is a doozy...I won't call him (or her) a spammer. After all there are no links - even to their profile, which was clearly created just to leave negative and obscene comments.

In response to my post "Yes, They Deserve to Die..." I got the following comment yesterday (edited here, but in full glory in the post):

"look(CastoCreation)-What the hell is that anyway? you stupid f***ing narc b***h, you can burn in hell too with every cop in the world thats right i just called out ever f***ing cop in the world my life wish would be for every cop to burn in hellfire in front of their precious little families you got that you f****t b***h"

Wow...someone has some unresolved anger. I wish I could visit their blog...well, perhaps not as I don't think they have the best writing or grammar skills.

And yes, I did approve the message because people need to see the evil that is out there in our world. And I truly do believe in free speech, regardless of the content of that speech. Unlike so many liberals who believe in "free speech for me, but not for thee" I don't mind disagreement (even one so insulting and cruel).

P.S....how can someone be a "Fa**ot B***h?" Aren't the two incompatible?

Pennies in the Fire

When I was in middle school we had a guest speaker come talk to one of our classes...I don't remember which class (guessing it was history or something like that), nor do I remember the teacher or just about any other thing that I learned in middle school.

What I do remember is this speaker, a man who had survived the Holocaust. He was part of the Escape from Sobibor and his story was riveting and powerful.

This is also the time when I read a book I borrowed from my aunt about Joseph Mengele and his horrifying "experiments" on children, especially twins.

Was I too young to read such a book? Probably a bit. But it was these two experiences that have led me to a fascination and passion for this particular period of history - World War II in general, and the Holocaust specifically. I was actually excited when I got to go to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC during high school...and I still have the "passport" I received that represented one person from the time. My person did not make it out alive and neither did any one of the people we had in our 8 person party.

There is a project going on right now at Horn Lake Middle School to teach those children about the Holocuast. Every child needs to understand the horror and the true nightmare that was created for so many millions.

The teacher has come up with, what I think is, a creative idea to convey to the children just how many lives were lost.

It's a school project spearheaded by seventh-grade Spotlight students currently studying World War II -- with a significant focus on the Holocaust. Each penny would stand for one child lost in the Holocaust.

Children can understand something in front of them - something tangible like a penny. It's difficult to comprehend 1.5 Million of anything, but when you see it in person it can become so much more clear.

If you have some extra change, please consider sending it their way. Each generation must learn about the hell created by the Nazis. It's not that it was the first, only, or last genocide (Stalin's and Mao's governments actually each killed more people total). It is the systematic and organized manner in which the evil was perpetrated. And the fact that some people today STILL deny that it happened. And some kids are not even taught about it anymore.

We need to remember...always.

We Can All Help

When hubby and I were trying to have a baby we talked about adoption and whether we'd want to do that if we couldn't get pregnant. I've always wanted to adopt a baby from Africa or the Ukraine. Or China. Or pretty much anywhere, really. :)

My heart aches when I see those shows about the horrible conditions of orphanages in the Ukraine where babies are never held. Or the orphanages in Africa where siblings are separated into different 'camps' because one has HIV and one doesn't. The lives of these children are fairly hopeless without assistance or adoption.

One of my facebook friends posted a link to a blogger who's family is trying to adopt a child, Miles, from the Congo. She's also trying to raise funds to help feed some of the children who are stuck in these orphanages.

Her goal is that everyone donates $1...just one dollar will feed FOUR children for an entire day! Can you imagine?!? Eating all day for less than $0.25!??? And children are truly the most innocent victims who have done nothing to deserve their fate.

So...head on over to "The Terry Family's" blog posting. She's also asking for formula and I'm going to find out if she can use formula checks to buy formula to take with her when she travels to the Congo.

Just one dollar. Mine is donated.

*Warning - her site has music that starts up...which I hate (why do bloggers insist on forcing you to listen to what they like?) ... nevertheless, just scroll down and hit pause. It's worth it. :) I know there are so many who need help, but if you can touch just one life it's worth it, right?

I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means

Reading an article in the Washington Examiner about the so called "transparency" being claimed by the Dems and I get to the comments and start cracking up. Posted as "Inigo Montoya":

"They keep usin' this word "transparency" ... I do not think it means what they think it means."

ROFL Any reference to The Princess Bride wins my vote. LOVE that movie. And in this vein it is perfect for the situation in DC.

And "Inigo" is right...Inconceivable!

Apparently, in DC speak, "transparency" means holding closed door negotiations. Transparency means bribing Senators with tax payer money (an illegal act if done in the private sector). Transparency means breaking a campaign promise made eight separate times to allow C-Span to broadcast debate.

Clearly, transparency means something very different to Pelosi than to the rest of us.

You've GOT to be Kidding

The 9th Circuit Court is a joke... and once again they've let fly with a doozie of a funny decision. Well, it would be funny if it weren't so frightening.

Felons should be allowed to vote ... IN PRISON ... because to deny them a vote is to discriminate against minorities. W.T.F.

"A federal appeals court has ruled that imprisoned felons should be allowed to vote in Washington to ensure that racial minorities are protected under the Voting Rights Act.

....

The two appellate judges ruled that disparities in the state's justice system "cannot be explained in race-neutral ways." "

Are you freaking kidding me?!?!?! The state law says not one single thing about race. People who's ACTIONS land them in jail and prison have lost their right to participate in society, until their punishment and debt is paid. I have no problem allowing ex-felons to have their voting rights restored. But to allow felons currently in prison to vote...is insane.

But this is the state that elected Christine Gregoire, after three recounts after they "found" enough votes to beat Dino Rossi (who won the first and second count). So it shouldn't surprise me that the Democrats would be excited about this. This state is losing its ever loving mind.

The politicians give lip service to supporting law enforcement and getting tough on crime, but in reality we let dangerous people out of jail and back into society so they can murder police officers...and now we want to give them a vote while they're still serving their time.

It's sickening and I can only pray it gets overturned by the Supreme Court. But who knows, since it's now leaning left. *sigh* A felon apparently has more rights than a victim or law abiding citizen now.

Diversity Woman to the Rescue

Wow...I am just in awe...and not in a good way. Via Freeman Hunt's blog (a newly discovered gem) comes a paragon of virtue in teaching her child that two men can be married and both be daddies, and that two women can be married together and both be mommies. It really does almost read like an Onion article. You have to read it to believe it.

I think her daughter's instinct was the correct one and this mother is trying to teach her child that nature is wrong. Her daughter instinctively knows that two boys can't marry and two girls can't marry. Why not? Well, because it's not natural. Mating in the wild never occurs between two species of the same sex...you cannot continue a species without two opposites. Ever heard of opposites attract? I've got no issue with people seeing or dating or "marrying" whoever they want...but don't try to convince me that it is natural and "okay". It just isn't.

Unicorns and rainbows of utopia are the goals we should strive for as human beings...unless you're white and heterosexual and then you need to flog yourself for the sins of your ancestors (whether they did anything wrong or not) and feel piles of guilt for being "privileged" (not sure how to define privileged though...is just having pale pigmentation of the skin the only qualification?).

No one culture (unless you're American) or religion (unless you're a Christian) is better than any other. All beliefs are equal (unless you're a conservative of course...or in the military) and we should never judge anyone else (unless you're a redneck, racist, bigot, homophobe, anglophile...or just a Republican...or Christian).

And the RNC is evil (actually, I have a hard time arguing that one lately) and according to some in the comments, flag waving Americans are performing genocide on innocent Muslims and anyone else who gets in our way. As if the little friend of her daughter comes from a religion that promotes tolerance and diversity...I'll give you three guesses what religion it is. =)

Diversity is such a sacred cow to liberals that there are actual businesses created in order to promote it...as if running a business is all about how diverse you and your staff are; rather than creating jobs and wealth. I'm sorry but if you know how to do the job I don't care if you're black, brown, purple, or red. And I sure as hell would not hire a company to "teach" me how to diversify (sadly, my current employer has fallen down this rabbit hole...it's quite disturbing).

And lest this queen of diversity (she's the co-founder and president of one of those scams, er, I mean businesses - New Demographic, a diversity education firm - WTF does that mean exactly?) question my own bona-fides ... I'm part Indian (the native kind), part Ukranian, a bunch of who the hell knows, and all American. I know lots of people (who she calls "references") of all types - gay, straight, black, white, brown, muslim - in fact in my near to immediate family we have Japanese, Taiwanese, and Jewish members. No gays or lesbians that I know of, but it wouldn't surprise me, or bother me all that much. But I'm pretty much just "white" and I'm sure that disqualifies me as able to have any opinion on the matter.

The so called diversity that this woman preaches is superficial and phony. There's no room for tolerance or diversity of THOUGHT. If you disagree you're automatically branded a racist buffoon, a bigot, a homophobe. And even though all religions are supposedly equal, if your religion says that homosexuality is a sin you're a fascist "Christianist" (what is that anyway?). Unless you are Islamic...in which case we'll forgive your judgmental views in order to prove our diversity.

I Am Right

I tell my mom this a lot...I'm usually right so just listen to me and take my advice. *grin* She often does, but I just can't convince her on my political views...still working on it.

But on this one, I am right, and so is she. She's an RN and she knows very well that antibiotic use is a major problem for our health and our ability to fight infections and basic diseases that have almost died out ... but they are making a comeback.

Norway seems to have figured out how to keep their infections in check...don't prescribe antibiotics for every little ache and pain.

Twenty-five years ago, Norwegians were also losing their lives to this bacteria. But Norway's public health system fought back with an aggressive program that made it the most infection-free country in the world. A key part of that program was cutting back severely on the use of antibiotics.

...

Norwegians are sanguine about their coughs and colds, toughing it out through low-grade infections.

"We don't throw antibiotics at every person with a fever. We tell them to hang on, wait and see, and we give them a Tylenol to feel better," says Haug.

There's a reason why I rarely take antibiotics and try to avoid antibacterial soaps. My house is not sterilized...I'm not trying to prevent my little boy from coming into contact with any and every germ. Far from it. From the time he was 3 or 4 days old he was going out into the big bad scary world of Target and Walmart. He has not had one single sickness yet - aside from my tummy sensitivity. I am hoping that because of all his exposure to 'stuff' in the world that his new adventures at daycare won't make him too sick either. But if he catches a cold...we'll tough it out and will not demand antibiotics from the doctors.

Parents need to get a clue and stop demanding drugs for every little thing.

Run, Lisa, Run!

This case is incredibly disturbing and frightening. That the courts found the ex-Lesbian lover (Jenkins) a more reasonable person to give custody of a child who she has no biological connection to...and what sounds like an unhealthy relationship with (radio program I'm listening to said that as a 6 year old she would come home from her visits talking and mimicking suicide and masturbating!) ... is so scary and illogical that it's hard to fathom.

It makes me sick to read the news article call this little girl Jenkins' daughter. She is NOT her daughter. Jenkins is an EX LOVER...basically an ex girlfriend.

If Jenkins were a man...an ex boyfriend with no biological connection who was only around the first 17 months of the child's life...what would the courts do?

I have NO doubt that they would award sole custody to the mother - who in this case does not sound like a mental patient as they're trying to make her out to be...she sounds like *Gasp* a Christian! Heaven forbid! A man would be laughed out of court if he tried to take this little girl away from her real mother (again...if he had been the boyfriend for such a short time and no biological connection).

There is just no such thing as "two mommies" or "two daddies"...sorry. I know it's un-PC to say that, but it's true.

I'm not "anti-Gay" ... although I'm sure someone can call me that if they wish. (Supposedly) free country and all that. My hubby's former sergeant is a lesbian who has a wonderful partner and we adore them both. What two adults do together isn't my business.

But when it comes to the welfare of children...the courts seem to be forgetting that the child's welfare matters much more than the Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Tranny-Whatever agenda.

I pray that Lisa and her daughter disappear for good and set up new lives.

I feel like I'm living in Bizarro world. Where the moral Christian woman is being persecuted and the Gay/Lesbian agenda is being rewarded and championed by the government. Very odd.

Having said all of that...It would be entirely different if both women had raised this little girl for all the last 7 years. The little girl WOULD have memories and a relationship with both women. But that is not the case here.

The Game is Afoot

Hubby and I went on a date New Year's day. For some reason I really wanted to go see Sherlock Holmes and I'm so glad I dragged...er, I mean, convinced, hubby to go. It was fabulous.

I'm not sure what other reviewers were talking about when they said the main love interest had no "spark" ... but I don't always pick up on that kind of thing. I thought their relationship was just fine.

I've never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books but this movie actually made hubby and I both want to start reading them now. Are they good? Which one do we start with? I realize these are probably dumb questions, but I was never introduced to them...ever. So I don't even know which is the first book.

Anyhoo...I am really really really hoping that the next movie is as awesome, or better. If they screw it up and make it suck I'll be bummed.

OMG - Can You Imagine?

Dear Lord the thought is frightening.

Imagine TSA unionized...and now imagine a unionized TSA threatening to strike at Christmas time.

*gulp*

How could their demands NOT be met? They could single handedly (is that a word?) bring the entire country to a halt.

Unionizing TSA is not what this country needs. I do think, however, that TSA agents need to be better paid and better trained. I think they should train with the Israel agents. Those people know how to get it done.

And none of this pansy political correctness of not profiling. If you're coming from a predominantly muslim country, if you look nervous and "middle eastern" ... well guess what buddy? Pull your ass out of line and find out what's going on.

If you're just nervous to fly, so be it, but at least the rest of the passengers will feel safer...pulling out little old lady with blue hair and frisking her doesn't make me feel safer at all.

This country is going to implode trying to not offend anyone. It's pathetic.