My son is watching Bambi. Where am I? I'm hiding in my room. I can't watch Bambi, it makes me cry. Not just cry a little, but cry as in, "Jeez, somebody get that woman a Kleenex!"
Everytime it comes to the scene where they shoot Bambi's mom? Yeah...I lose it.
You would think that by the age of 36 a cartoon wouldn't effect me so strongly, huh?
1.30.2007
Forced Vaccines?
Last week, there was a big discussion about reproductive freeedom and what that means. This week, in the same vein, I give you this little gem.
They can't even force you to vaccinate your children against chicken pox and now they want to tell me that I have to get my 13 year old daughter a shot that may or may not protect her against SOME types of cervical cancer? I don't think so.
This is a prime example of why lobbyists need to be restricted. They are paying legislators in Texas to put this on the floor. Now who could possibly benefit from this? Oh yeah, the pharmacutical company. Funny thing is if you check up on Gardasil you find out that it MIGHT protect you against SOME kinds of HPV. Okay, so they want to force parents to give their children a vaccine that hasn't even been on the market a full year and that may or may not actually protect said child? Yeah, there's no bias involved there.
This idiocy ever makes it's way to Utah and you can damn well bet I'll be standing on the steps of the Capital Building with a sign in my hot little hands.
They can't even force you to vaccinate your children against chicken pox and now they want to tell me that I have to get my 13 year old daughter a shot that may or may not protect her against SOME types of cervical cancer? I don't think so.
This is a prime example of why lobbyists need to be restricted. They are paying legislators in Texas to put this on the floor. Now who could possibly benefit from this? Oh yeah, the pharmacutical company. Funny thing is if you check up on Gardasil you find out that it MIGHT protect you against SOME kinds of HPV. Okay, so they want to force parents to give their children a vaccine that hasn't even been on the market a full year and that may or may not actually protect said child? Yeah, there's no bias involved there.
This idiocy ever makes it's way to Utah and you can damn well bet I'll be standing on the steps of the Capital Building with a sign in my hot little hands.
The Throw Away Children
As of the year 2003 there were over 500,000 children in foster care in the United States. The numbers have only continued to increase. An alarming number of the children currently in foster care will "age out" of the system on their 18th birthday. What this means is that once the child reaches the age of majority, the state basically pats them on the back, hands them a little cash and says, "Hope we taught you how to take care of yourself, have a nice life."
Recently there has been a growing trend to highlight the plight of children in foreign countries and a rise in the number of adoptions from these countries. Today, as I was flipping through the channels, looking for cartoons for my son, I stopped briefly on the Oprah Winfrey show. She was talking to a group of upper class southern families who had adopted older children from a Liberian orphanage.
First, I'm glad that these children will have the love and support of a family to help them develop into solid adults. Second, where were these people when children right here in this country needed that same love and attention?
It frightens me that it seems to be considered a great thing to do, generous and worthy of news attention, when someone adopts a child from a foreign country and yet no one seems to care that we are creating an entire generation of throw-away children.
The states remove these kids from abusive or neglectful homes and they spend the next years of their lives bouncing from place to place, never really knowing the love and support of a family. People are willing to adopt bright eyed babies, but these older children waste into the background of our society.
Where is the call for help for these children? Who will stand up for them and urge those who are financially able and emotionally willing to give them a home and parents to guide them? Why are there no news stories about celebrities adopting boys and girls who were beaten, neglected and overlooked right here at home? Is it just not "hip" enough? Are they not poor enough? Pitiful enough?
It angers me to think that simply because they were born in this country they will live their lives without someone to kiss their hurts away, tell them how proud they have made someone or hold their hands the first time love breaks their heart. I am saddened that we as a nation seem to have forgotten an entire generation of children.
If you read this and it makes you think, take a moment and write to your congressman or woman. Ask them to make finding adoptive families for these children a priority. Write a letter to your local paper asking why no one has taken the time to write about the children in your community who are in need. Call your local news station and ask why there are no stories about the eleven year old girl with no mother to love her. Take the time. Help bring these children out of the shadows.
Recently there has been a growing trend to highlight the plight of children in foreign countries and a rise in the number of adoptions from these countries. Today, as I was flipping through the channels, looking for cartoons for my son, I stopped briefly on the Oprah Winfrey show. She was talking to a group of upper class southern families who had adopted older children from a Liberian orphanage.
First, I'm glad that these children will have the love and support of a family to help them develop into solid adults. Second, where were these people when children right here in this country needed that same love and attention?
It frightens me that it seems to be considered a great thing to do, generous and worthy of news attention, when someone adopts a child from a foreign country and yet no one seems to care that we are creating an entire generation of throw-away children.
The states remove these kids from abusive or neglectful homes and they spend the next years of their lives bouncing from place to place, never really knowing the love and support of a family. People are willing to adopt bright eyed babies, but these older children waste into the background of our society.
Where is the call for help for these children? Who will stand up for them and urge those who are financially able and emotionally willing to give them a home and parents to guide them? Why are there no news stories about celebrities adopting boys and girls who were beaten, neglected and overlooked right here at home? Is it just not "hip" enough? Are they not poor enough? Pitiful enough?
It angers me to think that simply because they were born in this country they will live their lives without someone to kiss their hurts away, tell them how proud they have made someone or hold their hands the first time love breaks their heart. I am saddened that we as a nation seem to have forgotten an entire generation of children.
If you read this and it makes you think, take a moment and write to your congressman or woman. Ask them to make finding adoptive families for these children a priority. Write a letter to your local paper asking why no one has taken the time to write about the children in your community who are in need. Call your local news station and ask why there are no stories about the eleven year old girl with no mother to love her. Take the time. Help bring these children out of the shadows.
For no other reason than it made me laugh....
"Nothing is as embarrassing as a homemade pussy accident."
That's it. Nothing else to say. That sentence is the funniest damn thing I've read all week.
(Please Note: I have linked to the blog from which it came! Do yourself a favor, visit.)
That's it. Nothing else to say. That sentence is the funniest damn thing I've read all week.
(Please Note: I have linked to the blog from which it came! Do yourself a favor, visit.)
1.29.2007
Come on!
My son is two. Anyone who reads here ever will know that. My son is also one of the cutest people I know.
He has had trouble speaking and has been slow to develop a full vocabulary. We aren't sure why, but there you have it. We've been working with him and it's finally paying off. Sentences are springing up out of nowhere...the latest in his little phrase book? "Come on!"
This phrase is used when he needs my attention, when he wants to play or when he's hungry. It is always accompanied by a tugging on my shirt sleeve or my hand and is usually said with some impatience. It makes me laugh EVERY time he does it!
I am proud to say that along with his new found enunnciation the words,"please" and "thank you" are making a debut. Does my heart good.
The only down side to his chattiness? On Saturday we went outside to play. He was upset when I made him come in. His response? A sad, slow sob under his breath, "Dumb Mama".
He has had trouble speaking and has been slow to develop a full vocabulary. We aren't sure why, but there you have it. We've been working with him and it's finally paying off. Sentences are springing up out of nowhere...the latest in his little phrase book? "Come on!"
This phrase is used when he needs my attention, when he wants to play or when he's hungry. It is always accompanied by a tugging on my shirt sleeve or my hand and is usually said with some impatience. It makes me laugh EVERY time he does it!
I am proud to say that along with his new found enunnciation the words,"please" and "thank you" are making a debut. Does my heart good.
The only down side to his chattiness? On Saturday we went outside to play. He was upset when I made him come in. His response? A sad, slow sob under his breath, "Dumb Mama".
Something interesting I found...
It's amazing the things you can find inside of used books. I found this tonight. I especially like the little note on the back asking for suggestions on how they can imporve service. It makes me wonder about the person that owned this book before me.
1.27.2007
Ahh...memories
The inspiration for this little walk down memory lane came from a post I read at CUSS.
Do you remember being twelve? I do. I remember turning twelve and thinking to myself, "Only six more years and I don't have to do anything I don't want to." It was a very liberating feeling.
I also remember it as the time of the roller rink. Friday nights. The smell of bad pizza and the sound of popular music and video games. From seven to nine on Friday nights I was free of my parents and able to do just about anything I wanted. Okay, so at the age of twelve this meant eating to much and failing to flirt with the boys I thought were cute, but still. It was a time and a place where I could taste the freedom I was dreaming of. My friends and I would meet up and spend two hours discussing all the really important things. Who had how many friendship rings. Who we liked and didn't like and most importantly which boys were looking at us and which boys were not. It was goundbreaking stuff.
As I got older, the rollerskating craze died out. We moved on to other entertainments. Innocent giggles and whispers behind our hands gave way to more adult talk and less innocent pursuits. The joy I felt at anticipating my 18th birthday began to fade as I learned what it really meant...a job, bills and less time to do the things I loved.
The memory of being twelve never left me though. I hung around in my mind like a friend you only see once or twice a year.
Two years ago, shortly after I had my son, my husband and I were at the local thrift store browsing. In the back room, hidden under old baseball gloves and dented bike helmets I found a pair of white ladies rollerskates. I got all kinds of nostalgic and excited and gladly laid out the $5.00. At home with my new found piece of childhood I put them on and after a couple of turns around the kitchen table, I went outside to bask in the feeling of the wind on my face and sun in my hair.
I realized two things almost instantly: (1) I hadn't rollerskated in twenty years and (2) I lived on a hill.
Now, these two things may not mean much by themselves, but combined with the wheels attached to my feet....well, you get the idea.
The little girl across the street stood in her driveway and watched me, a puzzled expression on her face. As I slammed into the tree at the end of my drive, she asked asked me what I was doing. When I said, "Rollerskating," she shook her head and said, "You aren't very good at it are you?" I laughed, clung to the tree and replied, "No. No I'm not very good at it."
And then I began to laugh. I had come outside to relive a part of my childhood and falied miserably, but the feeling of being twelve, of discovering myself and something new was clinging with me to that tree in that moment. I slid down to the sidewalk and took the skates off. I hadn't laughed that hard in years.
Do you remember being twelve? I do. I remember turning twelve and thinking to myself, "Only six more years and I don't have to do anything I don't want to." It was a very liberating feeling.
I also remember it as the time of the roller rink. Friday nights. The smell of bad pizza and the sound of popular music and video games. From seven to nine on Friday nights I was free of my parents and able to do just about anything I wanted. Okay, so at the age of twelve this meant eating to much and failing to flirt with the boys I thought were cute, but still. It was a time and a place where I could taste the freedom I was dreaming of. My friends and I would meet up and spend two hours discussing all the really important things. Who had how many friendship rings. Who we liked and didn't like and most importantly which boys were looking at us and which boys were not. It was goundbreaking stuff.
As I got older, the rollerskating craze died out. We moved on to other entertainments. Innocent giggles and whispers behind our hands gave way to more adult talk and less innocent pursuits. The joy I felt at anticipating my 18th birthday began to fade as I learned what it really meant...a job, bills and less time to do the things I loved.
The memory of being twelve never left me though. I hung around in my mind like a friend you only see once or twice a year.
Two years ago, shortly after I had my son, my husband and I were at the local thrift store browsing. In the back room, hidden under old baseball gloves and dented bike helmets I found a pair of white ladies rollerskates. I got all kinds of nostalgic and excited and gladly laid out the $5.00. At home with my new found piece of childhood I put them on and after a couple of turns around the kitchen table, I went outside to bask in the feeling of the wind on my face and sun in my hair.
I realized two things almost instantly: (1) I hadn't rollerskated in twenty years and (2) I lived on a hill.
Now, these two things may not mean much by themselves, but combined with the wheels attached to my feet....well, you get the idea.
The little girl across the street stood in her driveway and watched me, a puzzled expression on her face. As I slammed into the tree at the end of my drive, she asked asked me what I was doing. When I said, "Rollerskating," she shook her head and said, "You aren't very good at it are you?" I laughed, clung to the tree and replied, "No. No I'm not very good at it."
And then I began to laugh. I had come outside to relive a part of my childhood and falied miserably, but the feeling of being twelve, of discovering myself and something new was clinging with me to that tree in that moment. I slid down to the sidewalk and took the skates off. I hadn't laughed that hard in years.
1.26.2007
There are a surprising number of people talking about a subject that came up on the Today Show recently. They did a piece about drinking, mom's and whether or not it's a good idea to do it with your children present.
For me, this is a clear cut issue. It is not okay to drink around you children. As parents we are responsible for showing our children acceptable ways to communicate, deal with anger and stress and basically everything else it takes to be a grown-up. Just like you wouldn't smack someone around in front of your children and then say, "Don't hit.", you shouldn't drink in front of your children and then say , "Don't drink."
The host and the psychologist on the Today Show piece are being called to the mat over some of the issues they raised, in particular the difference between "social drinking" and "problem drinking" and comparing drinking at playdates with a babysitter who drinks. I come down on both sides of the fence here.
First, the difference between "problem" and "social" drinking is extremely thin. It can go from being one, to being the other very quickly. And who decides? Also, it leaves out the fact that people are using the alcohol to "relax" from what they feel has been a long a trying day of doing what women have been doing for centuries, taking care of their children. As crass as it sounds, and I know it sounds crass, if you have to drink to "unwind" because of your children? Maybe you shouldn't have children.
I get stressed out. I roll my eyes at the things my children do. Sometimes I sit in the bathtub and day dream about the jet-set lifestyle I could have "if only..." Yet somehow the idea of getting together with Jane and Mary from down the street to have a glass of wine and let the kids play has never popped into my head. Alcohol has become pervasive and still people wonder why more and more teenagers are becoming addicted.
On the second point: Mothers are not babysitters. While I can appreciate the point that was trying to be made, it was an altogether bad analogy. You pay a babysitter to do a specific job. The issue wouldn't be them having A drink while watching the kids, it would be them drinking on the JOB. As far as I know, unless you're three martini lunching it in a VERY expensive suit, this is never okay. The girl behind the cash register can't slip out at lunch have a couple of glasses of wine and not get in trouble for it, and THAT job is considerably more stressful than watching a two year old. A better way to make the point might have been to ask, " If you came home and your husband had his buddies over and they were drinking beer while watching the children, would THAT be okay?" This is a level playing field. It's a comparison between the parents and the behavior that is expected.
It all comes down to just one thing in the end, personal choice. I make decisions every day that I'm sure would make other mother's shudder. I made a personal choice not to allow alcohol around my children. That was my decision. Other parent's make different choices. I may not agree, but as long as the children aren't being endangered, I'm not going to cry foul on them either.
It's a topic that should be discussed, but not something these mom's should be called to the mat for.
For me, this is a clear cut issue. It is not okay to drink around you children. As parents we are responsible for showing our children acceptable ways to communicate, deal with anger and stress and basically everything else it takes to be a grown-up. Just like you wouldn't smack someone around in front of your children and then say, "Don't hit.", you shouldn't drink in front of your children and then say , "Don't drink."
The host and the psychologist on the Today Show piece are being called to the mat over some of the issues they raised, in particular the difference between "social drinking" and "problem drinking" and comparing drinking at playdates with a babysitter who drinks. I come down on both sides of the fence here.
First, the difference between "problem" and "social" drinking is extremely thin. It can go from being one, to being the other very quickly. And who decides? Also, it leaves out the fact that people are using the alcohol to "relax" from what they feel has been a long a trying day of doing what women have been doing for centuries, taking care of their children. As crass as it sounds, and I know it sounds crass, if you have to drink to "unwind" because of your children? Maybe you shouldn't have children.
I get stressed out. I roll my eyes at the things my children do. Sometimes I sit in the bathtub and day dream about the jet-set lifestyle I could have "if only..." Yet somehow the idea of getting together with Jane and Mary from down the street to have a glass of wine and let the kids play has never popped into my head. Alcohol has become pervasive and still people wonder why more and more teenagers are becoming addicted.
On the second point: Mothers are not babysitters. While I can appreciate the point that was trying to be made, it was an altogether bad analogy. You pay a babysitter to do a specific job. The issue wouldn't be them having A drink while watching the kids, it would be them drinking on the JOB. As far as I know, unless you're three martini lunching it in a VERY expensive suit, this is never okay. The girl behind the cash register can't slip out at lunch have a couple of glasses of wine and not get in trouble for it, and THAT job is considerably more stressful than watching a two year old. A better way to make the point might have been to ask, " If you came home and your husband had his buddies over and they were drinking beer while watching the children, would THAT be okay?" This is a level playing field. It's a comparison between the parents and the behavior that is expected.
It all comes down to just one thing in the end, personal choice. I make decisions every day that I'm sure would make other mother's shudder. I made a personal choice not to allow alcohol around my children. That was my decision. Other parent's make different choices. I may not agree, but as long as the children aren't being endangered, I'm not going to cry foul on them either.
It's a topic that should be discussed, but not something these mom's should be called to the mat for.
1.25.2007
What? A politician with something intelligent to say?
I read Neil Gaiman's blog and he usually has links to very cool things that I would never have found otherwise. Today, he posted this little piece from The Guardian Unlimited .
Usually politicians are just blowing smoke out their asses and don't really have anything useful to say. This gentleman has a lot useful to say. Even better it's all tempered with...COMMON SENSE!!!! I had thought it impossible that the words "common sense" and "politician" could be used in the same sentence without causing some sort of terrible tear in universe, but there you have it.
Give it a read, pass it on. Spread the common sense around.
Usually politicians are just blowing smoke out their asses and don't really have anything useful to say. This gentleman has a lot useful to say. Even better it's all tempered with...COMMON SENSE!!!! I had thought it impossible that the words "common sense" and "politician" could be used in the same sentence without causing some sort of terrible tear in universe, but there you have it.
Give it a read, pass it on. Spread the common sense around.
1.22.2007
"Blogging For Choice"
I have done the unforgivable. I expressed an opinion that upset feminists and called into question the issue of personal responsibility. How dare I? What was the hot button issue? Abortion. I am now being called ridiculous and reminded that no woman should be forced to raise a child. My feelings on this subject are not religiously based. I have had three unplanned pregnancies in my lifetime. None were convienent. None were well timed. I have made the choice to have the children and place them for adoption.
Let's look at a couple of things here, shall we?
Look, I'm just going to say it, I believe that abortion as a means of birth control is wrong. Anyone wishing to lambast me will please read the sentence again and notice I did not say we should all rush right out and make abortion illegal and strip women of the right thereby plunging us directly back into the dark ages (because we all know that limiting abortion would lead to women being stripped of the vote, the right to work and possibly even the right to wear pants in public.) ....but using it as a method of birth control because being pregnant isn't "convienent" is wrong. Rape, incest, cases of physical danger to the mother or a second child (twin births)? Totally different story. For me it comes down to personal responsibility. Birth control is readily available, even to low income persons...state Medicade programs will pay for most birth control methods, up to and including surgical sterilization. The 72 hour pill is readily available through doctor's offices and Family Planning clinics.
Using the 72 hour pill, you are preventing a pregnancy from taking place. Going to a clinic and having a pregnancy terminated means you are choosing to end another human life. Attach all the emotion you want to that statement, but the medical and scientific facts are that at two to three months the fetus is breathing, has fingers and toes forming, is moving and has started developing major organ systems. That's not just one or two cells, that's a person taking shape. Arguing that "a baby isn't really a baby during the first trimester" makes my stomach lurch. Within the first three months that little tiny being has started to develop organ systems and is moving. Again, this isn't based on anything other than hard science.
The argunment that, "It's my body and I should be able to do what I want with it" has never set well with me. If you don't want to get pregnant, don't have unprotected sex. And yes, it really is that simple.
I am astonished at how easily people are able to dismiss the fact that an abortion ends a human life and in place of that they have substituted concerns like weight gain and life-style change.
In my original comment about this issue, I simply asked the question, "When do we make people responsible for their choices?" I was told that choosing to have an abortion is being responsible. I disagree, choosing to have an abortion is simply the fastest method of dealing with an unwanted situation. Not only has the issue of ending a life been removed from the argument, but most people gloss over that fact that having an abortion has life-long psychological ramifications, just like adoption does. The difference? Women who have abortions tend not to seek professional counseling after having the procedure. They mostly seem to try and pretend they were never pregnant at all.
My feelings on this issue are definatly based on emotion. Having made the decision to carry children to term and place them for adoption has given me new perspective on it. Seeing the beauty that is a newborn child and seeing the equally beautiful look on the faces of a couple that thought they would never be able to experience the joy of being parents, I have a hard time understanding how anyone can remove the actual child in question from the decision. That makes me biased, I realize that. It's also the reason I don't attend Pro-Life rallies and scream for an end to abortion. Unlike the people who will attack me, I recognize that no matter what MY beliefs are, I don't have the right to force them on others.
I do, however, have the right to say them as loudly and as often as I want to.
Let's look at a couple of things here, shall we?
Look, I'm just going to say it, I believe that abortion as a means of birth control is wrong. Anyone wishing to lambast me will please read the sentence again and notice I did not say we should all rush right out and make abortion illegal and strip women of the right thereby plunging us directly back into the dark ages (because we all know that limiting abortion would lead to women being stripped of the vote, the right to work and possibly even the right to wear pants in public.) ....but using it as a method of birth control because being pregnant isn't "convienent" is wrong. Rape, incest, cases of physical danger to the mother or a second child (twin births)? Totally different story. For me it comes down to personal responsibility. Birth control is readily available, even to low income persons...state Medicade programs will pay for most birth control methods, up to and including surgical sterilization. The 72 hour pill is readily available through doctor's offices and Family Planning clinics.
Using the 72 hour pill, you are preventing a pregnancy from taking place. Going to a clinic and having a pregnancy terminated means you are choosing to end another human life. Attach all the emotion you want to that statement, but the medical and scientific facts are that at two to three months the fetus is breathing, has fingers and toes forming, is moving and has started developing major organ systems. That's not just one or two cells, that's a person taking shape. Arguing that "a baby isn't really a baby during the first trimester" makes my stomach lurch. Within the first three months that little tiny being has started to develop organ systems and is moving. Again, this isn't based on anything other than hard science.
The argunment that, "It's my body and I should be able to do what I want with it" has never set well with me. If you don't want to get pregnant, don't have unprotected sex. And yes, it really is that simple.
I am astonished at how easily people are able to dismiss the fact that an abortion ends a human life and in place of that they have substituted concerns like weight gain and life-style change.
In my original comment about this issue, I simply asked the question, "When do we make people responsible for their choices?" I was told that choosing to have an abortion is being responsible. I disagree, choosing to have an abortion is simply the fastest method of dealing with an unwanted situation. Not only has the issue of ending a life been removed from the argument, but most people gloss over that fact that having an abortion has life-long psychological ramifications, just like adoption does. The difference? Women who have abortions tend not to seek professional counseling after having the procedure. They mostly seem to try and pretend they were never pregnant at all.
My feelings on this issue are definatly based on emotion. Having made the decision to carry children to term and place them for adoption has given me new perspective on it. Seeing the beauty that is a newborn child and seeing the equally beautiful look on the faces of a couple that thought they would never be able to experience the joy of being parents, I have a hard time understanding how anyone can remove the actual child in question from the decision. That makes me biased, I realize that. It's also the reason I don't attend Pro-Life rallies and scream for an end to abortion. Unlike the people who will attack me, I recognize that no matter what MY beliefs are, I don't have the right to force them on others.
I do, however, have the right to say them as loudly and as often as I want to.
1.12.2007
Cocaine? No Problem! Nudie pictures? How Dare you!
Apparently Donald Trump thinks that underage drinking, public lewdness and an addiction to cocaine are A-Okay, but God forbid you should pose for pictures without your panties on.
Trump recently fired Miss Nevada, Katie Rees, because pictures of her " partying and posing in various stages of undress emerged on the Internet". What the hell?
Can you say double standard Don? How much do you want to bet the other chic gave The Don a little "incentive" to let her keep her crown.
Trump recently fired Miss Nevada, Katie Rees, because pictures of her " partying and posing in various stages of undress emerged on the Internet". What the hell?
Can you say double standard Don? How much do you want to bet the other chic gave The Don a little "incentive" to let her keep her crown.
1.09.2007
I have recently begun discovering that I am hopelessly out of touch and more than a little un-cool. The un-cool thing is nothing new, I have never been "cool", but damn it, I used to keep up with things.
I was reading at jmadigan.net tonight and after commenting on a wonderful piece about his daughters that made me laugh I saw a little link in the top bar that said : Subscribe. I clicked on it, innocently believing I was about to get a name and a password and all that fun stuff that makes you feel like you belong to some kind of exclusive club.
This was NOT what happened. I was taken to a page that asked me to "Choose a reader". A what? What the hell is a reader? I can read just fine on my own thanks. I hear people talk about things like Google Reader and other such mythical beasts, but I have no idea what it means, it's like a foreign language.
I'm sure that if I took the time to investigate things I would figure it out in no time, but I'm not sure if this is knowledge I need. Is a "feed reader" something I need to live my life? Will my children be shunned if I don't have one? Am I hopelessly outdated if I simply add the websites I like to my favorites and visit them that way?
Why do I suddenly feel like I'm trapped in a bad soap opera? Tune in tomorrow and find out.
I was reading at jmadigan.net tonight and after commenting on a wonderful piece about his daughters that made me laugh I saw a little link in the top bar that said : Subscribe. I clicked on it, innocently believing I was about to get a name and a password and all that fun stuff that makes you feel like you belong to some kind of exclusive club.
This was NOT what happened. I was taken to a page that asked me to "Choose a reader". A what? What the hell is a reader? I can read just fine on my own thanks. I hear people talk about things like Google Reader and other such mythical beasts, but I have no idea what it means, it's like a foreign language.
I'm sure that if I took the time to investigate things I would figure it out in no time, but I'm not sure if this is knowledge I need. Is a "feed reader" something I need to live my life? Will my children be shunned if I don't have one? Am I hopelessly outdated if I simply add the websites I like to my favorites and visit them that way?
Why do I suddenly feel like I'm trapped in a bad soap opera? Tune in tomorrow and find out.
Blogging for Books Entry
I'm reposting this as an entry for "Blogging for Books" on The Zero Boss I don't usually enter contests, but the concept of time is something I spend a lot of time thinking about, so I decided, "What the hell."
This post was originally written in an old, beat up journal while sitting in damp grass waiting for a bus. I had just met someone new, was starting a new job...things were in a state of flux, and the damn bus was late. I kept wanting to know what time it was but everytime I pushed up my sleeve, I was reminded I didn't own a fucking watch. I still don't.
I need a watch.I hate not knowing what time it is. Sitting and staring. Wondering," Am I late, or am I early?" Not that I'm, particularly good at waiting to begin with, 'cuz I'm not. I suck at it. I shift. I pace. I get annoyed. And I seem to be in a perpetual state of waiting.Waiting for payday. Waiting for work to end. Waiting for him to call. Waiting for the bus. Waiting for sleep to come. Waiting..... always waiting. It's just so anti-climatic. Because finally payday does come. And work is over. And he does call. And the bus arrives. And sleep comes. And then what? Where are all the bells and whistles that reward us for the hours we wasted.....waiting. For the days, weeks, months....hell, even years of limitless patience and fortitude? Quietly sitting, not complaining. There are none. You pay the bills. You go home. You talk for a minute. You get on the bus. You dream for a moment. And then?Back to waiting.It's like waiting to die. Just moving through life with no real destination. I get tired of it. I step out of line.Do something new. Anything new. Never helps, doesn't change it. There's still more waiting.Waiting for the color to take. For the polish to dry. For the movie to start. For dinner to get done. For that new book to come in.Always waiting for something.Damn.......I really need a watch.
This post was originally written in an old, beat up journal while sitting in damp grass waiting for a bus. I had just met someone new, was starting a new job...things were in a state of flux, and the damn bus was late. I kept wanting to know what time it was but everytime I pushed up my sleeve, I was reminded I didn't own a fucking watch. I still don't.
I need a watch.I hate not knowing what time it is. Sitting and staring. Wondering," Am I late, or am I early?" Not that I'm, particularly good at waiting to begin with, 'cuz I'm not. I suck at it. I shift. I pace. I get annoyed. And I seem to be in a perpetual state of waiting.Waiting for payday. Waiting for work to end. Waiting for him to call. Waiting for the bus. Waiting for sleep to come. Waiting..... always waiting. It's just so anti-climatic. Because finally payday does come. And work is over. And he does call. And the bus arrives. And sleep comes. And then what? Where are all the bells and whistles that reward us for the hours we wasted.....waiting. For the days, weeks, months....hell, even years of limitless patience and fortitude? Quietly sitting, not complaining. There are none. You pay the bills. You go home. You talk for a minute. You get on the bus. You dream for a moment. And then?Back to waiting.It's like waiting to die. Just moving through life with no real destination. I get tired of it. I step out of line.Do something new. Anything new. Never helps, doesn't change it. There's still more waiting.Waiting for the color to take. For the polish to dry. For the movie to start. For dinner to get done. For that new book to come in.Always waiting for something.Damn.......I really need a watch.
1.08.2007
Tigger Gone Wild
I caught this story on my local news a few nights ago. A family from New Hampshire was was vacationing in Disney World when Tigger apparently "sucker punched" a fourteen year old boy. My local CBS affiliate has the video in their "Top Stories" sidebar.
I've watched the video. Tigger did turn and pop the kid, for which he should lose his job. If you can't deal with the public, don't be a character actor at Disney World. Right before he does it though, you can see the kid tug at the back of Tiggers outfit and say something to the guy in the Tigger costume. One has to wonder what he said. This is, after all, a fourteen year old boy we're talking about.
Now the dad has an attorney and they are suing Disney (anyone surprised by this?). In the interview that's posted on KUTV's website the father says he had to take his son to the hospital with "back pain" and the boy says that he still has pain, but he's on medication for it. Oh please. The guy in the Tigger costume did not hit that boy hard enough to do any damage, he couldn't even make a fist, for crying out loud. I have yet to hear of, or read, that the family reported the incident to the local police, or had the guy in the costume arressted for assault.
This is another example of why we need legistaltion at the Federal level providing penalties for frivolous lawsuits. I'm sure the parents went, "Yes, we can sue Disney!" and the attorney that caught the case told them, "Your son is in pain, right? wink wink nudge nudge."
The sad thing is, Disney will settle the lawsuit to make the bad publicity go away and this bozo and his family will make money of their kids bad behavior. Again, the guy should lose his job, maybe even have to pay a fine for simple assault, he did pop the kid, but suing Disney? You know what lesson this kid is going to learn? It's never really my fault, and if it is, I can always blame someone else.
I've watched the video. Tigger did turn and pop the kid, for which he should lose his job. If you can't deal with the public, don't be a character actor at Disney World. Right before he does it though, you can see the kid tug at the back of Tiggers outfit and say something to the guy in the Tigger costume. One has to wonder what he said. This is, after all, a fourteen year old boy we're talking about.
Now the dad has an attorney and they are suing Disney (anyone surprised by this?). In the interview that's posted on KUTV's website the father says he had to take his son to the hospital with "back pain" and the boy says that he still has pain, but he's on medication for it. Oh please. The guy in the Tigger costume did not hit that boy hard enough to do any damage, he couldn't even make a fist, for crying out loud. I have yet to hear of, or read, that the family reported the incident to the local police, or had the guy in the costume arressted for assault.
This is another example of why we need legistaltion at the Federal level providing penalties for frivolous lawsuits. I'm sure the parents went, "Yes, we can sue Disney!" and the attorney that caught the case told them, "Your son is in pain, right? wink wink nudge nudge."
The sad thing is, Disney will settle the lawsuit to make the bad publicity go away and this bozo and his family will make money of their kids bad behavior. Again, the guy should lose his job, maybe even have to pay a fine for simple assault, he did pop the kid, but suing Disney? You know what lesson this kid is going to learn? It's never really my fault, and if it is, I can always blame someone else.
1.07.2007
Call me what you will, but I'm annoyed as hell at a story I read this morning. It seems that Toys R' Us was forced to reverse a decision it made regarding the award given to the first American baby born in 2007.
The first baby born on American soil was born to an illegal immigrant from China and so the company had decided that the baby was not the winner and awarded the prize to another child, born 19 seconds after midnight.
Chinese-American adovocate groups immediatley pitched a hissy fit, forcing the company to award the three babies in the grand prize pool $25,000 savings bonds each.
Now, before anyone goes running about calling me a racist, here's my point. The mother is not a legal citizen of this country and therefore WAS NOT ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE SWEEPSTAKES IN THE FIRST PLACE. Contest rules state clearly that the person entering must be a U.S citizen.
Yes, I realize that the child is now a U.S citizen because she was born here. The fact remains that the mother was never eligible to enter in the first place, negating all other arguments.
It makes me angry that Toys R Us caved to the pressure. It makes me angry that any pressure was brought to bear in the first place. Where did common sense disappear to? There need to be consequences surrounding coming to this country illegally in order to make people stop doing it.
I've said it before, immigration is a wonderful way to improve the diversity and cultural pool that exists in this country, but it needs to be legal immigration. It takes time, but then allowing people to come into the country to live, work and be a part of our society should take time. If you think it takes to much time, help work on ways to make it more streamlined. Please spare me the "they take jobs American's don't want" and " everyone deserves a better life" speeches. The jobs illegal immigrants take are jobs that Americans demand higher pay for and rightly so. If anyone actually believes that illegal immigrants enjoy doing back breaking work for less than minimum wage, they are just plain ignorant. As legal US citizens, these men and women would be able to stand up for themselves and deman decent wages, there by actualy giving them a better life.
The whole "everyone deserves a better life" speech plays well for politicians, but in reality, we can not fix or save everyone on the planet. Opening our borders wide and allowing everyone who wants to to flood in will only overtax an already burdened social system. Work on fixing the problems where they are, not by simply bringing the people here and letting things continue to go downhill.
The first baby born on American soil was born to an illegal immigrant from China and so the company had decided that the baby was not the winner and awarded the prize to another child, born 19 seconds after midnight.
Chinese-American adovocate groups immediatley pitched a hissy fit, forcing the company to award the three babies in the grand prize pool $25,000 savings bonds each.
Now, before anyone goes running about calling me a racist, here's my point. The mother is not a legal citizen of this country and therefore WAS NOT ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE SWEEPSTAKES IN THE FIRST PLACE. Contest rules state clearly that the person entering must be a U.S citizen.
Yes, I realize that the child is now a U.S citizen because she was born here. The fact remains that the mother was never eligible to enter in the first place, negating all other arguments.
It makes me angry that Toys R Us caved to the pressure. It makes me angry that any pressure was brought to bear in the first place. Where did common sense disappear to? There need to be consequences surrounding coming to this country illegally in order to make people stop doing it.
I've said it before, immigration is a wonderful way to improve the diversity and cultural pool that exists in this country, but it needs to be legal immigration. It takes time, but then allowing people to come into the country to live, work and be a part of our society should take time. If you think it takes to much time, help work on ways to make it more streamlined. Please spare me the "they take jobs American's don't want" and " everyone deserves a better life" speeches. The jobs illegal immigrants take are jobs that Americans demand higher pay for and rightly so. If anyone actually believes that illegal immigrants enjoy doing back breaking work for less than minimum wage, they are just plain ignorant. As legal US citizens, these men and women would be able to stand up for themselves and deman decent wages, there by actualy giving them a better life.
The whole "everyone deserves a better life" speech plays well for politicians, but in reality, we can not fix or save everyone on the planet. Opening our borders wide and allowing everyone who wants to to flood in will only overtax an already burdened social system. Work on fixing the problems where they are, not by simply bringing the people here and letting things continue to go downhill.
1.06.2007
Surfing through the internet as I often do I came across Shoemoney.com. No biggie, right? Well I'm checking out the site and along the sidebar are random photos, one of which is a gentleman holding a check from Adsense for $132,994.97. No, I did not type that wrong.
How in the HELL do people do that? I may have to seriously rethink the whole "not a blogger" thing. Cause getting over $100,000.00 for doing nothing? Yeah, I can get behind that.
How in the HELL do people do that? I may have to seriously rethink the whole "not a blogger" thing. Cause getting over $100,000.00 for doing nothing? Yeah, I can get behind that.
1.05.2007
I knew you could get almost anything online, but coffins at a discount from Costco? That's just kind of weird.
What's that process like?
"Gee hun. Grandma kicked it last night, where should we get the coffin?"
"Well, I hear you can get a hell of a deal from Costco. And while I'm there, I can get that spa we've always wanted. Their having a sale."
It's just to fucked up for me, that's for sure. There are just something you don't "bargin hunt" for.
What's that process like?
"Gee hun. Grandma kicked it last night, where should we get the coffin?"
"Well, I hear you can get a hell of a deal from Costco. And while I'm there, I can get that spa we've always wanted. Their having a sale."
It's just to fucked up for me, that's for sure. There are just something you don't "bargin hunt" for.
1.04.2007
My son is the cutest person I know.
Yesterday after I made him lunch, his macaroni was to hot. He handed it to me, I blew on it to cool it and handed it back to me. He took a bite, smiled up at me and said, "You did it. High five!!!"
He has also decided that my Walkman belongs to him now. He fell asleep listening to Nickelback last night and this morning he was walking around with the headphones on, bobbing his head in time to the music. When he accidentally dropped it and the CD popped out he looked at me with huge eyes and said, " Momma, I cry."
My son is definitely the cutest person I know.
Yesterday after I made him lunch, his macaroni was to hot. He handed it to me, I blew on it to cool it and handed it back to me. He took a bite, smiled up at me and said, "You did it. High five!!!"
He has also decided that my Walkman belongs to him now. He fell asleep listening to Nickelback last night and this morning he was walking around with the headphones on, bobbing his head in time to the music. When he accidentally dropped it and the CD popped out he looked at me with huge eyes and said, " Momma, I cry."
My son is definitely the cutest person I know.
1.03.2007
Yes, posting song lyrics is cheesy and something you would normally see a teenager do, but this song makes a good point and today another shooting occured in another highschool and someelse lost a child for no good reason.
If Everyone Cared
Nickleback
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you’d be mine
But here we are, we’re here tonight
Singing Amen, I’m alive
Singing Amen, I’m alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
And I’m singing
Amen I, I’m alive
Amen I, I’m alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We’ll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen I’m alive
Singing Amen I’m alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
We’d see the day, we’d see the day
When nobody died
We’d see the day, we’d see the day
When nobody died
We’d see the day when nobody died
Just take a moment out of your day to think about it.
If Everyone Cared
Nickleback
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you’d be mine
But here we are, we’re here tonight
Singing Amen, I’m alive
Singing Amen, I’m alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
And I’m singing
Amen I, I’m alive
Amen I, I’m alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We’ll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen I’m alive
Singing Amen I’m alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died
We’d see the day, we’d see the day
When nobody died
We’d see the day, we’d see the day
When nobody died
We’d see the day when nobody died
Just take a moment out of your day to think about it.
After careful consideration I have decided that while I have a blog and I post to that blog, I am not a "blogger". I don't often spend hours pouring over other people's sites and posting links or trackbacks, I don't denounce my faith or reveal deep personal insights. I have, on occassion, done these things, but I do not do them on a daily basis.
I don't advertise or spend time trying to increase my readership. I don't have fancy banners, cute links or catchy phrases. I tend to write about things that only myself and a few people who know me will ever care about, much less take the time to respond to and yet I'm not upset when no one posts comments on my heart felt insights about the reasons "Darth Tater" and the Sock Monkey are the best damned toys EVER!
So why, you might ask, do I continue to post to this blog. This seemingly unread portion of the internet. I guess it's because I can. I get great satisfaction in knowing that I have said what I want to say, the way I want to say it. No apologies. No denouncements. Just me and my words.
And that's enough for me.
I don't advertise or spend time trying to increase my readership. I don't have fancy banners, cute links or catchy phrases. I tend to write about things that only myself and a few people who know me will ever care about, much less take the time to respond to and yet I'm not upset when no one posts comments on my heart felt insights about the reasons "Darth Tater" and the Sock Monkey are the best damned toys EVER!
So why, you might ask, do I continue to post to this blog. This seemingly unread portion of the internet. I guess it's because I can. I get great satisfaction in knowing that I have said what I want to say, the way I want to say it. No apologies. No denouncements. Just me and my words.
And that's enough for me.
1.02.2007
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed several postings on a blog I frequent which involved Christianity in some form or other. Usually I don't get involved in discussions about religion, as I think it is a deeply personal thing, but I've decided to throw my hat into the ring, because, well, because quite honestly I have something to say.
There is a lot of Christian bashing going on for people who claim to be open minded. Stories like this one have nothing to do with Christianity. The ignorant people in the story may CLAIM to be Christian, but that doesn't mean the predjudice they stand for comes from the religion. ( and...you don't have to be from the deep south to be a redneck idiot. I lived up North for most of my life and there are some dumb-ass, backwoods idiots living up there.) Just like with any religion, if you look hard enough , you will find the bad apples. The people that take the foundation of a faith and twist it to their own purposes. Over the years I've met people from all walks of life, from all religions, that are JUST as bigoted and just as ignorant.
Racisim, predjudice and intolerance are irrational and based in a life-time of learning. Someone in Chris Curtis's life TAUGHT him to hate, TAUGHT him to fear and now it is ingrained in his psyche. He could have been raised Jewish, Muslim, Hindu...it wouldn't matter.
How fast would you jump all over someone that said, " Who needs reality when you have the Koran?" or "Who needs reality when you have the Torah?" You can find fundementalism in in any religion, in any part of the country.
Does it sadden and anger me when I see people claiming to be Christians bashing minotities, calling the gay and lesbian community depraved or trying to ban books from our schools? It sure as hell does. Do I think that "fundementalism" is dangerous? You better believe it, any "ism" is bad for you...it means things have gone to far. Do I think ALL Christians are like that? No. I know they aren't.
Bashing the Christian religion is the same thing as bashing anything else. It's wrong. You can't claim to be open minded and tolerant of others while in the same breath you are calling people who believe in the Bible and attend church backwards and ignorant.
What makes belief in any religion better than in another? Where are all the articles denounsing Muslims because a fundementalist portion of their religion have been running about the planet blowing people up in the name of Allah? Where are all the postings crying out at how silly it is that fundementalist Jews are okay with the killing of Palestinians so that they can lay claim to a tiny peice of dirt in the middle of the desert in the name of God? I don't see any.
I got behind calling Laura Mallory an idiot. Not because she was a Christian, but because she IS an idiot. I pointed out that "Christians that talk like this are promoting “family values” and a return to “better times”. People of any other religion that talk the same way are “terrorists”. It’s like banging your head against a brick wall," making the point that individuals who use Christianity in one breath the defend themselves and in another to denounce someone behaving in EXACTLY the same manner, are hypocrites. The same applies to people that run about blaming ALL Christians for the bad behavior of a few.
People bash on the Bible, it's contents and the fact that people believe in it as a religious test. I've heard people talk about how original sin is a crock and how it doesn't actually say this or that in the pages of the Bible. I have yet to see a discussion talking about the "crazy" notion that starting a HOLY WAR and killing people to get yourself into heaven is a good idea. Or renouncing the belief that we all die and are reborn repeatedly until we reach a state of perfection ( For those of you that got lost there, that would be a Hindu thing)
I may not agree with all the things the Chritian religion teaches. I wouldn't teach some of them to my own children because I don't agree with them, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to run about bashing the entire religion.
Get off your high horses and take a look at what your really saying. Stop slinging accusations at a religion and start attacking the real problem...the teaching of hatred to children because their parents were taught to hate. Hiding behind God is a way to protect themselves from accountability, but that isn't unique to Christians, not by a long shot.
There is a lot of Christian bashing going on for people who claim to be open minded. Stories like this one have nothing to do with Christianity. The ignorant people in the story may CLAIM to be Christian, but that doesn't mean the predjudice they stand for comes from the religion. ( and...you don't have to be from the deep south to be a redneck idiot. I lived up North for most of my life and there are some dumb-ass, backwoods idiots living up there.) Just like with any religion, if you look hard enough , you will find the bad apples. The people that take the foundation of a faith and twist it to their own purposes. Over the years I've met people from all walks of life, from all religions, that are JUST as bigoted and just as ignorant.
Racisim, predjudice and intolerance are irrational and based in a life-time of learning. Someone in Chris Curtis's life TAUGHT him to hate, TAUGHT him to fear and now it is ingrained in his psyche. He could have been raised Jewish, Muslim, Hindu...it wouldn't matter.
How fast would you jump all over someone that said, " Who needs reality when you have the Koran?" or "Who needs reality when you have the Torah?" You can find fundementalism in in any religion, in any part of the country.
Does it sadden and anger me when I see people claiming to be Christians bashing minotities, calling the gay and lesbian community depraved or trying to ban books from our schools? It sure as hell does. Do I think that "fundementalism" is dangerous? You better believe it, any "ism" is bad for you...it means things have gone to far. Do I think ALL Christians are like that? No. I know they aren't.
Bashing the Christian religion is the same thing as bashing anything else. It's wrong. You can't claim to be open minded and tolerant of others while in the same breath you are calling people who believe in the Bible and attend church backwards and ignorant.
What makes belief in any religion better than in another? Where are all the articles denounsing Muslims because a fundementalist portion of their religion have been running about the planet blowing people up in the name of Allah? Where are all the postings crying out at how silly it is that fundementalist Jews are okay with the killing of Palestinians so that they can lay claim to a tiny peice of dirt in the middle of the desert in the name of God? I don't see any.
I got behind calling Laura Mallory an idiot. Not because she was a Christian, but because she IS an idiot. I pointed out that "Christians that talk like this are promoting “family values” and a return to “better times”. People of any other religion that talk the same way are “terrorists”. It’s like banging your head against a brick wall," making the point that individuals who use Christianity in one breath the defend themselves and in another to denounce someone behaving in EXACTLY the same manner, are hypocrites. The same applies to people that run about blaming ALL Christians for the bad behavior of a few.
People bash on the Bible, it's contents and the fact that people believe in it as a religious test. I've heard people talk about how original sin is a crock and how it doesn't actually say this or that in the pages of the Bible. I have yet to see a discussion talking about the "crazy" notion that starting a HOLY WAR and killing people to get yourself into heaven is a good idea. Or renouncing the belief that we all die and are reborn repeatedly until we reach a state of perfection ( For those of you that got lost there, that would be a Hindu thing)
I may not agree with all the things the Chritian religion teaches. I wouldn't teach some of them to my own children because I don't agree with them, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to run about bashing the entire religion.
Get off your high horses and take a look at what your really saying. Stop slinging accusations at a religion and start attacking the real problem...the teaching of hatred to children because their parents were taught to hate. Hiding behind God is a way to protect themselves from accountability, but that isn't unique to Christians, not by a long shot.
1.01.2007
Explain to me where the confusion is
Apparently, airline workers in Chicago say they have seen a UFO. Now it's a news story. How does this continue to be newsworthy?
UFO literally means "Unidentified Flying Object". Seems simple enough to me. You see something flying, you can't indentify it, this makes it a UFO. It doesn't mean that it came from outer space filled with little green men dying to impregnate our women and take over the planet. ET has not landed. Martians are not about to eat your livestock.
If people want me to believe that they saw something that could not possibly have come from this planet, which I believe could be possible, then they need to come up with a different name for it. As it stands, whenever I hear someone say, "I saw a UFO." all I think is, "Well join the club, you wouldn't believe how many things I've seen miles above the earth and thought, 'Well what the hell is that?"
( Moving off to a HUGE side tangent: Would someone please look up the proper use of "a" and "an" in front of words and make sure that UFO isn't one of those weird exceptions to the rule about usage in front of words beginning with a vowel? "An UFO" just sounds weird and wrong and makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but all my reference books are currently packed for the move....Thanks!!!!)
(EDIT:01/03/06 THANKS STEPHANIE!!!!)
UFO literally means "Unidentified Flying Object". Seems simple enough to me. You see something flying, you can't indentify it, this makes it a UFO. It doesn't mean that it came from outer space filled with little green men dying to impregnate our women and take over the planet. ET has not landed. Martians are not about to eat your livestock.
If people want me to believe that they saw something that could not possibly have come from this planet, which I believe could be possible, then they need to come up with a different name for it. As it stands, whenever I hear someone say, "I saw a UFO." all I think is, "Well join the club, you wouldn't believe how many things I've seen miles above the earth and thought, 'Well what the hell is that?"
( Moving off to a HUGE side tangent: Would someone please look up the proper use of "a" and "an" in front of words and make sure that UFO isn't one of those weird exceptions to the rule about usage in front of words beginning with a vowel? "An UFO" just sounds weird and wrong and makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but all my reference books are currently packed for the move....Thanks!!!!)
(EDIT:01/03/06 THANKS STEPHANIE!!!!)
Bewildering Conversations with a Teenage Girl
This is the first installment in what I am sure will become a regular feature here at The Dead Letters. ( I'm borrowing this idea from Ken Jennings, who is often bewildered by his three year old...) This is a conversation I had with my thirteen year old last night:
"Mom, can I go over to Tasha's to wish her family a Happy New Year?"
"Yes, just don't be gone to long."
Three minutes later:
"Mom, can I stay over at Tasha's for about an hour or so?"
"Are her parents there? Will there be adult supervision?"
"I don't know I didn't see them, we were outside, I'll go check."
Three MORE minutes later:
"Her parents are drinking at a friends and getting ready to go to the bar, but there will be adult supervison."
"Who is there that will be supervising?"
"Tasha's brother and his friend."
(at this point my husband is sitting bolt upright on the couch, frowning.)
"And how old is her brother?"
"Fifteen."
"No. Two teenage boys does not qualify as adult supervision."
Frowning from the teenager, "But..."
"Your mother said no. You are not going to go spend a hour or longer in a house with two fifteen year old boys. It's not going to happen, get over it."
More frowning.
"Fine"
Door slamming......Fifteen minutes later:
"Russell go and get her and make her come home."
My husband goes outside and returns with the sullen teenager who promptly goes to her room, no doubt to write in her journal about how her parents "just don't get it." I wait ten minutes and go in to talk with her so she will understand why we said no."
" I know your upset because we wouldn't let you go to Tasha's, but your getting to that age where certain situations can be dangerous."
Raised eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like being alone in a house with two fifteen year old boys."
"Why?"
"Well, as you get older (this conversation gets more uncomfortable by the second)... As you get older, boys start to see you differently."
Shake of the head, "Whatever." Long drawn out sigh." But mom, they have kittens over there."
At this point I laugh because I can't help myself and I stand up to leave the room.
"Well, it's nice that they have kittens, maybe you can go see them tomorrow afternoon."
I exit the room feeling confused and somehow relieved. My thirteen year old daughter wasn't irritated with me because I wouldn't let her hang out with her friend and the older brother, she was irritated because there were kittens she wanted to play with and I interfered.
It would appear I have been spared the horror of boys at least for now.
"Mom, can I go over to Tasha's to wish her family a Happy New Year?"
"Yes, just don't be gone to long."
Three minutes later:
"Mom, can I stay over at Tasha's for about an hour or so?"
"Are her parents there? Will there be adult supervision?"
"I don't know I didn't see them, we were outside, I'll go check."
Three MORE minutes later:
"Her parents are drinking at a friends and getting ready to go to the bar, but there will be adult supervison."
"Who is there that will be supervising?"
"Tasha's brother and his friend."
(at this point my husband is sitting bolt upright on the couch, frowning.)
"And how old is her brother?"
"Fifteen."
"No. Two teenage boys does not qualify as adult supervision."
Frowning from the teenager, "But..."
"Your mother said no. You are not going to go spend a hour or longer in a house with two fifteen year old boys. It's not going to happen, get over it."
More frowning.
"Fine"
Door slamming......Fifteen minutes later:
"Russell go and get her and make her come home."
My husband goes outside and returns with the sullen teenager who promptly goes to her room, no doubt to write in her journal about how her parents "just don't get it." I wait ten minutes and go in to talk with her so she will understand why we said no."
" I know your upset because we wouldn't let you go to Tasha's, but your getting to that age where certain situations can be dangerous."
Raised eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like being alone in a house with two fifteen year old boys."
"Why?"
"Well, as you get older (this conversation gets more uncomfortable by the second)... As you get older, boys start to see you differently."
Shake of the head, "Whatever." Long drawn out sigh." But mom, they have kittens over there."
At this point I laugh because I can't help myself and I stand up to leave the room.
"Well, it's nice that they have kittens, maybe you can go see them tomorrow afternoon."
I exit the room feeling confused and somehow relieved. My thirteen year old daughter wasn't irritated with me because I wouldn't let her hang out with her friend and the older brother, she was irritated because there were kittens she wanted to play with and I interfered.
It would appear I have been spared the horror of boys at least for now.
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