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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!!!)

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.

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I sat and watched my son as he slept safely in the arms of his father. And I cried. I looked at his little face, so peaceful and calm, and I thought of all the children who are cold, hungry and scared tonight. I thought about all the mothers sitting and crying because they have lost a child to hunger or violence. My heart aches for all the little ones with no mother or father to hold them, kiss them and tell them that tomorrow will be a better day.

I hope that in the coming year, not so many innocent lives will be destroyed by the ignorance and greed of the adults in charge.

Post #2...I've added men to my "Wow, he's hot" list

I have decided that I am adding Neil Gaiman and Wil Wheaton to my list of celebrities I think are HOT!!

Smart, sexy, funny......gotta love men that don't fit that horrifying mold of airbrushed BS you see everywhere. I guess I'm going to have to re-write the Top 10 list.

Art, thy name is Toddler.....

Tonight my family was enjoying a little down time, watching the Mythbusters (Like any good family would be) when the pitter patter of my sons little feet was heard coming down the hallway. He had a smile on his face that lit the room and something odd under his nose. Now, as any good mother will tell you, the appropriate response to this is, "What the hell is all over his face?" To this my husband responds, " I have no....wait, is that marker?"

I pull my son close and peer down at him, and sure enough, it is black marker. Great, my son now looks like a little tiny Hitler. I pull out a trusty wet wipe and begin to scrub at the offending mark while my husband runs to our room to find the marker in question. A few seconds later I hear, " Oh good God!" This is not a good thing.

I walk to our room, two year old close behind and find my husband staring at the computer screen which is now covered in black art work, courtesy of my son. I surpress a laugh and my husband says, "I knew it was too quiet back here." My son climbs up on his fathers lap, smiles widely, points to the computer and says, "Pretty colors." He is very proud.

We washed the screen, had a good laugh and learned that the Sharpies must now be kept on top of the refrigerator along with everything else the two year old shouldn't have. It was a good night.

Gwenyth Platrow "slams" America

So the big news of the day seems to be that Gwenyth Paltrow told a Portuguese magazine that she likes living in England because the British aren't as capitalistic as Americans and don't discuss money all the time...and that she fits in better there because she doesn't fit the "bad" side of American pyschology. Now she's catching crap for saying what she thinks.

Apparently free speech only applies if you're saying something NICE about the United States. Honestly? I agree with what she said. As a society we have become to capitalistic, to concerned with money. The stereotype of the "Ugly American" didn't just spring into being on its own people.

Just because she's a celebrity doesn't mean Ms. Paltrow should have to smile and eat shit to get us to go and see her movies. Can you say Tom Cruise?? I mean COME ON!! That man is off his rocker and people are obsessed with him and his numb headed bride. So it's okay to knock the mentally ill, but not say out loud what a lot of people are already thinking? Bullshit!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: We all have the right to speak our minds. If you don't like what someone has to say, then change the situation that made them say it! I for one will be seriously disappointed is Gwenyth Paltrow issues any kind of apology for her statements.

This is what war looks like....

( the picture above would only save as a thumbnail, click the link attached to the title of this post and go to slide #14 in the slide show.)

This little girl lives in Afghanistan. She could be my child, she could be your child...or your niece or your sister or your grandchild. This is the face of war. After all the political rhetoric, after all the postering, it's people like this child that are left to try and put things back together. It breaks my heart.

What good is freedom if you don't live to enjoy it?

Shamu Attacks trainer....and we're surprised why???

Shamu the Killer Whale attacked one of his "trainers" (personally I prefer the word "jailer") during a show recently. The attack has apparently surprised everyone. I read the headline and my first thought was, "Well finally."

Shamu is not like a kitten that was bought from the local pet shop that just suddenly went feral attacking it's owner and shocking everyone around. Shamu is a KILLER WHALE!!! The operative word here being "killer", not to mention the fact that he's a wild animal. Why are people always surprised when a wild animal, kept in captivity, lashes out at a human being? Everyone acts like its a total shock.

Here's a thought, maybe we should stop putting animals in little boxes and amusing outselves by forcing them to do cute things to make our kids smile. Shamu shouldn't be forced to jump through hoops, toss balls with his tail or anything else degrading. It's bad enough that he's kept in a tank where all he gets to do is swim in circles until he dies.

Yes folks, that's right...I'm the one that roots for the bull and not the matador. I think it's funny as hell watching cowboys run away from angry bulls at the rodeo. I think all of the macho crap humans do to animals in the name of "fun" or "sport" should be tossed out the window. Call me crazy, but I don't think entertainment should be attached to the pain, suffering or degredation of any other species.

I hope the trainer is alright, but I say, "Rock on Shamu! Next time drag his ass through one of the hoops with you, maybe he'll get the point."

Turkey and Gravy.....Soda????

No, you didn't read that wrong.

Let's back up for a minute. My best friend, Stephanie, is an almost obsessive poster of those annoying little quizzess. On the odd occassion, I get sucked into taking one, mostly because I want to see how I stack up against her. (Yes, that is kind of sad and more than a little pathetic...)
This morning, my son woke me at the wonderful hour of 5:15 and with nothing else to do, I decided to check a few of my favorite blogs.

Stephanie, thankfully, had updated, giving me something to do. The third quiz posted was this one....

You Are Broccoli Casserole Soda

Vegetarians taste better!

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

Stephanie got "Pecan Pie Soda".... at least hers sounds like something you MIGHT want to drink.

Still awake and not wanting to be, I decided to check the Jones Soda site to see if the person who made this quiz was just really clever or if Jones did indeed make these flavors. No Broccoli Casserole Soda, BUT.......

They actually do make a Turkey and Gravy soda. You can buy it in the 2006 Holiday Pack. There's also a Dessert Pack. I sat for a moment, pondering this information. Turkey and Gravy soda??? What sick, demented mind would come up with such a thing? Then I noticed the "Why?" button. I clicked it, eager to learn more about the surely drug induced reasoning behind such awful flavors as "Dinner Roll" and "Sweet Pea".

It turns out that Jones released the flavors to benefit charity. The 2006 Holiday Pack benefits Toys for Tots and the Dessert Pack benefits St. Jude's Childrens Research Hospital. The Jones soda website has a locator that will allow you to find where the two products can be purchased in your area. Although I know we'll never drink them, I plan to purchase one of each. (Quick Note: For some reason, if you live in Utah, the store locator will default to Louisiana. Not sure why.)

I'm addicted to an online game. No it isn't Everquest or Worlds of Warcraft. Nothing quite so cool for me. I went and got myself addicted to Disney's Toontown Online. This is a game that was originally designed with children in mind, and here I am 35 years old and just trying to kill enough Cogs to get that next Laff Point.

Do you think they have a support group?

Apparently the reason I haven't been able to accomplish anything is because someone keeps beating me to it. According to The Onion, Someone has been acheiving my dreams.

Damn them!!! I can only hope that no one gets around to kicking my ex-husband in the balls before I do.

I was reading Wil Wheatons blog tonight and all I have to say is, "Thank God!"

Apparently Mr. Wheaton is feeling a bit like life, real life, you know all that crap they never told us about when we were kids? Yeah, real life, is taking up the time and energy that he used to channel into creative endeavors. It's nice to know that I'm not the only person who feels that way.

The way I look at it is this, if someone as obviously talented as Wil Wheaton can have the "Life is sucking me dry." moment, then I'm not going to stress mine. I know that it will pass, but waiting for it to happen is a pain in the ass. I suppose now I feel like I have a commrade in arms, someone else that sits and stares at something that they've started and goes, "Now what the Fuck do I do?"

Here's to writer's block, may it never strike any of you.

Every now and then....

Every now and then you come across something that's worth reading on the internet. I just link clicked myself to one such site. I recommend that anyone with a brain check out The Zero Boss.

I especially like the post about the recent nutcase in Georgia trying to get Harry Potter banned because it turns innocent children into cat killing Satanists.

Go on, give it a read! You know you want to.

I am inspired....

After browsing the internet for the first time in weeks and after flipping through random blogs, I feel inspired.

I am inspired to call me best friend and tell her I miss her. It's been too long.

I am inspired to write. To complete some of the random scribblings from months gone by.

I am inspired to try something new. To break out of the mold and try a new medium of expression.

I am inspired to hug my children and never forget how fragile or precious they really are.

I am inspired to buy a Poloroid camera and start taking pictures of interesting things again. Things I can glue into my journal and remember fondly when I am old.

I am inspired to have compassion for people I don't know, simply because they are people.

I am inspired to write letters. To speak up and tell people that it is not okay to trample on people simply because they have more money, more power or more celebrity.

What are you inspired to do?

Oprah, Schmoprah

I'm just going to say it, I don't really like Oprah Winfrey all that much. Am I the only person that feels this way?

Sure she's done good things for underprivledged children in America and in Africa, but she's not the only person who has.

I find her artificial and shallow. She tries to portray herself as this down-to-earth rich woman and it never quite rings true. I refuse to buy books that have been stamped with the Oprah Winfrey seal of approval...not that I think the book is not worth it, but because I don't feel the need to pander to the whims of a rich woman.

People get all excited about being on her show and I shudder at the thought. People would give a first born to be on the coveted "Favorite Things" show and bring home all that fancy, non-essential crap. Me, I'd rather have someone hand the money spent on that show to a charity for needy families or better yet to a school that doesn't have the resources it needs to properly educate our children. Imagine what they could do with the millions those products cost.

I think the capper for me was the recent "Gail and Oprah See America" episode I caught part of. I watched about five minutes and it made me sick. Crashing peoples weddings? That's just tacky. And they just smile and fawn over her like she didnt' just bust in on the biggest day of their lives and take over the spotligt. I would have asked her, polietly of course, to leave.

I think that Oprah Winfrey,or her television empire at the very least, represnt some of the worst characteristics of America today.

All right, I'm done whining now. Really...I feel much better

Oh God! I think they may actually give me a license.

Well folks, I took my first Driver's Ed class tonight. Yes, you heard me correctly, Driver's Ed. In a mere six weeks I will be licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the state of Utah.

And I'm terrified. Seriously, I got a little rash on my arms tonight from the stress. How sad is that? The instructor was talking about three point turns and highway driving and all of a sudden I'm all itchy and breaking out.

This is going to be a hell of a six weeks.

Today, not for the first time since the war started, I feel shame because I am an American. A Canadian citizen was falsly accused by members of his government, labled an al-Quida terrorist. Our government then jumped in, detained the man for 12 days without checking the story and then took him to Syria where he was tortured for ten months. Ten months.

Now he has been released and the Canadian Supreme Court has ruled that he is indeed an innocent man. Are the agents in the Canadian Intelligence Agency being held accountable? No. Are the people in our government being held responsible for the things that this man suffered? No.

Tell me this, if we allow this kind of behavior to continue in the name of "freedom", what exactly is our freedom worth. How are we any better than the people we claim to be fighting?

I suppose it all comes down to how long we're willing to turn a blind eye. People in this country grimace a bit and say things like,"Well, we are in a war." If we allow this kind of behavior from the officials elected to the highest places in our government where do you think it will stop?

I used to be proud of my country and what it stood for, now I wonder when we became the playground bully.

And your mother always told you that no one ever died from eating vegetables....

The FDA is warning consumers not to eat fresh, bagged spinach as it has been linked to a deadly outbreak of E.Coli. This does not make me feel confident in the recent changes I have made to my diet.

Remember when you were a child and you were slightly distrustful of anything that green and leafy being on your plate? I'm guessing that your mother, like mine, said something along the lines of,"Oh just eat your dinner. No one has ever died from eating vegetable."

Now children everywhere will be able to answer, "Oh yes they have!"

How ironic.

I couldn't sleep last night, so I was randomly clicking through blogs and searching for something interesting to read. I found a couple, but it seemed like everyother blog that popped up was either in a language I couldn't read (which can actually be kind of fun when your sleep deprived and feeling imaginative) or an advertisement for Viagra or Credit Counseling (neither of which is any fun, no matter how sleep deprived you are.)

After cruising the blogs for a bit I started reading people profiles, just for a change of pace. Does anyone else feel like they're signing someones yearbook or standing in front of some wierd support group meeting when they write those things?

"Hello, my name is Serena....and I'm a blogger. I'm 35 years old and still haven't accomplished most of the things I said I would when I was 16. I feel vaugely guilty about this, so I write about my sad little life in a way I hope is amusing."

Okay, my life isn't really sad...although I do sometimes, late at night, feel like I let the younger version of myself down by not acutally being able to become a multi-millionaire with houses on both coast while saving the rainforest, preventing global warming and adopting several underprivledged children. (Yes, those actually were the thing I dreamt of doing when I was 16)

I didn't become a multi-millionaire, but I did learn that money is only important enough to worry about when you can't pay the gas bill. I haven't saved the world, but I do support the people who are making a valiant effort and I'm vocal about not supporting the people who aren't. I haven't adopted any underprivledged children, but I have two beautiful children of my own that make me continue to want to make the world a better place.

I just noticed that it isn't even eight in the morning yet. Is that to early to be thinking about this kind of stuff?

Further Proof that People are just STUPID!

Here's a quote from an article I was reading today:

"SYDNEY, Australia - At least 10 stingrays have been slain since “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin was killed by one of the fish, an official said Tuesday, prompting a spokesman for the late TV star’s animal charity to urge people not take revenge on the animals."

Now, what kind of MORON do you have to be to start killing stingrays because some man decided to go swimming with them and playing with them and got killed when one does what comes naturally to it. Steve Irwin knew the risks involved in his behavior. It shows that people really are THAT stupid.

It's about the same as if someone you know were mugged by a tall white guy with blond hair. Would you go out and start killing every tall white guy with blond hair you saw? No, of course not, and that person would have KNOWN what he was doing. Animals don't lie around thinking, "Hmmm, I'm just going to swim around for a while to day and KILL the first human that gets to close."

Save me from the idiots that populate this planet.

Sting....aging well

Mel Gibson....not aging well

Keanu Reeves....aging well

Cory Haim...not aging well

Add to the list. Give me at least four celebrities from your youth. This means you actually have passed OUT of your youth.

"Toothpaste for Dinner" with a name like that, how could you NOT want to read it?

I've been reading webcomics at Toothpaste for Dinner for the last few weeks. I think everyone should check this site out. It doesn't try to hard, it doesn't try to be overly political, it isn't full of women raging against the evils of men, or men whining about the evils of women.

It's just a good laugh....well if you have a sense of humor. If you don't laugh, seriously, seek help.

Remember when we had time?

Remember when we had time to stare idly out of windows and day dream about all the fun we were going to have when the bell rang?

Remember when we had time to spend four hours on the phone with our best friend, discussing nothing at all?

Remember when we had time to plan an entire afternoon around the mall and the people we were planning to see there?

Remember all the things we used to have time for?

Remember when you got your first job?

Remember the feeling of pride and euphoria that came with that first paycheck?

Remember the first time you got your own apartment, how exciting that was?

Remember suddently realizing that most of your paycheck was going to the bills?

Remember the first time you had to tell your best friend you couldn't do something because you had to work?

Remember when your parents told you that being a grown up would be full of routine, boredom and not enough time?

Yeah I don't remember that one either.

I used to be really good at customer service. There was a time when I could just smile through a rude customers behavior and forget about it five minutes later. Now I'm old and cantankerous and it makes me angry when people behave badly because they feel they have a "right" to it. People don't seem to understand that the person they are dealing with is a human being with feelings and that they deserve to be treated with respect.

Instead of calling or coming into the store and saying, "I have this problem. Can you please try to help me?" They call or come in stomping and screaming and cursing and demanding this or that. When you tell them you can only do so much, or can't do what they are asking at all, they cuss and scream and threaten to have you fired for it. Why? Because they are behaving like sleep deprived two year olds.

Yesterday at work I found myself looking at one customer who had been vicious and thinking, "You're a bitch." That's not a good thing. I think perhaps it is time for me to find a new job field. I need the money my job brings in, but I'm at a point now where I simply have no time or patience for people who behave badly because they feel they are "entitled" to it.

When did we become such a poorly behaved, ill-mannered society? Didn't any of these people have parents that taught them manners? And you know what, people with "money" are usually the worst. Why is that?

I'm going back to bed now.

How Pathetic

"Zhang Ziyi Mocked for Wearing Same Dress" This is one of the entertainment headlines on MSNBC today. I read the article and found that a Chinese actress, Zhang Ziyi is being ridiculed because she wore the same dress another actress wore earlier. All I could think was how pathetic. How sad that people cared more about what this lovely young woman was wearing and not her acting.

Who cares if she was wearing the same dress? I have a shirt, I bought it at Wal-Mart, I'm sure that about a thousand other people have the same shirt. If I show up somewhere and someone else is wearing it, all I think is "Hmm, they shop at Wal-Mart".

The reporter that started this should be ashamed. How hurt must this woman be? To have someone ridicule and shame her for buying a dress she thought was pretty and wearing it to a function.

That's all I have to say.

Let the blow-back begin....

And as I knew it would, my comments made someoen close to me angry. She felt I was attacking her personally, when I wasn't. I won't apologize for my beliefs, any more than she would for hers, but I will apologize, again, for the way it was perceived.

It should be noted here for everyone to see that I am a Pacifist. I have been most of my life. I believe violence in the name of ANY cause is wrong. It's one of the reasons I left membership in groups like PETA and GREENPEACE behind, they became almost militant and started throwing things at people, harming them, in the name of their "cause" I won't be a part of anything like that.

Now, I'm going to put the comment Stephanie wrote in this post, so anyone that comes here can read it. She has the right to her opinion and since she had so much to say, I want to be sure it gets read, and in the comments section, that's not likely.

Agree with her, disagree with her (like I did) but she has the right to her opinion. Just like I do. She and I will never agree on this topic, but that doesn't make me respect her any less.

Now, for your reading pleasure:

"I wasn't saying it as an absolute truth. And yes, I am pissed, and hurt about you basically attacking what me for what I wrote. Especially when you got it wrong.

I wasn't telling anyone that they have to believe anything that I believe. I don't care that you believe the opposite of what I believe. That has never bothered me. You should know that I believe in freedom of speech whole-heartedly and would never try and tell anyone what they should or shouldn't believe or say. I may not agree with it but that doesn't mean that I think they shouldn't be allowed to say it.

"Just now a guy that just got back from Iraq for the second time called up and made a good point. One that I happen to agree with for the most part. If you don't support the president and his policies then you don't support our troops." That is the main statement on my blog that pissed you off. Someone else made that statement and I said that I agree with it, for the most part. Not entirely. And one person's opinion, or the shared opinion of several or many, does not mean that everyone has to share it. Nowhere in there did I tell anyone that they HAVE to think that way too! I would never do such a thing. And if you had read the comments you would have gotten an even more clear idea that I don't expect anyone that I know, aside from family of mine, to share my view. It seems that the majority is against President Bush, pretty much all of his policies, and the war. That majority includes most, if not all, of my friends. I'm fine with that.

There are reason's that I don't talk politics with you. This is the biggest one, right here. You getting pissed off about my opinion and me getting angry about it. I purposely avoid talking politics with you and tend to not talk as much when the subject does come up and change the subject to something else if possible. I am not as well read on any situation political as you are and you would completely obliterate me in any kind of political conversation due to that. I don't think that a difference in political belief is worth getting into arguments with friends.

I didn't tell you that you don't support out troops either. I don't know what kinds of conversations you have had with veterans, family members or non-family members, and I'm sure that they have varying opinions about different things involving their service. My father-in-law was a veteran of the Korean war. I've seen the internal scars too.

I'm not naive about what goes on in a war. I know that innocent people die. I know that people turn into monsters and do all kinds of unimaginable things to other human beings. That happens outside of war as well as in. I'm not saying that war is a good idea, or that it ever was. Peace should always win out, but it doesn't. On the fault of many, many people on both sides of whatever battle it is.

I also didn't say that all men and women in the armed forces support the war. I was in no way that specific. I said the troops do. Followed by saying that the people in the military, or recently out, that I have talked to have told me as much. I'm not dumb enough to believe that every man and woman in the military absolutely follows the government blindly and doesn't have any kind of varying opinion about what they are doing. I'm sure that some of them hate it, they just do it because that's what they signed on for. They are essentially government property and have signed over their rights and lives to that government and they are just doing what they are told. I'm sure some of them had a great opinion of the government before they went in and now have an opinion to the contrary because of what they have seen and/or done. I made a broad generalization based on information that I have.

I was merely MOSTLY, not entirely, agreeing with a statement that someone else made. I'm sorry that it pissed you off and that you thought I was saying things that I wasn't saying.

My friend FreeDawg, to keep his anonymity going, made a comment that totally disagreed with my post. That was his right. I could have gotten pissed and deleted it, but I didn't. Why am I going to keep him from speaking his mind? I'm not. He's entitled to his opinion. I did, however, comment back. This is what I said:

"Disagree with me all you want. I'm not going to think less of you for it. You are entitled to your opinion and feelings as much as any other person on the planet is.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm not politically minded and most likely never will be. My opinions are based on feelings, intuition and small personal experiences. I am in no position to force my views on anyone, nor would I try to because everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I'm actually getting to the point that I'm wishing that Bush's term were up already. I'm tired of the controversy and the anger that everyone has over how he is running things and about the war. (Not that war controversy will ever end. No matter what war it is or who is in the White House.)"

I'm not pissed about you having a different opinion, I'm pissed that you attacked me for mine and that you did it with the wrong impression of what I was saying.

FreeDawg commented, you attacked.

You said that I was telling people what to think and feel and say. I never said that the people of this country should just "smile and nod and agree with everything that the president does." I never once said anything about people not being allowed to have their own opinion or not being allowed to state their own opinion.

And, yeah, I am pissed.

And I don't care whether you post this on your blog or not, but I wanted you to hear what I had to say to you after reading this. And you could have asked me for clarification first."

I'm most likely not going to visit this subject again, I don't want things to become contensious, but I thought people should read that.

Politics, the War and why I am vocal about not supporting it.

President Bush is in Salt Lake City today. He's here to speak to the American Legion Conference. I do not like President Bush...as a politician. I do not know the man personally, so I can't say anything about what kind of person he is. I simply do not like him as a President. I think the War is a bad thing. I do not believe we should be there, not at all.

These are all fairly simple statements, I've made them before, but today, after reading something posted on another blog, I felt the need to post about it again in a little more detail.

First, I have relatives that have served in all branches of the military. The last time a Bush went to war, three of my cousins were sent to serve. This time my brother was sent to Iraq. I know people who serve in the military and I have seen the pain on their faces when people direct unkind statements toward them because they fought in this war, or another. I know firsthand the lasting trauma men and women who serve our nation and end up in a War go through.

The comment that was made was basically this. If you don't support the President, you don't support the troops. Nothing could be farther from the truth and in fact I feel insulted by the sentiment behind it. The men and women in our Armed Forces make a choice to be there, and in making that choice they deserve our highest respect. This does not mean, however, that I or anyone else has to smile and nod and agree with everything our President does. To suggest that is an insult to the foundation of our country, the very thing these men and women are fighting for. We have Freedoms in this country. We may not like what a person has to say, but because of the First Ammendment, they have the right to say it. When you start telling people that they don't have the right to say what they want because it might upset someone else, you tread on dangerous ground.

A second sentiment in the comment was something to the effect that all men and women in the Armed Forces support the war. Having first hand knowledge to the contrary, I will say this: The men and women who choose to serve our country don't have a choice to support of not support decisions made by the President. They can be thrown in jail for LIFE for speaking out against the President while in uniform. They are trained to say things that support him. Why? Because they need to be able to present a united front in times of crisis. The exact words my cousin spoke to me when I asked him about this after coming home from Desert Strom were this, " It's not a matter of supporting or not supporting, you go where you're told and you don what you're told and you don't complain. That's what we signed on for."

I have spoken with many veterns, some related to me, others not and one thing is common, there is not one of them that thinks war is a good idea. They all carry lasting scars inside from the things they saw and the things they had to do to survive, and not a single one of them has ever said, "Yeah, the war? I supported that 100%" They always give very non-commital answers because they don't want to speak ill of the nation they served. But think about this, who, in their right mind WOULD think a war was a good idea? Who honestly believes that the deaths of innocent men, women and children is a good thing? Who can seriously support the ongoing slaughter and destruction of a people and a nation?

If we hide behind the argument that we are "bringing them freedom" the question must then be asked, Who's freedom? And we must also answer this question, "Do the people we are "freeing" even want us there?

It is egotistical and even worse, sometimes ignorant to hide behind, "I'm supporting my President." It allows people to not think about what might really be happening, and it allows us to divest ourselves of personal responsibility when our soldiers end up on trial for torture, rape, murder and other crimes. It allows us to bury our heads in the sand. There are no bombs dropping in our streets, our children are not being killed wholesale in the name of "freedom", and when I say children I am reffering to two year olds blown apart by mortar fire and elementary schools being ripped apart by car bombs. War is ugly. If people started dying in our own streets we would see support for the President drop off immediatley, but these are strangers dying, pictures on a television screen, so we tell ourselves it's okay as long as it's for a good cause. What cause could be that good?

Don't tell me I don't support our troops. Don't tell me I should feel shame for standing up for my beliefs. Don't tell me that the things I see in the news and read in the paper should be overlooked.

I know that this post is going to make someone I care about angry. I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but this is how I feel and how I will always feel, and more importantly, as long as this is the United States of America and we have the freedom of speech, it's my right to say it outloud as often as I want.

I'm worth nothing....well MY BLOG is worth nothing, but still...

So it's a quarter to midnight and I can't sleep, no big surprise there. I'm catching up on reading Ken Jenning's Blog when I come across a link to Neil Gaiman's Blog, this is a great find for me, I love his writing.

I start reading and I find an interesting little link. How Much is Your Blog Worth? So I click and I type in my URL and this is what came back:

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

Just for the fun of it I typed in the link for Stephanie's Blog and this is going to make her smile and I'm NEVER going to hear the end of it:

My blog is worth $1,129.08.
How much is your blog worth?

I am seriously going to have to add my blog to search engines and become annoying and link myself to random pages, or whatever it is you do to get people to read what you write, because seriously, I'm never going to hear the end of it until I can post tha my blog is worth $1,030.00.

Hats off to Stephanie,who, until now thought no one read what she was writing. Ego Boost or what?

I shall now go pout petulantly in a corner, mutter to myself and think of ways to dethrone her!!!!

Because I'm at work and I'm bored....That's why!

Your Personality Profile

You are dignified, spiritual, and wise. Always unsatisfied, you constantly try to better yourself. You are also a seeker of knowledge and often buried in books. You tend to be philosophical, looking for the big picture in life. You dream of inner peace for yourself, your friends, and the world. A good friend, you always give of yourself first.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

You Are: 60% Dog, 40% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Arty Kid

Whether you were a drama freak or an emo poet, you definitely were expressive and unique. You're probably a little less weird these days - but even more talented!

Who Were You In High School?

Tired of this yet??? Well I'm still bored....

Okay, this one my husband is going to get a kick out of...

Your Stripper Song Is

Master and Servant by Depeche Mode "There?s a new game We like to play you see A game with added reality You treat me like a dog Get me down on my knees" Yawn, dancing is so boring without a little spice.

What Song Should You Strip To?

You Are the Very Gay Bert and Ernie!

Two grown puppets living together, sleeping in the same room? They've even got coordinating striped shirts!

What Gay Childhood Icon Are You?

Okay, I'll be done now.

Is there anyone left on the planet with MANNERS?

I work in an industry that requires face to face interaction with customers on a daily basis. Most of the time people are in and out so quickly you don't really have to worry about things. Other times, like today for instance, you get stuck dealing with people that treat you like it's your job to smile and eat whatever shit they hand you. Is there anyone teaching their children manners anymore? Or are all children growing up with this sense of instant entitlement?

Today a young woman walked into the store. I smiled and greeted her, asked how we could help her. She said she wanted to get a phone activated. Okay...used phone activation, usually takes five to ten minutes all total. IF the phone is able to be activated. Hers wasn't. I polietly told her that the phone still had account activity attached to it and that customer service or one of the corporate stores would have to take care of that before we could do anything. She snarls back at me "I was PROMISED by the store in Salt Lake that you would do this for me." Again, I try to explain that under normal circumstances it takes less than ten minutes to do, but that because the phone is still active on another account, we are unable to proceed. She snarls at me again, "Then call someone and fix it." I try to explain that calling customer service will lead to them telling me the same thing I just told her, but I call anyway, I even verify that the number I'm scanning is the one showing on the account. I have them check notes to be sure that there was no error, I have them check to see if it's only a matter of waiting a little longer....nothing. The phone is still showing active and therefore...you guessed it...I can't do anything.

At this point Miss Huffy-Puffy says, "Fine, then let me use your phone to call my mother in Salt Lake." Now I let her use a BUSINESS phone to make a long distance call and she dials about six numbers before she reaches her mother. She tells her mother that I won't LET her activate the phone, so I correct her by saying, "It's not that I won't let you, it's that I am unable to." She huffs into the phone and I say, "If you'd like I can speak with your mother to explain what needs to be done so we can activate the phone for you." She turns around and snarls at me, "You don't have to be a bitch to me." I say, "I'm not." She snipes back, "Yes, actually you are. You're rude." Then she snipes into the phone to her mother, (who I'm sure I'll be hearing from soon because heaven forbid I don't pander to her snippy little girl) "Yeah she's got a serious attitude problem, "(hand ove phone and talking to me) "What is your name?"

I tell her my name and then she starts bitching to her mother and at that point I ask her to please hang up the phone and leave the store.

Yeah..people like that annoy me. I can't wait to get the phone call, or even better, the visit, from the mother. Joy abounds!

Never again will I complain about the discomfort of giving birth!

I read an article today about a woman in Florida who was in labor and driving herself to the hospital. She had an accident and ended up giving birth while trapped in a partially submerged car.....WITH A BROKEN LEG!!!!

This woman has my undying respect. It's hard enough to have a baby in a hospital, with family support, doctor's and nurses standing by and medication to help control the pain. But to do it after having sustained injuries in a car crash? Alone? Come on people, that deserves a standing ovation.

Just my thoughts on the whole thing. I'm done now.

*fanfare* I have a new reader....

Okay, so I don't know if she's a "reader", but someone that doesn't know me visited my blog today and, wait for it......LEFT A COMMENT!!!! In honor of this momentous occasion I am recommending that everyone go and check out eyeAmelia

This is the first time I have left a random comment and received one back. I know that many of you are saying to yourselves," This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard someone get excited about."

It's obvious to me that you have never met Vernon.

"4 penguins perish in truck accident; octopus uninjured"

There was a news article on MSNBC about a freak truck accident involving a zoo transport which killed several exotic fish and a few penguins. This is sad. Death is sad. That being said....

The headline makes me want to giggle everytime I read it! I'm sorry, but it does. How can you read that and not think things like: "Was the octopus wearing his seatbelt?" "Which penguin was driving?" I would like to find out who wrote this headline and ask them if they read it first. Another fine example of why I believe that all headlines, signs, advertising etc. should be read by a panel of thirteen year old boys first, if any of them laugh, re-write it.

This was obviously a serious accident and involved human drivers and the loss of life, even though it was animal life....perhaps a better headline would have been, "Freak accident kills exotic wildlife." or "Zoo Transport Suffers Freak Accident"

It makes you wonder if the journalist that wrote this piece took it seriously, or if they sort of blew it off because none of the human occupants died. I believe that if one of the human occupants of the truck had been killed, the headline would have been far less cavalier.

Apparently I'm a Summer, and all these years I thought I was an autumn

I always pop in to Steph's blog and take these quizzes she posts, mostly because it amuses the hell out of me. Every now and then I find one I can't resist posting. Anyone who knows me well will be able to pick out the right and the wrong here....

The other one I just threw in because, well because it made me laugh until I almost peed myself.

Your True Birth Month Is July

Tactful Honest Friendly Secretive Homebody Sentimental Hardworking Approachable Fun to be with Has reputation Not revengeful Easily consoled Very emotional Wary and sharp Waits for friends Likes to be quiet Witty and snarky Caring and loving Loves to be alone Overly concerned Loves to be loved Treats others equally Puts in effort in work Takes pride in oneself Moody and easily hurt No difficulties in studying Strong sense of sympathy Forgiving but never forgets Quiet unless excited or tensed Not aggressive unless provoked Concerned about people's feelings Temperamental and unpredictable Judge people through observations Easily hurt but takes long to recover Guides others physically and mentally Dislikes the nonsensical and unnecessary Difficult to fathom and to be understood Sensitive and forms impressions carefully Always broods about the past and the old friends

What's Your True Birth Month?

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Boobie Name Generator

The Museum of Bad Art

A few days ago I was browsing around and came across an article about the ten weirdest museums in America. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm into weird. Weird is good. It keeps things from being boring, breaks the day up a bit. I read the list and my favorite turned out to be The Museum of Bad Art.

The Museum of Bad Art is in Dedham, Mass. and was founded in 1993. The collection is made up of things you would find on back shelves of thrift shops and pieces that would clutter up yard sales, desperately trying to find homes.

A couple of my favorite pieces? Peter the Kitty, How pissed off does that cat look? And Mama and Babe, Does that picture remind anyone else of "The Outer Limits"?

Take some time and browse the website. Of particular interest is the admission price and the location description. I plan to take a vacation to the East Coast specifically to take my daughter to this place. Better than the Giant Ball of Twine!

Iraq and its toll

The toll of the Iraq war on our country is going to be a lot higher than many of us ever really considered. Today a report is being cited in the news that states US Marines killed Iraqi civilians in cold blood. Our soldiers, men and women that were sent by our government to a country that didn't ask for our prescence, are now being accused of crimes so atrocious I have a hard time wrapping my mind around them.

What had to happen to these men that would cause them to do something so wicked? In their daily lives, in the normal world I'm sure that the men and/or women being accused of this crime are not sociopathic killers. Yet here they are, standing accused of slaughtering innocent civilians, women and children. Why?

I have to believe it is because they have been kept in a place we had no right to be to begin with for far to long. These brave and valiant soldiers have been sent into a terror zone and subjected to things I can't even begin to imagine. The damage to their minds and their souls must be horrific. I feel sorrow for them and their families and I feel shame for my government for allowing this to continue.

If you are reading this, sit down and write to your Congressman. Write to all of them if you can. Let them know that this has gone on long enough. It's time to bring our soldiers home. It's time to stop this before anymore of OUR people suffer, not to mention the harm we are doing to a country not our own.

The Stepford Wives...living right next door. Hitler would be so proud.

I have just read an article about Home Owners Associations in our country. They are set up under the guise of keeping neighborhoods clean and uniform...providing a positive living experience for everyone that lives there. You know, no rusting cars in the front yard, no rotting piles of garbage, that kind of thing. Sounds nice doesn't it?

But wait....

As I read on it turns out that these "associations" can fine you for things like painting your house an unapproved color, or not cutting your lawn enough. And that if you don't pay the fines you can actually be, get this, FORCLOSED ON. Now how is that even possible? I mean seiously people? What kind of acid are you taking the day you agree to give John Q Dimplehead across the street the power to tell you it's not okay to paint your house THAT color blue? And to risk losing the home YOU are paying for over it? How does that even begin to sound like a good idea?

Ahhh...the American Home Owners Association. Stepford Families of the world now have a place to call there own. Somewhere they can all gather and homogenize and teach their children that diversity is a word somewhere in the "d" section of the dictionary.

Hitler would be so proud.

Apparently Ken Jennings isn't boring...who knew?

Sadly, I have had nothing of interest to say for the last several days. This annoys me. Am I losing my touch? Am I getting old? Have I forgotten how to be a wise ass? No, I just haven't had the time to sit down and write anything.

Let's recount the last several days of my life shall we? On second thought, screw that. I just lived through it, it would bore you to tears, let's talk about something else. Let's talk about...ummm...Ken Jennings. You heard me.

I was reading the news, something I do a lot, and there was an article from the AP that claimed Ken Jennings was hatin' on good ole' Jeopardy. Can you believe it? I mean how dare he? After all Jeopardy did for him? How could he hate on them and an American icon like Alex Trebek. I have to admit, I was curious. So I went to my trusty search engine and typed in "Ken Jennings". The first link that came up was the link to his blog.

I was intrigued, what could a man who had so much useless trivia rattling around in his brain that he won 2.5 million dollars on Jeopardy have to say that would be interesting to me, the general public? I clicked on, eager to see.

I started reading the first post, which by this time had nothing to do with Jeopardy, and found myself giggling and smiling and nodding in appreciation of things that Ken had typed. "Why," I thought incredulously, " Ken Jennings isn't stodgy or boring. Ken Jennings is amusing and intelligent and darn it, I kind of like him." Who knew?

I am proud to say that I know read Ken Jennings blog on a daily basis. I am also proud to report that anyone with a brain will be able to go there, look up the blog post in question and know in about three sentences that he wasn't diggin' on an American Icon. Go on, read it, I dare you!

Lady in the Water

We went and saw "Lady in the Water" last night. I enjoy M. Night Shyamalan's movies. I was a little disappointed by "The Village", but still enjoyed it. After reading some of the reviews, I was curious. Would this movie disappoint me as well?

I can say with total confidence that it didn't. Shyamalan delivers a wonderful tale of good and evil without having to be grotesque or overlly political. It's a movie that you can take your children to see. Something that is a rare find these days. Shyamalan didn't feel the need to add the witty adult humor to the movie to try and make it more appealing. There are no sly inneuendos, no catty remarks, just a good story. Something you might read to your older children at bedtime.

A lot of the reviews I read said that there was no "twist", something Shyamalan has become known for. I have to disagree. If you take the time to see the film, you'll find the twist.

I recommend everyone go and see this movie, take tissue if you cry, but go see it.

Whoever made this quiz is LAME!

I answered all these questions correctly, I know I answered them correctly because when I got my score I was confused, went back and for the hell of it, changed things to answeres I knew weren't right....it won't score you above 90%....unless I'm blind and missed a question...which has been known to happen.

I'm still pissed.

You Scored 90% Correct

You are an 80s expert You never confuse New Order with the Pet Shop Boys You know which classical musician Falco rocked When it comes to 80s music, you Just Can't Get Enough!

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

Okay, so now I'm just bored....

Pulled this off of Stephanie's blog. I'm bored and I can't sleep, figured I'd answer pointless questions, then maybe make some phone calls....

A - Available: For Birthday Parties, Weddings and the ocassional Bar Mitzvah.
A - Age: older than some, not as old as others
A - Annoyance: Stupidity...of all kinds.


B - Bestest Friend: Stephanie
B - Bad Habit: Which one?
B - Birthday: December 23

C - Crush: Orange, Grape or Strawberry????
C - Car: none
C - Cats: no thanks

D - Dead Pets: five dogs, two cats, three goldfish, two rabbits and one poor poor hamster
D - Desk Top Picture: A Scanner Darkly still of Keanu
D - Dogs: One...and he's really cute


E - Easiest person to talk to: Stephanie, Dollie or Russ
E - Eggs: Only scrambled
E - Email: As a casual form of correspondance only


F - Favorite color: Purple
F - Food: I'm partial to it.
F - Favorite number: People have those? Isn't that kind of obsessive?


G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Worms...more fun to play with. But then...bears are easier to hide in your pockets
G - God: Has a serious sense of humour
G - Good Times: A great show from the 70's


H - Hair Color: Dark brown...or black, depending
H - Height: 5'5"
H - Happy: Today? Yes


I - Ice Cream: Vanilla, ocassionally something more adventerous.
I - In school?: Soon
I - Idiots?:You're kidding right? Have you been outside?


J - Jewelry: No thanks
J - Jobs: At last count, well over 100
J - Jokes: Most of the ones I know are to long to put in this little space.

K - Kids: Four...two living with me, two adopted
K - Karate: That and about five other Chinese words..yeah, I've seen the T-Shirt too.
K - Know a Katie: Not personally....


L - Longest Car Ride: From Williston, North Dakota to Lake Powell, Utah...When I was nine...in the summer...with no air conditioner...and two toddlers....and an angry mother.
L - Last phone call: From Stephanie
L - Love: Can be a serious pain in the ass.

M - Milk Flavor: Plain
M - Movie Last Watched: NightWatch
M - Moms name: Jorjan

N - Number of Siblings: 5
N - Northern or Southern?: Is this a hemisphere choice, a cultural choice, what?
N - Name: Serena


O - One Phobia: Driving
O - Open About yourself?: Yes
O - Occupation: Manager...Cricket Wireless

P - Parents, are they married or divorced: Biological parents:Divorced Mother and Stepfather: Married
P - Party: Not any more
P - Police: Once or twice...you figure it out


Q - Quote: "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death." Roslind Russell, Auntie Mame
Q - Quick or Slow: All I can hear now is that song from "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Q - Que pasa: Cheddar, oh wait, that's QUESO....


R - Reality TV Shows: Funny as hell, if you watch the right ones
R - Right or Left: Depends on the issue.
R - Right now: Answering these silly questions that no one will ever read.


S - Song Last Heard: Night on Bald Mountain
S - Season: Late Spring or Early Fall
s - Sex: Because of the boobs, I'm going to go with Female.


T - Time to get up: Ask my son, it's usually his call.
T - Time Now: 11:58 PM
T - Time for bed: When I can't keep my eyes open

U - Unicorns: Make for good fiction and great art
U - Unicycle: not my cup of tea
U - Unibrow: Oh, that's just nasty

V - Vending Machine: Home of the hip widner and the gut bomb
V - Visual basic: Never learned it
V - Victory: Q'Pla (only a real geek will be able to read that and tell me what's wrong with it)


W - Water: I need more of it
W - Women: usually dislike me
W - Work: Only because I have to, anyone who says anything else is a LIAR...


X - X-Rays: Will turn you into a raging green monster..oh wait, that was GAMMA RAYS
X - X Files: YUMMY, David Duchovney
X - X Men: Until the last one, pretty damn good...


Y - Year it is now: 2006
Y - Yellow: Wallpaper (obscure literary reference)
Y - Yikes: I'm really really bored


Z - Zoo Animal: I detest zoos
Z - Zerox: streching for it now aren't you..I would have gone with zipper
Z - Zanzibar: Would be nice to visit

I HAVE to stop doing those stupid quizzes!!!!

Okay, this is kind of funny....mostly because the last few names I used I just threw in there.....although the soulmate thing is kind of scary!

What You Really Think Of Your Friends

Stephanie is your soulmate.

You truly love Russell.

You consider Alexandria your true friend.

You know that Judy is always thinking of you.

You'll remember James for the rest of your life.

You secretly think Dollie is creative, charming, and a bit too dramatic at times.

You secretly think that Tiffany is colorful, impulsive, and a total risk taker.

You secretly think that Toney is loyal and trustworthy to you. And that Toney changes lovers faster than underwear.

You secretly think Debby is shy and nonconfrontational. And that Debby has a hidden internet romance.

What Do You Think of Your Friends?

Is anyone that knows me REALLY surprised by this?

You are 70% geek

You are a geek. Good for you! Considering the endless complexity of the universe, as well as whatever discipline you happen to be most interested in, you'll never be bored as long as you have a good book store, a net connection, and thousands of dollars worth of expensive equipment. Assuming you're a technical geek, you'll be able to afford it, too. If you're not a technical geek, you're geek enough to mate with a technical geek and thereby get the needed dough. Dating tip: Don't date a geek of the same persuasion as you. You'll constantly try to out-geek the other.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

Read this....

So I'm at work today and Debby sends me the link to this aritcle by Gloria Steinem. It's called "If Men Could Menstruate" and it's hilarious and true...soooo true.

Stephanie, you will appreciate this, I promise!!!!

Here We Go Again!

Be prepared, I've got the soap box out and primed. This post is going to piss people off and before you even bother to say it: Yes, I'm aware of the fact that immigrants helped build this country, most of my family came here from somewhere else, so let's skip that particular dead horse, all right?

I was reading the news this morning on MSNBC, as I usually do and I came across an article about the House and the Senate debating the "English as a National Language" issue again. This is an issue that has been debated repeatedly for years. Easch time it is defeated and dropped.

Now it is being discussed again, due in large part to the recent immigration discussions. Here's the kicker: It's being called racist.

All I have to say to that is WTF??????? How is it racist to want the people that live in THIS country to speak the launguage taught in it's schools and spoken by the people NATIVE to the country.

Again, yes I know that this country was built by people from other countries, but not solely, and not all of them were non-english speaking. In fact, a large majority of the first people to settle here were native english speakers...AND...when those people came here from other countries, it was with the intention of becoming American citizens, they WANTED to learn English, and they wanted their children to learn English. So I say again, let's not beat that particular dead horse.

Fact is if I moved to another country, any other country, I would be expected to learn it's launguage. It's true that a lot of countries teach English in their schools, but not all citizens speak it and so I would not be able to rely on that. I would have to learn to speak French or Chinese, or Spanish, or Italian, or whatever the native language was if I intended to live and be sucessful in my new home. Why should it be any different for people living here?

I do belive that it is a good idea for children in our schools to learn a second launguage, but I DO NOT believe that they should have to learn a second language simply because a portion of the population doesn't speak English.

It boils down to this: Just like anyone else, just like any other situation, if you want to be successful you have to adapt. English IS the language spoken in the United States. Yes, there are bilingual households. Yes, speaking a second language is a good thing. However, we are an ENGLISH speaking nation, just like a lot of other English speaking nations, we shouldn't be ashamed of it, we shouldn't apologize for it. It's not racist to want the people that live here to be able to communicate freely.

It would be racist to say that if someone didn't speak English you weren't going to teach them, and you weren't going to let them work, but no one is saying that. It would be racist if people that spoke other languages were shunned and not given good opportunities, when in fact, at many jobs, people that speak other languages qualify for pay increases.

I'm putting the soapbox away now. Just remember, before you send me angry notes....please don't beat the dead horse, he's suffered enough.

Pictures of my Daughter for Mother's Day

Judy sent me pictures of Genevive for Mother's Day. Wasn't that thoughtful? I went out and bought a frame for one of them right away, it's one of Genevie and I together. She's so beautiful. I've posted a few that Judy emailed to me last week, just wanted to share her beauty with the world...oh and I added a couple of Jareth, because, well...because it's mother's day and I LOVE MY KIDS!!!

Start your week off with a laugh....(warning:adult content)

More fun stuff from Virob.com. Again, I warn you, if your easily offended, or at work, don't watch this. But it's a good way to start the week with a laugh.

Sunday

It's Sunday. Not much else to say. The weather was nice. I took a nap.

Wow...my life is boring.

I seriously need to try something new. Brazilian frog juggling or French Poodle Shaving or something. Any suggestions? Maybe I'll take up Nude Interpretive Jello Wrestling.

I'll be taking suggestions all week.

The Birthday, The Road Trip and the Blow Up Sheep

I love rainy mornings. The sound of rain against the windows has always been one of my favorite things. My son is still asleep, so I thought I would take some time and come in and write for a minute.

I went on a little road trip with a Stephanie on Tuesday, it was her birthday. Her original plan had been to sit at home and do nothing by herself all day...BORING!!!!! I told her we needed to get her out of the house and do something, anything...she decided we should take a roadtrip to Evanston, Wyoming. (For those of you NOT from Utah, Evanston is just over the border and it's where all the repressed people go to buy porn and fireworks *LOL*)

So, we get in her car and we head for Wyoming. On the way we listen to 80's music, we sing, we car dance.....you heard me, car dance. This makes everyone else on the road look at us funny and laugh, I'm not sure why. My theory? Life is to short NOT to have fun..so car dance for gosh sake's.

Anyway...

We get to Evanston, grab a quick bite to eat at a local restaurant where we manage to convince the waitress that we are either high or drunk, when we are neither and then we're off to the local porn store. That's right intrepid readers...the porn store.

I have never laughed so hard in my entire life. I have however decided that the job I want is "sex toy namer". You know someone gets paid to just sit around and think up names like, "The Anal Intruder".....I mean come ON, you know whoever thought that up was laughing their butt off , or stoned, or most likely both. Stephanie and I were laughing so hard I thought I would pee my pants. There was this little vibrator shaped like a DOLPHIN....I'm not joking, a damned dolphin...and we were both making jokes about it:

"I wonder if it makes the noise...."insert me making dolphin noise here"

Stephanie: "Even better, I wonder if it makes YOU make the noise..."insert BOTH of us making dolphin noises here."

There was a store employee standing next to us and at this point he started cracking up.

We moved further up the aisle and at this point I spot...wait for it.... the Blow up Dolls. They had one named Two Ton Tammy. So the employee that we made laugh says: "They even make blow up sheep."

I reply, " Oh Lord, you're kidding, Do they come with Blow up velcro cowboy boots?"

He says: " I don't know, let me check."

The laughter is over the top at this point.....and he comes over with....you guessed it, BLOW UP SHEEP.....I thought I would die.

So yeah...it was a good day. I haven't laughed that hard in ages.

Well, not since the last time I hung out with Stephanie.

A little sad....

Having just realized that her best friend is on vacation this week, our intrepid blogger is a little sad. She realizes this means she will have no one to chat with while her son naps.

*moment of silence for the vacationing Stephanie*

Fun Words

This is my list of words in the English Language that are fun to say. I'll probably update it from time to time. You should try saying some of these words outloud for no reason at all, just to see how fun they are. (If you don't know what the word means, you can always look it up)

(1) lollygagger

(2) kumquat

(3) pfeffernusse (it's a cookie pe*fer*noose)

(4) nincompoop (and it's oh so fun derivation: nincompoopery)

(5) tomfoolery (yes, it is an actual word, I looked it up)

(6) bulbous ( even more fun when paired with the word bouffant and shared with a friend)

(7) mukluk

(8) idiosyncrasy ( this one has many fun derivations, play with them, roll them around on your tounge, make people stare at you....just makes the word more fun)

Well there you have the initial fun word list, I'll update it soon. If you have a word you think is fun ( and isn't a swear word, those don't count....) let me know, I'll add it to the list.

House Hunting in a small town

Russ and I have been trying to find a new place to rent for a month or so now and so far no luck. We thought we had found a place, but the owners are dragging their feet. They don't seem to actually want to rent the place. Last time I spoke with her, the owner said it would be at least a month (putting us into June) before the house would be ready, and that there were " a lot of interested applicants", so I'm guessing that's out. That leaves me with the unenviable task of having to find something else. This bums me out.

Everything in town is either to small or to expensive. So I decided to look at houses for sale. Well not actually houses, manufactured homes, but still. The problem: (1) down payment and (2) financing. I'm not working and Russ's credit has been screwed by that whore of an ex wife of his. ORS (I'll get to them in a minute) has his child support on his credit record, that could screw us before we even get out the door. But I have to try. The house payment on the one we're interested in would only be $170 a month, so even with utilities, we would only be paying about $400 a month, which would make it easy to pay the bills, even on one income.


All I know is I have to have someplace else to live before June 1st, when my daughter comes home. This trailer is not big enough and well, you've read the rest before.

And in other news:

Got a notice in the mail that ORS has DOUBLED Russ's child support payment, like we aren't barely making it now....so I called and talked to someone, and for the first time, I actually got some real information and some actual help. We'll see how that goes.

Okay, I'm done bitching now.

It Takes a Special Kind of Idiot.....(Do Not Watch if you are easily offended)

It takes a special kind of idiot to do something like this to himself. I'm betting he rode the short bus to school.

Special Note to any Shrinking Violets in the audience: Don't Watch This!!!!

It's a work of FICTION....

I've read The Da Vinci Code twice now. I still don't see what all the hype and outrage is about. It's a book. More over, it's a FICTIONAL book. I know that there are historians and scholars that claim Christ married and had a child, but this book...THIS particular piece of writing is FICTION. If peopel read it and get all confused then they should seriously think about therepy because if you can't seperate reality from fiction in your own mind, well......

I can understand why some people may not have wanted to read the book. They may have seen it as attacking the foundation of the Christian faith. I may not agree, but I respect their feelings. What I can't get behind is this sudden media driven push to stir up a controversy over a piece of FICTION!!!!

When Dan Brown comes out with a book he presents as fact, and then produces something he claims is hard evidence to back it up, then I will agree with people getting a little harried. Until that time, pull your panties out of your buttcheeks and sit down. It's a BOOK...for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!!!!

SHEESH!!!!!!