Thursday, March 17, 2011
Talk Thursday: Take The Long Way Home....
Seriously, I think I started crying when the first chords played.
When I was 5ish, my mom had an ancient old VW Bug that smelled of rotting vinyl and burning oil. We lived in a small town.. You could get anywhere in less than 5 minutes.. Much longer than that, and I'd start to feel nauseous. I had the horrible bad luck that I swear to Buddha, this song played any goddamned time we went anywhere. And when it came on, my mom would get excited and be like "OOhhhh Psam, Lets do it! Let's take the long way home..." And it didn't matter if we were 3 blocks from home.. she'd turn that rust bucket around and "Take the fucking long way home", which in truth... couldn't have been that much longer.. but it seemed like eons. Years later, I was digging through an old box of cassettes.. and you guessed it, Supertramp. All those years I thought I just had horrible luck.. Nope, dear old mom was plotting against me. I think she was hoping that one of those long ways would be my last and I'd keel over from carbon monoxide poisoning..
Tonight's American Idol topic made me thing of the Talk Thursday assignment.. but no, I'm a 3 whole years older than this song. I looked up the top 100 songs from 1976, and damn.. I was born in a year of shitty music. "Play That Funky Music", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "That's The Way (I Like It)", "Still The One", and "Slow Ride" are the only good songs on that list.. and I sure as hell couldn't sing them.. You think that's why they put the age limit they do on AI?? To screen out shitty music?
I've finally decided what my hypothetical audition song would be.. (Hypothetical cuz, I can't sing that well, and I'm from the shitty music year of '76)
Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground..
But sung like a confused girl who becomes a little more certain as the song goes on!
Put on your imagination cap...
It would be awesome!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
..................................Casey??
When I heard the lead in that Casey was singing Nirvana, I was so excited. I didn't check dates... but I thought Casey would do awesome with Come As You Are. And he probably would have, if he'd been born the next year...
I thought of all these great songs Casey could have done.. and was like a year off... 1992 was a great year! You were born the right day.... a year too early... DAMN!
or AND OMG THIS SONG MAKES ME HAPPY!
or
or though it was never originally released as a single... This song actually came out on "Ten" in 1991 but hit the charts in 93 by demand of the people. There has never been a video release by the band and they still refuse to commercially release the song as a single. So any way, I'm a stick it in the middle and call it 1992! And truth be told.. James would do this song even better!
ohhh that song makes me think of Soundgarden's Spoonman... Casey would rock that... but that was '94.
I thought of all these great songs Casey could have done.. and was like a year off... 1992 was a great year! You were born the right day.... a year too early... DAMN!
or AND OMG THIS SONG MAKES ME HAPPY!
or
or though it was never originally released as a single... This song actually came out on "Ten" in 1991 but hit the charts in 93 by demand of the people. There has never been a video release by the band and they still refuse to commercially release the song as a single. So any way, I'm a stick it in the middle and call it 1992! And truth be told.. James would do this song even better!
ohhh that song makes me think of Soundgarden's Spoonman... Casey would rock that... but that was '94.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
End Of Days?
Japan, Churchchrist, Chile, Haiti, New Orleans. Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, disaster. Unrest in the Middle East. The global financial crisis. The list goes on...
I have a friend who is certain this is the End of Days foretold in the Bible.
My view point differs... but how much?
I believe in global warming. I believe in the Gaia Principle. (Briefly stated, this is the theory that nature likes balance and finds a way to create and maintain a certain amount of homeostasis.) I believe that while we tamper with the delicate balance of our ecosystem, Gaia finds a way to fight back.
Is this the End of Days? More properly asked, is God doing this?
............ I find that thought incredibly moronic.
The best way for me to explain my thought is with Jonah. I don't believe God made a bet with Lucifer and decided to torment the shit out of some poor guy just to prove that his love and faith were strong and pure. Once again, God is not a child on a bright summer day with a magnifying glass and an ant hill. Shitty stuff happens to good people. That's just life. How we persevere and deal with our problems??... THAT comes from within. Where do we get our strength, peace of mind, and the faith that gets us through??... well, I believe that those are the gifts that God gave us. Whether we choose to use them, that's up to us. It has nothing to do with whether you prayed enough, went to the right church often enough, tithed enough, or said enough Hail Mary's.
I've never understood how people can on one hand believe that God created man in 'Perfect Love', then on the other, placed them, with their 2-year-old's naivete, in their perfect home and said, "Oh, by the by, don't eat from THAT tree", thus setting up the 'Downfall Of Man' and necessitating the need for a 'Divine Son Of God' to live and die and live again to save us from 'Eternal Damnation'. There are only two possibilities: God had a 'Plan' (which seems a bit retarded) or God made one big forehead-slapping fuck up.... but this can't happen because God is 'Infallible'.
So, again the question, Is this the End of Days? ......... Do I believe that we've failed some crucial test of God's making and the result is the end of this existence? Not at all.
Do I believe that, within my lifetime, life as I know it will come to an end? Yes, I do.
We are running full-speed down a road of self-destruction, and I don't think that mankind as a whole has the wherewith-all to pull their collective head out of their collective ass in time to stop it. We pollute, over populate, and deplete natural resources. This isn't God's doing. This isn't any 'test' except in that in the area of "life in general", humanity is failing. F A I L I N G ! !
Look at the rest of the animal kingdom. When population threatens their resources, they quit breeding. They migrate. Disease and starvation regulate numbers. They find a way to reconcile their place in the system. Humans just try to find a way around the system. We fight disease and starvation because the process is ugly and painful, both physically to the people affected and emotionally to those who witness it. But the truth is that these processes are Nature's Way. We have decreased infant mortality rates and increased average lifespans. Don't get me wrong. As a member of the human community, these are wonderful advancements. But the effect to our existence as a whole is devastating. However, to not attempt to preserve life has become an "inhuman" stance.
I'm not a tree-hugging hippy. I'm not an over-the-top environmentalist. I recycle. I try to buy "green" products when I can. But I believe in ecological homeostasis. I believe that nature tries to correct imbalances. And I do believe that humans are a parasitic plague to this planet. We are nutrient guzzling worms with the persistence of head lice.
And Gaia, not God, will deal with us appropriately.
I have a friend who is certain this is the End of Days foretold in the Bible.
My view point differs... but how much?
I believe in global warming. I believe in the Gaia Principle. (Briefly stated, this is the theory that nature likes balance and finds a way to create and maintain a certain amount of homeostasis.) I believe that while we tamper with the delicate balance of our ecosystem, Gaia finds a way to fight back.
Is this the End of Days? More properly asked, is God doing this?
............ I find that thought incredibly moronic.
The best way for me to explain my thought is with Jonah. I don't believe God made a bet with Lucifer and decided to torment the shit out of some poor guy just to prove that his love and faith were strong and pure. Once again, God is not a child on a bright summer day with a magnifying glass and an ant hill. Shitty stuff happens to good people. That's just life. How we persevere and deal with our problems??... THAT comes from within. Where do we get our strength, peace of mind, and the faith that gets us through??... well, I believe that those are the gifts that God gave us. Whether we choose to use them, that's up to us. It has nothing to do with whether you prayed enough, went to the right church often enough, tithed enough, or said enough Hail Mary's.
I've never understood how people can on one hand believe that God created man in 'Perfect Love', then on the other, placed them, with their 2-year-old's naivete, in their perfect home and said, "Oh, by the by, don't eat from THAT tree", thus setting up the 'Downfall Of Man' and necessitating the need for a 'Divine Son Of God' to live and die and live again to save us from 'Eternal Damnation'. There are only two possibilities: God had a 'Plan' (which seems a bit retarded) or God made one big forehead-slapping fuck up.... but this can't happen because God is 'Infallible'.
So, again the question, Is this the End of Days? ......... Do I believe that we've failed some crucial test of God's making and the result is the end of this existence? Not at all.
Do I believe that, within my lifetime, life as I know it will come to an end? Yes, I do.
We are running full-speed down a road of self-destruction, and I don't think that mankind as a whole has the wherewith-all to pull their collective head out of their collective ass in time to stop it. We pollute, over populate, and deplete natural resources. This isn't God's doing. This isn't any 'test' except in that in the area of "life in general", humanity is failing. F A I L I N G ! !
Look at the rest of the animal kingdom. When population threatens their resources, they quit breeding. They migrate. Disease and starvation regulate numbers. They find a way to reconcile their place in the system. Humans just try to find a way around the system. We fight disease and starvation because the process is ugly and painful, both physically to the people affected and emotionally to those who witness it. But the truth is that these processes are Nature's Way. We have decreased infant mortality rates and increased average lifespans. Don't get me wrong. As a member of the human community, these are wonderful advancements. But the effect to our existence as a whole is devastating. However, to not attempt to preserve life has become an "inhuman" stance.
I'm not a tree-hugging hippy. I'm not an over-the-top environmentalist. I recycle. I try to buy "green" products when I can. But I believe in ecological homeostasis. I believe that nature tries to correct imbalances. And I do believe that humans are a parasitic plague to this planet. We are nutrient guzzling worms with the persistence of head lice.
And Gaia, not God, will deal with us appropriately.
Talk Thursday: Winning.....
As far as Charlie is concerned... I am somewhere between WTF? and pity.
I don't keep up on celebrities. Some how this ties into a 5-year-old little girl's deep fascination and love for the newly married Princess Diana and the disgust that grew from watching the press and public feed on the miseries of her life. I refuse to support it. I whole-heartedly refrain from being informed on their pitfalls, missteps, and self-degradation. I sure as hell don't want people shadowing me and my bad choices.
So, winning....
Burp wanted to vote for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards (Yup! cuz we're just THAT dorky!)... and the category was Best Female Vocalist. Out of 4 choices, the last two were Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
Burp: "Ahhhhhh it's too hard!"
Me: "Well, who do you like more?"
Burp: "I don't know!"
So I have a great idea... I go to YouTube and pull up videos. I start playing my favorite Katy Perry/3OH!3 song "Starstruck", which we've watched too many times to count. And we get to the good part, Katy in the fountain in the tight pink and black dress, soaking wet... and I'm sure, I mean absolutely positive, that Burp is 2 seconds from SOLD!
Burp: "Uhhhh, OK.. That solves it. Taylor Swift!"
ZzzzzzzzzzzzzWWwwwwuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkK! (you know.. needle scratching record sound)
Me(slightly dumbfounded): HUH?
Burp: "MOM! Katy Perry is HIGHLY inappropriate! This is the KIDS Choice Awards. FOR KIDS!! SHE HAS NIPPLES, MOM! She's way too sexy!. It's inappropriate! Taylor Swift for sure!"
Me: "Uhhhhhhh.....ok....."
..................... I'm still like.... w t f ?... but then I feel good too. Like "YAY, wholesomeness won!", "I must be doing something right!" .... but then the other part of me is like.... really?
So, winning.....
I have decided to wage a major battle on Burp's math issues. He is in the 4th grade and somewhere around the 25th percentile, but the school doesn't get concerned until they drop into the teens. (The TEENS, are you fucking kidding me????) He can't count his 3's beyond, maybe, 21 and from there it just goes downhill. He does not understand that "countby's" directly correlate to multiplication, and doesn't get that division is just multiplication backwards. They never really had the kids learn times tables. He has only vaguely learned and retained any of these processes. Now, they're starting fractions and percentages.
Maybe you're wondering why I haven't addressed this sooner... I've tried... I've tried to explain to the teachers over the years that if I know what the curriculum is, then I can work on it at home. I've requested EXTRA homework. Most of the time, he only has math homework 1 day a week.. and that's a one page photocopy with no explanation of what's expected to be done. My mom helped Burp with fractions last weekend and was like "WTF is this?"
Well, I'm calling bullshit on the process and taking matters into my own hands... We're starting at the beginning and learning it all over again. I bought a big magnetic white board and rolls of magnetic tape and I've made "math magnets".
We're starting with 2's and the first thing he has to do is write and say his 2's. (2,4,6,8, etc.. to 100)
Then, with the magnets he has to put the "answer" magnets with the correct problem magnet, show me that his answer is right with "grouping" and pair that problem with the corresponding division problem and answer, again proving his answer with grouping. Then we go through and read them all out loud. (2 x 2 = 4, 4 / 2 = 2)
Then, I let him have 20 minutes or so off to play a multiplication based video game.
Then, back to the whiteboard. I put up a problem and he tells me the answer. (I do this because he always does them in order... I mix them up) He has a small whiteboard that he can work the problem on using grouping. Then he has to tell me what division problem goes with the multiplication problem.
We will do this the same way everyday until he seems to know it. Then move on to 3's.
I'm hoping that the repetition will help some with memorization, but some Aspie kids just can't memorize... Most Aspie kids suck at math unless math is their "THING". I just know that if something isn't done now... then either it never will, or right about middle school, they'll put him in special ed... and really, I have to say that would be a matter of the system failing him. It's obvious that he has a problem.. but at this point, it isn't severe enough for them to intervene. I don't understand this mentality. Instead of trying to catch it before it gets too bad (which I think it already is), they'll just pass it along until they can't ignore it anymore. BULLSHIT!
I will win this one.
There's no other choice.
I don't keep up on celebrities. Some how this ties into a 5-year-old little girl's deep fascination and love for the newly married Princess Diana and the disgust that grew from watching the press and public feed on the miseries of her life. I refuse to support it. I whole-heartedly refrain from being informed on their pitfalls, missteps, and self-degradation. I sure as hell don't want people shadowing me and my bad choices.
So, winning....
Burp wanted to vote for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards (Yup! cuz we're just THAT dorky!)... and the category was Best Female Vocalist. Out of 4 choices, the last two were Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
Burp: "Ahhhhhh it's too hard!"
Me: "Well, who do you like more?"
Burp: "I don't know!"
So I have a great idea... I go to YouTube and pull up videos. I start playing my favorite Katy Perry/3OH!3 song "Starstruck", which we've watched too many times to count. And we get to the good part, Katy in the fountain in the tight pink and black dress, soaking wet... and I'm sure, I mean absolutely positive, that Burp is 2 seconds from SOLD!
Burp: "Uhhhh, OK.. That solves it. Taylor Swift!"
ZzzzzzzzzzzzzWWwwwwuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkK! (you know.. needle scratching record sound)
Me(slightly dumbfounded): HUH?
Burp: "MOM! Katy Perry is HIGHLY inappropriate! This is the KIDS Choice Awards. FOR KIDS!! SHE HAS NIPPLES, MOM! She's way too sexy!. It's inappropriate! Taylor Swift for sure!"
Me: "Uhhhhhhh.....ok....."
..................... I'm still like.... w t f ?... but then I feel good too. Like "YAY, wholesomeness won!", "I must be doing something right!" .... but then the other part of me is like.... really?
So, winning.....
I have decided to wage a major battle on Burp's math issues. He is in the 4th grade and somewhere around the 25th percentile, but the school doesn't get concerned until they drop into the teens. (The TEENS, are you fucking kidding me????) He can't count his 3's beyond, maybe, 21 and from there it just goes downhill. He does not understand that "countby's" directly correlate to multiplication, and doesn't get that division is just multiplication backwards. They never really had the kids learn times tables. He has only vaguely learned and retained any of these processes. Now, they're starting fractions and percentages.
Maybe you're wondering why I haven't addressed this sooner... I've tried... I've tried to explain to the teachers over the years that if I know what the curriculum is, then I can work on it at home. I've requested EXTRA homework. Most of the time, he only has math homework 1 day a week.. and that's a one page photocopy with no explanation of what's expected to be done. My mom helped Burp with fractions last weekend and was like "WTF is this?"
Well, I'm calling bullshit on the process and taking matters into my own hands... We're starting at the beginning and learning it all over again. I bought a big magnetic white board and rolls of magnetic tape and I've made "math magnets".
We're starting with 2's and the first thing he has to do is write and say his 2's. (2,4,6,8, etc.. to 100)
Then, with the magnets he has to put the "answer" magnets with the correct problem magnet, show me that his answer is right with "grouping" and pair that problem with the corresponding division problem and answer, again proving his answer with grouping. Then we go through and read them all out loud. (2 x 2 = 4, 4 / 2 = 2)
Then, I let him have 20 minutes or so off to play a multiplication based video game.
Then, back to the whiteboard. I put up a problem and he tells me the answer. (I do this because he always does them in order... I mix them up) He has a small whiteboard that he can work the problem on using grouping. Then he has to tell me what division problem goes with the multiplication problem.
We will do this the same way everyday until he seems to know it. Then move on to 3's.
I'm hoping that the repetition will help some with memorization, but some Aspie kids just can't memorize... Most Aspie kids suck at math unless math is their "THING". I just know that if something isn't done now... then either it never will, or right about middle school, they'll put him in special ed... and really, I have to say that would be a matter of the system failing him. It's obvious that he has a problem.. but at this point, it isn't severe enough for them to intervene. I don't understand this mentality. Instead of trying to catch it before it gets too bad (which I think it already is), they'll just pass it along until they can't ignore it anymore. BULLSHIT!
I will win this one.
There's no other choice.
Monday, March 7, 2011
My Beloved Burp...
I recently had my pc restored, mended, brought back to life by a friend of mine.. His reason for it's glorious death... probable attack by some sort of magnet-type weapon.
I've been going through it to see what's survived and what hasn't... and I've suddenly realized that my baby-boy, isn't a baby anymore...
*SIGH*
But I thought I'd share some of my favorite pics...
First, it must be said... My Burp has no real sense of style... If something is cool, or was cool at one point in time.. Well, then surely all you're cool stuff at once must be better!
I've been going through it to see what's survived and what hasn't... and I've suddenly realized that my baby-boy, isn't a baby anymore...
*SIGH*
But I thought I'd share some of my favorite pics...
First, it must be said... My Burp has no real sense of style... If something is cool, or was cool at one point in time.. Well, then surely all you're cool stuff at once must be better!
I finally had to throw away that damned sweatband when he was at grandma's for the weekend.
He doesn't believe that an item becomes "uncool" if it no longer fits.
Thank god he hasn't learned the term "vintage".
While my son is absolutely adorable.... he is a bit crazy.
And somewhat mischievous.
He'll swear he didn't do it,
But he is adorable.
But he is adorable.
Loves his DUCKS,
And his best buddy Arlo.
Oh the days when he didn't know what the toilet was for....
But when he had to go, he had to go!
Good times with friends
And bonds that last forever.
My boy's growing up
At least his style is getting better...
He'll always be a prankster.
But it just makes me love him more.
Did I mention he's sometimes the ZombieBoy??
But he's my baby.
I love you Burp!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
I come from a long line of people proud to serve their country.
My father served in the Army, my mother worked in the mess hall. One uncle did a stint in the Army, the other retired from the Air Force. Their father served in the Army during the Korean War. Their grandmother was a warden during WWII. My father's father served in the Army, as well. I have a cousin who was also in the Army.
I am so proud to know that my family has given years of dedication to this nation, protected the interests and rights of people who are legally allowed to go to their funerals and protest the roles that they played and brandish signs with ugly, hateful words like "FAGOT".
I am so angry right now that I'm shaking, crying, and really want to go find me a baptist and beat the holy living fuck out of them. I know that's not ok. I know it's not all baptists... But those fucktards in Westboro disgust me.
Freedom of speech is one thing. Freedom to harass mourners and demean the farewell of a loved one is DISGUSTING.
I know it's wrong to wish ill on another person, but if one of those protesters were to die... I will be one of the first to buy a ticket to Westboro with my sign, "GOD HATES HATERS!"
What would your sign say?
Wow, I'm coming up with lots... I might have to hire people to hold my signs for me...
"Sorry if the people I slept with made you die!"
"Thank you for fighting for my right to be here today!"
"Hard to hold a sign in a box" (otherside)" I'm here in your place!"
"GOD says, "Can you hear me now?"
My father served in the Army, my mother worked in the mess hall. One uncle did a stint in the Army, the other retired from the Air Force. Their father served in the Army during the Korean War. Their grandmother was a warden during WWII. My father's father served in the Army, as well. I have a cousin who was also in the Army.
I am so proud to know that my family has given years of dedication to this nation, protected the interests and rights of people who are legally allowed to go to their funerals and protest the roles that they played and brandish signs with ugly, hateful words like "FAGOT".
I am so angry right now that I'm shaking, crying, and really want to go find me a baptist and beat the holy living fuck out of them. I know that's not ok. I know it's not all baptists... But those fucktards in Westboro disgust me.
Freedom of speech is one thing. Freedom to harass mourners and demean the farewell of a loved one is DISGUSTING.
I know it's wrong to wish ill on another person, but if one of those protesters were to die... I will be one of the first to buy a ticket to Westboro with my sign, "GOD HATES HATERS!"
What would your sign say?
Wow, I'm coming up with lots... I might have to hire people to hold my signs for me...
"Sorry if the people I slept with made you die!"
"Thank you for fighting for my right to be here today!"
"Hard to hold a sign in a box" (otherside)" I'm here in your place!"
"GOD says, "Can you hear me now?"
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Top 24, Part 2
The women didn't blow me away... actually, I was mostly unimpressed.
Keeping this short... I voted for Karen, Haley, and the second Lauren..... and *GULP* Burp made me vote for Julie..... yes, my son is tone deaf. (and, between you and me, I only voted for her 3 times... )
I don't understand why they have to start with an even amount of boys and girls... I think more boys deserve to go on than girls..
graaaaah!
Keeping this short... I voted for Karen, Haley, and the second Lauren..... and *GULP* Burp made me vote for Julie..... yes, my son is tone deaf. (and, between you and me, I only voted for her 3 times... )
I don't understand why they have to start with an even amount of boys and girls... I think more boys deserve to go on than girls..
graaaaah!
Get Out Your Map and Darts
Let's go to war!
Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Egypt, and Israel... Oh-man!
Perhaps this is what we need.. I mean, the Great Depression was finally put behind us when WWII started, right?
Personally, I think this is scary bullshit. Everyone is talking about horrible, crazy Gadhafi killing his own people.. and maybe he isn't a nice guy, maybe innocent people are being killed, but put it into perspective. If we armed ourselves with AK-47s and such and rioted in the streets, calling for an end to our current administration... Maybe we wouldn't be bombed exactly, but we wouldn't just be asked to quiet down and please take our guns home. There would be serious repercussions and people would die. Why don't they say THAT on CNN?
We don't need to get involved in the mess in the Middle East. The United States is NOT the U.N. We need to stop policing and trying "save" the world. Sure, I am all for playing an active roll in the United Nations. I don't even mind if our forces make up the majority of the U.N. "peace-keeping" forces. Maybe this is just a political view point. The rest of the world seems so quick to judge whether we did or didn't get involved in some foreign drama. If we don't, we should have... If we do, we're just overstepping and getting involved in things we don't belong in. At least under the cloak of the U.N. it isn't a matter of the busybody Americans sticking their noses in other people's business.
Personally, I think that if we go in somewhere and spend money and lives trying to fix another country's problems, we should just take them over. I'm sure that's not a popular opinion, but to me it seems more realistic. We're always worried about the Middle East, either terrorists or oil prices. In both instances, they have us by the short hairs. We will step in to one of these crises in the Middle East, this has been going on for just a couple of weeks and gas prices are already at or near $4.00 a gallon. The American people can't handle much more and the government can't just magic up a few million electric cars for us. I'm not saying this is a "GOOD" reason to get involved... and I'm sure if and when we do, we won't admit that is why we're doing it, but the truth is... they have what we need and we've forgotten how to survive without it.
I have to say, I am proud to be an American. I feel fortunate that I was born in a country that has granted me rights just because I breathe. I'm not viewed as less simply because I'm a woman. I don't have to fear for my life because the current government has a different religion than I do. As a child, education was REQUIRED. I have clean water and access to safe food. It was expected that, as a child, my parents would provide for me and treat me a certain way. It is expected that I will do the same for my child.. and if I don't, there are agencies to help me or ensure that my child gets what he deserves. The government can't control who I can sleep with or when I can do so.. never mind public stonings or whippings for doing what I choose in that matter. I have these rights because my predecessors fought, protested, and spoke out for them. Other countries didn't step in to help silence our collective voices. My country has it's problems, as every country does.. but I am thankful that I wasn't born in the Middle East, or Africa, or Indonesia, or a hundred different places where those securities aren't an everyday fact of life.
Revolution and civil war are ugly, but it's a natural progression in the development and maturation of a nation. These are the tools that have won democracy to those around the world lucky enough to have it. Who are we to interfere with a nation's natural progression, but if we do.... call it for what is. Be honest about the motives, don't just hide under the cloak of "peace-keeping" missions.
Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Egypt, and Israel... Oh-man!
Perhaps this is what we need.. I mean, the Great Depression was finally put behind us when WWII started, right?
Personally, I think this is scary bullshit. Everyone is talking about horrible, crazy Gadhafi killing his own people.. and maybe he isn't a nice guy, maybe innocent people are being killed, but put it into perspective. If we armed ourselves with AK-47s and such and rioted in the streets, calling for an end to our current administration... Maybe we wouldn't be bombed exactly, but we wouldn't just be asked to quiet down and please take our guns home. There would be serious repercussions and people would die. Why don't they say THAT on CNN?
We don't need to get involved in the mess in the Middle East. The United States is NOT the U.N. We need to stop policing and trying "save" the world. Sure, I am all for playing an active roll in the United Nations. I don't even mind if our forces make up the majority of the U.N. "peace-keeping" forces. Maybe this is just a political view point. The rest of the world seems so quick to judge whether we did or didn't get involved in some foreign drama. If we don't, we should have... If we do, we're just overstepping and getting involved in things we don't belong in. At least under the cloak of the U.N. it isn't a matter of the busybody Americans sticking their noses in other people's business.
Personally, I think that if we go in somewhere and spend money and lives trying to fix another country's problems, we should just take them over. I'm sure that's not a popular opinion, but to me it seems more realistic. We're always worried about the Middle East, either terrorists or oil prices. In both instances, they have us by the short hairs. We will step in to one of these crises in the Middle East, this has been going on for just a couple of weeks and gas prices are already at or near $4.00 a gallon. The American people can't handle much more and the government can't just magic up a few million electric cars for us. I'm not saying this is a "GOOD" reason to get involved... and I'm sure if and when we do, we won't admit that is why we're doing it, but the truth is... they have what we need and we've forgotten how to survive without it.
I have to say, I am proud to be an American. I feel fortunate that I was born in a country that has granted me rights just because I breathe. I'm not viewed as less simply because I'm a woman. I don't have to fear for my life because the current government has a different religion than I do. As a child, education was REQUIRED. I have clean water and access to safe food. It was expected that, as a child, my parents would provide for me and treat me a certain way. It is expected that I will do the same for my child.. and if I don't, there are agencies to help me or ensure that my child gets what he deserves. The government can't control who I can sleep with or when I can do so.. never mind public stonings or whippings for doing what I choose in that matter. I have these rights because my predecessors fought, protested, and spoke out for them. Other countries didn't step in to help silence our collective voices. My country has it's problems, as every country does.. but I am thankful that I wasn't born in the Middle East, or Africa, or Indonesia, or a hundred different places where those securities aren't an everyday fact of life.
Revolution and civil war are ugly, but it's a natural progression in the development and maturation of a nation. These are the tools that have won democracy to those around the world lucky enough to have it. Who are we to interfere with a nation's natural progression, but if we do.... call it for what is. Be honest about the motives, don't just hide under the cloak of "peace-keeping" missions.
Talk Thursday: Guilty Pleasures
1. COFFEE with just the right amount of the right creamer. (and yes, I try to give myself this EVERY day)
2. Slamming TimTams! (If you don't know what this is, or have never done it.. Wiki it! but use coffee)
3. Just shaved legs on fresh, high-count Egyptian cotton sheets. (Duh! This is the only reason I wash my sheets or shave my legs!)lol
4. Warm spring rains.
5. Wind storms. (Both of these make me retarded giddy)
6. Singing at the top of my lungs, alone on long car rides. (I will lie,cheat, and steal to get this alone time!)
7. The music of my youth; Bread, James Taylor, 3 Dog Night, The Grass Roots, The Monkees. (I think this was originally the music of my mother's youth... but I love it sooooo!)
8. Lemon verbena goat's milk soap. (not that I need a reason to bathe!)
9. Baking. (I hate when people "help"... )
10. Cajun shrimp boil. (OMG.... forget table manners, forget feeding your kid, forget your freaking name, just stuff your face!)
11. Adam Sandler. (.................................. I love him!)
12. House, NCIS, You're Cut Off!, American Idol, and House Hunter's International. (SOOOOO many hours thrown away here)
13. Reading. (I think I was grounded from books for most of the 4th and 5th grade. I would rather read than do anything..... well, except sex.... possibly. It would depend on who it was with.)
Wow, after that one, I re-evaluated my list.
1. I can't live without coffee, but nothing goes better with coffee than a book. I can live without sex.
2. I have slammed while reading. .... during sex.......... wow, ummmm NEXT!
3. Reading in bed is awesome! Shaved legs and nice sheets make sex good too.
4&5. I can read during a storm, can sex during a storm too.. both good.
6. Reading while driving and singing is not to be recommended. Sexing while driving...bad... and, for some reason, singing is not often appreciated during sex.
7. Music is good while reading or sexing.
8. Here we go, I will not stop reading to bathe, unless I have too... I prefer a bath in the vicinity of sexing and put off the sexing until the bathing has occurred.
9. You can bake while reading, but not to be recommended during sexing.
10. You can eat Cajun shrimp while reading, tho your book will get messy, again... not to be recommended during sexing..... there are places that don't ever want to meet that spice.
11. You can read during Sandler, you can sex Sandler. You can't read while sexing Sandler.
12. Can't really do either while watching Guilty Pleasure shows.. well you can, but you're certainly robbing a pleasure.
I don't know which wins. I think the bathing is the key to the answer. I just don't know how to decipher it. I will postpone bathing for reading, but I'll squeeze in an extra bath if sex is a possibility. What does that mean? Except that hygiene is important?
2. Slamming TimTams! (If you don't know what this is, or have never done it.. Wiki it! but use coffee)
3. Just shaved legs on fresh, high-count Egyptian cotton sheets. (Duh! This is the only reason I wash my sheets or shave my legs!)lol
4. Warm spring rains.
5. Wind storms. (Both of these make me retarded giddy)
6. Singing at the top of my lungs, alone on long car rides. (I will lie,cheat, and steal to get this alone time!)
7. The music of my youth; Bread, James Taylor, 3 Dog Night, The Grass Roots, The Monkees. (I think this was originally the music of my mother's youth... but I love it sooooo!)
8. Lemon verbena goat's milk soap. (not that I need a reason to bathe!)
9. Baking. (I hate when people "help"... )
10. Cajun shrimp boil. (OMG.... forget table manners, forget feeding your kid, forget your freaking name, just stuff your face!)
11. Adam Sandler. (.................................. I love him!)
12. House, NCIS, You're Cut Off!, American Idol, and House Hunter's International. (SOOOOO many hours thrown away here)
13. Reading. (I think I was grounded from books for most of the 4th and 5th grade. I would rather read than do anything..... well, except sex.... possibly. It would depend on who it was with.)
Wow, after that one, I re-evaluated my list.
1. I can't live without coffee, but nothing goes better with coffee than a book. I can live without sex.
2. I have slammed while reading. .... during sex.......... wow, ummmm NEXT!
3. Reading in bed is awesome! Shaved legs and nice sheets make sex good too.
4&5. I can read during a storm, can sex during a storm too.. both good.
6. Reading while driving and singing is not to be recommended. Sexing while driving...bad... and, for some reason, singing is not often appreciated during sex.
7. Music is good while reading or sexing.
8. Here we go, I will not stop reading to bathe, unless I have too... I prefer a bath in the vicinity of sexing and put off the sexing until the bathing has occurred.
9. You can bake while reading, but not to be recommended during sexing.
10. You can eat Cajun shrimp while reading, tho your book will get messy, again... not to be recommended during sexing..... there are places that don't ever want to meet that spice.
11. You can read during Sandler, you can sex Sandler. You can't read while sexing Sandler.
12. Can't really do either while watching Guilty Pleasure shows.. well you can, but you're certainly robbing a pleasure.
I don't know which wins. I think the bathing is the key to the answer. I just don't know how to decipher it. I will postpone bathing for reading, but I'll squeeze in an extra bath if sex is a possibility. What does that mean? Except that hygiene is important?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Top 24..
This is going to be a tough season on American Idol. Tonight was the men and I have to say they're all good.. ish.
The judges seem to love Brett. Actually, from what I see online, most people seem to love him. Randy says, "you're definitely fun and definitely bold and you're going to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.".............. I would say brave. If there has ever been a contestant on AI who did not seem comfortable in their own skin, it's Brett. My point is that I don't think that Brett is really at the American Idol level, I don't care for his voice, and I really feel that maybe the reason that he's made it this far is because he needs it more than any of the others. This experience will either destroy him, or strengthen him for life.
I think Jordan slit his throat tonight. He hasn't been one of my favorites, but when he sang "Over the Rainbow", Jennifer wasn't the only one who got goosebumps. I don't know why any American Idol contestant would ever touch an Usher song. That would be like doing Micheal Jackson in his prime. Usher is the best of the best. You might be able to sing. You might be able to dance. But you can't do both the way he does. Stupid, stupid, stupid...
I'd missed a couple of the audition episodes, so this was really the first time I saw Tim and Paul, and I was fairly impressed by both. Paul's praises included "character of voice", "uniqueness" , and "fun and quirky style". ..... Now I'm not a HUGE Rod Stewart fan (tho I do really like Maggie May) ... but (and perhaps it's because I haven't heard the song in years) if I closed my eyes, I would have thought that it was Rod Stewart. That said, he did a great job.
Burp's fav of the season seems to be Scotty McCreary. I didn't know my boy liked country. He did a good job, and Burp made me vote for him.
My favs of the season (so far) are James and Casey. They both did awesome.
Everyone is really talented. It's going to be tough. At this point, I don't know that I can even come close to guessing who will be going home. Jordan didn't shine. I don't think that Brett did, but that seems to not be the popular opinion. Everyone else did really well. 7 men go home Thursday, which means that we're getting to the top 10 quicker than previous years... I hope that doesn't mean a shorter season. *pout*
Anyway, I just meant for this to be a quick little blurb... On to the ladies tomorrow night, no one really excites me yet... we'll see after tomorrow.
The judges seem to love Brett. Actually, from what I see online, most people seem to love him. Randy says, "you're definitely fun and definitely bold and you're going to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.".............. I would say brave. If there has ever been a contestant on AI who did not seem comfortable in their own skin, it's Brett. My point is that I don't think that Brett is really at the American Idol level, I don't care for his voice, and I really feel that maybe the reason that he's made it this far is because he needs it more than any of the others. This experience will either destroy him, or strengthen him for life.
I think Jordan slit his throat tonight. He hasn't been one of my favorites, but when he sang "Over the Rainbow", Jennifer wasn't the only one who got goosebumps. I don't know why any American Idol contestant would ever touch an Usher song. That would be like doing Micheal Jackson in his prime. Usher is the best of the best. You might be able to sing. You might be able to dance. But you can't do both the way he does. Stupid, stupid, stupid...
I'd missed a couple of the audition episodes, so this was really the first time I saw Tim and Paul, and I was fairly impressed by both. Paul's praises included "character of voice", "uniqueness" , and "fun and quirky style". ..... Now I'm not a HUGE Rod Stewart fan (tho I do really like Maggie May) ... but (and perhaps it's because I haven't heard the song in years) if I closed my eyes, I would have thought that it was Rod Stewart. That said, he did a great job.
Burp's fav of the season seems to be Scotty McCreary. I didn't know my boy liked country. He did a good job, and Burp made me vote for him.
My favs of the season (so far) are James and Casey. They both did awesome.
Everyone is really talented. It's going to be tough. At this point, I don't know that I can even come close to guessing who will be going home. Jordan didn't shine. I don't think that Brett did, but that seems to not be the popular opinion. Everyone else did really well. 7 men go home Thursday, which means that we're getting to the top 10 quicker than previous years... I hope that doesn't mean a shorter season. *pout*
Anyway, I just meant for this to be a quick little blurb... On to the ladies tomorrow night, no one really excites me yet... we'll see after tomorrow.
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