I like wishing people a Merry Christmas. To me, it signifies the wish of not just a joyous day, but joy incarnate. When I say “Merry Christmas” I’m not proselytizing. I’m not suggesting my religion is better than anyone else’s. I’m not saying I’m right and you are wrong. I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad. For Heaven’s sake get over yourself, the holiday is called Christmas. I’m saying in essence “Have a wonderful day. Peace on Earth.”
Of course I understand the reason we have peace and joy. Jesus, who is fully God, reached down from heaven and came to us in our frail, needy, human condition to minister to us as a human; experiencing everything we do in order to bridge the gap of sin between us and God. Wow. That is cause for celebration. I love the words to O Holy Night where it says, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining. ‘Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” There we were, unlovely, unclean, and unworthy. In that single momentous occasion God himself gave us our worth. For the first time in human history - and for all time - we, mere mortals, were made worthy to approach the throne of Almighty God. We are now worthy enough to be called children of God.
No wonder we talk about joy during Christmas. Of course the PC crowd and the ACLU, not being content with stripping the holiday of all religious meaning what-so-ever, want to completely destroy Christmas outright. Bah Humbug! Listen, if we keep quiet even the rocks will cry out. So, as for me and myself, I will continue to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I can’t help it. My soul is leaping with joy for the worth bestowed upon it. Is yours?
12/24/09
12/2/09
A Leader, My Kingdom for a Leader
I knew BO’s “long awaited” speech regarding sending more troops to Afghanistan was going to be a sham when I heard it would be announced at West Point. I am sick to death of BO using the military for photo ops. Then the coveted information was leaked (by the White House?) and we realize BO is trying to placate conservatives and the hard-core left by sending fewer troops than General McChrystal wanted and defining an exit time. You do realize the General originally wanted 60-70 thousand and 40 was a compromise? He couldn’t get that. No surprise there.
One thing that stuck out in my mind about BO’s speech last night was the defensive tone he took while whining about how he did NOT drag his feet in making this decision. Yeah, you agonized alright. Did you see the double amputee in the audience? He sacrificed those legs while Bo “agonized.” And speaking of the audience, I was very impressed with the polite way the cadets sat and listened during their many hours of captivity in the auditorium. (They showed a panorama of the scene a full two hours before the President spoke and there they sat. Who knows how long they’d been there?) Of course I expected no less from West Point cadets which is probably why BO chose the setting. But BO, for all his so-called legendary oratory skills, could not keep one cadet from stifling a yawn and another from completely falling asleep.
You would expect a President who was announcing sending troops to battle (possibly to die) to sound resolute, committed, strong, you know- presidential! But I got none of that last night. Here is what I heard…"This is important, buuut not really. We will train the Afghans toooo defend themselves aaand you’ll be home in a year and a half. We won’t stand for terrorism buuut this will be expensive.” After that I zoned out during the “blaah, blaah, blaah” of Bush blaming and self aggrandizing which had nothing to do with the announcement. It is so clearly naive to think we can train the Afghans to defend themselves in 18 mos. when we couldn’t do it in eight years. I had to glaze over for self preservation.
Another time I perked up during the speech was when BO listed his interactions with the troops. He said he visited Dover to see the “flag-draped coffins,” he consoled the soldiers at Ft. Hood and he visited troops at Walter Reed. Hello! He’s supposed to do that, he’s Commander in Chief! He ticked off these few times he actually rubbed shoulders with the military as some sort of accomplishment. Remember when he dissed the troops overseas during the campaign and instead went to the gym? He said he didn’t want to make his visit “political.” Yet every visit he’s made since becoming elected has been overtly political.
Well, there we are. We know the numbers and the time frame. The analysis began last night and will continue for several days. I’m not watching. I’ve got a date with God to ask His protection for my Marine and the fine men and women who serve.
One thing that stuck out in my mind about BO’s speech last night was the defensive tone he took while whining about how he did NOT drag his feet in making this decision. Yeah, you agonized alright. Did you see the double amputee in the audience? He sacrificed those legs while Bo “agonized.” And speaking of the audience, I was very impressed with the polite way the cadets sat and listened during their many hours of captivity in the auditorium. (They showed a panorama of the scene a full two hours before the President spoke and there they sat. Who knows how long they’d been there?) Of course I expected no less from West Point cadets which is probably why BO chose the setting. But BO, for all his so-called legendary oratory skills, could not keep one cadet from stifling a yawn and another from completely falling asleep.
You would expect a President who was announcing sending troops to battle (possibly to die) to sound resolute, committed, strong, you know- presidential! But I got none of that last night. Here is what I heard…"This is important, buuut not really. We will train the Afghans toooo defend themselves aaand you’ll be home in a year and a half. We won’t stand for terrorism buuut this will be expensive.” After that I zoned out during the “blaah, blaah, blaah” of Bush blaming and self aggrandizing which had nothing to do with the announcement. It is so clearly naive to think we can train the Afghans to defend themselves in 18 mos. when we couldn’t do it in eight years. I had to glaze over for self preservation.
Another time I perked up during the speech was when BO listed his interactions with the troops. He said he visited Dover to see the “flag-draped coffins,” he consoled the soldiers at Ft. Hood and he visited troops at Walter Reed. Hello! He’s supposed to do that, he’s Commander in Chief! He ticked off these few times he actually rubbed shoulders with the military as some sort of accomplishment. Remember when he dissed the troops overseas during the campaign and instead went to the gym? He said he didn’t want to make his visit “political.” Yet every visit he’s made since becoming elected has been overtly political.
Well, there we are. We know the numbers and the time frame. The analysis began last night and will continue for several days. I’m not watching. I’ve got a date with God to ask His protection for my Marine and the fine men and women who serve.
11/27/09
And So It Begins
This Thanksgiving was our first holiday since becoming a military family. This was the first holiday one of us was missing. This was the first holiday of many more to come when I wonder what my son is doing, how he is, what he is eating, and who he is with. Letting go has been tougher than I thought it would be. The house is very, very quiet.
I think I took our togetherness for granted. I just always assumed that no matter where my sons went to school or where they moved, they would be home certain times of the year. They could decide when to leave, hop on a plane, and stay as long as they liked. We are learning the military has many hoops to jump through if one wants leave during the holidays. And the sooner one jumps, the better. My son’s time, travel, and whereabouts are now dictated by this entity which has control over him for the next four years. It is an interesting concept to adjust to. I’m beginning to understand what ‘sacrifice’ means.
While I may be thinking about loss on different levels, I am thankful this year for many, many things. I’m thankful my oldest son is safe, in this country for now, and that he has a plan for his life for the next few years. I’m thankful that when I talk to him he sounds upbeat. I’m thankful God has blessed him with eternal optimism (although he would argue that.) I am thankful my youngest son is home from college. (I love hearing him laugh.) I’m thankful for my husband who is strong, industrious, and patient. I’m thankful we raised our sons in the fear and admonition of the Lord so they can go into a hostile world and stand for their beliefs. I’m thankful for friends and extended family who deal with me with humor and kindness. I am thankful for the quiet and contemplation of this Thanksgiving. It is creating in me empathy for military families I would not have otherwise.
And I am thankful for the unknown. As I learned years ago, many blessings wait beyond the blinders of life’s current circumstances.
I think I took our togetherness for granted. I just always assumed that no matter where my sons went to school or where they moved, they would be home certain times of the year. They could decide when to leave, hop on a plane, and stay as long as they liked. We are learning the military has many hoops to jump through if one wants leave during the holidays. And the sooner one jumps, the better. My son’s time, travel, and whereabouts are now dictated by this entity which has control over him for the next four years. It is an interesting concept to adjust to. I’m beginning to understand what ‘sacrifice’ means.
While I may be thinking about loss on different levels, I am thankful this year for many, many things. I’m thankful my oldest son is safe, in this country for now, and that he has a plan for his life for the next few years. I’m thankful that when I talk to him he sounds upbeat. I’m thankful God has blessed him with eternal optimism (although he would argue that.) I am thankful my youngest son is home from college. (I love hearing him laugh.) I’m thankful for my husband who is strong, industrious, and patient. I’m thankful we raised our sons in the fear and admonition of the Lord so they can go into a hostile world and stand for their beliefs. I’m thankful for friends and extended family who deal with me with humor and kindness. I am thankful for the quiet and contemplation of this Thanksgiving. It is creating in me empathy for military families I would not have otherwise.
And I am thankful for the unknown. As I learned years ago, many blessings wait beyond the blinders of life’s current circumstances.
11/14/09
My Life as a Sub or The Hunt for Red October
I subbed a whopping three times this week. I know you are shocked for a couple of reasons. First, after I was laid off from my teaching job I swore up and down I wouldn't sub because I couldn’t stand it. I boldly proclaimed I would get a job in the private sector. But the economy is tough, I need some money, and private sector jobs aren’t happening. It seems I can’t even get a customer service job these days. One company said it had been too long since I worked in that capacity. Are you kidding? I have 16 years of experience as a customer service rep and trainer, plus a college degree and life experience coming out the wazoo but somehow I’m not good enough to answer your phone for a lousy $12.00 an hour? (Deep breath.)
I hate the unpredictable nature of sub jobs. You never know what kind of atmosphere you’ll walk into on any given morning. Specifically, I very rarely sub the upper grades because fourth and fifth grade students can be very nasty to each other and substitute teachers. They back talk, they don’t listen, and they know all the clever tricks to bug each other and generally waste time without getting caught.
Thursday was a breath of fresh air. I subbed fifth grade for a half day at Los Penesquitos Academy. My time there actually restored my faith in the upper grades and in the power of good teaching. If you are not familiar with the Academy it is like a charter school within a school. These students are held to a higher standard of performance and accountability behavior-wise. The expectation is every one of these kids will go to college. Many kids from San Diego Unified transfer to the Academy. Plus, the teachers have completely invested themselves in the craft of teaching and hold themselves to a higher standard as well.
My first reaction upon meeting the class was relief. The students were polite and self motivated. Next, I noticed the pride these students had. I asked the class how the Academy was different and one student actually sat up very tall, puffed out her chest, looked me right in the eye and said “We come to school an hour before they do.” You go girl. I couldn’t help but wonder why every class can’t be like this. Don’t all students deserve an education like this?
The following day I subbed a third grade which reminded me of everything I hated about teaching. I picked up the class on the playground at the start of the day. We hadn’t even made it into the hall before one girl started yelling about how some other girl did something to her. We managed to make it to the classroom door. As the rest of the class settled in, I spent five minutes explaining to both of them that when one person yells in the face of the other person it makes the first person feel bad, but it is not appropriate to yell back. We then brainstormed ways they both could have handled the situation differently so each person was respected. The whole time this RSP kid was standing there trying to get in my face to say something. My entire day was spent dealing with little squabbles like this. Plus, we had a lock down drill. That was the first time as a substitute I had to take a Tylenol before lunch. Luckily, it was a half day.
Third, I hate getting calls from Sub Finder at 5:30 a.m. Sub Finder is the automated system which calls available people with jobs. My husband calls it The Hunt for Red October – get it? Sub Finder? Imagine being jolted awake by the phone ringing and an annoying automated voice “This is the Sub Finder system for Poway Unified School District. Please enter your PIN then press pound.” Huh? I can barely find the phone in the dark let alone press the keypad.
And last, substitute teachers generally are not treated very well by site teachers. We are at the bottom of the teaching food-chain. I can’t tell you how many times I have eaten lunch in the teacher's lounge and after answering the question “who are you subbing for?” have been completely ignored by the site teachers. Sometimes I think site teachers view subs with an air of suspicion. I understand they may have had a bad experience with a sub not following their plans or letting chaos reign. But many of us (this year any way) are experienced former teachers who were laid off. We know what we are doing. It is frustrating to find sub plans with very little teaching built in. So many days I simply babysit.
The bottom line is there may be a lot about subbing I don’t like but I am grateful for the job and I realize my attitude toward the job needs to change if I am going to be successful. In fact, I will probably continue subbing as I pursue my dream of going back to journalism. And when I become station manager at Fox News, I will remember what it felt like to be at the bottom. I will treat my interns and temps with respect. You never know but one of them might say “Mrs. McMichael. Hmm. Didn’t you sub in my class one year?”
I hate the unpredictable nature of sub jobs. You never know what kind of atmosphere you’ll walk into on any given morning. Specifically, I very rarely sub the upper grades because fourth and fifth grade students can be very nasty to each other and substitute teachers. They back talk, they don’t listen, and they know all the clever tricks to bug each other and generally waste time without getting caught.
Thursday was a breath of fresh air. I subbed fifth grade for a half day at Los Penesquitos Academy. My time there actually restored my faith in the upper grades and in the power of good teaching. If you are not familiar with the Academy it is like a charter school within a school. These students are held to a higher standard of performance and accountability behavior-wise. The expectation is every one of these kids will go to college. Many kids from San Diego Unified transfer to the Academy. Plus, the teachers have completely invested themselves in the craft of teaching and hold themselves to a higher standard as well.
My first reaction upon meeting the class was relief. The students were polite and self motivated. Next, I noticed the pride these students had. I asked the class how the Academy was different and one student actually sat up very tall, puffed out her chest, looked me right in the eye and said “We come to school an hour before they do.” You go girl. I couldn’t help but wonder why every class can’t be like this. Don’t all students deserve an education like this?
The following day I subbed a third grade which reminded me of everything I hated about teaching. I picked up the class on the playground at the start of the day. We hadn’t even made it into the hall before one girl started yelling about how some other girl did something to her. We managed to make it to the classroom door. As the rest of the class settled in, I spent five minutes explaining to both of them that when one person yells in the face of the other person it makes the first person feel bad, but it is not appropriate to yell back. We then brainstormed ways they both could have handled the situation differently so each person was respected. The whole time this RSP kid was standing there trying to get in my face to say something. My entire day was spent dealing with little squabbles like this. Plus, we had a lock down drill. That was the first time as a substitute I had to take a Tylenol before lunch. Luckily, it was a half day.
Third, I hate getting calls from Sub Finder at 5:30 a.m. Sub Finder is the automated system which calls available people with jobs. My husband calls it The Hunt for Red October – get it? Sub Finder? Imagine being jolted awake by the phone ringing and an annoying automated voice “This is the Sub Finder system for Poway Unified School District. Please enter your PIN then press pound.” Huh? I can barely find the phone in the dark let alone press the keypad.
And last, substitute teachers generally are not treated very well by site teachers. We are at the bottom of the teaching food-chain. I can’t tell you how many times I have eaten lunch in the teacher's lounge and after answering the question “who are you subbing for?” have been completely ignored by the site teachers. Sometimes I think site teachers view subs with an air of suspicion. I understand they may have had a bad experience with a sub not following their plans or letting chaos reign. But many of us (this year any way) are experienced former teachers who were laid off. We know what we are doing. It is frustrating to find sub plans with very little teaching built in. So many days I simply babysit.
The bottom line is there may be a lot about subbing I don’t like but I am grateful for the job and I realize my attitude toward the job needs to change if I am going to be successful. In fact, I will probably continue subbing as I pursue my dream of going back to journalism. And when I become station manager at Fox News, I will remember what it felt like to be at the bottom. I will treat my interns and temps with respect. You never know but one of them might say “Mrs. McMichael. Hmm. Didn’t you sub in my class one year?”
11/7/09
We Have Met The Enemy And...
First, a moment of silence for the families of those murdered at Ft. Hood and for the entire military community…
As I see it, Political Correctness killed those 13 soldiers. Ever since 1983 when Marine barracks were bombed in Beirut, our enemy has been emboldened. The attack on 9/11 proved our enemy would stop at nothing to harm us. The murder of 13 soldiers on U.S. soil, here at home, at the largest Army base in the world, where these heroes should have felt the safest, should compel us once and for all to name this enemy out loud without fear of reprisal or condemnation. Islam – there I said it, plain and simple. In the name of PC we have been dancing all around this trying not to offend anyone. In the name of PC, I believe the Army had its hands tied in dealing with this Major Hasan who we are learning, became more and more radical in his speech and actions regarding Islam in the days leading to the shooting.
What to do about it is the big question. Frankly, I don’t have the answer. But I do know those of us willing to name the enemy out loud will be condemned. Those of us who dare to suggest there are people living right beside us who harbor great resentment of the United States will be labeled prejudice. Those of us who know in our gut there is danger in a religion that glorifies killing infidels will be labeled paranoid.
There are risks for me even writing and posting this on the Internet. I risk being misunderstood for one thing. I am not suggesting we suddenly round up all Muslims and put them in a Manzanar-type facility. I am not suggesting mass deportations. I’m not suggesting we change our behavior toward people whose clothing or name suggests Islamic faith. I comprehend that people are individuals who make their own decisions. As individuals they are accountable (and should be held accountable) for their own actions.
But I am suggesting the enemy is in our midst. Can we live with the enemy? Not comfortably. It takes great wisdom on the part of its people for a country to accommodate ALL religions and remain peaceful. We do not have that wisdom. Only God does. And the answer to “what to do out it” can only be found in HIM.
As I see it, Political Correctness killed those 13 soldiers. Ever since 1983 when Marine barracks were bombed in Beirut, our enemy has been emboldened. The attack on 9/11 proved our enemy would stop at nothing to harm us. The murder of 13 soldiers on U.S. soil, here at home, at the largest Army base in the world, where these heroes should have felt the safest, should compel us once and for all to name this enemy out loud without fear of reprisal or condemnation. Islam – there I said it, plain and simple. In the name of PC we have been dancing all around this trying not to offend anyone. In the name of PC, I believe the Army had its hands tied in dealing with this Major Hasan who we are learning, became more and more radical in his speech and actions regarding Islam in the days leading to the shooting.
What to do about it is the big question. Frankly, I don’t have the answer. But I do know those of us willing to name the enemy out loud will be condemned. Those of us who dare to suggest there are people living right beside us who harbor great resentment of the United States will be labeled prejudice. Those of us who know in our gut there is danger in a religion that glorifies killing infidels will be labeled paranoid.
There are risks for me even writing and posting this on the Internet. I risk being misunderstood for one thing. I am not suggesting we suddenly round up all Muslims and put them in a Manzanar-type facility. I am not suggesting mass deportations. I’m not suggesting we change our behavior toward people whose clothing or name suggests Islamic faith. I comprehend that people are individuals who make their own decisions. As individuals they are accountable (and should be held accountable) for their own actions.
But I am suggesting the enemy is in our midst. Can we live with the enemy? Not comfortably. It takes great wisdom on the part of its people for a country to accommodate ALL religions and remain peaceful. We do not have that wisdom. Only God does. And the answer to “what to do out it” can only be found in HIM.
10/23/09
Third Grade At The White House
One of the reasons why teaching became so unpalatable to me was the whining I had to put up with. Some spoiled children simply did not know how to interact with others. No matter the situation it was always someone else’s fault; it was always someone else picking on them for whatever reason. Regardless of their own behavior, these students would rarely own up to having caused a problem. They just couldn’t seem to bring themselves to talk through an issue. They opted instead for name calling and retaliation.
Sound familiar? Tit for tat. We tried to nip this sort of thing in the bud in kindergarten. It became especially unsavory by the third grade. But coming from the White House administration this behavior is revolting. BO’s behavior toward Fox News and the Chamber of Commerce (to name just two) make this country look weak in the eyes of our enemies. These are not school yard bullies we’re dealing with here. These are real enemies that could bomb our _____ back to the Stone Age if they chose to. Comrade President is already an object of disdain to banana republic dictators. His current behavior lowers his status to that of laughingstock.
If the American people were embarrassed by BO’s “apology tour” early in his Presidency, his latest behavior makes us want to collectively shield our faces with our hands, pretend we don’t know him, sneak out the back gate, and leave little Barry on the playground whining “Teacher, Fox News is being me-he-he-he-hean to me.”
Sound familiar? Tit for tat. We tried to nip this sort of thing in the bud in kindergarten. It became especially unsavory by the third grade. But coming from the White House administration this behavior is revolting. BO’s behavior toward Fox News and the Chamber of Commerce (to name just two) make this country look weak in the eyes of our enemies. These are not school yard bullies we’re dealing with here. These are real enemies that could bomb our _____ back to the Stone Age if they chose to. Comrade President is already an object of disdain to banana republic dictators. His current behavior lowers his status to that of laughingstock.
If the American people were embarrassed by BO’s “apology tour” early in his Presidency, his latest behavior makes us want to collectively shield our faces with our hands, pretend we don’t know him, sneak out the back gate, and leave little Barry on the playground whining “Teacher, Fox News is being me-he-he-he-hean to me.”
10/20/09
ZERO TOLERANCE = ZERO COMMON SENSE
News of an Eagle Scout and a Boy Scout who were both suspended for having “weapons” at school made me think. What has happened to common sense in this society? The Eagle Scout had his pocket knife in a survival kit which was locked in his car. How was it discovered? I still don’t know. I do know that the blade was two inches long; that he received a five-day suspension; and that the district superintendent added another 15 days to the suspension. For WHAT? Did they really think this Eagle Scout who saved his aunt’s life by performing CPR on her was intending to use the knife to hurt someone?
And what about the 6-year-old who was suspended for 45 days for bringing his “spork” to school to use at lunch. Luckily public outcry shamed that school district into dismissing the suspension after a few days. School administrators said they were just following policy and that weapons of any kind are not allowed on campus. A zero tolerance policy is understandable, especially if one considers the heinous murders committed at Columbine High. But this one-size-fits-all policy is void of common sense.
Not all kids are the same, just as not all tools are the same. I would rather have a classroom full of Boy Scouts each with a Leatherman, than one bully with a sharp pencil. Why? Because boys who are in Boy Scouts and similar programs generally have involved adults in their lives. These adults teach them things like responsibility. One bully can do a lot of damage with a good sharp pencil (I’ve witnessed this). A Boy Scout will understand when you tell him a certain item isn’t appropriate at school and not to bring it back. The bully will just find something else to use, like a rock or a stick because the bully knows these items are not considered “weapons.”
Zero tolerance should not equal zero common sense. Classroom teachers and administrators who know students the best should be allowed to determine if the punishment fits the crime by considering a kids’ past behavior and sense of remorse when confronted. The object itself is less important than the intentions of the person using the object. I'm not suggesting calling in the thought police. But I do believe being thoughtful is the best way to approach this issue.
And what about the 6-year-old who was suspended for 45 days for bringing his “spork” to school to use at lunch. Luckily public outcry shamed that school district into dismissing the suspension after a few days. School administrators said they were just following policy and that weapons of any kind are not allowed on campus. A zero tolerance policy is understandable, especially if one considers the heinous murders committed at Columbine High. But this one-size-fits-all policy is void of common sense.
Not all kids are the same, just as not all tools are the same. I would rather have a classroom full of Boy Scouts each with a Leatherman, than one bully with a sharp pencil. Why? Because boys who are in Boy Scouts and similar programs generally have involved adults in their lives. These adults teach them things like responsibility. One bully can do a lot of damage with a good sharp pencil (I’ve witnessed this). A Boy Scout will understand when you tell him a certain item isn’t appropriate at school and not to bring it back. The bully will just find something else to use, like a rock or a stick because the bully knows these items are not considered “weapons.”
Zero tolerance should not equal zero common sense. Classroom teachers and administrators who know students the best should be allowed to determine if the punishment fits the crime by considering a kids’ past behavior and sense of remorse when confronted. The object itself is less important than the intentions of the person using the object. I'm not suggesting calling in the thought police. But I do believe being thoughtful is the best way to approach this issue.
10/9/09
And The Award Goes To...
Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize!? Wait. Did I read that right? Comrade President won THE Nobel Peace Prize? Is this a joke?
Apparently so, one perpetrated by five Norwegians on a stupefied world. Precisely WHAT has the man done of any significance to bring about peace anywhere? I guess if you count making nice with cutthroat dictators, “dissing” your country’s closest allies, telling Israel to screw itself, and wagging your finger at Iran while they build the doomsday machine worthy of a Peace Prize, then yes, BO would be the perfect choice. Ah, a man’s ways seem right to him.
Well, congratulations Mr. President. I’m sure your wife is very proud, mmm, mmm, mmm. Your star power has given you the ability to gloss over colossal embarrassments you cause the United States and make you the darling of fascist regimes world wide. Go ahead, shuck and jive for those applauding you Mr. President. But if I were you, I’d be wary of that glint you see behind the backs of those lauding your “great accomplishment”. The world leaders who smile at your face today will be the ones driving the knife deep into your back in the not too distant future.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to prepare my “barf bags” for the onslaught of self aggrandizing that will play non-stop on the state controlled media for the next month.
Apparently so, one perpetrated by five Norwegians on a stupefied world. Precisely WHAT has the man done of any significance to bring about peace anywhere? I guess if you count making nice with cutthroat dictators, “dissing” your country’s closest allies, telling Israel to screw itself, and wagging your finger at Iran while they build the doomsday machine worthy of a Peace Prize, then yes, BO would be the perfect choice. Ah, a man’s ways seem right to him.
Well, congratulations Mr. President. I’m sure your wife is very proud, mmm, mmm, mmm. Your star power has given you the ability to gloss over colossal embarrassments you cause the United States and make you the darling of fascist regimes world wide. Go ahead, shuck and jive for those applauding you Mr. President. But if I were you, I’d be wary of that glint you see behind the backs of those lauding your “great accomplishment”. The world leaders who smile at your face today will be the ones driving the knife deep into your back in the not too distant future.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to prepare my “barf bags” for the onslaught of self aggrandizing that will play non-stop on the state controlled media for the next month.
10/7/09
Purr...Per...Puer...
While I haven’t posted in quite some time (I’ve had bigger fish frying on my brain lately) this does not mean I am taking any less interest in current events. I can honestly say, for the first time in my adult life, I am embarrassed by the man occupying the White House. Comrade President is revealing his elitism, ideology, arrogance and ignorance of all things foreign policy with every passing minute.
That being said, I’m turning to something that happened a while ago with our own Senator Boxer right here in California. Now that I am a member of a military family (My son is well, thanks. He is enjoying combat school) I try to educate myself on what is known as customs and courtesies. I have a lot to learn, especially when you throw in all the acronyms the military uses. I am also noticing and paying closer attention to military matters now more than ever before in my life.
So, when Boxer gave a dressing down to a brigadier general on national television I was outraged. You would think a senator would have the sense to know that the term “ma’am” is a term of respect in the military. But, whoever said common sense was a job requirement for senators? A friend who works for San Diego County forwarded this email. Even though this is a little dated, I’m sharing it here because the guy who wrote it put in print everything I was thinking at the time. As a bonus, you get a vocabulary lesson if you are willing to break out the dictionary and look up a few choice words. Yes, I have the answer key, but I’m not sharing. Enjoy.
This letter is from a National Guard aviator and Captain for Alaska Airlines. I wonder what he would have said if he were really angry.
Babs:
You were so right on when you scolded the general on TV for using the term, "ma'am," instead of "Senator". After all, in the military, "ma'am" is a term of respect when addressing a female of superior rank or position. The general was totally wrong. You are not a person of superior rank or position. You are a member of one of the world's most corrupt organizations, the U.S. Senate, equaled only by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congress is a cesspool of liars, thieves, inside traders, traitors, drunks (one who killed a staffer, yet is still revered), criminals, and other low level swine who, as individuals (not all, but many), will do anything to enhance their lives, fortunes and power, all at the expense of the People of the United States and its Constitution, in order to be continually re-elected. Many democrats even want American troops killed by releasing photographs. How many of you could honestly say, "We pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" ? None? One? Two?
Your reaction to the general shows several things. First is your abysmal ignorance of all things military. Your treatment of the general shows you to be an elitist of the worst kind. When the general entered the military (as most of us who served) he wrote the government a blank check, offering his life to protect your derriere, now safely and comfortably ensconced in a 20 thousand dollar leather chair, paid for by the general's taxes You repaid him for this by humiliating him in front of millions.
Second is your puerile character, lack of sophistication, and arrogance which borders on the hubristic. This display of brattish behavior shows you to be a virago, termagant, harridan, nag, or shrew, unfit for your position...
What I am writing, Senator, are the same thoughts countless millions of Americans have toward Congress, but who lack the energy, ability or time to convey them. Under the democrats, some don't even have the 44 cents to buy the stamp.. Regardless of their thoughts, most realize that politicians are pretty much the same, and will vote for the one who will bring home the most bacon, even if they do consider how corrupt that person is. Lord Acton (1834 - 1902) so aptly charged, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Unbeknownst to you and your colleagues, "Mr. Power" has had his way with all of you, and we are all the worse for it.
Finally Senator, I, too have a title. It is "Right Wing Extremist Potential Terrorist Threat." It is not of my choosing but was given to me by your Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. And you were offended by "ma'am"?
Have a fine day. Cheers!
Jim Hill
South Hill, WA 98374
That being said, I’m turning to something that happened a while ago with our own Senator Boxer right here in California. Now that I am a member of a military family (My son is well, thanks. He is enjoying combat school) I try to educate myself on what is known as customs and courtesies. I have a lot to learn, especially when you throw in all the acronyms the military uses. I am also noticing and paying closer attention to military matters now more than ever before in my life.
So, when Boxer gave a dressing down to a brigadier general on national television I was outraged. You would think a senator would have the sense to know that the term “ma’am” is a term of respect in the military. But, whoever said common sense was a job requirement for senators? A friend who works for San Diego County forwarded this email. Even though this is a little dated, I’m sharing it here because the guy who wrote it put in print everything I was thinking at the time. As a bonus, you get a vocabulary lesson if you are willing to break out the dictionary and look up a few choice words. Yes, I have the answer key, but I’m not sharing. Enjoy.
This letter is from a National Guard aviator and Captain for Alaska Airlines. I wonder what he would have said if he were really angry.
Babs:
You were so right on when you scolded the general on TV for using the term, "ma'am," instead of "Senator". After all, in the military, "ma'am" is a term of respect when addressing a female of superior rank or position. The general was totally wrong. You are not a person of superior rank or position. You are a member of one of the world's most corrupt organizations, the U.S. Senate, equaled only by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congress is a cesspool of liars, thieves, inside traders, traitors, drunks (one who killed a staffer, yet is still revered), criminals, and other low level swine who, as individuals (not all, but many), will do anything to enhance their lives, fortunes and power, all at the expense of the People of the United States and its Constitution, in order to be continually re-elected. Many democrats even want American troops killed by releasing photographs. How many of you could honestly say, "We pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" ? None? One? Two?
Your reaction to the general shows several things. First is your abysmal ignorance of all things military. Your treatment of the general shows you to be an elitist of the worst kind. When the general entered the military (as most of us who served) he wrote the government a blank check, offering his life to protect your derriere, now safely and comfortably ensconced in a 20 thousand dollar leather chair, paid for by the general's taxes You repaid him for this by humiliating him in front of millions.
Second is your puerile character, lack of sophistication, and arrogance which borders on the hubristic. This display of brattish behavior shows you to be a virago, termagant, harridan, nag, or shrew, unfit for your position...
What I am writing, Senator, are the same thoughts countless millions of Americans have toward Congress, but who lack the energy, ability or time to convey them. Under the democrats, some don't even have the 44 cents to buy the stamp.. Regardless of their thoughts, most realize that politicians are pretty much the same, and will vote for the one who will bring home the most bacon, even if they do consider how corrupt that person is. Lord Acton (1834 - 1902) so aptly charged, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Unbeknownst to you and your colleagues, "Mr. Power" has had his way with all of you, and we are all the worse for it.
Finally Senator, I, too have a title. It is "Right Wing Extremist Potential Terrorist Threat." It is not of my choosing but was given to me by your Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. And you were offended by "ma'am"?
Have a fine day. Cheers!
Jim Hill
South Hill, WA 98374
9/10/09
It Happend In Prime Time
Did you see BO’s speech last night? I was expecting the usual lies but the audacity of the man to stand before that austere body and say what he did was breathtaking. With a straight face he claimed our economy was coming back, illegal immigrants would not be covered, abortions would not be covered, we could keep our current coverage, Medicare would not be cut, and that the plan would be self-sustaining without raising taxes. Really? How is a plan self sustaining when he claimed only five percent of the population would participate? Of course everything he said is the exact opposite of what is in the House bill.
In the beginning the speech sounded reasonable and plausible. BO gave a wink and nod to John McCain (how that RINO got nominated for President is beyond me). He outlined some things that everyone could agree on. He said he is open to all ideas and claimed he wants bi-partisan support. (I love that buzz word. BO has hijacked it to now mean “Agree with everything we want and shut up about it or we will end your political career”). But Major Garrett pointed out that Republicans sent the President a letter in May asking for a meeting to discuss their ideas. BO blew them off - so much for bi-partisan support.
I loved watching the Democrats jump up on cue and clap wildly for their Messiah. Meanwhile Republicans sat there stone faced. At least some adults in the room had not sipped the Anointed One’s Socialist Kool-Aid and could tell when they were being lied to.
My favorite part of the speech was when BO spewed another falsehood and someone on the Republican side heckled him. Did you see that? Nancy Pelosi was pissed! I thought she was going to fly her broom across the room and bean the guy. She and Joe Biden put their heads together and quickly scanned the roster to identify the impudent bastard. She nodded in satisfaction (poor guy probably got knee-capped last night) sat back with that tight, self-righteous smile on her face and mugged for the cameras again. It was priceless. BO got a taste of the town halls in his own town hall!
Aside from watching Marxist politicians ruin our country and getting lied to by the President every time he opens his mouth, I’m rather enjoying watching politics on TV now. It is like watching a prime-time drama. I never paid much attention to it in the past. But that was back when I went to bed every night knowing our country was safe from terrorists, I had a job, and the President wasn’t trying to dismantle everything I love about this free society. I will continue to watch and pray (as the song says) “we don’t get fooled again.”
In the beginning the speech sounded reasonable and plausible. BO gave a wink and nod to John McCain (how that RINO got nominated for President is beyond me). He outlined some things that everyone could agree on. He said he is open to all ideas and claimed he wants bi-partisan support. (I love that buzz word. BO has hijacked it to now mean “Agree with everything we want and shut up about it or we will end your political career”). But Major Garrett pointed out that Republicans sent the President a letter in May asking for a meeting to discuss their ideas. BO blew them off - so much for bi-partisan support.
I loved watching the Democrats jump up on cue and clap wildly for their Messiah. Meanwhile Republicans sat there stone faced. At least some adults in the room had not sipped the Anointed One’s Socialist Kool-Aid and could tell when they were being lied to.
My favorite part of the speech was when BO spewed another falsehood and someone on the Republican side heckled him. Did you see that? Nancy Pelosi was pissed! I thought she was going to fly her broom across the room and bean the guy. She and Joe Biden put their heads together and quickly scanned the roster to identify the impudent bastard. She nodded in satisfaction (poor guy probably got knee-capped last night) sat back with that tight, self-righteous smile on her face and mugged for the cameras again. It was priceless. BO got a taste of the town halls in his own town hall!
Aside from watching Marxist politicians ruin our country and getting lied to by the President every time he opens his mouth, I’m rather enjoying watching politics on TV now. It is like watching a prime-time drama. I never paid much attention to it in the past. But that was back when I went to bed every night knowing our country was safe from terrorists, I had a job, and the President wasn’t trying to dismantle everything I love about this free society. I will continue to watch and pray (as the song says) “we don’t get fooled again.”
8/20/09
Once A Marine Always A Marine
By now Brian has completed the Crucible – the 54-hour sleep deprived, food deprived, mental and physical challenge which marks the end of Marine Corps recruit training. He has devoured his Warriors Breakfast. I imagine he stood just a little taller as the Eagle Globe and Anchor emblem was bestowed upon him. He is no longer called recruit. He has officially joined The Few, The Proud. He is a Marine.
I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I know the effort it took my son to achieve this great honor. And I know he may have to pay the ultimate price some day defending this honor. But I’m proud that my son chose to engage in something far bigger than himself. I’m humbled that he chose to forsake his own comfort and convenience to serve others. Yes, he chose a difficult path. But all of his hard work and struggle is molding him into the fine man God intended him to be.
I’m beginning to understand a few things now: like the saying “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” You can’t go through some of the toughest physical, emotional and mental challenges of your life and come out of it unchanged. Or the bond that develops between people who have to rely on each other in extraordinary situations. Or the fortitude of military families who sacrifice so their loved ones can serve their country. Or the emptiness left in the heart when that loved one is half-way around the world. Or why military folks unapologetically sing the National Anthem just a little louder at ball games.
I never thought we would be a military family. But here we are. I am proud to be counted with other military families who have served or are serving. And I’m proud of my son, my Marine. Semper Fi.
I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I know the effort it took my son to achieve this great honor. And I know he may have to pay the ultimate price some day defending this honor. But I’m proud that my son chose to engage in something far bigger than himself. I’m humbled that he chose to forsake his own comfort and convenience to serve others. Yes, he chose a difficult path. But all of his hard work and struggle is molding him into the fine man God intended him to be.
I’m beginning to understand a few things now: like the saying “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” You can’t go through some of the toughest physical, emotional and mental challenges of your life and come out of it unchanged. Or the bond that develops between people who have to rely on each other in extraordinary situations. Or the fortitude of military families who sacrifice so their loved ones can serve their country. Or the emptiness left in the heart when that loved one is half-way around the world. Or why military folks unapologetically sing the National Anthem just a little louder at ball games.
I never thought we would be a military family. But here we are. I am proud to be counted with other military families who have served or are serving. And I’m proud of my son, my Marine. Semper Fi.
8/17/09
Building Arks
I have very vivid dreams which I usually remember. This can be either fun or irritating depending on the dream. I would love to know what these dreams mean, especially the reoccurring ones. Like the one where I can fly – but only so high. And the one where I am driving in Colorado and hit an icy patch and the car starts sliding ever so slowly. I push the brake to the floor but the car keeps creeping down the road on its own. There is the one where bugs are coming out of a hole in the floor. Or the one where my teeth start falling out. Or the one - never mind, you get the idea.
The other night I had a dream I came upon some people who were building an ark. This was a real ark made to the specifications in the bible. I knew what the thing was just by looking at it but I asked the people what they were doing. “Building an ark,” was the answer. (Duh) I said to them “Don’t you know that God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood?” That was the end of the dream. Weird. But I think I remembered it for a reason.
The next day in church, our youth pastor was preaching. He had been through an all-nighter with the youth just two nights before (brave man) and he was telling us about the movie Evan Almighty. In the movie God asks Evan to build an ark. I’m thinking, “Why would God do that when he promised – hey, just like in my dream!” It turns out a dam breaks flooding the town but the ark saves everyone. If Evan thought like I did, the town would have been wiped out.
Then I thought, what if God is asking me to build an ark metaphorically. You know, asking me to do something completely out of the ordinary for my situation. It might be something that takes a long time to accomplish and may actually cause me to be ridiculed. But this ark would not be about me. God may be asking me to build it, whatever it is, for the benefit of others during some unforeseen event that He knows is coming. It might be just the thing to actually save someone down the line in ways I can’t possibly imagine now.
I wonder, am I tuned in enough to God to actually know what He wants me to build and to build it according to His specifications? Do I have the fortitude to ignore the ridicule and keep going? Do I have the wherewithal to complete this thing when I’ve misplaced the measuring tape and my arm hurts from hammering? Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know God wants what is best for me and those around me. I also know His ways are higher than mine, even when those ways make no sense what so ever at the time. I know He will comfort me when I’m down and welcome me back when I’ve taken a two-hour lunch break. I also know I CAN trust Him. So, where was that Gopher Wood?
The other night I had a dream I came upon some people who were building an ark. This was a real ark made to the specifications in the bible. I knew what the thing was just by looking at it but I asked the people what they were doing. “Building an ark,” was the answer. (Duh) I said to them “Don’t you know that God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood?” That was the end of the dream. Weird. But I think I remembered it for a reason.
The next day in church, our youth pastor was preaching. He had been through an all-nighter with the youth just two nights before (brave man) and he was telling us about the movie Evan Almighty. In the movie God asks Evan to build an ark. I’m thinking, “Why would God do that when he promised – hey, just like in my dream!” It turns out a dam breaks flooding the town but the ark saves everyone. If Evan thought like I did, the town would have been wiped out.
Then I thought, what if God is asking me to build an ark metaphorically. You know, asking me to do something completely out of the ordinary for my situation. It might be something that takes a long time to accomplish and may actually cause me to be ridiculed. But this ark would not be about me. God may be asking me to build it, whatever it is, for the benefit of others during some unforeseen event that He knows is coming. It might be just the thing to actually save someone down the line in ways I can’t possibly imagine now.
I wonder, am I tuned in enough to God to actually know what He wants me to build and to build it according to His specifications? Do I have the fortitude to ignore the ridicule and keep going? Do I have the wherewithal to complete this thing when I’ve misplaced the measuring tape and my arm hurts from hammering? Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know God wants what is best for me and those around me. I also know His ways are higher than mine, even when those ways make no sense what so ever at the time. I know He will comfort me when I’m down and welcome me back when I’ve taken a two-hour lunch break. I also know I CAN trust Him. So, where was that Gopher Wood?
8/6/09
The Two-Faced Pig
Did you hear about the two-faced pig? True story. I heard it lived nearly a year before one of the faces aspirated its food and died. This country is like that pig. It is a two-party political system. But one of the parties is about to aspirate on its own ideology and kill this country. We the people, like a farmer, try to care for the pig. But every time we debate the issues one of the faces turns around and bites us. The pig, led by this dominant face, squeals and runs away from the sometimes painful but necessary care it needs to survive. I just hope we the people don’t get tired of getting bit and give up caring for the pig. Worse yet, I hope we don’t get a proverbial shotgun and put the pig out of its misery. I think this pig is worth saving. And with enough care and attention, I think this pig can turn around and become a truly useful animal.
7/27/09
Short And Sweet
This is what I remember of last week’s news and reaction from the White House: Blah, blah, blah, health care, blah, blah, lie, blah, blah, blah, half-truth, blah, blah, inconsistency, blah, blah, blah, condescending attitude, blah, blah, blah, blah, arrogance, blah, blah, RACE, RACE, RACE, blah, blah, blame Republicans, blah, blah, Buehrle pitches a perfect game - cool, blah, blah, blah, Border Patrol agent Robert Rosas murdered right here in San Diego…….. Hmm, odd silence from the White House. In fact, nary a word about a man murdered with his own gun while in the process of doing his duty to protect America. Kind of reminds me of the murder of Pvt. William Long in a Little Rock recruiting office just last month. The White House’s reaction then? (Cue the crickets chirping).
And yet we get a national haranguing about racial profiling in America by a “Professor” who stated his mother hated white people, and who said on his Yale application "As always, whitey now sits in judgment of me, preparing to cast my fate.”
Sitting there happily fanning the flames of racial mistrust is the man elected President of the United States. Seems to me, if BO was truly representing ALL people, he would have something to say about these men who were murdered in the prime of their lives. The least he could do is show a smattering of sympathy to the families and offer his condolences for crying out loud. Bottom line: this nation does not need more lectures. This nation needs a leader.
And yet we get a national haranguing about racial profiling in America by a “Professor” who stated his mother hated white people, and who said on his Yale application "As always, whitey now sits in judgment of me, preparing to cast my fate.”
Sitting there happily fanning the flames of racial mistrust is the man elected President of the United States. Seems to me, if BO was truly representing ALL people, he would have something to say about these men who were murdered in the prime of their lives. The least he could do is show a smattering of sympathy to the families and offer his condolences for crying out loud. Bottom line: this nation does not need more lectures. This nation needs a leader.
7/14/09
Map Centered 37N, 120W
Living in Southern California I have the USGS map of my region bookmarked to my favorite websites. After any “incident” I can easily (and usually do) jump on the Internet to find out where the earthquake was centered and how big it was. While the USGS does an excellent job of posting initial information, from past experience I know it usually takes about 10 minutes for the exact time, location, and magnitude of an earthquake to appear on their website. This has become a favorite hobby of mine since being initiated into life with earthquakes by the famous Northridge quake in 1994.
We have been having a series of small quakes here the past few days. The activity started with a 3.9 rumbler west of La Jolla near the Channel Islands on Saturday. Conventional wisdom in California says that small earthquakes are good. They relieve pressure on the tectonic plates so that “the big one” is forestalled. People I talk to here say they believe the “big one” (an earthquake so huge it would plunge California into the Pacific Ocean) is inevitable and likely, but not in their lifetime.
The interesting thing about small quakes is that I usually hear them more than feel them. When the rumbling starts I wait for the telltale snap of the house settling before I know it wasn’t just a big truck driving by. Sometimes the rumbling ends with a loud bang. Most often it just fades away.
When people in California experience an earthquake they usually fly into a flurry of activity stockpiling food and water, and just generally preparing for an emergency. They check the batteries in the flashlight, the expiration date on the tuna, and the amount of drinkable water on hand. Satisfied, they heave a sigh of relief and go about their business until the next time the ground shakes. Some people here have become so used to the rumblings and movement they don’t even pay attention unless the noise is really loud and things start falling off the shelf.
Lately I have been hearing a lot of rumbling in the news, and not just out of Washington. Unlike the rumbling of earthquakes, these world-wide rumblings do not relieve pressure. And they do not fade away. In fact the opposite is true. These rumblings are building up to a future cataclysmic event - the “big one” of current events.
Not only that, but every day on TV I see things falling off the shelf world-wide at an alarming rate. Many people say they believe in "the big one" spiritually. But not in their lifetime and certainly not to the extent preachers tell it. They absolutely do not see current events as a precursor of things to come. To find the answer for myself, I turn to my favorite source of information to explain current events, the Bible. Unlike the USGS website, this book of information is accurate and doesn’t need to be updated. It already describes the outcome of current events and what to do to prepare. I have my spiritual flashlights, tuna, and water. Do you?
We have been having a series of small quakes here the past few days. The activity started with a 3.9 rumbler west of La Jolla near the Channel Islands on Saturday. Conventional wisdom in California says that small earthquakes are good. They relieve pressure on the tectonic plates so that “the big one” is forestalled. People I talk to here say they believe the “big one” (an earthquake so huge it would plunge California into the Pacific Ocean) is inevitable and likely, but not in their lifetime.
The interesting thing about small quakes is that I usually hear them more than feel them. When the rumbling starts I wait for the telltale snap of the house settling before I know it wasn’t just a big truck driving by. Sometimes the rumbling ends with a loud bang. Most often it just fades away.
When people in California experience an earthquake they usually fly into a flurry of activity stockpiling food and water, and just generally preparing for an emergency. They check the batteries in the flashlight, the expiration date on the tuna, and the amount of drinkable water on hand. Satisfied, they heave a sigh of relief and go about their business until the next time the ground shakes. Some people here have become so used to the rumblings and movement they don’t even pay attention unless the noise is really loud and things start falling off the shelf.
Lately I have been hearing a lot of rumbling in the news, and not just out of Washington. Unlike the rumbling of earthquakes, these world-wide rumblings do not relieve pressure. And they do not fade away. In fact the opposite is true. These rumblings are building up to a future cataclysmic event - the “big one” of current events.
Not only that, but every day on TV I see things falling off the shelf world-wide at an alarming rate. Many people say they believe in "the big one" spiritually. But not in their lifetime and certainly not to the extent preachers tell it. They absolutely do not see current events as a precursor of things to come. To find the answer for myself, I turn to my favorite source of information to explain current events, the Bible. Unlike the USGS website, this book of information is accurate and doesn’t need to be updated. It already describes the outcome of current events and what to do to prepare. I have my spiritual flashlights, tuna, and water. Do you?
7/2/09
Meanwhile, In Other News...
I’m just going to come right out and say it: I’m sick of hearing about Michael Jackson. Wall to wall coverage of his death was only newsworthy for about the first day and a half. It is all I have been hearing for the past week, and not just from entertainment venues. Cable news shows are constantly rehashing the circumstances of his death and his life story. Now I’ll grant you the guy was a phenomenal entertainer. But come on, it’s not like he cured a disease or anything. I mean, John Lennon didn’t get this much press when he was shot, and a murder is far more newsworthy than a singer who overdoses on drugs. (Like that never happens).
It is almost as if we have elevated Michael Jackson to hero status. The guy never did anything hero-worthy in his life. Let’s face it, he was a talented, tortured, drug-addicted, child molester who was enabled every step of his life by people who used him to make a buck. A sickening display if you ask me. And yet, our culture practically celebrates this.
Farrah Fawcett died and I barely heard a word about her. Cable news shows did not endlessly debate whether she should have made a documentary about her death process. Billy Mays died and you probably don’t even know who he was. He was the bearded gentleman who yelled at you about Orange Glo and OxyClean. Remember? His death is far more newsworthy to me because he supposedly hit his head in a jet during a rough landing, then died that night. That is so unexpected I want to know more.
Ronald Reagan died a hero. He did more than anyone in recent history to help secure liberty and prosperity for people around the globe. Michael Jackson can’t hold a candle to Reagan hero-wise, despite what Al Sharpton says. And yet here we are, absorbed with the sordid saga of Jackson’s life. Meanwhile, in Honduras… Meanwhile, in Washington cap and trade threatens… Meanwhile, anywhere but Neverland…
It’s time to stop this false idol worship of Michael Jackson and turn our attention to far more important things. So, how’s your relationship with Jesus going?
It is almost as if we have elevated Michael Jackson to hero status. The guy never did anything hero-worthy in his life. Let’s face it, he was a talented, tortured, drug-addicted, child molester who was enabled every step of his life by people who used him to make a buck. A sickening display if you ask me. And yet, our culture practically celebrates this.
Farrah Fawcett died and I barely heard a word about her. Cable news shows did not endlessly debate whether she should have made a documentary about her death process. Billy Mays died and you probably don’t even know who he was. He was the bearded gentleman who yelled at you about Orange Glo and OxyClean. Remember? His death is far more newsworthy to me because he supposedly hit his head in a jet during a rough landing, then died that night. That is so unexpected I want to know more.
Ronald Reagan died a hero. He did more than anyone in recent history to help secure liberty and prosperity for people around the globe. Michael Jackson can’t hold a candle to Reagan hero-wise, despite what Al Sharpton says. And yet here we are, absorbed with the sordid saga of Jackson’s life. Meanwhile, in Honduras… Meanwhile, in Washington cap and trade threatens… Meanwhile, anywhere but Neverland…
It’s time to stop this false idol worship of Michael Jackson and turn our attention to far more important things. So, how’s your relationship with Jesus going?
6/30/09
Move Before I Break A Hip!
It is not easy being the object of someone’s undying affection. I’m talking about my dog Mac. Mac is a Springer Spaniel and if you know anything about the breed you know they are hopelessly, religiously, obsessively, devoted to their people. Mac is especially enamored of me. He constantly follows me everywhere I go. When I pause for longer than say three seconds, he is right there touching me or on top of my feet. I seriously considered naming him “Move” because I knew that’s what I would end up saying to him all day. I can’t count how many times I have been doing dishes at the sink and turned to go somewhere only to trip over the dog. I’m convinced tripping over the dog is the number one way older people break their hips at home.
I knew when we adopted Mac from a rescue group my privacy would be gone. I can no longer go to the bathroom alone unless I close and lock the door. If I don’t Mac forces the door open, comes in, and plops down on my feet. My other dog Oreo stays in the doorway just to be sure Mac isn’t getting any undo attention. Curious about all this, the cat will march in and jump on the counter to supervise. Good thing I'm not shy! Still, there are certain mornings I find all the attention a little disconcerting.
Mac also has an obsessive need to touch me and be touched by me. He does this by sitting down, throwing his head back, and forcing me to hold his paw. At night when I’m on the couch, I beg my husband and son to divert his attention away from me just so I can have a break from his hot breath panting in my face. By then, I’ve had my day’s fill of doggy devotion and just want to be left alone.
My husband was the one who wanted another Springer. He has always loved the breed. But I knew Mac would end up being MY dog because I spend the most time with him. I get up at 5:17 every morning to feed and potty the dogs. (They are like atomic clocks when it comes time for breakfast). I’m home most of the time with the animals and tend to most of their needs. Even though I get fed up with the constant attention and having to tip-toe over him, I love Mac. I just melt when I look into those big brown eyes gazing up at me full of love and devotion. I think it is the closest thing on earth to God’s unconditional love.
I knew when we adopted Mac from a rescue group my privacy would be gone. I can no longer go to the bathroom alone unless I close and lock the door. If I don’t Mac forces the door open, comes in, and plops down on my feet. My other dog Oreo stays in the doorway just to be sure Mac isn’t getting any undo attention. Curious about all this, the cat will march in and jump on the counter to supervise. Good thing I'm not shy! Still, there are certain mornings I find all the attention a little disconcerting.
Mac also has an obsessive need to touch me and be touched by me. He does this by sitting down, throwing his head back, and forcing me to hold his paw. At night when I’m on the couch, I beg my husband and son to divert his attention away from me just so I can have a break from his hot breath panting in my face. By then, I’ve had my day’s fill of doggy devotion and just want to be left alone.
My husband was the one who wanted another Springer. He has always loved the breed. But I knew Mac would end up being MY dog because I spend the most time with him. I get up at 5:17 every morning to feed and potty the dogs. (They are like atomic clocks when it comes time for breakfast). I’m home most of the time with the animals and tend to most of their needs. Even though I get fed up with the constant attention and having to tip-toe over him, I love Mac. I just melt when I look into those big brown eyes gazing up at me full of love and devotion. I think it is the closest thing on earth to God’s unconditional love.
6/12/09
New Media And The Free Exhange of Ideas?
One of the interesting aspects of doing a politically-charged blog is that people forward to me all KINDS of things. One person forwards cute pictures of, say, babies lying on dogs when she thinks I’m getting too stressed-out. (I appreciate the thought.) Other people weigh in by sending articles related to whichever topic I’m ranting about at the time. So far they have been interesting, well-thought articles which add to my overall knowledge.
One person forwarded a piece about the John Murtha Airport in Pennsylvania. It cost millions in tax-payer dollars to build and sits empty, EMPTY, most of the time. If you don’t know about Murtha, he is the Democrat currently under investigation for his ties to a lobbying firm which received tens of millions in earmarks; in exchange (it appears) for thousands in campaign contributions.
Apparently this airport story broke on ABC news. I did not see it. I choose not to get my news from the networks because I believe them to be official propaganda machines of the current administration. And, frankly, the reporting sucks. When I was a newspaper reporter I took very seriously my responsibility to be fair and tell both sides. I felt it was my duty. That happens so rarely now.
You can understand why I do not visit the websites of the networks. In fact, I wonder how many people did see the original story. (Viewership is way down for all three networks, I assume hits on their websites are down also.) The story circulated on the Internet by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Low and behold, two days after I got the email forwarded, the story re-ran on TV.
This tells me the Internet (“new media” in ivory tower-speak) is a very powerful tool. It reaches far more people around the world than a television show on a particular channel. Information is disseminated instantly versus waiting for the five o’clock news cycle. In fact, new media is so powerful television networks hire people solely to research the Internet for story ideas. They can gauge reaction to particular stories by reading various blogs.
Think about it: employees gauging the thoughts and values of the American people just by logging on to the Internet. It’s like free opinion polling. Why? The Internet serves the masses. You don’t need a special degree to use it. If your house is not wired for Internet you can go to the Library and log on. You do not have to file for a special license. You are not constrained by certain bandwidths. You don’t need permission to float your ideas in the wide world of cyberspace. It truly is the last remaining realm where ordinary citizens can freely exchange ideas electronically.
Last month BO announced the appointment of a ‘cyber-security czar’ to oversee Internet security for the government. With identity theft on the rise and hacking becoming more sophisticated this initially sounds like a great idea. But, this appointee will have no Congressional over site and answer only to Obama. And, if initial reports can be believed, this person will have the power (in times of national security threats) to shut down the Internet.
I can see the potential for abuse here. BO can’t stand criticism let alone close scrutiny. The Internet represents a threat to him. The Internet is the one place where people who oppose government policies can express themselves freely. It is the one place where evidence clearly exists to show Americans really don’t like his policies, despite the nightly propaganda. It is the one place where we the people still have the freedom to put forth our ideas without threat of censorship.
Listen, when you start hearing the word ‘regulate’ used in relation to the Internet, just know that it really means ‘restrict.’ I guess we’ll have to discuss politics in the dead of night after we finish our clandestine prayer meetings.
One person forwarded a piece about the John Murtha Airport in Pennsylvania. It cost millions in tax-payer dollars to build and sits empty, EMPTY, most of the time. If you don’t know about Murtha, he is the Democrat currently under investigation for his ties to a lobbying firm which received tens of millions in earmarks; in exchange (it appears) for thousands in campaign contributions.
Apparently this airport story broke on ABC news. I did not see it. I choose not to get my news from the networks because I believe them to be official propaganda machines of the current administration. And, frankly, the reporting sucks. When I was a newspaper reporter I took very seriously my responsibility to be fair and tell both sides. I felt it was my duty. That happens so rarely now.
You can understand why I do not visit the websites of the networks. In fact, I wonder how many people did see the original story. (Viewership is way down for all three networks, I assume hits on their websites are down also.) The story circulated on the Internet by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Low and behold, two days after I got the email forwarded, the story re-ran on TV.
This tells me the Internet (“new media” in ivory tower-speak) is a very powerful tool. It reaches far more people around the world than a television show on a particular channel. Information is disseminated instantly versus waiting for the five o’clock news cycle. In fact, new media is so powerful television networks hire people solely to research the Internet for story ideas. They can gauge reaction to particular stories by reading various blogs.
Think about it: employees gauging the thoughts and values of the American people just by logging on to the Internet. It’s like free opinion polling. Why? The Internet serves the masses. You don’t need a special degree to use it. If your house is not wired for Internet you can go to the Library and log on. You do not have to file for a special license. You are not constrained by certain bandwidths. You don’t need permission to float your ideas in the wide world of cyberspace. It truly is the last remaining realm where ordinary citizens can freely exchange ideas electronically.
Last month BO announced the appointment of a ‘cyber-security czar’ to oversee Internet security for the government. With identity theft on the rise and hacking becoming more sophisticated this initially sounds like a great idea. But, this appointee will have no Congressional over site and answer only to Obama. And, if initial reports can be believed, this person will have the power (in times of national security threats) to shut down the Internet.
I can see the potential for abuse here. BO can’t stand criticism let alone close scrutiny. The Internet represents a threat to him. The Internet is the one place where people who oppose government policies can express themselves freely. It is the one place where evidence clearly exists to show Americans really don’t like his policies, despite the nightly propaganda. It is the one place where we the people still have the freedom to put forth our ideas without threat of censorship.
Listen, when you start hearing the word ‘regulate’ used in relation to the Internet, just know that it really means ‘restrict.’ I guess we’ll have to discuss politics in the dead of night after we finish our clandestine prayer meetings.
6/11/09
The Blah, Blah, Blah of Political Semantics
Back in February I wrote about the carefully crafted semantics of politics. Basically this is the government telling people what it wants them to hear in a way that will be fully accepted. I said that BO and his administration were masters at manipulating words and their meanings. Well, back then I was being polite. Today I have to call a spade a spade. (“9-1-1- thought police, what is your emergency?”)
No, this is not a racial slur. We have endured nearly six months of BO’s rhetoric and policies. We now have evidence to show that what the man says and what he does just don’t match up. I think I can state out loud what most thinking people can clearly see for themselves. Barack Obama lies. Just about every time the man opens his mouth, he lies.
So, let’s wipe the lipstick off this pig and call it what it is. The stimulus package is not stimulating. The budget has pork. There is no transparency in this administration. Forget bipartisanship. People making less than $250,000 will be taxed through the roof. There is no such thing as a “saved job.” The government does want to run a car company. Health care reform will mean less care for everyone. And, I am a right-wing extremist spewing hate all because I dare point out that BO is leading us down the Socialist path to economic ruin.
The good news is this: following this logic, when BO says America is not a Christian nation, we know he means just the opposite. When BO apologies to the world for America’s conduct, we can rest assured that while this nation has flaws, it is still the most generous, magnificent country in the world and as a whole has little to apologize for.
Here is my tip for translating the rhetoric next time BO goes on the propaganda shows with his “Blah, blah blah.” Remember, he means the opposite of what he says. The rest are lies. If you want to really understand what BO is all about, don’t listen to his words; look at what he does. The most telling things about him are what he leaves unsaid. Compared to BO, those “right-winged extremist” talk show hosts are sounding less and less extreme. At least they say what they mean.
No, this is not a racial slur. We have endured nearly six months of BO’s rhetoric and policies. We now have evidence to show that what the man says and what he does just don’t match up. I think I can state out loud what most thinking people can clearly see for themselves. Barack Obama lies. Just about every time the man opens his mouth, he lies.
So, let’s wipe the lipstick off this pig and call it what it is. The stimulus package is not stimulating. The budget has pork. There is no transparency in this administration. Forget bipartisanship. People making less than $250,000 will be taxed through the roof. There is no such thing as a “saved job.” The government does want to run a car company. Health care reform will mean less care for everyone. And, I am a right-wing extremist spewing hate all because I dare point out that BO is leading us down the Socialist path to economic ruin.
The good news is this: following this logic, when BO says America is not a Christian nation, we know he means just the opposite. When BO apologies to the world for America’s conduct, we can rest assured that while this nation has flaws, it is still the most generous, magnificent country in the world and as a whole has little to apologize for.
Here is my tip for translating the rhetoric next time BO goes on the propaganda shows with his “Blah, blah blah.” Remember, he means the opposite of what he says. The rest are lies. If you want to really understand what BO is all about, don’t listen to his words; look at what he does. The most telling things about him are what he leaves unsaid. Compared to BO, those “right-winged extremist” talk show hosts are sounding less and less extreme. At least they say what they mean.
6/4/09
A Tale of Two Stories Part Deux
This is a follow-up to my last post ‘A Tale of Two Stories’. I generally don’t like to use other people’s work in my blog. But, as I troll mostly conservative websites, I sometimes come across writing which is much better at articulating my beliefs than my own words are. People who write these articles are paid professionals who have the ability and time to research the facts. I have the time to read the articles. I hope you don’t mind me occasionally passing along this information.
The following is an excerpt from Ann Coulter’s piece in Human Events.com. (I find her abrasive in person but I appreciate her writing.) She is comparing the liberal-left’s reaction to Muslims after 9/11 with their reaction to pro-lifers in the wake of the Tiller murder.
According to recent polling, a majority of Americans oppose abortion -- which is consistent with liberals' hysterical refusal to allow us to vote on the subject. In a country with approximately 150 million pro-lifers, five abortionists have been killed since Roe v. Wade.
In that same 36 years, more than 49 million babies have been killed by abortionists. Let's recap that halftime score, sports fans: 49 million to five.
Meanwhile, fewer than 2 million Muslims live in America and, while Muslims are less murderous than abortionists, I'm fairly certain they've killed more than five people in the United States in the last 36 years. For some reason, the number "3,000" keeps popping into my head.
So in a country that is more than 50 percent pro-life -- and 80 percent opposed to the late-term abortions of the sort performed by Tiller -- only five abortionists have been killed. And in a country that is less than 0.5 percent Muslim, several dozen Muslims have killed thousands of Americans.
But the killing of about one abortionist per decade leads liberals to condemn the entire pro-life movement as "domestic terrorists." At least liberals have finally found some terrorists they'd like to send to Guantanamo.
Tiller bragged about performing 60,000 abortions, including abortions of viable babies, able to survive outside the mother's womb. He made millions of dollars performing late-term abortions so gruesome that only two other abortionists -- not a squeamish bunch -- in the entire country would perform them.
Kansas law allows late-term abortions only to save the mother's life or to prevent "irreversible physical damage" to the mother. But Tiller was more than happy to kill viable babies, provided the mothers: (1) forked over $5,000; and (2) mentioned "substantial and irreversible conditions," which, in Tiller's view, apparently included not being able to go to concerts or rodeos or being "temporarily depressed" on account of their pregnancies.
A couple of points here: I’ve heard the number of Muslims in America could be as high as three million, for some reason we don’t know for sure. Second, she makes the point that the liberal-left (wrongly) condemns an entire segment of people based on the death of five people over the course of several years. Good. We shouldn’t judge an entire group of people due to the actions of a handful who identify themselves with that group.
I do not personally know (at least I don’t think I do) any Muslims. Nor have I read the Koran. I don’t know what drives these people or what they truly believe. But I would be willing to bet if I met a Muslim on the street today, except for the clothing, I would have no idea what that person’s faith is. Similarly, how would I be able to identify a pro-lifer?
I believe most Americans,regardless of religion, condemn the cold-blooded murder of their fellow human beings. I think most Americans hold strong beliefs about various things but would never dream of taking someone’s life to prove a point. I also think there is a small segment of the population given to fanaticism. These people are willing to go to extreme measures for whatever cause they sincerely believe in.
As we watch the moral decline of our culture; as we listen time and again to our president say we are not a Christian country; as we grit our teeth and live day to day with the outrageous display of disregard for human life all around us; I wonder. How much more can we as reasonable people ‘live with’ before we can’t take any more and turn to vigilantism? What will be the tipping point which pushes us to use violence in an effort to claw our way off this slippery slope we have created? The Bible says in the end times there will be bloodshed. We are seeing that now.
So, what to do? Well, if you are a Christian, do what your Lord told his disciples to do – watch and pray. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, not some fanatic who believes he is doing the Lord’s work. We do what is allowable within the law of God and man. But mostly, we share the good news of peace and joy that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus. God’s love can heal many a wounded heart. Let’s be that message of love.
The following is an excerpt from Ann Coulter’s piece in Human Events.com. (I find her abrasive in person but I appreciate her writing.) She is comparing the liberal-left’s reaction to Muslims after 9/11 with their reaction to pro-lifers in the wake of the Tiller murder.
According to recent polling, a majority of Americans oppose abortion -- which is consistent with liberals' hysterical refusal to allow us to vote on the subject. In a country with approximately 150 million pro-lifers, five abortionists have been killed since Roe v. Wade.
In that same 36 years, more than 49 million babies have been killed by abortionists. Let's recap that halftime score, sports fans: 49 million to five.
Meanwhile, fewer than 2 million Muslims live in America and, while Muslims are less murderous than abortionists, I'm fairly certain they've killed more than five people in the United States in the last 36 years. For some reason, the number "3,000" keeps popping into my head.
So in a country that is more than 50 percent pro-life -- and 80 percent opposed to the late-term abortions of the sort performed by Tiller -- only five abortionists have been killed. And in a country that is less than 0.5 percent Muslim, several dozen Muslims have killed thousands of Americans.
But the killing of about one abortionist per decade leads liberals to condemn the entire pro-life movement as "domestic terrorists." At least liberals have finally found some terrorists they'd like to send to Guantanamo.
Tiller bragged about performing 60,000 abortions, including abortions of viable babies, able to survive outside the mother's womb. He made millions of dollars performing late-term abortions so gruesome that only two other abortionists -- not a squeamish bunch -- in the entire country would perform them.
Kansas law allows late-term abortions only to save the mother's life or to prevent "irreversible physical damage" to the mother. But Tiller was more than happy to kill viable babies, provided the mothers: (1) forked over $5,000; and (2) mentioned "substantial and irreversible conditions," which, in Tiller's view, apparently included not being able to go to concerts or rodeos or being "temporarily depressed" on account of their pregnancies.
A couple of points here: I’ve heard the number of Muslims in America could be as high as three million, for some reason we don’t know for sure. Second, she makes the point that the liberal-left (wrongly) condemns an entire segment of people based on the death of five people over the course of several years. Good. We shouldn’t judge an entire group of people due to the actions of a handful who identify themselves with that group.
I do not personally know (at least I don’t think I do) any Muslims. Nor have I read the Koran. I don’t know what drives these people or what they truly believe. But I would be willing to bet if I met a Muslim on the street today, except for the clothing, I would have no idea what that person’s faith is. Similarly, how would I be able to identify a pro-lifer?
I believe most Americans,regardless of religion, condemn the cold-blooded murder of their fellow human beings. I think most Americans hold strong beliefs about various things but would never dream of taking someone’s life to prove a point. I also think there is a small segment of the population given to fanaticism. These people are willing to go to extreme measures for whatever cause they sincerely believe in.
As we watch the moral decline of our culture; as we listen time and again to our president say we are not a Christian country; as we grit our teeth and live day to day with the outrageous display of disregard for human life all around us; I wonder. How much more can we as reasonable people ‘live with’ before we can’t take any more and turn to vigilantism? What will be the tipping point which pushes us to use violence in an effort to claw our way off this slippery slope we have created? The Bible says in the end times there will be bloodshed. We are seeing that now.
So, what to do? Well, if you are a Christian, do what your Lord told his disciples to do – watch and pray. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, not some fanatic who believes he is doing the Lord’s work. We do what is allowable within the law of God and man. But mostly, we share the good news of peace and joy that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus. God’s love can heal many a wounded heart. Let’s be that message of love.
6/3/09
A Tale of Two Stories
I want to share with you two breaking news stories written in very different style. Both stories were written for straight news venues as opposed to commentary. This distinction is important to keep in mind because I think we all come to expect certain wording in news stories versus editorials. We expect our news stories to be mostly fact driven not emotionally driven. Once presented with the facts, we expect to make up our own minds regarding the moral implications of each story. If I know for certain I am reading (or listening to) commentary I am free to agree or disagree with the writer’s point of view. Emotionally charged style or language in a straight news story, used solely for the purpose of inflaming the senses or building readership, is repugnant to me.
Both stories deal with murders, but in very different circumstances. One murder is getting nationwide coverage ad nausea. The other murder I would not know about save for talk radio. (Your access to this venue is being eroded you know. More about that later.) Both murders deal with issues very personal to me. Look at the language in the first story. The writer chose to heavily quote a left-leaning doctor who uses extremely inflammatory rhetoric. This comes from something called ‘The Colorado Independent’.
Late-term abortion doctor decries Tiller killing: ‘This is a fascist movement’
By Ernest Luning 5/31/09 5:11 PM
Hours after the Sunday morning shooting death of late-term abortion doctor George Tiller in Wichita, Kan., a Boulder physician — who says he could be the only doctor in the world still performing the procedure — said Tiller’s assassination was the “absolutely inevitable consequence” of decades of anti-abortion fanaticism.
“I’m profoundly sad and I’m furious and I think the American people need to understand that we have a fascist movement in this country,” Dr. Warren Hern told The Colorado Independent on Sunday. “We don’t have to invade Iraq to find terrorists. They’re right here killing abortion doctors.”
“Every doctor that does abortions has been under an assassination threat for decades,” Hern said. “The anti-abortion movement message is, ‘Do what we tell you to do or we will kill you,’ and they do. This is a fascist movement.”
Hern laid blame for Tiller’s death at the feet of the anti-abortion movement’s encouragement of violence against abortion providers and the Republican Party’s “exploitation” of the extremist rhetoric.
“Dr. Tiller is dead by an anti-abortion assassin, and this is the absolutely inevitable consequence of 35 years of anti-abortion fanatic rhetoric and intimidation and assassination violence and exploitation by the Republican Party of this movement,” Hern told the Independent.
Hern, who described Tiller as “a good friend of mine,” said he doesn’t “know of any other doctors in the world doing late abortions like I am.” The Boulder Abortion Clinic, run by Hern since he founded the practice in 1975, has as its motto “Specializing in Late Abortions for Fetal Disorders”.
Wow. This guy sounds pretty unhinged to me. Of course he used words like ‘fascism,’ ‘fanatic,’ ‘rhetoric,’ and ‘assassination’. This language is used frequently by those who seek to justify their actions in the face of strong moral opposition. Was it also quoted prominently by a news organization trying to sway public opinion? Or was this organization simply trying to draw more traffic to its website? I don’t know.
But to be fair, the very day of his killing the National Right to Life Committee condemned the murder of Dr. Tiller (who was nick-named Tiller the Baby Killer for his prolific practice.) You certainly would not know that from this piece.
Here is the second story from CNN.com:
Suspect arrested in Arkansas recruiting center shooting
(CNN) -- An Arkansas man was arrested Monday in connection with a shooting at a Little Rock military recruiting center that killed one soldier and wounded another, authorities said.
Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad -- a 24-year-old Little Rock resident formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe -- faces a first-degree murder charge and 15 counts of engaging in a terrorist act, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said. The terrorist counts stem from the shots fired at an occupied building.
While authorities continued to investigate a motive, Thomas said Muhammad is a Muslim convert and, based on preliminary interviews with him, investigators believe there were "political and religious motives" in the shooting.
Military officials initially believed the shooting was a random act, but Thomas said police believe the shooter acted alone "with the specific purpose of targeting military personnel."
The soldier who was killed was identified as Pvt. William Long, 24, of Conway, and the wounded soldier is Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, Thomas said.
Ezeagwula is in stable condition and expected to recover, the police chief said.
"I'm relieved there's a suspect in custody," said Capt. Matthew Feehan, commander of the center.
Feehan said seven other recruiters were in the building, but nobody else was injured.
Thomas said police recovered three guns from Muhammad's black Ford SUV: an SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a pistol.
The victims were just out of basic training and had not been deployed, said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion that oversees the Little Rock recruiting center.
Melvin Bledsoe of Memphis, Tennesee , who was listed on the police report as Muhammad's father, declined to comment, referring questions to Little Rock Police.
The soldiers were part of a recruiting program called "hometown recruiting assistance," Artis said. Under the program, recruiters have the soldiers tell their stories to potential recruits. It's a volunteer position taken while soldiers are visiting or based back in their home region, Artis said.
The FBI has opened an investigation into the incident, said Steven Frazier, spokesman for the agency's Little Rock office. "Based on what we find, we will determine whether there is any federal jurisdiction to prosecute," he said.
I don’t see this called a hate crime. I don’t see the words ‘Muslim extremist’ here. I don’t see the word ‘assassin’ here. And I’ll be willing to bet the words that are here will be the last we see on this story. Could it be because the person murdered was in the military? I’ll let you make the call.
What I can plainly see is the difference in style between the two stories. I hope as the line between news and commentary becomes increasingly blurred, you will be able to plainly see the difference as well.
Both stories deal with murders, but in very different circumstances. One murder is getting nationwide coverage ad nausea. The other murder I would not know about save for talk radio. (Your access to this venue is being eroded you know. More about that later.) Both murders deal with issues very personal to me. Look at the language in the first story. The writer chose to heavily quote a left-leaning doctor who uses extremely inflammatory rhetoric. This comes from something called ‘The Colorado Independent’.
Late-term abortion doctor decries Tiller killing: ‘This is a fascist movement’
By Ernest Luning 5/31/09 5:11 PM
Hours after the Sunday morning shooting death of late-term abortion doctor George Tiller in Wichita, Kan., a Boulder physician — who says he could be the only doctor in the world still performing the procedure — said Tiller’s assassination was the “absolutely inevitable consequence” of decades of anti-abortion fanaticism.
“I’m profoundly sad and I’m furious and I think the American people need to understand that we have a fascist movement in this country,” Dr. Warren Hern told The Colorado Independent on Sunday. “We don’t have to invade Iraq to find terrorists. They’re right here killing abortion doctors.”
“Every doctor that does abortions has been under an assassination threat for decades,” Hern said. “The anti-abortion movement message is, ‘Do what we tell you to do or we will kill you,’ and they do. This is a fascist movement.”
Hern laid blame for Tiller’s death at the feet of the anti-abortion movement’s encouragement of violence against abortion providers and the Republican Party’s “exploitation” of the extremist rhetoric.
“Dr. Tiller is dead by an anti-abortion assassin, and this is the absolutely inevitable consequence of 35 years of anti-abortion fanatic rhetoric and intimidation and assassination violence and exploitation by the Republican Party of this movement,” Hern told the Independent.
Hern, who described Tiller as “a good friend of mine,” said he doesn’t “know of any other doctors in the world doing late abortions like I am.” The Boulder Abortion Clinic, run by Hern since he founded the practice in 1975, has as its motto “Specializing in Late Abortions for Fetal Disorders”.
Wow. This guy sounds pretty unhinged to me. Of course he used words like ‘fascism,’ ‘fanatic,’ ‘rhetoric,’ and ‘assassination’. This language is used frequently by those who seek to justify their actions in the face of strong moral opposition. Was it also quoted prominently by a news organization trying to sway public opinion? Or was this organization simply trying to draw more traffic to its website? I don’t know.
But to be fair, the very day of his killing the National Right to Life Committee condemned the murder of Dr. Tiller (who was nick-named Tiller the Baby Killer for his prolific practice.) You certainly would not know that from this piece.
Here is the second story from CNN.com:
Suspect arrested in Arkansas recruiting center shooting
(CNN) -- An Arkansas man was arrested Monday in connection with a shooting at a Little Rock military recruiting center that killed one soldier and wounded another, authorities said.
Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad -- a 24-year-old Little Rock resident formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe -- faces a first-degree murder charge and 15 counts of engaging in a terrorist act, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said. The terrorist counts stem from the shots fired at an occupied building.
While authorities continued to investigate a motive, Thomas said Muhammad is a Muslim convert and, based on preliminary interviews with him, investigators believe there were "political and religious motives" in the shooting.
Military officials initially believed the shooting was a random act, but Thomas said police believe the shooter acted alone "with the specific purpose of targeting military personnel."
The soldier who was killed was identified as Pvt. William Long, 24, of Conway, and the wounded soldier is Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, Thomas said.
Ezeagwula is in stable condition and expected to recover, the police chief said.
"I'm relieved there's a suspect in custody," said Capt. Matthew Feehan, commander of the center.
Feehan said seven other recruiters were in the building, but nobody else was injured.
Thomas said police recovered three guns from Muhammad's black Ford SUV: an SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a pistol.
The victims were just out of basic training and had not been deployed, said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion that oversees the Little Rock recruiting center.
Melvin Bledsoe of Memphis, Tennesee , who was listed on the police report as Muhammad's father, declined to comment, referring questions to Little Rock Police.
The soldiers were part of a recruiting program called "hometown recruiting assistance," Artis said. Under the program, recruiters have the soldiers tell their stories to potential recruits. It's a volunteer position taken while soldiers are visiting or based back in their home region, Artis said.
The FBI has opened an investigation into the incident, said Steven Frazier, spokesman for the agency's Little Rock office. "Based on what we find, we will determine whether there is any federal jurisdiction to prosecute," he said.
I don’t see this called a hate crime. I don’t see the words ‘Muslim extremist’ here. I don’t see the word ‘assassin’ here. And I’ll be willing to bet the words that are here will be the last we see on this story. Could it be because the person murdered was in the military? I’ll let you make the call.
What I can plainly see is the difference in style between the two stories. I hope as the line between news and commentary becomes increasingly blurred, you will be able to plainly see the difference as well.
6/1/09
Honor, Courage, Commitment
Sometimes it is difficult for me to write about my feelings. It takes a lot of work to sort through the range of seemingly contradictory feelings and put the jumbled mess into coherent sentences. I wanted to write about Brian going to Marine Corps boot camp for a while, but like the grey murky mist which has been our constant companion for four days, I opted for just hanging in the air. Here goes.
We deposited our oldest son at a two-star Holiday Inn in La Mesa last night. This was his first step toward leaving his past behind and facing a brave new world of the toughest physical and mental challenges ever in his life. (We figured out the hotel had a two star rating because the marines use this as one of their staging areas, and there is a constant stream of wide-eyed nervous-looking young men coming and going every few weeks.)
It is nearly eight a.m. Monday. By now, no doubt, he is at MCRD San Diego and has already had breakfast and a steady stream of screaming DI’s in his face. I imagine by the end of today his hair will be gone, his thoughts will be racing, and he will be physically exhausted. This is the beginning of what the Marine Corps calls “forming” where they take dopey, lazy, kids and turn them into useful men. You’ve heard those commercials “We get done in a few hours what most people accomplish all day.” It’s true. I thought I got up early at 5:22 a.m. Marines are up an hour before that.
My son chose the Marine Corps on his own. Of all the branches of service he said the Marines embodied the ideals of Boy Scouts the most. He said he wanted to be part of an organization that stood for honor, courage, and commitment. Someone at church asked him why he didn’t go into the ______ because it was so much easier. He said, “Mom, I didn’t choose the Marines because it was easy. I wanted to be with the best.” Wow. I get a lump in my throat even now as I write this. How many 20-year-olds do you know who talk like this? I thought I knew my son but I have to admit, I had no idea his character was so rich and deep.
I have a feeling he’ll be fine. I have a feeling he will surprise me. I have a feeling when I see him again in 89 days, and watch him proudly march in his graduation, and behold the man he has become, I’ll cry like a baby. Then I’ll turn to whoever is next to me and say “That’s MY son.”
We deposited our oldest son at a two-star Holiday Inn in La Mesa last night. This was his first step toward leaving his past behind and facing a brave new world of the toughest physical and mental challenges ever in his life. (We figured out the hotel had a two star rating because the marines use this as one of their staging areas, and there is a constant stream of wide-eyed nervous-looking young men coming and going every few weeks.)
It is nearly eight a.m. Monday. By now, no doubt, he is at MCRD San Diego and has already had breakfast and a steady stream of screaming DI’s in his face. I imagine by the end of today his hair will be gone, his thoughts will be racing, and he will be physically exhausted. This is the beginning of what the Marine Corps calls “forming” where they take dopey, lazy, kids and turn them into useful men. You’ve heard those commercials “We get done in a few hours what most people accomplish all day.” It’s true. I thought I got up early at 5:22 a.m. Marines are up an hour before that.
My son chose the Marine Corps on his own. Of all the branches of service he said the Marines embodied the ideals of Boy Scouts the most. He said he wanted to be part of an organization that stood for honor, courage, and commitment. Someone at church asked him why he didn’t go into the ______ because it was so much easier. He said, “Mom, I didn’t choose the Marines because it was easy. I wanted to be with the best.” Wow. I get a lump in my throat even now as I write this. How many 20-year-olds do you know who talk like this? I thought I knew my son but I have to admit, I had no idea his character was so rich and deep.
I have a feeling he’ll be fine. I have a feeling he will surprise me. I have a feeling when I see him again in 89 days, and watch him proudly march in his graduation, and behold the man he has become, I’ll cry like a baby. Then I’ll turn to whoever is next to me and say “That’s MY son.”
5/20/09
Go East Young Man
Yesterday California voters, by about 65%, rejected five propositions that would have raised our taxes. Why? Well, frankly we are sick of being taxed to death by an irresponsible government. And secondly, I read the fine print on those propositions and realized they would end up costing us billions anyway. So apparently, did everyone else who voted. How stupid does our Gubinator think we are?
He was in Washington yesterday, hat in hand, asking Obama for money. He knew the propositions wouldn’t pass. And guess what? Rush is right (again). Obama will not let California go bankrupt. Not this left-leaning heavily Democrat state. No, the Golden State will get a bailout and you all (sorry) will have to pay for it in the form of higher federal taxes. The situation here is far beyond surreal. I could stay and work for the Republican Party, but frankly there is no one stepping forward who is carrying the conservative banner. So what is left to do? Get out of Dodge, just like droves of people have already.
In Dec. of 2008, the LA Times reported “For a fourth year in a row, residents moving to other states outnumber arrivals from other states.” Those are tax paying folks who will take their 1040’s somewhere else. Why? Because the job outlook here is pretty abysmal. Our unemployment rate is now over 11 percent; one of the highest in the nation. The public sector (government) is one of the only sectors growing jobs. Businesses here are so hobbled by environmental constraints and other roadblocks they are leaving for more business friendly states. Our people are not far behind.
One guy in our church was gone about 2 weeks before I noticed. He had been laid off and immediately went job hunting everywhere until he found employment in Texas. He was lucky. I don’t blame him a bit for leaving. When I was laid off from my teaching job last year our district actually brought in recruiters from Arizona and Nevada. I don’t relish the thought of leaving my support system and making friends, finding a church, etc. outside California. But the thought of having to work until I’m 75 just to make subsistence wages in a state where reason has taken hike, is a bitter pill to swallow indeed.
He was in Washington yesterday, hat in hand, asking Obama for money. He knew the propositions wouldn’t pass. And guess what? Rush is right (again). Obama will not let California go bankrupt. Not this left-leaning heavily Democrat state. No, the Golden State will get a bailout and you all (sorry) will have to pay for it in the form of higher federal taxes. The situation here is far beyond surreal. I could stay and work for the Republican Party, but frankly there is no one stepping forward who is carrying the conservative banner. So what is left to do? Get out of Dodge, just like droves of people have already.
In Dec. of 2008, the LA Times reported “For a fourth year in a row, residents moving to other states outnumber arrivals from other states.” Those are tax paying folks who will take their 1040’s somewhere else. Why? Because the job outlook here is pretty abysmal. Our unemployment rate is now over 11 percent; one of the highest in the nation. The public sector (government) is one of the only sectors growing jobs. Businesses here are so hobbled by environmental constraints and other roadblocks they are leaving for more business friendly states. Our people are not far behind.
One guy in our church was gone about 2 weeks before I noticed. He had been laid off and immediately went job hunting everywhere until he found employment in Texas. He was lucky. I don’t blame him a bit for leaving. When I was laid off from my teaching job last year our district actually brought in recruiters from Arizona and Nevada. I don’t relish the thought of leaving my support system and making friends, finding a church, etc. outside California. But the thought of having to work until I’m 75 just to make subsistence wages in a state where reason has taken hike, is a bitter pill to swallow indeed.
5/17/09
When I Became Close Minded
A relative asked me after my last blog post when I became so close minded. Well, let’s see. In college I was the most liberal person in my family (so I’m told.) What happened? I grew up.
I became close minded when my eyes were opened to the direction this country was going and I wanted to get involved. I became close minded when I went against “conventional wisdom” (and the advice of nearly everyone around me) to make a very difficult decision in my life. I became close minded when my wonderful sons were born and I saw the negative influence of popular culture all around them.
I became close minded as they passed through public and private schools and I was able to draw comparisons about the good and bad of both. I became close minded when I ended a 16-year career in corporate America to become a public school teacher. I became even more close minded as I witnessed the level of deceit in Washington escalate a hundred fold under the Obama administration. Lastly, and probably most importantly, I became close minded when I stopped playing church and started living my faith.
Conviction does not equal close mindedness. My prayer is that I stay in the will of God as I stick up for my beliefs in a hostile culture.
I became close minded when my eyes were opened to the direction this country was going and I wanted to get involved. I became close minded when I went against “conventional wisdom” (and the advice of nearly everyone around me) to make a very difficult decision in my life. I became close minded when my wonderful sons were born and I saw the negative influence of popular culture all around them.
I became close minded as they passed through public and private schools and I was able to draw comparisons about the good and bad of both. I became close minded when I ended a 16-year career in corporate America to become a public school teacher. I became even more close minded as I witnessed the level of deceit in Washington escalate a hundred fold under the Obama administration. Lastly, and probably most importantly, I became close minded when I stopped playing church and started living my faith.
Conviction does not equal close mindedness. My prayer is that I stay in the will of God as I stick up for my beliefs in a hostile culture.
5/15/09
Um, An End To Hunger And World Peace?
Here is a great example of the indoctrination (excuse me, I meant education) foisted upon our children over the last 30 years.
I use Google almost exclusively for my browser. It’s quick, easy and usually brings up exactly what I want without a lot of visual “stuff” to sift through. The other day I’m at the homepage and I notice Google sponsored a contest for kids to design its logo. If you know anything about Google, you know they typically alter their logo artwork to celebrate holidays and honor people. I think this is very cool and creative and it’s another reason why I use their service. I notice I can vote for various “doodles” presumably so the winner will have their piece displayed to the world in cyberspace.
So I check out the artwork and I’m generally impressed with the quality. (There are some very talented children out there.) As I’m perusing the drawings, “oohing” and “awing” over how cute they are, I slowly realize a theme is emerging. Every single piece I saw dealt with some aspect of global warming, recycling, homelessness, saving the planet and all its animals (except man), going “green”, equalizing the playing field for all, and every other issue de jour the left deems trendy for the moment. Oh, how PC it all is.
I conclude this had to be Google’s guideline for the contest: show how much you care by picking one of these topics and working the visuals into our logo. Then, write a bleeding-heartfelt paragraph explaining it in your innocent voice so that evil grownups will read it and feel bad for how they are decimating our environment and suppressing underprivileged people.
Here is what one 12-year-old said in her paragraph, “What I wish for the world is that every child and every adult have a chance to go to school and learn.”
What?! Who is stopping anyone from going to school? Public education is free, occurs in every city and town in America, and last time I checked, it was compulsory! Yes, some public schools suck, but an education is provided. It is up to the student to make the most of it by (here’s a thought) taking responsibility to do the work and going to class each and every day.
As far as adults go, I know from personal experience all kinds of programs and classes are offered through adult-ed and community colleges. If you happen to be a hyphenated American of any ilk your education can be virtually free. Listen, opportunity for education abounds in this country. Yes, some people may have to put out a little effort on their own (eeek!) by working a job and maybe only taking one class at a time. But there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to say they don’t have access to education.
The problem with educational opportunities in other countries occurs largely because corrupt governments bleed the life out of their people. Foreign aid is siphoned off to the governments and militias. Innocent people have enough to do just surviving the day; learning something is the last thing on their minds. Maybe what this girl should have said was "My wish is that corrupt dictators of the world would stop victimizing their people and provide them basic necessities so they can go to school and learn. Then they can become productive citizens and help better their countries." But, this would place the blame where it belongs and promote the notion that American-style democracy brings freedom and opportunity. The left can't have that!
This poor little misguided 12-year-old clearly exemplifies what has happened to so many people in this culture through years of leftist infiltration of our public school curriculum. She has forgotten how to think. Reason has gone out the door because no balanced voice can be heard. We have replaced teaching kids how to think with teaching kids what to think. Having said that, I know dedicated teachers (yes, in public schools) who have drawn a line in the sand and said “To hell with curriculum. I’m doing what’s best for my kids.” To you I say thanks. What we need are more dedicated teachers who allow for a reasoned, balanced voice in the classroom.
I use Google almost exclusively for my browser. It’s quick, easy and usually brings up exactly what I want without a lot of visual “stuff” to sift through. The other day I’m at the homepage and I notice Google sponsored a contest for kids to design its logo. If you know anything about Google, you know they typically alter their logo artwork to celebrate holidays and honor people. I think this is very cool and creative and it’s another reason why I use their service. I notice I can vote for various “doodles” presumably so the winner will have their piece displayed to the world in cyberspace.
So I check out the artwork and I’m generally impressed with the quality. (There are some very talented children out there.) As I’m perusing the drawings, “oohing” and “awing” over how cute they are, I slowly realize a theme is emerging. Every single piece I saw dealt with some aspect of global warming, recycling, homelessness, saving the planet and all its animals (except man), going “green”, equalizing the playing field for all, and every other issue de jour the left deems trendy for the moment. Oh, how PC it all is.
I conclude this had to be Google’s guideline for the contest: show how much you care by picking one of these topics and working the visuals into our logo. Then, write a bleeding-heartfelt paragraph explaining it in your innocent voice so that evil grownups will read it and feel bad for how they are decimating our environment and suppressing underprivileged people.
Here is what one 12-year-old said in her paragraph, “What I wish for the world is that every child and every adult have a chance to go to school and learn.”
What?! Who is stopping anyone from going to school? Public education is free, occurs in every city and town in America, and last time I checked, it was compulsory! Yes, some public schools suck, but an education is provided. It is up to the student to make the most of it by (here’s a thought) taking responsibility to do the work and going to class each and every day.
As far as adults go, I know from personal experience all kinds of programs and classes are offered through adult-ed and community colleges. If you happen to be a hyphenated American of any ilk your education can be virtually free. Listen, opportunity for education abounds in this country. Yes, some people may have to put out a little effort on their own (eeek!) by working a job and maybe only taking one class at a time. But there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to say they don’t have access to education.
The problem with educational opportunities in other countries occurs largely because corrupt governments bleed the life out of their people. Foreign aid is siphoned off to the governments and militias. Innocent people have enough to do just surviving the day; learning something is the last thing on their minds. Maybe what this girl should have said was "My wish is that corrupt dictators of the world would stop victimizing their people and provide them basic necessities so they can go to school and learn. Then they can become productive citizens and help better their countries." But, this would place the blame where it belongs and promote the notion that American-style democracy brings freedom and opportunity. The left can't have that!
This poor little misguided 12-year-old clearly exemplifies what has happened to so many people in this culture through years of leftist infiltration of our public school curriculum. She has forgotten how to think. Reason has gone out the door because no balanced voice can be heard. We have replaced teaching kids how to think with teaching kids what to think. Having said that, I know dedicated teachers (yes, in public schools) who have drawn a line in the sand and said “To hell with curriculum. I’m doing what’s best for my kids.” To you I say thanks. What we need are more dedicated teachers who allow for a reasoned, balanced voice in the classroom.
5/14/09
Drizzle, Drazzle, Drozzle, Drome
Thank you to those of you who responded to my interactive blog about unusual words, made-up or real, you use around the house. I am using your meaning, spelling and origin when provided. I’m guessing most words are spelled phonetically. Notice how many sound Germanic. Probably because I got the most responses from families whose relatives actually speak German.
Beepschien - A term of endearment, generally used in reference to our cat. Also used occasionally as a verb describing a noise halfway between purring and suffocating. "Look at the beepschien squinching." Or "Quiet, you can hear her beepschiening." This word was created by my mother and originated from a word that Russian grandmas use in describing their grandchildren. She is neither Russian nor a grandma,so I'm not sure why she started using this word.
Dinking around – Not doing anything when you should be working. “Stop dinking around!”
Flaz – The pulp in orange juice. “I love orange juice with flaz.”
Gobbleschnarf – To eat a lot of food fast and messily. “Don’t gobbleschnarf your food.”
Pazzle – To go around naked. “The baby is puzzling”. Or “No pazzling allowed.”
Pdiddle -The term for a car with one burnt-out headlight. You want to be the first one to say it when you see the car so that you can get a kiss from someone else in the car with you. It's kind of like the slug bug game.
Plutz - A term of disgust, used in place of swear words. "Plutz! That guy just cut me off!" Origin: my dad's grandfather used to say it around my dad and his brothers and sister when they were kids.
Strawbleberry – Strawberry. “We love strawbleberries too.”
One person responded that she and her husband use phrases and words from a movie to comment on things happening around them. We do that around here too. It can be extremely funny when well-timed. Please respond with any other words you remember. My goal is to go national with this and collect enough material to publish a book. Hey, I can dream can’t I?
And now, some wise words from Wizard the Lizard, also affectionately known as Mr. Wizard “Be what you is and not what you is not! Folks that is what they is, is the happiest lot!”
Beepschien - A term of endearment, generally used in reference to our cat. Also used occasionally as a verb describing a noise halfway between purring and suffocating. "Look at the beepschien squinching." Or "Quiet, you can hear her beepschiening." This word was created by my mother and originated from a word that Russian grandmas use in describing their grandchildren. She is neither Russian nor a grandma,so I'm not sure why she started using this word.
Dinking around – Not doing anything when you should be working. “Stop dinking around!”
Flaz – The pulp in orange juice. “I love orange juice with flaz.”
Gobbleschnarf – To eat a lot of food fast and messily. “Don’t gobbleschnarf your food.”
Pazzle – To go around naked. “The baby is puzzling”. Or “No pazzling allowed.”
Pdiddle -The term for a car with one burnt-out headlight. You want to be the first one to say it when you see the car so that you can get a kiss from someone else in the car with you. It's kind of like the slug bug game.
Plutz - A term of disgust, used in place of swear words. "Plutz! That guy just cut me off!" Origin: my dad's grandfather used to say it around my dad and his brothers and sister when they were kids.
Strawbleberry – Strawberry. “We love strawbleberries too.”
One person responded that she and her husband use phrases and words from a movie to comment on things happening around them. We do that around here too. It can be extremely funny when well-timed. Please respond with any other words you remember. My goal is to go national with this and collect enough material to publish a book. Hey, I can dream can’t I?
And now, some wise words from Wizard the Lizard, also affectionately known as Mr. Wizard “Be what you is and not what you is not! Folks that is what they is, is the happiest lot!”
4/30/09
Are We There Yet?
Let’s consider what BO and his minions on Capitol Hill have accomplished in the almighty first 100 days of BO’s presidency:
Obama’s budget has created more government debt than the budgets of George Washington through George W. Bush – combined.
His proposed cap and trade energy plan will cost on average between $650 to $2,000 per household annually. Hey, weren’t we supposed to get a tax break if we made less than $250,000 annually? Oh, never mind.
His stimulus bill dumps another $9,400 per household annually of new debt into the laps of our children and grandchildren.
General Motors is now in the hands of the government and the unions.
The Department of Homeland Security now considers anyone who believes in the 2nd amendment and secure borders (as well as “Disgruntled Military Veterans”) a threat to national security. We are labeled as “right-winged extremists” even though the DHS’s own report states “The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis …has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence…” and “Threats from white supremacist and violent anti-government groups during 2009 have been largely rhetorical…” Guess they don’t like all that rhetoric about the Constitution. To me this report reads like a script from Saturday Night Live. It would actually be funny if it weren’t so real.
The House just passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act which expands existing Federal law to include crimes motivated by “actual or perceived” sexual or gender identity. Think about this for a moment. How do you define perceived? Would a preacher be prosecuted for preaching
I Corinthians 6:9? (Look it up). How do we enforce and investigate “he said, she said” kinds of law? Why are we elevating certain subgroups to specially protected status? Don’t all crimes contain an element of hate? If so, don’t all of us deserve equal protection? I can see legions of people in rainbow-colored t-shirts with the words “Thought Police” emblazoned on the front patrolling our college campuses and churches. Perez Hilton would be proud.
The so-called Fairness Doctrine has reared its ugly head again and is currently before Congress. The irony here of course is that this legislation would not increase our choices and make it easier for us to get various opinions, just the opposite.
Interrogation secrets were released just as BO intends to increase our presence in Afghanistan. That’s like giving your opponent the playbook just before the big game.
And let’s not forget government-run healthcare, parts of which were signed into law in February. According to the Heritage Foundation “…the federal government would amass greater power over the financing and delivery of medical services; it would also determine the benefits and medical procedures that Americans would get and the prices providers are paid for them.” OK. Picture your last trip to the DMV. Was the clerk who helped you smiling? Was anyone smiling? Was your wait over 10 minutes? Did you wait in a comfortable, soothing environment? When my son got his military physical, he described it as “DMV with needles.” That’s what we are in for folks.
Wow, BO has certainly been a busy bee his first 100 days as president. Just imagine what he'll do in the next 1,360 days!
Obama’s budget has created more government debt than the budgets of George Washington through George W. Bush – combined.
His proposed cap and trade energy plan will cost on average between $650 to $2,000 per household annually. Hey, weren’t we supposed to get a tax break if we made less than $250,000 annually? Oh, never mind.
His stimulus bill dumps another $9,400 per household annually of new debt into the laps of our children and grandchildren.
General Motors is now in the hands of the government and the unions.
The Department of Homeland Security now considers anyone who believes in the 2nd amendment and secure borders (as well as “Disgruntled Military Veterans”) a threat to national security. We are labeled as “right-winged extremists” even though the DHS’s own report states “The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis …has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence…” and “Threats from white supremacist and violent anti-government groups during 2009 have been largely rhetorical…” Guess they don’t like all that rhetoric about the Constitution. To me this report reads like a script from Saturday Night Live. It would actually be funny if it weren’t so real.
The House just passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act which expands existing Federal law to include crimes motivated by “actual or perceived” sexual or gender identity. Think about this for a moment. How do you define perceived? Would a preacher be prosecuted for preaching
I Corinthians 6:9? (Look it up). How do we enforce and investigate “he said, she said” kinds of law? Why are we elevating certain subgroups to specially protected status? Don’t all crimes contain an element of hate? If so, don’t all of us deserve equal protection? I can see legions of people in rainbow-colored t-shirts with the words “Thought Police” emblazoned on the front patrolling our college campuses and churches. Perez Hilton would be proud.
The so-called Fairness Doctrine has reared its ugly head again and is currently before Congress. The irony here of course is that this legislation would not increase our choices and make it easier for us to get various opinions, just the opposite.
Interrogation secrets were released just as BO intends to increase our presence in Afghanistan. That’s like giving your opponent the playbook just before the big game.
And let’s not forget government-run healthcare, parts of which were signed into law in February. According to the Heritage Foundation “…the federal government would amass greater power over the financing and delivery of medical services; it would also determine the benefits and medical procedures that Americans would get and the prices providers are paid for them.” OK. Picture your last trip to the DMV. Was the clerk who helped you smiling? Was anyone smiling? Was your wait over 10 minutes? Did you wait in a comfortable, soothing environment? When my son got his military physical, he described it as “DMV with needles.” That’s what we are in for folks.
Wow, BO has certainly been a busy bee his first 100 days as president. Just imagine what he'll do in the next 1,360 days!
4/28/09
Kill the Gopher, Kill the Gopher
Almost every time I turn on the news I hear about some new way in which my government representatives are eroding my civil liberties and pursuit of happiness. It is slow erosion much like the gopher problem we have in the back yard.
First we see a mound of dirt where none existed before. Sometimes there is an opening in the mound into which we drop a “bomb” and cover it up. Smugly we think the problem is solved. Two or three weeks go by with no problem, then one morning the dogs will be sniffing at another new mound of dirt in another part of the yard. They are usually the first to find new gopher activity, our early warning system if you will.
Sometimes we even see the rascal pop his furry little brown head out and laugh at us. So we bomb again, kick down the mound of dirt again, and smugly go about our way again. But this time we are not so sure the problem is solved. So once a month we have our “bug guy” dig up the yard and drop the really noxious gas bombs. This causes the gophers to retreat down the hill outside our yard for about a month until the air clears. Then they come back, destroying my backyard happiness. What we really need is a gopher snake to take care of the problem permanently. Or a ferret. Or a really vicious Jack Russell Terrier.
Our gopher problem reminds me of the American people naively going about their daily lives, complacent in the thought that the Constitution will protect them against government intrusion. But the slow erosion of our rights is happening right now. We wake up one day and see tell-tale mounds of tyranny popping up all over the place. Radio talk show hosts, like our dogs, are usually the first to see things coming down the pike.
When we hear of some outrageous legislation designed to hobble us in some way, we spring into action trying to get as much information as possible. We email our representatives, and come together in protest. But every time the people react, the government just sticks its furry little brown head back under ground until the dust settles and we calm down. Then it pops up again somewhere else with some new piece of outrageous legislation.
W hen our government fails to act in a reasonable manner, it falls to reasonable people to ACT. And we had better act before our rights are totally stripped and we find ourselves in a full-fledged dictatorship. Too bad we can’t find the equivalent of a gopher snake. Better yet, the equivalent of a really vicious Jack Russell Terrier. That would make the nightly news worth watching!
First we see a mound of dirt where none existed before. Sometimes there is an opening in the mound into which we drop a “bomb” and cover it up. Smugly we think the problem is solved. Two or three weeks go by with no problem, then one morning the dogs will be sniffing at another new mound of dirt in another part of the yard. They are usually the first to find new gopher activity, our early warning system if you will.
Sometimes we even see the rascal pop his furry little brown head out and laugh at us. So we bomb again, kick down the mound of dirt again, and smugly go about our way again. But this time we are not so sure the problem is solved. So once a month we have our “bug guy” dig up the yard and drop the really noxious gas bombs. This causes the gophers to retreat down the hill outside our yard for about a month until the air clears. Then they come back, destroying my backyard happiness. What we really need is a gopher snake to take care of the problem permanently. Or a ferret. Or a really vicious Jack Russell Terrier.
Our gopher problem reminds me of the American people naively going about their daily lives, complacent in the thought that the Constitution will protect them against government intrusion. But the slow erosion of our rights is happening right now. We wake up one day and see tell-tale mounds of tyranny popping up all over the place. Radio talk show hosts, like our dogs, are usually the first to see things coming down the pike.
When we hear of some outrageous legislation designed to hobble us in some way, we spring into action trying to get as much information as possible. We email our representatives, and come together in protest. But every time the people react, the government just sticks its furry little brown head back under ground until the dust settles and we calm down. Then it pops up again somewhere else with some new piece of outrageous legislation.
W hen our government fails to act in a reasonable manner, it falls to reasonable people to ACT. And we had better act before our rights are totally stripped and we find ourselves in a full-fledged dictatorship. Too bad we can’t find the equivalent of a gopher snake. Better yet, the equivalent of a really vicious Jack Russell Terrier. That would make the nightly news worth watching!
4/16/09
TEA - Mmm, Mmm, Good
Last night thousands of people in 700 cities across the nation joined in the largest spontaneous protest occurring in my lifetime. This event was historic in scope and nature. It was the most under-reported, misreported gathering EVER. The major theme for these grass-roots-led TEA Parties seemed to be three-fold: people are angry about punitive taxes, which are needed to fuel the; wanton waste and over spending in Washington, which comes about because of; the intrusive power grab by the government into private sector.
I attended one of half a dozen events that took place in San Diego County last night. The significance of protesting taxes on April 15 is obvious. Post offices were the chosen location to make a statement while people filed their tax returns last minute. I got to my local Post Office in Carmel Mountain Ranch a few minutes before the event was scheduled to start. My son and I did a drive by to scope things out. I was shocked to discover only a handful of people huddled against the wall of the Post Office, hidden from the street.
“Why aren’t they down at the street where people can see them?” I asked my son.
“I’m not staying. Everyone’s your age,” he replied.
We got out of the car and walked toward the group. I took a couple of pictures then headed back to the car to ‘observe.’ We saw a friend on his bike taking pictures. It helped to recognize someone I knew. Plus, there were several women by themselves heading down to the street with posters.
“See, you can stay and make friends,” my son remarked.
I hate making friends. In fact I don’t like people much period when I’m alone. (I’m kidding!) I took a deep breath, decided which of my posters to take, then marched myself down to the street to stand with a couple of gals ‘my age’ and about 20 other people. My son drove home in shame. The friend on his bike came by and I asked him to take a picture of me to prove I was there. After about 10 minutes a woman on a bullhorn announced there were more people at the main intersection about a quarter of a block away. That’s where we needed to be for maximum exposure!
The sheer number of participants was incredible! People of all ages lined the street the entire way down. There were large crowds at all four corners of the intersection. (Unfortunately, I got so caught up in the protest I did not take pictures of main crowd.) I was stopped twice by people who wanted to take a picture of my poster which said: ‘Obama’s Plan: Apologize Demonize Socialize - I hope it fails!’ I got a spot right on the corner where people stopped for the light would have to read the sign. Only three people said or did anything negative the whole time. One guy flipped us off, one gave us the thumbs down, and another guy yelled out his window “I’m a Socialist” which cracked us up.
I was there for two and a half hours. Everyone was very quiet, peaceful and smiling. There were a few families with small children, a high school group (which got applause from the crowd as it crossed the street), even a guy from the UK standing next to me who said he was there for the tea. Most of the mail trucks honked at us which got the crowd cheering wildly. A couple of times people were honking so long at the intersection I just laughed.
My gut instinct put the crowd at a thousand. Imagine, a thousand people lining the street peacefully exercising their constitutional right to assembly and free speech. It was a beautiful thing to behold. I’m glad I took part in this historic event while I still have the right to do so.
4/10/09
An Interactive Post
This blog post is interactive and I would like everyone to participate. I am on a quest to catalog interesting words and phrases used only around your home. Every family has a few words or phrases which are used and known only to that family. These can be made-up words or real words in the dictionary which you remember being used in a unique way.
Remember when you were growing up and your mom always said “_________?” Remember how you thought everyone used that word in the same way? And remember how shocked you were when you let the word slip in a sentence and your friend said “What does that mean?” That’s what I’m talking about; the unusual and funny. Not common phrases like “Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” because everyone uses that one. These could be words and phrases originating in a particular region of the country (like Cajun) or from a particular time in history (like the Fifties). I’m talking about words you say to your kids now without thinking.
I’ll give you some examples from my childhood. Please pay attention to how I set this up. When you respond I would like you to set up yours the same way: the word; definition; use it in a sentence; who in your family initiated use of the word; and its possible origin. I want to use this for a future blog. I love studying forms of communication and am especially interested in dialects of speech influenced by region or by time.
OK. Here are three examples from my childhood:
Squinch. The kneading action a cat does with its front paws, usually accompanied by purring and drooling. “The cat is on my lap squinching my belly fat.” I heard my sister use this word all my life and thought it was a real word until I used it in public and discovered my friends had no clue what it meant. I love this word because it is so descriptive and sounds like what it is. I still use this word today.
Shwelk. To eat ones food so fast one cannot enjoy or even taste the food. Mom always used to say, “Don’t shwelk your food so.” Mom was Dutch/German and if you say this word often enough it sounds Germanic in origin. To me it also sounds like the name of a sea creature. I could use it in a children’s poem. “The shwelk and the clam went out play, under the sea one day…”
Good night nurse. An utterance of disgust or dismay when things don’t go as planned. “Good night nurse.” My dad used to say this (among other well chosen words) when he was upset. I have no idea how this phrase came to be used for an expression of disgust. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, what does saying good night to a nurse have to do with bad things happening?
I am looking forward to getting your responses. It should be fun. Just reply to my email alert, and thank you. By the way, Happy Easter! Rejoice in our Risen Savior.
Remember when you were growing up and your mom always said “_________?” Remember how you thought everyone used that word in the same way? And remember how shocked you were when you let the word slip in a sentence and your friend said “What does that mean?” That’s what I’m talking about; the unusual and funny. Not common phrases like “Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” because everyone uses that one. These could be words and phrases originating in a particular region of the country (like Cajun) or from a particular time in history (like the Fifties). I’m talking about words you say to your kids now without thinking.
I’ll give you some examples from my childhood. Please pay attention to how I set this up. When you respond I would like you to set up yours the same way: the word; definition; use it in a sentence; who in your family initiated use of the word; and its possible origin. I want to use this for a future blog. I love studying forms of communication and am especially interested in dialects of speech influenced by region or by time.
OK. Here are three examples from my childhood:
Squinch. The kneading action a cat does with its front paws, usually accompanied by purring and drooling. “The cat is on my lap squinching my belly fat.” I heard my sister use this word all my life and thought it was a real word until I used it in public and discovered my friends had no clue what it meant. I love this word because it is so descriptive and sounds like what it is. I still use this word today.
Shwelk. To eat ones food so fast one cannot enjoy or even taste the food. Mom always used to say, “Don’t shwelk your food so.” Mom was Dutch/German and if you say this word often enough it sounds Germanic in origin. To me it also sounds like the name of a sea creature. I could use it in a children’s poem. “The shwelk and the clam went out play, under the sea one day…”
Good night nurse. An utterance of disgust or dismay when things don’t go as planned. “Good night nurse.” My dad used to say this (among other well chosen words) when he was upset. I have no idea how this phrase came to be used for an expression of disgust. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, what does saying good night to a nurse have to do with bad things happening?
I am looking forward to getting your responses. It should be fun. Just reply to my email alert, and thank you. By the way, Happy Easter! Rejoice in our Risen Savior.
4/4/09
Every Day in Every Way I Am...
I tried to stay away from politics and world events as long as I could. Honestly, I don’t know where to begin. I could start with the day-to-day eroding of the private sector by an administration that is clearly bent on destroying American prosperity. Or how about the embarrassing gaffes committed by BO and his lovely wife in England during the G20 summit? As if touching the Queen uninvited wasn’t bad enough, BO had to go and bow to a Saudi prince - something no American president has done, ever. Did you catch BO’s offhand remark about trying to stay awake in meetings with world leaders who were so alike he “couldn’t tell the difference” between them? BO apologized to the world for America’s behavior then he threw away our sovereignty to win the favor of similarly-minded Marxist world leaders. And while BO’s propaganda machine had us distracted by the buffoonery going on over seas, congress passed a budget with so many dollar signs and zeros I can’t keep them all straight.
I don’t even… I can’t… It’s just… The emotions come so fast they are hard to sort out. Every day in every way I am amazed at the speed with which prophesy is played out before my very eyes. I am profoundly awed by the systematic decay of our culture and the media’s duplicity in promoting that decay. I am dumb-struck by a population which chooses to blindly dismiss warnings of dire consequences for the future. I’m angered over the arrogance with which world leaders worm their way into our private lives.
The United States has a long history of generously helping countries struck by war and disaster. Over the decades we have paid dearly to help less fortunate countries. We have paid with the blood of our beloved sons and fathers. Even in our debt, America is the first to arrive with aid when disaster hits and the last to leave. We are the most prosperous, generous country on earth.
So you can understand why I am aghast every time BO forgets what country he was elected to lead and trashes America before the world. I am infuriated with the flippant way he treats his position. He is seemingly oblivious to the enormous privilege attached to the title ‘President of the United States’. I don’t think my thesaurus has enough adjectives to adequately describe my feelings.
Right about now you are probably wondering if I am capable of seeing the beauty in this world. Of course I am! I know the creator. Everything God made in this world is good. I remind myself that everything happening right now is known to Him and is part of his sovereign plan. How can I not marvel at a wonderful God who gave his Son for us? Oh yes, there is good in this world – as long as the church remains. And while we are still here, I will continue to write about BO as I see fit. Oh! And I will pray for him too. God still works miracles.
I don’t even… I can’t… It’s just… The emotions come so fast they are hard to sort out. Every day in every way I am amazed at the speed with which prophesy is played out before my very eyes. I am profoundly awed by the systematic decay of our culture and the media’s duplicity in promoting that decay. I am dumb-struck by a population which chooses to blindly dismiss warnings of dire consequences for the future. I’m angered over the arrogance with which world leaders worm their way into our private lives.
The United States has a long history of generously helping countries struck by war and disaster. Over the decades we have paid dearly to help less fortunate countries. We have paid with the blood of our beloved sons and fathers. Even in our debt, America is the first to arrive with aid when disaster hits and the last to leave. We are the most prosperous, generous country on earth.
So you can understand why I am aghast every time BO forgets what country he was elected to lead and trashes America before the world. I am infuriated with the flippant way he treats his position. He is seemingly oblivious to the enormous privilege attached to the title ‘President of the United States’. I don’t think my thesaurus has enough adjectives to adequately describe my feelings.
Right about now you are probably wondering if I am capable of seeing the beauty in this world. Of course I am! I know the creator. Everything God made in this world is good. I remind myself that everything happening right now is known to Him and is part of his sovereign plan. How can I not marvel at a wonderful God who gave his Son for us? Oh yes, there is good in this world – as long as the church remains. And while we are still here, I will continue to write about BO as I see fit. Oh! And I will pray for him too. God still works miracles.
4/2/09
Year of Eating Dangerously
As you know, I am on a quest to improve my health and self esteem through diet and exercise. The exercise part is going pretty well because I actually enjoy moving around, especially outdoors. Eating right is tougher for me. I have found there are eating “seasons” which derail my best laid diet plans. I divide the year into seasons based on what kinds of sweets are available.
The first season of the year is the Valentine candy season. Now, I’m also cheap so I usually wait until the day after the holiday when all the candy is 50 percent off. That way, I reason, I can get twice as much for the same price. A good deal, right? The fun part about buying Valentine candy is getting the really enormous heart-shaped box of chocolates. The not so fun part is downing the entire box in a frenzied attempt to destroy the evidence. (Good thing I don’t do that very often.)
Right after that comes Girl Scout cookie season. Curse those diabolical minions of fund raising! If I happen to be lucky enough to escape their door-to-door pitch, they entrap me at the grocery store entrance. “Hi! Would you like to buy a box of Girl Scout cookies?” Who can resist their chirping little voices and their chipper little attitudes? They put the Thin Mints up front on purpose. Like a magnet the box pulls me in a sweeping arc from the grocery store door right up to their little table. I know I shouldn’t blame the little darlings for my own lack of will power. But couldn’t they sell something less detrimental to our health? Like pencils?
The next season is Easter candy season. I love marshmallow Peeps. I am a bit of a Peep snob. To me, a REAL Peep is yellow and bird-shaped. They should not be allowed at any other time of year. And the only other color they should come in is pink. I refuse to eat pumpkin Peeps or Christmas tree Peeps or purple Peeps or any other type of Peep. The original is best. Again, I wait for the candy sale. Last year I found a store selling a box of four for 10 cents. Peep season is right around the corner. (Just say no. Just say no.)
Summertime offers no reprieve from the sweet season diet destroyer. My birthday is in the summer so every year I insist on an ice cream cake. It must have lots of flowers on it in the kind of icing that stains your teeth blue, or purple, or whatever color the flowers are. The saving grace about ice cream cakes is they are usually expensive so we get a small one.
Autumn brings Halloween. While I don’t usually participate in this so-called holiday (my husband’s birthday is on Halloween) I do participate in the after Halloween candy sale. I’m not the only one on a feeding frenzy during this time either. Plenty of other women my age (why is it always women?) are gathered around that display at the grocery store. My favorite sweet is Autumn Mix. I love those little candy pumpkins. I eat them the same way every time – bit off the green stem first then finish off the rest. As with Peeps I’m loyal to one specific brand of this candy.
Christmas brings cookies of every kind which are appropriate to eat only during this time of year. The one cookie no one makes any more are the press cookies, I think they are called “Spritz” cookies. My mom made these a lot and I just loved them. Just about any Christmas cookie is great except for the uninspired varieties like chocolate chip or brownies. Why bother with a cookie you can have any time of year?
There you have my year of eating seasons. I should call it my “year of eating dangerously.” Somehow “year of eating fruits, vegetables, and lean protein” doesn’t appeal to my sense of adventure.
The first season of the year is the Valentine candy season. Now, I’m also cheap so I usually wait until the day after the holiday when all the candy is 50 percent off. That way, I reason, I can get twice as much for the same price. A good deal, right? The fun part about buying Valentine candy is getting the really enormous heart-shaped box of chocolates. The not so fun part is downing the entire box in a frenzied attempt to destroy the evidence. (Good thing I don’t do that very often.)
Right after that comes Girl Scout cookie season. Curse those diabolical minions of fund raising! If I happen to be lucky enough to escape their door-to-door pitch, they entrap me at the grocery store entrance. “Hi! Would you like to buy a box of Girl Scout cookies?” Who can resist their chirping little voices and their chipper little attitudes? They put the Thin Mints up front on purpose. Like a magnet the box pulls me in a sweeping arc from the grocery store door right up to their little table. I know I shouldn’t blame the little darlings for my own lack of will power. But couldn’t they sell something less detrimental to our health? Like pencils?
The next season is Easter candy season. I love marshmallow Peeps. I am a bit of a Peep snob. To me, a REAL Peep is yellow and bird-shaped. They should not be allowed at any other time of year. And the only other color they should come in is pink. I refuse to eat pumpkin Peeps or Christmas tree Peeps or purple Peeps or any other type of Peep. The original is best. Again, I wait for the candy sale. Last year I found a store selling a box of four for 10 cents. Peep season is right around the corner. (Just say no. Just say no.)
Summertime offers no reprieve from the sweet season diet destroyer. My birthday is in the summer so every year I insist on an ice cream cake. It must have lots of flowers on it in the kind of icing that stains your teeth blue, or purple, or whatever color the flowers are. The saving grace about ice cream cakes is they are usually expensive so we get a small one.
Autumn brings Halloween. While I don’t usually participate in this so-called holiday (my husband’s birthday is on Halloween) I do participate in the after Halloween candy sale. I’m not the only one on a feeding frenzy during this time either. Plenty of other women my age (why is it always women?) are gathered around that display at the grocery store. My favorite sweet is Autumn Mix. I love those little candy pumpkins. I eat them the same way every time – bit off the green stem first then finish off the rest. As with Peeps I’m loyal to one specific brand of this candy.
Christmas brings cookies of every kind which are appropriate to eat only during this time of year. The one cookie no one makes any more are the press cookies, I think they are called “Spritz” cookies. My mom made these a lot and I just loved them. Just about any Christmas cookie is great except for the uninspired varieties like chocolate chip or brownies. Why bother with a cookie you can have any time of year?
There you have my year of eating seasons. I should call it my “year of eating dangerously.” Somehow “year of eating fruits, vegetables, and lean protein” doesn’t appeal to my sense of adventure.
3/27/09
A Sporadically Ambitious Plan
After my last blog post a couple people commented to me about my state of mind. One person said I sounded “distressed” and another called me “riled.” Honestly, I’m just having fun! But, I understand not everyone enjoys that type of content all the time. I aim to please. So, I will postpone my blog in which I refer to Obama as “the Spawn of Satan” (c’mon guys, it’s a joke!) and will attempt a kinder, gentler post here.
I have embarked on a sporadically ambitious plan to improve my physical appearance. Ever since injuring my back over a decade ago, I have allowed my body to enter the realm of the three S’s – soft, sagging, and sick. Debilitating pain kept me from physical activity in the beginning, and the fear of pain keeps me from physical activity now. Through the power of prayer, I was healed from the worst of the pain (the doctor called it “spontaneous healing, you just get better on your own”) but I continue to have to move very carefully.
My journey to better health began a couple of years ago when a friend enticed me to go on walks with her around town. I couldn’t keep up with her at first and had to stop frequently. As my stamina improved so did my desire to exercise in earnest. I bought a series of workout DVD’s but made the mistake of thinking I could jump right in. I discovered I was actually too out of shape to really get into the routines which exacerbated my back pain. So I quit.
Luckily I found a community access cable show featuring fitness for seniors. It concentrates on flexibility and stability. A light bulb went off. I needed to increase my flexibility slowly then move into a higher intensity routine.
I started exercising with the seniors. There is one woman on the show who does all her exercises from a chair. She’s the only one who talks back to the much younger hostess. It cracks me up. (Random side note warning!) She also has reddish-purple hair. Why do senior women do that to their hair? My great aunt Eula had a wig that color. Actually, hers was more of an orange hue. I guess it’s better than blue though. Personally, I think a glorious head of natural grey hair is beautiful and I intend to take that route myself.
Anyway, the senior exercises paid off and I was able to pull out the DVD’s and keep up! I lunge and squat my way through the boring music and ignore the hostess who can’t count reps. But there is one drawback hampering my enthusiasm. My knees are killing me! So the other night I was up at three a.m. and I happen to catch a shopping channel. (Very dangerous at three a.m. You aren’t thinking clearly and are very susceptible to buying things). I did it. I bought one of those mini trampoline things. I justify my purchase by claiming it’s just what I need to help ease my knee pain. Please, if you see this item at my next garage sale, don’t say “I told you so.” The trampoline should arrive in the next two weeks. I will let you know how the workouts go, in a kind and gentle way of course.
I have embarked on a sporadically ambitious plan to improve my physical appearance. Ever since injuring my back over a decade ago, I have allowed my body to enter the realm of the three S’s – soft, sagging, and sick. Debilitating pain kept me from physical activity in the beginning, and the fear of pain keeps me from physical activity now. Through the power of prayer, I was healed from the worst of the pain (the doctor called it “spontaneous healing, you just get better on your own”) but I continue to have to move very carefully.
My journey to better health began a couple of years ago when a friend enticed me to go on walks with her around town. I couldn’t keep up with her at first and had to stop frequently. As my stamina improved so did my desire to exercise in earnest. I bought a series of workout DVD’s but made the mistake of thinking I could jump right in. I discovered I was actually too out of shape to really get into the routines which exacerbated my back pain. So I quit.
Luckily I found a community access cable show featuring fitness for seniors. It concentrates on flexibility and stability. A light bulb went off. I needed to increase my flexibility slowly then move into a higher intensity routine.
I started exercising with the seniors. There is one woman on the show who does all her exercises from a chair. She’s the only one who talks back to the much younger hostess. It cracks me up. (Random side note warning!) She also has reddish-purple hair. Why do senior women do that to their hair? My great aunt Eula had a wig that color. Actually, hers was more of an orange hue. I guess it’s better than blue though. Personally, I think a glorious head of natural grey hair is beautiful and I intend to take that route myself.
Anyway, the senior exercises paid off and I was able to pull out the DVD’s and keep up! I lunge and squat my way through the boring music and ignore the hostess who can’t count reps. But there is one drawback hampering my enthusiasm. My knees are killing me! So the other night I was up at three a.m. and I happen to catch a shopping channel. (Very dangerous at three a.m. You aren’t thinking clearly and are very susceptible to buying things). I did it. I bought one of those mini trampoline things. I justify my purchase by claiming it’s just what I need to help ease my knee pain. Please, if you see this item at my next garage sale, don’t say “I told you so.” The trampoline should arrive in the next two weeks. I will let you know how the workouts go, in a kind and gentle way of course.
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