Tuesday, September 28, 2010

somebody shoot me

No not literally. But as stupid as some people are, they would probably take it as an invite. Ok so don't shoot me. But if you would like to take away my chest congestion and cough, please feel free....

So I am perusing Facebook this afternoon and there is a link from one of the conservative groups I "like". It's about a rally at Lucasville, OH this past weekend for Gov. Strickland. According to the video and the notes accompanying it, the vet who was videotaping the rally had hot coffee poured down his back "on accident" and then got flipped off by the guy who did it. Can't honestly remember if that is assault  or battery or a combo of the two, but still yet.....I commented that I hope someone has the balls to turn the dude in and that the vet should file all possible charges against him, maybe something will stick.  Most of the comments are rude, vulgar, abusive and so on.

Is this what we have sunk to? The only way we can converse even in party lines is to be as insulting and rude as possible? I have my moments, but please people, use your brains. You really are more likely to be listened to and your words will carry more weight if well thought out and not of the bathroom variety.

Coming home this morning from work, I heard a song on the radio by Darryl Worley---Keep the Change....he makes his point without all the language. If you want to check it out you can find the link on my facebook page or simply look for it on youtube.I do not know if the link I put was for the official video, but it was a good one.  And it made me think....do we want people in office who refuse to salute the flag? Who try to and succeed in rewriting the Constitution every chance they get? Who demand their rights while denying ours?

My grandpa on my mom's side was dyed in the wool Democrat till the day he died. He would be spinning in his grave over the way the party has bastardized what it used to stand for. It used to be the party of the people, now it is the party of corruption, greed, "I'm here to get whatever I can get and screw you". And the other party isn't any better in a lot of ways.....Pop-paw would be telling the politicians in no uncertain terms, yet like the highly moral man he was, what they could do and needed to do. And it sure wouldn't be what they are up to now.

Do you realize that when the Patriot Act came out there were all sorts of protests against the wiretapping issues and federal eavesdropping on anybody they "suspected" of being or harboring a terrorist? Well, folks, this administration is about to go one better--or maybe two or three.....They want to be able to tap into ALL communications, even like when friends IM each other, or text, or whatever. Why? Well, the answer should be obvious--they want to root out those who don't follow their belief system, whatever that may be. They want us to inform on each other and to not be "seditious" or "treasonous"...or whatever may make their lives more difficult as they seek to reprogram us all.  All I can say to that is fight 'em like hell, and barring that, well, see ya in the pokey........

VOTE NOVEMBER 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

thinking out loud

Number one, it sucks to be brought down by allergies and sinuses when it is still 90 fricking degrees outside. Especially when you have a 4 almost 5 day weekend coming up including an out of town trip and are trying to bust your butt at work to get stuff done before you go...Oh well, sorry, I had to eat 3 more hours of sick time and come home at 1 yesterday, hit the nyquil, and go to bed for 4 hrs. I had called Ron to let him know I would get Shellie off the bus and then take a nap, but he said he would come on home and take care of stuff so I could sleep and try to knock the crap out of this before it turned into a sinus infection or worse...as it tends to do...nice thing is, the kids pretty well take care of themselves anymore--well Shellie still needs guidance and so on or she would be outside playing with the neighbor kids and the dogs that aggravate her seasonal allergies until 10 pm!!! So I didn't have to worry about anything, just rest....thanks guys!!

2nd, if a school system is going to do teacher enrichment or whatever the hell the current excuse is to get out of actually teaching, then at least coordinate the schools...Shellie went in at normal time today, but gets out at noon, while my Ben at the high school went in 3 hrs late and gets home at the normal time.....go figure...so up at 630am to make sure Shellie doesn't wear daisy duke shorts and so on to school, then look at my kitchen and got the cleaning bug...it lasted just long enough for me to rant about how I am the only one who ever does anything around here---patently not true, as my darling husband does his share, but has been concentrating on getting wood in this week , and to get the high schooler to sweep and mop the kitchen floor like I requested he do last Sunday--it's now Thursday....he did a good job though.....

So kitchen is mainly cleaned up--need to clean off top of snack bar and kitchen island, both are catch all's, and vacuum the dining room, but I can tell we have a countertop and dining table now. Load of darks in dryer and towels in washer; oldest son's (the college one) bed is finally put back together and the junk in his floor is now in his chair--sorry Chris but motherly love only goes so far--and most of the stuff I need to take to PA this weekend is in a stack on his bed....quilts and pillows are back in place in the living room, papers gone through and coupons cut out, and papers are now stacked in wood basket next to fireplace to be burned when needed. My quilting area is picked up somewhat. So except for a few minor details, I am done cleaning.

Which leaves me time on my hands to do what? Well I need to hit the grocery store--I am considering giving the Save a Lot in Hamlin a try, just for someplace different. Takes me about as long to get there as it does to WM in Bville, or Kroger......and probably less hassle, as long as I remember to watch the speed limit signs thru W. Hamlin......or I may hit WM or something this evening when I take Ben to his extended TSYO practice in Huntington...and no, I won't shop for anything in Huntington if I can get it elsewhere.....a matter of principle.....

I also need to go thru boxes of papers in the garage and get rid of the junk and make sure we have the important stuff.....but it's such a daunting task, even after all I have trashed the last 4 yrs, there's still a lot left.....

Or I could mess up my quilt area a little more.....hmmmmm......

I'll let you know who wins.....:)

Thursday, September 09, 2010

can't believe it....

Did I actually hear on 880 AM WCBS this morning that Hillary Clinton actually said we should send special forces inside Mexico to do something about the drug cartels, etc? Well besides the fact that I think it would be the equivalent of declaring war, I had to at least momentarily agree.....I mean Mexico is supposedly sending its army in to the US after those they think are criminals.....personally I'd blast them out of the water---call 'em an invading army.....

But to reality, I know I got the last info off the 'net, so God only knows where it came from, but the one who sent me the link is pretty trustworthy....so gotta figure there's something there, anyway...

To a weightier issue......the preacher in Florida, I think, who is burning the Koran in some huge public spectacle.....really? What would you think about the Bible being burned in such a way? Ok, yeah, you're probably used to that if you're a Christian, because people have been burning it for the last 2000 years...has anyone actually stopped to read any of the Koran? Now I have to admit I haven't, but the majority of Muslims (granted not many) I have run across in my adult life haven't seemed to be burn'emkill'em extremists....come to think of it, neither have the majority of Christians or Jews....most really just want to be let to live their lives....am I missing something?

Because it seems to me that violence can beget violence.....honestly have to agree with the sound bite from our, sigh, president today that this act could increase terrorist activity--could be a great recruitment tool..now whether it was a warning or a call to arms, who knows? Guess you have to pick your sides....

Book burning never made me want to say "oh that must have been bad, that's why they burned it" and the same with groups wanting to ban movies and so on....in the first place, it's weak to say it's for the kids, that the kids shouldn't be exposed to such stuff..ok number one, it is the PARENT'S place to shield their kids from things they deem to be harmful....do your job....

Second, I distinctly remember a little movie back in oh 1989 or so, called something along the lines of "the last testament of Jesus Christ" starring Willem Dafoe as Christ.....church groups all over the country were up in arms as to the content, screaming for it to be banned and for people not to go see it.....yeah, maybe some had real good intentions.....but in the end, all that happened was a movie that would probably have been pulled from the theaters on it's own for low revenue ended up being a lot bigger just b/c of the attention given it. So is that going to happen with the Koran in this situation.....?

Third, extremists on both sides of the issue--and this applies to nearly any issue----are the ones who keep trying to ramp up the fury....the majority of persons simply want to be left alone to live as they see fit. I object to abortion clinic bombings in the name of the Lord as much as I object to Muslim extemists driving planes into buildings...neither are true symbols of what each faith is truly about.

Don't get me wrong....I am not by nature a very tolerant person, but live and let live does seem better the older I get....my not condoning an action or lifestyle has nothing to do with that person's individual choice. It is simply based on my belief system and what I value. And I value life. I may not agree with those who seek abortions, but I definitely do not agree with those who push their point by killing doctors who perform these procedures. I may not agree with the greed that permeates Wall Street, but I sure do not agree with the viewpoint that led several people to pilot planes into the Twin Towers....Not agreeing with one viewpoint does not necessarily mean I fall in line with another. Nor does it for most people.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

just thinking

And that can be dangerous....

At any rate, the Pres and family are taking their umpteenth vacation at taxpayer expense.....yeah guys even if they use their own money, which you know they are not, for their lodging and stuff, you still have Secret Service bandidos running around them and we pay for that......and I'm wondering seriously how they justify it. I get 4 paid vacations per year---now that means I get paid not to be there for 40 hrs each week I am on vacation. It doesn't mean that my company pays for all I do and everywhere I go on top of that. I get those 4 weeks a year by virtue of the fact that I have worked for my company for over 10 years. And generally those vacations are working ones anyway...only working at home cleaning and running for the kids---literally 2 1/2 of those weeks this year at least were spent on the run getting oldest son ready for college or for his graduation party and so on......love my son, and in 2 years we do it all again for the other son...but some of those days I have to admit I 'd rather have been at work....yeah just kidding...

But my point is, the economy is tanking, our nation's security is at high risk, and he gallivants off to Cape Cod or wherever this time like he hasn't a care in the world.......

The next thing I wonder about is why businesses, at least I assume it's some kind of business, even if it's monkey business, refuse to follow federal direction and provide a number to be displayed on one's caller ID.....I think they are supposed to, but the last 3 mornings--and I'm waiting for it to happen again today---we have received a call from unknown caller---no message, no person on other end when it's picked up.....so I'm pretty sure call is not for legitimate purposes......unknown called around 2:30 or so yesterday too...again no message......if you are legit, leave a message, provide a number on the ID'er....or if you are really legit, call my cell phone, b/c most places I do regular business with have that number....and if you are a political candidate, don't bother calling unless it is you personally on the other end of the line, NOT a recording...Don't care which party you are....I vote my conscience so party affiliation really doesn't matter to me beyond giving me a general idea what you might stand for.....and even that is iffy in a lot of cases...

The mornings are turning colder, as are the later evenings......I do not have to run the AC in the car on my way home at night now....and while I welcome the cooler temps, I know it means we are just that much closer to stupid season.....and people are already stupid.....cannot read signs, cannot read ad papers, and refuse to look for anything themselves....yes I work there but that doesn't mean I am your personal shopper.....pay me 50G a year plus provide health care benefits and I will happily quit my current job and shop for you. Otherwise do not demand an hour of my time to find the perfect leash to tie Fluffy up with or tie up my phone lines at work demanding to know what I carry in the way of window plastic and do I think one package will cover your windows...Heck I don't know what size your windows are or how many you have, so measure them, know what you need size-wise and come into the store and get what you need......

Also, do not expect an item that appeared in our ad on Sunday to still be available late Friday evening....chances are excellent that if it is an electronic item or similar that it will be gone by noon on Sunday......and don't bitch me out b/c you were too lazy to haul your butt out of bed on Sunday morning to get to the store.....I had to, missing church and family functions just to be there on a Sunday, so you can haul your lazy rear out too......

I don't know about where you live, but around here we have a bad case of not wanting to drive on our own side of the road...I don't know how many times lately I have asked my passengers if we are driving in England, b/c some idiot in the oncoming lane decides to take over half of my lane on a hill, in a blind curve, middle of the day when I don't even have their headlights to warn me of oncoming traffic.......

They fall into the same group as those who, on a gorgeous sunny day, decide the 55 mph speed limit does not apply to them. I don't mean the tailgaters and speed nuts either.....I mean we have a bad case of see how SLOW we can go....I have literally followed people going 30 and 35 in a 55 zone......no foul weather, nothing on the road, nothing in front of them holding them back.....they're just idiots......sigh....

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Ok, now I'm HOT!!!!!

And I don't mean in a good way either....

Cabell County (WV) schools have decided to remove all the swing sets at all the elementary schools in the county. Why? Because of lawsuits. Because someone's kid showed off and fell off a swing and got hurt. Because no one takes responsibility for their own actions anymore.

I'm not a hard-ass. I don't like seeing anyone, especially kids, get hurt. I sincerely hope that the child has no permanent damage from his/her fall. But I equally dislike the use of the court system and lawsuits just because "my baby got a boo-boo." Teach your kid to keep their hands on the chains of the swing. Teach them to not swing superhigh just to show off. Teach them not to do flips and somersaults on the playground equipment--yes my daughter I am talking to you!!

But at least my daughter knows if after the warnings and the orders to cease and desist the inappropriate behavior, she continues and gets hurt...it's her fault....and she is liable to get punished on top of the boo boo just for being stupid. They have to learn...and no I am not saying I would beat her where she got hurt--I'm talking about no playground time or being grounded mostly....maybe a swat on the butt, but a discipline befitting the behavior......and why am I even trying to justify the fact that she would be disciplined for disobeying? (answer--b/c some dumbass out there will totally believe I would abuse my child for being stupid.....that's how dumbasses think).

If, and this is a big if, the teachers on playground duty were completely negligent in their duty, or if the swings were not kept in repair---by the way, from what I've seen, they are in better shape than mine at home, and my child plays on them all the time--- You know that would be a different story. But showing off to friends and getting hurt in the process? Bust their behinds and take away the privilege of playing on the swings or other equipment with their friends.

Teach your child personal responsibility. Big catch-phrase with me...My kids hear it all the time. Teach them to think 3 steps ahead. Teach them--and show them---that there are consequences for their actions. Some are minor and some are major. Sometimes it's worth a bandaid or even an ER trip to drive the point home.

Our school system is not the only one in the country taking the action of removing playground equipment. Parents and lawyers who are sue happy over the slightest thing are at fault. Courts and judges who continue to allow such lawsuits to clog up their dockets are also at fault. What's next? Should I recollect all the skinned knees and bruises my kids have come home from school with over the years and sue the schools? How about suing because the cafeteria food sucks and my kid won't eat it? Here's one for you-----I could sue the school board for starting school early enough in the day that my son has to stand out next to a main road, heavily traveled, in the dark and wait to catch the school bus in the mornings. I think I'll sue because he got a B instead of an A on a test. Give me a break.

Go home and grow up.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

first day of school

Kids at school for the first day of the new school year....buses ran on time, no quarrelling or whining from either kid. Waiting to see what homework I have to do tonight..

Getting child number one ready to leave for college in PA tomorrow...several errands waiting to be run, also waiting on paycheck to come in at work.....LOL.....

My youngest is excited for school because she has a lot of friends in her class, and she has a new teacher who seems excited to be there. She also noticed that one wall above the lockers has a huge picture of the solar system and the front wall above the "chalkboard" has posters with the duties of the 3 branches of govt on them....she hears a lot of talk about our govt around here, and she is excited to think that she might be learning some more about it......

I think my younger son, the junior in high school, is just ready to be back in school....he didn't get a lot of break this summer, with 3 books to read for AP English 11......at least now that is over and he can get back to normal....

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

long time no see lots to say

There's so much to say I don't even know where to begin.....hell in a handbasket does not even begin to cover where this country is headed....So this will probably be a little more random than I would like, but here goes....

Obama wants those who blog against him or talk against him to be monitored, at the very least....umm no. Free speech and all that.....Wonder if he heard of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution......Haven't seen anyone yet who is advocating a violent overthrow of the govt, or trying to scare people by yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater......if they are out there, they are not on my radar....or maybe I just tend to avoid the total nutcases, but I don't believe stating the opinion that this administration is totally screwed up, has no idea of the priorities of the American people, and should be voted out constitutes dangerous and treasonous speech......Obama can go suck an egg on this one....

The Republican party vs the Tea Party.......I have several thoughts on this one, but first and foremost, I am neither. Nor am I a Democrat.....I AM an independent, only registered to vote as a Republican in this state b/c the darn Dems have run it into the ground and that's one of the ways I protest....I think all parties need to pull their heads out of their arses and really take a good look at what they have done to this country, with the help, of course, of the apathetic American voter/nonvoter......we need to concentrate on securing our borders, north and south (sorry Canada, but hey...), deporting ANY illegal alien, knocking the illegals and the drug users/pushers OFF the taxpayer funded welfare rolls, downsizing our govt---sorry folks, big daddy govt is not the solution to your daily ills....and so on.....

Oh yeah, and we need to tell the rest of the world (yes this means you Hugo Chavez and the like)to shove off and go suck their thumbs if they don't like it. We are America.

And we need to make voting not just a right or a privilege, but a duty.....I view it as such...That's the mindset I was raised with. When you become of legal voting age, you have the civic duty, the civic responsibility, to register to vote and to exercise the vote. You must be informed of the issues and the candidates; you must have learned the history (and you would if the teachers were allowed to and actually did teach the subject of history instead of just what the standardized test of choice has on it), and then vote, based on your knowledge, your conscience, and what you feel to be the best choice.

Next on my laundry list--and I know some will not agree with this--is we have the right to defend ourselves. If that means keeping firearms, then so be it. We must be able to defend ourselves against all comers, and that includes our own govt. The first thing any invading army does when it is victorious against its opponent is to confiscate all weapons from the defeated. Hmmm, now does the antigun policy of this govt make sense to you? I don't expect everyone to agree, we all have our views. And I have wavered back and forth on this one for years, but the way things are going in this nation, I do not feel safe anymore. And not saying a gun would make me feel any safer personally, but I can sure see why people would feel this way. And it is their right.

And since school is starting, let me knock a few things around in that arena. Teachers are to be held accountable for doing their job and doing it correctly. That means actually teaching the subject they have been hired to teach. Not to take class period after class period to bitch about politics, or their love life, or how their cell phone is so much fun to use, or whatever. Or to show movies day after day and claim it has relevance to the subject. I've seen and heard it all in the four years my oldest son was at the local high school. And more in the 4 yrs my oldest stepdaughter was there...and I'm sure in the next two years, while the next two are completing their studies there, I will hear more that just irks my butt....

Life is more than what appears on the WESTEST or whatever test your area uses.....kids need to learn more history than just the "important" stuff like Lincoln was the 16th Pres. Who preceded him and why was he important? By the way it was James Buchanan, and he presided over the final schism b/w north and south. Not to mention those who came before him and the parts they played in the beginning of the Civil War......but high school graduates don't know that b/c they were only taught Lincoln and Washington and Jefferson and so on......kids need to know how to spell and proper grammar and that one plus one equals two, not whatever they feel like answering. And I don't care if you were raised in the finest home in the whitest suburb or in the most squalid area of the blackest ghetto.....you need to learn this stuff. You need to know that "what up dog" is not an appropriate greeting when you go to a job interview. I have turned down more applicants for jobs b/c of the way they present themselves, and yes proper speech is part of it....Heck, If I cannot understand you, then my customers won't either. I can speak and write with perfectly proper grammar when the situation requires...That's all I ask.....if you want to talk ghetto or redneck or gangster with your group of buddies, fine....but the real world outside of that little group requires more.

Kids need to learn geography, where and what we are in relation to those around us. I've seen adults who couldn't place Canada on the map, even when told it is north of the USA.....but geography is a forgotten subject in schools, beyond the most basic of facts, when they are even taught. I traveled all over the western half of the country as a child, on family trips. I can read a map, get you back to the main road, and get myself out of being lost b/c I know north from south and east from west, and the basic geography of each state. When I move into an area, the first thing I do is get a map and drive. That way I know the layout of the area and how to get from A to B. I know people that have lived in the same place all their lives and can't find their way around their own city.....sad.

Lots more to come, but need to get family moving for the day.....