Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Illegal Immigration
Yep, it's another rant. Feel free not to read. I just don't understand how there is such a push for amnesty for illegal immigrants. I can completely understand why people want to live here. Good on you. Now do it legally please. Good old idiot President Obama keeps on saying he's sure that we can understand because just a few generations ago we were in the same place. Yeah, not so much. I don't know about you but I can trace my families entry into the country on both sides and assure you that it was done legally.
Why is it that the country should absorb so many people that don't have even basic respect for our laws? It's not as though the US has stopped legal immigration. Want in? OK, fill out these 3289 forms and wait your turn. Easy peasy.
My next rant dealing with this is how liberals can be aghast at the idea of deporting illegal immigrants. Especially those who have lived here for years and years and years. OK so let me get this just because you've been here illegally for a LONG time you have squatters rights? No, I don't think so.
Maybe I should have done this at the beginning. Let's look at a few definitions.
/iˈlēgəl/
Adjective
Contrary to or forbidden by law, esp. criminal law: "illegal drugs".
Noun
An illegal immigrant.
Synonyms
unlawful - illicit - illegitimate - lawless - wrong
illegal immigrant n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa. (See: alien)
You have NO rights. You do not have permission to be here whether it's been for 5 minutes or 50 years. Again, I say go about it legally and then welcome aboard!
Part of the problem is the practice of granting citizenship to babies born here. I know that this is probably going to piss off people but if your parents aren't legal why should you be? Did anyone catch the article on birthing hotels the other day? This practice is just inviting illegal immigrant females to have children here. So nip it in the bud please.
Just a few things I found on Illegal Immigration. Most have sources.
Illegal Immigration Facts & Statistics
• "In October 2008, the illegal immigrant population stood at 11.9 million according to the Pew Hispanic Center (NumbersUSA).
• "There are approximately 7.7 million illegal aliens employed in U.S. jobs in 2008." (NumbersUSA).
• "A 1997 study by the American Academy of Sciences found that the cheap labor of illegal immigrants and poor immigrants caused a 44% decrease in wages among the poorest Americans from 1980 to 1994." (Center for Immigration Studies).
• "Amnesty for illegal immigrants will cause costs to increase significantly from $10.4 billion a year to $28.8 billion. This is because an amnesty program would transform an illegal immigrant to an "unskilled immigrant with legal status" who could access various government programs. However, due to low income, these "unskilled immigrants with legal status" would likely make very modest tax payments." (Center for Immigration Studies).
• "Tax payments in illegal households are only 28% of other households primarily due to much lower levels in education, which subsequently results in low incomes and even lower tax payments."
(Center for Immigration Studies).
• " Illegal immigrants collectively represent a group that is a significant menace to the public. 80% have committed serious crimes in addition to immigration violations, and 40% have violent crime histories." (Center for Immigration Studies).
http://www.endillegalimmigration.com/Illegal_Immigration_Facts_&_Statistics/index.shtml
Love this letter from Senator Grassley of Iowa. Wish we had more politicians like him!
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/about/No-Back-Door-Amnesty-for-Illegal-Immigrants.cfm
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative research and educational institute, in its MyHeritage.org website "Immigration" section, (accessed Oct. 3, 2007), offered the following:
"Do not grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Regardless of the penalties imposed, any program that grants individuals who are unlawfully present the legal permission to remain here rewards illegal behavior and is unfair to those who obey the law and go through the regula¬tory and administrative requirements to enter the country legally. Those who enter the United States illegally should not be rewarded with permanent legal status or other such benefits, and they should be penalized in any road to citizenship. Those who enter and remain in the country illegally are violating the law, and condoning or encouraging such violations increases the likelihood of further illegal conduct. The only fair way to resolve this problem is to insist that individuals currently in the country who have violated immigration statutes leave and then apply for admission through legal means."
A very current Heritage Foundation piece on Illegal immigration. (as in from this morning)
Morning Bell: Heritage Statement on Immigration
Amy Payne January 30, 2013 at 7:54 am
The Heritage Foundation has released the following statement:
America’s heritage of immigration has fueled our nation’s strength and diversity, yet our immigration system has become so politicized and dysfunctional that it causes untold personal tragedies, strains the fiscal capacity of public services in many states, and prevents many from pursuing the American Dream. Complex, comprehensive legislation based on back-room deals never works, and the Senate immigration proposal announced this week and echoed yesterday by President Obama—to the extent that it repeats the mistakes of the past—will further polarize Americans, fail to solve the real policy problems, and make matters worse.
Immigrants come to our country for freedom and economic opportunity. We are concerned that many aspects of the framework for comprehensive reform will undermine the very foundations that make for America’s exceptional success. Policymakers should refrain from committing to such broad statements before the actual legislative language is available for public review. A proposal that would grant individuals who are in this country illegally a pathway to citizenship violates the rule of law and is unfair to those who have obeyed our immigration laws.
The Heritage Foundation believes that America’s immigration system must be reformed through an open and public step-by-step, problem-solving approach that unites Americans and creates a system that welcomes immigrants, protects our sovereignty, encourages assimilation, and expands opportunities for everyone. Once such common-sense reforms are in place and working, lawmakers can determine how to respond in a fair, compassionate, and constitutional way to those who have come to our country illegally.
http://www.illegalimmigrationstatistics.org/illegal-immigration-a-113-billion-a-year-drain-on-u-s-taxpayers/
A study released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that illegal immigration now costs federal and local taxpayers $113 billion a yearAmong the key findings of The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers:
• The $113 billion in outlays for services and benefits to illegal aliens and their families represents an average cost to native-headed households of $1,117 a year. Because the burdens of illegal immigration are not evenly distributed, the costs are much higher in states with large illegal alien populations.
• Education for the children of illegal aliens represents the single largest public expenditure at an annual cost of $52 billion. Nearly all of that cost is absorbed by state and local governments.
• The federal government recoups about one-third of its share of the costs of illegal immigration in the form of taxes collected. States, which bear a much greater share of the costs, recoup a mere 5 percent of their expenditures from taxes paid by illegal aliens.
• Granting amnesty to illegal aliens, as President Obama and others propose, would not significantly increase tax revenues generated by current illegal aliens. However, over time, amnesty would dramatically increase public costs as newly-legalized aliens become eligible for all means-tested government programs.
In closing what this people have done is illegal and I see no reason to reward that. Also, the financial ramifications are something this country cannot deal with at this time. Our country is in such a precarious place right now. It isn't all financial by any means. We have a president who thinks he can do whatever he pleases and apparently doesn't know what the Constitution is let alone how to uphold it. That said there are huge financial ramifications here. Obamacare is going to be a huge financial drain on the country and granting amnesty to this many illegal immigrants will most definitely drive this country into complete financial ruin.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Is it naptime yet?
I had a few different things I thought I'd do for tonights post but frankly I'm TIRED. Not just a bit but drag out knock down tired. My insomnia seems to be rearing its ugly head again. I've been getting a ton of laundry washed but I'd rather have the sleep! This morning I was so tired I actually slept through the alarm going off for more than 15 minutes. It did not make for a calm morning. After getting PB off to school I went to babysit my nephews for a bit. I haven't seen the boys in a couple of weeks since they both had the flu. Tyler is doing great and went back to school today. Luke on the other hand managed to get an ear infection so he's still a pretty miserable little boy. He just wanted to be held and read or sung to. Poor baby. I was looking at Luke today and just once again amazed at how much of my sister is him and and virtually none of his father as far as resemblance.
After hanging with the boys for a few hours I did a few errands and came home. It always makes me nervous to get home and have 4 new messages. I always worry about something having happened to Princess Bear (PB). As it turned out all was just dandy. I got the house cleaned up and sat down with the Baker Creek seed catalog that came today. I really can't wait for it to warm up!!! Then it came down to should I a) sleep b) get the gel polish off and redo the mani or c) blog. It's pretty obviously which one won out. I just don't have it in me to deal with removing the gel polish right now. I love it for what it does but removal is a complete PITA.
PB also got her new glasses today. She's thrilled with them but having a tough time getting used to them. I don't remember having an issue when I first started wearing glasses but that was back in the day. I do need to get a new pair of glasses and my contacts are fried. PB thinks I should get violet contacts. Ummmm- no thanks!
So now that I've filled you in on my ever so exciting day I'm going to go and try to fall asleep one more time. dobranoc
After hanging with the boys for a few hours I did a few errands and came home. It always makes me nervous to get home and have 4 new messages. I always worry about something having happened to Princess Bear (PB). As it turned out all was just dandy. I got the house cleaned up and sat down with the Baker Creek seed catalog that came today. I really can't wait for it to warm up!!! Then it came down to should I a) sleep b) get the gel polish off and redo the mani or c) blog. It's pretty obviously which one won out. I just don't have it in me to deal with removing the gel polish right now. I love it for what it does but removal is a complete PITA.
PB also got her new glasses today. She's thrilled with them but having a tough time getting used to them. I don't remember having an issue when I first started wearing glasses but that was back in the day. I do need to get a new pair of glasses and my contacts are fried. PB thinks I should get violet contacts. Ummmm- no thanks!
So now that I've filled you in on my ever so exciting day I'm going to go and try to fall asleep one more time. dobranoc
Saturday, January 26, 2013
G-d is good!
Princess Bear (PB) had an appointment with her opthamologist today. She has been seeing the opthamologist every 3 months since she was born. We've done patching. We've done eye drops to dilate one eye when patching was working. We've just let thinks ride for awhile. After it was decided on our Shriners visit last month that PB would not have any more surgeries on her skull the opthamologist was supposed to have his turn at the plate so to speak. PB started wearing glasses when she was a few months old. Vision was corrected. Then there was a large loss of vision in her left eye. Her eyes also focus independently of each other. Her left eye tends to drift when she's tired. Dr. Steve (the opthamologist that we've been going to since PB was 2 1/2 years old) had always said that surgery to straighten PB's eyes would be necessary when the surgeries were done on her skull. So I went into today's appointment with some dread. Dr. Steve's wife was explaining the surgery to me and the aftercare. The surgery is outpatient and she didn't think PB would even have to do a 23 hour observation even with the Gilbert's syndrome. The week after surgery is filled with various eye drops & ointments and minimal bathing. The kids usually only take the day of and the day after surgery off. The more Pam explained things to me the better I was feeling about the situation. The only precaution she thought would be necessary is having the surgery done at the Children's hospital instead of the outpatient center since PB has a hard time being put under anesthesia.
Today was also dilation day for PB. PB has very, very dark brown eyes. For that reason sometimes the regular amount of drops used for dilation are enough to dilate PB's eyes. So these appointments tend to be very long. PB is also one of those kids that has never let diminished vision slow her down. It's almost funny to watch. Today was a really great day in that the basic amount of drops dilated her eyes completely. Dr. Steve came in to check on things and was very pleased with how her eyes looked. Her right eye is 20/20 and her left is 20/60. Considering at one point she was almost completely blind in her left eye this is some pretty good news. The vision fluctuated for several years in the left eye but has been pretty constant for the past year and a half. That was with and without atropine. I hated using the atropine on her because the school never monitored her very well.
Dr. Steve had always said that the threshold to regain sight in the left eye was running out. 12 is the absolute latest. So I went into todays appointment thinking that we'd be scheduling the surgery to straighten her eyes and then spending the next 2 years doing atropine to gain as much sight as possible. The surgery in the most basic terms is the Dr. literally unattaching all the muscles that hold the eye in place, realigning the eye and reattaching all the muscles. Dr. Steve has been preparing me for this since PB was 2 1/2. Today Dr. Steve spend a lot of time trying to track how PB's eyes were focusing and when the left eye would drift. Her right eye is perfectly aligned. Her left eye does not focus until her right eye has focused. That means the vision of her right eye is very important. If she were to lose vision in the right eye she would essentially be blind. After watching PB's eyes for a pretty long time Dr. Steve turned to me and said "I don't want to do surgery. The right eye is focusing perfectly. The left falls into place quickly and we've lost the game on recouping any more eyesight. What do you think?" Um, lets see...no surgery? I'm cool with that! Dr. Steve then has to explain that protecting PB's right eye is of utmost importance. She hurts that eye she's in a world of trouble since the left eye won't focus until the right eye does. He decides that she needs to wear glasses for basic protection. He then kind of scared the heck out of me explaining if PB is ever hit in the eye, scratches it or has any issue whatsoever we need to get to the office that day. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. He said that he'd rather check and tell us all is well and to get the heck out of the office rather than have me wait a few days and then have some damage that can't be corrected. So he wrote out the script for the glasses for PB and said that he didn't need to see us until July and then once a year after that as long as everything was fine. We've been going every 3 months. I'm still wrapping my head around all this great news!
We left the office and PB was so excited that she was going to be wearing glasses again. She has broken my glasses pretending they were for her. She decided she wanted her grandfather to help her pick out her new glasses. Now I love my dad but he's never been a fashion maven. I knew because PB's eyes are pretty widespread and the issue of her nose being wide put flatter would make it somewhat challenging to get glasses. My mom showed PB some Hello Kitty glasses that PB instantly fell in love with. Unfortunately the person helping us said that because of the way PB's nose is shaped that plastic frames are never the best choice for her. All of the Hello Kitty frames are plastic. Damn the luck! PB was mollified with the idea of getting purple frames. The guy that helped us couldn't have been any nicer. We tried on so many frames. He came through with a pair for purple frames that we're going to break the bank. When all was said and done her glasses cost about $35. Not too bad.
So I am a very happy mom and grateful for the lucky start that my daughter seems to sail under!
Today was also dilation day for PB. PB has very, very dark brown eyes. For that reason sometimes the regular amount of drops used for dilation are enough to dilate PB's eyes. So these appointments tend to be very long. PB is also one of those kids that has never let diminished vision slow her down. It's almost funny to watch. Today was a really great day in that the basic amount of drops dilated her eyes completely. Dr. Steve came in to check on things and was very pleased with how her eyes looked. Her right eye is 20/20 and her left is 20/60. Considering at one point she was almost completely blind in her left eye this is some pretty good news. The vision fluctuated for several years in the left eye but has been pretty constant for the past year and a half. That was with and without atropine. I hated using the atropine on her because the school never monitored her very well.
Dr. Steve had always said that the threshold to regain sight in the left eye was running out. 12 is the absolute latest. So I went into todays appointment thinking that we'd be scheduling the surgery to straighten her eyes and then spending the next 2 years doing atropine to gain as much sight as possible. The surgery in the most basic terms is the Dr. literally unattaching all the muscles that hold the eye in place, realigning the eye and reattaching all the muscles. Dr. Steve has been preparing me for this since PB was 2 1/2. Today Dr. Steve spend a lot of time trying to track how PB's eyes were focusing and when the left eye would drift. Her right eye is perfectly aligned. Her left eye does not focus until her right eye has focused. That means the vision of her right eye is very important. If she were to lose vision in the right eye she would essentially be blind. After watching PB's eyes for a pretty long time Dr. Steve turned to me and said "I don't want to do surgery. The right eye is focusing perfectly. The left falls into place quickly and we've lost the game on recouping any more eyesight. What do you think?" Um, lets see...no surgery? I'm cool with that! Dr. Steve then has to explain that protecting PB's right eye is of utmost importance. She hurts that eye she's in a world of trouble since the left eye won't focus until the right eye does. He decides that she needs to wear glasses for basic protection. He then kind of scared the heck out of me explaining if PB is ever hit in the eye, scratches it or has any issue whatsoever we need to get to the office that day. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. He said that he'd rather check and tell us all is well and to get the heck out of the office rather than have me wait a few days and then have some damage that can't be corrected. So he wrote out the script for the glasses for PB and said that he didn't need to see us until July and then once a year after that as long as everything was fine. We've been going every 3 months. I'm still wrapping my head around all this great news!
We left the office and PB was so excited that she was going to be wearing glasses again. She has broken my glasses pretending they were for her. She decided she wanted her grandfather to help her pick out her new glasses. Now I love my dad but he's never been a fashion maven. I knew because PB's eyes are pretty widespread and the issue of her nose being wide put flatter would make it somewhat challenging to get glasses. My mom showed PB some Hello Kitty glasses that PB instantly fell in love with. Unfortunately the person helping us said that because of the way PB's nose is shaped that plastic frames are never the best choice for her. All of the Hello Kitty frames are plastic. Damn the luck! PB was mollified with the idea of getting purple frames. The guy that helped us couldn't have been any nicer. We tried on so many frames. He came through with a pair for purple frames that we're going to break the bank. When all was said and done her glasses cost about $35. Not too bad.
So I am a very happy mom and grateful for the lucky start that my daughter seems to sail under!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Eeeeeh gads! What have I done??!!!??
My beloved little daughter, Princess Bear (PB), has become a full on Farm Kings fanatic. I'm not talking about just a little. It's big time. She loves Pete. She really really likes Tim. Ok, I really don't remember being boy crazy or crushing on TV guys until I was older. 8th grade or freshman year (I think). First it was Kirk Cameron but he was quickly replaced by River Phoenix. Ok, now that I've really dated myself here back to the story. Over the weekend we were serious bums and did a lot of chilling since PB was running a temp and we were stuck inside. There is only so much water color painting, reading or game playing I can persuade her to do. So the first thing was she wanted to go online and look for pictures of Pete. Seriously????? Then she wanted to print one to put in her fun book (a book of pics of things she likes that has been previously filled with things like piglets, otters and dolphins). Then she wanted to watch all the Farm King episodes. Please bear in mind that she spent the 2 days after Christmas watching the Farm Kings episode on GAC.
She also decided it's time to start planning her birthday party. Hmmm, little one your birthday is in June. You're kind of jumping the gun on this one. She starts telling me what themes she wants to go with and who she wants to invite. First she wants a Princess theme. Ok boring since you did it last year but ok. Then she decides that she wants to revisit the horse theme from 2 years ago. On third thought lets go with unicorns. This is why I never take any theme seriously until 6 weeks before her birthday. I'm not spending money I don't have on party supplies just to have her change her mind. The she looks at me super excited and screams "I want to have a Farm King birthday party and invite all the Kings. Lets play football with them too!" So I try the rational approach for shooting this down first. I tell her that while the Farm Kings are pretty cool they have not reached the elevated status of having a birthday party line of their own yet. She then reminds me of the custom print plates she saw online last year. Yes I am serious- couldn't make it up if I tried. I also explain that there is no way on G-d's green earth that the King Family is going to make a 9 or 10 hour trip to Illinois for her birthday. She then tells me that she'll ask very politely and really practice her handwriting before sending them a letter.
At this point I'm getting desperate. I need to find a theme to get her off this Farm Kings kick. Princess Bear loves fairies and she has a fairy garden all her own that the fairies visit all year (sans winter when they vacation of course) and leave her little gifts. I find a flower fairy party at Chasing Fireflies. Now if you're not familiar with Chasing Fireflies it is an absolutely incredible catalog of kids stuff. Mostly clothes but some toys and things like party sets. The only downside to Chasing Fireflies is that they are a bit pricey. At least for where I'm at in my life. She still occasionally gets things from there though and we love looking through the catalog. So being the really nice mommy I am I figure that if she'll go for this Flower Fairy theme that I'll sell plasma or something but I'll make it happen. Here are a couple of pics of things from the Flower Fairy birthday set.
She also decided it's time to start planning her birthday party. Hmmm, little one your birthday is in June. You're kind of jumping the gun on this one. She starts telling me what themes she wants to go with and who she wants to invite. First she wants a Princess theme. Ok boring since you did it last year but ok. Then she decides that she wants to revisit the horse theme from 2 years ago. On third thought lets go with unicorns. This is why I never take any theme seriously until 6 weeks before her birthday. I'm not spending money I don't have on party supplies just to have her change her mind. The she looks at me super excited and screams "I want to have a Farm King birthday party and invite all the Kings. Lets play football with them too!" So I try the rational approach for shooting this down first. I tell her that while the Farm Kings are pretty cool they have not reached the elevated status of having a birthday party line of their own yet. She then reminds me of the custom print plates she saw online last year. Yes I am serious- couldn't make it up if I tried. I also explain that there is no way on G-d's green earth that the King Family is going to make a 9 or 10 hour trip to Illinois for her birthday. She then tells me that she'll ask very politely and really practice her handwriting before sending them a letter.
At this point I'm getting desperate. I need to find a theme to get her off this Farm Kings kick. Princess Bear loves fairies and she has a fairy garden all her own that the fairies visit all year (sans winter when they vacation of course) and leave her little gifts. I find a flower fairy party at Chasing Fireflies. Now if you're not familiar with Chasing Fireflies it is an absolutely incredible catalog of kids stuff. Mostly clothes but some toys and things like party sets. The only downside to Chasing Fireflies is that they are a bit pricey. At least for where I'm at in my life. She still occasionally gets things from there though and we love looking through the catalog. So being the really nice mommy I am I figure that if she'll go for this Flower Fairy theme that I'll sell plasma or something but I'll make it happen. Here are a couple of pics of things from the Flower Fairy birthday set.
Cute, huh? She looks over it and ponders it for awhile. PB announces that she neeeeeeeeeeeeeeds to have a Farm King birthday party. Heaven help me....I have no idea how I'm getting out of this one! My child is as obstinate and stubborn as the day is long. If anyone has any ideas for a rockin' 10th birthday party theme please, please, please share! Until then I'm going to go beat my head into the wall a few times and get scared at the prospect of the upcoming teen years and lament the fact that I had no, none, nada, not a single gray hair until I became a mom!
Inauguration 2013
I never would have pictured myself becoming so completely wrapped up in politics a decade ago. Oh how things change. A decade ago I would have identified myself as a Democrat. Actually, I supported John Kerry and put on sign on a toddler Princess Bear (PB) that said something to the affect "Mommy says that I'm a Democrat. Go Kerry-Edwards! Whatever you do just make sure you go out and vote!" This sign was attached to an absolutely darling PB and was worn all day election day. I've always been one of those people that understand the importance of voting and making your voice heard. I actually despise those who do not take advantage of their right to vote. In my mind it isn't just a personal right but an obligation. An obligation to the women who fought for women's right to vote. An obligation to the veterans who have fought in wars to keep this a free country. Voting doesn't take long and how in the world can you complain about the state of things when you haven't taken the time to vote. As far as identifying with being a Democrat I was all for gay rights and helping those who needed it through medicare/medicaid and other "entitlement" programs.
SO, what has changed? Well, I guess I could say that I've grown up and looked around. Am I still for gay rights? Absolutely. Do I still think the government should help citizens in need? Absolutely. What I don't think is that government needs to control each and every aspect of life. I do think our elected officials owe the country transparency. I do think the government has to reign in out of control spending. The out of control spending takes place on every single level of government and must be stopped. Officials need to remember what people voted them into office not corporations or lobbyist.
I've said it before and I'll say it many more times. The problem with the medical and insurance industry in this country are HUGE. Obamacare will not take care of those problems. Those industries have to be brought to their knees and rebuilt from the bottom up. This must be a citizen driven movement. The election process from campaign donation laws and lobbyists needs to be completely dismantled and rebuilt bottom up. Again, a citizen driven movement. The citizens need to demand transparency from the government starting at the top down. How many questions still remain on Fast and Furious and Benghazi?
Instead what we currently have is an administration that doesn't know to uphold the Constitution. Rather they trample it at every given opportunity. The government wants to impose more regulations on the citizens while having carte blanche.
My dad came home from his weekend in Chicago around 9am. When it was time for the inauguration to start to be honest with you I had no intention of watching it. I find it almost impossible to watch Barack Obama on TV and not become livid at what he's doing to the country. I am one of those people that makes TV viewing an interactive event. I find myself pointing the outright lies or asking questions to the screen when listing to good old Barack Obama. Lately its gotten to the point that I actually become nausea watching him. So, with all that in mind I really didn't feel the need to watch any of the inauguration. My dad in a not subtle way told me that PB and I needed to bring our a$$es into the family room and watch. Now please know that my dads opinion of Obama is very similar to mine. He was watching it because it is history in the making. I can see that. I remember watching Ronald Reagan's funeral and wondering why? Well because it's history. You need to know your history. That importance of that is indisputable. SO, PB and I went into the family room and watched the inauguration with my dad. I was able to explain the inauguration process to PB so some good did come from it. I was also able to explain to PB that you need to know your history so you can stand up and fight back when history starts repeating itself negatively.
I can say that the country finally seems to be waking up to what is going on all around. Hopefully enough people will "come to" and the pendulum will hit a middle ground. I do not want there to be civil unrest. I do not want things to become ultra conservative. I do want the people of the country to take back the control of the country. How that needs to be done I honestly can't tell you. I wish I knew. So in the mean time I will keep on posting my rants on here and Facebook. As always people are free to like and agree or not. I'm not going to change because it's just not in my nature to remain quiet when I see perceived injustices all around me. I will continue to hope and pray that when things come to a head that it is peaceful. I will also error on the side of caution and know that being prepared is always better than being unprepared. I will continue to question things. I will continue to share. I will continue to learn. I hope you do as well. I'll wrap this up with an interesting video. It's only 8.5 minutes long but certainly makes you question things. Questioning anything and everything is always good in my mind.
SO, what has changed? Well, I guess I could say that I've grown up and looked around. Am I still for gay rights? Absolutely. Do I still think the government should help citizens in need? Absolutely. What I don't think is that government needs to control each and every aspect of life. I do think our elected officials owe the country transparency. I do think the government has to reign in out of control spending. The out of control spending takes place on every single level of government and must be stopped. Officials need to remember what people voted them into office not corporations or lobbyist.
I've said it before and I'll say it many more times. The problem with the medical and insurance industry in this country are HUGE. Obamacare will not take care of those problems. Those industries have to be brought to their knees and rebuilt from the bottom up. This must be a citizen driven movement. The election process from campaign donation laws and lobbyists needs to be completely dismantled and rebuilt bottom up. Again, a citizen driven movement. The citizens need to demand transparency from the government starting at the top down. How many questions still remain on Fast and Furious and Benghazi?
Instead what we currently have is an administration that doesn't know to uphold the Constitution. Rather they trample it at every given opportunity. The government wants to impose more regulations on the citizens while having carte blanche.
My dad came home from his weekend in Chicago around 9am. When it was time for the inauguration to start to be honest with you I had no intention of watching it. I find it almost impossible to watch Barack Obama on TV and not become livid at what he's doing to the country. I am one of those people that makes TV viewing an interactive event. I find myself pointing the outright lies or asking questions to the screen when listing to good old Barack Obama. Lately its gotten to the point that I actually become nausea watching him. So, with all that in mind I really didn't feel the need to watch any of the inauguration. My dad in a not subtle way told me that PB and I needed to bring our a$$es into the family room and watch. Now please know that my dads opinion of Obama is very similar to mine. He was watching it because it is history in the making. I can see that. I remember watching Ronald Reagan's funeral and wondering why? Well because it's history. You need to know your history. That importance of that is indisputable. SO, PB and I went into the family room and watched the inauguration with my dad. I was able to explain the inauguration process to PB so some good did come from it. I was also able to explain to PB that you need to know your history so you can stand up and fight back when history starts repeating itself negatively.
I can say that the country finally seems to be waking up to what is going on all around. Hopefully enough people will "come to" and the pendulum will hit a middle ground. I do not want there to be civil unrest. I do not want things to become ultra conservative. I do want the people of the country to take back the control of the country. How that needs to be done I honestly can't tell you. I wish I knew. So in the mean time I will keep on posting my rants on here and Facebook. As always people are free to like and agree or not. I'm not going to change because it's just not in my nature to remain quiet when I see perceived injustices all around me. I will continue to hope and pray that when things come to a head that it is peaceful. I will also error on the side of caution and know that being prepared is always better than being unprepared. I will continue to question things. I will continue to share. I will continue to learn. I hope you do as well. I'll wrap this up with an interesting video. It's only 8.5 minutes long but certainly makes you question things. Questioning anything and everything is always good in my mind.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Beauty and the Beast
The other night Princess Bear (PB) and I went to see the stage performance of Beauty and the Beast. PB is a Beauty and the Beast fanatic and that's putting it mildly. She owns the movies, the dolls, the books. I think if it's available she owns it. We found out over the summer that Beauty and the Beast was coming to Peoria and PB got very excited. PB has absolutely no concept of time so it's been a very long 6 months waiting for the performance to arrive. My parents were originally going to buy the tickets for PB as part of her birthday gifts. Jack (my dads best friend) is kind of like PB's personal fairy godfather. Jack has always had a soft spot for PB and spoils her unbelievably. For example the day that Cinderella movie was re-released Jack called to see if PB already owned it. I said she didn't to which his reply was "Don't buy it. I'm going to the store right now". This isn't unusual for Jack. So Jack was the one who purchased the tickets. He called the day of the performance to tell me to buy PB something that she wanted. My parents had already given me money to buy her a program because she collects them.
Finally the day of the performance arrived. I think she made her teacher absolutely crazy. She was just a bit hyped up and rearing to go as soon as she woke up that morning. I picked her up from school and we ran to HyVee. By the time we got home I was ready to lose my ever lovin' mind. The child was absolutely beyond crazed with excitement. The performance was at 7:30pm so it was a looooooooooooooong afternoon. She also couldn't wait to get dressed up. The child does love to get dressed up. Around 6pm I finally let her get dressed so that helped calm her down a bit. It it is sparkly, glittery or a bit over the top PB loves it. My parents found a Hello Kitty dress at Walmart that had a tulle skirt with sequin and a sequin belt. My mom then bought her silver tights to go with it. While my child loves dressing up I'm a casual girl. Give me jeans, a sweater and a pair of Dr. Martens I'm a happy camper. PB was all kinds of excited to see Mommy in a dress. Ugh! So not me. Except in summer. Then sundresses work.
Anyway back to the play. My dad decided he wanted to drop us off since I couldn't use his parking pass in the Cat lot across the street from the civic center. We arrived at the civic center and PB was in a great mood. I let her bring one of her Belle barbie dolls along without its shoes. She wanted to bring her big Belle doll. The barbie Belle sans shoes was Mommy's compromise. I am such a mean mommy. I didn't want to wind up holding the big doll or searching for tiny shoes. As we were in the line to buy PB's goodies PB says "There's she is. The OT girl". Huh? Her Occupational therapist from St. Francis was there. Ellen is just awesome. She came over to say hi. She had the cutest maternity dressy outfit on. I do not miss those days of being that pregnant. PB decided she wanted a program and a Belle tiara. The tiara is cute but cost $15. The child has at least a half dozen tiaras at home. Didn't matter she had to have the Belle tiara. She also wanted a Belle t-shirt with a glitter red rose on it. I bought it for her but won't let her have it until her birthday. Again I'm a mean mommy. She also wanted a rose purse they had as well as a fake red rose. The child has an entire drawer of purses. I finally put my foot down. I was able to get PB to her seat and settled but not before we ran into her OT from school. Little Miss Popularity. Then once we were seated she started working her magic on the people sitting around us.
I love that she is well behaved (for the most part) in shows like this. She also does a great job of applauding correctly and generally acting like a good kiddo. The show was great. The first half was very long. I actually wondered if they were going to forgo intermission. Nope. It was just a very long first act. An hour and 15 minutes to be exact. Then intermission was a half hour. At that point I was beginning to worry if PB was going to be able to hold up and behave for the entire thing. Again she made me a proud mommy and kept it together. The hard part was getting her to calm down enough to get to sleep that night. We didn't get home until 10:30pm and by the time all was said and done she was asleep by 11:30pm so I'll count it as a success.
The show itself was really good. The actors did a great job and their voices were great. The person playing Gaston for some reason did not really work as Gaston for me. He was a bit scrawny actually and the wig they used was beyond exaggerated. The costumes and sets were amazing. The "Be Our Guest" number was incredible. I was surprised how many additional songs the play had versus the movie. Peoria being Peoria of course did a standing ovation. I don't understand how a town that was discriminating enough in their performance opinions to have coined the phrase "It played in Peoria" and now gives a standing performance to every single performance. Isn't a standing ovation supposed to be reserved for an out of this world, rocked your socks off, took your breath away performance?
It was nice to be able to spend an evening out with PB and enjoy ourselves. It was wonderful to see her in a social setting and watch how she handles herself. She made me very proud mommy that night. I wonder what our next performance will be??? :)
Finally the day of the performance arrived. I think she made her teacher absolutely crazy. She was just a bit hyped up and rearing to go as soon as she woke up that morning. I picked her up from school and we ran to HyVee. By the time we got home I was ready to lose my ever lovin' mind. The child was absolutely beyond crazed with excitement. The performance was at 7:30pm so it was a looooooooooooooong afternoon. She also couldn't wait to get dressed up. The child does love to get dressed up. Around 6pm I finally let her get dressed so that helped calm her down a bit. It it is sparkly, glittery or a bit over the top PB loves it. My parents found a Hello Kitty dress at Walmart that had a tulle skirt with sequin and a sequin belt. My mom then bought her silver tights to go with it. While my child loves dressing up I'm a casual girl. Give me jeans, a sweater and a pair of Dr. Martens I'm a happy camper. PB was all kinds of excited to see Mommy in a dress. Ugh! So not me. Except in summer. Then sundresses work.
Anyway back to the play. My dad decided he wanted to drop us off since I couldn't use his parking pass in the Cat lot across the street from the civic center. We arrived at the civic center and PB was in a great mood. I let her bring one of her Belle barbie dolls along without its shoes. She wanted to bring her big Belle doll. The barbie Belle sans shoes was Mommy's compromise. I am such a mean mommy. I didn't want to wind up holding the big doll or searching for tiny shoes. As we were in the line to buy PB's goodies PB says "There's she is. The OT girl". Huh? Her Occupational therapist from St. Francis was there. Ellen is just awesome. She came over to say hi. She had the cutest maternity dressy outfit on. I do not miss those days of being that pregnant. PB decided she wanted a program and a Belle tiara. The tiara is cute but cost $15. The child has at least a half dozen tiaras at home. Didn't matter she had to have the Belle tiara. She also wanted a Belle t-shirt with a glitter red rose on it. I bought it for her but won't let her have it until her birthday. Again I'm a mean mommy. She also wanted a rose purse they had as well as a fake red rose. The child has an entire drawer of purses. I finally put my foot down. I was able to get PB to her seat and settled but not before we ran into her OT from school. Little Miss Popularity. Then once we were seated she started working her magic on the people sitting around us.
I love that she is well behaved (for the most part) in shows like this. She also does a great job of applauding correctly and generally acting like a good kiddo. The show was great. The first half was very long. I actually wondered if they were going to forgo intermission. Nope. It was just a very long first act. An hour and 15 minutes to be exact. Then intermission was a half hour. At that point I was beginning to worry if PB was going to be able to hold up and behave for the entire thing. Again she made me a proud mommy and kept it together. The hard part was getting her to calm down enough to get to sleep that night. We didn't get home until 10:30pm and by the time all was said and done she was asleep by 11:30pm so I'll count it as a success.
The show itself was really good. The actors did a great job and their voices were great. The person playing Gaston for some reason did not really work as Gaston for me. He was a bit scrawny actually and the wig they used was beyond exaggerated. The costumes and sets were amazing. The "Be Our Guest" number was incredible. I was surprised how many additional songs the play had versus the movie. Peoria being Peoria of course did a standing ovation. I don't understand how a town that was discriminating enough in their performance opinions to have coined the phrase "It played in Peoria" and now gives a standing performance to every single performance. Isn't a standing ovation supposed to be reserved for an out of this world, rocked your socks off, took your breath away performance?
It was nice to be able to spend an evening out with PB and enjoy ourselves. It was wonderful to see her in a social setting and watch how she handles herself. She made me very proud mommy that night. I wonder what our next performance will be??? :)
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Another political rant
So I'm sitting here watching Hannity while trying to unwind for the night. As you can tell from past posts I'm pretty much a liberterian in my political views. I think Obama is the worst thing that has happened to this country in the last century. I think this country is on the cusp of a revolution.
Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook last month the left wingers have been bashing everyone over the head with the cries for gun control. It isn't about gun control. Since the beginning of time people have found ways to kill one another. Sadly there is always another way so disarming citizens isn't the answer. How many criminals are going to listen and abide by any new gun control legislation? It isn't about "assault" weapons. It isn't about enacting new legislation. It isn't about disarming people. It just isn't. I wish I could somehow, some way get people to understand this. The sad reality is that Adam Lanza a)didn't use an "assault" weapon b) broke many, many, MANY laws as it stands. Obviously breaking the law wasn't a deterant for him.
Cuomo is absolutely correct in that it doesn't take 10 bullets to kill a deer. That isn't the point. Moreover if it does you probably shouldn't be hunting anyway. You're obviously more of a gatherer. It isn't about the fact that only military "need" "assault" weapons. It isn't anyone's place to tell me what I "need" other than me. Certainly not the government. I honestly don't see how there is any debate. It is a PROVEN fact that gun control legislation does not work. I'm 3 hours from Chicago and I LOVE that city. It has some of the toughest gun legislation in the country and the highest homicide rates due to gunshots. Just as an example. There is scores of information showing that gun control doesn't work. Then there is the simple fact that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Bottom line. End of story. Except when you have a President who thinks that with a swipe of his pen and Executive Orders he can make anything happen.
I had a very interesting conversation with a pretty die hard liberal today. I love these kind of conversations. Going toe to toe with someone who is as passionate as I am but on the flip side makes for good entertainment and if I'm lucky an educational experience to boot. She gave me the standard "Why do you need an "assault" rifle?" "Do you really think that the 2nd Amendment is still necessary?" At the end of the conversation there was just one thing that we were able to both agree on. People with moderate to severe mental illness do not need to be gun owners. Unfortunately the criteria for moderate to severe mental illness can itself lead to a very slippery slope and set a dangerous precedence.
The scarest part to the whole controversy is the idea so many people hold that "the Government won't do that to it's citizens". Um, I think the Japanese Americans held against their will during WWII would beg to differ. I'm sure that the Jews killed during WWII would beg to differ.
This country was founded because patriots stood their ground against a tyrannical government. They understood the need for people to have the ability to arm themselves and take the same stand if there is ever the need. In all honesty I think if the gun control issue is pushed it might very well be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook last month the left wingers have been bashing everyone over the head with the cries for gun control. It isn't about gun control. Since the beginning of time people have found ways to kill one another. Sadly there is always another way so disarming citizens isn't the answer. How many criminals are going to listen and abide by any new gun control legislation? It isn't about "assault" weapons. It isn't about enacting new legislation. It isn't about disarming people. It just isn't. I wish I could somehow, some way get people to understand this. The sad reality is that Adam Lanza a)didn't use an "assault" weapon b) broke many, many, MANY laws as it stands. Obviously breaking the law wasn't a deterant for him.
Cuomo is absolutely correct in that it doesn't take 10 bullets to kill a deer. That isn't the point. Moreover if it does you probably shouldn't be hunting anyway. You're obviously more of a gatherer. It isn't about the fact that only military "need" "assault" weapons. It isn't anyone's place to tell me what I "need" other than me. Certainly not the government. I honestly don't see how there is any debate. It is a PROVEN fact that gun control legislation does not work. I'm 3 hours from Chicago and I LOVE that city. It has some of the toughest gun legislation in the country and the highest homicide rates due to gunshots. Just as an example. There is scores of information showing that gun control doesn't work. Then there is the simple fact that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Bottom line. End of story. Except when you have a President who thinks that with a swipe of his pen and Executive Orders he can make anything happen.
I had a very interesting conversation with a pretty die hard liberal today. I love these kind of conversations. Going toe to toe with someone who is as passionate as I am but on the flip side makes for good entertainment and if I'm lucky an educational experience to boot. She gave me the standard "Why do you need an "assault" rifle?" "Do you really think that the 2nd Amendment is still necessary?" At the end of the conversation there was just one thing that we were able to both agree on. People with moderate to severe mental illness do not need to be gun owners. Unfortunately the criteria for moderate to severe mental illness can itself lead to a very slippery slope and set a dangerous precedence.
The scarest part to the whole controversy is the idea so many people hold that "the Government won't do that to it's citizens". Um, I think the Japanese Americans held against their will during WWII would beg to differ. I'm sure that the Jews killed during WWII would beg to differ.
This country was founded because patriots stood their ground against a tyrannical government. They understood the need for people to have the ability to arm themselves and take the same stand if there is ever the need. In all honesty I think if the gun control issue is pushed it might very well be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
All the Kings horses and all the Kings men...
Wow! I take a break for the holidays and to spend some time with Princess Bear (PB) and I come back to all kinds of comments. Can I say that it is so idiotic to hide behind an anonymous label? Step up and be proud of who you are and what you have to say. If you don't have a Google acct and need to use the anonymous setting then put your name. Just like Hope. Anyway, time to get to some of these comments I guess!!!
-Pete's girlfriend is Jessica. Tim 's is Maggie, there was 3 girls standing there when they was filming Pete's birthday. I can't figure out for the life if me who the redhead was. Maybe Dan's girl??
left by Anonymous.
Yes it was discussed in the yoga episode that Pete's girlfriend is named Jess. Wonder where the "Anonymous" person got their information that Tim's girlfriend is named Maggie. No word yet on the status of Dan's love life. Don't forget that Joe has a live in significant other who is the mom to his 2 adorable kiddos. So since someone in the King camp is deciding to leave Anonymous comments here why don't I give you a chance to reach down grab a pair and answer the questions to the other comments or questions? I do find it very interesting that Tim and Maggie are serious enough to want to get married but she was never discussed on the show. Pete on the other hand was more than happy and proud to introduce Jess. Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.
-This makes me super sad :( Also left by Anonymous
Yeah me too but really it isn't like anyone watching the Farm Kings on TV had a shot with any of the King men. While that is the stuff of fairy tales and they sure as heck are fun to read and even daydream about reality always comes crashing in. Then again the original fairy tales were rather gruesome. I digress....while it's a bummer that we can now confirm that Joe, Tim and Pete are off the market they still make great eye candy and I am anxiously awaiting season 2!
-How old is Tim's girlfriend? Again by Anonymous (anyone else asking WTF yet??? :) just wondering!)
I'm not exactly sure of her age but she was still in high school for the 2006-2007 school year. So even if we want to do some guessing and estimating here at best she is 25. That is best case scenario of 2006-2007 being her senior year and she was 18 in 2006.
-Hi Sarah! I can't believe it's taken me this long to find your blog. I'm enjoying catching up, especially your posts about your favorite hunk & mine-TIM! That's how I found your blog in the 1st place, googling that sexy beast. I'm trying to figure out how to regularly follow you (I'm a bit Internet challenged), but fear not-I'll figure it out. Desperately need to collect every tidbit of info on him, the show...and of course I enjoy your humor very much. Kindred souls I suspect. Keep up the great work & don't forget to pass along the off-season King activities you discover. Left by Hope
Hey Hope!!! Nice to "meet" you! I'm so glad that you stumbled across the blog! I know that I'm way behind in season 1 episode recaps and I'm debating whether I even want to do them at this point but it sure is nice to meet another Tim fan! He is an incredibly sexy man. As I've said before I sure haven't seen any like that around here! If you need help with the blog thing as far as following drop an email (click on the teddy bear graphic near the top of the blog) and I'd be more than happy to help you out. Can't say that there has been much news on the King front other than what GAC has put out there. Lisa did a great question and answer session and that is when GAC announced that there would in fact be a season 2. They are supposed to be filming starting this month with new episodes in April (I believe. If not close to it. It's late and I'm too tired to go back to the site to verify! Very close if I am wrong though). So glad that you appreciate the sense of humor. I often tell people that I went I majored in smart a&$ and minored in sarcasm! Again, I'm so glad that you stumbled across the blog and enjoy it!
-Hi Sarah-- I think that a relative...could be wrong but heard it through grapevine Again another Anonymous post.
Not quite sure what you're asking or telling here. That Tim doesn't have a girlfriend? Really not sure about that. What grapevine are you privy to and how does one sign up though? Having the inside track is never a bad thing.
-Actually, Sarah-- just found something else online Left by Anonymous.
Um ok, I'll bite....what did you find online?
-Sarah-- where did you find this? Any other clues as to the girlfriend issue? Left by guess who? Anonymous!!!!
Where did I find what? Any other clues as far as? Are you asking how I ascertained that Tim has a girlfriend? Give me a bit more to work with and I'd be happy to answer you!
SO the comments have been answered. At least if not answered questioned so I can try to answer them when I find out what the question really is. So at the end of all this please tell me that I'm not the only one who finds it ridiculous and sees through the Anonymous labels? I'm off for now. Talk on you again real soon!
-Pete's girlfriend is Jessica. Tim 's is Maggie, there was 3 girls standing there when they was filming Pete's birthday. I can't figure out for the life if me who the redhead was. Maybe Dan's girl??
left by Anonymous.
Yes it was discussed in the yoga episode that Pete's girlfriend is named Jess. Wonder where the "Anonymous" person got their information that Tim's girlfriend is named Maggie. No word yet on the status of Dan's love life. Don't forget that Joe has a live in significant other who is the mom to his 2 adorable kiddos. So since someone in the King camp is deciding to leave Anonymous comments here why don't I give you a chance to reach down grab a pair and answer the questions to the other comments or questions? I do find it very interesting that Tim and Maggie are serious enough to want to get married but she was never discussed on the show. Pete on the other hand was more than happy and proud to introduce Jess. Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.
-This makes me super sad :( Also left by Anonymous
Yeah me too but really it isn't like anyone watching the Farm Kings on TV had a shot with any of the King men. While that is the stuff of fairy tales and they sure as heck are fun to read and even daydream about reality always comes crashing in. Then again the original fairy tales were rather gruesome. I digress....while it's a bummer that we can now confirm that Joe, Tim and Pete are off the market they still make great eye candy and I am anxiously awaiting season 2!
-How old is Tim's girlfriend? Again by Anonymous (anyone else asking WTF yet??? :) just wondering!)
I'm not exactly sure of her age but she was still in high school for the 2006-2007 school year. So even if we want to do some guessing and estimating here at best she is 25. That is best case scenario of 2006-2007 being her senior year and she was 18 in 2006.
-Hi Sarah! I can't believe it's taken me this long to find your blog. I'm enjoying catching up, especially your posts about your favorite hunk & mine-TIM! That's how I found your blog in the 1st place, googling that sexy beast. I'm trying to figure out how to regularly follow you (I'm a bit Internet challenged), but fear not-I'll figure it out. Desperately need to collect every tidbit of info on him, the show...and of course I enjoy your humor very much. Kindred souls I suspect. Keep up the great work & don't forget to pass along the off-season King activities you discover. Left by Hope
Hey Hope!!! Nice to "meet" you! I'm so glad that you stumbled across the blog! I know that I'm way behind in season 1 episode recaps and I'm debating whether I even want to do them at this point but it sure is nice to meet another Tim fan! He is an incredibly sexy man. As I've said before I sure haven't seen any like that around here! If you need help with the blog thing as far as following drop an email (click on the teddy bear graphic near the top of the blog) and I'd be more than happy to help you out. Can't say that there has been much news on the King front other than what GAC has put out there. Lisa did a great question and answer session and that is when GAC announced that there would in fact be a season 2. They are supposed to be filming starting this month with new episodes in April (I believe. If not close to it. It's late and I'm too tired to go back to the site to verify! Very close if I am wrong though). So glad that you appreciate the sense of humor. I often tell people that I went I majored in smart a&$ and minored in sarcasm! Again, I'm so glad that you stumbled across the blog and enjoy it!
-Hi Sarah-- I think that a relative...could be wrong but heard it through grapevine Again another Anonymous post.
Not quite sure what you're asking or telling here. That Tim doesn't have a girlfriend? Really not sure about that. What grapevine are you privy to and how does one sign up though? Having the inside track is never a bad thing.
-Actually, Sarah-- just found something else online Left by Anonymous.
Um ok, I'll bite....what did you find online?
-Sarah-- where did you find this? Any other clues as to the girlfriend issue? Left by guess who? Anonymous!!!!
Where did I find what? Any other clues as far as? Are you asking how I ascertained that Tim has a girlfriend? Give me a bit more to work with and I'd be happy to answer you!
SO the comments have been answered. At least if not answered questioned so I can try to answer them when I find out what the question really is. So at the end of all this please tell me that I'm not the only one who finds it ridiculous and sees through the Anonymous labels? I'm off for now. Talk on you again real soon!
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