September 27, 2010
Buy a banned or challenged book at Buy.com
Every year, the ALA, the American Library Association, holds banned books week.
This year banned books week is September 25 through October 2, 2010.
You can learn more about frequently challenged books by reading this page on the ALA website.
I love to read, I don't read as much as I used to or as much as I would like, but I still love to read a really great book.
It really bothers me that individuals and groups try to get books taken off of the shelves of public and school libraries, they try to limit what we and our children can read simply because they don't like the books for political, sexual, or religious reasons, but our first amendment rights protect each of us, it allows us to read these books if we want to, if we want our kids to read them.
"Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.Intellectual freedom - the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular - provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them."
I would love to see people buying and reading any of the books on the top 100 list, and you can even save some money when you buy one or more of the books by checking to see if they are on sale at Buy.com.
I picked a random title off of the list, The Lord of the Rings, and they have it on sale in paperback for just $10.97, and that price includes the shipping.
Why is The Lord of the Rings on the banned and challenged list?
People believe that it, along with more of Tolkien's novels, are satanic.
In 2001, The Lord of the Rings, along with more of Tolkien's novels, were burned in Alamagordo, NM outside of the Christ Community Church.
Here are 10 books that you might not expect to be on the list via Yahoo!, and the reasons that they are/were on the list at some point.
You can read the other titles and reasons by clicking the link above. *!*
Captain Underpants - One of the top 10 most frequently banned and challenged books for 2002, 2004 and 2005. The books were said to contain offensive language, to be sexually explicit and to be anti-family.
Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary - Contained an offending term, oral sex.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - The Texas Board of Education banned the book, in January 2010, because it thought the book was written by the same Bill Martin who penned the nonchildren's book "Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation."
James and the Giant Peach - James was disobedient and there was violence in the book.
American Heritage Dictionary (1969) - It contains 39 objectionable words. It was also banned by the Anchorage School Board in 1987 for its inclusion of slang words, including "balls."
Grimm's Fairy Tales - A couple of California school districts found a whole new reason to ban Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1989: misuse of alcohol. Little Red Riding Hood's basket for her grandmother includes wine.
In the extended entry, you will find the top 100 most banned or challenged books.
The titles in bold represent banned or challenged books.
The titles not in bold may have been banned or challenged, but there have not been any reports on them.
I have placed two stars ** next to the books on the list that I have read.
I would love to see other bloggers post the list of the top 100 banned and challenged books on their blogs, and to see them check off, mark, or star, the books on the list that they have read.
Will you post the list on your blog?
*!* The books and reasons were copied directly from the Yahoo! article.
Continue Reading �
May 8, 2010
Playing a mean game of catch-up!
As I've said, my life has been in a state of 'what the hell' for about a week and a half now, give or take a few days, probably give rather than take.
I have so much to do, so much to take care of, and I need to be very careful as I have some health issues that could be affected by too much stress, and I need to watch what I eat, and I know that I definitely won't need to take any fat burners because I've barely been eating anything at all during this whole mess of stuff going on in my life, but I do need to eat, and eat a little better.
I'm trying here and that's all that I can do at the moment.
I had a a missing friend/suicide scare, and I'm dealing with Mark's ever progressing genetic spine deformities which may be getting resolved, because Mark's friend Jeff's Grandparents are very close personal friends with Congressman Vern Buchanan, and they've personally spoken with him regarding the situation with Mark, Medicaid, the doctors, all of the problems, and he asked for my phone number, they gave it to him, and he's going to call me directly and speak with me about it and what I need to have happen to help my son.
Not getting my hopes up, but taking a deep breath. *inhale/exhale deeply*
And then all of the school crap with Sebastian, which will be resolved on Monday, hopefully.
As I said, I called and spoke to the vice principal, she threatened Sebastian with expulsion, me with court for failure to provide him an education, and she said that she was going to call me back, but she did not call me back.
That was on Thursday morning when we spoke, 11:34am to be exact, so when I didn't get a call back, I emailed her later on that night at 5:26pm.
I figured that she'd get my email on Friday morning, and either email me back or call me back.
She did neither, so I decided to step it up a bit and I emailed her again, and this time, I CC'd the principal and the superintendent.
I included the principal, because I'm pretty damn sure that the vice principal cannot decide completely on her own to expel a student and take a parent to court.
I'm pretty sure that the principal has to be involved in the decision, and even though I know that the principal already hates me because of all of the problems that we had with Mark being able to graduate with his class last year, I'm feeling pretty positive that she has absolutely no idea what's going on in regards to Sebastian and this threat of expulsion.
And I included the superintendent because of the way that the truancy worker spoke to me, she's his boss, they both work out of the school board building up at The Landings, she really needed to be made aware of how the truancy worker speaks with parents, and also, she needed to be made aware of what was happening with the vice principal and the threats made against Sebastian and myself.
I sent off that very detailed email last night, Friday, May 7, 2010 at 11:43 PM, and I explained every single thing that I know about Sebastian's absences, about the teacher who kept marking him as absent/skipping a class he was no longer even registered in since December, about the dates that we were in Maine where the principal herself had verbally told me in a call that I made to her a week before we left, that she would personally excuse those dates as long as I sent in a detailed letter explaining when we were leaving, returning, and the reason for our trip, which I wrote that same night that I had called and spoke with her and Sebastian took it in the very next day and personally handed it to her, and I wrote out in great detail, the situation with the zero tolerance policy and Sebastian's migraine medications, and everything that I had done to try and get the school to allow him to take his medications at school and was denied every single time.
I wrote out in great detail what happens when Sebastian suffers from 1 of his severe migraine attacks, what happens when he takes his medications on schedule, and what happens to him if he doesn't.
I ended my email by repeating the vice principal's words to me, "If Sebastian misses even 1 more day this year, he will be expelled immediately and you will be taken to court for failure to make sure that your child gets an education", and again, I asked for someone, now 1 of the 3 of them, to tell me exactly what I am supposed to do if Sebastian gets a severe migraine attack on 1 of the last days of school because of the threat of expulsion.
The vice principal couldn't be bothered to call me back on Thursday, and she couldn't be bothered to answer my first email that I sent on Thursday at 5:26pm, but she is obviously very upset about the email that I sent on Friday night to her, the principal, and the superintendent, because at 7:02am today, she finally replied to me, to the email to the 3 of them, with this very upset and almost threatening sounding statement,
"This information regarding my involvement is not entirely accurate! I will make contact on Monday.
Please be aware that all mail sent to and from Sarasota County Schools is subject to the public records law of Florida."
She sent that reply to all of us, and I sent back the following reply to all,
"I am fully aware that all emails sent to and from Sarasota County Schools are subject to the public records law of Florida.
When I did not receive a call back, as promised by you, I felt that I needed to get in contact with you again, and include others, as this is a very important issue that needs to be addressed immediately as school ends on June 4, 2010, and if he suffers another severe migraine attack, I need to know what I am supposed to do."
I'm not afraid of the public records law of Florida, but obviously she is.
I'm going to make sure that on Monday, I have a way to record or document the entire conversation when she calls, and I'm going to let her know that I'm recording or documenting it.
I can put the phone on speaker, and I'm a hella fast typer, I'll just type out everything she says to me word for word so that she can't say that she never said something.
I mean, she's trying to say that her involvement in this is "not entirely accurate!", but what she doesn't know is that as soon as she threatened Sebastian with expulsion the 1st time, I began typing out everything that she said after that, I knew that I needed to document what she saying, so I did.
I had my email open and I just began composing a new email, and when the call was over, I emailed it to myself.
What I posted, is exactly what she said because I had copied it from the email that I composed while on the phone with her.
I don't type in shorthand, but I can type 80 to 95 words per minute, and maybe some of you have guessed that at the sometimes long entries that I type. (like this one, sorry)
I just get going sometimes and just keep going, plus, I've worked in a customer service position for Georgia Power and Gas, (yup, GP&G customer service is located in Sarasota, Florida) where we had to be able to type 35 wpm minimum in order to even get hired for the job.
I filled out the application and was taken over to a computer to take the typing test where several others were also taking it.
Each person was given just 2 tries to meet the 35 wpm minimum.
I heard a few people start cussing, someone slam their chair and and then storm out, and then I sat down to take my test.
We had a piece of paper with about 3 paragraphs of something typed on it, (can't recall after all these years) and we had to type out the entire thing as fast as we could with a minimum of 4 typos and spelling mistakes.
I got myself into a good seating position, got my hands and arms comfy, (knuckles cracked) and I clicked the start button.
I typed out the 3 paragraphs in just under 1.5 minutes, only 2 spelling mistakes, and my speed was clocked at 84 wpm.
I was hired on the spot, so yeah, typing what someone is saying word for word, is something I can easily do and will always do if I feel that I may need to have proof of something said at a later date.
"Not entirely accurate!"
Yeah, that ain't gonna fly with me.
You said it, you meant it, now deal with the consequences of what you so courageously yelled at me.
April 12, 2010
Just how many forms are they going to send me??
Before we left for Maine, I received my official U.S. Census form, I filled it out, (much to my disgust) and mailed it back in.
When I got home, I had another one waiting for me (with a warning letter attached this time) that said they had not received my census form, that it's (printed in bold on both the envelope and the letter) required by law, and I must fill it out and send it back immediately or a census worker will be contacting me.
If I had already filled it out and returned it, to please disregard this one.
I thought nothing of it, considered it a done deal.
Then I got another one of the warning letter census forms.
Then another.
And another.
It feels like that summer a few years ago when I had 5 different friends all having babies around the same time, and I got all of their baby shower invitations in the same exact week, and they had all picked dates within just a few days of each other.
That was a rough time on my wallet.
We've been home for exactly one week as of today, and including the one that I got today, I've now received a total of 9 census forms.
What the hell?
I understand that they want to try and get an accurate head count, and it is required by the U.S. Constitution, but come on man, our country is in massive debt, and here they are wasting a ton of paper, time, resources, and most importantly, money, mailing these things out to people multiple times.
It is estimated that the census is going to cost us (the taxpayers) nearly $100 Million to mail the letter announcing we'd be getting the census, then the actual census, and the postage-paid envelope included in the census.
Then you can add a few more million to that for all of the people that will be receiving, or have already received it, multiple times.
I know other people have gotten a few of these too.
My parents had also received and mailed back the first official one, and then they got the second one with the warning letter attached while we were there, and another friend of mine has also received 3 of them.
Just how many of these are they going to keep sending to us?
They can fine you up to $100 for refusing to answer the form or the in-person census taker, and if you knowingly provide false information, they can fine you up to $500.
The in-person census takers will be going out starting on May 1st, and working until July, to get the answers to the census.
If you're not home but your kids are, as long as the kid is at least 15, the census taker can make them answer the questions, and will assist them in providing the information.
It's been a really long time since they fined anyone for not answering the census, the last one was in 1960, 50 years ago, and in 1970, a court decision from Delaware holding that there is a separate violation for each question you don't answer.
Basically, on the 2010 Census form, it has 10 questions, you could be fined anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 if you refuse to answer a question, or give false answers to any questions.
Scammers love to try and take advantage of people, and census time is prime-time for them to try, so there's a list of things on Privacy Rights.org, that will help protect you and your information from scammers posing as census workers.
I have this feeling that because they keep sending me the damn thing, that I will be visited by one of these census workers, so that's why I went looking for information on it and figured that I'd share what I found out.
If you're not going to be home during the day but your kids are, (the census workers are out from May 1st through July, summer vacation for kids) and you have any kids that are at least age 15, make sure they know what to look for in regards to scammers posing as a census worker, too.
You don't want your kids accidentally giving away private information to anyone either.
March 3, 2010
Almost killed by an elderly driver today. Seriously.
I had my regularly monthly appointment with my pain doc today, it went well, and then I talked to him about my swollen feet issue that I've had for the last 5 days.
On Saturday night around 6pm or so, I noticed that on my left calf, there was this weird red patch, it was hot and painful to the touch.
By later that night, around 9pm, the red and painful patch had grown, started to swell, and moved down into my left foot, and my foot had also swollen up.
I went to bed and when I woke up Sunday morning, my right foot was swollen as well, and my right calf was also swollen, red, and hot to the touch just like my left.
By Monday morning, both feet, calves, and all of the way up to my knees, were swollen, red, hot, and extremely painful to the touch, just trying to walk to the bathroom was agonizing.
My ankles and feet were the worst, they just kept getting bigger and bigger, but they were not soft, the skin was rock hard when I touched it, which I tried to avoid doing because the slightest touch sent waves of pain through my feet and legs.
My toes were huge, they looked like if they got any more swollen, that they would just explode, and the toe ring I wear on my right foot, had to be taken off on Tuesday night because it was starting to cut off circulation.
I took this picture of my feet right before that, and in it, you can see how swollen up my feet, ankles, and toes were, and you can see the red areas too.
Click the pic for biggie size.
So I showed the doc my feet, he touched them which hurt so bad I thought that I was going to cry, and just walking from my house to the car, the car to the elevator at the doc office building, basically, everywhere I have walked has made it hurt so much that I have had to use my cane which I haven't used since my last surgery.
My doc told me that I absolutely needed to go see my primary care doc tomorrow, or go to the ER if I can't get in to see her, or he's going to call and send an ambulance to take me and have me admitted to the hospital.
The reason is that he believes that it may be a blood clot problem, and even though I have a Vena Cava filter, a blood clot filter, the filter may not be stopping all of the blood clots.
He said that the Vena Cava stops large blood clots, and breaks them up, but if a small blood clot passes through, it will get to my heart and lungs and possibly cause a pulmonary embolism.
He said that I absolutely need to get to either my primary care doc or the ER, tomorrow, and if I don't go tomorrow, he will call an ambulance and have me admitted even if I don't want to, he can order it and there will be nothing I can do, the hospital will not release me until he says so, so I will be seeing my primary care doc tomorrow, no problem, I do not want to be forced to stay in the hospital against my will.
Now this is when I was almost killed by an elderly driver.
After I left his office, I went to the pharmacy that I always go to, it's just a couple of blocks away from his office, they are really quick, and there's other stores in the plaza so that I can go get a soda to wash down my meds after I get them.
I made a very crude drawing of the pharmacy and stuff so that you can sorta see the layout and what happened a bit better.
But what happened was that I was almost in one of those videos where a car goes crashing through the front windows of a store.
This is my very badly drawn picture of the pharmacy, and I had dropped off my script at the drop off window and was sitting in 1 of the 8 chairs that are lined up against the windows.
The windows are very large, they go almost floor to ceiling, and my friend Nic had just left to go back out the the truck to have a smoke and call back her friend who had called while we were in the doc's office.
Just 10 seconds after she walked out, a young man about age 20 or so, who was sitting next to me, grabbed his girlfriend and threw her toward the pick up window, then grabbed my left arm shirt sleeve and yelled at me, "GET UP AND MOVE!! NOW!!!"
I got up as quickly as I could and ran toward the drop off and pick up windows where the young couple had moved to, I turned around just in time to see 1 car coming at us sorta sideways, and it was being pushed by a silver SUV that was being driven by an elderly man who we found out after the cops came, was age 87.
He had tried to park in a space in the parking lot directly across from our windows, and instead of hitting the break, he hit the gas.
His SUV went up over the median and cement curb, and hit a car that was illegally parked along the side of the road, but if that car hadn't been illegally parked there, the old man's SUV would have definitely come straight through those windows, no doubt about it, he was going very, very fast.
The illegally parked car was pushed sideways up onto the sidewalk bending the passenger side wheel almost down flat, and it was pushed up against this huge rubber trash can that squished completely up against the pharmacy glass windows.
The windows cracked, all of the chairs where we had just been sitting, were pushed about 3 feet into the pharmacy lobby, 1 of them was pushed up against the legs of the young man who yelled at me to move, his girlfriend was screaming and trying to squeeze herself up against the wall and pick up window as much as she could.
I was standing there up against the wall in complete shock, I don't know if I screamed, spoke, or if I even made any sound at all, but I do know that when I saw those cars coming at us, I saw the smiling faces of my sons flash before my eyes.
Lucky for us, both cars stopped before coming through the windows.
We are so damn lucky that they stopped, there was absolutely no where for us to go, no door to run through, no counters to jump up on, and the drop off and pick up windows are very small, only big enough to pass through the prescription bags, payments, hands, and the rest of the area of those drop off/pick up windows are covered in thick Plexiglas so that no one can try to jump over the counters and steal medicine.
We were trapped basically, if those cars had come through, we would have been totally trapped with nowhere to go, nowhere to move to, and we absolutely would have been and probably killed by one or both of those cars.
My picture makes the lobby look kind of big, but it's not at all, there's probably a total of 8 feet from the row of chairs to the drop off and pick up windows, that's it, the lobby isn't even big enough to fit 1 car to park it, never mind 2 cars coming fast into it.
After the cars stopped moving, the old man got out of his SUV and looked at the other car and said, "Everybody looks ok", and he got back in his car and tried to drive off.
3 or 4 people started yelling for people to dial 911 and for him to not leave, 1 guy reached through the old man's window and yanked the keys out, he was just going to leave!!
The pharmacy clerk called 911, said there was an accident, a bad one, we needed and ambulance too, and fire and rescue was there within minutes, less than 7 minutes, they were very fast.
The passenger in the car that had been hit and pushed, in the front passenger seat, was trapped inside the car, the dashboard and steering wheel was squished into him.
The driver of that car was using the ATM next door, she saw the whole thing.
She watched as her car was 100% totaled and her 2 passengers, her own elderly father in the front seat, and her son in the back seat, were both injured.
Her son was wearing his seat belt, but the car had been hit so violently from the left side, that he was whipped side to side and his head hit the window on the right passenger side, and his head was bleeding.
Her elderly father was trapped as I said, and he was bleeding from his head also, and he was yelling out in pain about his left leg and he said that his ribs hurt too.
Fire and rescue got the son out first and then worked on the elderly father while the woman was frantically going back and forth between her son and her father, face as white as a sheet, crying, screaming, and the old man who caused all of this, was out of his car and looking at the damage he caused to her car, he picked up part of the radiator grill off of the sidewalk and placed it on what was left of the hood.
There was glass and pieces of the car all over the sidewalk.
Nic came running, from where the truck was parked, she saw the accident but couldn't see if the car had gone through the pharmacy windows or not because of a cement pillar, she didn't know if the car came through and I was hurt or not.
She had to tell the police that she had a friend inside the store, she needed to get in and make sure that I was ok, I heard her yell at the cop who was trying to stop her, "MY friend is in there! She is a disabled single mother! I need to make sure she's ok! Her sons! OMG her sons! You HAVE to let me in there!! NOW!!"
I'm not big on people touching me, I very rarely hug anyone except my own kids and very close relatives like my parents, my sisters, my best friend Shell, etc, but when Nic came in and threw her arms around me, I was never so happy to have someone to hug as when she did that moment.
I was so scared, I was shaking, I felt nauseous, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably, and I started to cry a little bit.
The young couple were hugging each other, the girl was crying very loudly, the pharmacist was also very upset and she just kept asking us if we were all ok, it was like a broken record, she just kept repeating it over and over, "Are you all ok? Are you all ok?"
We were, thankfully both cars had stopped coming, if they had come in, we would probably not even be able to answer her, heck, she might not have even been able to ask that question.
It was a very terrible, absolutely horrifying, experience.
I have never been in a car accident, I have never come close to being hurt or dying from an accident like that.
I have had my heart stop twice during my last surgery, so I have been close to death before, but I have never been that close to almost being seriously hurt or killed in a car accident.
The medics and police did everything they needed to do out there, the pharmacist hurried and filled the scripts of the young couple and myself so that we could get out of there.
We asked the police if they needed statements from us, they didn't, but they did get our names and phone numbers in case they need to talk to us later, and after I finished giving the cop my info, I yelled very loudly that allowing the elderly to renew their license by mail is so fucking wrong because of shit like this.
There are so many accidents in Sarasota that are caused by the elderly, I've posted about it many times before, about all of the accidents that happen every year during season because of how the elderly drive, or should I say, because of how the elderly CAN'T fucking drive, and it pisses me the hell off that they are allowed to renew their drivers licenses by mail every year, that they don't have to be road tested, it's not right.
The elderly should have to be road tested every year after a certain age, they should have to be road tested every single year after the age of retirement, if they take the road test and fail, their license gets revoked.
If this was made into a law, there would be far less accidents every year because a lot of the elderly would have their licenses revoked, I just know it, I see so many elderly people driving around who clearly shouldn't be.
There are so many of them who should not be driving for so many reasons.
Their vision is horribly bad, their reflexes are bad, the medications that they take, they drink and drive all of the time, but the medical reasons alone would probably cause a good majority of them to have their licenses revoked.
I know that this subject gets brought up every couple of years in the state senate, but it needs to come up every year until they actually do something about it.
The elderly absolutely should have to be road tested every single year past the age of retirement.
I'm sick and tired of watching the news and seeing about another accident, watching them cause or nearly cause accidents while I'm out on the road myself, or like today, almost being killed by 1 of them.
Something has to be done, a couple of people, me included, almost died today because another elderly person hit the gas instead of the brake, again.
January 4, 2010
Why hire the same company again Florida?!
A road construction project, a HUGE one, down in Fort Myers has been halted due to a possible asbestos issue.
The $25 million dollar Summerlin road project has been stopped, roped off with caution tape, while state inspectors check for asbestos, a cause of cancer, most specifically, mesothelioma.
While county leaders are reserving their comments until after results are announced, on Monday state inspectors shared more information about what they're finding and how much asbestos may be out there. "If you look in close, you can see the fibers up in here and that's usually an indication of asbestos," said Sherrill Culliver of FDEP.
Posen Construction, the contractor for the flyover, has had asbestos issues before. They were forced to clean up asbestos chunks on a site near Alico Road a few years ago. The company, which has not returned our repeated calls, has several other high price contracts in the county.
The state does allow up to 260 feet of asbestos laden material to be at a construction site. If the tests come back positive and exceed that amount, those responsible will face environmental fines and, possibly, action by the county.
If the state of Florida knew that Posen Construction has had issues with asbestos before, if they knew that they had gotten in trouble for using it before, why did they hire them again?!
This is a huge project, a $25 million dollar project that has now been halted while state investigators search for the asbestos.
If it's found, all of the work that has been done so far on the flyover will have to be taken down and the whole thing started again, costing the state of Florida, the taxpayers, to have to hand over even more money to get it done correctly.
I just don't understand this kind of stuff.
I don't understand why it took so long for them to start investigating this construction site when they knew that this construction company, Posen Construction, has used more asbestos than the state allowable amount on past construction projects.
When I know that someone has messed up something in the past, I don't wait for the project they are doing for me to be more than halfway completed before I start looking at it, I usually try to find somebody else before using them again.
Isn't that what most people do when they get bad customer service somewhere?
You go somewhere else or try to find someone else, before ever going back to the place that gave you bad customer service, or did a bad job, you don't go back to them again, and if you do, you keep a very close eye on them.
Does the state like wasting taxpayer money?
Apparently they do because now not only will it cost the state more money to get the flyover done correctly, but now we're paying for the investigation.
The investigators who do the work, the lab tests, the lab workers, and so on, it's just even more money that's being spent on an already very expensive road project.
July 25, 2009
Sidewalks?! Finally!!
After 11 years of living on this street and begging the city for sidewalks, they finally agreed to put them in.
When I went out to get the mail yesterday, I found a door tag hanging on the doorknob that said construction of sidewalks begins on Monday 7/27/2009, and will end on 8/28/2009.
Legally, there should have been sidewalks here many years ago.
If a students live within 2 miles of their school, they cannot take the bus to school, so they have to walk or ride their bikes.
There are 2 elementary schools within 2 miles of this street, and there are a ton of kids in this neighborhood who have to walk, so they've had to walk on the sides of the road for years and years to get to school.
So many kids have been driven off the road by cars going up and down the street speeding, honking, scaring kids, and just people walking to the store or whatever.
After awhile it gets pretty tiring hearing the alarms of fire trucks or police cars going after the speeders racing down the street, or going to rescue people from a car accident.
Last year, 3 kids were hit by cars while riding their bikes to school, and countless pedestrians have been run off the road or hit by cars as well, so it's about time the city listened to our complaints and agreed to put in the sidewalks.
All of the construction is going to suck, but at least we're finally going to be safe walking up the street.
April 8, 2009
Unemployment and education.
On the local forums I sometimes play on, a lot of the discussions lately have been about politics, news, unemployment, money, and what to do about all of it.
One of the hot topics today was the fact that unemployment benefits for a lot of people, are going to run out before the second half of the year.
They are rough estimating that about 700,000 people will lose their benefits before the second half of the year, and with more and more companies and businesses closing, the hopes of them finding a job are not good.
Just in March 2009, 663,000 jobs were lost.
That's more people going on unemployment, and those people will probably also run out of unemployment benefits before the end of the year as well.
So what are people supposed to do?
That's the questions everyone is asking?
One of the really smart guys on the forum, a guy whose posts I always read and try to take his words seriously, had a lot of advice for people today.
What to be doing right now, things to do to prepare for when the economy gets even worse, and it will, and how to possibly avoid being one of the millions out of work and with no income at all.
One of his suggestions was to get further education and training at accredited online colleges in fields that are needed right now, get an online degree, and it will be needed heavily when things start getting better again.
One of the fields he sees being needed in great demand are business and project managers, and so a Project Management certificate or project management degree, may be a really good idea for people to look into if they are already in any of the fields listed at this link.
If you're in any of those fields, get further education in those fields, you're going to need it to be able to compete with the millions of people looking at the same jobs that you are.
If you are fortunate enough to still have a job, you can further your education online at St. Joseph University, and get your certificate in any of the fields that you may be in and needing to make yourself "better" and more prepared for the demands of the job when the time comes.
Things are going to get better, but they are going to get a whole lot worse first.
It's time to really start preparing for the worst of it, and to also be prepared when the upswing begins so you can be ahead of the fighting for the best jobs.
There are a lot of people out of work, more going to lose their jobs, and when things start to get better, it's going to be a fight for jobs at any places that have any openings at all.
You are going to need to stand out, and have more to offer than the other guy.
February 7, 2009
Wanna play Guitar Hero at school? Sign this!
The teens came home from school today right at 2:38pm on the dot again.
How they time it so perfectly everyday, I have absolutely no idea.
But anyway, they come through the door, and Mark says "Mom! Listen to this!"
He nudges Sebastian who says to me, "Mom, check this out!"
He hands me the form you see below.
Yes, that is a U.S. Army recruitment form.
He says that at school today, the U.S. Army was there, they had an xbox 360 all set up, the whole Guitar Hero World Tour kit, the full band, drums, guitar, mic, and it was hooked up to a really nice LCD tv.
They were asking the young male students if they wanted to play, and of course Sebastian wants to play, he loves that game, so he walked over and said he'd like to play, that he's pretty good at it.
One of the recruiters handed him this form, I actually have this at my house, and he tells Sebastian that all he has to do if he wants to play GH AT school one day a week for the rest of the year, that all he has to do is write in his phone number and sign the form, don't read it, just put his phone number down and sign it, they'll fill out the rest later on when they call him at home.
Sebastian, knowing how I feel about the military recruiting at high schools, told the guy he's not allowed to sign anything without his mother being present.
The guy said "You don't need your mother to know what this is about, it's just to play Guitar Hero at school."
Sebastian said "No, I do need my mom to know what this is about because I'm not 18, I'm only 15, and not allowed to sign things like this without her knowing. I'll take it home, she can look at it, and if she says I can, I'll bring it back tomorrow."
The form even says that you have to be 17, and here they are, handing this out to all students, not asking them their ages, and getting kids to sign up to be recruited by allowing them to play GH at school for the rest of the year.
What the hell is this?!
I totally disagree with these kinds of recruitment tactics at school, I hate it that they are allowed to recruit at school, but this is pretty freaking sneaky.
If students sign up to be recruited, they get to play GH 1 day a week for the rest of the school year.
That's just wrong.
November 14, 2008
Military recruiting and your kids.
Mark is 17, will be turning 18 in August, and so it has begun.
The various branches of the military have started recruiting him.
We have been getting mailers, actual letters not just postcards or thick card stock single sheet information mailers, but full on letters from the National Guard, Army, Navy, Air force and Marines, almost every single day.
They are offering upwards of $30,000 in free money for them to spend any way they want, fully paid college scholarships, all kinds of happy bonuses, for signing up with the military.
They tout all the benefits of college, and what kind of an education you can get from being part of the military, along with serving your country.
Make no mistake, I fully support the soldiers who serve our country in times of war and peace.
They do something that not many people are willing to do, but at the very same time, this is my baby, my first born, and I admit that I am scared.
He can't legally sign anything until he turns 18, but we will still be at war then.
And I know that just because he signs, (if he signs) that doesn't mean he will go to basic and then get shipped off to Iraq or Afghanistan, he could be doing civil work here at home in the US, computers, IT, whatever, but still, I find myself wanting to tell him to just throw it all in the trash, don't even read it, don't do it.
But I know this is his decision, and I would support him no matter what he chooses to do, but I don't want him to, I don't want either of my sons to join the military.
The mailers are coming every day now, the recruiters are at the school, it won't be long before they start calling here wanting to speak to him, and it bothers me.
I don't want him to join up, not at all.
Call me selfish, call me a bad American, but we are still fighting a war we supposedly won.
I clearly recall our current president standing on the deck of a great cruiser beneath the words "Mission accomplished", and I watch the news, young men and women dying there daily, coming home alive but burned and broken, and this is my baby, my baby boy.
He still plays video games, he still collects action figures, and sleeps with his Winnie the Pooh, I don't want him to even talk to these people.
Ultimately, it is his decision, and I will support him no matter what he decides to do, but moms, dads, are your seniors in high school being recruited too?
How are you handling it?
What are you saying or doing?
Would you encourage them to sign up or not sign up?
November 9, 2008
He'll be an entrepreneur someday.
During this presidential election, I ordered and bought some promotional items for the candidate that I was supporting, Obama.
I donated $30 and got a really awesome cotton t-shirt, I bought a bag of buttons, a few bumper stickers, and some door stickers to put in the front window.
Sebastian really liked Obama too, so he wore the t-shirt to school a few times, and he came home and told me how many 'high-fives' he got from fellow students, and some of the kids wanted to know where they could get the t-shirts and the buttons.
He came home and asked me if he could have a few of the buttons to sell to the kids who asked for them.
I had a bag of 10 buttons, so I gave him 5 of them to give away to the kids, not sell.
He agreed to just give them away, but when he came home the next day, he handed me $10 in $1 bills.
I asked him where he got the money, and he told me that the kids refused to just take the buttons, they insisted on paying $2 a piece for them, so he took the money.
He asked me if I would buy him the pajamas for Christmas.
I laughed, but actually, those pjs do look comfy, I may buy them for myself.
November 5, 2008
People are idiots.
All of the sore losers who wanted McCain to win, are spouting off on the local forums today about when they can expect to get all of their stuff paid for now that Obama is president.
They said that he promised to spread the wealth, so can they now stop paying their mortgage?
Can they now stop paying their loans off?
What about their home and auto insurance?
Can they just stop paying for it all because of his socialist plans for America?
It is ridiculous how they are calling him a socialist, he's not.
He's going to try and make things right, lower taxes for the poor and middle class, give tax breaks to companies that keep jobs here in America which come on people, we need jobs here in our country, we need to have jobs so we can can get back to work rebuilding the country.
A few idiots are even calling the USA the new socialists republic of America, like we've suddenly become communist.
They actually equate socialism with communism, but Obama is not a socialist either.
Man, people are idiots.
November 4, 2008
I voted.
That's my sticker, I went and voted this afternoon after the teens came home.
My body was simply wrecked from the last 2 days of dealing with water and septic issues, so I waited to have one of the teens walk up the street with me.
When the teens had left for school this morning, they had to walk by the church that is our local polling place, and they said at 6:50am, before the doors even opened, there was a line of people starting at the front door and snaking through the parking lot and halfway down the street.
By the time Sebastian and I got there at 3pm, there was no line at all, so we were in and out in a flash.
I had to walk there in my neck brace and was using my cane for stability, (yes, I have a cane, it's a cool dragon one so shut up) and Sebastian helped me be able to stand at the poll desk thing while I filled in the dots for who I wanted to vote for.
Not that the local seats aren't important, but my two main concerns were president and the amendment 2 question on marriage here in Florida.
I voted No.
I voted no because it's not right to make a constitutional amendment that takes away the rights of a whole lot of people, not just homosexuals.
It applies to partners, heterosexual partners, for whatever reason can't or don't want to get married.
It applies to every single, divorced, and widowed person in this state.
I refuse to take away rights from people.
Amendments should only be added to give people rights, not take them away.
Amendments are so hard to reverse once passed, and we already have 4 laws on Florida's books that make gay marriage illegal.
Sebastian was very interested in the voting process, he paid attention to how I was voting, to how it all worked, he realizes the importance of each person doing their part.
He has 3 more years to go before he can vote, but because he helped me today and was very enthused about the whole process, they gave him an "I Voted" sticker too.
July 23, 2008
No Tax-free holiday in Florida this year.
State lawmakers decided against the tax break, saying the state couldn't afford it.Finding clothes you like is the easy part, but paying for them is getting a little tougher. The week-long sales tax holiday won't be giving shoppers a break this year.
"The state of Florida gets almost all of its money from sales taxes. Sales tax revenues are down, down, down. As a consequence, we can't afford to pay our bills. And so this little holiday amounts to a significant amount of money, and this year frankly, the state of Florida just couldn't afford it," says Representative Keith Fitzgerald.
The sales tax holiday simply suspended paying state sales tax on any back to school items like clothes, shoes, backpacks, and all school supplies, under $50 each, to make back-to-school shopping a little easier on Sunshine State parents.
The state has decided to suspend the sales tax holiday this year because the state needs the money.
Well if the state didn't spend our tax revenue dollars on stupid crap, they wouldn't have to do this to parents who struggle to get their kids ready to go back to school.
This news is definitely sucky.
I have two teenagers who go back to school in about a month, and I have a lot of clothes, shoes, and a ton of supplies to buy for each of them.
It was always hard doing the back to school shopping anyway, it costs a lot to get kids ready to go back, and now it's going to hurt Florida parents even more.
Right smack in our wallets.
Ouch.
I know I'll be doing some major price comparisons before going to any stores.
I'll be going through sales flyers looking for the best and lowest prices, checking out all of the sales and comparing each store against one another for the best possible prices.
Two kids in high school with huge lists of expensive items, not to mention the new shoes and clothes they both need as they have both grown a lot over the summer, is going to be very hard.
I'll probably be going store to store, buying items at each store that has the best prices.
Hang in there Florida parents, let's hope the teachers won't ask for any big-time expensive items this year.
June 25, 2008
Bill Keller investigated by the IRS.
Poor Bill Keller, that's what happens when you run your mouth and hide under your religion.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service is investigating a St. Petersburg televangelist who criticized former presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the Republican primary.
Bill Keller hosts of a live television program on the Internet, and his tax-exempt status as a church prohibits him from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. But in one broadcast, Keller said a vote for Romney was a vote for Satan.
Keller says his comments were based on religion, not politics. He says he took issue with Romney, a Mormon, telling people that he was a Christian.
Keller says he is prepared to fight if his ministry loses its tax-exempt status.
Since he began his Live Prayer Internet ministry in 1999, he has skewered Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists, calling them false religions and cults. He also speaks against abortion, calls Oprah a "new age witch" for embracing diverse religions and says megachurch pastor Joel Osteen is a "gutless wonder."
In May, Keller raised the ire of Americans United for Separation of Church and State when he wrote devotionals on Liveprayer.com saying that a vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney equals a vote for Satan. The group asked the IRS to investigate Keller for a possible violation of tax laws, which prohibit tax-exempt nonprofit groups from engaging in partisan politics. Keller, took the debate to a national audience on The O'Reilly Factor, where he sparred with host Bill O'Reilly, who called Keller's words "irresponsible, un-Christian, uncharitable and flat-out wrong."
I even went back and forth with one of his flock who answers his emails, and just read some of this crap that he allows people to speak in his name.
This isn't a good person, he shouldn't even call himself a Christian.
He's nothing but a hate-filled asshole, and I personally, will be very happy the day the IRS yanks away his tax-exempt status and starts investigating his so called church.
I am willing to bet they find lots of interesting things in his financial record books.
Heck, he probably has two sets.
June 18, 2008
You have no 4th amendment rights in a natural disaster.
Wake up Americans!
What is happening in parts of Iowa from the flooding, is just as bad as the water itself.
Government "strike teams" are invading people's homes, harassing the owners, and threatening them with arrest, for being in their homes and questioning the illegal searches of property.
Cops break down doors, threaten residents who question them as part of martial law conditioning, authorities prevent people from re-entering their homes
Shocking footage out of Cedar Rapids Iowa shows cops and government employee "strike teams" breaking into houses of flood victims and threatening anyone who questions their actions in complete violation of the 4th amendment right that protects against unlawful search and seizure.
No warrant, no knock home invasions are being carried out on the flimsy pretext of "checking for structural damage" as cops harass and threaten with arrest people who refuse to have their homes ransacked by thugs in uniforms.
Cedar Rapids police chief Greg Graham promised residents over the weekend that "Law enforcement officers are not entering homes," and that firefighters would only enter homes through unlocked doors and windows yet the video clearly shows locked houses being broken in to.
The 4th amendment states, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Just because a natural disaster happens, does not give ANY government office the right to declare martial law, invade our homes and property, seize our legally owned and obtained weapons, for any reason.
They must obtain a warrant which states their reasons for the search and seizure of our personal effects.
A lot of these "strike teams" are made up of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and utilities workers.
Excuse me?
When did all these people become structural engineers, and be able to legally determine whether or not a home is safe?
Even if there was a legitimate reason to inspect homes, why on earth do they not even bother to knock on the door?
Cops immediately attempt to break in or climb through windows uninvited because this procedure is all about sending a message - when a crisis unfolds we are the bosses and you - the peasants - will yield to our tyranny.
What I think the government learned, was that declaring an illegal martial law, illegally removing the lawful weapons, and removing people from their homes, worked out so damn well in New Orleans, we might as well do it during every natural disaster.
June 17, 2008
Something to smile about.
I'm still doing good with my attempts to lose weight, I've eaten pretty healthy today.
Grapes, some juice, baked chicken for dinner with some salad, not bad.
I got most of my paperwork done today, it's a total fricking pain, and I should have it all completed within the next few days before I can get it printed out.
I absolutely loved this story today.
The two old ladies who had been in a loving and committed relationship for 55 years, were finally able to get married today.
They finally had the legal right to be together.
That's awesome in my opinion.
How many hetero marriages last that long huh?
Yeah, something to think about.
June 13, 2008
Tim Russert, 1950-2008
I just heard the news that reporter Tim Russert has died.
WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News' Washington bureau chief and the moderator of "Meet the Press," died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday's "Meet the Press" broadcast when he collapsed. He was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, said Russert's physician, Michael Newman.
Newman said the cause of death was not immediately known.
He has an extensive and impressive background from being a senate staffer before going to into journalism, he received an Emmy for his coverage of of President Reagan's funeral, 48 honorary doctorates, countless awards for excellence in his career, member of the broadcasting hall of fame, and on the board of the baseball hall of fame.
He was a trustee of the Freedom Forum's Newseum and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club and America/s Promise - Alliance for Youth.
He was also named father of the year by several different organizations over the years.
This is just a shock and tragic loss of a man I admired.
My heart and thoughts are with his wife Maureen and his son Luke.
May 19, 2008
$3.5 million for the Boy Scouts.
On May 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5872, an act "To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes." The sale of the coins by the Secretary of the Treasury, with a surcharge on each coin sold to "be paid to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation." In other words, this is a congressionally mandated fundraiser for the Boy Scouts.With the act allowing for up to 350,000 of this coin to be issued and fixing the surcharge at $10 per coin, the Boy Scouts could receive as much as $3.5 million from their sale. Never before, in the long history of U.S. government issued commemorative coins, has this benefit been granted to an organization that promotes religion or discriminates based on religion.
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, 'On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.' The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.
A private organization can have whatever beliefs and religious requirements it chooses to. That's their constitutional right. But Congress can absolutely not financially aid the Boy Scouts in the promotion of their beliefs and enforcement of their religious requirements by legislating a fundraiser for them!
May 3, 2008
It shook the pictures off my walls!
It's just Mark and I at home tonight, Sebastian decided to go back to my sister's house for the night and will be home in the morning.
When it's just Mark and I, the house is super quiet.
I'm doing my thing on my computer, and he's doing his thing on the Xbox playing PSU
We stopped for awhile earlier, ate enchiladas while we watched the movie I reviewed below, and then we both went back to our thing.
Anyway, we were both just doing our thing a few minutes ago when we hear this loud boom boom thud, boom boom thud, coming from the sub woofers of a car coming down the street.
It started getting louder and louder, and then the windows and walls started shaking, 3 pictures fell of the wall from behind the couch which is not by the window I might add, it's an interior wall.
I thought for sure this car was in my driveway, that's how loud and how bad the windows and walls were shaking, so I got up and opened the front door, about to seriously bitch someone out.
There was no car in the driveway, not in front of my mailbox or my neighbors, or even the next duplex over to my left.
The car was 4 houses down and driving super slow like maybe he was looking for an address or something.
It was that far away but it still sounded like he was right in my driveway!
Sarasota has some pretty tough noise ordinances.
If it can be heard by a police officer 25 feet away, it's too loud.
My driveway is about 25 feet long, and this car was 4 houses away and we could still hear it and feel the bass.
Sarasota has an impound law now as well as fines associated with loud noise.
On April 22nd, the city commission approved a version of the new city laws that would result in a warning for the first offense, the second time, violators are required to pay a $25 fine, plus more than $150 in fees, and the vehicle is impounded. The fine jumps to $250 for the second offense and $500 the third time.
If a cop had been on my street, this guy would have been so totally busted.
Why the hell do they need to have the music that freaking loud?
I love music, I love loud music, I fall asleep at night with my headphones in and the volume all the way up, but when driving in a car, that loud is not only annoying, but dangerous.
If someone honks at them, they can't hear the car horn, if an emergency vehicle is coming with sirens blasting, they can't hear it.
I mean, it was 11pm and he's driving through a residential neighborhood that fucking loud.
There's just no need for it.
April 29, 2008
Senate rejects religious plate.
That proposed "I believe" plate I told you about a few days ago, has been rejected by the Florida senate.
A license plate that would become the first in the nation to prominently feature a religious symbol was not included in a package of legislation creating new license plates after a vote in the Senate.Opponents of the plate said approval - whose proposed design included a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe" - would have almost certainly faced a court challenge.
The bill's Senate sponsor said Monday, however, that the chamber's rejection of the plate could also generate a lawsuit. Florida already has over 100 different license plates and by allowing the designs the state has created a "public forum," said Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico.
Great, now Rhonda is gonna sue over it.
April 25, 2008
Florida takes two steps backwards.
There are currently two religious issues taking place here in Florida this week that I'm in shock over.
The first is the Evolution Academic Freedom Act.
Plant City Senator Ronda Storms introduced the Evolution Academic Freedom Act, which permits teachers to challenge the theory of evolution in science classes.
This comes months after a state panel voted to require teaching evolution in Florida. Storms says her law would protect teachers who want to offer other theories for mankind's existence besides evolution.
Tampa Senator Arthenia Joyner argued the law opens public school classrooms to debate on creationism, intelligent design and God's role in mankind's existence. Joyner said that debate belongs in church and at home, not in Floridas public schools.
The bill passed 21-17 and now goes to the House. That chamber is considering a version of the bill that would not just permit, but require teachers to present "critical analysis" of the theory of evolution.
The Senate rejected that version of the bill.
A theory is based on empirical scientific evidence.
That makes evolution a theory, we have scientific evidence to back up the claim of evolution.
ID or creationism is not and can not, by definition, be a theory.
There is absolutely no empirical scientific evidence to back up ID or creationism.
All they have is the bible as the basis for their idea.
It's not a theory, it's an idea.
This whole thing just irritates me because just this past October, teachers in the state of Florida, were finally allowed to actually say the word evolution in classrooms.
Current standards do not use the word evolution -- long a controversial word in education -- but do require teaching evolutionary concepts in public schools.
The second issue is a new license plate up for legislation.
Florida has more than 100 specialty plates that drivers can have, but we now would be the first state in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.
The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."
Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.
If the plate is approved, Florida would become the first state to have a license plate featuring a religious symbol that's not part of a college logo. Approval would almost certainly face a court challenge.
The problem with the state manufacturing the plate is that it "sends a message that Florida is essentially a Christian state" and, second, gives the "appearance that the state is endorsing a particular religious preference,' said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
All of Florida's specialty plates cost the drivers extra fees to have, and that money goes to a cause the plates endorse.
Luckily, we have a few legislators who realize that the plates clearly violate the separation of church and state.
The group asking for the "I Believe" plate, the Orlando-based nonprofit Faith in Teaching Inc., supports faith-based school activities. The plate would cost drivers an extra $25 annual fee.
If this passes, I hope that other religious groups step up and raise the signatures and the $60 thousand needed, to get their plates up for legislation as well.
Just picture it.
Plates with images of Mohamed, Buddha, Dionysius, Rah, a wiccan symbol etc.
There are 19 major religions, 40 different organized religions, plus the more than 270 different religious groups, and the 34,000 unique Christian groups.
Or how about a big giant scarlet 'A' for the atheists?
Wouldn't that be awesome?
Everyone could drive around with their religion and the words "I believe" on their license plates, for everyone to see.
We could all be driving along honking our horns at the other faiths we find complete and utter bullshit.
We think people have road rage now?!
Just wait till we can all drive around with our "I believe" plates with our distinct religion plastered on it, and know exactly who we disagree with, and more importantly, who we hate for being of a different faith.
April 11, 2008
I'm not anti-American.
Sometimes I get off the wall comments on posts that don't even have to do with my views on religion, but someone comes along, figures out I'm an atheist, and then says something really stupid like this.
"You're anti-God! you're anti-American! Get out of the US if you don't love the God this country was founded on you godless immoral heathen! We who love our God and savior don't want you here!!"
Ok Laura, calm the fuck down.
Being an atheist in no way makes me anti-American.
It simply means I don't believe in your God.
This country was founded by people searching for religious freedom, the freedom to believe in whatever God or Gods they wanted to.
They were being oppressed, so they left an started a new country where they recognized that all people had the right to choose what they believed in.
Yes, most of them believed in the Christian God, but when they wrote the constitution and the 1st amendment, they made sure that each person would have the right to exercise their rights to believe or not believe.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
That doesn't say that we the people, all have to believe in the same God, it means free exercise to believe what we want.
We have all the 1st amendment to protect us from religious persecution by our government, not be forced to believe in any God by our government.
If I was anti-American, I'd probably post a lot more about how much I hate the government and our current president, how the war in Iraq is unjust, or whatever.
But I don't.
I follow politics, I vote.
I believe one vote equals one voice.
I know that it's a privilege to have the right to vote, so I vote in every local, state, and federal election.
I don't waste that right given to me.
I don't snub my nose at the 1st amendment, I applaud it, because it gives me and you, the right to believe whatever we want to believe, and to not be persecuted for those beliefs by an oppressive government.
Laura, your comment has not, nor will it be published.
It was not on topic to the post you left it on, so I junked it.
Sorry.
But if you'd like to have a rational discussion about being an American, and what the 1st amendment means, feel free to email me. There's a handy dandy button at the top of the sidebar just for things like this.
But if you send me an email full of hate, telling me to get out of this country I was born in and that I have respect for, call me names, be ignorant and disrespectful, I will not reply, but delete it.
I'll be respectful to you if you are to me.
And I respect your right to believe in your God, and even your right to say hateful things, but I don't have to reply to them.
Those are my rights.
March 29, 2008
Buy 1, get 1, use a coupon too.
How can you have a busy weekend at home?
By having a lot of work to catch up on, housework, and babysitting my niece on Sunday again so my sister can work.
Her and her husband are so busy working trying to catch up on house payments, car payments, daycare bills which are OMG crazy expensive, and then her husband needed some sort of truck accessories for his new truck, so that added to the bills they have.
My sister works her butt off, they both do, and it seems like they never get ahead, they just survive week to week like the rest of us.
I know so many people who are struggling in our current economy, it's awful.
They say we're in a recession, or one is coming.
If it gets worse, I don't know how a lot of my friends and family will make it, myself included.
Things are just tight everywhere, and most people are trying to save as much money as they can right now in case things get even worse.
I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow, with coupons in hand, and a list that I'm sticking to.
I got my taxes back early, and I'm going to buy enough groceries to stock up the fridge and cupboards, and pay off a few bills, and then bank the rest.
There'll be no splurging, not right now anyway.
February 27, 2008
Mark Lunsford to sue Florida sheriff's office over handling of daughters case.
Jessica Lunsford, the cute little 9 year old girl pictured here, was kidnapped, raped and murdered 3 years ago, by John Couey who lived just across from her home. Couey admitted that he kept her alive for 4 days before finally killing her, and that is part of the reason that Mark Lunsford is suing the Citrus County Sheriff's office.
The proposed lawsuit, which has not yet been filed, claims that if law enforcement officers had searched the mobile home of John Couey, the registered sex offender convicted of Jessica's rape and murder, instead of just searching the home's yard the night the 9 year-old girl disappeared, she would have been discovered.Evidence revealed during Couey's trial showed that Jessica was kept alive for as many as four days before being buried alive. Couey was sentenced to death in August for the crimes.
During the search for Jessica, the mobile home's property and yard were searched several times, there are reports that neighbors told the officers to search inside the home, that something was going on in there, but the officers never searched inside the home.
The intent to sue also states that if the neighbors had been told about Couey's status as a sex offender when he moved in just 2 weeks before her disappearance, she might have been saved.
Lunsford says the sheriff's office wasted valuable time investigating his own father, questioning him about Jessica, instead of searching the home of the sex offender who lived just 100 yards from their front door.
But there are many critics of Lunsford, many calling him a liar and shady, and only suing for his own financial gain.
Lunsford has been given a brand new H2, (Hummer) "living high on the hog", he has a checkered past some are saying, others want to know where all the money raised from the charity rides has gone. They want an audit of all the monies raised and given to Lunsford.
Local radio personality, Bubba the love sponge, has been doing his own investigation into Lunsford.
It has been said that Bubba is about to expose Lunsford, and has had private investigators digging deep into his past and financial records.
Many people are questioning Lunsford's activities.
On the night Jessica was abducted, Lunsford was out partying at a bar with his 18 year old girlfriend. He and Jessica lived with his parents, and they left the door unlocked for him for whenever he came home.
The sheriffs confiscated Lunsford's computer and found some disturbing images on it, yet because his daughter was missing, they halted any investigation into those photographs.
This topic is high on many local Florida forums, a lot of people have some very strong opinions of Mark Lunsford, some calling him a meth head, a junkie, and having some dealings which are shady and possibly illegal.
I don't know where I stand on this.
I am now questioning his finances myself. He went from living with his parents, into a brand new home, driving an H2 that was given to him, and there have been many charity rides to raise money for the Lunsford foundation, but where is the money?
There is no accounting of those monies raised, and what about those pictures on his computer?
What were they of, and why did the police not investigate any further?
This will be an interesting story to follow, and if the suit does go forward, I am hoping that an audit of all the charity monies raised is done before letting this go any further.
I think people deserve to know what happened to that money, and if this suit is really about changing the policy on sex offenders, or if it's just for Lunsford's own gains.
January 28, 2008
Vote No on 1 tomorrow.
Floridians, please vote NO on amendment 1 tomorrow.
I've blogged this before, but here we are on the eve of the vote, and you people who are thinking yee haw on the homestead exemption, really need to sit back and think more about this.
The exemption will give you as a homeowner, a max exemption of just barely $300.
That money has to come from somewhere or other services will get cut.
Like what?
How about emergency services like police, fire and rescue?
The schools statewide, stand to lose about $3 billion in funding.
All you parents who have kids in the Florida public schools, and complain now about the lack of education monies, need to think about the loss of $3 billion additional dollars in school funding.
The money for emergency services and schools, comes from property taxes.
By voting yes, you will gain barely a $300 property tax relief, but you will have major cuts in those other services.
Plus, our governor can do better by us.
Much better.
This exemption is simply a band-aid on a much bigger problem.
This exemption needs 60% to pass.
Think about this and then vote NO tomorrow.
January 15, 2008
Keep them down and afraid.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sick and tired of seeing Rudy Giuliani's ads on my tv.
This one especially makes me loathe him.
One more attack is only moments away ya know?
How many times is Rudy going to play on the fears, the sadness, and the anger over 9/11?
I'm sick of it.
The sad thing is, that people will vote for him because they are afraid more attacks will happen, and they will believe him when he says he's ready for it, that he will take care of it and us.
It's just really sick to keep bringing up 9/11, and using that day to try and make himself look like some kind of hero, in the hopes that people will be afraid enough to vote for him as president.
January 14, 2008
Florida, vote no on #1, save our homes exemption amendment.
The Florida homestead exemption amendment is not good for Florida homeowners no matter how they market it to you.
It says you will save on your taxes, but do you know how much?
The average Florida homeowner will only get a tax savings of $240.00.
Peanuts.
"The four-part tax package would:
# Increase the $25,000 homestead exemption to $50,000.
Proponents have framed this measure as a doubling of the current $25,000 homestead break, but that's misleading, as the new exemption won't apply to school taxes, which make up roughly 40 percent of property tax bills.
# Make accrued benefits from Save Our Homes -- which caps annual assessment increases at 3 percent -- transferable to new homesteads.
# Cap assessment increases on commercial and non-homestead property to 10 percent annually.
# Create a $25,000 exemption on tangible property for businesses, usually for things such as machinery and equipment.
What benefit would those changes provide?
The average Florida homeowner would get a tax savings of $240 from the added homestead break.
The commission's report offers a unique chance for the start of a major tax system overhaul this year, whereas Amendment 1 offers a piecemeal approach to tax relief at best.
Voters should turn it down.
Florida needs, and must get, something significantly better."
January 8, 2008
Be submissive to your husbands.
My sis and I were talking on the phone a bit ago, about the upcoming presidential elections and the candidates.
One that both her and I agree needs to take a flying leap, is Huckabee.
During an interview he gave near the end of December, he defended his statements made to southern baptist crowds where he said "I hope we can answer the alarm clock and take this nation back fro Christ".
He gave the speech the same year he endorsed the Baptist convention's statement of beliefs on marriage that "a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." Huckabee and his wife, Janet, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement with 129 other evangelical leaders.
Um, yeah, ok. Thanks, but no.
Sis and I talked about the candidates we would support, discussed some of the whacked out stuff all of the candidates have said, and are trying to find a candidate who is the lesser of all the evils.
Perhaps it's only the non-religious who can see it, but religious extremism comes in all religions.
I make no apologies for being a somewhat militant atheist, but I know where to draw the line in getting my views across.
I would never blow up a building, bomb or picket a health clinic, stand outside and scream murderer at someone taking care of their own health and body, go door to door attempting to save anyone's soul for my belief system.
This is my blog, a journal, it's shared on line, but I don't force it on anyone. Every reader who comes here has made the choice to be here and read what I write. If they find anything I say offensive, they are also in total control of themselves, and click away to read something else.
I hold no gun to anyone to force my beliefs on them.
This does all tie into our political discussion we were having, religion and politics go hand in hand.
Candidates will do everything they can to cater to, and get the votes of, religious groups in this country.
There are groups who are going out of their way to paint candidates in bad light, to say they are evil, non-religious, not doing the work of god.
There are people who believe it and will take actions based on their religious views, essentially becoming extremist in those actions.
One of the candidates that my sister and I feel stands a very good chance of being elected, we also feel stands a very good chance of having an assassination attempt made on their life if elected.
People are very afraid of change, afraid of anyone but the all powerful, conservative white man, holding the highest office in our land. Some of the things I have seen written on line about a few candidates scares the crap out of me, but also confirms my concern for that attempt on their life.
Sis and I then talked about a child we know, who is being raised in a very strict Christian life. The textbooks he has for school are frightening.
He attends a private Christian school where the science textbooks actually say things like evolution is the work of the devil.
That the people who believe in it, believe so because the devil makes them.
That fossils are satan's way of making people doubt the existence of god.
That's in a textbook. *shock*
We both wonder and worry about this child as he grows up and comes to live in the real world, outside of Christian education and possibly on his own away from family.
What if he attends a real university, not a Christian one, what will happen to this child's world when he finds no mention of the devil or god in his textbooks?
How will he handle those things?
Will his new classmates and friends, laugh at him when he says that fossils are the devils handiwork, and he's serious in his conviction?
Or will this country be "taken back for christ" by then?
I mean, there is actually a resolution that wants to change our nations history to be more religious.
See that? They want to change our history.
That's some scary stuff to me.
December 12, 2007
Drew Peterson wants your money.
Seriously.
Drew Peterson, the man suspected of killing his fourth wife Stacey, has a website where you can donate money and help him defend himself against these charges.
Check out the Official Drew Peterson Defense Fund.
This is crazy.
Drew and his children risk losing their life savings, house, automobiles and may end up impoverished, all by simply defending himself against allegations.
*UPDATE*
The website has been taken down.
December 11, 2007
Santa's runway is melting.
The climate changes are causing the runway which Santa uses to take off and deliver toys from, is melting.
He's not sure if he'll be able to make it this year.
Check it out at Green Santa.
November 24, 2007
A little more info on the vaccine issue.
It's terrifying what the state of Maryland has done.
There is no law that says any child must be vaccinated, but the school health people insist that getting every child vaccinated will cut down on diseases.
The hep B vaccine, contains 12.5 grams of mercury.
That's 100 times more than the EPA says you can administer to infants, and it's done in a single shot.
In the first 15 months of life, babies are given 21 different vaccines, all containing thimerosal.
1 out of every 166 kids born in this country, now have autism and that number is rising.
Babies that were born perfectly healthy, are now being diagnosed with autism by age 3.
Thimerosal was banned by every other country in the world 20 years ago, we are the only country that still uses it.
The amazing part of this whole mercury issue is that doctors tell pregnant women not to consume large amounts of fish during their pregnancies because of mercury. Then as soon as the baby is born, we start injecting them with it.
All childhood vaccines now come with a mercury free version.
Ask for it.
It is your right.
The hep B shot is given at birth, so ask for it when your child is born.
Do not just let them whisk your newborn away to have it's first shots, because they will use the mercury version unless you tell them not to.
November 24, 2007
Don't vaccinate, go to jail in Maryland.
Children were herded like cattle this past week into a courthouse with armed police and attack dogs, to receive vaccinations and threw parents who refused into jail.
"The children were forcibly vaccinated, many against their will, under orders from the State Attorney General, various State Judges and the local School Board Director, all of whom illegally conspired to threaten parents with imprisonment if they did not submit their children to vaccinations."
Health authorities stated that parents who refused would be taken from their kids and placed in jail for up to 30 days for failing to comply.
There is NO law in Maryland that says children must be vaccinated.
The number one reason parents don't vaccinate has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with protecting their kids from the dangerous chemicals found in vaccines (including thimerosal, a chemical additive containing a neurotoxic form of mercury).
There are doctors who oppose what is happening in Maryland.
Parents were "told to appear in Court on Saturday November 17th 2007, and to subject their children to on-the-spot state-mandated vaccines of up 17 vaccine doses, or face imprisonment. Parents who ignore the court's demands could face a $50 fine for every day their child is out of compliance or up to 10
days in jail."
That's a dangerous amount to give a child all at once, and what if a child is allergic to one of them?
The medical and religious exemption forms were missing from the packets handed out to parents to fill out, and were denied if asked for.
There are 8 questions to ask before vaccinating your child, they are:
1. Is my child sick right now?
2. Has my child had a bad reaction to a vaccination before?
3. Does my child have a personal or family history of: vaccine
reactions, convulsions or neurological disorders, severe allergies or
immune system disorders
4. Do I know if my child is at high risk of reacting?
5. Do I know how to identify a vaccine reaction?
6. Do I know how to report a vaccine reaction?
7. Do I know the vaccine manufacturer's name and lot number?
8. Do I know I have a choice?
Just what is thimerosal?
You might want to check it out before vaccinating your child.
November 17, 2007
Scan complete. Results may vary.
I'm finished with the Imdium scan, I don't have to go back tomorrow. I don't know what they found, but they found something because they said nope, go home, do not come back tomorrow.
Feh.
It is a neat test though, claustrophobic, but neat how those radioactive cells appear on the screen.
I saw these two huge masses, organs, completely lit up like a Christmas tree, and was like WTF is that?!
The guy said that's your liver and kidneys, they make the white cells, that is totally normal.
I was like *phew* because let me tell ya, seeing two large organs all lit up when you know that the radioactive cells will light up the infected area, is something totally scary to see and not know what it is.
I admit I totally panicked thinking a couple organs had shut down or were really sick or something.
The guy doing the test wouldn't show me everything like the girl did yesterday, so I'm assuming he saw something and doesn't want me to freak out.
Well too bad, not knowing, freaks me out more.
I don't know when I'll get the results.
I came home, ate a few wings the teens ordered while I was gone, then we watched The Boondock Saints
They liked it. Watching it now, man, the music was so damn corny, but looking at that all-star cast when they were so young, impressive.
The Boondock Saints though, it's one of our favorite movies.
I could watch it all the time.
The accidental shooting of the cat gets me every time. I don't mean it upsets me, I mean it practically makes me snort soda out my nose it's so funny.
The language is rough, there is a ton of violence, but it's an incredible movie.
I don't think people should just go all vigilante, but you'll never hear me complain when a robber gets shot by a homeowner ya know?
I think we should always have the right to protect ourselves against the criminals.
If you break in my home, try to steal my stuff, threaten harm against me and my family, I will take you down.
The law here in Florida says I can, and believe me, I will.
I don't own a gun (yet) but I have several weapons that I have hidden in various places just in case I can't get to another room to get the weapon.
I have stuff and will use it.
I wish more states had better gun laws.
I mean, I was one of several people who got to review a couple safety and self defense products, and more people would have done them, except their states do not allow them to even own pepper spray, never mind a gun.
In those states, if someone dials 9-1-1, the police better hurry up and get there then.
People should be allowed to protect themselves and their families, and if you won't allow that, then get there pronto when they call for help.
November 6, 2007
Yay! I got one!
I got one of the docs I needed, now just three more to go.
Man, this is just, ugh, frustrating.
I have so much other stuff to do, and this has been consuming my entire day so far.
I'm hoping I can get this done or at least mostly done, so I can get out to the polls tonight.
There are some local community issues that need to be voted on, like the penny tax which pays for so many things, and people want to end it.
The penny tax is something we have been paying for a few years now, since 1989, and renewed again in 1997, it's hardly noticeable, but it pays for the city's improvements to our roads and schools, bridges, parks, and libraries.
Removing the penny tax would be so stupid.
That money has to come from somewhere, it might as well be from the penny tax.
And it's not actually a penny, it's 1 percent, so before any local people show up here to blast me for calling it the penny tax, I do know what it is and what it's called.
Yes, it's slick marketing, but it's a 1 percent tax on purchases, and a full one-third of that money comes from tourism.
And speaking of tourism...
Also is the vote on repairing and renovating, Ed Smith Stadium, which holds spring training for a major baseball team, The Cincinnati Reds.
When they are here for spring training, people come from across the country and Canada, to watch them practice and have some show games.
This part of the tourism industry is vital for Sarasota's economy.
The money earned from hotels and shopping, helps pay for so many things in our community.
So anyway, as soon as all the docs offices are closed for the evening and it looks like i won't be getting any more important calls, I'll be heading to the polls.
I hope all of you have gone or are planning to vote today too.
I know voting can be discouraging sometimes, it feels like your vote doesn't or won't count, but it does.
If you don't vote, you have no right to complain later when the wrong guy or bill, gets elected or passed.
September 25, 2007
Homestead exemption in Florida.
With the prices of Tampa real estate, and basically all real estate, in Florida going up, the save our homes exemption is trying to help people not pay an exorbitant amount of property taxes.
What it is designed to do, is to not raise the property taxes more than 3% of the assessed value or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, after the first year the homes value is assessed on the property which receives the exemption.
This may all sound extremely confusing, but it's a really good thing.
It keeps property taxes low for homeowners who get the homestead exemption, no matter how high the value of the home goes.
If the owner sells their home within the first year after being assessed, the new home owners would have to apply for the exemption in order for amendment 10 (save our homes) to be applicable to them.
This has been in the news quite a bit over the last few days, with Governor Crist having trouble drumming up voter support of the new amendment which would give home owners the one-time option of giving up the save our homes exemption in favor of a homestead exemption of up to $195,000 for a home valued at $500,000. The existing homestead exemption is just $25,000.
If you're a home owner in Florida, you need to be paying attention to the current legislation which according to one judge who said the measure was "misleading and inaccurate" and struck it from the statewide ballot.
If a homeowner chooses the new "super" homestead exemption, they would forever lose the Save our Homes cap.
Many people who stay in their homes more than four years would save more with Save Our Homes limiting future tax bills.*
Continue Reading �
September 24, 2007
We're not the crazy ones.
Real Time with Bill Maher, has new rules, and in case you missed it, or don't have HBO like me, Truthdig.com has posted the video, and I'm sharing it with you below.
The last new rule says that non-believers or rationalists, as Maher likes to call us, need to start taking into consideration the religious beliefs of the candidates before we vote for them.
And really, shouldn't we all be doing that?
The constitution says there shall be no religious test for holding the office, or any office of government, but every single one of the candidates gets up during speeches or debates, and talks about their religious morality, their religious views, and like Maher, I'm pretty damn skeptical of any guy's state of mind who wants to be president, if he believes in magic underwear.
He's not getting my vote.
And also like Maher, I have a serious problem with any one who believes in talking snakes, burning talking bushes, huge boats full of every species of animal, walking on water, loaves into fishes, and all the other hocus pocus.
It really is like voting for someone who declares and is convinced, that Santa Claus or the tooth fairy are real.
It's time for rational leaders.
September 21, 2007
It's a gorgeous morning.
I plan to go on my walk shortly, after days of not being able to go for my daily walk, I need to get out and just stroll up the street and back.
Doc B never called me back, so I called Doc F this morning and talked to the nurse abut what happened.
She said it's not likely that the injection caused me to be sick, but because my immune system is so low, it's possible that just taking the injection caused me to get run down and have another run of gastroenteritis.
She said the blood tests from Doc B's office showed a super low white cell count again, which means I was already sick by the time I saw him.
Locally, there are some big news stories happening here.
Like this guy, Joseph Arsenault, I sorta know him.
No, not like that! But I used to go to the Beach Club downtown years ago, before the big remodel, and he was always there, buying rounds of drinks for people and stuff. He also used to shop at Pier 1 a lot.
Kinda freaky he was arrested for rape, and possibly being a serial rapist.
And there's no link to this one yet, but right around the corner from me, on the corner of Ashton and Swift, is a church youth group building, like literally a 7 minute walk from my front door, across from the post office.
Anyway, the youth group leader was arrested for having sex with a bunch of the teens that went there.
One girl claims it was a relationship, but he apparently he had sex with a LOT of the teens that went there.
As soon as there's a link, I'll update this post with it.
At the beginning of summer, they (the youth group) were going around leaving fliers for teens to join the group for the summer.
Stay off the streets! Come hang out in a safe environment!
Uh-huh.
And of course, there's $780 million, but none of it for the teachers.
Will we be repaving another parking lot?
How about planting a few more trees?
Are we ever going to finish building RHS? I mean, all that asbestos our kids are breathing in every day, can't be good ya know.
Maybe the school board will authorize a statue downtown for the cost of like $2 million or something.
Just give the teachers a raise please.
Ok, I am going to get ready for my walk now. I can't wait to get outside.
September 14, 2007
Military dad can't save his children from abuse.
This is a story with local ties, the children are here in Florida, and the military dad is stationed in Alaska.
*WARNING* This video contains a graphic description of what the 5 year old daughter said during a medical examination.
Please use headphones if you have young children in the room.
Please, watch the video, digg the article, this is a call to action!
The story;
Your kids live nearly 5,000 miles away and experts are telling you they're being sexually and physically abused. This Father and all the officials in Alaska know what is going on. Judge J. Kevin Carey in Florida needs to take action to protect the helpless victims and punish the aggressor.
After hearing the child welfare agents state what the 5 year old daughter said during her medical exam, I have no doubt in my mind that this child has been either sexually abused, or been exposed to pornographic movies, or possibly even made to watch her mother have sex with the boyfriend.
No matter how she knows the language she spoke, I consider it abuse.
Not to mention the bruises and other statements the children have made.
This is the contact information for the judge.
I've already made a call to his office to ask that he thoroughly investigate this case.
The Honorable J. Kevin Carey
800 E. Twiggs St., Room 422
Tampa, Florida 33602
(813) 272-6999
Courtroom #402
Judicial Assistant: Carmen Jones
Unified Family Court:
Domestic Relations/Family Law, Division F
August 4, 2007
Tax free school shopping has begun Florida residents.
Today, August 4th 2007, marks the start of tax free week for school shopping.
Governor Crist and the Florida Legislature have approved Senate Bill 1456, which provides that the 2007 Tax Free Days for Sales Tax will begin at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, August 4, 2007, through midnight, Monday, August 13, 2007.
Senate Bill 1456 provides for a sales tax holiday on:
* Clothing and related items with a sales price of $50 or less
* Books with a sales price of $50 or less
* School supplies with a sales price of $10 or less
_________________
I won't be going shopping till next Saturday the 11th, but just letting the rest of you know that it started today.
July 24, 2007
Welcome to the NAU?
What's the NAU?
That's the North American Union for those of you who haven't heard of this yet.
Discussions are popping up on message boards every where recently about this subject and I like others, have no idea if it's true or not, we're all just sorta scratching our heads doing the ol' WTF?
Here's some reading you can do if you're curious about this proposed new union between the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Bye bye constitution.
Bye bye US dollar, hello Amero.
North American Union Sourcewatch
Stop the NAU
July 13, 2007
Christian extremists disrupt Hindu Senate invocation
What a bunch of disrespectful people we have in the house huh?
It's tradition to have a prayer in the senate house, and these Christians can't keep their mouths shut to let a Hindu priest give the invocation.
I do not agree with prayer in the government, but even I have enough respect to be quiet during prayer.
Luckily, they were arrested.
Disgusting.
May 20, 2007
ABC sucks.
You all know that I was interviewed by ABC about cyberstalking.
ABC has refused to tell my TRUE story about this. I sent them an email asking them to revise the article they wrote, because that is not what, or all that I said.
The reporter in charge said she would get back to me.
She hasn't.
I said several times in my interview that we needed tougher cyberstalking laws.
What did they use?
"I think it will take a blogger being killed before law enforcement will take action," Cooper said.
This is wrong.
If I had known ABC was going to screw me after promising me that my story would be told, and then only portraying me the way they wanted, I wouldn't have done it. I would have told them to go jump in a freaking lake and drown.
This isn't the first time ABC has deleted people's comments, or altered stories.
There's a bit of a controversy with ABC and Ron Paul who's running for president.
This is kind of old hat with ABC now.
But it's wrong.
I want ABC to revise the story. I want them to add on the other things I said. They asked me specifically what I wanted done about cyberstaliking. I said I want ISP's involved, I want web hosts to be able to take action on hate speech, part of many web hosting companies ToS, yet they don't uphold their own rules. I want tougher cyberstalking laws where police can actually take action, have the jurisdiction to do something about threats sent over the world wide web.
It is completely wrong of ABC to be censoring people's comments. It was wrong of them to lie to me.
It was wrong of them to tell me they were going to revise the story and then not actually do it.
ABC can kiss my ass.
May 17, 2007
Steve to Susan.
Do any of you know about Susan Stanton? Susan used to be Steve, and because she changed her gender from man to woman, she lost her job as Largo City manager.
Susan is now running for Sarasota City manager.
This is Susan.
There are some people who are coming out in support of Susan here on the suncoast, but not many.
Early unofficial polls look like this;
"Would you support Sarasota City Commissioners if they decide to hire Susan Stanton as city manager?"
326 (31%) - Yes
722 (69%) - No
Maybe it's the way they are wording the polls.
I think it should be, would you vote for the person who can do the best job?
My question makes more logical sense huh?
Sarasota prides itself on bing a progressive community, we have a large gay and lesbian community here, they are supported.
But transgender?
I can just hear all the senior citizens now, trans what? What's that mean? is that gay? Or is that lesbian? Which one is he or she?
They do not like things that they knew nothing about when they were growing up.
There have always been gays and lesbians, they were more in the closet back then, but most people knew who in their town was or wasn't.
But transgender wasn't heard of, it was just not talked about or done. They didn't have the medical ability to do this back then, so this is completely foreign to Sarasota's senior population, and because it's so foreign, they will not vote for Susan. If Susan gets hired, they will make a fuss until she's fired.
All I want to know is, can Susan do the job?
I don't care what someone looks like as long as they can do the job.
They could show up to work wearing a pink tutu and a hawaiian shirt with scuba fins on their feet, as long as they can do the job, I don't care what they look like. I don't even care who they are.
Just do the job.
I just don't care if it's a man or a woman, or someone in the process of becoming who they are meant to be, as long as they can do the job.
I want to see our local news stations and websites do better polls.
Do you think Susan Stanton can do the job?
Is Susan Stanton qualified for this job?
The answer is yes.
April 29, 2007
Have you all heard of Allen Lee yet?
After the Virginia tech shootings, student Allen Lee who was set to join the marines, was asked in his writing class, to write an essay with the following rules.
The essay was written during Lee's creative writing class on April 23, in which students were given a "free writing" assignment.*Teacher Nora Capron told students not to censor what they write
Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S...t...a...b..., poke. “So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone..., then had sex with the dead bodies. Will, not really, but it would be funny if I did.” Umm, yeah, what to wright about...... I’m leaving to join the Marines and I really don’t give a F*** about my academics, so why does the only class that’s complete Bull S***, happen to be the only required class...enough said. The model citizen would stay around to vote in new board member to change the 4 years of English policy, but no one really stays around to vote for that kind of local crap, so whoever gets there name on the Ballet with a pretty face gets to do what the F*** ever they want with local ordinance. A person is smart, but people are dumb selfish animals. We can’t make rules for ourselves so we vote others to do it for us, but we can’t even do that right, I meen seriously, Bush for President? And our other option was John Kerry who claimed to partake in Vietnam Special Forces missions that haven’t been declassified....F***ing Bull S***. So Power Flower Super Mario. Pudge, hook, rot, dismember “Fresh Meat.” Most new/young teachers are laid back, and cooperative with students as feedback and input into the curriculum and atmosphere. My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students like a 63 year old white male fortune 500 company CEO, and a illegal immigrant. If CG was a private catholic school I could understand, but wtf is her problem. And baking brownies and rice crispies does not make up for it, way to try and justify yourself as a good teacher while underhandidly looking for complements on your cooking. No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don’t be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting.
The following "Author's Note" was passed out to students at his school in reference to his essay.
Author’s Note: This production of the writing is done in the most accurate manner I can depict of the original writing. Grammar and spelling mistakes are included at the best accuracy possible. The first phrase in questions is in fact a Green Day song. The second reference to drugs is in relation to the schools history of drug problems. I am personally clean of all controlled substances. The statement in quotes is done so as a non personal statement as I would have done in reference to a character for a story. The reference to the gun P90 is from a video game, combined with a reference to necrophilia as a comment regarding a seriously messed up situation. A situation such as the rape of villagers during a raid by U.S. troops in Vietnam. I really do not care too much about by continuing academia as in relation to grades. I do however believe on continuing my personal education, and I am actually still working for my classes. My views on the graduation requirements explain themselves. The reference to Mario and Pudge(a DOTA character) are completely random in this essay. The reference to a person being smart and people being dumb is based on a quite from “Men in Black.” I generally do believe the public opinion is best. The rest of the essay is rather self explanatory, the main statement in question I have already released a comment online about. I request that all information I have released is read together, and nothing is given separately or as an excerpt as the administration has seen fit to do.**On an additional note, I have completed the MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station) examinations, and yes a psychiatric evaluation is included in the process. If I’m qualified to defend the country, I believe I am qualified to attend school.
Do we really want the thought police? Are we that scared of ourselves that we need thought police? What will this mean to writers of fictional stories?
Are we going to start reading every single essay a student writes and scour it looking for kids who may pull the trigger, and turn them over to the police?
Students everywhere now need to hold back, stop writing, stop being creative.
It's all pink fuzzy bunnies and rainbows now folks.
Let's just stifle creativity because we are a scared nation.
Don't take my words as not caring about school shootings, because I do care, but censoring, being frightened, ruining good kids lives because teachers are afraid of what kids write after telling them to be creative, not to edit or censor themselves, and then the teachers freak out and turn the papers over to cops.
Is this really the path we want to take?
Do we really want thought police?
This was a good kid, an athlete, a non-drug user, a kid planning on serving his country.
Now what? Now what happens to Allen Lee?
Continue Reading �
April 18, 2007
Parenting beyond belief.
Agnostic Mom has asked that her readers help spread the word on the new book, Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
Several parenting magazines are declining to review the book for fear of offending religious subscribers, and a few retailers are declining to stock the book, claiming there is no market for it. It is essential that we demonstrate otherwise, so please put all promotional oars in the water as soon as possible.
"Oh, for the days when one could safely stroll into a bookstore without tripping over the latest atheist title."
Please, if you are an atheist who wants to help spread the word about this parenting book, please post it on your blog.
As a parent who has raised my sons without religion in this religion filled world, a book sure would have come in handy.
Help spread the word so other secular parents can learn about this book, and have it a bit easier than I did trying to raise them without indoctrination in an indoctrinated society.
From Amazon;
It’s hard enough to live a secular life in a religious world. And bringing up children without religious influence can be even more daunting. Despite the difficulties, a large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion.In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints.
Agnosticmom.com 
Parenting beyond belief 
Atheism
April 18, 2007
I just got jury duty.
Yup, in my mail today, a summons for jury duty. It's already filled out for exemption and stamped, and sitting to go back in my ghetto-fied mailbox.
They want me to appear at the courthouse May 9th at 8am.
First of all, I can't do it that day, I have a medical appointment which if I miss, I'll have to wait about a month to get another one.
Second, I have no car.
If I had to be downtown to the courthouse for 8am, I would have to be up at 5am, be on the first bus at 6am, and then catch another bus over to the courthouse at 7:30am.
It's simply not something I can pull off and there is no way I'm missing my doctors appointment.
March 21, 2007
Kathy Dent is in trouble.
Election official may face congressional inquiry.
SARASOTA - Four months later, the controversy over Vern Buchanan's razor thin congressional win in the 13th District is not going away.We're only learning now that elections supervisor Kathy Dent received a warning memo before the election from the voting machine makers about potentially sticky buttons, but didn't tell anyone outside her office.
"We discussed it with the staff," said elections supervisor Kathy Dent.
Dent felt the best solution was to display posters telling voters about being careful about their selections and checking the review screens.
As for Dent, this recent controversy has her thinking long and hard about running for re-election next year."I'm weighing my options. It's becoming a job now," Dent said.
In a letter dated August 15th, ES&S, the company that manufactures the voting machines, warned the supervisor's office of an "issue" with the voting machines. The letter indicated that its voting machines, deployed all across the country, were showing "slow response times" and required a patch in order to correct the problem. But ES&S never sent the patch, and Kathy Dent never asked for it.
March 6, 2007
The death of a president.
Death of a President is a fictional documentary about the assassination of 43rd United States President George W. Bush. It is directed by British filmmaker Gabriel Range. The film uses archive footage, actors, and computer effects to portray an assassination of the 43rd American president. The film covers topics of civil disobedience, racial profiling, the reduction of civil liberties, sensationalism, and just-war theory.
The film was basically banned by two of Americas biggest theater chains, Regal and Cinemark. CNN and NPR refused to run ads for the movie.
If you want to see the film, you can watch it on Google video, here.
Filed under entertainment and politics.
Technorati tags 
death of a president
February 26, 2007
What are we supposed to do?
Mark went out yesterday with his Big, George, and they ate at the Subway in the newly revamped Westfield mall. They had completely redone sections of the mall and unveiled it a few months ago. Newly remodeled food court, new movie theater etc.
But apparently, the mall is still dirty. The food workers are still dirty.
Both Mark and George got food poisoning. George called here around 8ish to ask if Mark was sick. I said yes, he's been in the bathroom non-stop since around 6:30. It hit him pretty hard within 4 hours of getting home.
He was up all night with it coming out both ends, but where is my son this morning?
At school, taking the FCAT.
He can't miss any of the tests this week. It counts toward his final grade, whether or not he passes to the next grade level.
He has barely slept, he can't eat anything, he was in the bathroom every 10 minutes all night long, but he has to go to school.
They sent us notes home telling us what to feed them for dinner, what time to put them in bed, what to feed them for breakfast, to make sure they had a ride instead of walking or bike riding.
He was up all night sick. He couldn't eat. He walked to school because we don't have a car and his bike tires are still slashed.
I fully expect to get a call from the school after his morning FCATs are done, can he come home?
Of course he can come home, he shouldn't have even had to go to school today!
Just doing a quick scan of technorati tags for FCAT, I came across a bunch of blogs about it, many from the students themselves on Live Journal, complaining about the FCAT.
The students know how worthless this test is, they know what it's going to cost them if they fail. It's pointless to have report cards all year long if one single test is actually what determines whether or not they pass to the next grade up.
I'm with Sad Panda. Mad.
Technorati tags 
FCAT
January 15, 2007
Now on to other things.
I was blog of the day on Fuel My Blog. Thanks Kevin!
Stop by and say hello to Doris. She lives in new Zealand and does a bit of traveling, business, and cute baby posts. I love cute babies!
And for my Florida readers, please go sign this petition.
Ban Sex Offenders Who Are Parents From Coming To Florida Schools.
I completely agree with the petition starter.
I don't care if they are a parent, if they are a registered sex offender, they have absolutely no business inside, or near a school.
I need to go chill now.
Later days.
January 7, 2007
I should have napped all day.
I sat up playing Sims and then watched movies, did dishes and other cleaning, and now my back is twitching.
Stupid.
I had the whole house to myself, all quiet, and instead of getting much needed rest, I over did things and am paying for it.
Sometimes, I obviously don't think things through far enough.
Oh, did I tell you that sometime Friday night, our mailbox was the victim of the stupid little thuggers in the hood?
Yes, sadly it was knocked from it's post by a baseball bat or other such object.
Now I have to find a new piece of wood, get some long nails and screws, and stand inches away from traffic, to repair it.
It's most probably in retaliation for the events of Thursday afternoon when Sebastian and I were walking home from the store.
A group of them were riding their obviously stolen kids bicycles (these are teens, older than Mark, one was a girl, looked to be about 17, and many bikes have been reported stolen in the last few months. And very funny how all their bikes were spray painted black) in the middle of the road blocking traffic, refusing to move.
We were at our driveway when this occurred, so I asked them to move pointing to the line of traffic behind them.
The girl shot me a nasty look and called me a bitch.
I returned the compliment.
So I'm almost sure my mailbox took the brunt of the dumb girl's frustration.
Sarasota is a beautiful city and they keep doing things to make it more beautiful, but in doing so, they have taken away the skate parks, the teen clubs, they shoo them out of the malls, the arcades are gone.
There is nothing for teenagers to do but ride around on stolen bikes and cause problems.
The city needs to realize that all those pretty things are going to be destroyed by bored thug teens if they don't give them back some place to hang out and be kids at.
Yes, I know, the kids have the choice, free will, to not be thugs, but when the city systematically took all of their fun safe places to hang out at, what did they really think the outcome was going to be?
Did they think the kids would just stay home and not want to hang out places anymore?
The very places they took away from them to turn into an expensive, exclusive shops, or another adult club, are they very places these kids are defacing.
They spent money when they went to those places. These kids have money, and spent it on soda and food, cds, skateboards etc. Now they have no where to go so they are causing trouble.
They are bored. Give them back just one place and the problems will slow down.
That's my opinion anyway. I remember being a bored teen being shooed out of places and going to find something to do and 9 times out of 10, it was causing trouble.
Ok, I need to go stretch, maybe sleep. Who knows.
Later days.
December 27, 2006
Former President Gerald Ford has died
Former President Gerald Ford, who became president in 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon, died Tuesday at age 93, his wife, Betty Ford, told The Associated Press.
President Ford was the only person to become President that was never elected as any portion of any Presidential ticket. Spiro Agnew was Nixon's VP but was forced to resign after being charged with tax evasion. Ford was nominated as Agnew's replacement in 1973 and ascended into the White House as the nation's 38th President less than a year later when Nixon was forced to resign over Watergate.
I was just a little kid when he was president, but when schools actually taught American history, his pages in our books said he was a very decent president and did a fine job.
Rest in peace Mr. President.
December 7, 2006
FCCFU
Thank you. That is all.
November 19, 2006
Holy schmolies it was packed in there last night.
But good times were had. No pics though. I was too busy people watching anyway. Interesting crowd.
You know what kills me?
The club plays like all these old 80's songs, punk/mainstream pop from the era etc. All these young people were like oh my god! I love this song!
Kinda funny.
It amuses me that some of them heard the song for the first time like a few months ago at that club or somewhere else. I grew up with it, lived it. It's kinda weird in a way.
But, I was definitely not the oldest one there last night. I saw wrinkles.
Today will be spent at home taking care of a sicko. I think Mark has the flu or some other nasty type thing. It started Friday with him complaining of a headache and then yesterday when he came home, it was all I really don't feel well. By the time we left to go out, he was just super tired and needing sleep.
We have lots of Nyquil and have no plans. He'll get plenty of rest.
My friend Terry sent me a link to a petition and I signed it. 100% for it.
Don't Pay O.J.
How ballsy is he huh? If I did it, this is how I would have done it. It's a total slap in the face not only to the Browns and Goldman's for him to write a book in hopes of profit, but to his children.
Did he ever stop and think about the effect he has on his kids?
In the book, he writes how he would have killed their mother if he had done it, and from the news reports on the book, it's very detailed, like exquisite detail, of how he would have killed their mother.
We all know O.J. did it, too bad the police bungled the investigation and evidence, he'd be behind bars right now.
Don't give this man a penny. He has no intention of paying what he owes to the families, this is all about him wanting more time in the spotlight, needs the attention.
I won't be reading it, even from the library.
He should not benefit from the crimes he did commit.
November 9, 2006
So far, no news.
The problem with the school thing, is they have that zero tolerance policy. That policy says that any type of discrimination against anyone, is punishable by suspension from school or wherever the discrimination took place. In this case, the bus.
I haven't heard anything yet so I'm hoping the bus driver was just yelling he was gonna throw kids off the bus and didn't actually do it.
He's done that before.
We shall wait and see.
Today the boys are home though because they have a doctors appointment at 12:30.
Right in the middle of their school day and they both go to two different schools so it's much easier to just keep them home than it is to send them and try to round them up in like 3 hours and try to get to the appointment on time.
Basic physicals and stuff, check out Mark's back.
He came home yesterday complaining about it heavily. He was doubled over and teary.
I hope it's nothing too serious.
If it's his backpack causing that pain from all the books they make him carry to and from school, maybe the doc will write him a note so he doesn't have to.
I have my list of questions ready. Scoliosis can be genetic so, check him out for that too.
Ok, off to shower and get things ready to go in a few hours.
Later days.
October 18, 2006
November 7th can't get here fast enough.
I am so sick of the campaign ads, I want to kill them all.
Oh no, I just said a bad thing. Please don't send the Feds after me like that 14 year old girl on Myspace.
I'm just tired of all the negative campaign ads, all the regular campaign ads.
I just can't stand it. Every other commercial is making me more and more crazy.
Why can't they just stick to their platforms? Why do they have to sling shit back and forth? All that shit slinging makes me want to not vote for any of your dumb asses.
Just tell me what the hell you plan on doing if you get the job ok?
Thanks.
September 3, 2006
What so many of us think.
I rarely get into politics here, only when something truly gets my attention, or I feel should be seen or talked about by others.
This needs to be heard by all.
Keith Olberman goes after Donald Rumsfelds speech to veterans.
Watch on people.
July 19, 2006
It's going to take one of his daughters becoming paralyzed before he sees the benefits.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/Science/Stem_Cell_Research
WASHINGTON - The House failed Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of a bill to lift his restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. That means the veto stands, killing the measure. The vote was 235-193 to override, 50 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to send the question to the Senate. Bush said the bill crossed a moral line "between science and ethics that can only do damage to both."
January 9, 2006
As someone who walks everywhere,
this really pisses me off and Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » safety zone for no one said it best but it won't stop me from saying it my own way.
The guy fucking ran a red light.
In a school zone.
I'm sure he's sorry, anybody would be but a ticket for running a red light is all he gets?
How wrong is that?
It was a school zone!!
She was in the crosswalk.
Something is seriously wrong if all this guy gets is a ticket for running a red light.
November 16, 2005
Support the ACLU and get a free DVD
The Producers Club
It’s essential for the ACLU to engage a broad cross-section of the country in protecting our fundamental freedoms from a withering, sustained governmental assault. This is why the ACLU has launched The ACLU Freedom Files. It is also gives you an opportunity to participate in a new kind of information activism: the ACLU Freedom Files Producers’ Club.
The Producers Club aims to enlist the ACLU’s most devoted supporters in broadening The ACLU Freedom Files audience and is made up of a nationwide network of activists– from libraries, schools, neighborhood associations, LINK TV viewers and individuals– who are bringing The ACLU Freedom Files to their communities and living rooms.
Building on the promising response to the first two episodes of The ACLU Freedom Files, the Producers Club serves as an organizing mechanism to build a robust network of Freedom Files AcTiVists from across the nation who care deeply about civil liberties issues in this country.
There is nothing complicated or time-consuming about becoming a member of the Freedom Files Producers’ Club. We’ll send you a free DVD of any episode and all you have to do is link to our show on your blog or website. Simply click here to sign up.
June 13, 2005
Smooth Criminal.
May 11, 2005
Whine, whine, whine....lol
Today has been a better day in regards to yesterdays crap anyway.
I caught a head cold though. Snot, congestion, slight fever so took some Nyquil at like 8am and promptly passed out until sometime around noon.
Not much else has been happening really.
I called and spoke to Sebastians attorney, things are moving again.
Why do people evade subpoenas? Why do they run from the law man? Don't they know that that is actually worse for their case then just coming forward and doing it the first time? Sheesh.
I have to call my disability attorney at 4 and get an update on my hearing. This is one long process but in the end, I know it will be in my favor because I was denied an out of area surgeon in Miami. Got the letter today. The 6th one.
I cannot go to Miami University hospital for them to even look at my back. That probably means I can't go to Shands or U of Florida either. They will not let an out of area doc look at me and no locals will touch my spine with a 100 foot pole so I'm slowly coming to terms with what will be my future.
I cried a little bit but I haven't given up hope yet. I am going to keep pressuring the insurance company for help and maybe even get a state rep or two involved if I get denied again.
Lifetime welfare benefits are only 5 years and with the disability hearing taking so long, I could easily go past the 5 year mark. They would have to continue to support me and I don't think they want to do that. That would require a state hearing wherein I could go and show the state court exactly how many times I and my doctors requested a surgeon and how many times it was denied. That wouldn't look very good now would it?
It's so funny to me sometimes how our governor and legislature would get involved and try to take custody of a comatose brain dead woman which would have cost the tax payers of this state millions of dollars over her lifetime for care yet they won't let me see a surgeon in Miami so that I could work again and be self sufficient. My surgery wouldn't cost nearly as much as that would have. Not even close, less than $60,000, yet I can't even go down there for an simple evaluation.
Don't you all find that a little odd?
It amazes me whose quality of life is considered more important.
Maybe I should email Jeb, tell him I'm a good Christian mom and beg for his help. Think that would work? 
So, on with my day.
Later days.
March 31, 2005
She is finally at peace.
Terri Schiavo passes away at age 41.
Terri is finally at peace and this entire saga that has captured the world, is over.
It is a sad thing but at the same time, this is what she wanted and I feel that she can finally rest after all these long years of being trapped in a shell of her former self.
Now all the gawkers from all over the country playing horns and drums and juggling (!) can go back from where they came and find a new cause to skip work for.
March 21, 2005
"If we do not draw the line in the sand today, there is no limit to what democratic principles this Congress will ignore or what liberties they may trample on next."
This quote sums up my reasons for hating the Bush administration.
In case you didn't hear yet, Congress ok'd the bill to save Schiavos life.
The quote is by Rep. Jim Davis, D-Fla. He also said;
"Today, congressional leaders are trying to appoint Congress as a judge and jury."
They have basically said that our final wishes are not as important as what they want.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. and others rejected the description of the brain-damaged woman as persisting in a "vegetative" state.
"She laughs, she cries and she smiles with those around her. She is aware of her surroundings and is responsive to them," he said. "This is a woman who deserves a chance at life and not a death sentence of starvation and dehydration."
This is coming from some guy in Washington who has never seen her in person or heard the testimony of her doctors. He has decided that the last 7 years of legal battles and court ordered decisions can be over written purely for political reasons.
I am absolutely sickened by this.
This is my problem this weekend.
This is why I just can't focus.
Congress has decided the courts and doctors and our final wishes mean nothing. That their way is the only way.
People, if you haven't already, get a living will and a DNR order if you don't already have one and want one.
I'm sure you're sick of this whole issue, I'm sure you're tired of hearing about this at every turn, well thanks to congress, you get to hear about it some more.
February 22, 2005
Stop it. Just fucking stop the bullshit.
Emergency stay in Schiavo case.
They need to just stop this bullshit.
These last minute stays are just fucking bullshit.
I really don't care what either side has to say anymore.
Decisions have been made and many judges have said it's the husbands decision and then whammo bammo! Another judge issues a last minute stay and decides to drag this out for how many more years?
I swear to fucking god, if any of member of my family decides to keep me alive after an injury leaves my quality of life as shit, when I finally do die, I will come back and haunt all your asses in the worst possible ways!
Ya hear that family, unplug me. If I can't wipe my own ass or feed myself or speak or even know who the fuck is in the room, let me go.
It's not your life you're trying to save, it would be mine and I don't want that.
November 28, 2004
Sunday Sermon. 13
Let us use our energy and our initiative to solve our problems without relying on prayers and wishful thinking. When we have faith in ourselves, we will find we do not have to have faith in gods.
-- Ruth Hurmence Green
November 24, 2004
Could today be the day?
Sebastian is up and gone out with my sis, Mark and Mikey are snoozed out on the couch and floor and ex-roommate was up. Where'd she go?
Oh there she is, heading out to the bank and stuff.
ex-roommate and I are heading out to see National Treasure later today. Something fun to do and matiness are cheap.
I think the kitty might be in labor.
She's hiding and nervous and meowing a little bit.
We'll see huh?
I guess that's all from here for now. It's kind of a quiet morning and not doing too much.
Later days.
Fallujah in Pictures + Our leader
Nod to Solonor
November 9, 2004
Ok. Deep breath.
When I posted about the military operation, Phantom Fury, I was not making light of the war. I was making fun of the name.
There is a HUGE difference.
Do I know people are dying over there?
Yes.
Do I know how serious the situation is?
Hell fucking yes.
Do I care about what is happening over there?
You fucking betcha.
I have a cousin over there. A young father, my cousin that I used to babysit and hang with when we were much younger. Heck, he and I were Mary and Joseph one Christmas for a family pageant.
I know all too well the seriousness of the war in Iraq.
I was making light of the name. Phantom Fury. It sounds like something out of Star Wars or a Saturday morning cartoon superhero.
It's a silly name.
I am allowed to have a little smile about something am I not?
Just because the war is serious and people are bleeding and dying does not mean that this blog has to turn itself black and for me to post sad mournful or powerful political messages every waking moment.
Can you post something back to me disagreeing? Sure you can.
Will I email you about your comment? Most likely seeing as how I respond to every single comment that I get through email.
Will you be able to persuade me to feel bad about a joke or post that I made? No.
Will I let you get away with chastising me? No.
This is my blog and if you take offense to something I say, fine, feel free to post a comment. I will respond and I may or not agree with you. I may be curt, I may be sorry, I may tell you to jump in a lake.
If you still aren't satisfied with my responses and think I'm a bitch, you may be right but you as the owner of your computer have a choice. You never ever have to come back to this site again.
I can't stop you if you do, but why waste your time posting comments on a blog that you disagree with?
You're entitled to your opinion but as owner of this site, and as an American, I don't have to agree with you.
November 8, 2004
They're kidding right?
Iraq - Operation Phantom Fury has begun.
Like seriously, the first thing that popped into my head was the theme from Star Wars and a sith lord image.
Phantom Fury.
I can't even say it without chuckling a little.
November 3, 2004
I don't know where you people get off.
And I'm not even saying everybody.
Where in my post this morning did I say I want to move to another country?
I didn't.
I said I was sad and disappointed and gave my reasons for feeling that way.
I am entitled to my opinion and so are you but at least when you stop by my site and leave one, you have the balls to stand up for what you write and sign your fucking name and use a real email address.
You fucking cowards.
I have a right to vote how I want and feel how I want and in time, I will accept what has happened but here, on my site, you need to put up or shut up.
If you can't sign your name and use a real email address to correspond like rational human beings and work through our differences, then just fuck off.
This country is so divided and you cowards go around dividing it even more.
Who the fuck do you think you are?
Isn't now the time to be healing the rifts between the two parties? Isn't that what everyone is saying? That we need to bring peace and unity back to the American people?
How are you helping in this if you are going around spewing your hatred?
Let me feel how I want to feel. Let me think what I want to think.
Let me heal.
Let me put aside my feelings of bitterness for the betterment of this country.
Be a better person and we will all be better Americans in the end.
November 3, 2004
Thank you America.
Thank you for fucking us up the ass for 4 more years.
I'm so disappointed and devastated.
I voted out of hope and you voted out of fear.
I now fear for the future.
I fear for my kids future.
I fear for my own.
I fear for womens reproductive rights.
I fear for all those affected by horrible illnesses and will never even see a chance for a cure.
I fear for the gays because you know, love isn't really love unless it's a man and a woman and all you gay people are sinning under his god.
I fear for my cousin who has been at war for over a year and will probably have to stay there now because we need to keep troops fighting and dying for lies.
This is just how I feel this morning and I don't need anyone telling me to buck up or suck it up and hail to the chief.
I don't want to hear why you voted for him and I don't want to be told to calm down.
I just feel how I feel and that is that.
Continue Reading �
November 2, 2004
In a schoolwide poll,
Nader 8%
Bush 45%
Kerry 47%
One of the Sarasota Middle schools.
November 2, 2004
We voted in the presidential election 2004.
We got there pretty early, before the doors opened at 7am and there was already a line.
The poll workers were quick, knowledgeable and friendly.
There were no challenge inspectors from what I could see and no supporters for either side hanging out either.
We waited in line and placed our votes.
This was ex-roommates' first time ever voting in a presidential election.
Now, we watch and wait and try not to bite off all of our nails all day.
Get out and vote.
Continue Reading �
October 29, 2004
Caught in a mosh.
I know that there are people who are very upset about this video, Eminems Mosh and they think that celebrities have no business in politics.
My opinion as an American is that everyone, every single American, has a right to voice their opinion.
Maybe what upsets them is that they have a much larger audience than the ones that are upset?
They can sing and scream at millions of people and be heard and you have to carry your one sign and talk your points and hope to be heard.
They are being heard.
They are getting through to the millions of young men and women who are old enough to vote but don't think it makes a difference. One little person in this huge nation. It makes a huge difference.
One voice can turn the tables. One voice can turn the tides. One voice can change the future of this nation for better or for worse.
It is up to you. And you and YOU.
Please get out and vote.
The future of our country depends on it.
I'm not going to tell you to vote for the candidate that I want. I just want you to vote.
It's not just about the president either. There are many other issues on your local ballots.
You need to read those proposals and decide for yourself what you want and what you think is best for your state and vote.
Just vote.
This is the most important election of our time. This is the most important election I have ever voted in.
This is the election that could and will affect everyone in this country.
Please vote.
October 13, 2004
I'd like to draw your attention if I may,
to the blog ad over there called the Great Kiss Off. (link for my mom)
Click that ad if you support Kerry and do what it says.
This sounds like a cool fun thing to do to let Georgy porgey know he's going buh-bye if we women have anything to do about it.
Sadly, 22 million women did not vote in 2000.
Let's get them to vote in 2004.
Send that link to all your female friends and encourage them to vote. Their voices can make a difference.
September 17, 2004
Ya hear that? Dormant, limited evidence of secret chemical and biological weapons programs.
MSNBC - Report: Iraq had no WMD, only intentions
Thousands have died and continue to die for a lie. Intentions don't make it an urgent threat.
We could have waited to get Saddam, he had nothing but intentions. He did not have the ability or the goods.
We should have gone after Osama like we were promised but instead we were lied to and people have died for those lies.
August 10, 2004
Stamp and shout!
I signed up for Free Bumper Stickers! and they came in the mail yesterday. They are free for bloggers up to $2.00.
I got this one
and this one and they must have upped their prices on the stickers cuz I was able to toss in this button too.
But it's not too late to get yours so go sign up.
August 10, 2004
Do people really watch this guy?
I don't have cable so I miss all the news shows and stuff and I have known about O'Reilly for sometime but are people listening to this asshole? Found this link, O'Reilly lied about Outfoxed, from Tony, and could not believe what I was reading and you know something, it's not even the shut up stuff that bugged me.
O'Reilly is telling gay kids that they will never be accepted and to just shut up, just stay in the closet.
Maybe I'm reading it all wrong and maybe I just don't understand the guy but from where I sit and what I read, it sounds like he was just telling gay people to just shut up because they will never be accepted and they will come under attack, and if they think they will, as he puts it, they will live in Oz.
Everyones like he's always telling people to shut up and sure that's bad enough but he's obviously a homophobe in this case.
It's not just shut up, it's shut up about your sex life or people are going to attack you. He then goes on to tell kids in America to just shut up about their sexual orientation because this kind of stuff (attacks) will happen and they will never be accepted.
I had to read it 3 times to make sure I got that right.
You will never be accepted.
Gah, this guy is scary.
July 21, 2004
I think someone at Harris' office made a mistake.
I had emailed and called Katherine Scary Harris about the marriage amendment before it went to vote. I received a letter yesterday from her office. Apparently, she thinks I agree with her so she sent me a wonderful letter sharing her views with me.
Here is a scanned copy of the letter. I taped the two page letter together and folded down the part with my address. This is the actual letter.
One of my favorite lines is this one: "some activist judges appear bent upon stretching constitutional equal protection provisions beyond their intended meaning."
Beyond their intended meaning? Oh Katherine, surely you didn't mean that the way it sounds.
What exactly is the intended meaning Katherine? Is equal protection only for whites? Is it only for straights? Is it only for people who are born here? I really wish you would clarify the meaning of that before you send these letters out. Just who, in your opinion, should the constitution protect?
"Under such judicial activist rulings, Florida would be forced to recognize a same sex "marriage" performed in Massachusetts, contrary to the stated will of Florida's citizens and their elected representatives."
Contrary? Katherine, I told you I want the same protection under the constitution for everyone. I never told you that I am a bigot like you.
You say if you can assist me further, I should contact you. You bet your scary ass I will.
Also, next time you're sending out letters to your supporters, you might want to double check the list and make sure you don't get any of us anti-scary Harris people on it.
July 14, 2004
Gay marriage ban fails to advance.
12 short of the 60 votes needed to keep the measure alive
July 13, 2004
I'm all for an individuals right to bear arms but...
I don't think it's reasonable or logical for individuals to bear assault weapons.
The national Assault Weapons Ban automatically expires at the end of the summer. Congress must renew this ban or military-style assault weapons will be back on the street and available for sale in our neighborhoods. We cannot let this happen. We have to put pressure on Congress to ACT NOW.
Please sign the petition to help keep these dangerous guns out of the hands of people who don't really need to own them.
Thanks.
July 9, 2004
I called the bank branch.
I spoke to an assistant manager because the manager was with a customer.
I explained to him what happened and he said that that is not what the employee should have told me. The bank requires a credit card or passport along with the drivers license or id and has nothing at all to do with the patriot act.
He told me if I came in, he could see what he could do for me as far as the secondary id went. I told him I would have to think about it but right now, I was very upset that some employee used the patriot act as a way of discriminating against people who aren't credit worthy. I even told him that the guy encouraged me to get a credit card to prove I am a citizen and how much that infuriated me. As if having a credit card makes you a better American.
He apologized and I told him that his employees need to be re-trained on the patriot act which actually gives more freedom in regards to opening a bank account than the bank itself does and to stop throwing the patriot act around like it is the be all end all of a persons worth when it comes to banking.
I gave him the website address on compliance in finance and even told him what section financial institutions fall under in the patriot act so he can go read for himself.
I feel better having told someone off but I would love to tell Jay off.
Oh, for those of you wondering, the bank in question is Washington Mutual.
July 9, 2004
This whole patriot act/credit card has been bugging me.
So I stayed up late and did some digging on compliance issues in regards to financial institutions.
I found the following two Q&A's on Compliance Headquarters.com in regards to the patriot act under section 326:
Continue Reading �
July 8, 2004
Paypal.
So I had this $7.78 sitting in my paypal account and that is part of the reason I tried to get a checking account. To confirm the account so I can withdraw that piddly amount of money.
I couldn't get the account because of the patriot act bullshit. So I was trying to figure out a way to get this money out of there. I mean, it's my money, I fucking want it dammit.
So I tried changing the email address, no, I tried sending it to someone, no, I tried withdrawing it, no, all because I don't have a checking account (no credit card/patriot act/id shit) and I can't get a credit card because of my ex-mother in law and her mastercards in Texas in my name which I have been fighting for over 10 years.
Still following? Good.
So I call paypal at which point they tell me that I have to have a checking account. I explain all the above. How about a credit card? I explain all of the above again.
Sorry, you can't have your money.
Excuse me? It's my money. I will copy my id/birth cert/ss card/voter registration/phone bill/electric bill/water bill/Publix card/library card/lease agreement/medicaid card which by the way proves that the gov knows who I am and you can send me my money.
Please hold ma'am but I don't think we can do that.
Do do dod do dod do, dodododo dodedo dedo.
Thanks for holding ma'am, can you please verify your home address?
Yup, blah deblah blah blah Florida.
Thank you. We will send you a check for the amount in 1-2 weeks.
Thanks. See, it wasn't that hard to give me my money now was it? Have a nice night Robert.
It is so ridiculous, this must have a credit card bullshit. I mean, poor people everywhere and people who don't want a credit card by choice are kinda screwed with this whole patriot act shit when it comes to their own money in or out of a bank and being confirmed as a US citizen. Of course, the whole credit card thing, requiring it, just makes me think that they simply want to verify that we are consumers. If they aren't asking for the number on the card but just want to make sure we have one, does it stand to make sense that they want to know that we shop and are in debt?
July 8, 2004
Follow up to last nights post.
One of the other things the guy at the bank said was that they didn't do a credit check because they comply with the act but other banks do require a credit check because they don't comply.
He also told me to just get a credit card to prove I'm credit worthy.
But let's go back to what he said.
When we came home, I checked a few of the other local banks privacy policies.
All of them COMPLY with the patriot act.
Which means that ex-roommate's bank account that she has had for several years now that didn't require her to prove identity at the time of opening the account, now falls under the act.
Meaning, they do have access to her account.
Some of the comments that people posted to me last night said that their banks don't require any of those things.
I suggest, if you have a way to look at your bank online, that you go check the privacy policy. It will be in small print located somewhere at the bottom of the website. You may even have to look for it like I did with Liberty bank, bank of America and Wachovia under the site map function.
All banks are require by federal law to comply with the act.
Like I said, fuck it. I don't need a stinking bank account.
If anyone sends me a check, I'll just go to Amscot where all they ask me for is my id. Sure, they take $5 out of every $100 but who the hell cares at this point.
I can't get a credit a card and even if I could get one, I don't want one.
I don't need to be anymore in debt than I already am. They are just too easy to spend what you don't have with.
I have a strict policy that if I don't have the cash, I can't have whatever it is.
Sure I'm broke most of the time and life is a struggle but I wouldn't be able to pay the card off anyway and I certainly don't want one just to prove that I'm credit worthy and so that people know who I am.
July 7, 2004
Had my first experience with the Patriot Act.
ex-roommate and I went to run a few errands and I thought I'd set up a no fee checking account at the local bank by the store.
They asked for my id. I gave it to them. They asked for a major credit card. Nope. Passport. Nope. Kept requesting items I don't have.
My SS card was not good according to the patriot act. My voter registration card, no good. My phone bill, my birth certificate, nothing I had was worthy of the patriot act.
I asked why I needed a credit card and the guy nervously laughed at me that the government requires it in order to prove identity. They don't write down your credit card number or anything so why do they need to know I have one?
So they know who you are he said.
But you have my id, my ss and my birth certificate.
Don't you have a worker id card?
No. What the hell is that? I have never in my life had to have a worker id card. I'm a US citizen. What the hell would I need one of those for?
To prove you are who you say you are.
Look, I said, the government knows who I am. When I work, I pay taxes, I have been paying into SS since I was 15, I file my taxes every year. Trust me, they know who I am.
But we comply with the patriot act and they require these items.
I asked him, what exactly complying with the act entails in regards to financial institutions.
So they can see who you are he said.
So they can access my bank records I said.
Yes he said laughing nervously.
That's a little Orwellian I said.
He looked at me like I was nuts and maybe I am but I don't feel that the government should have access to my records of my piddly little checking account. I was born and raised here. I am a citizen born and bred.
The patriot act gives them the right to access so much information about us at anytime, for any reason.
He said the patriot act is designed for privacy. I asked him then why they would need to know I have a credit card but not ask for the numbers?
It's about stopping terrorists he said.
I said I know but when a us citizen has all the identification that was required just 2 years ago and it was good enough then, why the hell is it not good enough now?
Because they need to know more he said.
Then they can come ask me I said and I gathered up my ids and left.
I value my privacy. The government knows far too much about me already.
They, due to my circumstances, already know my medical history, my birth history, whether or not I have a bank account, if I own a vehicle and so on and so on. They don't need to just know if I have a credit card for the sake of simply knowing.
Am I a good consumer? Do I have a good credit score? Am I credit worthy?
Am I buying weapons with my credit card? Am I learning how to fly planes and charging the classes to my card?
I'm just a little irritated, feel free to ignore this.
It will only make sense I'm sure to people who feel that the patriot act is just wrong.
I'll just keep my money in a can again. Fuck it.
July 7, 2004
Call your senator to oppose the FMA!
Click here to know what to say and call today! They vote next week and we all need to make our voices heard.
July 2, 2004
I have a headache.
I woke up with a real head splitter so I may or may not be around. All I really want to do is go back to my pitch black room and stay there until the pain goes away.
It really doesn't help my head either when I get up and start reading blogs and it's the same old right vs. left crap every fucking where I look.
Is this shit really necessary?
Ok, so you are a rightie. We HEAR you. Drop it ok.
Other people are lefties. We fucking hear you too. Both of you, shut the fuck up already.
I am so sick of righties telling the lefties that they are idiots, stupid, moonbats, brain-dead etc etc etc.
I am also sick of the lefties calling the righties killers, nazis', war mongers, lunatics, etc etc etc. The list of names both sides are using are fucking stupid.
You are adults. Grow the fuck up and talk like adults.
Some of you talk so much about how kids are so cruel to each other and bully problems and say where the hell do the kids learn this shit from?
They are learning it from you everytime you drive down the street and see a Vote for Kerry or Vote for Bush bumper sticker and the first words out of your mouth is a random name that you think is hysterical.
I can't even stand clicking on certain blogs anymore. I know what awaits me before I even click on them. Every day it's the same thing with some of you. It's like the record is skipping and you won't bother lifting the needle to fix it because it's more fun to hear it say the same words over and over again.
Well, it's not fun.
You call the other side extreme in the way they get their messages across, the comments they post. Take a look at your own shit first before you start yapping your gums at the other side.
Pick the needle off the record.
June 18, 2004
Images.
I was very saddened to hear that American hostage, Paul M. Johnsons headless body was found. I feel for his family and friends.
It is a frightening and troubled time we live in.
We don't negotiate, they don't care about lives.
It is not snuff porn. It's the truth.
There is nothing wrong with showing the truth.
The images of the war need to be shown so that everyone, on whatever sides, can see for themselves what is going on.
We don't need to be protected from pictures.
They need to be shown so it sinks in, hits you, takes your breath away, makes you feel something, anything.
Words can do a pretty good job of telling you what an something looks like but nothing will hit you harder and make you more aware and awake than seeing it for yourself.
Don't protect me from pictures. Protect me from the ones who take them.
June 14, 2004
No no no no no.
No no no no no. Fix this shit. Fix it now. Right now. Before November. Fla. Voting Machines Have Recount Flaw.
Good god people, get your fucking shit together.
The whole election is going to be blamed on us again.
Gah.
jury duty
kathy dent
