The Aquarian Path

Ok, Yes...I've been MIA. I promise, Not an evil MIL post!

2010-02-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

I should NOT have posted that nonsense about my mother in law. This blog is strictly for my thoughts on politics, religion, current events, and any other major issue I think should be addressed.

I apologize for not blogging as often, I've had a total of 10 surgeries in the past couple of years and it's just been so difficult to really take some time and putting effort into these blogs. My husband will be deploying April/May (no exact dates or places because of OPSEC - Operational Security - Rules) So, my plan is to blog every day of his absence and letting people see how difficult it is for a military spouse to deal with every day - daily life - when their spouse is at war. I've been through deployments before, but this one is different. Different why you ask? Because this is the first deployment he has been on since my cancer diagnoses.

Ever since being diagnosed with cancer, we've leaned on each other and relied solely on each other to get through our daily lives. Surgery after surgery, I relied and depended on him to ensure my needs were met. Over the years, it has become a bad habit of mine to merely fall back on him when things got too difficult. When I needed to take a nap. Everything has been on my husband's shoulders and that just isn't fair to him. So this deployment will teach me how to be self sufficient and independent again. Showing me that I'm not weak or sickly. I can take care of myself and my children without him being there to catch me when I fall. I just can't fall and can't slack off in the slightest. It's all on me now. No excuses, no whining, no complaining. It's all on me to ensure we get through our summer.

So here are my plans: when my husband leaves it should be just starting to warm up here. With the beautiful flowers coming out to bloom. We will have moved into our new house (we bought a house by the way!) I plan on doing nothing else but devoting my time in having fun with my boys. We have a HUGE playset in our brand new back yard. With a tree house and a club house. I plan on fixing up the back yard and making it a child's dream. With a gazebo and a patio set. I'm going to get a huge pool for all of us to play in daily. During the evenings we're going to catch lightning bugs/ fireflies. In the afternoons, we can head off to the beaches and play in the sand. No more of this sitting back and letting life pass me by.

I've been doing too much of that. Afraid of getting out and living life. Of course it's been so COLD here lately. With the several snow storms hitting us, haven't been able to get out and get active. Tired of the cold, I'm ready for spring and summer!
Today I want to get up and get active but have a bad infection in my chest from the recent surgery, I'm TIRED of being held back from getting and being active. I have tons of energy, but no way to expel it due to the surgeries and such.

Well, during this deployment there will be NOTHING holding me back. My boys and I are going to have so much fun, frolicking and playing in the sunshine.

I should create a new blog for deployment news. Oh well.

I feel like crying....shoot I am crying!!

2009-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my husband and I stepped up and adopted 23 different families for Christmas. Shipping out almost 2 dozen boxes of gifts to needy children who were facing giftless Christmases. I thought I would just end up feeling good and then that would be it.

I looked at the pictures I took of all the boxes I packed for the children and realized how many happy boys and girls there will be. I really didn't realize the impact my husband and I made until I went to a lady's website where I sent a winter suit to for her little baby boy. I saw pictures of this baby boy and started crying. Because I stepped up, this little boy will be warm when his mom takes him outside.

I am so happy and excited that because of me and my husband, almost 2 dozen families will have presents under their trees this year. I want to shout it out how amazing I feel. We spent a little more than $300 for everything. Presents, shipping, wrapping, etc. $300 to make Christmas just a little more cheerful for 2 dozen families. These are the things you read about in the paper and wish you had thought of it first, or had been lucky enough to receive the help.

It's so tough right now for so many families. My husband and I are doing o.k. We're not rich by any means. Shoot, we are barely above the poverty line. We're just really smart with our finances.
I am just so glad we could do this for quite a few families...... I've been wanting to do something like this for so long.

If you have yet to donate your time, money, whatever........I highly advise you to do it. No better time than RIGHT NOW. Help struggling families. You don't have to be rich or well off. Donating a coat or a warm winter suit will fill your heart to the point over overwhelming satisfaction.
However, I wish I could do more for more people. Helping more families out. If I had another $300 I would find another 24 struggling families that were going to have a giftless holiday. I realize presents don't make Christmas. The spirit does.
I've always felt money is just money. It doesn't have a spirit, it doesn't have heart. Therefore, it's not the end all be all of everything. Yes, it's important. I know how important it is. I have been homeless before. Wish I could see the faces of those kiddos when they see their presents under the tree.

Just had to get this out!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, Jamie Leigh Jones this is for you!

2009-10-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was an employee for a private contractor in Iraq. She was drugged and brutally raped by her co-workers.
When she reported the crime to her employer, she was imprisoned in a shipping container. Given no food, water, or medical treatment. 24 hours later, US Embassy agents rescued her.
Her employer destroyed evidence so that she could not file criminal charges. They claimed that the contract she signed with them meant that she couldn't even take them to civil court.
In 2009, the Senate voted to not fund companies which force their employees to forfeit their rights to sue for sexual assault or harassment.
Thirty Senators voted against this amendment. All of them republican.

Getting royally FED UP!!!

2009-10-13T12:06:00.001-07:00

I know it's been an awful long time since I've blogged. I suppose I've been keeping my head firmly entrenched in the sand as I see things slowly deteriorate further in this country.

I see politics as usual and absolutely no "change". That's not to say I don't support Obama, I do! It's just I wish others did and the Democrats would finally grow some spine and stand up to the nasty mouthed Republicans who have been running around screaming "the sky is falling the sky is falling" at every gawddamned opportunity!!!

With this health reform mess, WE NEED HEALTH CARE REFORM NOW!!!!!! WE NEED NATIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM NOW!!!!!!!!!

I watched Michael Moore's "Sicko" last night and it merely renewed my anger and frustration in how we, Americans, do things.

My disgust went even deeper when I read about a 4 month old baby boy being denied insurance because he is "obese" by growth charts doctor's use to measure where that child is compared to other children or infants at that age. This baby is BREASTFED!!! And was denied coverage because he was obese.

How in the HELL can this be allowed to continue in this country?!? People are denied health care coverage, like this baby, because of such minor things.

And then I also read about health insurance companies threatening to jack up premiums on people if the Democrats put into effect this health care reform bill. How can they have this power? Why do we GIVE them this power? Why do Republicans fight so hard on the side of Insurance companies? Why is it ALLOWED for these middle men to PROFIT OFF THE SICK?!

I'm sorry, I realize I'm being treasonous here: I'm getting tired of American's "Memememememe first attitude" and "moneymoneymoney" "powerpowerpower we'rethebestwe'rethebestwe'rethebest" NO we aren't!!!! We are ranked at 37 on health care around the world. Our infant mortality rate is just a hair better than Slovenia!

People in Canada live three years longer than those in the US. Not to mention, people in Britain and France fair better health wise than Americans.

I walk around, and Americans are stupid, lazy, and mean. I'm sorry I'm sorry! I know I'm speaking of my countrymen and women... but I'm tired of seeing this bitterness towards anyone or anything different. Hate speech against a man who is trying so hard to bring about change - IE the man needs to grow a pair,himself - trying to make everyone happy is just not going to work.

I'm on www.cafemom.com and the average user can't spell or use English correctly. Since when is it acceptable to type in idiot slang all the time and not bother trying to use correct grammar and english? I take GREAT pride in writing correctly and spelling words out correctly.

My husband and I have actually thought about moving to France. I just can't take the hatred and intolerance towards others anymore.

America the great: Where the rich get richer off the backs of the poor and dying. Where stupidity is allowed to thrive and laziness is rewarded.

RIP Shane Angell

2009-09-23T21:32:00.001-07:00

On a forum I frequent , a woman lost her husband - Shane Angell - to a motorcycle accident. He survived countless deployments, came home and decided to de-stress by going for a ride. It is believed that he had a heart condition that caused him to lose control of his bike and got into a fatal accident.

I can't get Ashley and Shane's story out of my head. I looked at their pictures and felt it was such a tragedy that such a beautiful family has been torn apart. It breaks my heart. I decided to create a slide show montage of their story and their love. I also included a few pictures of candles that were submitted by other cafemom users as a virtual candle ceremony.

I am blogging about this because it means something to get the word out and have more people lighting a candle for this man. Who sacrificed countless times for our country.

Life of Green Beret remembered by teammates, unit
By Maj. April N. Olsen, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Public Affairs Officer
Sep 23, 2009 - 6:35:08 PM
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Blackanthem Military News

Soldiers from an Operational Detachment-Alpha carry the casket of Staff Sgt. Shane Angell following a funeral service held on Fort Campbell Sept. 18. Angell, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed in a motorcycle accident Sept. 11, 2009. (Photo by Army Sgt. Tobias McCoy)

Fort Campbell, KY - As Americans across the nation woke to a day of remembrance on 9/11, Staff Sgt. Shane Angell ran a 12-mile road march and graduated Air Assault School on Fort Campbell. It was just another day of training for the second-generation Green Beret.
Later that day, during a motorcycle ride on Kentucky Highway 100, about six miles outside of Russellville, Angell collided with another vehicle.
The 26-year-old died instantly of injuries sustained in the crash.
"You do deployments to Iraq, you expect it [can happen]," said Staff Sgt. Eugene "Gunny" Watson, Shane's best friend and teammate on an Operational Detachment-Alpha in 5th Special Forces Group.
The shock of losing his friend to an accident weighed on Gunny as he recalled a conversation he and Shane had in Iraq earlier this year.
Gunny said he and Shane each gave their word that should something happen to either of them, the other would look after his family.
"I have that commitment to Ashley (Shane's widow)," Gunny said. "Whatever I can do, I'm gonna do."
Gunny, his ODA, and members of the 3rd Battalion and 5th Group have been providing assistance to the family since the accident - providing meals, helping with funeral arrangements, and hosting family members traveling to the services.
"It makes me feel good knowing we put ourselves on the line... and if something happens to me, my family will be taken care of," Gunny said.
"Ashley is not gonna have to go at it alone," he said. "She knows all of Group is behind her."
The response from his son's unit is no surprise to Shane's father, retired Sgt. Maj. Glenn Angell.
"Some things never change," Angell said of the tendency for those in the Special Forces community to go beyond what is expected to take care of families.
Angell said he and his extended family are grateful for the outpouring of assistance for his daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
"What they are doing for me and my family... it's unbelievable to see," he said.
No stranger to Special Forces, Sgt. Maj. Angell spent 14 years of his Army career in 5th Group before retiring in 2008.
Sgt. Maj. Angell's last assignment was at the Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, where his son completed his Special Forces Qualification Course as an Engineer Sergeant in 2006.
"Everything he did made me proud, to follow in my footsteps," the senior Angell recalled.
Enlisting in the Army under the Special Forces 18 X-Ray program in 2004, Shane completed infantryman training at Fort Benning before being selected for SF training.
Upon completion of the Q-Course, Shane was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Group, where his father had served most of his SF time.
Shane deployed twice to Iraq with 3rd Battalion, most recently returning in July. His father also served combat tours while assigned to 3rd Battalion, deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of 9/11.
Some of his teammates said his father's example contributed to Shane's decision to join the Army.
"Shane grew up the son of a Green Beret," said Capt. Adam Hurley, his ODA team leader. "He was exposed to Green Berets his whole life."
"There were people Shane worked with that his father worked with," Hurley said. "That's unique to 5th Group and Special Forces."
The ODA team sergeant recalls Shane taking it in stride when instructors at one shooting course teased him for being the son of a fellow Green Beret.
"A lot of the instructors knew his father and they picked on him a little bit harder," said Master Sgt. John Mauldin. "You have to have a thick skin... Shane could definitely let it roll off his back and keep going."
Hurley credits Shane's easy-going approach with balancing out his ODA.
"He took his job very seriously as an Engineer and he would help other people with their jobs," Hurley said. "But he always seemed to joke around at the right time when people needed it."
His reputation for jokes will be missed in the team room, Hurley said, as well as stories from home about his wife and daughter.
"One defining characteristic of Shane was how much he talked about and loved Ashley and Skylie," Hurley said.
Mauldin, who has four daughters of his own, said he could appreciate Shane's ability to balance his work and family life.
"He was a very, very devoted husband. He would do anything for his family," Mauldin said.
One way his Soldiers are dealing with the loss of a teammate is by helping Gunny keep the promise he made to Shane in Iraq.
"We're working to finish up his projects around the house," Mauldin said. "We're trying to help out where we can."
"Skylie's only two years old now... but as his 'work family' we'll be around to tell her who her Dad was," Mauldin said.
Although he has 19 years in the Army and five deployments to Iraq, Mauldin had not lost a Soldier until Shane's death. While keeping busy with the Angell family and his team, Mauldin said he has learned a few things after knowing Shane.
"I've learned to live a little bit better, understand life can be cut off in such a fleeting moment," Mauldin said. "Try not to worry about the petty things. Love a little deeper, live a little stronger."
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) pay respect to teammate Staff Sgt. Shane Angell during a memorial service on Fort Campbell Sept. 21. Angell was killed in a motorcycle accident Sept. 11. (Photo by Army Spc. Andrew Jacob)

During a memorial service held on Fort Campbell Sept. 21, Battalion Commander Lt. Col David Bolduc (kneeling) presents a posthumous Meritorious Service Medal to Ashley Angell, the widow of Staff. Sgt. Shane Angell. Angell, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed in a motorcycle accident Sept. 11, 2009. (Photo by Army Spc. Andrew Jacob)

Staff Sgt. Shane Angell, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was killed in a motorcycle accident Sept. 11. Angell, shown here in a team photo in Iraq earlier this year, returned from his second deployment as an engineer sergeant on an Operational Detachment-Alpha in July. (Courtesy Photo)

Soldiers from an Operational Detachment-Alpha escort the casket of Staff Sgt. Shane Angell during a funeral service held on Fort Campbell Sept. 18. Angell, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed in a motorcycle accident Sept. 11, 2009. (Photo by Army Sgt. Tobias McCoy)

The flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Shane Angell sits in Memorial Chapel during a funeral service Sept.18 on Fort Campbell. Angell, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed in a motorcycle accident Sept. 11. (Photo by Army Sgt. Tobias McCoy)

This stupid lymph node....

2009-09-02T09:19:00.001-07:00

Good morning and afternoon friends.
Here's the latest news:
The pathology results came out and it's still "negative" ... however, there were some cells in the sample that concerns the radiologist and my breast surgeon.
They both agreed that the lymph node needs to come out and have a frozen section done on it. What that basically means is that they'll remove it, dissect it, and run a lot of tests on it to see what comes up.

I might have to have all my axillary nodes removed. This will be a bit of a surgery which means a hospital stay and drains. Nothing I can't handle, I've been through 6 prior surgeries so it's not like I don't know what to expect.
It's the same thing each time, surgery pain has been part of my life for three years now. It's tolerable and much more welcome than chemotherapy.

That brings me to another point, my surgeon said that if there are some cancerous cells in the lymph nodes, it's surgically treatable and I will not need chemotherapy.
My oncologist might order some radiation done.

As long as it's NOT chemotherapy, I'll take it!!! I don't think I can tolerate any more chemo....it nearly did me in the last time. Yes, if I had to...I probably would do it again, but it'd break me. It was so horrible last time.
I don't even remember most of my time from then because it put me into a horrible dark fog that I had to fight free from - only to be thrown back into that horrible dark pit.
Out of all the possible scenarios and outcomes, this isn't the absolute best...but it's by far, not the absolute worst. I'll take it.

And I'll be confident and do what needs to be done to remain here with my family for as long as possible. I can't imagine leaving my loved ones behind or giving up. I have three kids that need their mother while they are growing.
So, I'll beat down this bitch called cancer - like the game "Whack-A-Mole" she pops her head up, she'll get a mallet smacking her back down.
It's what needs to be done, and I'll do it and keep doing it.

My sincerest gratitude to you all,
Love
Jen

NOT CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-25T16:46:00.001-07:00

However!

My breast surgeon wants to do additional testing on the biopsy samples they got on Monday to make absolutely certain it wasn't a sampling error or anything.

That'll take about a week to get the pathology reports back. I'll see my Doctor on Tuesday next week. For now, it's benign and I can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Thank you Cheryl and Susan for your kind words of encouragement and support. You two are so awesome!

Jen

The Bitch is Back.

2009-08-22T09:52:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not talking about Sarah Palin! I'm speaking of Cancer.

I got some very upsetting news on Friday. The cancer is most likely back for a second round.
My breast surgeon wants me to go in on Monday for an additional biopsy to confirm or negate this.
My husband and I are praying and praying that it's not cancer again.
If it ISN'T, then I'm going to stop saying I'm going to get off my butt and exercise,

I WILL get up off my butt and exercise. See my Oncologist every 6 months rather than the 9 months when I begin running out of the Tamoxifan.
If it is cancer again...... Im in for another fight for my life. This time, I'm going to beat the bitch down for good. Before, I was scared.

This time, I'm pissed.
I have school coming up, my kids are doing wonderful, we had a fun vacation, life was moving on and so was I.
I'm going to do research on Mets to the lymph node area because that's where the "mass" has been found.

See what my options are and what I will be going through THIS time. They'll probably do even more aggressive treatments.

Longer chemotherapy. Harder hitting stuff. It's going to be really hard on me and my family...as 4 months of it was difficult enough.
I'm not willing to give up and forfeit my time with my boys and my Soulmate. I want to live out the rest of my life and see my boys grow up into amazing and wonderful men.
I'm not ready to give up, I'm not ready to throw in the towel.....

I am angry and thought it was done and over with.
I'll keep everyone informed of Tuesday's results......

Pray, cross your fingers, and pray some more......... I want God to hear it.

You Didn't Get Mad When....

2009-08-16T11:06:00.001-07:00

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when you saw the Abu Grahib photos.

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad when.. when... wait for it... when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all ok with you but helping other Americans... well f*ck that. That about right? You know it is.

Not so fast Palin Fans

2009-07-19T17:06:00.001-07:00

Not So Fast

I speak in regards to Governor Palin with these questions. Like many Evangelical Alaskans, I was overjoyed when the Governor decided to run for office three years ago. Unlike most Evangelicals, I got off the bus before the general election because it became clear to me in studying what Sarah said about business and fiscal matters, that she lacked the understanding and finesse to secure a gas line for the State (this was back when she was the primary proponent of an all-Alaskan line). It was sad for me not to be able to support her, but I'm a business owner and I have to care about the health of my business, not just desire to support an enthusiastic candidate.

Fast forward three years, wherein I, and every other Alaskan who has paid close attention, has been forced to watch the slow, agonizing train wreck that has become the Sarah Palin Governorship.

Deception and Arrogance

Sarah lied about her knowledge and involvement in Troopergate. Her behavior and complicity in this affair is without question. She was found guilty to have abused the power of her office by a bipartisan legislative investigation. It should matter very little that a three member partisan board she oversaw the appointment of, found her innocent. This entire matter turned into the type of charade that devastates those of us who believe in the validity of our "three branches of government" system. Sarah thumbed her nose at the very form of democracy we practice in our republic with her John McCain Campaign We'll Take Over From Here deception of an investigation.

The fact that Sarah blatantly lied under oath is is supposed to mean something to people of character, people of credibility and people of conviction - especially religious conviction.

Unfortunately, in this day and age of Evangelicals - Alaskans and Americans - getting their news from Fox News almost exclusively, it means nothing. All this has served to do is stoke the fire of the faithful calvary who are supposed to rush to Sarah's defense, checkbooks in hand, and decry the slander she has to endure at the pens and mouths of America's Evil Liberals.

But wait a second. I'm not a liberal. I'm a conservative. And an Evangelical. And a proud Alaskan. And if I've learned anything about Sarah Palin's credibility and "character" since she's been in office, it's this: the woman is dishonest. She isn't trustworthy. She is the single most divisive individual in the Republican Party right now.

And it's not only that she lied about Troopergate and abused her power of office, she has governed these past eight months with disinterest and vitriol. She seems much more interested in creating dramas and flat out fights with with another branch of government - the legislative branch (think the Juneau Senate seat fiasco and the Wayne Anthony Ross for AG debacle and the won't/will/won't/will mess with the stimulus money, for starters).

This is not the character of a person I trust, let alone admire. If Sarah has done anything the past year, she has shot her credibility with me and a host of others in this State - those who care enough to pay attention.

The lies just don't stop coming. When she angrily denounced Levi Johnson on national news saying it was "over my dead body" that Levi would be living with Bristol under her roof - anyone who knows anything about this situation in the Valley knows that she was telling a flat-out, straight-up, blatant-as-you-please LIE.

Maybe that doesn't matter to you, Mr. Grenn. But it matters to me. To me and to the vast majority of Evangelicals in Alaska who I know. The heady days of Governor Palin knowing she could count on the Evangelical vote in this state are over. Why? Because things like credibility and character really do matter. Dan Jarrell is right. I, and thousands like me, have done the serious work of "knowing the character" of our governor. And it has been sad and scary and disheartening what we have learned about her.

But she has little to fear - the uninformed Evangelicals of America have no idea who she really is, what lengths she'll go to to advance herself (I would say "her agenda" here, except that it's become clear Sarah has no agenda other than herself).

There's a sweet little sad letter to the editor today by a woman living in Anchorage - one of Sarah's Faithful Evangelical Flock. One who refuses to pay attention to the facts of what Sarah has done to our State and our Party since she came on the scene a couple years ago. In the letter this lady says, "I am so sorry for the slander so many have brought against you...It shows you are truly a Christian woman with strong moral values. Otherwise you wouldn't be under such vicious attack."

Truly bizarre - this head-shaking line of reasoning. And I would be prone to dismiss it - were it not for the fact that this is the very thinking Sarah encourages and Punditry Central at Fox News dishes out by the hour -- Sarah has strong moral values because Sarah is under vicious attack. I wouldn't believe anyone could actually buy this line, except that millions do. Including (and it hurts to have to point this out) someone as otherwise lucid a thinker as Dennis Miller ("She must be right because all the wrong people hate her.")

Dennis, you're a better thinker than this.

But until the rest of the nation decides to sit up and pay close attention, I fear this is all for naught. Sarah will run for the presidency in 2012. It's time for men and women of actual conviction, credibility and character to state with clarity and kindness what we here in Alaska know - without a doubt - about the credibility and character of Governor Sarah Palin.

http://syrin.vox.com/

It's been awhile

2009-07-19T15:31:00.001-07:00

I apologize to my readers, but there's been a lot going on. I've been fighting with my insurance company tooth and nail for diagnostic testing. Long story short, my cancer may have returned and spread to my lymph nodes. More to come in the days ahead.
Please pray and hold out hope that the tests come back negative of any cancer.

Jennifer

To All The Adulterers Out there. See you in Hell.

2009-06-03T19:39:00.001-07:00

It's getting to the point where I can't even read those stupid personal ads
anymore, not even for fun.

They're loaded with married people, bitching about their spouses, and
looking for something "better".

I've got a few things to tell you:

1. "She" is not the reason your marriage sucks. YOU are. If you spent half
as much time paying attention to her as you do trolling CL for sluts, your
marriage would be a whole hell of a lot better.

2. Yeah, yeah, we've all heard it a thousand times. You're in a sexless
marriage. First of all, that's probably a lie, because most cheaters are
liars too. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, pal- if your wife isn't
interested in sex, it's because you're not offering sex that's interesting.
Married guys get awfully boring after a while. They do the same boring thing
the same boring way every fucking time and they expect you to scream like a
porn star. Seriously, you come home from work, totally ignore her while she
chases the kids around for 4 hours, makes dinner, does the laundry, blah
blah blah, and then you expect her to roll over with her legs open for
another session of same-old same-old? When are you idiots going to learn
that the best foreplay in the world for a woman is watching you take care of
the kids, vacuum the floor, pick up the dog poo in the backyard. Or how
about just listening when she talks? You know, it's not that fucking hard to
stop thinking about yourself for five minutes and hear what she has to say.
Think about it- way back when, when you were getting your brains fucked out
on a regular basis- what were YOU doing differently than you're doing now?
Planning dates, telling her she looked nice, acting like you're happy to be
with her? A thousand dollars says if you do that stuff again you'll get the
same result.

3. Your kids are NOT the reason you're staying married. If you were THAT
miserable, you'd leave whether you had kids or not. If you're not getting a
divorce it's because YOU DON'T WANT TO. For whatever reason. At least be
honest and don't try to feed people that tired bullshit line about staying
married for the kids. Contrary to what you think, it doesn't make you look
like a poor suffering but honorable victim. You obviously don't care enough
about your kids to treat their mother with enough respect not to cheat on
her, and you don't care about them enough to spend time with THEM instead of
some cheap whore, so cut it out with that crap. There is absolutely nothing
honorable about putting your dick ahead of your kids. If you really really
cared about them, you would put ALL your time and effort and money into
saving the one thing that means most to them in the whole world- your
marriage and their family. Otherwise you're full of shit.

4. We all know how bored you are. Poor you, someone should really come along
to entertain you. What are you, fucking 12 years old? If you're bored with
your marriage, it's because YOU'RE BORING, and have you ever stopped to
think that if you're bored, she probably is too. But instead of throwing a
temper tantrum like a 2 year old, she's at home cleaning out the lint trap
on the dryer and washing kool-aid off the kitchen floor. Yeah, she's having
a fucking riot washing your underwear and cleaning up cat puke. Marriage is
hard work. Hell, life is hard work. Grow the fuck up and take some
responsibility for yourself. You have a brain, USE it. Put some thought into
your marriage and some effort into your life and stop blaming her and being
a baby because life isn't fun.

5. You're looking for someone "younger". Sure you are. Dickhead. You think
you look the same as you did when you got married? I'd bet not. Even if you
do, you haven't spent the last 10 years having babies (the ones YOU wanted)
and sacrificing your body for them. The next time you have to have someone
stitch your asshole together because your just pushed a watermelon out of
your butt, then you can sqwauk. If you ever spend 9 months with your belly
stretched to obscene proportions, and manage to look exactly the same as you
used to 6 weeks later, then you can bitch about how she's not attractive
anymore. Until then, shut the fuck up. You have no concept of what she has
sacrificed to give you the children you claim to love. You really think she
wants varicose veins and stretch marks and saggy boobs? Get real. What she
wants is a man who understands and values WHY she has varicose veins and
stretch marks and saggy boobs. She wants a man who loves her because she was
willing to make those sacrifices with her own body because she loves HIM.
Instead, you criticize and go running off with the first perky 25 year old
who gives you the time of day. Asshole.

6. And finally, if you're cheating on your wife, there's something wrong
with YOU. If you're not happy with your marriage, exactly how do you think
fucking some slut is going to fix that? Exactly how is that going to make
anyone happy? Have you ever actually heard of adultery working out really
well for everyone involved? Are you actually stupid enough to think that
you're going to be the exception to that rule? If so, you are delusional and
you need professional help. Affairs are disasters- not some of the time, not
most of the time, ALL OF THE TIME. You guilt will drive you crazy. Someone
WILL find out. You will NOT be able to keep up the lies and the deception.
And it will all lead up to a disaster of epic proportions, which leads me to
Lucky #7.

7. Here's what you can expect in the wake of your little fuck-fest:

Divorce- this is where you lose everything- your wife, your house, half your
income and possessions, possibly your job if you're stupid enough to be
fucking around with a co-worker, your kids- EVERYTHING. You will LOSE IT
ALL.

Exposure- this is where everyone finds out what a scumbag you are. And they
WILL find out. Your boss, your co-workers, your friends, your family, HER
family, your neighbors, the parents of your kids' friends, everyone at your
church. They WILL find out. Why? Because your now ex-wife will tell them.
She will probably tell everyone she knows, and everyone you know, and she
will feel good doing it. Consider yourself lucky if she doesn't rent a
billboard. Otherwise, all bets are off. Be prepared.

Your Kids- this is where you totally lose the respect of your kids, and you
deserve to lose it. They will realize in pretty short order that you didn't
care enough about them to keep your fucking pants on. They will see their
mother cry and they will hate you for it. They will end up shuttling back
and forth between their home and your apartment, and they will hate you for
it. Every time they have to tell someone that their parents are divorced,
they will hate you for it. And God forbid you decide to "introduce" them to
your shiny new soulmate/fuckbuddy, they will REALLY hate you for that. If
your kids are really young, you have a little time before all this shit hits
the fan, but be warned, it's coming. They will forever see you as the moron
who broke up their family. They will know that you can't be trusted, that
you are weak and immoral and selfish. And they'll figure it out all by
themselves, even if you never talk to them about it. Because your kids are
smarter than you are at this point.

So, go ahead and whine your pathetic bullshit about how you're a victim and
your wife is a horrible shrew. Do your best to convince yourself that you
didn't have any choice and your wife "drove you to it." Start with the
rationalizations and justifications now, you're going to need a lot of them.
Remember that the best defense is a good offense and start a mental list of
all the ways your wife is deficient. Make sure to re-write the history of
your marriage so that you can say that you were miserable from the first
day. Be sure to tell your wife that you love her, you're just not "in love"
with her anymore. Deal with your guilt by lashing out at everyone around
you. Above all, take no responsibility for any problems YOU may have that
caused you to be such a spineless bastard in the first place.

Congratulations, you've just joined the Adulterers Club. See you in hell.

Did I thank Delaware and Petch and Paula from 97.7 Eagle?????I will again!

2009-05-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

Today was the most amazing and overwhelmingly heart warming day of my life. Today Delawareans pulled together and gave my family and I the most amazing gift. Their generosity and kindness. It isn't about the money or the gifts. These people came up to me and put their arms around me with such warmth and kindness. It touched me in ways I can't describe. Complete strangers giving what they could in this economy to help me and my family out. So I can go to school. I don't know whether to cry or keep blogging.

The ladies from the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition came out in full force and were the strongest most amazing ladies I have ever met. They took me under their wings and were such rays of light of hope and beauty. I've never seen such love from a community. I'm still reeling from everything that happened today.

It started off when we went into the radio station at 8:30 A.M. EST. We all took our turns talking about our experiences over the last 3 years. We got emotional and tearful. Then we came home and listened as my father and step mother sent in their comments. Then we met up with Petch and Paula from 97.7 Eagle and we had a great time with them. The ladies from the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition was there and did what they could to help other women become aware of breast cancer and what women can do to take charge of their health.

Then it proceeded and progressed from there. Dr. Jack from Wilmington University called up and offered up a full scholarship for me to get my Bachelor's degree. Women came by and hugged me and promised to pray for our little family. People called me an inspiration - I don't see myself as such. I'm just truly humbled by the people here in Delaware.

Thank you thank you thank you Delawareans and Petch and Paula and the whole 97.7 Eagle staff. You all have hearts of gold and wish I could do something to repay you all for the kindness you have shown my family. Thank you all again and again.

Thank you to Wilmington University. You don't know how happy you have made me. Thank you.

Jennifer Lehman

Thank you Delaware and 97.7 Eagle

2009-05-11T18:07:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, my husband and I were listening to the radio in the car when the announcer started talking about 2009's Delawish. Eagle 97.7's Delawish is when this radio station picks out 5 families to grant wishes for. 5 families that were touched by some form of tragedy and each day during this week one family will be featured and the radio station rallies for donations and contributions from the listeners. Today was of an older man who lost half his tongue and his teeth from having throat cancer. His daughter wishes for him to have dental implants so he could smile again like he used to.

At any rate, me and my family were chosen as one of the 5 families to be featured. My husband sent in a letter - wishing for me to have my college funded or at least a scholarship.

I really would like my readers to check out the donation site and help out if you can. My story isn't up yet - but here is where it'll be featured: http://www.eagle977.com/delawish.php

I am just so grateful to the state of Delaware for all that we have been given. A doctor here in Delaware found my cancer and fought for me to be seen and get in for a biopsy. Had she never done that, my cancer wouldn't have been found. I used to bitch about being moved here to Delaware. But I've been humbled so very much with all the love and support I have received from the people here. Where ever I went when I had my bandana on people would come up to me and hug me when I was battling and going through chemotherapy.

And now this...

So, in an effort to show my gratitude I am reaching out to my readers to help out some of the other families that are being featured. These are my fellow Delawareans and have too been touched by tragedy.

Be Informed!!

2009-04-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use in Certain Community Settings Where Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission Has Been Detected

April 27, 2009 011:00AM ET

This document provides interim guidance and will be updated as needed.

Detailed background information and recommendations regarding the use of masks and respirators in non-occupational community settings can be found on PandemicFlu.gov in the document Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic .

Information on the effectiveness of facemasks¹ and respirators² for the control of influenza in community settings is extremely limited. Thus, it is difficult to assess their potential effectiveness in controlling swine influenza A (H1N1) virus transmission in these settings. In the absence of clear scientific data, the interim recommendations below have been developed on the basis of public health judgment and the historical use of facemasks and respirators in other settings.

In areas with confirmed human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, the risk for infection can be reduced through a combination of actions. No single action will provide complete protection, but an approach combining the following steps can help decrease the likelihood of transmission. These actions include frequent handwashing, covering coughs, and having ill persons stay home, except to seek medical care, and minimize contact with others in the household.Additional measures that can limit transmission of a new influenza strain include voluntary home quarantine of members of households with confirmed or probable swine influenza cases, reduction of unnecessary social contacts, and avoidance whenever possible of crowded settings.

When it is absolutely necessary to enter a crowded setting or to have close contact³ with persons who might be ill, the time spent in that setting should be as short as possible. If used correctly, facemasks and respirators may help reduce the risk of getting influenza, but they should be used along with other preventive measures, such as avoiding close contact and maintaining good hand hygiene. A respirator that fits snugly on your face can filter out small particles that can be inhaled around the edges of a facemask, but compared with a facemask it is harder to breathe through a respirator for long periods of time. More information on facemasks and respirators can be found at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

When crowded settings or close contact with others cannot be avoided, the use of facemasks¹ or respirators² in areas where transmission of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus has been confirmed should be considered as follows:

Whenever possible, rather than relying on the use of facemasks or respirators, close contact with people who might be ill and being in crowded settings should be avoided.
Facemasks¹ should be considered for use by individuals who enter crowded settings, both to protect their nose and mouth from other people's coughs and to reduce the wearers' likelihood of coughing on others; the time spent in crowded settings should be as short as possible.
Respirators² should be considered for use by individuals for whom close contact with an infectious person is unavoidable. This can include selected individuals who must care for a sick person (e.g., family member with a respiratory infection) at home.

These interim recommendations will be revised as new information about the use of facemasks and respirators in the current setting becomes available.
For more information about human infection with swine influenza virus, visit the CDC Swine Flu website.

1 Unless otherwise specified, the term "facemasks" refers to disposable masks cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as medical devices. This includes facemasks labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation, or laser masks. Such facemasks have several designs. One type is affixed to the head with two ties, conforms to the face with the aid of a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge, and may be flat/pleated or duck-billed in shape. Another type of facemask is pre-molded, adheres to the head with a single elastic band, and has a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge. A third type is flat/pleated and affixes to the head with ear loops. Facemasks cleared by the FDA for use as medical devices have been determined to have specific levels of protection from penetration of blood and body fluids.

2 Unless otherwise specified, "respirator" refers to an N95 or higher filtering facepiece respirator certified by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

3 Three feet has often been used by infection control professionals to define close contact and is based on studies of respiratory infections; however, for practical purposes, this distance may range up to 6 feet. The World Health Organization uses "approximately 1 meter"; the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration uses "within 6 feet." For consistency with these estimates, this document defines close contact as a distance of up to 6 feet.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/masks.htm?s_cid=tw_epr_76

Want some Swine with that Cheese?

2009-04-26T20:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it's no joking matter. If you have been keeping up with the latest on the Swine Flu, you probably know what's going on. It is scary stuff and people are getting worried. Me as well. I don't want to be an alarmist and freak out, but with three small children - I'm getting increasingly nervous and feel the need to go into protective mom mode. Nothing scares the shit out of me more than my babies being in potential danger from something I may have no control over. There are millions of things that could hurt them, but this looming illness that is slowly creeping across our nation really terrifies me. Now, I was asked with a tongue-in-cheek fashion "Is it in Delaware yet". Rhetorical question that didn't require a question.

I WANTED to answer "Well, NO not that I am personally aware of. However, it has spread from Mexico to New York. New York is a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Delaware. If this virus can spread from Mexico to Nova Scotia, France, Spain, Israel, and New York in a matter of days, what will tomorrow look like?

I have been a member of a forum board that I haven't gone to since 2006 when there were increasing fears about The Avian Flu virus that was running around in Asia. Well, this flu virus is here. In America.

Here are some good sites to help ease your fears, or magnify them. Take your pick. But stay informed, stay alert, be smart, don't panic.

We are much more aware as a species than we were in 1918. We're cleaner and understand sanitary notions better than back then. We have Tamiflu and Relenza which are both stockpiled.

Most importantly, we have a better idea on what may happen. So, prepare if you need to. I certainly am, even if at this very hour... it is unknown if Delaware has been touched by it.

http://www.avianflutalk.com/default.asp

http://www.swineflu.org/default.asp

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/pdf/HAN_042509.pdf

CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Swine Flu and You

If you have small children and want to stockpile food and diapers for them without exposing yourself, go to www.diapers.com

As I stated on the forum, I'm going to buzz around and find some useful websites.

www.cnn.com and www.msnbc.com are good informative sites that have good info.

My New Blog

2009-04-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

I've created a new blog. This one is still reserved for my political/social activism...

the other one is more personal and a bit darker - be warned, it's about things I haven't revealed really to anyone but my husband.

http://leavingmyhappyplace.blogspot.com/ Be gentle.

Changes that were made...

2009-04-09T20:19:00.001-07:00

Changes to the blog.

If you're a regular to my blog, you will notice many of the changes I've made. I wanted to make it more Feminist friendly yet add that Aquarian sparkle I tend to add to everything I create in the webspace. My business pages, my myspace page, facebook , cafemom, etc. It's just what I do!

I used to be at http://unitewasp.blogspot.com If you're confused!

UPDATE!!!!

2009-04-09T09:14:00.001-07:00

If you are a regular and come to my blog - note that I have changed the address. I felt "unitewasp" didn't work for this blog anymore.

The new URL is www.AquarianFeminist.blogspot.com Save it and note that the change is effective IMMEDIATELY!

A Sad and Solemn Day Here On Dover AFB

2009-04-06T09:20:00.001-07:00

The morning started out with a bang. No, literally. I woke up to loud thunderous booms that sounded like bombs going off in my back yard. It was a huge and loud storm that was passing through. Shaking the windows and causing my 4 year-old son to come running into my room and hide under the covers. I opened the blinds so he and I could watch the pouring rain and the beautiful lightning strikes. He cuddled into me and we just laid there in peace.

I got up and went about my morning routine getting my kids situated and fed. My oldest went off to school. The baby wandering around in his walker. Content to just be loose of the confines of his play pen. My husband stopped by briefly to pick up our middle son to take him to his pre-school class.

I sat out on our covered patio after my infant son went down for his nap. I sipped my hot coffee and watched as another storm approached and made it's presence known. Booming loudly with flashes of light streaking across the darkened skies.

The morning wore on and I received a text message from my husband about Fox news with a filming crew out on the flight line. Recording the solemn ceremony of the coffins being unloaded. One family in particular agreed to have their loved one filmed as he was taken off the plane. With 8 military members proudly carrying the flag draped coffin.

Dignified Transfer

An Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center carry team transfers the remains of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, of Hopewell, Va., at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 5. Sergeant Myers died April 4 near Helmand Province, Afghanistan from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. Sergeant Myers family is the first to allow media to cover the dignified transfer under the new Department of Defense policy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Roland Balik)

I went about my usual routine after I found out. Posted this info on my forum board. Then, something else happened that made my stomach lurch. I looked out my back window and watched as two official looking vehicles pulled up in front of my neighbor's house. Their daughter also happens to be my oldest son's best friend. As I watched, several uniformed individuals stepped out and approached the front door. One was a tall Sr.Master Sgt. wearing ABUs and two others in dress blues. They weren't successful in getting an answer at the front door so they came around the back and knocked on the glass doors. No answer, so they went back to the front. I guess my neighbor answered her door because they stood there for awhile.

This really made me think how close to home and real this all is. With my husband deploying some time this year, I realized that my husband made this commitment to our country. Just as Staff Sgt. Myers did. Just as many before have done. I am looking out my back doors and noticed another thunder storm approaching. What a sad solemn day. With storms crashing all around Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Saying goodbye to a brave hero that will never be forgotten and is the pride of our country.

Thank you Staff Sgt. Myers for your sacrifice. I pray your family will find peace and I thank them in letting America mourn with you in this time of grieving.

Sincerely,

A Military Wife

How the Economy is Hurting Mothers

2009-03-31T18:24:00.001-07:00

And yet, another good one from Feministing.com

How the economy is hurting mothers

From The New York Times:

Here's a pop quiz: Which of the following would violate federal employment law?
1. Laying off a pregnant woman.

2. Laying off a woman on maternity leave.

Pencils down. The answer is "neither."

So long as employers can make the case that the firing has nothing to do with pregnancy or maternity leave - it's all good. And it makes sense in theory: after all, folks who do a bad job should be fired no matter what their pregnancy/motherhood status. But the problem is, it seems like employers are using the economy to discriminate against mothers.

"Some employers are using the economy as a pretense for laying off just one person," Ms. [Elizabeth] Grossman, [a lawyer for the New York district office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] said. "And very often that person is pregnant or the oldest employee on staff. The economy may be the legitimate cause -- or there may be discrimination."
Last year the number of pregnancy-based discrimination charges filed with the E.E.O.C. was up nearly 50 percent from a decade earlier, to a total of 6,285. That number seems likely to rise even higher this year.

The whole article is really interesting; make sure to check it out. For more information on motherhood and discrimination, go to Moms Rising.

Feminism and "Choice" sometimes do NOT coincide.

2009-03-25T11:24:00.001-07:00

I've been demonized by the right AND by the left for my life choices. I am a feminist, but I tell those that give me that bug-eyed look "Not a hard core feminist". I'm more of an equal-ist. I will explain this and why my choices are sometimes frowned upon by my fellow feminists.

Over the past few months, I've been going through some amazing reads. Wondering why I sometimes agree with the Conservative right on some things but am continuously labeled an extreme Liberal. So many people aren't comfortable looking at shades of gray or when someone doesn't precisely fit the mold. So, they demonize, denigrate, and ad hominem their way around their firmly entrenched stereotypes. Now, before I fly off into my tangents again (which I am prone to do!) I'll come back to my equal-ist beliefs. Women have every right to make the choice to enter the work force. When they do, however, there is no crying foul when the boys start playing rough. Yes, sexual harassment is a big deal and it's not what I'm talking about. Just because I am a woman, I don't expect to be treated differently or given special privileges. If there are certain variables, like pregnancy or breast feeding or needing maternity leave, then that is a different matter entirely.

When I was a Certified Nursing Assistant, I did my job and didn't expect people to do my job for me. I was given my an assignment and did it without complaint. I loved working with my patients and listening to the World War 2 Vets. The amazing things they have seen. At any rate - I want true equality. This also swings in the opposite direction. I recently came head to head with a very odd individual who pretty much hated all things with a vagina. At first I got ticked off at some of the things he posted on his 14 blogs (yes, you read that correctly). He even came to my blog and started attacking me and my family. And you know what? I fell into his trap and got pissed off and wrote a scathing reply attacking him. I realized it was just what he wanted.

Anyway, some of his ideals , although quite extreme, got me thinking. In the terms of equality, men have rights too. Not to be demonized or denigrated based on their gender either. I once read an article and it completely tore men apart calling them stupid beasts that only follow their penises. So, this is the kind of sexist BS I'm against. Sexism DOES swing both ways!

However, women are still lagging behind when it comes to equal pay, equal treatment, respect in the work place, and a rape culture that is all about victim blaming. Like my friend over on his 14 blogs. Why blame the man - who is ever so perfect and a man's actions can always be justified and excused - whereas the woman is to blame in all things. No matter the circumstance. That is pure sexism and pure hate balled up in a very angry person.

Onto my other blog topic: My choices. I am married, have three children (all boys), and I stay at home with my 1 year-old. I also married a man who is in the Air Force. By all standards, I should be anti-feminism. I believe some feminists look down upon me and feel I am wasting my life and am less of an educated individual because I chose to bea stay at home mom.I gave birth to my ch ildren, and I have a responsibility in raising them. Not a daycare. I believe if women CAN stay home with their kids, they should. If they choose NOT to, I am agreeable to that as well. It's not what I chose to do, and I won't go back to work until all my children are in school.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone to some of my favorite feminist sites and saw some of the most hateful comments by my fellow feminists who denigrate stay at home mothers and talk about kids being "brats" and how they hate them. Calling women like me "broodmares".

How can these women that I identify with so much of the time get on their high horses and preach about choice and equality and women's rights. Well, sisters, I have news for you - my choices sometimes mean they don't coincide with your's or what you think feminism is about. That's right, I am a stay at home mother. I cook for my family, clean my house almost on a daily basis, iron my husband's military uniforms because sometimes he gets stuck on 12 hour shifts - he's tired and worn out, I discuss with him what I'm going to buy and how much. This is called mutual respect.

I CHOSE this lifestyle. I am happy and love being home with my son. Watching him grow. I LOVE doing MY part and being a partner to my husband. So what if this doesn't fit with the feminist ideals that women should be out in the work force busting their asses. We are privileged and lucky enough for me to be home.

Does that mean I look down on working mothers? Hell no! I admire them and their choices and I wish them only the best. It is all about individual choices and backing up each other's choices in how we live our lives. Not denigrating and insulting each other and sneering at someone else's choices. I back up those who choose to go back to work. Their children will be fine, they'll be fine, things will work out.

Now, I hear my son is waking up from his afternoon nap. I will continue wit h more thoughts on this later.

Information we all can use.

2009-03-25T07:32:00.001-07:00

In this current economic downturn , consumers must be as savvy and informed as possible. Credit card companies are making big changes and tacking on EVEN MORE fees and limiting options for consumers.

It pays to be informed and understand what these changes will be. I found a very good article describing these changes and what people can do about them. If you have one or more credit cards with different credit issuers, you need to be aware of what is to come for you and possibly those you know.

Here is the article. I'll comment on it at the bottom.

If you want to get more information, go to www.creditcards.com

*****

Have you noticed anything different about your credit card account lately? Read the fine print.

Really read it. Chances are your interest rate has crept or skyrocketed upward, a monthly fee has been tacked on or rewards point redemption rates diluted.

Chances are the new terms aren't good news for your wallet. Credit card users across the country -- including those who pay their bills on time and are good customers -- are being hit with a spate of changes in credit card account terms.

Many of the changes have already taken effect; others kick in April 1 and still others, such as the return of routine annual fees, may be on the horizon.

*****

You know those little booklets with the itty bitty writing that notifies you of changes that are being made? Read them! Get a magnifying glass and read them! Re-read them until you fully understand what will be taking place with your credit card and the company that issued it to do. You may also want to check recent news on your credit issuer and stay one step ahead of them and what they potentially might do to rectify whatever woes they foresee happening.

Ada Lovelace Day

2009-03-16T13:49:00.001-07:00

Bringing women in technology to the surface

Join us on 24 March 2009

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology.

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines. Entrepreneurs, innovators, sysadmins, programmers, designers, games developers, hardware experts, tech journalists, tech consultants. The list of tech-related careers is endless.

Recent research by psychologist Penelope Lockwood discovered that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male ones. That’s a relatively simple problem to begin to address. If women need female role models, let’s come together to highlight the women in technology that we look up to. Let’s create new role models and make sure that whenever the question “Who are the leading women in tech?” is asked, that we all have a list of candidates on the tips of our tongues.

To take part
All you need to do is sign the pledge, pick your tech heroine and then publish your blog post any time on Tuesday 24th March 2009. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about - everyone is invited.

And it doesn’t matter what medium you choose - blogs, videoblogs, podcasts are all fine. We’ve even got someone writing a newspaper column! The key thing is to take part. And if you’re going to be away on March 24th, feel free to write your post in advance and set your blogging system to publish it that day.

To help us keep track of the conversation about Ada Lovelace Day ahead of the event, and to pull together everything on the day, please use these tags:

AdaLovelaceDay09 for Delicious, Technorati etc. It’s long, but clear.
#ALD09 for Twitter hashtags.

What does “in technology” mean?
It’s up to you how you interpret the phrase “in technology”. We’re not just interested in hardcore ninja programmers, but any woman who creates, invents, or uses any technology in an innovative way. Feel free to interpret it as widely as you like.

What else can you do?
Obviously, and most importantly, please sign the pledge. If you already have a blog, then it will be easy for you to take part. If you don’t have a blog, this might be a great reason to start one. It’ll take you about five minutes to get yourself set up on Wordpress and then you’ll be up and running!

Please also consider putting a pledge badge on your blog now or writing a short post about the project to help spread the word. You can also use the “Share This” link on the pledge itself to send the pledge to your favourite social bookmarking or news site, or to email it to a friend. The more people who send this link to Delicious or Digg and the like, the more likely we are to hit our target.

Also, if you’re on Twitter, Facebook, Jaiku, Identi.ca or any other microconversation tool, please ping a message to all your friends about Ada Lovelace Day, and don’t forget the link! If you’re on LinkedIn, you could also add it as your temporary status for a while.

Keep up with Ada Lovelace Day news
We’ve got a Twitter account, mailing list, and Facebook event set up, so feel free to follow, subscribe and add to your RSS reader, as you wish.

What will happen next?
If Ada Lovelace Day is a success I’d like to make it an annual event. And, once the economy is in a better position, I’d like to put together a one day conference called Finding Ada. We would cover presentation skills and would introduce women to tech conference organisers, with the aim of getting more women up on stage at tech conferences. More on Finding Ada soon!

How the web became a sexists' paradise

2009-03-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

Everyone receives abuse online but the sheer hatred thrown at women bloggers has left some in fear for their lives. Jessica Valenti, editor of Feministing.com, reports

Last week, Kathy Sierra, a well-known software programmer and Java expert, announced that she had cancelled her speaking engagements and was "afraid to leave my yard" after being threatened with suffocation, rape and hanging. The threats didn't come from a stalker or a jilted lover and they weren't responses to a controversial book or speech. Sierra's harassers were largely anonymous, and all the threats had been made online.

Sierra had been receiving increasingly abusive comments on her website, Creating Passionate Users, over the previous year, but had not expected them to turn so violent - her attackers not only verbally assaulting her ("fuck off you boring slut . . . I hope someone slits your throat") but also posting photomontages of her on other sites: one with a noose next to her head and another depicting her screaming with a thong covering her face. Since she wrote about the abuse on her website, the harassment has increased. "People are posting all my private data online everywhere - social-security number, and home address - a retaliation for speaking out."

While no one could deny that men experience abuse online, the sheer vitriol directed at women has become impossible to ignore. Extreme instances of stalking, death threats and hate speech are now prevalent, as well as all the everyday harassment that women have traditionally faced in the outside world - cat-calls, for instance, or being "rated" on our looks. It's all very far from the utopian ideals that greeted the dawn of the web - the idea of it as a new, egalitarian public space, where men and women from all races, and of all sexualities, could mix without prejudice.

On some online forums anonymity combined with misogyny can make for an almost gang-rape like mentality. One recent blog thread, attacking two women bloggers, contained comments like, "I would fuck them both in the ass,"; "Without us you would be raped, beaten and killed for nothing,"; and "Don't worry, you or your friends are too ugly to be put on the black market."

Jill Filipovic, a 23-year-old law student who also writes on the popular blog, Feministe, recently had some photographs of her uploaded and subjected to abusive comments on an online forum for students in New York. "The people who were posting comments about me were speculating as to how many abortions I've had, and they talked about 'hate-fucking' me," says Filipovic. "I don't think a man would get that; the harassment of women is far more sexualised - men may be told that they're idiots, but they aren't called 'whores'."

Most disturbing is how accepted this is. When women are harassed on the street, it is considered inappropriate. Online, though, sexual harassment is not only tolerated - it's often lauded. Blog threads or forums where women are attacked attract hundreds of comments, and their traffic rates rocket.

Is this what people are really like? Sexist and violent? Misogynist and racist? Alice Marwick, a postgraduate student in New York studying culture and communication, says: "There's the disturbing possibility that people are creating online environments purely to express the type of racist, homophobic, or sexist speech that is no longer acceptable in public society, at work, or even at home."

Last year I had my own run-in with online sexism when I was invited to a lunch meeting with Bill Clinton, along with a handful of other bloggers. After the meeting, a group photo of the attendees with Clinton was posted on several websites, and it wasn't long before comments about my appearance ("Who's the intern?; "I do like Gray Shirt's three-quarter pose.") started popping up.

One website, run by law professor and occasional New York Times columnist Ann Althouse, devoted an entire article to how I was "posing" so as to "make [my] breasts as obvious as possible". The post, titled "Let's take a closer look at those breasts," ended up with over 500 comments. Most were about my body, my perceived whorishness, and how I couldn't possibly be a good feminist because I had the gall to show up to a meeting with my breasts in tow. One commenter even created a limerick about me giving oral sex. Althouse herself said that I should have "worn a beret . . . a blue dress would have been good too". All this on the basis of a photograph of me in a crew-neck sweater from Gap.

I won't even get into the hundreds of other blogs and websites that linked to the "controversy." It was, without doubt, the most humiliating experience of my life - all because I dared be photographed with a political figure.

But a picture does seem to be considered enough reason to go on a harassment rampage. Some argue that the increased visibility afforded people by the internet - who doesn't have a blog, MySpace page, or Flickr account these days? - means that harassment should be expected, even acceptable. When feminist and liberal bloggers slammed Althouse for her attack on me, she argued that having been in a photo where I was "posing" made me fair game. When Filipovic complained about her harassment, the site responded: "For a woman who has made 4,000 pictures of herself publicly available on Flickr, and who is a self-proclaimed feminist author of a widely-disseminated blog, she has gotten pretty shy about overexposure."

Ah, the "she was asking for it" defence."I think there's a tendency to put the blame on the victims of stalking, harassment or even sexual violence when the victim is a woman - and especially when she's a woman who has made herself public," says Filipovic. "Public space has traditionally been reserved for men, and women are supposed to be quiet."

Sierra thinks that online threats, even if they are coming from a small group of people, have tremendous potential to scare women from fully participating online. "How many rape/fantasy threats does it take to make women want to lay low? Not many," she says.

But even women who don't put their pictures or real names online are subject to virtual harassment. A recent study showed that when the gender of an online username appears female, they are 25 times more likely to experience harassment. The study, conducted by the University of Maryland, found that female user-names averaged 163 threatening and/or sexually explicit messages a day.

"The promise of the early internet," says Marwick, "was that it would liberate us from our bodies, and all the oppressions associated with prejudice. We'd communicate soul-to-soul, and get to know each other as people, rather than judging each other based on gender or race." In reality, what ended up happening was that, online, the default identity became male and white - unless told otherwise, you would assume you were talking to a white man. "So people who brought up their ethnicity, or people who complained about sexism in online communications, were seen as 'playing the race/gender card' or trying to stir up trouble," says Marwick.

And while online harassment doesn't necessarily create the same immediate safety concerns as street harassment, the consequences are arguably more severe. If someone calls you a "slut" on the street, it stings - but you can move on. If someone calls you a "slut" online, there's a public record as long as the site exists.

Let me tell you, it's not easy to build a career as a feminist writer when you have people coming up to you in pubs asking if you're the "Clinton boob girl" or if one of the first items that comes up in a Google search of your name is "boobgate". And for young women applying for jobs, the reality is terrifying. Imagine a potential employer searching for information and coming across a thread about what a "whore" you are.

Thankfully, women are fighting back. Sparked by the violent harassment of Sierra, one blogger started a "stop cyberbullying" campaign. This was picked up by hundreds of other bloggers and an international women's technology organisation, Take Back the Tech, a global network of women who encourage people to "take back online spaces" by writing, video blogging, or podcasting about online harassment.

It won't mean the end of misogyny on the web, but it is a start. Such campaigns show that women are ready to demand freedom from harassment and fear in our new public spaces. In the same way that we should be able to walk down the street without fear of being raped, women shouldn't have to stay quiet online - or pretend to be men - to be free of threats and harassment. It is time to take back the sites.

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Unbelievable. Why don't we help each other anymore?

2009-03-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

This after noon while I was having lunch with my husband and 1 year old son, my favorite waitress walked up to our table looking upset. She kept glancing out the huge picture frame windows in front of the restaurant. She said there was a woman lying down in the middle of the road and no one was out there helping her. I muttered "I'm a nurse" and ran outside to see what I could do for this woman. I saw her lying there and I instantly started going through my head of all the things to check for and look for. First aid training. Questions if she was coherent. Signs of a heart attack, concussion, broken limbs, etc.

As I was nearing her , I started making note of how she was lying, and what she was doing. She was lying on her side crying. She could barely speak and managed a "my leg". I looked it over and it was definitely broken.

I stayed with her doing what I could until the paramedics arrived. But it bothered me that NO ONE was out there helping her until I ran out and sat by her side. Then it seemed to make it "alright" for others to approach and help. It reminded me of the man who was hit by a car in the middle of a parking lot and left for dead.

Why do we ignore when our fellow man/woman is in need of help? Why did that older woman in the ER have to die and wasn't acknowledged until after she was dead? Why do we hesitate to show our compassion for someone who needs our help? Why hesitate at all?

I did not hesitate for a second. Didn't matter if I couldn't do anything until someone arrived. I was at least there and could relay important information to the paramedics when they arrived.

Speechifying: So-called hook up culture and the anti-feminists who love it - Feministing

2009-03-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

Speechifying: So-called hook up culture and the anti-feminists who love it

Earlier this week, I was in Virgina speaking at Emory & Henry College at the school's winter forum - it was a day-long group of discussions on gender and sexuality. This talk was different than others I've done - generally I speak about Feministing and my writing. But the organizers at E&H wanted me to speak about the so-called hook up culture on college campuses, and they wanted me to have a "discussion" (a debate) with this woman, Elizabeth Marquardt. (I actually felt very odd about debating Marquardt because she was so damn nice and friendly - I don't know that I'm cut out for this kind of thing. More on this in an upcoming post...)

In any case, I had a lot of fun with the talk, because a lot of it related back to the work I did for The Purity Myth. So on the chance that anyone gives a shit, I thought I'd repost my speech here...dirty jokes not included.

I have to admit that when I found out I would be speaking on "hook up culture" today, I was somewhat at a loss.
Because the truth is, I actually don't believe that hook culture exists.

Do I think young people in college have sex and hook up? Of course.

But I don't think that this means that there's some nefarious culture of wanton sexuality rampant across college campuses - at least, not any more than there ever was - and I don't think that the fact that young people have sex or are otherwise physically intimate with each other is necessarily a cause for concern.

What I do think is cause for worry is the way that conservative and anti-women organizations, writers, and media makers are using this myth of a hook up culture to promote regressive values surrounding gender and to roll back women's rights.

So just to get some context - let's talk a little bit about what "hook up" culture actually is as its imagined by the media and conservative organizations.

In 2007 alone, nearly 1,000 news and magazine articles referred to the "girls gone wild" or "raunch culture" phenomenon.

The topics of these articles ranged from general finger wagging about girls' supposed promiscuity and spring break, to op-eds about college women's slutty Halloween costumes.

I found headlines like "Spring Break, Broken Girls," "Dying to Date" and "Girls Gone Bad."

One article for Newsweek even wondered whether America was raising a generation of "prostitots." (That would be slutty toddlers.)

Another piece from The Washington Post - and this one is actually my favorite - said that young women hooking up was tantamount to "a mental health crisis on American campuses."

There should be two things that are immediately evident to you - even from just these small sampling of articles. 1) The concerns about young people hooking up and having sex aren't about young people at all - they're about young women.

And 2) The attitude is definitely that young women having sex is a bad, bad thing. There's a whole lot of shaming and scare tactics going on.

And it's not just limited to the media. Also in 2007, when all of these articles were coming out, five books were released, all arguing that pre-marital sex and hook up culture are terrible for young women.

One book, Unprotected, by Miriam Grossman, told readers that sexually active young women are more likely to be depressed and more likely to commit suicide.

In another book called Prude, the author writes that pre-marital sex "often condemns young women to a life of poverty and deprivation." (So just to keep this straight, women who are hooking up are supposed to be depressed, suicidal, AND looking forward to a life of poverty.)

And these books are just the latest in a long line of publications and reports - almost all put out by conservative organizations (and I'll explain why that's important in a minute) saying that hooking up is the most dire issue facing young American women today.

A short publication - a little booklet meant for college women - put out by the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, for example, says that the more sexual partners women have, the more depressed they are and that young women who have sex are just going to end up sad, lonely dropouts with HPV.

(I'm paraphrasing obviously, but this is in fact what was written in the publication.)

The booklet hinges so much on scare tactics that it goes as far as to wish STDs on fictional characters.

"It's easy to forget, but the characters on Grey's Anatomy and Sex in the City are not real. In real life, Meredith and Carrie would have warts or herpes. They'd likely be on Prozac or Zoloft."

Just as an aside, I think it's really telling that a lot of anti-hook up books rely on anecdotes from TV or the movies - characters that are totally fictional - because they often can't find real life examples for their scare tactics.

And if the content of these publications wasn't obvious enough, their visuals really say it all. The covers of these books and publications - and if you can ever look them up online, I highly suggest that you do - frequently show young women, head in their hands, dresses ripped, and slumped over, or naked in the fetal position - just generally looking in trouble.

The message seems to be that the only kind of sex young women can have is dangerous, drunk sex that leaves them disheveled and traumatized.

But the thing is, despite what these books and articles are saying - sexually active young women are in fact not diseased, depressed drop outs. They are doing just fine.

The truth is, 95% of Americans have premarital sex, and this has been true for decades. Even for women who were born in the 1940s, nine out of ten had sex before marriage. (And even back then there was moral panic about young women having sex - so this is really nothing new.)

Teenagers are using contraception more often than in past years, and more effectively. Unless they've taken abstinence only education classes, of course, in which case they don't use contraception and have increased rates of oral and anal sex. And that's according to the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Women are also attending college at the highest rates in history, and we're the majority of undergraduate and master's students.

In addition, a national survey of five hundred thousand high school seniors from 1975 to 2005 showed that 70 percent of young women today report being happy with themselves, and that 77 percent are happy with their lives. The same study showed that 70 percent of young women think it's important to make a contribution to society, and that 90 percent hope to have a job that enables them to help others.

So these stats - showing happy and socially engaged young women paint quite a different picture than conservative organizations and the media do - of oversexed, apathetic, young women going wild.

So what's the disconnect? If young women are doing so well, whether they're having sex or not - why spend so much energy arguing that hooking up is ruining them?

The simple answer is that well-educated and socially engaged women don't make for sexy headlines and they certainly don't sell books.

But there's also something more insidious going on here. Almost all of the books and reports written about hook-up culture are done by writers and researchers with ties to conservative or anti-feminist organizations - some are even outright funded by them.

Miriam Grossman, who wrote Unprotected, for example, is a senior fellow with the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute - the same organization that put out that anti-hooking up pamphlet and which also spends a good amount of money trying to shut down college performances of the award winning play The Vagina Monologues. (They think it's pornographic to say the word vagina, apparently.)

The statistic that sexually active young women are more likely to be depressed and suicidal actually comes from a study done by The Heritage Foundation - a conservative think tank that's a strong proponent of abstinence only education, and that is against issues like same sex marriage and CEDAW (which is a major international women's rights treaty in the UN.)

And also I believe the study Elizabeth did on hooking up was funded by the Independent Women's Forum, an organization which argues that pay inequity doesn't exist and actually fights against Violence Against Women Act - legislation which allocates billions of dollars to domestic violence shelters and rape centers.

So I think it's really important to think about where these statistics are coming from when we talk about so-called hook up culture and to remember that this kind of manufactured panic is really just one part of a larger conservative strategy.

Because talking about women's sexuality in this way is an incredibly effective tool that's being used to reinforce traditional gender norms and to regress women's rights.

And if you're at skeptical about this, besides looking at who is doing the writing and the funding, you should also pay close attention to what they're actually saying, and specifically what solutions they're suggesting to the "problem" of young women hooking up.

Laura Sessions Stepp, who wrote Unhooked, writes that young women don't belong in bars, "that's a guy thing," and that they should consider baking cookies to impress men. (Not that there's anything wrong with baking cookies, I'm a big fan myself, but I think you see where this is going...)

Miriam Grosmman advocates that young women not wait long to get married and get pregnant - in fact both authors seem to assume that the main goal of women in college isn't academics or finding themselves, or even having fun - but instead, finding a husband.

Again, nothing wrong with getting married and having babies, but when you assume that should be the main goal of young women in college - something is amiss.

Of course, it's worth mentioning that none of these books talk about gay or lesbian youth - the only young people who exist in this narrative are straight, and generally white.

And this isn't just about talking points or press releases on how college women shouldn't be having sex. The work that they're doing around "hooking up" is doing actual tangible damage to women.

For example, when the FDA was considering making the HPV vaccine available in the United States - the vaccine that prevents cervical cancer - the single biggest public concern cited wasn't health related or about the vaccine's newness. It was about the worry that girls would become promiscuous if they were vaccinated.

Charlotte Allen, of the Independent Women's Forum, wrote that the HPV vaccine gives girls the message that "it's just fine for them to have all the sex they want, 'cuz now they'll be vaccinated!" Bridget Maher, of the Family Research Council, said that giving girls the vaccine is harmful because "they may see it as a license to engage in premarital sex."

Dozens of other conservative pundits and organizations repeated the sentiment.

Now, I rarely quote Bill Maher, but he was right on when he joked, "It's like saying if you give a kid a tetanus shot, she'll want to jab rusty nails in her feet."

Similarly, emergency contraception - also known as the morning after pill or Plan B - was held up in the FDA for years for over-the-counter status (meaning, you would be able to get it without a prescription) because of fears that young women would go all slutty.

It later came to light that an FDA medical official wrote in an internal memo that over-the-counter status for emergency contraception could cause "extreme promiscuous behaviors such as the medication taking on an 'urban legend' status that would lead adolescents to form sex-based cults centered around the use of Plan B."

Let's be clear, this was an FDA official holding up a safe contraceptive that because of the fear of teen sex cults.

So really, all of this writing and talking about hooking up is about a lot more than just wanting young people to have less sex, or to date more. This is about a return to traditional gender roles - a world where women go to college not to get an education, but to find a husband; a world where women don't really like sex but just do it to have babies. A world where women have no reproductive choices.

Now, all of this is not to say that I don't think there's a problem with how oversexualized the media is, or how women and women's sexuality are portrayed in pop culture - I do think that there's a problem.

I also think we need to have a serious conversation about sexual assault, rape and alcohol on college campuses - these are issues of sexuality that are immediately dangerous to both young men and women.

I even think that there's a lot more we could discuss about hooking up. But let's have that conversation with nuance and realism, and let's certainly have it without an agenda.

And fact is, focusing on hyped-up problems that sell newspapers, titillate the imagination and line the pockets of conservative organizations make it that much easier to ignore actual problems young women are facing, issues that take a lot more than a moral scolding to fix.

For a young woman living in poverty, spring break isn't even an option, let alone a concern. For a young woman who has no health insurance, the "moral" debate over STDs won't do anything for her the next time she needs to see a doctor. And for a young single mother, hearing about herself as an unfortunate statistic isn't going to make her life any better or easier.

If the same people who are working themselves into a panic over women's sexuality spent half as much time advocating on behalf of issues that young women really need help with, we might actually be getting somewhere. But instead, we're stuck talking about what a shame it is that young women are having sex, when the truth is, it isn't a shame at all.

Posted by Jessica - February 20, 2009, at 02:00PM | in Abstinence-Only Education , Analysis , Anti-Feminism , Media

+++++++++++++++++

I am reposting articles that I think are of value and interest. I'm sorry I'm not writing my own material. I just wanted to get some things posted that I thought mattered. Thanks.

Jen

Funding Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Urgent Action Needed in Virginia!

2009-03-12T18:37:00.001-07:00

Funding Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Urgent Action Needed in Virginia!

Imagine you are a woman facing an unintended pregnancy. After careful consideration, you decide to obtain an abortion and schedule an appointment at a clinic listed under "abortion services" in a local phone book. When you arrive for your appointment you are lectured, given misinformation about the risk of abortion, and refused referrals to actual abortion providers.

Imagine your suprise when you realize you are not at a legitimate reproductive health care clinic, but rather have been fooled into visiting a "crisis pregnancy center."

How would you feel if Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee) signed a bill that could funnel up to $65,000 a month to organizations like this one?

Last month the Virginia state legislature passed SB 817, which authorizes the creation of "Choose Life" license plates and creates a state-approved funding stream for "crisis pregnancy centers." The bill awaits action by Governor Tim Kaine. He will make a decision on the bill by April 8, and until then we need all pro-choice Virginians to speak out against the deceptive tactics of "crisis pregnancy centers" by asking him to veto SB 817!

"Crisis pregnancy centers" have been documented using deceptive and coercive tactics to prevent women facing an unintended pregnancy from making a fully informed choice. (See here , here and here.) States like Virginia should be funding legitimate, comprehensive reproductive health clinics--not CPCs, whose missions have nothing to do with health care and everything to do with an anti-choice political agenda.

Please take action by contacting Governor Kaine today!

Feministing: Main

Note from me: Please please please email him and take action!

I really couldn't say it any better

2009-02-18T19:36:00.001-08:00

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/02/18/bristol_palin/>

Bristol Palin stammers the truth

In a Fox interview, the new teen mother makes an almost unwitting argument for reproductive choice before Mom barges in and twists her words.

By Rebecca Traister

Feb. 18, 2009 |

All over the news on Tuesday were clips of 18-year-old new mother Bristol Palin stuttering awkwardly in an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren and saying what many Americans already know all too well: that the idea of teenage abstinence is unrealistic.

But more than just sound bites, Van Susteren's interview with Bristol (and her "surprise-guest" mom) was a vivid reminder of how, sadly, this unremarkable high schooler got dragged into the spotlight by a Republican ticket anxious to paper over its party's family-values inconsistencies with the addition of a just-folks clan led by an Alaskan governor determined to use her family as an illustration of her policies. It was also an embodiment of all that was frustrating and tone-deaf about those policies, and about the governor's candidacy for the vice-presidency.

The Van Susteren interview provided a new chapter in this jumbled saga of gender, reproductive and class politics, kicked off when a craven and desperate John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate in August 2008. Palin's acceptance of the nomination meant the prompt exposure of her then-17-year-old unmarried daughter's reproductive life to the world, a circumstance that made Bristol and her self-proclaimed redneck boyfriend, Levi Johnston, accidental cautionary tales (or poster children, depending on your perspective) for what happens when the faith-infused reproductive health policies favored by her mother's supporters meet real life.

Bristol, sitting down with the Palin-friendly Van Susteren, did not come across as any more eloquent or incisive on matters of sex, pregnancy and new motherhood than anyone would expect of an utterly average teenager, but she did offer up an inarticulate, bumbling and nakedly honest interview about how her life has changed since the birth of her son, Tripp, two months ago. Wittingly or not, she touched on issues close to the heart of reproductive rights activists and feminists who fiercely opposed her mother's candidacy: how her life is no longer her own, how she wishes she had waited 10 years, how the choice to have the child was hers and not her mother's and how abstinence was not a realistic answer. All this was discussed before the governor entered and robbed Bristol of her voice and her arguments, making a mash of everything her daughter had said so far.

According to Van Susteren's slightly implausible setup, Bristol had agreed to do this interview on her own, without the consent of her mother, who had learned of it only the day before. The young woman was talking to Van Susteren, Bristol said, in her plaintive adolescent patois, because, "I hope people learn from my story and just, like, prevent teen pregnancy, I guess."

Van Susteren seemed utterly uninterested in interrogating Bristol in any serious way about what can be learned from her story, or how she would go about preventing teen pregnancy. In fact, the interviewer failed to ask several elephant-in-the-room questions, like whether Bristol supports sex education in schools, the distribution of birth control or the rights of other women to choose abortion.

Fox instead couched much of the story as a cutesy-poo introduction to Tripp (who seems temporarily to have replaced Trig, Sarah Palin's night-owl infant, as the family football), whom Bristol described as both "awesome" and "very, very, very cute."

Bristol told Van Susteren that telling her parents she was pregnant "was, like, harder than labor," and described sitting on the couch with Johnston and a best friend there for support, so petrified about making her announcement that she was "just sick to my stomach," so much so that finally, her best friend had to blurt it out for her. Bristol continued, "I don't even remember it, because it was just like something I don't want to remember."

This young woman, too scared to even enunciate the fact of her pregnancy to her parents, is now a parent herself. Which made it slightly more ludicrous for Van Susteren to ask her whether her pregnancy was planned. "No, not at all," Bristol replied, laughing nervously. Duh. But Van Susteren was determined, in this mother-and-child-worshiping world, not to lose sight of how blessed and happy Tripp's very existence is. "I realize what joy a child brings to a family," Van Susteren continued delicately, "but was there any sort of sense that maybe this would happen a year or two from now?"

Bristol did a lot less beating around the bush. "Of course," she replied matter-of-factly. "I wish it would happen in like 10 years, so I could have a job and an education and be, like, prepared, and have my own house and stuff. But he brings so much joy. I don't regret it at all. I just wish it would have happened in 10 years rather than right now."

Bristol also bristled obediently when asked by Van Susteren about how the media "dogged" her a bit. "They thought that my mom was going to make me have the baby, and it was my choice to have the baby, and that kind of stuff just bothered me."

Yes, Bristol insisted, it was her choice to have Tripp. "In terms of the ... whole issue of the right to life and choice and things like that ... this is your decision?" Van Susteren asked. "Yeah," repeated Bristol. "It doesn't matter what my mom's views are on it. It was my decision. And I wish people would realize that, too."

Of course some of them -- not the least of them "The Daily Show's" Samantha Bee -- have realized that Bristol's ability to make her own decision, without regard to her mom's views on the issue, is precisely the freedom for which reproductive rights activists fight, trying to ensure that no daughters surrender control of their bodies to their mothers or fathers or husbands or clergymen or governments.

Bristol went on to make more (perhaps unwitting) feminist points about what, exactly, the responsibilities and consequences are for young women who choose (or are forced down) the path she took.

"I don't know if it's what I expected," Bristol said of young motherhood. "But it's just a lot different. It's not just the baby that's hard. It's like I'm not living for myself anymore. It's for another person." Later in the interview, she again repeated this line -- a heartbreaking point if ever there was one, and one we don't talk about much because we feel obligated to acknowledge that of course motherhood is a sacrifice, of course there are consequences, of course for many women and men, choosing to have children and become less self-obsessed is a pleasure. But so much of what pro-life advocacy is about -- whether it denies people sex education or contraception or access to abortion -- is in valuing the cells that make up a fetus (or baby) more than the woman in whose body those cells have grown.

Bristol's articulation of this quagmire may sound selfish and naive. But what she's describing is how she hadn't fully comprehended that, in having a baby at 18, her value as a young woman with interests and desires and ambitions and goals would now come second to the needs of a child.

"I think everyone should just wait 10 years," Bristol said. "Just because it's so much easier if you're married and you have a house and career. It's so much easier." Bristol described to Van Susteren how caring for Tripp is not glamorous at all. "I'm not the first person it's happened to, and I'm not going to be the last," she said. "But I'd love to be an advocate to prevent teen pregnancy. Because it's not like a situation you want to strive for, I guess."

I guess not. Van Susteren then did ask her, in a roundabout way, about whether she had a religious or philosophical objection to contraception. Bristol said, "No, I don't want to get into detail about that." And then came the line that would come to stand in for the whole interview: "Everyone should be abstinent or whatever, but it's not realistic at all."

Bristol's interview was nearly painful to listen to, so vulnerable and untrained was her description of her love for her son, and her wish that she hadn't had him so young. These sounded like the pure and comparatively unscripted answers of a young woman who was not politicizing her situation, just living in it and trying to describe it to the rest of the world.

But the whole awkward purity of Bristol's interview got wrecked once Mama Palin purportedly "surprised" the pair by entering the room holding Tripp, offering him to her daughter and asking, "You want this joy?"

Gov. Palin opened by claiming to be "proud of [Bristol] wanting to take on an advocacy role and just let other girls know that it's not the most ideal situation but certainly you make the most of it." It was like the elder Palin had put her daughter's words through a meat grinder: What Bristol had said was that she wanted to let other girls know that they should wait 10 years, that their lives would shift beneath their feet.

"Bristol is a strong and bold young woman," Palin said, as Bristol sat quietly -- after her mother entered, she barely spoke further -- "and she is an amazing mom, and this little baby is very lucky to have her as a momma. He's gonna be just fine. We're very proud of Bristol." Palin was missing the point, or part of it, or perhaps making it even louder: Bristol's self-professed desire to prevent teen pregnancy is not just about whether this little baby is going to be just fine, it is about whether his momma is.

But that just wasn't of much concern to Sarah Palin. Noting that, because of her large and helpful family, Bristol "has it perhaps easier, if you will, than other young mothers," Palin pointed out that "many, many, many young parents have been successful in raising their children, and have raised healthy, happy, contributing members of our society. And Bristol and Levi will be parents like that."

Van Susteren needed to ask the elder Palin about how she would interpret her daughter's larger message, and in doing so, she mentioned the word "abstinence." "It sounds naive!" said the Alaska governor, a proponent of abstinence (though not abstinence-only) legislation. "So you get beyond that ideal of abstinence. You get beyond that and then you deal with it. Life happens and you deal with it."

To Sarah Palin and Van Susteren's minds, the real story here was not about cautioning other teens, or preventing teen pregnancies, it was about how to deal with them once they'd -- inevitably, it seems -- happened. In Van Susteren's words, about "how important it is for families to pitch in." The Alaska governor, pausing for a moment of generous reflection, said, "I don't know how other families do it. If they kind of assume that the young parent is going to make it on their own, or assume that government would take care of the young parent and child. That's not government's role. This is a role for families to pitch in and help."

So the bigger message here, as spun by Greta Van Susteren and Sarah Palin, is that abstinence is a naive peg on which to hang our contraceptive hopes, but that when our daughters reproduce before they finish high school, we need to move beyond it -- not to discussions of birth control and abortion, but to the fact that the Palins are an unusually big, helpful, supportive group, and that other less fortunate young mothers should go out and get multigenerational families to help them out because it's not the government's responsibility.

How perfectly, sadly nonsensical. And how poignant that the untrained and unrehearsed and inelegant message of the young woman who actually had the baby, the one who said, "I think everyone should just wait 10 years," made far more sense than the politicized jabbering of her elders.

As if my first life wasn't/isn't enough!

2009-02-18T08:16:00.001-08:00

I found a couple of articles about a "Social networking" "game" called Second Life. These articles were about married couples cheating on each other with other avatars in the game. It seems this social networking "game" is very popular with those that like to partake in cyber sex. Not only can you have sex with other avatars, but you get jobs, pay bills, own businesses, do day to day activities - just as you would in your real lives.

I tried this game about two years ago out of curiosity and found it dull, boring, tedious, hard to maneuver the avatars, unrealistic, time consuming, and overall just a big waste of my time and energy.

I do not understand the pull of Second Life and why people are so drawn to it. I tried Second Life again last night and part of this morning. It was and is still just as stupid as when I first tried it a couple of years ago. I hated the avatar looks. Seemed like everyone was perfect, with wild hair colors, perfect bodies, tattoos, skimpy out fits - the men looked like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise Wannabes. I just wanted to harf all over them. Too bad they didn't have an avatar gesture for that. I probably would have walked around with the harfing gesture on all the morons that were/are allowing Second Life to suck 'em in and ruin their real lives.

What I've found, is that - I'm basically happy and content with myself and who I am. Where I'm at in life and what I've accomplished. I don't think I've missed out on anything nor am I resentful or regretful. There's nothing I feel that is missing.

This game is for those who are generally unhappy with their lives or feel that they are missing out on something. I've been told it's a "social networking" site like Myspace. Where you meet and make friends, chat, socialize. Go to clubs, even get married! I've done the Myspace thing. I've done the Facebook thing. They were fun for awhile - I could essentially customize my site however I wanted. Make it represent me and my interests. After awhile though, I got bored with it and felt it was a giant waste of my time. It's ok for others, don't get me wrong.

But with school, kids, and everything else - Myspace was fun for awhile, it had its uses and provided me lots of opportunities to meet people and get into touch with people I haven't spoken with for years. I just feel that I've generally out grown Myspace and all that it entails.

The ignorance that some maintain and blast all over their pages was enough to sour me to logging in on a daily basis.

Anyway, back to Second Life. I probably shouldn't judge those that like it and use it. Some even make real money on Second Life and make a damn good living off it too! Again, just not my thing.

I'm relatively comfortable and content with my life and who I am. I don't need to be "Emerald Sahara" which is what my avatar's name is. Maybe I didn't give it enough time or effort? Maybe I should meet those that make the game work for them and find out what the draw is.

I have one friend that goes on there. I haven't spoken with him much about it, but perhaps I should before making such a judgement call. So far, however, I've found nothing engaging or stimulating or worthy to put my time and effort into. My real life is stressful and meaningful enough without adding a Second Life into it and complicating things and making me stress out even more!

YouTube - Hip Hop Mr. J Medeiros - Constance Video

2009-02-16T17:31:00.001-08:00

nuff said

It's time to look at ourselves and accept responsibility

2009-01-30T07:28:00.001-08:00

Our economy is sick right now. We are heading towards a depression and I for one am fearful of what the future holds. My family and I are saving up whatever funds come our way as times get truly difficult for all Americans.

I read this report today:

Economy Shrinks at 3.8 Percent Pace

By JEANNINE AVERSA

WASHINGTON (Jan. 30) - The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending.

Although the initial result was better than economists expected, the figure is likely to be revised even lower in the months ahead and some believe the economy is contracting in the current quarter at a pace of around 5 percent. The current January-March period, they said, will probably turn out to be the worse quarter for the recession.

"The downturn is intensifying. The fourth quarter is worse than it looks," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com.

The new figure, released Friday by the Commerce Department, showed the economy sinking at a much faster clip in the October-December period than the 0.5 percent decline logged in prior quarter.

The report provided clear evidence of the economy's rapid deterioration as the housing, credit and financial crises - the worst since the 1930s - feed on each other. It's a vicious cycle that has proven difficult for Washington policymakers to break.

The 3.8 percent annualized drop marked the weakest quarterly showing since a 6.4 percent annualized plunge in the first quarter of 1982, when the country was suffering through a severe recession.

This is not good news. It's good news for those who wish to invest and have the money to do so.

Multiple stores here in Dover have closed down. 4 that I know of right off the bat. It's beginning to look like a ghost town. Families all across America are wondering how they are going to survive.

If you know of any good tips of getting through these troubled times, please leave it in the comment section. My next blog will consist of tips and resources on how to keep yourself and your family above water and avoid feeling helpless. I hate feeling helpless and that nothing is in my control. There are things we can all do to improve our well being and our lives. It's going to be tough on us all. No doubt about it.

Hello in Bloggersville

2009-01-29T06:20:00.001-08:00

I promised a doozy yesterday. Things got interesting here on the North Eastern Coast. If you've been following the weather, you'll see that we got hit with a winter storm. Well, that winter storm shut down schools and left me with 5 kidlets yesterday.

Here is an update: I'm pushing ahead in school, I'm still struggling at algebra. It is definitely NOT my best subject. I've noticed I lost a "follower" of my blog. I think it's because I haven't been updating/blogging as much since school started. <hangs head> I honestly can't please everyone.

I sent out a warning that things were going to slow down, updates weren't going to be as often, and topics will probably go un-blogged about.

Since Obama's inauguration, it's been getting more and more interesting. The Republicans are coming out of the wood work and blasting absolutely everything. What's REALLY amusing is that Republicans I know are stomping their feet in tantrums over this bailout bill. Laying it at Obama's feet. However, LAST year when Bush was pushing HIS bailout plan through, they didn't call him a "terrible" president nor did they think it was going to ruin his Presidency.

They may have grumbled about last year's bailout bill/plan - but they didn't consider it to be a strike against Bush. They'll use absolutely ANY reason to hate Obama. I even saw some idiot military wife say the DEMOCRATS were the ones that were against the military raises. JEEZ, I mean how dense and obtuse can someone be? How soon they forget that it was the Republicans and Bush that sent our economy down the toilet. It wasn't the Democrats. T hey didn't have enough of a majority to enact any legislation. They were stonewalled WITH EVERYTHING.

I really am starting to get irritated at some of these military wives that are so damn clueless. Using their husbands as reasons to hate Obama. If you hate Obama, do it for your own damn prejudices or biases. Instead of throwing your husband out there as a shield for your own ignorant rantings. Assholes. I'm really tired of this belly aching that Obama is going to destroy our country. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE HOMELESS!!!

Because of Bush's policies and deregulation, we're totally in the shitter right now. People are being laid off, companies are closing stores, NOW the Postmaster wants to cut a delivery day.

Holy shit, and Republicans want to pin this BS on the DEMOCRATS??? Who only got a slight majority in 2007. It takes YEARS for policies to take effect, so what we're now seeing is Republicans fucking things up. AS USUAL! Sorry, I know I said I would try to meet them in middle, but I'm so sick of this blame democrats at every possible chance. Bush deregulated everything, there were recession warnings well before 2007, Bush ignored the people, he ignored pretty much everything that didn't fit into his ideology.

"And yet the Republicans who very nearly shoved us over the ledge are prancing around as if their collective Reaganomics don't stink." This sums it up pretty everything I've said already.

I really like this blogger, here's more of his sarcastic albeit right-on-target responses to the foolish Republicans that are now howling in protest:

"Prompted by Drudge and Limbaugh, the Republicans are lurching around like less-cool, less-serious Beavis & Butthead knockoffs, snickering at the mere mention of birth control; their suit jackets slung over their heads Cornholio-style as they cackle, "He said rubbers! Mmm-heh-heh. Uhhh-huh-huh. But take us seriously or else."

Earlier in the week, it was birth control and by Wednesday morning the birth control headlines had been replaced with a new Drudge screamer about an STD prevention and education section of the bill. "Heh-heheh-heh. Crabs." But it goes without saying that the doofish snickering has less to do with a debate about whether or not poor people can afford necessary medical treatment, and everything to do with the Republicans getting to say "STDs" and "contraceptives" on television and thus making the bill appear silly, salacious and borderline immoral."

And here's ANOTHER great article snippet:

So, let's review all the verifiable facts:

FACT: Economists on both the right and left agree that spending on infrastructure is a better guaranteed way to create jobs and stimulate GDP growth than enacting new tax cuts.
FACT: Top congressional Democrats acknowledge that spending on infrastructure is a far better way to stimulate the economy than tax cuts.

FACT: Even top Republican pollsters acknowledge that the public strongly supports prioritizing robust spending on infrastructure over more tax cuts.

FACT: The Obama administration acknowledges that it can effectively pass whatever economic recovery package it wants - including one that is robustly progressive in seriously prioritizing spending on infrastructure over tax cuts.

FACT: Senate Republicans and Republican Party strategists acknowledge the same thing that the Obama administration acknowledges: Namely, that Democrats have the political capital to pass almost anything they want.

FACT: Despite this reality, Obama has both pushed Congress to add conservatives' ineffective tax cut proposals to the recovery bill, and reduce funding for job-creating transportation infrastructure in order to fund new tax cuts.

FACT: House Republican leader John Boehner says House Republicans are opposed to the stimulus, unless it is loaded down with corporate tax cuts.

FACT: Next to George W. Bush himself, House Republican leader John Boehner is the single most irrelevant individual in American politics when it comes to this economic recovery package. Why? Because House rules do not permit a filibuster, and therefore the Democratic majority can pass whatever it wants in the House.

FACT: Despite John Boehner's stunning lack of any political power or relevance, both the media and top Democrats continue to act as if he has near-veto power over the economic recovery package. The Huffington Post notes that the Beltway media is breathlessly reporting on Boehner's every declaration, and - for some odd reason - President Obama is spending time meeting with Republican House members, trying to get them to support an economic recovery package.* Again, this is happening despite Boehner and House Republicans having absolutely no actual legislative power to shape the stimulus package.

As we've seen above: it's not about the country to the Republicans. It's about stomping on Democrat pee-pees they're most worried about. During the Bush Administration, it was never Bush's fault shit went wrong. It was Clinton's. They made a seamless and easy transition from everything being CLINTON'S fault during BUSH'S administration - to everything being Obama's fault.

Remember, Republicans will never never never take responsibility for THEIR actions.

To the idiot military wives that think it was the Democrats that were trying to do away with the raises, think again morons.

Republicans block troop funding bill. July 2008.

And yet another example of Republicans blocking military support.

and HERE is the 2006 release of what military could expect for a raise in 2007.......notice...the raises BEFORE 2007 were slowly decreasing. 2006 the raise was 3.1%: in 2007 it was 2.2% - yet when the Democrats finally got in - the raises bounced back and increased in the past few years.

2006 military raise 3.1%

2007 military raise 2.2% <<Remember, Democrats finally got in to make some changes...and they did. The pay cut was done before the election in 2006. So they couldn't do much for the 2007 pay cut. Although they tried to stop the Republicans.>>

2008 military raise 3.5%

2009 military raise 3.9%

<<"In its annual submission to Congress, the Bush administration asked for an across-the-board raise of only 3.4 percent over 2008 basic pay rates. 3.4 percent is the minimum amount that the President could have requested under Federal law. By law, the minimum annual raise in military basic pay is tied to the Department of Labor’s Employment Cost Index (ECI) which tracks changes in pay for all state and local government employees, as well as most private-sector workers.

It's not unusual for Congress to grant a pay raise larger than the administration requests. In fact, in 2008, Congress did exactly that. The Bush 2008 budget proposal asked for a 3.0 raise in military basic pay (the minimum required by the ECI), and Congress included an extra one-half percent when they passed the 2008 Defense Authorization Act, continuing a multi-year practice of military pay raises slightly above the ECI.

The charts linked below depict 2009 monthly basic pay for military members, should the 3.9 percent raise become law.">>

I'm going to post this blog where I hope others will see it. It's not the Democrats - it's the Republicans. Start taking responsibility for the IRRESPONSIBILITY shown by YOUR idiotic party.

I'm sick of the Democrats getting blamed for Republican partisan bullshit. Time to own your failings and put your big girl/boy pants on and get with the program. Help us fix the country instead of bickering about Obama not wearing a gawddamned flag lapel pin.

It's been awhile, I know!

2009-01-27T19:55:00.001-08:00

I do apologize for my lack of posting. It's been quite hectic. I've been studying as much as possible to keep up in algebra. I'm going to have a doozy of a blog tomorrow! Stay tuned! (Sorry to keep you all in suspense, I just made a whole menu list of foods for my youngest son. Then I folded clothes, then did homework. I'm extremely tired!)

Goodnight!

I am full of sorrow this evening..

2009-01-16T19:41:00.001-08:00

I am so sorry I haven't blogged in some time. I am weighed down by a lot of homework. I came across something that literally broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes in sorrow.

It isn't Child Abuse Awareness month when I should be posting this, but next month will be Valentine's Day and it would have been the 7th birthday of a little girl named Brianna Lopez. However, this precious little girl won't have a birthday.

Her life story is incredibly sad and tragic. I only share it because her story shouldn't have taken this long to be told.

Brianna Lopez suffered one of the most horrific child abuse cases ever in New Mexico. She was born February 14, 2002 and died July 19, 2002. She was only 5 months old. Maybe it was a blessing she only suffered through 5 months of hell at the hands of her abusers.

Here is a link to her story. Hold this precious angel in your hearts, light a candle for her, and see what you can do to help.

Here is a picture of Brianna. Her parents never thought to take any pictures of her smiling or playing while she was alive. So this is an autopsy photo with the bruises and bite marks edited out to show how absolutely beautiful she was.

This story tore my heart out and I can't seem to shake this feeling that if this little girl had been mine, I would have rocked her and cherished her. I'll have to settle for knowing she is safe in Heaven with angels and Jesus watching over her.

Here is a Myspace page dedicated to baby Brianna. On the Myspace page are youtube videos of a news piece about her, and a nice memorial slide show.

Sorry to have posted such a sad blog, but her story needs to be heard. It isn't fair she had such a horrific 5 months of life full of pain and suffering, and her parents got very little jail time.

Goodnight.

Extreme Alaska cold grounds planes, disables cars - Yahoo! News

2009-01-08T08:04:00.001-08:00

By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer Steve Quinn, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 8, 5:59 am ET

AP – Elisabeth Habermann, with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, skis from the race trail in the subzero …

Slideshow: Alaska copes with extreme temperatures

JUNEAU, Alaska – Ted Johnson planned on using a set of logs to a build a cabin in Alaska's interior. Instead he'll burn some of them to stay warm.

Extreme temperatures — in Johnson's case about 60 below zero — call for extreme measures in a statewide cold snap so frigid that temperatures have grounded planes, disabled cars, frozen water pipes and even canceled several championship cross country ski races.

Alaskans are accustomed to subzero temperatures but the prolonged conditions have folks wondering what's going on with winter less than a month old.

National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Brown said high pressure over much of central Alaska has been keeping other weather patterns from moving through. New conditions get pushed north or south while the affected area faces daily extremes.

"When it first started almost two weeks ago, it wasn't anything abnormal," Brown said. "About once or twice every year, we get a good cold snap. But, in this case, you can call this an extreme event. This is rare. It doesn't happen every year."

Temperatures sit well below zero in the state's various regions, often without a wisp of wind pushing down the mercury further.

Johnson lives in Stevens Village, where residents have endured close to two weeks of temperatures pushing 60 below zero.

The cold has kept planes grounded, Johnson said. Food and fuel aren't coming in and they're starting to run low in the village, about 90 miles northwest of Fairbanks.

Johnson, whose home has no heater or running water, said he ventures outside only to get more logs for burning and to fetch water from a community facility. He's been saving the wood to build a cabin as a second home, but that will have to wait a few years now because the heat takes precedence.

"I've never seen it this cold for this long," he said. "I remember it 70 below one time, but not for a week and a half."

In Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, residents are used to lows of about 10-degree temperatures in January — not 19 below zero, which is what folks awoke to Wednesday morning.

Temperatures finally settled to about 10 below at midday, but that was cold enough to cancel races in the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships.

Skiers won't compete unless it's warmer than 4 below zero, but the numbers have ranged between 10 below and 15 below.

That has led to four days of canceled or postponed competition with organizers hoping to get a set of races under way on Thursday, the event's final day.

Meanwhile, in Juneau, the state's capital is enjoying balmy weather by comparison with lows in the single digits.

Extreme Alaska cold grounds planes, disables cars - Yahoo! News

---------------

I miss my home!!!!

Wheaties!

2009-01-07T04:02:00.001-08:00

I have purposefully avoided reading the news about the economy. Seems like every time I look, the news just gets worse. Some economists are saying "Second Great Depression". Seems like things are only going to get worse.

Alcoa is cutting 15000 jobs by Spring.

Feds expect long economic rut.

And the news just gets even more depressing from there on. So, for today's "Wheaties" I will simply put that those who pissed in my Wheaties are the dingleberries that allowed this to happen or helped make it happen.

I'm not laying any blame, but those who made this happen KNOW who they are. I really hope they burn in hell for all eternity. That's all.

Have a good day!

Jennifer

Editing to add:

I'm not all familiar with Mid. East or the complex alliances and such going on with the US and Israel, but I'm pretty saddened over the loss of life.

Gaza truce proposed.

What do you think? Please share your opinions. Comments section is open to all, even those without accounts. Thanks.

Angel Food Ministries

2009-01-02T18:11:00.001-08:00

Welcome - Angel Food Ministries

A very good assistance program to help needy families. Donate or spread the word. It's worth it!

Please, no booby shots; unless you're from Girls Gone Wild or Ooops I did it again Britney or a drunk Paris Hilton.

2009-01-02T17:11:00.001-08:00

Word to the wise, if you are an ordinary woman that happens to be breastfeeding your baby, you'd BETTER not display a picture of you nurturing your child on the internet. You'll get the Prude Patrol on your ass in full force.

Today on AOL, a news article came to my attention about a woman in Fallbrook, California who posted a picture of her breastfeeding her baby on Facebook.

Full story can be found here.

In the VERY same article, down at the very bottom, AOL displays a picture of Paris Hilton with her bosoms practically falling out. Her areola is nearly popping out of her dress....and I've seen absolutely NO ONE in the comments section raise a giant temper tantrum about that.

Why? Because when breasts are being marketed to men, or making women feel like their breasts aren't good enough the way they are (see www.easycurves.com ), or used as a joke, or any other purpose OTHER than what they were and are naturally INTENDED FOR....WHOA BOY!!! How DISGUSTING! Seeing a baby feed from a breast, jeezus, call out the fucking prude police.

We've got a feeding baby here, people! Watch out! Oh Noes! I can almost see her nipple, ewwww gross!

Yes, I'm being purposely rude and crass because it's a load of bullshit.

Here is the Paris Hilton picture I was talking about.

and here is Roman's breastfeeding picture (Roman is the woman in question)

Here are just a FEW pictures I've seen displayed on Facebook AND Myspace:

YES, these really ARE from Myspace and Facebook. They aren't just random pictures I went googling for.

Want proof?

Go to Browse People on Myspace, then check Browse people ages 18-30, women, Looking for: Dating.

You will get a massive amount of hits and 75% of the photos are just like what I posted above.

So is this more discriminating against women who are breastfeeding their children? You bet. Because if people REALLY had a problem with breasts, Myspace AND Facebook wouldn't be as popular as they are right now.

It's not the breasts they have a problem with, it's the fact that a mother posted a picture of her FEEDING HER CHILD...why is this such an issue with people? I really want to know.

It's NOT gross. Women should NOT have to breastfeed their children in the same place where people go to the bathroom at.

Would you want to eat YOUR food where people take their daily dumps at? Not hardly.

Another argument: "Women should cover it up when they feed". Why? Because the site of a feeding infant offends you? Why does it offend you? If I eat my bowl of cereal, will that offend you too? Does it offend you to see people making out on Prime Time television? How about commercials? How about Britney Spears VMA incident?

The hypocrisy of the masses continues to astound me. Never fails. They don't object to breasts being on display in a sexual manner, but breasts being on display for natural purposes...

Edit to add: Here's a good piece on Time about this.

And another.

Another Edit to add: Kelli Roman create a Facebook Petition site here.

School is here again..

2009-01-02T06:46:00.001-08:00

I took time off from school because I had to undergo several surgeries in the past 6 months, now that I've finished with my surgeries and I'm mostly healed; it's time now to go back to school and further my education.

My current classes include College Algebra and Art Appreciation. Because I am taking internet classes, I take two classes every month. It's an accelerated program that helps me obtain my Associates degree in just a year. I won't be a stay at home mom forever, my youngest son is 8 months and will be starting daycare when he's 2. By then, I hope to have a good job that pays fairly well. I want to be able to put money away for my kids' futures so they may go to college without winding up in debt like I have. I would also like to put funds away for my retirement. And I am way behind the ball on that - being 27 (28 next month *moan*) I have nothing started for retirement.

Anyway, my reason for posting this is to let my readership know that I'll be very very busy with school work. I've never been an ace in math/algebra so I have to work extra hard to get my assignments done.

Right now I'm watching a study guide in basic pre-algebra problems. This is so incredibly important to me, I want to graduate and be a good role model for my sons. I also want this education so I don't ever ever EVER have to go back to doing retail at entry level.

I hate working retail with a passion. Not knocking it for others, but for me; personally; bleh!

I'll try to post once a week, but there may be times where I'm swamped with homework and can't do that either.

If I can't post a commentary , I'll post an article with some links that I think may be of some interest and value to my readership.

Without further ado, I bid you farewell for now and I'll be heading upstairs to stick my nose in my text books and get a head start on my homework.

Jennifer

Adding to Weaties Wednesday

2008-12-31T17:09:00.001-08:00

In surfing the net, I came across this priceless jewel: Marital Rape

This isn't just "pissing in my weaties" this is squatting and taking a giant dump in my living room. Then expecting me to smile sweetly while he does it!

Seriously, this buffoon has the idea that women are obligated to lie down and have sex even if they don't want to. It is, after all, a job. To quote the douchebag AKA Dennis Prager:

What if your husband woke up one day and announced that he was not in the mood to go to work?

You see, my husband doesn't look at me as a prostitute -for starters- second of all, it's not about "not being in the mood" - it's about maybe I'm sore from surgery, maybe I'm angry at him, maybe I'm in pain, maybe I'm exhausted.... I'm not purposefully withholding sex from my husband to be a jerk.

Here's another one:

But the fact remains: Your man knows you love him by your willingness to give him your body.

"I know you love me honey if you just lie down and give me your body". This is definitely the very definition of marital rape.

Compared to most women's sexual nature, men's sexual nature is far closer to that of animals. So what? That is the way he is made. Blame God and nature.

Ah, ok - I forgot - women are stupid insipid creatures that should just bow down to the will of man. Men are just knuckle-dragging animalistic horn toads. Men can go around boinking whom he pleases because ya know, HE'S A MAN...he's a horny animal and has NEEDS!

Telling your husband to control it is a fine idea. But he already does. Every man who is sexually faithful to his wife already engages in daily heroic self-control.

He has married knowing he will have to deny his sexual nature's desire for variety for the rest of his life.

Oh boo fucking hoo!!!! Then he shouldn't get married if he wants to run around spreading his precious seed! Guys need variety ya know, poor bastards exhibit such control already, ladies. Really, don't you feel so sorry for them? They have neeeeeeeeds.

To ask that he also regularly deny himself sex with the one woman in the world with whom he is permitted sex is asking far too much. Deny him enough times and he may try to fill this need with another woman. If he is too moral to ever do that, he will match your sexual withdrawal with emotional and other forms of withdrawal.

Ok, I can't go on much longer with this. This guy is just too much.

Your Wednesday Weaties!

2008-12-31T10:15:00.001-08:00

Well, I don't have very much to toss into my weekly Wednesday Weaties post, but there is one thing that strikes me that I want to discuss.

Twilight. I'm sure you've heard people talking about it, movie reviews, fans obsessing about it.

I have yet to read the series. I'll explain why, I've read several synopsizes of the book and the movie - and I'm not very impressed.

At most, what I can gather is the vampire character "Edward Cullen" is a brooding, moody, controlling, stalking - yet "perfect" and "handsome" looking man that dominates the female protagonist "Bella Swan". Both are high school students and in the first book are lab partners.

She falls madly in love with Edward and pretty much moons over him and is willing to give up absolutely everything for him. Based on shallow aspects of his looks. Because, if she looked deeper into his character - she'd find a very controlling abusive SOB that isn't worth her time.

So, this is my complaint for this week:

Young teenage girls (and women MY age) are obsessing about this series. Why? Because it's "romantic" it's a fantasy world where the woman is again the damsel in distress and a strong manly macho character saves her wimpy ass again and again.

Spare me! If I had written the book (hmmm, not a bad idea) I would have made the female character into more like Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Now that was a kick ass female role model. Very similar - Vampire Guy + Human Woman = Forbidden Love, Impossible odds, and Star Crossed relationship. Except Buffy can defend herself and does so in every episode.

Maybe it's the feminist in me, or maybe it's the fact that I am tired of this kind of plot - domineering controlling male that simply saves the wimpy girl all the time because she gets herself into bad situations IE "Oh gee, my mother is in trouble- I think I'll go save her against a bunch of vicious vampires that will most likely kill me"

DUH! Bring the AK-47 packed full of garlic encased in silver bullets - BOOYAH! Major Vampire arsenal!

My mission is to get through the series and write a real review on it. Because honestly, I haven't read the books. I really have no leg to stand on in bitching about it.

Who pissed in my weaties this week? It's the over obsessed fans that are MY age that live, breathe, shit, sleep, eat, and dream nothing but Twilight. C'mon, I love books as anyone else, but to obsess about it like some have...oy, GET A LIFE!

Punishing Parents For Poor Decisions

2008-12-30T18:11:00.001-08:00

A story caught my attention this afternoon. It bothered me not in the way some may think. Too many times parents make poor decisions, and unfortunately; their children pay the ultimate price: death.

When there is a drastic change in routine, or when there is a very small change in a routine, or when there is a lapse in judgment, or when it's busy and making a quick decision without thinking.....

All of these things can greatly hinder and effect our judgment and our decisions.

Man charged in death of his 11 year-old daughter.

This is just another case of poor judgment. Not negligence, not bad parenting, not abuse, and nothing malicious was intended. He shouldn't be thrown in jail with hardened criminals because he made a very poor decision. He's going to be suffering with his bad judgment for the rest of his life.

It's not unlike parents that accidentally leave their children in the car, resulting in their child's death. Yes, it's tragic and it's awful. Should they be punished? They will be punishing themselves for the rest of their lives. I don't think they need to be thrown in prison for their idiocy.

It's a slippery slope.

13 Lies ALL men tell -what utter BS-

2008-12-30T05:48:00.001-08:00

I really hate AOL health/love/relationships. It's packed full of nonsense and sexist drivel from supposed "experts". The more I look, the more I want to take a f-ing baseball bat to my monitor. Then I would be out a monitor and the content would still be there. In this article I pulled up out of curiosity, there are 13 lies *all* men tell their partners.

1. Men will always look at women prettier and bustier than you. Live with it. It's how they are "programmed".

2. "I have thick luxurious hair! No really, I do!"

3. "I know you would never fake 'it'".

4. "what woman in the thong bikini"

5. "you have superb driving skills!"

6.(this one gets me)"Brad Pitt and George Clooney are cinematic geniuses!"

7. "What puffy circles under my eyes?"

8. "But I love wine and cheese night too!"

9. (This one has a bit more substance)"I'm not hurt, just angry".

10. "I don't care what you think".

11. "I need to go golfing/bowling/ shooting hoops/-insert manly activity here- to work on...."Because men like more independent sports and activities whereas women like more relationship oriented activities and hobbies. (WTF??! This is actually what the fucking article says. Gawd, I could puke!)Quote: "So if a man's kept on a tight leash, it shouldn't be a surprise if an excuse to get out of the house is masqueraded as perfecting his golf game."

12. "I'm not a crier".

13. Primary breadwinner? Piece of cake!."

Want to read this article in it's finest? Click here! Be sure to have a barf bag handy

This article makes it seem like men are petulant, horny, stupid little children that stomp their feet and follow their penises where ever it may lead them. And women should just deal with it. And women are made out to be needy, clingy, relationship geared morons that should just submit to the man's world and how he does things.

Maybe I'm going off and there's nothing really all that bad about the article, it just seemed that it promotes the same crap that our society perpetuates day in and day out. Men are manly stupid creatures that beat their chests and like sports and are horny little toads and women should just "deal". Women are emotional idiots that cling and mope when they don't get their way and always want to talk about feeeeeeeelings.

In my humble experience with men, I find most to be intelligent, thoughtful, honest people. My husband, for example, may have looked at other women. Fine, but he doesn't feel the need to lie to me about it.

This article is sexist BOTH ways. Which really pisses me off. Just one more article spewing the same bullshit our society espouses. Men are horny idiots and women are emotional idiots.

Wheaties Wednesday. AS PROMISED!

2008-12-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry this week's feature of "Wheaties Wednesday" is a day late. Yesterday wasn't my best of days. I had just had surgery on Monday and didn't feel like blogging much. I posted a piece of about breast cancer, but realized it was a bit too personal. I don't want disturbing individuals to catch wind of me at all.

This week's Who Pissed In your Wheaties - Wednesday is of the nurses that had me after I came out of my surgery.

I was a Certified Nursing Assistant for a long time, so I know what needs to be done when there is a patient to be cared for. I know the protocol *very* well. These nurses sucked.

My husband felt we didn't need any help with our kids and he'll just watch them while I recover from surgery. I had no one to advocate for me , and if you've ever been a patient, you know you need someone at your side at all times to make sure your loved one is cared for properly.

I was pretty sore when I came out of surgery; although it wasn't as big or complex of a surgery as the last one, it still came with some definite tenderness and soreness.
The nurse that had me was ok in the beginning. She was very efficient in grabbing a cup of ice for me and administering the dilaudid in a timely fashion to avoid any lapses in pain management.

Because I had to have a breathing tube in my throat, my throat was incredibly sore and I was rather hoarse when I woke up; so I croaked when I talked.

It wasn't too bad, my pain was being managed, I had ice chips. Then one of the OR doctors came in to speak to me about an OR tech getting poked with a needle in the operating room and they needed to test me for HIV......................

I agreed to do this, even though I've been faithfully married for 5 years - have three sons -.... anyway,I agreed. It's protocol to do this.

The phlebotomist came in and looked at my right arm "No Right Arm Procedures" (had my lymph nodes taken out) So she attempted to stick my left arm. Nope, none of my veins would work. So she brought in two nurses from intake (they do IVs all day, so it was assumed they could get a vein) Nope! They couldn't do it.

But that didn't stop them from poking around a few times, wiggling the needle, then speak in their native tongue as I'm telling them "I need to go pee, can someone help me go to the bathroom"
They did not address ME , they started talking to themselves yet again. "oh, I think she has a Foley" "Yeah, she probably has a Foley" then one of them finally addressed me with "it's OK dear, just relax"........................

I told them "I don't have a damn Foley, I need to get up and go to the bathroom". Well, they left to get my recovery nurse, and I told HER I wanted to get UP to use the bathroom. There's nothing wrong with my legs, I needed to get up and start walking around. (That's what is best following surgery)
She stuck a bed pan under my ass and left. It went downhill from there.

After the two nurses left to go get the Anesthesiologist (they're better at getting hard to get veins)my pain started creeping up again. I told my nurse and she didn't do anything. While this was going on, unbeknownst to me, this very same nurse gave my husband my pain meds prescriptions and told him NOT to go fill them. She would send me home with some pain medication for the car ride (it takes two hours to drive from Baltimore to Dover AFB). She never did give me pain medication for the ride home.

Well, that's not the end of it. The Anesthesiologist couldn't get a vein either, so the charge nurse tried. He sat there with a 20 gauge in my arm, and there was a slight trickle of blood coming out. It took him around 10 minutes to fill half a vial. During those 10 minutes, I was in excrutiating pain and the needle wiggling in my arm was hurting me as well. I'm telling the asshole: "stop, it hurts, I revoke my consent". Mother fucker didn't stop.He says to me: "I know dear"...the fuck you know, asshole.

I'm slashed from armpit to armpit, my husband is unaware of what's going on, I want to go home, and this idiot says "I know"....

So, these incompetent nurses pissed me off. If you're going to go into nursing, don't just do it for the money. You have people's lives IN YOUR HANDS. You are caring for people at their most vulnerable states. Don't treat them like shit on your shoes.

I've cared for cancer patients before, the dead and the dying, you show them as much dignity and respect as humanly possible. It's not just a "job". You are ,sometimes, the only thing they have when they're writhing in pain, sick, or going into cardiac arrest.

You don't treat them like a damn burden. I've had issues before with idiot nurses and staff members that don't know how to properly care a patient while maintaining their dignity.

You don't whip off the sheets when you know they have nothing on (yes, that's happened to me before) You don't leave a patient sitting on the toilet that has ambulatory issues (meaning they have difficulty walking) while you go chat it up with another nurse.

When you know you have meds to pass, especially PAIN meds, you get those meds to your patients every 4-6 hours. If you delay, then you have the obligation to CHASE the pain. Trust me, that's what you should avoid!

I've had very good nurses and I've had very poor nurses. I know the difference.

Two amazing nurses that I had while recovering from my August surgery: Morgan and Tom....

Thank God there are some amazing people that go into nursing. But the assholes that tended (or didn't) to me on Monday, YOU pissed in my Wheaties and have now gotten me incredibly irritated.

I may just go back into nursing, find you, and fire your asses!

Yeah, I'm a feminist. Deal with it!

2008-12-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

Another feministing female from my feministing site www.feministing.com hit the nail on the heads with this one!

Watch out,it's a DOOZY!

No, Actually I Won't Shut Up.

Posted by Kim H - December 15, 2008, at 12:57PM in Random

*Just to warn everyone upfront, this is a rant. I don't know if this is the kind of stuff people want to read about on Feministing, but I thought there might be someone here who can relate...
You know, I remember the exact day it started. It started when I was researching birth control. I was about to get married, and I knew nothing about it.I didn’t even know that if you were on the pill, you had to take it everyday, and I certainly didn’t know you had to take it at the same time everyday. I didn’t learn about it from my mom, who thought the pill was dangerous and whose preferred birth control method during the 1970s was the diaphragm. (Do people still use those?) And I certainly didn’t learn about it in my abstinence only sex education classes. I had to research it myself, the old fashioned way – on Google. Somewhere in between reading about estrogen, progesterone and cervical mucus, I stumbled across an article about how some pharmacists were refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and emergency contraception. I was outraged, I couldn’t believe it… someone could actually refuse to fill a prescription that my doctor wrote me based on “moral grounds”?!

Yes, I was getting married, but what if I wasn’t? That was the moment, right then and there - there was no turning back. I was a feminist.
Growing up, especially growing up in a religious circles, the word “feminist” always had a negative connotation. You did not want to be a “feminist” because they were crazy man-hating psychos who didn’t shave their legs. So I never really gave women’s issues much thought until, ironically enough, I was about to get married.

I secretly began to do more and more research and kept finding stories about women who were raped and not told that they had the option to take emergency contraception, women who asked for emergency contraception only to be told their doctor "didn't believe in it", and women who were getting physicals in preparation for the adoption process only to be told their doctor wouldn't sign off it because she didn't have a husband.

I read about women who were shamed for the choices they made or who weren't given the opportunity to make a choice at all. I read about how some women were getting raped and then blamed for it because they had a drink at a party, or went out by themselves at night, or wore a low cut top, or "looked like they were asking for it." I read about domestic violence and realized that many women couldn't get out of those bad relationships because they were afraid and because they didn't have the resources to make it on their own.

I read about Lilly Ledbetter who retired from GoodYear Tire Company and after talking to some coworkers realized that she had not been getting paid as much as her male coworkers over the years for doing the same job. Her case got brought to the Supreme Court and they did indeed find that she had been discriminated against but did not rule in her favor because "she could have, and should have, sued" when the pay decisions were made, instead of waiting beyond the 180-day statutory charging period. Because she would obviously know within 180 days of her first paycheck that she was being discriminated against.

I've been told that women make less than men because they aren't as aggressive as men, they don't negotiate their salaries as well, and they don't want to take the jobs that pay more because they would rather stay home with their families (you know, like a good woman should). I would argue that when women get assertive in the workplace it is often seen as "bitchy" and they choose not to be aggressive or even assertive because society has told them that "ladies don't do that" and "if you want boys to like you, you need to be coy." And on the flip side, boys are told to go after what they want and be upfront. I would also argue that we shouldn't organize our work life and social policies around the ideal of a male breadwinner providing for a stay-at-home wife because that "ideal" is no longer the norm. (Actually Stephanie Coontz made that argument as well as many others I'm sure - and I most definitely agree) For example, most other industrialized countries provide paid maternity AND paternity leave, they don't work as many hours, or the work solutions are much more flexible. Oh yeah, and they have government subsidized childcare.

Look, I never ran through the streets yelling "Hey, I'm a feminist!!!" but soon my new found revelations began to creep into conversations. I started reading blogs, one in particular called Feministing.com whose tag line is "Young women are rarely given the opportunity to speak on their own behalf on issues that affect their lives and futures. Feministing provides a platform for us to comment, analyze, influence and connect." I thought that was awesome, so I joined their group on Facebook. I changed a couple of my quotes because I was feeling sassy and maybe a little bit empowered. And people began to make comments. Some in particular who I am very close to, and those comments weren't cool.

Some people called me crazy. Some people called me sexist (because I'm "anti-men" now). Some people called me extreme. I've told people that women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man and been accused of making it up. Well I just found it Forbes, CNN, and the US Census Bureau. Some people don't want me to become a political activist. They said "that's not who you are." If I'm a feminist, I must be scary. I must've gone off the deep end. I must not be feminine. Well I'm calling bullshit. I think that most women identify with the values of feminism which is simply advocating for social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men. And if you think that sexism doesn't exist because "women can vote and drive!" (yes I was told that) then you are deluding yourself.

I am not "anti-men" nor am trying to alienate of the men in my life. I've just realized that there are several issues that are unique to women or affect women in disproportionate numbers and I've happened to take an interest in these issues. Even though they haven't happened to me personally, it's still personal because laws that are being created around these issues (a lot of which do more harm than good) that could potentially affect me. And so what if it doesn't affect me personally? That doesn't mean you shouldn't care about it! No one argues that when people take an interest in other issues like fighting cancer, or hunger, or poverty. And just because I have made myself aware of women's issues does not mean that I am oblivious to or don't care about other issues.

That doesn't mean "I don't care about men."
I'm really sick of this crap. I'm sick of taking it from seemingly everyone I know. And I know the easiest thing to do would be to just shut up about it, remove myself from the Feministing Group on Facebook, and put more appropriate quotes on my profile like depressing song lyrics, but I do not choose to that. In fact all the shit I've been getting on this has inspired me to do even more research and while I'm not going to shove it down anyone's throat, if I am asked or ridiculed about it I will be ready with facts from unbiased sources, I will not be ashamed, and I will not apologize. And if you don't like that I care about women's issues, then you don't like me because that is part of who I am.

Yes, I am a feminist. DEAL WITH IT

http://community.feministing.com/2008/12/no-actually-i-wont-shut-up.html

Because I dared...

2008-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

If you just came to this blog, you will notice one post in particular has around 50 comments.

The comments are mostly between me and someone named: Richard Evans. A misogynist male blogger from an anti-liberal website.

Richard followed a very disturbing pattern that I didn't fully understand. I blogged about his views towards Feminists (he calls them Feminazis). I linked to his blog, because...as a blogger, you link to what you're talking about, or whom you're talking about.

How dare a liberal woman make such an infraction towards A Man? Not just any man, a Man's Man *barf*.

He then proceeded to make his merry way over to my blog. His first comment on my blog was to call me a Feminazi. When that wouldn't stir me up, he asked if I was a lesbian.

(Because naturally, women who demand equal rights and respect are all lesbians. "Real" women wouldn't dare ask for respect, equality, equal pay, and to not be thought of as the "weaker sex")

Right? Only lesbians would post feminist materials. This has been this person's pattern. To run around to blogs calling people pedophiles, lesbians, and other such nonsense. (I'm not going to link you there, because it's puke-worthy- that..and The Man will get his Pampers in a knot again)

When all the evidence obviously points that I am not a lesbian, I am, in fact...MARRIED... he still accuses me of "hiding something"....

He demands that I just offer up my sexual orientation. When the many tactics Mr. Hostile Blogger Boy threw at me didn't help him in his plight to gather personal info about me, the next phase began.

Accusing me of taking credit for accomplishments I didn't have any part in. However, Mr. Evans didn't supply scant proof of what I said to imply I did just that.

Nope, instead he lets loose on making even MORE demands. I am NOW to list my accomplishments, defend why I haven't posted blog posts that pertained to women in the Middle East being beaten.

Silly Hate-Filled Man, common sense is for individuals with IQs higher than your shoe size.

Once upon a time; back in October of 2008...a lone blogger watched a CNN program about the Conservative blogger Tami Nantz at http://www.moms4sarahpalin.blogspot.com/ . When this lone blogger discovered the many variations of the Sarah Palin blogs in the blogosphere, this blogger felt compelled to create her very own "anti-Sarah Palin" blog.

When this happened, the feminist blogger jumped on the http://www.moms4sarahpalin.blogspot.com/ site and gained some followers. Energized, she began dropping her links where she could to gain traffic. This is called Search Engine Optimization. Very effective for achieving better page ranking results on Google.

Through October and November, this blogger continued to show her support for Barack Obama, The Democratic Presidential Nominee.

After the election was over, the blogger pondered on what to do with a blog called "Women Against Sarah Palin". She decided to stay on the general path of posting feminism material and political material.

-----------ok, I'm sick of writing in third person-----------------

Those who have followed my blog from it's beginning stages to now, know I bounce around with topics. I post whatever I think is noteworthy. I post my opinions on things.

Through all that, I was not aware that I would have to post material others THINK I should post. After all, this is my blog.

There are injustices all over the world being done to women. It's truely sad and God knows I wish it weren't so.

That doesn't mean, however, I will defend my reasons for posting what I have thus far. Each and every blog was written and posted for a reason.

If that isn't good enough for Mr. Evans, he doesn't have to read my blog. It won't hurt my feelings and I wouldn't be sad if he never came back at all.

I shouldn't have to defend my actions and my reasons for doing what I've done to someone who behaves as if he's entitled to any information on me in any way shape or form.

He has a very large control problem that I believe should be addressed at some point. If not right now.

His hostile behaviors are truly disturbing and are blatantly sexist in nature.

You tell me if this describes Mr. Evan's behaviors towards me on my own blog:

What is Misogyny by

Jim.

I started to do more research on this, and came across some interesting ideas. One particularly valuable resource was a book called "The Centerfold Syndrome," by Gary Brooks. The author states that while objectification "calls for men to become observers, it also calls for women to become the observed. Women become objects as men become objectifiers." He goes on to explain that women are expected to accept the role of stimulators of men’s visual interest. This visual interest focuses on a two dimensional view of women, one that values the physical characteristics of women while ignoring personal character or any of the inner complexities that are inherent in human beings. When I understood this, I realized that when I hear someone claim how much they "love" women, they are really talking about love for a two dimensional view of women and the women who pursue that ideal. They are not talking about women as they really are.

This all made a lot of sense, but I still had not made the connection to the word "hate." Eventually I made the connection when I found this website. The author summed up his reason for creating the site and his dislike of women in one simple sentence: "I hate women because I want their attention and they won’t give me any." So what a misogynist truly loves is the shallow image of women that exists only in one’s mind and is illustrated in society in such things as pornography or mainstream media that espouses that ideal. The hatred is directed at real women, for not living up to a misogynist’s expectations of women being easy to control and for not providing adequate stimulation for men’s interest.

Once I figured this out, many things about misogyny became clear. A misogynistic value system would favor women who put out and are easy to control. Misogynists would talk about women in a dehumanized way, i.e., nice legs, great ass, etc, as if women were nothing more than a collection of body parts{{If you've seen Mr.Evan's website, you'd know this is spot on}}. Dating and relationships would become a game of manipulation fraught with various seedy techniques and ploys designed to get women to have sex. Something else I noticed as I browsed the web is that although misogynists try to control women, they are ironically dependent on women for validation in front of other men and society.

This dependence is disempowering and only adds to the anger and resentment misogynists feel towards women.

Read the rest here.

More Misogynist types:

Type 1 Misogynist (Mild):

No physical abuse of his partner. He uses indirect criticism; denies that he is abusive, protestations of love when confronted with his disrespectful behavior; extremely subtle, may use flattery to keep woman at his side. Uses logic to control situations. Outargues spouse, totally discounts woman's feelings and thoughts.

He rarely loses his temper. He always looks as if he is in control, very reasonable. Out of touch with his own feelings.

Type II Misogynist:

Includes Type I behaviors plus more overt verbal tactics such as teasing, bullying, belittling, namecalling, obvious criticism, unfavorable comparison of partner with other woman. Uses nonverbal tactics such as pouting, the "silent treatment," dirty looks to show displeasure. May demand special attention. May be jealous of wife's attention to children or other relatives. May use temper tantrums to get his own way. Increase in intensity and frequency of behaviors over Type I.

Type III Misogynist:

Uses any of Type I and Type II behaviors plus the threat of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. More extreme in controlling social life, religious practices, finances, sexual interactions, and matters of daily living. Increase in intensity and frequency of behaviors over Types I and II.

Type IV Misogynist (Extreme): Uses of any of Type I through type III behaviors plus physical and/or sexual abuse toward wife and possibly children. Level of intensity of abusive behavior is very high and poses a significant danger to the woman. Abusive style has become a deeply ingrained behavior. More extreme in controlling various areas of family life.From: Christian Men Who Hate Women: Healing Hurting Relationships Margaret J. Rinck "What is misogyny? The word is unfamiliar to most people. It comes for the Greek words misein, meaning to hate, and gune; meaning women. Literally, misogyny means the hatred of women."

More interesting reading.

More misogynist behaviors.

---------

Manipulation, control, hostility, aggression - if you've read the comment exchange between Mr. Evans and myself... you'll agree he embodies all that with which is associated with Misogyny.

It's about looking at women as inferior, not worthy, should be controlled, inferior - which is what Mr. Evan's behavior reeked of.

He was constantly hinting that he thought I was a lesbian, accusing me of being "in the closet", hell..he accused me of a lot of BS.

Oh well...........

Sorry you had to view this vomit inducing bullshit from this blog. I usually don't like to post this crap anymore. It makes me feel dirty to have such filth on my blog.

Which is why I deleted many of my posts geared towards other bloggers. Except the Weaties Wednesday post. That's going to be a weekly feature so I decided to keep it.

Also, it sums up how I feel about people like Richard Evans.

Tomorrow...

2008-12-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is, hopefully, my final surgery as my reconstructive surgery winds to a close.

After this, I'll be totally finished and ready to move on. I go in early in the morning, the surgery should only last a few hours.

I'm not sure if I'll be staying over night at Johns Hopkins or not. I doubt I'll be blogging for a couple of weeks OR responding.

Please keep me in your prayers and good thoughts. I just want to be finished and done with.

Thank you one and all for your continued support and encouragement.

Jennifer

A Man Chucks Two Shoes At Bush

2008-12-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Man Throws Two Shoes at Bush in Iraq
By JENNIFER LOVEN,
AP
posted: 23 MINUTES AGO

BAGHDAD (Dec. 14) - On an Iraq trip shrouded in secrecy and marred by dissent, President George W. Bush on Sunday hailed progress in the war that defines his presidency and got a size-10 reminder of his unpopularity when a man hurled two shoes at him during a news conference.

http://news.aol.com/article/man-throws-two-shoes-at-bush-in-iraq/241945?icid=200100397x1214688379x1200931830

--------------

Although I laughed hysterically , Bush is still my President and the office deserves respect...

But wow, I laughed so hard......

So very near and dear to my heart..

2008-12-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

My husband found out about this through his work. It's just one very small way you can help our troops this Holiday Season.

Heroes at Home Wish Registry.

Say thank you to our heroes. They are such incredible people, I should know...I'm married to an Airman.

Send a message of thanks, donate, whatever it is you think you should do.

Here's my hero!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some of their stories (Grab a tissue!)

To Give Them A Christmas They Will Never Forget

I came home from my first deployment in early 2008 to my wife and two small sons. Upon arriving home, I received custody of my twins. My wife is now raising four children, she is doing a great job! She stayed so STRONG through our 1st deployment, never losing faith/hope in my safe return home.I missed my baby boys first two birthdays/Christmas. This will also be my first Christmas ever with my twins. This year my family will be complete, I want to give them a Christmas they'll never forget, filled with so much love and happiness since I will be gone again next year. I love serving my country and the job that I do. Times get rough when I am away from the most important people in my life(my wife and kids),but our faith keeps up close. Thank you for helping make their Christmas a special one.

+++++++++

Let us Find Peace and the Strength to Rebuild

After we lost our home in the flooding in Iowa we lost most of our household items. The children do not have many toys. The boys miss their game boys, DVDs and computer games. They lost their toys and games. Our daughter is into dolls, and Barbies. She lost all of her Barbies and dolls in the flood. We lost our household items too. Anything is appreciated. I have been gone for 2 months; I am deployed right now until fall of 2009.

+++++++++

A Mother Misses Her Boys

My boys are mostly wishing for me (mom) to be home but we know that can't happen at this time. I have only been away from my children for a short amount of time but it already seems a lifetime, and next year when I get to go home is too far away to even think about. This is my first deployment but the second time I've had to leave my boys behind. My boys are not picky and they would be happy with whatever was given to them. Thank you for anything you may be considering to do for my boys. Signed - A most grateful mom

+++++++++

Hold The Ones You Love Close To Your Heart

I have been in the military for many years now and I am proud to say that who I am today is partly because of my service. At times I have been tested and most recently I felt tested beyond belief and struggle for some semblance of sense in it all. In the span of less than a year and a half, I went through divorce and experienced personal tragedy with the loss of my father through a devastating accident. I still push forward and maintain external control for the sake of my two children and my brother, whom I also support.

The loss of my father fell upon my shoulders financially and I did what was right, knowing he would have done the same for me. The result of accepting this responsibility has tied my hands financially for a while and I am very aware that for an undetermined amount of time materialistic things will have to be forgotten. My wish is that I never forget to tell the ones that I hold dear that I love them and hold them close each chance that I get. God Bless.

Just off the beaten path...

2008-12-12T18:13:00.001-08:00

I don't typically post videos, especially those not linked to social issues..

But this one just jerked the tears right now!

Silly boys!

2008-12-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen the latest from Richard the woman hating douchbag that has been going around "requiring" women to answer personal questions about themselves...

Get a load of THIS guy Poor boy didn't get his Frosty.

I'm not a "man hater" I'm a sexist hater. There's quite a huge difference.

This just deserved to be posted in full

2008-12-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

This article deserves to be posted in full.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/galloway/story/57447.html>
Posted on Tue, Dec. 09, 2008
Commentary: Shinseki's back and VA's got him

Joseph L. Galloway McClatchy Newspapers
last updated: December 09, 2008 09:49:27 PM

President-elect Barack Obama's choice of retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki to head the Department of Veterans Affairs is the smartest and best appointment he's made so far.
It sends a signal to millions of our veterans, and to the active duty military, as well, that the serious business of caring for those who've borne the burdens of fighting our wars will now be in the right hands the hands of a fine soldier who bears the scars of war himself.

The current occupant of the White House has made much of his role as a wartime commander-in-chief these last seven years, but his record and that of his administration has been disgraceful when it comes to taking care of the inevitable casualties of war.

President Bush and his minions have opposed virtually every piece of legislation to improve the treatment and benefits for those who are still in uniform and for the veterans of past wars, whether it's increased pay and pensions or upgrading the GI Bill.

He talked the talk but he seldom walked the walk. The troops were perfunctorily "blessed" in every speech and rounded up for photo ops on bases far and wide, even as my McClatchy colleague Chris Adams, in a string of stories going back three years, has revealed that the VA's dysfunctional disability system is prone to massive delays and errors, and that its mental health system is riddled with holes.

That Obama chose Ric Shinseki to reform the stumbling, bumbling, expensive bureaucracy that is the VA is an unmistakable signal that business is going to be anything but usual in the future.
Shinseki, a West Point graduate who as a young lieutenant lost part of his foot to a landmine in Vietnam, is a soldiers soldier, and everyone who wears a uniform knows that.

They also know that the diminutive Japanese-American who grew up on the island of Kauai in Hawaii was virtually alone among senior military officers in having the nerve to warn the Bush administration and then-defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld that they were taking us to war in Iraq without enough troops to secure the place.

For that, and for opposing an equally misbegotten Rumsfeld plan to cut six divisions out of the active Army and the Army National Guard on the eve of 9/11, then-Army chief of staff Shinseki was publicly excoriated and treated disgracefully by Rumsfeld and his deputy Paul Wolfowitz.
Fourteen months before his four-year term as Army chief was due to end, in a blatant attempt to force Shinseki to resign, Rumsfelds acolytes in the Pentagon leaked word that they'd already selected his successor.

It didnt work. Shinseki is anything but a quitter, and he shrugged it off and soldiered on.
At his retirement ceremony at Fort Myer in the summer of 2003, even as a growing insurgency was wrecking Rumsfelds plans for a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, Shinseki pointedly warned against giving a 10-division Army a 12-division mission.

In other words, he correctly warned his civilian military overlords that they didn't have enough troops to secure and pacify Iraq. Again.
With that, Shinseki faded away quietly. He never gave interviews or publicly criticized a war gone terribly wrong, thus displaying far more dignity and grace than the armchair warriors who lacked even the common decency to concede that he'd been right and they'd been wrong.
In choosing Shinseki to repair and run the VA, Obama has made it clear to the military and the veterans' community that things are going to change in civil-military relations; that although he's a Democrat who opposed the Iraq war and has never worn the uniform himself, he really gets it.
It will be a pleasure to watch as Shinseki takes on the biggest and most important challenge of his life: fixing the broken agency that's supposed to care for those who've suffered the most in defending and protecting our nation.

Right now, the VA has a backlog of some 700,000 unprocessed claims for benefits that are six months old or older, from World War IIs greatest generation to the newest generation of wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

A recent inspection found thousands of case files in various VA offices that had been tossed into trash baskets to be shredded. Out of sight, out of mind. What claim?
Pass the word: Ric Shinsekis back, and things are gonna change!

Anti-Abortion Organizations cry economy to end funding to PP

2008-12-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

Feminists, hold onto your hats!

The Wall Street Journal Has the full scoop.

Because of our economic woes, anti-abortion organizations want Planned Parenthood to be cut off from public funding. PP gets about 335 million a year from Government funding.

29% of what Planned Parenthood offers is STD testing and screening; 38% is contraception; and 19% is for cancer screening and prevention. 3% of services delivered were of abortions...

Color me strange, but this seems to be counterintutive. Planned Parenthood provides more than just abortions. They provide contraception (gee, which leads to fewer pregnancies - which leads to fewer abortions)STD testing and screening and cancer prevention.

So, because of the 3% of abortions being done in all Planned Parenthoods, that's enough for the anti-abortion activists to shut them down. Regardless of who their actions may hurt in the process of this new attack, just as long as the unborn fetus gets born...

After that, you poor bastards are on your own. Because remember, conservatives don't want you to get on welfare either.

The sheer gall of these people just continues to astound me.

I heart Jon Stewart....

2008-12-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Feminism - FF101

2008-12-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Finally Feminism 101

This website is the basis of true feminism. I've seen and heard many stereotypes of what people think feminism is about.

It's NOT about man hating. It's NOT about bra burning. It's NOT about being superior to men. It's not even about "taking control" or reining supreme over everyone else.

Feminism is about requiring respect from people. The term I raised a fuss when jokes started coming out about Sarah Palin. I don't want her as President or even as Vice President. However, when jokes came out about her being a "MILF" or a "VPILF" I started stomping peepees.

It is sexist in nature. It's like as soon as a woman comes into the political scene, it's a go ahead for all the nitwits to make up the most vile and sexist jokes.

You don't do it about MY candidate, Hillary, don't do it for your candidate Sarah. I stood up for Sarah when the huge hoopla came out about her wardrobe.

Who the FUCK cares if she got money to purchase nice clothing. Guess what? She was and IS a politician. She was a Vice Presidential candidate and is in the public venue A LOT. Not to mention, there was a lot of media coverage on her.

Well, back to why I'm a feminist. I've always been one. Since I knew what feminism was about. I've been arguing the abortion issue since I was 16 years-old. 12 years of fighting for womens' right to choose. I've signed petitions, donated to Planned Parenthood. I've also wanted to be the person that helps the women, doctors, and nurses get from their cars into the clinics and away from the harassing protesters.

I am pro choice. This encompasses a lot more than just advocating women's right to choose to have an abortion; I also support women choosing to have 10 children if they want to. I support women going to work or staying home with their children.

I support a woman's choice to bottle feed or breast feed her baby. I support public breast feeding. I support a woman to make her OWN decisions in regards to her pregnancy, her delivery, and her parenting options.

This means; if a woman throughout her pregnancy has no complications and is generally healthy, she should have the choice whether to give birth in a hospital setting or a natural setting; like at her home.

She shouldn't be forced to go to a hospital and get hooked up to IVs if she is having a normal vaginal delivery and the pregnancy has generally been pretty easy going.

She shouldn't be confined to her hospital bed with IVs, and wires, and monitors. She should be able to get up and walk around and do what feels natural to her.

This is a big problem in American hospitals now. They *reguire* women to be hooked up to IVs. They *require* women to have the monitors hooked to their stomachs. They can't just labor in peace anymore.

This all falls under the Pro Choice umbrella. So, although you "abhor" feminism and the feminism movement, perhaps you should ask yourself "Why" you abhor it? Do you reject and resent it because of old and generally flawed myths about it?

Have you ever really tried getting to know the feminists that you bash or mock? Perhaps you should pick up the book "Full Frontal Feminism" by Jessica Valenti.

more to come later....

..........

2008-12-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Who pissed in your wheaties today?

2008-12-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

I am starting "Wheaties Wednesday". As in Who Pissed In Your Wheaties?

That's right, it's YOUR turn to gripe and vent about who or what pissed you off. Every Wednesday, I'll be featuring a blog of all sorts of "Wheaties Pissing" posts.

If you get offended easily, feel free to LEAVE and don't bother reading my blog any further.

Here's who pissed in my wheaties today!

The jerks and jerkettes out there that spit on feminism and call us Femi-Nazis. As if you have the right to compare women like me to Nazis from WW2. What kind of sick twisted bullshit is that to liken women that fight for other women's rights to Nazism???

Is it fascism to want equal rights, equal pay, and equal treatment in our society? Is it Nazism to want to be treated with a certain amount of respect? Oh that's right, because we lack a penis and refuse to give over our bodies to government usage, we're Nazi bitches.

http://www.no-libs.com/index.php/2008120996393/MyBlog/MoonBats/Fem-Nazi-MoonBat-Unhinged.html

This guy , Richard Evans has been harassing this blogger, Joanne, for THREE YEARS!!! Leaving her comments and blogging about her.

I get it, it's wrong to wish death on anyone. C'mon, THREE YEARS?

Then I also found this interesting little blog: http://bluewavecanada.blogspot.com/2008/12/nasty-drama-on-blogosphere.html

Where she says "Feminists don't speak for me". Nah, we don't. You go right ahead and flash your tits, smile when you get 70 cents to a man's dollar. Go ahead and spit on the VERY foundation that now allows you to sit there and bitch about feminists.

You would have been laughed at had you attempted to freely speak your opinions in a public venue like you have been doing.

Or, you may have had to get permission from a male relative in order to speak your mind.

So, yeah...spit on those feminists that opened the doors for you to spew your vile hatred.
Idiot.

Edit to add:
"Feminists are not me" Well, that's just great.

Here's a nifty little timeline of those DARNED Feminists fighting for your right to talk out your ass like a good little Stepford Wife.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/naw/nawstime.html

Xena Saved Me!

2008-12-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

As stated in the previous post, I've had a body image problem all my life.

However, when I started going through puberty, I clung to shows like Xena Warrior Princess and Sailor Moon and She-Ra (While it was around).

What do these shows have in common? Women kicking major butt! Xena especially. She wasn't blonde, she wasn't perfect, she was serious and never needed a man to help her out. She could be feminine when she wanted to be or just a bad ass woman kicking bad boy ass!

When I started watching Xena, I felt empowered to be a strong willed woman that could get the job done and didn't need a man to help me out of a tight bind.

This in turn helped me when I became a single mother and had to fight to keep my son from my ex.
I learned from this show what I couldn't learn from the millions of magazines I read and the other shows that portrayed women as dumb bimbos (see Fresh Prince of Bell Air - Hillary - need I say more?) or (90210. You know, where the blondes and the sexy ones got the guys, and the brainiac Andrea always got the shit end of the stick)

Xena was my escape from the idiots that was displayed by women in many tv programs at the time. No matter what, I knew Xena would always conquer. This amazing strong willed woman with brains and intellect and wit and charm could win over nearly impossible odds.

Gabriel was the bard and incredibly smart herself. After the first few seasons, she wore smaller and tighter outfits, but that didn't keep her from kicking ass in her own way.

Xena came out when I started going through body image issues. I had a pretty tumultuous teenage-hood and escaped fairly unscathed.

I decided to post this, I know some of my readers will get a good laugh, because I was thinking about it last night why I loved the show so much.
It called the feminist out in me and taught me IT'S OK to be strong, intelligent, bold, and value my integrity rather than be a stupid dithering female that feels the need to always have a man to feel "complete".

So you think those boobs and that hair is real?

2008-12-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

- attempting to post this again after Blogger ate my previous attempt at this post -

Do you feel like shit when you read those girly magazines - you know the ones I'm talking about. *CoughCosmocough!*
How about when you see make up ads? Commercials for shampoo and hair dye? How about the STORE ads like JcPenneys and Sears? You think those women in Victoria Secrets ads really look THAT perfect and have not an ounce of flab on them? You think that glorious mop of hair that positively glows with health and radiance is really their's?

Even teenage magazines like Bop and Seventeen throw images of perfect looking teenagers at young women and young men. Do you think that helps their body image? I know I use to be a faithful reader of Bop and Seventeen. And it trashed my self esteem every time. But I really really wanted posters of Jonathan Brandis.

I was an overweight teenager and got teased for it. Even after I developed into a pretty good looking woman, I still have a lot of self esteem problems. Now, possibly more so. I have a giant scar across my abdomen from my previous surgery. I had what is called a DIEP Flap. I have scars all over. Anyway, now I'm proud of my scars. I consider them battle wounds! I fought cancer and beat the bitch!
Hahaha!

Well, these perfect beyond human images are everywhere. And they negatively effect women of all ages, color, culture, and ethnic groups. It's not fair that real women aren't portrayed as real. They are edited beyond recognition and we're suppose to just eat it.

Here's a giant dose of reality for us all. This "artist" edits images to the point where all flaws, shadows, and even hair is unrecognizable.
Roll your mouse cursor over the images, and you'll see the real people behind the editing. The second link is Glenn Feron's portfolio. Some women had their hair and face completely redone.
Many women had boob lifts, tummy tucks, all with the click of a photo editing program.

Is this technology the end of real looking people and the natural beauty of our bodies gone for good?

The Dark Side

2008-12-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

I promised not to attack Tami OR her blog, doesn't mean I have to keep from making fun of Smart Girl Politics.

They call us "The Dark Side"

I can live with that!

Have a good laugh and remember it's only politics!

A moment in time....

2008-12-07T21:10:00.001-08:00

It is now 12:09 AM EST December 8,2008. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer December 8, 2006.

It's been two years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and what a crazy 2 years! I guess that's why this year I want to do as much good as I can. To decorate and teach my sons the spirit of giving and of hope and faith. To get out and enjoy life and be ready to take on the day!

This year I have a renewed sense of hope and direction. I had baby Jonathan April 2008. He'll be 8 months this month. My hair is shoulder length, I'm going in December 15 for my second to last surgery of breast reconstruction.

I remember going through chemotherapy and the darkness that enveloped me and crawling towards any amount of hope and light. Afraid to get in that car every two weeks, afraid of the chemotherapy ward, afraid of being hooked up yet again to those cell killing poisons. Knowing they were and did save my life, but knowing they pulled me down into deep pits of dispair.

It's been a long hard battle.

I am so thankful for all that I have, for all those I've met, to the second chance at life I've been given. To the friend I've lost that talked to me on some of my worst nights.

That day is permanently ingrained in my memory.

I had just gotten my biopsy the day before which was a Thursday. I was bruised and in pain. But I had no doubt that the test results would come out clean. I was only 25 years-old. Breast cancer doesn't happen to women that age. The doctor that I went to go see called me in the next day, which was Friday - December 8, 2006. I told my husband to just wait out in the car with our two boys (Jon wasn't born at that time)

I walked in and sat on the exam table and had one of those paper gowns. Those things are so drafty. Nothing seemed amiss until my doctor came in with her nurse. She looked at my breast and under my arm, checking my lymph nodes again.

She asked tentatively where my husband was. I told her he was waiting out in the car with my kids. Still, I didn't catch on.

She told her nurse to go get my husband. Once the nurse left........................... I'll never forget those few minutes when she told me. "It's cancer"...................................

I gulped and felt the blood drain from my head. I squeaked out a question, don't remember what it was now. I just remember her saying "no, it's cancer".

I sucked in a breath and said "I'm going to fight it, and I'm going to beat it".My doctor said she was going to do everything in her power to get rid of it. and save me.

My husband and kids walked in, I looked up and he saw the look in my eyes. He knew the news was bad. We sat there crying....Ricky asking "what's wrong mommy" .......Kyle though, as smart as he is...he knew too, the news wasn't good. He sat down on the chair and tears came rolling down his little cheeks.

We left the doctor's office, and the first person I called was my dad. He remained calm on the phone, and I have no idea how those next few days treated him.
My mom didn't answer the phone because it was too much for her. My older sister handled it the way she handles everything. With calmness and "get'er done" sorta attitude.

After that came tons of tests and blood work and then deciding what to do.

My life will forever be defined as "Before cancer" and "after cancer".

However, fighting cancer and BEATING IT has made me stronger, more passionate, and more energized than ever to grab this life by the horns and ride it for all it's worth.

I'm not sorry I was diagnosed with cancer. I did the "why me" cry for two years. Now, I'm finished crying. I've fought cancer. I lived. Now I'm stronger than ever.

I got the word that I am cancer FREE in January (no rhyme intended). I'm happy and content.

My family is amazing and has been so incredibly supportive.

I don't want others to 'feel sorry' for me, but instead - cheer me on that at 25-28 I rallied cancer the bitch and sent her packin'!

Times are rough

2008-12-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

This recession we are in is not going to be easy on anyone. In fact, things are only going to get worse before they get better.
I don't know how the recession got kick started and is now sending many Americans into fits of depression. I don't know who is to blame. I don't know how it works. I am no economic guru that can claim ways to fix what's going on.

I'm a simple woman with a mission and a blog; and a lot of passion to try to make a difference. I'm not sure what I can do. Not sure if anything I try will work. I guess my purpose at this point is to take small steps of compassion towards others less fortunate than myself.

Today, I donated about half my sons' toys that we bought to Toys for Tots. My sons are well off and have plenty of gifts under the tree. They never even knew they "had" most of those toys, so it doesn't really matter to them.

I cleared out my pantry and boxed up some non perishable items to take to a local shelter. I donated to the USO and am going to donate to the Air Force Aid Society.

You see, my husband is Air Force and his MOS just got approved for the re enlistment bonus. We're rather safe during this recession. So, it's time to give to those that don't have the security we have.

Here are some tips to ride out this recession.

First, be sure you understand what a recession is. An economy goes into recession if it experiences two quarters or more of negative GDP growth.

One important step is to make sure you've built up an emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses.

If you are looking to invest, consider stocks that cater to people's everyday needs.

Also, consider investing in companies that cater to people's vices, like beer and cigarettes.

More tips:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/13/uttm/main3706940.shtml

Also, for those with kids that want to save money and can't really invest, here are some good tips that I've dug up:

http://www.mommysavers.com/money-saving-ideas/money-saving-ideas.htm

A lot of good tips and advice from other moms.

If you know of good tips or sites that offer ways to cope during this winter of a recession, feel free to post.

Although I set out on Tami's blog and ripped her a new one, we should TRY to circle the wagons and lean towards eachother in these difficult times.

It's going to be a long cold and hard winter.

Thank you Feministing.com!!!

2008-12-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

Links
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Get on Board!

2008-12-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

Bush's Attack on Women’s Health Is Bad Medicine

The Bush administration continues to force politics into the exam room. Planned Parenthood will not stand by and watch the Bush administration deny quality, affordable health care and accurate information to women. Learn more about the opposition to the new Health and Human Services rule that could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control — and then refuse to provide these basic services.
Read The New York Times summary of Bush's latest attack on women's health in the November 18, 2008, article “Protests Over a Bush Rule to Protect Health Providers”.

Planned Parenthood Press Statements & News Releases

Senators Clinton and Murray Move to Protect Women's Health Care (11/20/2008)

Women's Health Organizations Urge Oversight Agency to Hold Bush Administration Accountable (11/18/2008)

Planned Parenthood: The Opposition Is Overwhelming But Will the Administration Listen? (09/27/2008)

65,000 Voices Strong: Planned Parenthood Supporters Tell Bush Administration to Stop Its Attack on Women's Health (09/23/2008)

Planned Parenthood Federation of America Statement in Response to the New HHS Regulation Impacting Women's Health (8/21/2008)

Planned Parenthood: HHS Secretary Leavitt Blogs, But Misses the Point (8/08/2008)

Planned Parenthood Joins 56 Other Organizations in Opposing Draft HHS Rule (07/22/2008)

Planned Parenthood Joins Senator Hillary Clinton and Congresswoman Nita Lowey in Criticizing Bush Administration Plan on Women’s Health (07/18/2008)

Planned Parenthood: Proposed HHS Rule Would Compromise Women's Health Care
(7/15/2008)

Read more about the opposition to this disgusting new attack on women's health by Bush.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/birth-control/stop-president-bushs-massive-sellout-womens-health-care-21522.htm

Christmas time isn't about "More Stuff"

2008-12-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Our destructive love of stuff
By LEONARD PITTS JR. I like stuff as much as the next guy. My closet is stuffed with stuff, my shelves groan with stuff, boxes full of stuff jam my garage. I like stuff just fine.
But I would not kill for it.

Last week, a 34-year-old man was trampled to death by a mob rushing into a Wal-Mart to buy stuff. Jdimytai Damour was a seasonal worker manning the door of a store in Valley Stream, N.Y., as shoppers eager for so-called ''Black Friday'' bargains massed outside. The store was scheduled to open at 5 a.m., but that was not early enough for the 2,000 would-be shoppers. At five minutes before the hour, they were banging their fists and pressing their weight against the glass doors, which bowed and then broke in a shower of glass. The mob stormed in.

Four people, including a pregnant woman, were injured. And Damour was killed as people stomped over him, looking for good prices on DVDs, winter coats and PlayStations. Nor was the mob sobered by his death. As authorities sought to clear the store, some defiantly kept shopping; others complained that they had been on line since the night before.

And here, it seems appropriate to observe the obvious irony: Black Friday is the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping season, Christmas being the holiday when, Christians believe, hope was born into the world in the form of a baby who became a man who preached a gospel of service to, and compassion for, our fellow human beings.

It is hard to see evidence of either in the mob's treatment of Jdimytai Damour, and if your inclination is to heap scorn upon them, I don't blame you. But I would caution against regarding them as freaks or aberrations whose callous madness would never be seen in sane and normal people like ourselves. That would be false comfort.

You may think I'm talking about mob psychology and to a degree, I am. From soccer riots to the Holocaust itself, human beings have always had a tendency to lose individual identity and accountability when gathered in groups. You will do things as part of a crowd that you never would as an individual. Theoretically, anyone who lacked a strong-enough moral center and sense of self could have been part of that mob in Valley Stream.

But it's not just our common vulnerability to mob psychology that ties the rest of us to last week's tragedy. It is also our common love of stuff. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a starker illustration of our true priorities. Oh, we pay lip service to other things. We say children are a priority, but when did people ever press against the door for Parents' Night at school? We say education is a priority, but when did people ever bang against the windows of the library? We say faith is a priority, but when did people ever surge into a temple of worship as eagerly as they do a temple of commerce?

No, sale prices on iPods, that's our true priority. Jdimytai Damour died because too many of us have bought, heart and soul, into the great lie of American consumerism: acquiring stuff will make you whole. ''You, Happier,'' is how a sign at my local Best Buy puts it. As if owning a Jonas Brothers CD, an Iron Man DVD, a Sony HDTV, will elevate you to a level of joy otherwise impossible to attain. Hey, you may be a total loser, may not have a friend, may not have an education, may not have a job, may not have a clue, but it will all be OK as soon as you get that new Canon digital camera, especially if you get it for 50 percent off.

It would be nice to think -- I will not hold my breath -- that Damour's death would lead at least some of us to finally see that for the obscene lie it is, to realize that seeking wholeness in consumer goods is an act of emptiness, not joy.

You, Happier? No.

Just you, with more stuff.

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/story/796908.html
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Christmas time is not about obtaining the best deals or the hottest items. When my children ask why do we have Christmas, I tell them it's because people are celebrating the birth of Jesus. I am not well versed into the whole Christian history of Christ's birth, so I tell them it's a time to renew our hope and faith and compassion. To celebrate Jesus and what he did for all man kind.

My oldest son is really sharp, he asked me "why then, do people get meaner to eachother around this time?" Like I said, he's sharp and very observant.

It's hard explaining that people most of the time, forget what Christmas is really about. So, I had him watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas the Jim Carrey version, because it shows kinda how we all get into the buy buy buy mode and forget the true meaning.

I try my hardest to be as kind as I can to those around me. I get frustrated and fed up just as much as the next person. But instead of turning my frustration out on others, I try to become MORE courteous and MORE compassionate and be MORE understanding.
It isn't easy.

I've never been materialistic. I never become attached to material things in my home. I am attached to pictures of my kids and their baby blankets.

Remember what Christmas is all about, it's not about finding the best deals or getting the hottest toys.....

it's about helping out others less fortunate than ourselves and giving our time and compassion even though it can seem stressful and daunting.
This is the true meaning of being a Christian. Sacrifice, compassion, faith, love, kindness, giving, and courage to do the right thing even if you're the only one doing it.

I encourage anyone that reads my blog to go out and "Pay It Forward". Do some random act of kindness for someone, tell them not to give you thanks, but to merely Pay it forward.

See if perhaps this little blog can begin something wonderful this Holiday season. Making some people's Christmas just a little brighter. We will have at least made somewhat of an impact in lives of those we touch.

I'm going to do my own random act of kindness today and see what happens.

Merry Christmas!

Breast Cancer and Body Image

2008-12-02T10:13:00.001-08:00

When I lost my breast and my hair, I had to come to a realization. My breasts and my hair does not make a woman.

However, in our culture; women pin much of their body image on their breasts, their hair, their face, pretty much any physical aspect.

I did and do too. When I lost these things, it confused me when someone would say to me "it's just a breast". Perhaps. And that breast doesn't make me a woman. But it was a part of me. So, although - yes- it *is* in the grand scheme of things, just a breast and just hair.... they were parts of me that made up my body image. It was tough losing them to cancer and chemotherapy.

I had to start all over, almost reverting back to the pubescent days when everything is awkward and nothing seems to fit right.

Coming to grips with my new reality was difficult. I've had to lay the smack down on some that cried out that my reconstruction surgery was done merely for vanity reasons.

I will say, I'm happy that my hair has grown back and my wonderful plastic surgeon gave me a new breast.

I have an amazing outlook on my life.

I simply don't get it

2008-11-24T08:06:00.001-08:00

Let's discuss some controversial topics that have yet to be addressed on here. Abortion. The Mommy-Wars, Welfare, and other issues pertaining to women across America.

I've been debating abortion since I was 16 years-old and found out what abortion was. I found out about it because some people against Planned Parenthood started protesting at my high school. Their signs included pictures of bloodied fetuses. I was grossed out and I got angry. I don't know why I felt anger at them, but I felt enraged that they could impose their agenda and their distrust of women at my school! My school was my sanctuary. Where I didn't fight with my mom. Where I could visit and socialize with my friends.

So, I felt these people were violating my home. When I researched abortion and the controversy and debates on it, I instantly took up the Pro-Choice side. Why? Because I felt then as I do now, if the Government can force a woman go give birth, it can force pretty much anything.

The autonomy of women's reproductive rights should be preserved and not legislated. You can't legislate morality nor can you legislate medical decisions. I feel this way in regards to many instances. Including how and where women can give birth. Whether she wants an IV or not.

I should not HAVE to have an IV in my arm with a constant drip of fluids, and beind literally confined to my bed. With all three of my sons, I was told it was Hospital Policy to have an IV drip. To have a fetal heart monitor. My pregnancies were all healthy pregnancies that needed no intervention.

I'm not merely pro choice, I'm more Pro-Women's-Choices. I am what Jessica Valenti, founder of Feministing.com, calls "third wave feminist". (I just read her book "Full Frontal Feminism" and I'm fired up!)

For some time, I've been feeling frustrated at things I've seen. I haven't been able to really formalize why it has frustrated me. Here are examples of what I mean:

I'm a military wife and I have yet joined any squadron wive's club, or gotten really involve in the military wives club from the MSN group I joined. I frequently get irritated at the level of ignorance there, so I just stopped visiting.

I'm a breast cancer survivor and when I lost all my hair and my breast, people consistently said to me "They're just boobs" or "it's just hair". Why did this bother me? Because they obviously had no fucking clue what it meant to lose your boob or all of your hair. Shit, during the winter IT GETS REALLY FUCKING DRAFTY! And I'm NOT talking about the lack of hair on my head!

The Republicans bashing Hillary Clinton on absolutely everything, including her daughter's looks. Then turned around and praised Sarah Palin on what a fabulous role model she is and what a wonderful mother she is. huh? WTF?

This is where I really get to the point of teeth gnashing...... Republicans wanting to legislate all sorts of laws on a woman's reproductive rights. From birth control (That would decrease the amount of abortions, huh?) to abortion rights --- then in the same breath, wanting to do away with welfare and programs that help women when they are up shit creek without a helping hand!

They want poor women to have no access to birth control, no access to abortions, and yet don't want any programs available to help these women when they are forced into becoming mothers before they are ready.

These are just a few areas that cause me to get extremely pissed off.

This is all based on the notion that women aren't to be trusted with their medical decisions, their parenting decisions, or pregnancy/delivering decisions.

Sarah Palin made the CHOICE to have her baby with Downs. Good for her. She made the CHOICE to run for Governor. Good for her. She made her CHOICE where , when, and how to have her babies. Good for her. Yet she is against OTHER women making these very choices.

Moving on. I was browsing Feministing.com and someone posted the article regarding women being hit the hardest in this economic downturn. This really doesn't surprise me.

I also got this in an email:

The Bush administration promised not to issue any new regulations after November 1. But now it's poised to implement a rule that could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control — and then refuse to provide these basic services. A woman's ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology. We need you to speak out now, before the administration implements this rule.

Today on the Daily Dish

2008-11-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

Saw this today on the Daily Dish and just had to share:

For all the Fundies who are so worried about Gay Marriage, my respose has always been, "Then don't have one!".

Here's the link.

Peace & ....Love...to EVERYONE!

update: Sorry! Can't get the graph to fit, try as I might.....go to link to view it....it is a good one. If anyone can walk me through how to fit the graph (Jennifer??? Cheryle???) I'd be happy for instructions. I've tried everything. Well, obviously not everything or the damned thing would fit, wouldn't it ;)

My lack of posts

2008-11-18T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hello to all my faithful readers,

I know I haven't posted in a few days. One of my dearest friends that had breast cancer (we were survivor sisters) died over the weekend.

She helped me through some of my darkest times and I have been grieving for the loss of my beautiful friend.

I haven't had much desire to discuss or debate the current shit-fits from the right. So, I've avoided the news and the "other" blog.

I'm very sad to have gone through cancer myself, and watch some of those that went through it with me, pass on.

You see, I dodged a very nasty bullet that strikes at random and has absolutely no mercy. It doesn't care if you're 80 or 20, if you're blonde or a brunette, if you're physically fit or if you're a bit over weight, if you're black or white, or if you are democrat or republican.

Well, it doesn't exactly strike at random, but it's more random than not.
This is the first time I've posted about the disease on *this* blog. I typically keep my breast cancer "updates" and "news" for my other blog on Myspace, and this blog for politics.

However, I felt in this case, addressing it anywhere I can is the best thing I can do. For myself - and for others who may happen upon my blog.

I'm 27 years-old and was diagnosed when I was 25. I had a mastectomy February 2007, chemotherapy right after that.

Losing my friend reminded me of what my life really means to me and those around me. We get caught up so passionately in things that ,although they do matter, we forget -sometimes- what our individual lives really mean.

I forgot, in my zeal, how precious life is and how precious our friends are. That politics is just a small matter compared to what our purpose really is about.

I know, I know...I'm getting sentimental and dramatic.

Losing her brought me back down to my humanitarian roots. To remember humanity at its best, and forgive the worst. To be humble servants of a greater good.

Though we quarrel with others, and get angry, it really loses it's impact when we lose someone so close to us.

Anyway, I'll have more later. My husband just arrived home and I would like to greet him!

Jennifer

Wow! This says it all!

2008-11-14T10:31:00.003-08:00

Cognitive Dissonance and the Republican Party
published on the TPM blog site
November 12, 2008, 8:43PM

I'm sure that there are more than enough postmortems that are floating out in the blogosphere about what are the problems with the Republican Party. You have answers from those that feel this year John McCain wasn't Republican ENOUGH, then there are those that are saying that John McCain was TOO Republican. The truth of the matter is that it stems out farther than one candidate.

Let's open our eyes and take a look at the COMPLETE SHELLACKING that the entire Republican Party took this last election cycle. The lost over 20 seats in the House of Representatives, they've lost 7 seats so far in the Senate, and last but not least they lost the big Prize the Presidency of the United States.

Now I'm going to speak to you all of you as a former Moderate Republican myself. (You know from the wing of the party that looks at what Bill Clinton accomplished in the White House with the Republicans and says, "Yep, Bill was a Democrat In Name Only") I've been converted to center left. (Although socially, I'm liberal, my wallet is still very Conservative.) The Republican Party has had a very serious problem for years that has now started to bubble to the surface. The party has two completely incongruous messages.

Fiscal Conservatives love to scream about keeping the government out of their lives, keeping the government out of their business. They scream for deregulation and having the government stand aside and let the the strong survive in the business community. BUT here is where the dissonance occurs. At the same time these Social Conservatives want the government to be involved with the personal lives of its citizens. They want the government to regulate television content. They want the government to make it illegal for women to control their pregnancy. They want the government to make sure that gays can't get married. They want the government to intervene when someone is pulling the plug on a comatose family member.

How can you reconcile the message of Leave the Government OUT of my Business, but Leave the Government IN my house? That just doesn't resonate with people. That was the great thing about Ron Paul, as a borderline libertarian he wanted government to be out of everywhere (Although, I think his pro life stance was more because abortion cuts into his OB-GYN business). There was a certain cohesion with his message. He knew that government didn't belong in your wallet or in bedroom.

The Current GOP doesn't have any sort of cohesion. They are a hodgepodge of the Social Conservatives who want Big Brother in the Bedroom and the Fiscal Conservatives who want to murder the brother all together.

The Fiscal Conservatives have brought on a completely different set of problems with the Republican Party. They eschew big government for big business. They don't want government handling anything that a business can. I can see the upsides to that, but also there are some definite downsides. There used to be a day where the government kept a watch over corporations and made sure none of them grew too large or had too large of a market share in a particular entity. Remember the break of of Ma Bell. Can any of you guys remember the last big corporate break up. Nope. I can't either. But what I do remember is the number of Mergers, Consolidations, and Acquisitions that I've seen over the last 25 years.

With these companies becoming behemoths large enough to rival small Countries also comes the risk that when they fail they take a significant portion of our GDP with it. The FisCONS don't want government run health care but they'll take HMO or Kaiser. They don't want government run Utilities, but they'll gladly fork over cash to Enron. The problem that they cause to the message of the Republican Party is that over the last several years we've seen the result of corporate greed on the individual's life. We've seen Enron and Tyco destroying the wealth of retirement plans. We've seen AIG and Lehman destroy the credit of everyday working Americans.

How can the little guy resolve that we should let these guys have more control of our lives and money when we have no control over them? At least when the government is screwing you over, as a citizen you know that you can exercise your right to vote the idiot out of office in a few years. If its the CEO of Enron you don't have any control until you're money is gone and he's in a posh prison.

The Social Conservatives love to rail on about personal responsibility but they don't want any of that responsibility to be personal. The want to make sure that you're not able to make decisions about whats right and whats wrong or whats moral and whats just. They want the government to do it for you. What? Is God not doing enough in the afterlife? If God truly believed that Abortion is Murder wouldn't he punish the sinner for eternity in the next life? Same thing with Gay Marriage, and euthanasia. It's almost like they think that St. Peter isn't qualified to do the whole Judge, Jury, Executioner bit.

The truth is this, the Republican Party doesn't have much to be afraid of. The Democrats will do as they've done in the past, Fix the Problems by raising taxes and making responsible investments in jobs creation and infrastructure projects. Then once the problems are fixed and all is well in the world the Republicans will run against them saying those taxes and investments are harmful, oh and look, THE GAYS!!! That's right, once everyone is educated, employed, and enjoying the fruits of economic bliss they'll allow a Republican to ride in on a wedge issue and fuck it up again. Then we'll be writing about the problems of the Democratic Party.
----------------------

I honestly couldn't have said it any better myself!

Monkey see Monkey do!

2008-11-13T14:12:00.001-08:00

All politicians are full of crap, but Dubya is taking it to a new level:

Bush makes case for free-markets role in crisis

Speech in advance of economic summit defends American capitalism

President George W. Bush asserted Thursday that the global financial crisis is not a failure of the free market and urged world leaders to adopt modest financial reforms that stop short of the tighter regulations Europeans favor.
******************************
Who came up with the credit swaps? Who gave AA & AAA ratings to mortgage bonds that contained sub-prime loans? Who exaggerated their asset bases so they could lend more money than they should have been allowed to? Who abused their priveledge to print money? Modest reforms - yeah I don't think that's going to cut it.

Blogger ate my post!

2008-11-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

I formed a rather nice blog about Ted Stevens and Mark Begich. The two running for Alaska's senator.

Read about it here.

However, Blogger decided to eat my post and then proceeded to mock me! (The giant Internet Explorer Error message) Doom on YOU Internet Explorer!! I'm taking my ball and going and playing with someone else! (FireFox!)

Anyway, as I really don't have the time to create another post about Stevens (he doesn't deserve a word said about him)

I will leave you with the headline and the link.

Begich takes lead in latest vote count
SENATE RACE: Anchorage mayor swings from 3,000-vote deficit to 814-vote advantage.
By SEAN COCKERHAM and KYLE HOPKINS

Published: November 13th, 2008 01:20 AMLast Modified: November 13th, 2008 01:56 AM
Mark Begich made a dramatic comeback Wednesday to overtake 40-year incumbent Ted Stevens for the lead in Alaska's U.S. Senate race.

My youngest son (now 7 months old) is teething and is running a fever (never dull in Mommy-Land!) so I need to alternate between Motrin and Tylenol. He's in significant amount of pain.

I was a Certified Nursing Assistant for quite awhile, so whenever my kids get sick - I go into Nurse Mom Mode. Everything else takes a back seat when I get into that mode.

I hope everyone that reads my blog has a great day and I will keep posting snippets of articles that I find useful and interesting!

Let's Get Into it

2008-11-12T09:24:00.001-08:00

Ok, Tami- John- and other right winged fanatics.

Let's TALK about Hitler.

Hitler and racism

Hitler strongly believed in racial supremacy and often attributed the world's progress in science, technology, and art almost exclusively to Aryans. He was of the opinion that for the world to progress it was highly imperative that the purity of race (Aryans) be maintained. In his autobiography, Hitler mentioned, "Those who do not wish that the earth should fall into such a condition …must realize that it is the task of the German State in particular to see to it that the process of bastardization is brought to a stop." By the term 'bastardization', Hitler meant that the interbreeding of the races, particularly between people of Aryan and Jewish descent, should be stopped.

Hitler and democracy

Democracy, in its essence is a political order in which there exists elected officials, where free and fair elections are conducted, where there is a right to run for public office, where the right to freedom of expression, the right to alternative information and associational autonomy is not curtailed. Peoples’ rule remains the most vital characteristic in any reference to democracy, which fundamentally sets democracy apart from other political orders.

But Hitler was virulently antipathetic to democracy. He often criticised the Western concept of democracy because of its slow pace.

He believed that democracy would in practice lead to the destruction of a people's true values. Hitler was of the opinion that individuals operating in a democracy are not able to work with their fullest potential due to compromises both in principle and practice that normally occur. This is evident from the fact that when Hitler was elected democratically in 1933 he suppressed all opposition.

His perception of democracy is also reflected in Mein Kampf, where he writes, “The Nazi Party must not serve the masses, but rather dominate them. The Fuhrer is the supreme judge of the nation.”

Hitler Youth Facts

In 1936, the total number of boys and girls registered as Hitler Youths was 4 million
Balder von Shirach was the overseer of the Hitler Youth movement
By 1938, attendence was barely 25%, thus making it nessecary to have an attendence law
the HitlerYouth was known as Hitler Jugend

Hitler Youth Sites

Hitler Youth Information

Encyclopedia Information

Hitler Youth Speaker Account

Hitler Youth Pictures

"The weak must be chiselled away. I want young men and women who can suffer pain. A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp's steel."Hitler According to Hitler, the youth were the face of the Nazi Revolution.

Thus he designed an organization that prepared boys within the age of 10- 18 for the military and girls within the same age group prepared for motherhood. Hitler in December of 1936 got rid of all other youth groups and formed the Hitler Jugend, or the Hitler Youth.

The boys, during their early years, learned how to handle firearms and weapons and also had the Nazi dogma instilled in them. The women that attended these schools learned how to swim, cook, and take care of children.

The youth were used by the Nazis to enstill Aryan morals in and also another thing the Youth helped the Nazis with was easy recruitment for battles. When the Nazis were low on soldiers for battles they often used the Hitler Youth.

The Hitler Youth were largely responsible for killing many Jews in the Holocaust. But with their strong conviction in Nazi beliefs- "The boys bear aloft the swaying banners; The flags of the new era; They carry them proudly to victory; No path is too steep or too far."

More about the Hitler Youth.

Here are some quotes from Hitler:

As soon as by one's own propaganda even a glimpse of right on the other side is admitted, the cause for doubting one's own right is laid.

Adolf Hitler

By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise.

Adolf Hitler

Do either of these look familiar to you?

So, their disgusting attempts at trying to compare Obama to Hitler is pathetic.
If we REAAAAAAAAAALLY wanted to, we could easily compare Hitler to George W. Bush.
But that man is on his way out.
Here are more quotes from Hitler....refrain from making comparisons to our current Commander in Chief.

Humanitarianism is the expression of stupidity and cowardice.

I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.

I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature.

I go the way that Providence dictates with the assurance of a sleepwalker.

I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few.

If today I stand here as a revolutionary, it is as a revolutionary against the Revolution.

If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.

It is always more difficult to fight against faith than against knowledge.

It is not truth that matters, but victory.

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

Mankind has grown strong in eternal struggles and it will only perish through eternal peace.

Sooner will a camel pass through a needle's eye than a great man be "discovered" by an election.

Strength lies not in defense but in attack.

Struggle is the father of all things. It is not by the principles of humanity that man lives or is able to preserve himself above the animal world, but solely by means of the most brutal struggle.

Success is the sole earthly judge of right and wrong.

The art of leadership... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention.

The broad masses of a population are more amenable to the appeal of rhetoric than to any other force.

The day of individual happiness has passed.

The doom of a nation can be averted only by a storm of flowing passion, but only those who are passionate themselves can arouse passion in others.

The great mass of people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.

The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.

The great strength of the totalitarian state is that it forces those who fear it to imitate it.

The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.

The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence.

The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.

Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live.

Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.

Universal education is the most corroding and disintegrating poison that liberalism has ever invented for its own destruction.

What good fortune for governments that the people do not think.

Who says I am not under the special protection of God?

Whoever lights the torch of war in Europe can wish for nothing but chaos.

Words build bridges into unexplored regions.

Please Keep In Mind

2008-11-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Dealing with People

You must look into other people as well as at them.

Lord Chesterfield

A good deed is never lost: he who sows courtesy reaps friendship; and he who plants kindness gathers love.
Basil

A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.
Lord Chesterfield

To rejoice in another's prosperity, is to give content to your own lot: to mitigate another's grief, is to alleviate or dispel your own.
Thomas Edwards

Hear the meaning within the word.
William Shakespeare

Charity, good behaviour, amiable speech, unselfishness — these by the chief sage have been declared the elements of popularity.
Burmese Proverb

Kind words are the music of the world.
F. W. Faber

We are far more liable to catch the vices than the virtues of our associates.
Denis Diderot

Arguing with a fool proves there are two.
Doris M. Smith

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few;
and let those be well-tried before you give them your confidence.
George Washington

Look to be treated by others
as you have treated others.
Publius Syrus

Success in life, in anything,
depends upon the number of persons
that one can make himself agreeable to.
Thomas Carlyle

Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life.
Jean Paul Richter

To My Readers

2008-11-12T06:19:00.000-08:00