All three of us are still sick. Slade & I are still coughing, but no longer have runny noses, etc. James is starting to get sick, as of Monday. Good times.
On a lighter note, I did all of my Christmas shopping yesterday! Still have about 3 people to buy for, and miscellaneous things to buy (wine bottles, get photos developed, & pay for postage) but plenty of time for all of that. :) Veterans Day sales were going in my favor yesterday!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Food for thought
In recent years, society has increasingly grown a demand to stop using artificial ingredients, saturated fats, fructose, sucrose, and other grosses in the food that we feed ourselves, our children, and (of course!) our pets. We now have 'natural food' stores being frequented by a wider range of people, not just "granolas," and organic foods offered in the everyday shopping experience. Fast food chains have switched to healthier oils to prepare unhealthy foods, and Food Network encourages their television stars to mention their preference of organic ingredients.
There are commercial wars waging, lately with the corn industry defending high fructose corn syrup as a healthy option (I'm sure they've taken a hit since that ingredient is in EVERYTHING) and parents protesting if the schools don't get rid of the vending machines of junk food. In short, society demands we eat healthier! Future generations depend on it!
Speaking of future generations, why are parents fine with their kids' education being full of 'artificial ingredients'? Textbooks are full of abridged versions of the truth, which are then re-abridged as they are re-interpreted for 2nd, 3rd, 4th editions, etc. Additionally, depending on what society (or, in large, the government) deems to be the "truth" that year, certain words are removed (i.e., God) and filled in with countless replacements. I've noticed, there really are no two public school (even private school now) textbooks with the same exact information...publisher #1 states history as going down differently then publisher #2.
American History before 20th century revisionism: a totally different ballgame. But it all stems from somewhere, right?
When I was in high school, my mom had me take four or five versions of the Bible- the Bible! Old-school high-school text book for the masses (pardon the pun), and compare them and the way they changed throughout the years. First, we started with an OLD family heirloom edition (I believe Douay-Rheims) Catholic Bible. No, we didn't get down to the direct translations from Arabic to Greek to Latin. But Douay-Rheims is a direct-from-Latin translation. Anyway, line that up next to a King James Bible, New International Version, Mormon, etc...totally, TOTALLY different interpretations of the truth. And each, as you get further from the Catholic Bible, further from the truth as each has biased translations depending on the person who translated it and their current relationship with the Catholic Church.
Today (literally, 11-12-08) there are at least five alternative Christian versions of the Bible (New American Standard, King James Version, New International revised Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Today's New International Version) in addition to all of the tracts each church deems necessary to leave on your doorstep. BUT, we are still able to purchase the Catholic versions and therefore be that much closer to the truth.
Future generations though...I'm not so sure they'll have this option. With recent elections bringing Barack Obama into the White House, our education system is about to be drastically overhauled worse than it already is. His strong focus on revamping the education system isn't going to improve anything, but rather will increase the indoctrination of our children. History will be written more fiction then ever, unless of course he takes the path of his predecessor and burns all of the schoolbooks to get a fresh start.
There are commercial wars waging, lately with the corn industry defending high fructose corn syrup as a healthy option (I'm sure they've taken a hit since that ingredient is in EVERYTHING) and parents protesting if the schools don't get rid of the vending machines of junk food. In short, society demands we eat healthier! Future generations depend on it!
Speaking of future generations, why are parents fine with their kids' education being full of 'artificial ingredients'? Textbooks are full of abridged versions of the truth, which are then re-abridged as they are re-interpreted for 2nd, 3rd, 4th editions, etc. Additionally, depending on what society (or, in large, the government) deems to be the "truth" that year, certain words are removed (i.e., God) and filled in with countless replacements. I've noticed, there really are no two public school (even private school now) textbooks with the same exact information...publisher #1 states history as going down differently then publisher #2.
American History before 20th century revisionism: a totally different ballgame. But it all stems from somewhere, right?
When I was in high school, my mom had me take four or five versions of the Bible- the Bible! Old-school high-school text book for the masses (pardon the pun), and compare them and the way they changed throughout the years. First, we started with an OLD family heirloom edition (I believe Douay-Rheims) Catholic Bible. No, we didn't get down to the direct translations from Arabic to Greek to Latin. But Douay-Rheims is a direct-from-Latin translation. Anyway, line that up next to a King James Bible, New International Version, Mormon, etc...totally, TOTALLY different interpretations of the truth. And each, as you get further from the Catholic Bible, further from the truth as each has biased translations depending on the person who translated it and their current relationship with the Catholic Church.
Today (literally, 11-12-08) there are at least five alternative Christian versions of the Bible (New American Standard, King James Version, New International revised Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Today's New International Version) in addition to all of the tracts each church deems necessary to leave on your doorstep. BUT, we are still able to purchase the Catholic versions and therefore be that much closer to the truth.
Future generations though...I'm not so sure they'll have this option. With recent elections bringing Barack Obama into the White House, our education system is about to be drastically overhauled worse than it already is. His strong focus on revamping the education system isn't going to improve anything, but rather will increase the indoctrination of our children. History will be written more fiction then ever, unless of course he takes the path of his predecessor and burns all of the schoolbooks to get a fresh start.
There's a positive to all of this though. At least our brain-washed, indoctrinated children will have healthy food to fuel their bodies & minds.
(Sorry for the rant. If I were still in high school I think my mom would have me use this as a research paper topic.)
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sickness
As of Sunday morning, Slade started showing signs of being sick. I thought it was allergies since he stayed with friends Saturday night who have three indoor dogs. Lo and behold, all week long he coughs, sneezes, slimes me out, eats less & is actually cranky. So we finally made it to the Dr's...I wanted to make sure he didn't have pnemonia or anything major. Turns out he has (yet again) ear infections in both ears. I thought we were over that, with having tubes put in and all. But at least now we're getting it treated.
Just in time because now I'm starting to cough & blow my nose. Yay flu season!
Just in time because now I'm starting to cough & blow my nose. Yay flu season!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Weekend Summary
I forgot to post an update on this past (busy!) weekend.
Halloween- Friday I baked Ramirez' birthday cake, hustled around the house getting stuff together for the weekend, had Slade's photos taken, and that night we took Slade 'Trunk or Treating.' It wasn't really that great- long, LONG lines of people walking in long, LONG lines to get a couple of pieces of candy. We walked around a bit, but then left. I had Slade dressed as a Ravens football player since his Charlie Brown shirt got dirty earlier. Just swiped some liquid eyeliner under his eyes and hit the road.
We should have stayed at the house and given out candy. It would have been more fun, and less hectic since Slade didn't really know what was going on anyway.
Saturday started early trying to get the house together, the cake finished, gifts wrapped, etc before 8 guys showed up to head out for Ramirez' dinner party. At 7pm we headed out in James' truck to Savannah, me with a cake sliding around in my lap (literally- it wouldn't stay put in the container- I had to shift & rotate every time James shifted the truck). We had a carful of guys following behind us, and another carful (including the birthday boy) stalling behind to get us an extra 15 minutes to set up before they got there.
HOWEVER- when we were in the shopping center parking lot, driving the last 1/2 block to the Japanese restaurant's parking area, a 17 year old kid hit us. His driver-side hit our front passenger side (me) and damaged the front bumper. The cake, though dancing the entire time on my lap, did NOT smash all over me. We were driving about 15 miles an hour, and the kid was going about 15-20 himself, but he drove over white striped lines (where a grass-median would be) going the wrong way in a one-way lane...basically, he was cutting across the parking lot. Plus, it was about 8:15pm and he didn't have his headlights on. I saw him coming, but before I could say anything he was crashing into us.
So Saturday night ended up being a bit later than we imagined. After the police took the report (the kid took full responsibility, the officer noted the damage and the position of the vehicles, etc) and the tow truck came, it was about 9:20pm. We went in to dinner, had a great time, hung out in the city for a while then headed home.
Fast forward to Monday: our insurance is handling everything- it's all due in full from the kid's Geico policy...but James gets a call Monday morning- Geico refuses to pay because the kid is claiming we were street racing and we hit him. SO FRUSTRATING!!! But lol, gotta give him credit for being creative. If we had been street-racing, we wouldn't have done it right before parking, nor would the cake have been intact. I guess he just got in trouble with his parents and tried to front a different cover.
Regardless, now it's all under investigation. Or at least until Geico gets the police report. Which they should have by now, being Wednesday. The truck's in the shop and will be getting worked on as of Monday morning *Nov 10th. So James & I are coordinating schedules using my car until the shop starts on his truck- then a rental will be covered.
Halloween- Friday I baked Ramirez' birthday cake, hustled around the house getting stuff together for the weekend, had Slade's photos taken, and that night we took Slade 'Trunk or Treating.' It wasn't really that great- long, LONG lines of people walking in long, LONG lines to get a couple of pieces of candy. We walked around a bit, but then left. I had Slade dressed as a Ravens football player since his Charlie Brown shirt got dirty earlier. Just swiped some liquid eyeliner under his eyes and hit the road.
We should have stayed at the house and given out candy. It would have been more fun, and less hectic since Slade didn't really know what was going on anyway.
Saturday started early trying to get the house together, the cake finished, gifts wrapped, etc before 8 guys showed up to head out for Ramirez' dinner party. At 7pm we headed out in James' truck to Savannah, me with a cake sliding around in my lap (literally- it wouldn't stay put in the container- I had to shift & rotate every time James shifted the truck). We had a carful of guys following behind us, and another carful (including the birthday boy) stalling behind to get us an extra 15 minutes to set up before they got there.
HOWEVER- when we were in the shopping center parking lot, driving the last 1/2 block to the Japanese restaurant's parking area, a 17 year old kid hit us. His driver-side hit our front passenger side (me) and damaged the front bumper. The cake, though dancing the entire time on my lap, did NOT smash all over me. We were driving about 15 miles an hour, and the kid was going about 15-20 himself, but he drove over white striped lines (where a grass-median would be) going the wrong way in a one-way lane...basically, he was cutting across the parking lot. Plus, it was about 8:15pm and he didn't have his headlights on. I saw him coming, but before I could say anything he was crashing into us.
So Saturday night ended up being a bit later than we imagined. After the police took the report (the kid took full responsibility, the officer noted the damage and the position of the vehicles, etc) and the tow truck came, it was about 9:20pm. We went in to dinner, had a great time, hung out in the city for a while then headed home.
Fast forward to Monday: our insurance is handling everything- it's all due in full from the kid's Geico policy...but James gets a call Monday morning- Geico refuses to pay because the kid is claiming we were street racing and we hit him. SO FRUSTRATING!!! But lol, gotta give him credit for being creative. If we had been street-racing, we wouldn't have done it right before parking, nor would the cake have been intact. I guess he just got in trouble with his parents and tried to front a different cover.
Regardless, now it's all under investigation. Or at least until Geico gets the police report. Which they should have by now, being Wednesday. The truck's in the shop and will be getting worked on as of Monday morning *Nov 10th. So James & I are coordinating schedules using my car until the shop starts on his truck- then a rental will be covered.
Europeans are right- Americans ARE idiots.
I think having a black president is a MAJOR step for America, and shows the rest of the world how far we as a nation have developed beyond our own prejudices and immaturities. I was very hopeful we would have a black president, or a female president, before I hit 30.
However, this is NOT who I was hoping for. Obama's lack of leadership skills makes me question where our nation will be lead. His un-American beliefs lead me to wonder what his intents are for our country. His friend list makes me question his morals though I shouldn't because the one thing he IS direct about are his pro-death beliefs. So, regardless, none of his choices should surprise me.
Being a military wife, I'm curious what's going to happen to our troops overseas. Is it going to be like Vietnam and he'll leave them over there and forget about them? Or is he going to pull them out immediately like he first claimed? Or rather, like he's claimed the last few weeks, will he pull them out of IRAQ in the next 16 months...never said anything about sending them to any other coutries such as Afghanistan, Kuwait, Japan, Russia, etc...the list is quite long.
Basically, we've just elected the smooth-talking salesmen from "The Music Man"..."and we've got trouble, which starts with 'T' which rhymes with 'P' and that stand for 'Pool.'" Entice the public with song and dance, give them what they want to hear, and link it all together somehow. Oh, and don't forget the free handouts! Business 101- to increase sales, entice your core audience with something free (Can I get a WhooWhoo!!! for WELFARE!)
Goodbye Democracy...you've had a good run. Hello Socialism!
However, this is NOT who I was hoping for. Obama's lack of leadership skills makes me question where our nation will be lead. His un-American beliefs lead me to wonder what his intents are for our country. His friend list makes me question his morals though I shouldn't because the one thing he IS direct about are his pro-death beliefs. So, regardless, none of his choices should surprise me.
Being a military wife, I'm curious what's going to happen to our troops overseas. Is it going to be like Vietnam and he'll leave them over there and forget about them? Or is he going to pull them out immediately like he first claimed? Or rather, like he's claimed the last few weeks, will he pull them out of IRAQ in the next 16 months...never said anything about sending them to any other coutries such as Afghanistan, Kuwait, Japan, Russia, etc...the list is quite long.
Basically, we've just elected the smooth-talking salesmen from "The Music Man"..."and we've got trouble, which starts with 'T' which rhymes with 'P' and that stand for 'Pool.'" Entice the public with song and dance, give them what they want to hear, and link it all together somehow. Oh, and don't forget the free handouts! Business 101- to increase sales, entice your core audience with something free (Can I get a WhooWhoo!!! for WELFARE!)
Goodbye Democracy...you've had a good run. Hello Socialism!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Pictures of Slade!
I don't have the disc yet, but if you would like to see some of the photos my friend Brooke took of Slade, go to myspace.com/brookemoxleyphotography
Hope you enjoy!
Oh, also if you go to http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/BrookeMoxl eyPhotography/Slade to see ALL of the photos, check them out! Password- slade
Hope you enjoy!
Oh, also if you go to http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/BrookeMoxl eyPhotography/Slade to see ALL of the photos, check them out! Password- slade
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