They announced today the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial: not guilty. To be honest, I'm not surprised. And in an even more honest admittance, I'm actually relieved.
Before you get your panties in a bunch, hear me out. I've been following the case for weeks, reading just about every article on who was testifying, what evidence was presented, and the commentary about it all. My gut tells me that the jury chose correctly. They were presented with evidence, a lot of it circumstantial, a lot of it conflicting, and at the end of the day, they had to make a decision about a woman's crimes based on the facts they were given.
Do I think Casey Anthony murdered her daughter? No. Is she responsible for the child's death? Yes, I think so. Looking at pictures of Casey and Caylee and reading the testimony of her former friends and lovers, I see a young mom who struggled with motherhood, but ultimately loved her daughter. I don't see her as a person who would coldly calculate and premeditate the murder of her baby. I do see her as a person who practiced poor judgment. She drank a lot, partied a lot, spent the night with lovers and sometimes brought Caylee with her on those excursions. While those actions in and of themselves are not always bad, in excess they can lead to poor decisions. And in Casey's case, they most certainly did.
But did the jury make the wrong decision? Did they fail at their job? I don't think so and that's why it really frustrates me that a lot of people have already convicted Casey of murder a thousand times over in their minds. The justice system doesn't work on emotions. God help us if opinions from Nancy Grace, gossip columnists, or political pundits are ever entered as evidence in trials; when that happens, you best hie theeself down to your bomb shelter because that is a blinking neon sign that America is ending, friends. (And don't get me started on Nancy Grace; she is entitled to her opinion, but please, take the time to do your research and form your own thoughts before following a sensationalist news anchor.) I have to laugh when I read comments on the web along the lines of "Those jurors didn't do their job!" Ahem, actually, they did. People want to have their cake and eat it too, but if Casey were to be declared guilty today, then it would be a very sad day for democracy and America both. The legal system was set up in a way in which a judgment could be passed down without an emotional taint. We are to remain innocent until proven guilty. Be glad that the system worked properly today!
For those of you who wish that Caylee would get justice, know this: the rest of Casey's life is going to be hard. Very hard. She will be sentenced for lying to investigators and hampering a murder investigation. She will still serve time. She still has to deal with the defamation lawsuit with Zenaida Gonzalez as well as any other legalities stemming from the money she stole from former friends. When she gets out of jail, she will be hard pressed to find a job or a home. She will be very lonely as most of her friends, and even her own family have deserted her (which on another note, if it's a parent's job to love their daughter no matter what and support her, then it's no wonder that she wasn't the greatest mom herself. Look at how her family has treated her during the entire thing!).
And while that may not sound like it's that bad, Casey must live with the truth of Caylee's death on her heart every day until she dies.
My friends, today proved that justice does exist. It just might not be the way you hoped for. Imagine if things went the other way: Casey would have most likely received a death sentence, where she would wait on death row for years, receiving shelter, food, and other amenities at the expense of taxpayers until her number came up. She wouldn't have to deal with the public. She wouldn't have to get a job to pay back the legal fees and lawsuits. She'd sponge off the rest of society. And when she was finally executed, it would be as painless and humane as possible. Is that really justice for Caylee? This way is much better, because it will serve to remind a young woman of her mistakes every day. It will force her to examine her actions and accept the consequences for them. She will have to grow up and be a big girl. And who knows? Mama always said the Lord works in mysterious ways; perhaps he saw fit to give Casey another chance to atone for her sins through suffering. I can only hope that she will recognize this opportunity for what it could be, and make the best of it.
Thoughtfully,
Kelly
Showing posts with label Sound off. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sound off. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
SOUND OFF: 3D Movies Suck
I love just about every movie I've ever seen, except horror flicks, because I absolutely cannot stand paying good money or wasting precious time to watch people get hacked up simply because the director and producers have some sort of sadistic streak that they are trying to play out without getting sentenced to jail. Ick. If I want to be scared, I'll go ride a roller coaster. Or try rappelling off a tall tower. At least then I'll be scared and empowered!
Michael and I celebrated our 5th anniversary by going out to dinner and the movies. We both really wanted to see Thor, but the only showing that worked with our schedule was a 3D version. I gotta tell you, we loved the movie. Go see Thor. It's fun, exciting, sweet, campy and well directed (love you Kenneth Brannagh!). Don't see it in 3D, however. In fact, please don't see any movie in 3D. This is a fad that needs to die and quickly!
We've only seen one other movie in 3D (TRON, an equally amazing movie!) and when we came out of that one, I had a migraine for a day and a half. It's bad enough that I have issues watching movies in pitch black theatres thanks to my eyes doing weird things, but having to wear plastic glasses on top of it was a nightmare. But we soldiered on thinking that maybe it was just the dark colors of TRON that made it hard. Nope. It's just 3D.
Your eye naturally skims everything in lightning fast pace across everything it sees. It's so fast, you don't realize you do it...until you see a movie in 3D. Then, you're stuck having to fixate your vision on spot of the screen in order to see anything in focus and then you miss out on all the awesome detail that the CGI guys put together for you. You're continually forcing yourself to stop that skimming and in turn, you not only miss the detail, you miss parts of the movie because you're too busy trying to focus on what's happening on screen.
If you've ever worn glasses, you know that when you wear them you have a limited field of vision. You don't really have peripheral vision, especially if you're almost legally blind like my best friend. When you wear the 3D glasses from the theatre, you get that same field of vision. They're supposed to be one size fits all, but these were so poorly fitting that I couldn't see big chunks of the screen thanks to the limited field of vision. I love details in a movie and I was so bummed that I couldn't take it all in. I'm gonna buy the dang movie when it releases on DVD anyway, but still. First impressions mean a lot, Hollywood!
And don't get me started on the price! We were fortunate to be using a gift card from Christmas, but even then, $30 for a pair of movie tickets moves beyond ridiculous to redonculous. Especially when I can't even really watch the movie because my head and eyes hurt the whole time! For $30, we could have gone to Alamo Drafthouse and had dinner, drinks and movie tickets all in one (and if you don't live in Austin, Houston, or Virginia where they have Drafthouses, my condolences). We recently bought our first Blu-Ray, which inevitably included a 3D Blu Ray version of the movie. We'll never be able to watch that disc unless we drop a couple grand on a 3D hi-def TV, and a few extra hundred dollars on all the components, like 3D glasses and cables and such.
Honestly, I don't understand why 3D is such a big deal. If you ask me, it's a huge marketing ploy and a rip off. I don't go to the movies to necessarily see special effects (although it doesn't hurt, like with fantasy or sci-fi flicks, of course!); I go for the story and to be entertained. If I leave a movie theatre feeling stressed, then why bother going at all. Apparently I missed the memo that rephrased entertainment to mean "make your head and eyeballs hurt, stress you out, and make you feel guilty for spending money on something ridiculous." If I wanted to feel guilty, I just need to feed my kid candy for dinner. Much cheaper! Whenever I see 3D movies, I am not entertained. I'm just pissed off.
Hollywood, if you're listening at all, please go back to the basics. Our world is too full of worries and woes enough as it is. Please do us all a favor and let us find a happy escape in your embrace! Or at the very least, take all the extra dough made from ripping us off and donate it to charity for good causes.
Kelly
Michael and I celebrated our 5th anniversary by going out to dinner and the movies. We both really wanted to see Thor, but the only showing that worked with our schedule was a 3D version. I gotta tell you, we loved the movie. Go see Thor. It's fun, exciting, sweet, campy and well directed (love you Kenneth Brannagh!). Don't see it in 3D, however. In fact, please don't see any movie in 3D. This is a fad that needs to die and quickly!
We've only seen one other movie in 3D (TRON, an equally amazing movie!) and when we came out of that one, I had a migraine for a day and a half. It's bad enough that I have issues watching movies in pitch black theatres thanks to my eyes doing weird things, but having to wear plastic glasses on top of it was a nightmare. But we soldiered on thinking that maybe it was just the dark colors of TRON that made it hard. Nope. It's just 3D.
Your eye naturally skims everything in lightning fast pace across everything it sees. It's so fast, you don't realize you do it...until you see a movie in 3D. Then, you're stuck having to fixate your vision on spot of the screen in order to see anything in focus and then you miss out on all the awesome detail that the CGI guys put together for you. You're continually forcing yourself to stop that skimming and in turn, you not only miss the detail, you miss parts of the movie because you're too busy trying to focus on what's happening on screen.
If you've ever worn glasses, you know that when you wear them you have a limited field of vision. You don't really have peripheral vision, especially if you're almost legally blind like my best friend. When you wear the 3D glasses from the theatre, you get that same field of vision. They're supposed to be one size fits all, but these were so poorly fitting that I couldn't see big chunks of the screen thanks to the limited field of vision. I love details in a movie and I was so bummed that I couldn't take it all in. I'm gonna buy the dang movie when it releases on DVD anyway, but still. First impressions mean a lot, Hollywood!
And don't get me started on the price! We were fortunate to be using a gift card from Christmas, but even then, $30 for a pair of movie tickets moves beyond ridiculous to redonculous. Especially when I can't even really watch the movie because my head and eyes hurt the whole time! For $30, we could have gone to Alamo Drafthouse and had dinner, drinks and movie tickets all in one (and if you don't live in Austin, Houston, or Virginia where they have Drafthouses, my condolences). We recently bought our first Blu-Ray, which inevitably included a 3D Blu Ray version of the movie. We'll never be able to watch that disc unless we drop a couple grand on a 3D hi-def TV, and a few extra hundred dollars on all the components, like 3D glasses and cables and such.
Honestly, I don't understand why 3D is such a big deal. If you ask me, it's a huge marketing ploy and a rip off. I don't go to the movies to necessarily see special effects (although it doesn't hurt, like with fantasy or sci-fi flicks, of course!); I go for the story and to be entertained. If I leave a movie theatre feeling stressed, then why bother going at all. Apparently I missed the memo that rephrased entertainment to mean "make your head and eyeballs hurt, stress you out, and make you feel guilty for spending money on something ridiculous." If I wanted to feel guilty, I just need to feed my kid candy for dinner. Much cheaper! Whenever I see 3D movies, I am not entertained. I'm just pissed off.
Hollywood, if you're listening at all, please go back to the basics. Our world is too full of worries and woes enough as it is. Please do us all a favor and let us find a happy escape in your embrace! Or at the very least, take all the extra dough made from ripping us off and donate it to charity for good causes.
Kelly
Sunday, June 13, 2010
SOUND OFF: Sail away, my heart...
I've been following the story of Abby Sunderland for a couple of days now, since they announced she was "lost at sea" and then her miraculous rescue. I am impressed with this young woman and her tenacious spirit. Her zest for sailing and courage to take on such a daunting task as sail around the world by herself at the tender age of 16 is nothing short of stunning. As I was reading many of the comments that have been left on Abby's blog, 99% of them were incredibly supportive of Abby and her endeavor. And why shouldn't they be? Her journey ultimately failed, but she made it 3/4 of the way! Most of us could never dream of sailing out of our home harbor, much less setting foot on the boat.
But there was that other 1% who were incredibly rude and condescending. It made me sad that at a time when Abby is grieving the loss of her dream and her boat, these bitter critics are blasting her for being irresponsible. Excuse me? The kid sailed around the world, braved incredible storms, and lived by herself on a sailboat for several months. She's shown a level of maturity that is lacking in the majority of her peers. Hell, I know of several ADULTS who don't have that level of maturity! These same critics had harsh words for her parents in allowing her to do this, calling them irresponsible, endangering their children's lives, idiotic, and a good many other things. The critics talked about the costs of having to rescue Abby and that her parents should be responsible for the bill since it was their foolish decision that caused her to be out there in the first place. I can understand the sentiment of asking Abby's family to pay for her rescue, but are they truly neglectful by allowing her to chase a dream she's harbored since the age of 13?
My daughter's godmother told me once that becoming a mother was to learn to walk with your heart outside your body. Can you imagine letting it sail around the world by itself, far beyond your reach? But that is what we are called to do as parents. We are called every day to teach our children how to survive physically and emotionally without us. When you look at the lifespan of a human being in the US these days, our children spend the majority of their lives without their parents. We do a huge disservice to our children if we don't provide them the tools and skills to survive their lives without us. Having already let their son Zac complete the same trip at 16, I'm sure the Sunderlands were well aware of the risks it involved. They were very certain of the equipment and training Abby would need to complete her journey. And I bet they thought and prayed long and hard over whether they should say yes to her request.
So no, I don't think Abby's parents are neglectful at all. Abby survived the Indian Ocean during the worst time of year to sail it thanks to the training her parents provided, to the tools they had given her. She survived because her parents had faith in her abilities and placed their trust in God that she would be alright. One of the comments that Abby's parents have used in defense of their actions is that it's more dangerous for teenagers to be driving in a car than sailing on the ocean and I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly. We live in fear of kidnappings and murders happening to our children, and yet about 4000 kids aged 13-19 die in car accidents every year. Do you know how many kids get kidnapped by a stranger and murdered in the U.S.? Roughly 115 per year. We don't hear much about the kids dying in car wrecks because it doesn't sell. If I were in the Sunderland's shoes and deciding whether or not to let my daughter go on this trip, the stats alone would tell me that Abby is definitely safer out on the ocean than at home driving to the beach with her buddies.
I feel sad for the people who criticise Abby and her family for this journey. I imagine that the majority of these people are helicopter parents, constantly hovering around their children and refusing to acknowledge that their children could even remotely achieve anything worthwhile in their lives without their parents intervention. I imagine too, that a good many of them once harbored a dream like Abby's, but it never got off the ground. Now they point fingers in jealousy, trying to tear down an idealistic young woman in an effort to make themselves feel better. And the majority of these critics may also be people who have held themselves back from their dreams because they were afraid fo what society might say about them. Say what they will, the critics are the ones who lose out by choosing to see the negative aspects of Abby's journey instead of what she has accomplished.
And what has accomplished? Suffering equipment malfunctions, she carried on, determined to finish what she started, even if she wouldn't break the record she sought to undo. She has inspired countless teens (and adults!) to follow their dreams through whatever obstacles they encounter. Her parents have inspired countless moms and dads like myself and Michael to be courageous in the face of growth and change. My mother always told me that everything happens for a reason; I'd like to believe that Abby's failure at completing her trip is going to encourage many out there to get back up after they've fallen and ride, sail or fly.
I hope, like my mother taught me so many times when learning how to ride horses, that Abby will get back in the saddle and make this journey again. Even if she doesn't, I hope she'll her story and journey with others and rejoice in the accomplishment she DID achieve. I hope too, that as Sybilla ages and grows, that I will have the strength and courage to watch my heart sail around the world without me.
Kelly
But there was that other 1% who were incredibly rude and condescending. It made me sad that at a time when Abby is grieving the loss of her dream and her boat, these bitter critics are blasting her for being irresponsible. Excuse me? The kid sailed around the world, braved incredible storms, and lived by herself on a sailboat for several months. She's shown a level of maturity that is lacking in the majority of her peers. Hell, I know of several ADULTS who don't have that level of maturity! These same critics had harsh words for her parents in allowing her to do this, calling them irresponsible, endangering their children's lives, idiotic, and a good many other things. The critics talked about the costs of having to rescue Abby and that her parents should be responsible for the bill since it was their foolish decision that caused her to be out there in the first place. I can understand the sentiment of asking Abby's family to pay for her rescue, but are they truly neglectful by allowing her to chase a dream she's harbored since the age of 13?
My daughter's godmother told me once that becoming a mother was to learn to walk with your heart outside your body. Can you imagine letting it sail around the world by itself, far beyond your reach? But that is what we are called to do as parents. We are called every day to teach our children how to survive physically and emotionally without us. When you look at the lifespan of a human being in the US these days, our children spend the majority of their lives without their parents. We do a huge disservice to our children if we don't provide them the tools and skills to survive their lives without us. Having already let their son Zac complete the same trip at 16, I'm sure the Sunderlands were well aware of the risks it involved. They were very certain of the equipment and training Abby would need to complete her journey. And I bet they thought and prayed long and hard over whether they should say yes to her request.
So no, I don't think Abby's parents are neglectful at all. Abby survived the Indian Ocean during the worst time of year to sail it thanks to the training her parents provided, to the tools they had given her. She survived because her parents had faith in her abilities and placed their trust in God that she would be alright. One of the comments that Abby's parents have used in defense of their actions is that it's more dangerous for teenagers to be driving in a car than sailing on the ocean and I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly. We live in fear of kidnappings and murders happening to our children, and yet about 4000 kids aged 13-19 die in car accidents every year. Do you know how many kids get kidnapped by a stranger and murdered in the U.S.? Roughly 115 per year. We don't hear much about the kids dying in car wrecks because it doesn't sell. If I were in the Sunderland's shoes and deciding whether or not to let my daughter go on this trip, the stats alone would tell me that Abby is definitely safer out on the ocean than at home driving to the beach with her buddies.
I feel sad for the people who criticise Abby and her family for this journey. I imagine that the majority of these people are helicopter parents, constantly hovering around their children and refusing to acknowledge that their children could even remotely achieve anything worthwhile in their lives without their parents intervention. I imagine too, that a good many of them once harbored a dream like Abby's, but it never got off the ground. Now they point fingers in jealousy, trying to tear down an idealistic young woman in an effort to make themselves feel better. And the majority of these critics may also be people who have held themselves back from their dreams because they were afraid fo what society might say about them. Say what they will, the critics are the ones who lose out by choosing to see the negative aspects of Abby's journey instead of what she has accomplished.
And what has accomplished? Suffering equipment malfunctions, she carried on, determined to finish what she started, even if she wouldn't break the record she sought to undo. She has inspired countless teens (and adults!) to follow their dreams through whatever obstacles they encounter. Her parents have inspired countless moms and dads like myself and Michael to be courageous in the face of growth and change. My mother always told me that everything happens for a reason; I'd like to believe that Abby's failure at completing her trip is going to encourage many out there to get back up after they've fallen and ride, sail or fly.
I hope, like my mother taught me so many times when learning how to ride horses, that Abby will get back in the saddle and make this journey again. Even if she doesn't, I hope she'll her story and journey with others and rejoice in the accomplishment she DID achieve. I hope too, that as Sybilla ages and grows, that I will have the strength and courage to watch my heart sail around the world without me.
Kelly
Friday, April 30, 2010
SOUND OFF: Namecalling
What's in a name? Does a rose by any other name smell as sweet? I've been thinking a lot about names. I read an article in the Statesman yesterday about how the British PM spent thirty minutes visiting a lady in her home after he called her a bigot. Actually, his exact words were, "She's just sort of a bigoted woman." Gordon Brown had been on a radio program and had been answering some tough questions from the gal. After the program was over and unaware that he was still being recorded, he griped about what a disaster the whole thing had been and made the remark. Brown has since received quite a backlash for the comment, has tried to offer an explanation for it, and finally ended up meeting with the woman in her home to apologize in person and make amends.
You know what really galls me about this? Is that it seems that no one can have a moment of frustration, that no one can have an opinion, and God forbid anyone from expressing the latter during the former. There are some who argue that a man in Brown's position should never utter such things, but the last time I checked, prime ministers and presidents were still humans, and as such, are prone to making mistakes too. To assume that the minute a person of power and position instantly morphs into a mindless robot who has no opinion of their own and never utters a harsh word is illogical, impractical, and just downright impertinent.
When was the last time you were driving in your car and somebody cut you off? If you're living here in Austin, it probably happened today. Like most people, you probably took offense and you might have called him a jerk, asshat, or whatever colorful name you have for terrible drivers. Or how about when your spouse or friend rubs you the wrong way and you're left fuming? "That jerk! How could s/he!?" Or perhaps you have a difference of opinion with someone, and while regaling it to a sympathetic ear later, you make the comment, "And can you believe they said _____? They are so ignorant!" If you've ever had a moment like that, newsflash people: You've just had a Brown moment.
Whether we like it or not, we are all name callers. We've all done it, and we all continue to do it. Even among the most gentle and charitable of my friends and colleagues, name calling exists. But allow me to make a distinction here: there is a difference between calling names because you're frustrated and calling names because you are out to hurt someone intentionally. It's one thing to call someone a jerk when they cut you off in traffic; it's a totally different thing to spit the N word in someone's face to pick a fight. I don't think Brown was out to hurt that woman or start a fight. He was frustrated by the circumstances he found himself in and called her a name. Get over it!
Some of the most sage wisdom my mom's mother passed down was this: "You have three names in life. You have the name you were born with, the name you make for yourself, and the name others give you. It's the last one you should care about most because it's the one that will stick with you forever. So will you be known as Honest, Trustworthy, Dependable? Or Dishonest, Unfaithful, Lazy?" Smart words.
We should all strive to be more patient and less accusatory, but at the end of the day, I think we all need to practice a bit more tolerance. Let's work towards making a good name for ourselves and giving people the benefit of the doubt. You never know, when you have a Brown moment, you might be thankful that you're on the receiving end of it!
Cheers,
Kelly
You know what really galls me about this? Is that it seems that no one can have a moment of frustration, that no one can have an opinion, and God forbid anyone from expressing the latter during the former. There are some who argue that a man in Brown's position should never utter such things, but the last time I checked, prime ministers and presidents were still humans, and as such, are prone to making mistakes too. To assume that the minute a person of power and position instantly morphs into a mindless robot who has no opinion of their own and never utters a harsh word is illogical, impractical, and just downright impertinent.
When was the last time you were driving in your car and somebody cut you off? If you're living here in Austin, it probably happened today. Like most people, you probably took offense and you might have called him a jerk, asshat, or whatever colorful name you have for terrible drivers. Or how about when your spouse or friend rubs you the wrong way and you're left fuming? "That jerk! How could s/he!?" Or perhaps you have a difference of opinion with someone, and while regaling it to a sympathetic ear later, you make the comment, "And can you believe they said _____? They are so ignorant!" If you've ever had a moment like that, newsflash people: You've just had a Brown moment.
Whether we like it or not, we are all name callers. We've all done it, and we all continue to do it. Even among the most gentle and charitable of my friends and colleagues, name calling exists. But allow me to make a distinction here: there is a difference between calling names because you're frustrated and calling names because you are out to hurt someone intentionally. It's one thing to call someone a jerk when they cut you off in traffic; it's a totally different thing to spit the N word in someone's face to pick a fight. I don't think Brown was out to hurt that woman or start a fight. He was frustrated by the circumstances he found himself in and called her a name. Get over it!
Some of the most sage wisdom my mom's mother passed down was this: "You have three names in life. You have the name you were born with, the name you make for yourself, and the name others give you. It's the last one you should care about most because it's the one that will stick with you forever. So will you be known as Honest, Trustworthy, Dependable? Or Dishonest, Unfaithful, Lazy?" Smart words.
We should all strive to be more patient and less accusatory, but at the end of the day, I think we all need to practice a bit more tolerance. Let's work towards making a good name for ourselves and giving people the benefit of the doubt. You never know, when you have a Brown moment, you might be thankful that you're on the receiving end of it!
Cheers,
Kelly
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
SOUND OFF: Weight Loss or How stupid do I look?
While perusing Perez Hilton last night, I came across this gem of a tabloid cover. I generally don't read tabloids, except maybe while in line at the grocery store and that's usually just the cover. Had I seen this cover, I might have been escorted out by security for the fit I would have thrown at the checkout:
Do you see what's making me so angry? Yeah, it's the caption that reads "How I lost 25 pounds in 8 weeks!" You wanna know how the former Playboy model lost all that weight? I'll tell you how. SHE HAD A FRIGGIN' BABY!!!! As my friend Kellie always jokes, the fastest way to lose 20 pounds is to have a baby. Ay, ay, ay!
Seriously, it's crap like this that just irritates the piss out of me. Ladies, please don't let this sorry excuse of a "magazine" fool you into thinking that you can lose that much weight in that short of time by following Kendra's diet and fitness secrets. I'm sure she did work hard and eat well to some extent, but anyone who is not post-partum won't be losing that kind of weight in that short amount of time through diet and exercise alone. Plus, it's not healthy to lose so much so fast.
I need to go calm down before my blood pressure shoots through the roof on this one, but I just had to share the outrage. Grrr!
Huffingly yours,
Kelly
Do you see what's making me so angry? Yeah, it's the caption that reads "How I lost 25 pounds in 8 weeks!" You wanna know how the former Playboy model lost all that weight? I'll tell you how. SHE HAD A FRIGGIN' BABY!!!! As my friend Kellie always jokes, the fastest way to lose 20 pounds is to have a baby. Ay, ay, ay!
Seriously, it's crap like this that just irritates the piss out of me. Ladies, please don't let this sorry excuse of a "magazine" fool you into thinking that you can lose that much weight in that short of time by following Kendra's diet and fitness secrets. I'm sure she did work hard and eat well to some extent, but anyone who is not post-partum won't be losing that kind of weight in that short amount of time through diet and exercise alone. Plus, it's not healthy to lose so much so fast.
I need to go calm down before my blood pressure shoots through the roof on this one, but I just had to share the outrage. Grrr!
Huffingly yours,
Kelly
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
SOUND OFF: Vaccines Part II
Several months ago I posted this little gem sounding off on my intense dislike for the whole "vaccines causes autism!" movement. Today an article appeared on CNN in which the Lancet, the renowned British medical journal, announced that it had retracted the Wakefield et al study from 1998 in which Dr. Andrew Wakefield and friends suggested that there was a link between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination and autism.
The paper was retracted, the Lancet said, because the patients that Wakefield et al used for the study were not randomly selected and because his "conduct in this regard was dishonest and irresponsible" per the General Medical Counsel in Britain (if you read the CNN article, he apparently paid kids at his son's birthday party to draw their blood...I'm not sure what to believe on that other than WTF?!). Being in market research, it is imperative that studies, whether they be medical or not, use randomly selected respondents in order to get a good cross section of the population as well as to ensure that the results cannot be manipulated.
His reputation being torn to shreds notwithstanding, I have to give Wakefield credit. He never stated "vaccines cause autism," he merely suggested that the vaccine caused certain GI disorders which then permeated the membrane of the intestine, leaking into the bloodstream and caused autism. Regardless of what he said though, the paper he published is the top source cited by those who support that movement despite the numerous other studies conducted proving otherwise. I'm not sure what proponents of the "vaccines cause autism" theory will do or how they will respond to this. While I don't have an autistic child, I know that as a mom, when something is wrong with my daughter, I want to know why. I would not be surprised if there were some parents who were hoping that this was the explanation (if not partial) for their child's autism.
I think this move by the Lancet also highlights something that all parents should think about; that as parents, we need to be continually educating ourselves about the choices we have to make for our kids. Technology is changing every year, every month, every DAY, and we should do our best to keep abreast of it and make judgments only after we have taken time to review everything in it's entirety. I think too, this is an excellent reminder that as parents, we can try and do everything right, and yet still be wrong. All we can do is our best and hope it will all be ok.
And on that note, I am reminded now that I need to call my daughter's pedi and have her 2 year well check scheduled! I believe it is time for another round of vaccinations. Billa is going to LOVE that...
Good night,
Kelly
The paper was retracted, the Lancet said, because the patients that Wakefield et al used for the study were not randomly selected and because his "conduct in this regard was dishonest and irresponsible" per the General Medical Counsel in Britain (if you read the CNN article, he apparently paid kids at his son's birthday party to draw their blood...I'm not sure what to believe on that other than WTF?!). Being in market research, it is imperative that studies, whether they be medical or not, use randomly selected respondents in order to get a good cross section of the population as well as to ensure that the results cannot be manipulated.
His reputation being torn to shreds notwithstanding, I have to give Wakefield credit. He never stated "vaccines cause autism," he merely suggested that the vaccine caused certain GI disorders which then permeated the membrane of the intestine, leaking into the bloodstream and caused autism. Regardless of what he said though, the paper he published is the top source cited by those who support that movement despite the numerous other studies conducted proving otherwise. I'm not sure what proponents of the "vaccines cause autism" theory will do or how they will respond to this. While I don't have an autistic child, I know that as a mom, when something is wrong with my daughter, I want to know why. I would not be surprised if there were some parents who were hoping that this was the explanation (if not partial) for their child's autism.
I think this move by the Lancet also highlights something that all parents should think about; that as parents, we need to be continually educating ourselves about the choices we have to make for our kids. Technology is changing every year, every month, every DAY, and we should do our best to keep abreast of it and make judgments only after we have taken time to review everything in it's entirety. I think too, this is an excellent reminder that as parents, we can try and do everything right, and yet still be wrong. All we can do is our best and hope it will all be ok.
And on that note, I am reminded now that I need to call my daughter's pedi and have her 2 year well check scheduled! I believe it is time for another round of vaccinations. Billa is going to LOVE that...
Good night,
Kelly
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
SOUND OFF: Potty Training!
Spoiler Alert: This post is about bodily functions if you haven't figured that out already. If you can't handle bathroom talk, you probably should just stop here before you get pissed off (Yup, I went there!).
The Baby 411 book helped us survive Billa's infancy (OK, one of the TWO books that helped us – the other was The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp) so when we passed the one year mark, I checked out Toddler 411 from the library. The one piece of information that really stuck with me from that book was about potty training. In a nutshell, co-author Dr. Ari Brown thinks that potty training should not take months on end, but no more than one or two days. She also went on to say that the definition of a potty trained child was a kid who not only understood how to use the potty, but was able to use it MOST of the time. Her theory behind this was because you would not even think about potty training until the child was ready and really showed the signs of readiness, thereby shortening the amount of time spent on potty training. If a kid isn't ready, she theorizes, they'll fight you on it and it will be a long drawn out process.
I have to admit, having watched my friends struggle and fight their kids on potty training, she might be onto something. I know that a lot of folks start potty training because they're a) tired of diapers b) the kid has passed the age of two c) another baby is on the way d) they want to hit the next milestone or e) all of the above or any combination of those factors. Hell, there is probably more that I didn't touch on, but you get the idea. It seems like the majority of reasons are for convenience, IMO.
I'm not going to lambast other parents and say that they're wrong or right because each family is different and if a potty chart and long drawn out process works for them, then so be it. I personally, am not in any rush to potty train. I don't have another baby on the way, and the Target diapers are cheap enough and sturdy enough that I don't have a problem spending $22 a month on "panties" for my daughter (seriously, I heart Target brand diapers. We stopped paying for Pampers and Huggies months ago when we ended up having the buy the Target brand out of necessity and we've never looked back. That extra cash in my pocket went towards new clothes since my kid is growing like a weed!). So Dr. Brown's theory behind potty training is right on par for me. I'm usually a very high strung person, but on this issue, I am taking the slow route because I can and because it seems right. If Billa is really ready to potty train, great! If not, no big deal.
I also really appreciate Dr. Brown's definition of what a potty trained child is. We all say we won't do it, but every parent I knows is in some sort of subconscious competition with the other parents they know. Who's kid will walk the soonest, talk the soonest, be potty trained the soonest. We all want to be the parents of the next Mozart or mathematical whiz, so we all play up how awesome our kids are while harboring a deep seated jealousy for any kid who does something better than our own. And we all know it's silly, but we do it anyway. Can you blame us if we feel pride and love for what we've created?
As a result of all these "Baby Games," our competitive natures have set in place some ridiculous expectations for all parents. We think we should be getting a full night's sleep by the time Junior is 3 months old (Ha! Once you become a parent, you will NEVER have a full night's sleep again...and if you do...don't tell me about it), that all kids should be walking by one year, and they should be talking in complete sentences with proper grammar by the time they're two. So being told by a pediatrician who is mom to two kids that potty trained means MOSTLY accident and diaper free makes me feel loads better about my job as a parent. I've got plenty of ridiculous expectations that I've set for myself; I don't need them from other parents!
Armed with this knowledge, we figured we'd really begin talking about potty training sometime after Sybilla turned two. Until then, we'd just expose her to the world of the potty. READ: potty field trips. Anytime Mama or Daddy goes to the potty, Billa goes too. We tell her what we're doing, point out the parts of the process, the um, results of that process and make it a learning experience. She's been doing the same thing at daycare so it's been consistent all around. Some days she would run around the bathroom, or make noises to hear the echo, but most of the time just generally tune in and out to what we were telling her. There was in no way any pressure to ever use the potty or any frustration on our end, just simple explanations followed by "Someday you'll use the potty like Mama and Daddy too!"
Lately however, Billa has become increasingly aware of her bodily functions and of the potty process. For instance, the other day, she was squatting and grunting and I asked her what she was doing. "Poo poo!" she told me proudly. Ok then! Good to know (And boy did she ever). Another time, she grabbed her crotch region and told Michael, "Wet! Wet!" in her little Texan accent. Sure enough, her diaper was full and needed changing. And she loves to help us flush the tee tee and poo poo away in the potty. In fact, that's her favorite thing; she'll flush that potty several times just to make sure it's all gone. Good to know she's efficient!
The biggest eye opener however, was when she tried to be helpful today and tried to WIPE me! I tell you what, that was certainly an experience. There I am, merrily doing my thing and my child is ripping off toilet paper and trying to shove it next to my lady bits. Yeah. That was a little awkward, if not highly amusing in hindsight. While I was grateful for her enthusiasm to help, I was quite content to take care of my potty business on my own, thankyouverymuch!
In all, this tells me that Billa is *almost* ready to try potty training on her own. I know some parents would get waaaay excited about this and just head on out to their local discount megamart and pick up every potty tool in the world, but not us. Not that the yucky weather today would have stopped me; I just feel that a little bit more time needs to pass before I actually spend some money on a potty seat (if we actually decide to go that route...we may not!).
While the 'wait and pee' approach might not work for every parent, it's working for us thus far, and seeing the progress that Billa has made in the last two months in regards to it tells me that we've made the right choice for our family. Everyone tells me "they grow up so fast!" and children do. I'm content to let her grow and explore on her own. No need to speed that along. There may be days when I wish she was three years older so I could understand the words coming out of her mouth, or so that we could do bake or craft together, but we'll get there. I wouldn't want to miss out on her word explosion or her learning how to use crayons or graduating to a big girl bed just to achieve understanding and save myself some trouble. I don't want to look back when she's an adult and wish I had spent more time watching her grow. She'll be past toddlerhood soon enough. Until then, we're just going to go with the flow [snicker].
Happily flowing,
Kelly
The Baby 411 book helped us survive Billa's infancy (OK, one of the TWO books that helped us – the other was The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp) so when we passed the one year mark, I checked out Toddler 411 from the library. The one piece of information that really stuck with me from that book was about potty training. In a nutshell, co-author Dr. Ari Brown thinks that potty training should not take months on end, but no more than one or two days. She also went on to say that the definition of a potty trained child was a kid who not only understood how to use the potty, but was able to use it MOST of the time. Her theory behind this was because you would not even think about potty training until the child was ready and really showed the signs of readiness, thereby shortening the amount of time spent on potty training. If a kid isn't ready, she theorizes, they'll fight you on it and it will be a long drawn out process.
I have to admit, having watched my friends struggle and fight their kids on potty training, she might be onto something. I know that a lot of folks start potty training because they're a) tired of diapers b) the kid has passed the age of two c) another baby is on the way d) they want to hit the next milestone or e) all of the above or any combination of those factors. Hell, there is probably more that I didn't touch on, but you get the idea. It seems like the majority of reasons are for convenience, IMO.
I'm not going to lambast other parents and say that they're wrong or right because each family is different and if a potty chart and long drawn out process works for them, then so be it. I personally, am not in any rush to potty train. I don't have another baby on the way, and the Target diapers are cheap enough and sturdy enough that I don't have a problem spending $22 a month on "panties" for my daughter (seriously, I heart Target brand diapers. We stopped paying for Pampers and Huggies months ago when we ended up having the buy the Target brand out of necessity and we've never looked back. That extra cash in my pocket went towards new clothes since my kid is growing like a weed!). So Dr. Brown's theory behind potty training is right on par for me. I'm usually a very high strung person, but on this issue, I am taking the slow route because I can and because it seems right. If Billa is really ready to potty train, great! If not, no big deal.
I also really appreciate Dr. Brown's definition of what a potty trained child is. We all say we won't do it, but every parent I knows is in some sort of subconscious competition with the other parents they know. Who's kid will walk the soonest, talk the soonest, be potty trained the soonest. We all want to be the parents of the next Mozart or mathematical whiz, so we all play up how awesome our kids are while harboring a deep seated jealousy for any kid who does something better than our own. And we all know it's silly, but we do it anyway. Can you blame us if we feel pride and love for what we've created?
As a result of all these "Baby Games," our competitive natures have set in place some ridiculous expectations for all parents. We think we should be getting a full night's sleep by the time Junior is 3 months old (Ha! Once you become a parent, you will NEVER have a full night's sleep again...and if you do...don't tell me about it), that all kids should be walking by one year, and they should be talking in complete sentences with proper grammar by the time they're two. So being told by a pediatrician who is mom to two kids that potty trained means MOSTLY accident and diaper free makes me feel loads better about my job as a parent. I've got plenty of ridiculous expectations that I've set for myself; I don't need them from other parents!
Armed with this knowledge, we figured we'd really begin talking about potty training sometime after Sybilla turned two. Until then, we'd just expose her to the world of the potty. READ: potty field trips. Anytime Mama or Daddy goes to the potty, Billa goes too. We tell her what we're doing, point out the parts of the process, the um, results of that process and make it a learning experience. She's been doing the same thing at daycare so it's been consistent all around. Some days she would run around the bathroom, or make noises to hear the echo, but most of the time just generally tune in and out to what we were telling her. There was in no way any pressure to ever use the potty or any frustration on our end, just simple explanations followed by "Someday you'll use the potty like Mama and Daddy too!"
Lately however, Billa has become increasingly aware of her bodily functions and of the potty process. For instance, the other day, she was squatting and grunting and I asked her what she was doing. "Poo poo!" she told me proudly. Ok then! Good to know (And boy did she ever). Another time, she grabbed her crotch region and told Michael, "Wet! Wet!" in her little Texan accent. Sure enough, her diaper was full and needed changing. And she loves to help us flush the tee tee and poo poo away in the potty. In fact, that's her favorite thing; she'll flush that potty several times just to make sure it's all gone. Good to know she's efficient!
The biggest eye opener however, was when she tried to be helpful today and tried to WIPE me! I tell you what, that was certainly an experience. There I am, merrily doing my thing and my child is ripping off toilet paper and trying to shove it next to my lady bits. Yeah. That was a little awkward, if not highly amusing in hindsight. While I was grateful for her enthusiasm to help, I was quite content to take care of my potty business on my own, thankyouverymuch!
In all, this tells me that Billa is *almost* ready to try potty training on her own. I know some parents would get waaaay excited about this and just head on out to their local discount megamart and pick up every potty tool in the world, but not us. Not that the yucky weather today would have stopped me; I just feel that a little bit more time needs to pass before I actually spend some money on a potty seat (if we actually decide to go that route...we may not!).
While the 'wait and pee' approach might not work for every parent, it's working for us thus far, and seeing the progress that Billa has made in the last two months in regards to it tells me that we've made the right choice for our family. Everyone tells me "they grow up so fast!" and children do. I'm content to let her grow and explore on her own. No need to speed that along. There may be days when I wish she was three years older so I could understand the words coming out of her mouth, or so that we could do bake or craft together, but we'll get there. I wouldn't want to miss out on her word explosion or her learning how to use crayons or graduating to a big girl bed just to achieve understanding and save myself some trouble. I don't want to look back when she's an adult and wish I had spent more time watching her grow. She'll be past toddlerhood soon enough. Until then, we're just going to go with the flow [snicker].
Happily flowing,
Kelly
Sunday, September 27, 2009
SOUND OFF: Time, Treasure and Talent
Growing up in a Catholic household, giving to charity was a major part of our lives. We not only tithed at church every week (we kids fought over who got to put the envelope in each week) and donated items to St. Vincent de Paul and Goodwill, but we also volunteered our time and skills to various causes. This is known amongst Catholic communities as the Three T's: your Time, your Treasure, and your Talent. These three items make up the concept of Stewardship. We've always been good about donating items and money to charities and lending a hand to friends lately, but now that we're parents, the plight of children has recently lodged itself in our hearts. Giving of our time and talent was so important to both Michael and I in our youth but as we've gotten older and gotten bogged down by jobs, parenthood, and life in general, we've haven't been able to give of our time as much we would like.
We finished watching Long Way Round a couple of days ago, which if you're not familiar with it, it's a documentary featuring Ewan MacGregor and his best mate Charlie Boorman on a motorcycle journey to circle the Northern hemisphere. One of the things they did while on this life changing journey was to get involved with UNICEF and the things they saw just tore our hearts out. I'll admit, I have not always been as charitable to the plights of other countries as I felt it was our duty to take care of those in America first, but seeing these segments made me realize that love and charity should know no boundaries.
As I watch my daughter grow and play daily, I am reminded that she is incredibly lucky to have such a loving family and to have the basics that many children in other parts of the world lack. Ewan and Charlie met children in Mongolia who live in the heating systems underground, abandoned or lost from their families, and the only thing that keeps them fed and clothed are charities like UNICEF. We've all seen pictures of kids who live in Africa who are nothing but skin and bones due to malnourishment and the effects of AIDS. And having relatives who have adopted and have been foster parents, my heart breaks to think of all of the children who are unwanted and unloved in this world or the children who die from starvation and neglect. If it's terrible that these things should happen to an adult, it should be a crime that it happens to children.
Michael and I have been talking recently about getting more involved in charity organizations like UNICEF and adopting or fostering kids when our financial situation is better and we're a bit older. But after reading this blog entry tonight, I feel that maybe we should start here in our hometown and offer our support to the many charities in Austin. After our best friends endured the nightmare of having their youngest in the hospital for two weeks with no clue as to why he was experiencing the ills he endured, I feel like doing something for an organization like Ronald McDonald House. I may not have a lot of extra time or a lot of extra cash, but I can definitely pick up a few choice items to be donated to the RMH for those families that are staying there and trying to live as best they can with the grief and uncertainty they go through.
While I will never tell someone they need to donate their time or money to a specific cause, I will urge you all to think about how we can give back to our communities and encourage the spirit of love and humanity in a time when we seem to be bereft of it. Regardless of party, religion, race, sexual orientation, creed, etc we are all human and we all share this one earth. I have not yet come across a religion or school of thought that doesn't tout the benefits of helping each other (and I hope I never do). When the world seems to crash down around our ears, giving back and reaching out a hand, even if reluctantly, can be immensely healing and the effects are astounding. Even if all you do is smile at a complete stranger, I urge you to stop and think about how you can give back and in a sense, pay it forward. Corny as it sounds, we can only change our world for the better if we're willing to get out there and do something. So start small, or start big, and feel the joy in giving and helping!
Cheers,
Kelly
We finished watching Long Way Round a couple of days ago, which if you're not familiar with it, it's a documentary featuring Ewan MacGregor and his best mate Charlie Boorman on a motorcycle journey to circle the Northern hemisphere. One of the things they did while on this life changing journey was to get involved with UNICEF and the things they saw just tore our hearts out. I'll admit, I have not always been as charitable to the plights of other countries as I felt it was our duty to take care of those in America first, but seeing these segments made me realize that love and charity should know no boundaries.
As I watch my daughter grow and play daily, I am reminded that she is incredibly lucky to have such a loving family and to have the basics that many children in other parts of the world lack. Ewan and Charlie met children in Mongolia who live in the heating systems underground, abandoned or lost from their families, and the only thing that keeps them fed and clothed are charities like UNICEF. We've all seen pictures of kids who live in Africa who are nothing but skin and bones due to malnourishment and the effects of AIDS. And having relatives who have adopted and have been foster parents, my heart breaks to think of all of the children who are unwanted and unloved in this world or the children who die from starvation and neglect. If it's terrible that these things should happen to an adult, it should be a crime that it happens to children.
Michael and I have been talking recently about getting more involved in charity organizations like UNICEF and adopting or fostering kids when our financial situation is better and we're a bit older. But after reading this blog entry tonight, I feel that maybe we should start here in our hometown and offer our support to the many charities in Austin. After our best friends endured the nightmare of having their youngest in the hospital for two weeks with no clue as to why he was experiencing the ills he endured, I feel like doing something for an organization like Ronald McDonald House. I may not have a lot of extra time or a lot of extra cash, but I can definitely pick up a few choice items to be donated to the RMH for those families that are staying there and trying to live as best they can with the grief and uncertainty they go through.
While I will never tell someone they need to donate their time or money to a specific cause, I will urge you all to think about how we can give back to our communities and encourage the spirit of love and humanity in a time when we seem to be bereft of it. Regardless of party, religion, race, sexual orientation, creed, etc we are all human and we all share this one earth. I have not yet come across a religion or school of thought that doesn't tout the benefits of helping each other (and I hope I never do). When the world seems to crash down around our ears, giving back and reaching out a hand, even if reluctantly, can be immensely healing and the effects are astounding. Even if all you do is smile at a complete stranger, I urge you to stop and think about how you can give back and in a sense, pay it forward. Corny as it sounds, we can only change our world for the better if we're willing to get out there and do something. So start small, or start big, and feel the joy in giving and helping!
Cheers,
Kelly
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Sound Off: It's called work for a reason...
It's time for a sound off again, folks, and have I got a doozy for you!
I'm sure you will be just as angered by this gal as much as I am. Truly, this girl deserved more than a 2.7 GPA because she is a freaking genius, y'all. Her plan is brilliant. I can just hear the thoughts in her head: Man, this whole job hunting thing sucks. Why should I bother working at finding a job like the rest of my classmates when I can just file a lawsuit and get $72k to cover my loans and the "stress" I've endured? Sheer genius. Now why didn't I think of that!? Oh probably because it's the most idiotic idea in the world. Really, honey, you thought you would go to college, party a little bit, graduate, and then you would open that diploma holder to find a job waiting for you? Oy!
My favorite bit? The GPA issue...she's got a 2.7 and she's *supposedly* getting passed up for all the students with 4.0's. Heavens to Betsy, how could an employer do that!? Now it's been a few years since I graduated from college, but last time I checked, your GPA is determined by your grades, which are the result of how hard you work in school. So...logically speaking, if an employer had to choose between two candidates from the same school, with the same degree plan, the same resume, and the only difference was their GPA...well, call me a size queen if you have to, but the bigger number's gonna win. High GPA = Hard worker = $$$ for the company. Sorry, dearheart, but I don't think the GPA is the issue here, if you catch my drift.
No college is ever going to guarantee a job after graduation, and if you think you've found one, I have a beautiful ocean view property in Kansas I'd like to sell you. Sheesh. There are some folks who say that it's today's youth who have issues with entitlement, but truthfully, it's AMERICANS who have issues with entitlement. We believe that we're entitled to carry guns anywhere we want, speak our minds, and do whatever we please because we have a pretty piece of parchment that gives us the right to do all that and more. However, we've neglected to read the fine print on that piece of parchment. What fine print you ask? Well, the fine print that says we have to work for those things and make some sacrifices in order to enjoy them, of course.
For generations we've touted two cars in the driveway, 2.5 kids, a big fancy house, and a designer wardrobe as symbols of our success. Somewhere along the way someone figured out how to look successful without stealing and without having to work hard. And now that the shit has hit the fan, we've decided to blame everyone else for our problems, instead of acknowledging the source behind the issue. It's not the Republicans or the Democrats, or the Liberals, or even the President. It's our own damn faults we're in this predicament, and it's high time we all stopped pointing fingers at someone else and take responsibility for our actions. No one told us we HAD to buy more house than we could afford and no one told us we HAD to drive a super deluxe car. No one forced us to live the lives we live. We chose to turn a blind eye and sign on the dotted line.
If you've ever listened to someone who survived during the Depression or one of the World Wars when there was rationing, their markers for happiness were very simple: they were grateful to have a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs, food in their bellies, and their family and friends nearby. And if they wanted something, they worked hard for it.
I don't want people to think that I'm anti-American; truly, I am extremely grateful for the freedoms and privileges I have--I wouldn't be writing this otherwise! It's just that I'm fed up with the politics and "ruling classes" of today and I think it's high time that we all do our part to try and reclaim the positive aspects of our culture. Like our generosity, our friendliness, our dedication to a cause, our optimism, and our work ethic. If you're surprised by that last one, don't be. Our nation was founded and built into what it was through the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors and just because we've entered the computer age doesn't mean we can stop using elbow grease and doing heavy lifting.
This article has reminded me that it's important to impart simplistic wisdom not just into my children, but also to myself. Since my husband and I have had to cut back on our spending, we've discovered that the things we considered necessities aren't so needed after all. We spend more time with our family and friends and play more with our daughter. We utilize what we've already got and turn it into something new. We've explored our talents and taken advantage of all the resources our taxpayer dollars pay for, like the library. We learned a long time ago that college education doesn't equal a paycheck; it's hard work that brings home the bacon.
Given the state of our current economy, I really hope that Ms. Thompson finds a job, but even more, I hope she learns this: that you get out of life what you put into it.
Here's to life worth living,
Kelly
I'm sure you will be just as angered by this gal as much as I am. Truly, this girl deserved more than a 2.7 GPA because she is a freaking genius, y'all. Her plan is brilliant. I can just hear the thoughts in her head: Man, this whole job hunting thing sucks. Why should I bother working at finding a job like the rest of my classmates when I can just file a lawsuit and get $72k to cover my loans and the "stress" I've endured? Sheer genius. Now why didn't I think of that!? Oh probably because it's the most idiotic idea in the world. Really, honey, you thought you would go to college, party a little bit, graduate, and then you would open that diploma holder to find a job waiting for you? Oy!
My favorite bit? The GPA issue...she's got a 2.7 and she's *supposedly* getting passed up for all the students with 4.0's. Heavens to Betsy, how could an employer do that!? Now it's been a few years since I graduated from college, but last time I checked, your GPA is determined by your grades, which are the result of how hard you work in school. So...logically speaking, if an employer had to choose between two candidates from the same school, with the same degree plan, the same resume, and the only difference was their GPA...well, call me a size queen if you have to, but the bigger number's gonna win. High GPA = Hard worker = $$$ for the company. Sorry, dearheart, but I don't think the GPA is the issue here, if you catch my drift.
No college is ever going to guarantee a job after graduation, and if you think you've found one, I have a beautiful ocean view property in Kansas I'd like to sell you. Sheesh. There are some folks who say that it's today's youth who have issues with entitlement, but truthfully, it's AMERICANS who have issues with entitlement. We believe that we're entitled to carry guns anywhere we want, speak our minds, and do whatever we please because we have a pretty piece of parchment that gives us the right to do all that and more. However, we've neglected to read the fine print on that piece of parchment. What fine print you ask? Well, the fine print that says we have to work for those things and make some sacrifices in order to enjoy them, of course.
For generations we've touted two cars in the driveway, 2.5 kids, a big fancy house, and a designer wardrobe as symbols of our success. Somewhere along the way someone figured out how to look successful without stealing and without having to work hard. And now that the shit has hit the fan, we've decided to blame everyone else for our problems, instead of acknowledging the source behind the issue. It's not the Republicans or the Democrats, or the Liberals, or even the President. It's our own damn faults we're in this predicament, and it's high time we all stopped pointing fingers at someone else and take responsibility for our actions. No one told us we HAD to buy more house than we could afford and no one told us we HAD to drive a super deluxe car. No one forced us to live the lives we live. We chose to turn a blind eye and sign on the dotted line.
If you've ever listened to someone who survived during the Depression or one of the World Wars when there was rationing, their markers for happiness were very simple: they were grateful to have a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs, food in their bellies, and their family and friends nearby. And if they wanted something, they worked hard for it.
I don't want people to think that I'm anti-American; truly, I am extremely grateful for the freedoms and privileges I have--I wouldn't be writing this otherwise! It's just that I'm fed up with the politics and "ruling classes" of today and I think it's high time that we all do our part to try and reclaim the positive aspects of our culture. Like our generosity, our friendliness, our dedication to a cause, our optimism, and our work ethic. If you're surprised by that last one, don't be. Our nation was founded and built into what it was through the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors and just because we've entered the computer age doesn't mean we can stop using elbow grease and doing heavy lifting.
This article has reminded me that it's important to impart simplistic wisdom not just into my children, but also to myself. Since my husband and I have had to cut back on our spending, we've discovered that the things we considered necessities aren't so needed after all. We spend more time with our family and friends and play more with our daughter. We utilize what we've already got and turn it into something new. We've explored our talents and taken advantage of all the resources our taxpayer dollars pay for, like the library. We learned a long time ago that college education doesn't equal a paycheck; it's hard work that brings home the bacon.
Given the state of our current economy, I really hope that Ms. Thompson finds a job, but even more, I hope she learns this: that you get out of life what you put into it.
Here's to life worth living,
Kelly
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sound Off: I Heart Newflower Market
Ok, so pretty much everyone knows my love of (mostly) hippie things. I buy local/organic/free trade/preservative free when I can and I'm always harping about saving the earth or hugging a tree. I won't claim to be the perfect hippie as there are some things that even I am grossed out by (patchouli is not a deodorant people!) and I don't always remember to recycle. So when I heard about the grand opening of Newflower Farmer's Market I was totally pumped. I was even more excited that this place is actually a store, and not an open air carnival. It still has the feel of a farmer's market, just air conditioned! I've been jonesing to go there since they opened and today I decided to travel the 3 miles to this place and check it out.
Today is Wednesday, and they do a double ad thing on those days, where last week's ad and this week's ad are both applicable, so you get crazy savings! I pulled into the parking lot and was immediately on alert. Parking lot drama can sour any shopping experience, so I had to be careful here. There were no parking spaces and I could see people getting ready to duke it out over the few spaces that there were. I managed to find one, but it involved backing up which led to some PL drama of my own. Everyone ended up happy and Billa and I trekked inside.
Newflower is in the old Hobby Lobby on Manchaca and Wm. Cannon and they've really made the place look nice. I was shocked to see lines of people waiting to check out halfway to the back of the store upon my entrance. Wow! The layout is pretty simple and easy to navigate even with all those people. I told myself that this was an exploratory trip, no list in hand, just the ads. I had thought I would pick up some of the fresh salmon at $3.88 a pound but the 15 people in line before me dissuaded me not to, but I did get a peek at it and it looked pretty fresh. This store really does have a HUGE produce section with some great prices too! I got a pound of asparagus (fresh) for $.88. I got a carton of blackberries (fresh) and a carton of blueberries (also fresh!) for $.88 a piece. I got a yellow onion for pennies on the dollar and some of their jarred roasted red peppers for $2. I'd normally pay that price for the peppers at HEB, but they wouldn't be organic. This place really does live up to serious food, silly prices!
There are sales signs everywhere that state 2 for $3 and the such and I wondered if Newflower would be like Randall's in that you had to buy the 2 items to get the sales price. So I asked a feller what the deal was and he AND another employee who happened to be walking by (I kid you not, there was a staff person on every aisle and every single one of them stops to ask if you need help--loves it!) and they both told me that Newflower was in no way sneaky about the sales. The second guy went on about the philosophy of the store and how the Ad Wednesdays worked. I asked him, "I take it you're the manager?" He laughed and responded, "No, I'm just the meat cutter!" before saying goodbye and walking off. Double wow--staff people who care and are knowledgeable!
With good, there must be evil to balance and there ARE a couple of cons that I have discovered so far. Some things that I normally buy are more expensive at Newlflower than at HEB. A half gallon of Horizon organic milk was almost $5, whereas the HEB Central Market Organics is the same price for a full gallon. A lot of the cereals were more expensive too. We buy Mom's Best from HEB for $2.59 a box; the same box was $3.69 at Newflower. I buy Cascadian Farms granola bars for $2.99 at HEB, they were almost $5 at Newflower! The parking was a little bit of a setback, the store was crowded, and they did run out of some of the sale items while I was there (they did say however they'd have more the next day). And finally, I waited almost 25 minutes to check out. The cashier informed me that it's been that busy every minute of every day since they opened up.
All in all, I got some pretty swanky stuff for $25 total and ALL of it is organic, free of nasty preservatives, local, or free trade. I'm willing to deal with crazy parking and wait in line for that amount of time to check out to save that kind of money on those types of products. I already split my shopping up between Target and HEB, one more additional trip during the week won't kill me. So in a nutshell: I heart Newflower Farmer's Market!
I hope you'll get a chance to check it out. If you want to tag team a trip with me, let me know! I think based off it's popularity, the best approach is to handle it as a two person job. You both go through half of the store together, then one hops in line while the other finishes the list. By the time Person #2 makes it to the register, you should be ready to check out! If all else fails, they have a really neat smorgasbord of magazines to read while you wait (my fave so far: ReadyMade - Everyday Instructions For Life! LOL!).
Peace!
Kelly
Today is Wednesday, and they do a double ad thing on those days, where last week's ad and this week's ad are both applicable, so you get crazy savings! I pulled into the parking lot and was immediately on alert. Parking lot drama can sour any shopping experience, so I had to be careful here. There were no parking spaces and I could see people getting ready to duke it out over the few spaces that there were. I managed to find one, but it involved backing up which led to some PL drama of my own. Everyone ended up happy and Billa and I trekked inside.
Newflower is in the old Hobby Lobby on Manchaca and Wm. Cannon and they've really made the place look nice. I was shocked to see lines of people waiting to check out halfway to the back of the store upon my entrance. Wow! The layout is pretty simple and easy to navigate even with all those people. I told myself that this was an exploratory trip, no list in hand, just the ads. I had thought I would pick up some of the fresh salmon at $3.88 a pound but the 15 people in line before me dissuaded me not to, but I did get a peek at it and it looked pretty fresh. This store really does have a HUGE produce section with some great prices too! I got a pound of asparagus (fresh) for $.88. I got a carton of blackberries (fresh) and a carton of blueberries (also fresh!) for $.88 a piece. I got a yellow onion for pennies on the dollar and some of their jarred roasted red peppers for $2. I'd normally pay that price for the peppers at HEB, but they wouldn't be organic. This place really does live up to serious food, silly prices!
There are sales signs everywhere that state 2 for $3 and the such and I wondered if Newflower would be like Randall's in that you had to buy the 2 items to get the sales price. So I asked a feller what the deal was and he AND another employee who happened to be walking by (I kid you not, there was a staff person on every aisle and every single one of them stops to ask if you need help--loves it!) and they both told me that Newflower was in no way sneaky about the sales. The second guy went on about the philosophy of the store and how the Ad Wednesdays worked. I asked him, "I take it you're the manager?" He laughed and responded, "No, I'm just the meat cutter!" before saying goodbye and walking off. Double wow--staff people who care and are knowledgeable!
With good, there must be evil to balance and there ARE a couple of cons that I have discovered so far. Some things that I normally buy are more expensive at Newlflower than at HEB. A half gallon of Horizon organic milk was almost $5, whereas the HEB Central Market Organics is the same price for a full gallon. A lot of the cereals were more expensive too. We buy Mom's Best from HEB for $2.59 a box; the same box was $3.69 at Newflower. I buy Cascadian Farms granola bars for $2.99 at HEB, they were almost $5 at Newflower! The parking was a little bit of a setback, the store was crowded, and they did run out of some of the sale items while I was there (they did say however they'd have more the next day). And finally, I waited almost 25 minutes to check out. The cashier informed me that it's been that busy every minute of every day since they opened up.
All in all, I got some pretty swanky stuff for $25 total and ALL of it is organic, free of nasty preservatives, local, or free trade. I'm willing to deal with crazy parking and wait in line for that amount of time to check out to save that kind of money on those types of products. I already split my shopping up between Target and HEB, one more additional trip during the week won't kill me. So in a nutshell: I heart Newflower Farmer's Market!
I hope you'll get a chance to check it out. If you want to tag team a trip with me, let me know! I think based off it's popularity, the best approach is to handle it as a two person job. You both go through half of the store together, then one hops in line while the other finishes the list. By the time Person #2 makes it to the register, you should be ready to check out! If all else fails, they have a really neat smorgasbord of magazines to read while you wait (my fave so far: ReadyMade - Everyday Instructions For Life! LOL!).
Peace!
Kelly
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sound Off: Popcorn Police
Oh my hell! I am so hopping mad right now! One of my pet peeves is when people burn popcorn. As a concession counter veteran from my teen aged days of having worked at Tinseltown, our mantra was "NEVER BURN THE POPCORN!" And for good reason. If you've ever walked into a movie theatre all excited about the movie you're going to see and then been walloped in the nose with the acrid smell of burnt popcorn, you can understand my irritation. The smell of burnt popcorn is awful and sours any situation super quick.
I don't know who it is, but someone at work keeps bringing in popcorn for a snack and then burns it. This has happened on so many occasions within the past month that the office manager had to send out an email to everyone kindly reminding them of the proper cooking time for popcorn in our microwaves. Personally, I have a feeling that the person in question is following said time but popping one of those little personal bags, which don't nearly require the full 2 minutes and 10 seconds that is recommended here at the office.
Someone needs to enact the Popcorn Police and either force people to pay attention to their pooping kernels or ban popcorn altogether. I am about to get medieval on the popcorn perpetrator's patookus and pound pertinent popcorn protocol into their pea pod of a brain personally!!!! (I couldn't think of a P work for brain. Lemme know if you got one!) It's a damn good thing I'm not pregnant or I'd be yakking all over the place. Part of me says I should figure out who it is and then go yak in their lap anyway, pregnant or not. That'll teach them to walk away from the microwave…
Peeved,
Kelly
I don't know who it is, but someone at work keeps bringing in popcorn for a snack and then burns it. This has happened on so many occasions within the past month that the office manager had to send out an email to everyone kindly reminding them of the proper cooking time for popcorn in our microwaves. Personally, I have a feeling that the person in question is following said time but popping one of those little personal bags, which don't nearly require the full 2 minutes and 10 seconds that is recommended here at the office.
Someone needs to enact the Popcorn Police and either force people to pay attention to their pooping kernels or ban popcorn altogether. I am about to get medieval on the popcorn perpetrator's patookus and pound pertinent popcorn protocol into their pea pod of a brain personally!!!! (I couldn't think of a P work for brain. Lemme know if you got one!) It's a damn good thing I'm not pregnant or I'd be yakking all over the place. Part of me says I should figure out who it is and then go yak in their lap anyway, pregnant or not. That'll teach them to walk away from the microwave…
Peeved,
Kelly
Monday, January 26, 2009
SOUND OFF: Vaccines
I read an article this morning on CNN which got me really riled up and in an effort to keep my BP down, I need to blog about it for a moment. The topic of today's sound off is vaccinations. The majority of new moms are quite well aware of vaccinations thanks to billboards, newspaper articles, tv news segments, and literature from pediatrician's offices. In case you've been living under a rock on Mars for the last 30 years, there are a small number of people who are members of the belief that some of the chemicals used in vaccinations cause autism and are therefore refusing vaccinations for their children so as not to contract autism.
I'm usually somewhat diplomatic, but right now I don't care if I piss anyone off on this subject, so I'll come right out with it: YOU ARE STUPID IF YOU DO NOT VACCINATE YOUR KIDS. Just because smallpox, measles, mumps, and rubella have not been in this country for some time, it doesn't mean those things don't exist out in the rest of the world. A vaccination doesn't mean that the disease is gone for good, it is an insurance policy against contracting the disease. And when you don't vaccinate your kids against them, it allows the disease to be present among the population and potentially mutate into something stronger than the vaccines are protecting against. By not choosing vaccinations, you are carelessly putting your child's life, and mine, at stake. I don't appreciate people putting my child's life at risk, so you can hopefully understand my anger and frustration on this topic.
The article in question is about an outbreak of Hib, aka Haemophilus influenzae type b, in Minnesota. Out of the five children infected with it, three were not vaccinated by choice, one was 5 months old and hadn't received all of the shots yet, and the fifth was a 15 month old who was vaccinated but has an immune deficiency. One of the children, a 7 month old whose parents chose not to get vaccinations, died. I am heartbroken for the parents' loss, but I simply cannot understand why they would ignore the scientific findings and refuse to protect their child.
The debate started some years ago over one specific vaccine and an ingredient used to preserve it's shelf life: thiomersal in the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella). Vaccine makers use thiomersal as a preservative and it's that item that vaccine naysayers say is the cause of autism in kids.
Autism is a generic term for one of several brain development disorders that are part of what is called "autistic spectrum disorders." The scientific community is still trying to determine what causes autism, but right now, research points to genetics and mutations within the genes. Because the symptoms of autism usually appear during the period of a child's life when they receive vaccinations (the first two years), parents have assumed that it was the vaccinations that caused autism in their otherwise "normal" child.
A study conducted by Wakefield et al in 1998 *SUGGESTS* there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccination. Wakefield and his buddies relied on the stories of parents with autistic children who received the MMR vaccination and did not perform any scientific testing to prove this suggestion. Further subsequent studies, including one by Wakefield et al again in 2000, still do not show any proof of the link. There are more studies that prove otherwise. That's not to say that there still might not be a link, but no one's been able to prove it yet and until they do, I'm going to play it safe and vaccinate my kids.
I don't know how many people read this blog, but I cannot stress how important it is to get your kids vaccinated. I was three when I contracted meningitis. Hib protects against kids getting meningitis, but unfortunately for me, the Hib vaccine wasn't readily available back in 1985 (it wasn't very effective and the next generation that WAS effective came in 1987). Considering the odds of my child contracting meningitis or something else as equally worse versus those of becoming autistic, I will take the chance and have my daughter and her future siblings vaccinated. I can handle autism. I don't think I could handle my daughter's death to a disease I could have protected her from. Don't put your kids or anyone else's at risk—get your kids vaccinated!
I'm usually somewhat diplomatic, but right now I don't care if I piss anyone off on this subject, so I'll come right out with it: YOU ARE STUPID IF YOU DO NOT VACCINATE YOUR KIDS. Just because smallpox, measles, mumps, and rubella have not been in this country for some time, it doesn't mean those things don't exist out in the rest of the world. A vaccination doesn't mean that the disease is gone for good, it is an insurance policy against contracting the disease. And when you don't vaccinate your kids against them, it allows the disease to be present among the population and potentially mutate into something stronger than the vaccines are protecting against. By not choosing vaccinations, you are carelessly putting your child's life, and mine, at stake. I don't appreciate people putting my child's life at risk, so you can hopefully understand my anger and frustration on this topic.
The article in question is about an outbreak of Hib, aka Haemophilus influenzae type b, in Minnesota. Out of the five children infected with it, three were not vaccinated by choice, one was 5 months old and hadn't received all of the shots yet, and the fifth was a 15 month old who was vaccinated but has an immune deficiency. One of the children, a 7 month old whose parents chose not to get vaccinations, died. I am heartbroken for the parents' loss, but I simply cannot understand why they would ignore the scientific findings and refuse to protect their child.
The debate started some years ago over one specific vaccine and an ingredient used to preserve it's shelf life: thiomersal in the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella). Vaccine makers use thiomersal as a preservative and it's that item that vaccine naysayers say is the cause of autism in kids.
Autism is a generic term for one of several brain development disorders that are part of what is called "autistic spectrum disorders." The scientific community is still trying to determine what causes autism, but right now, research points to genetics and mutations within the genes. Because the symptoms of autism usually appear during the period of a child's life when they receive vaccinations (the first two years), parents have assumed that it was the vaccinations that caused autism in their otherwise "normal" child.
A study conducted by Wakefield et al in 1998 *SUGGESTS* there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccination. Wakefield and his buddies relied on the stories of parents with autistic children who received the MMR vaccination and did not perform any scientific testing to prove this suggestion. Further subsequent studies, including one by Wakefield et al again in 2000, still do not show any proof of the link. There are more studies that prove otherwise. That's not to say that there still might not be a link, but no one's been able to prove it yet and until they do, I'm going to play it safe and vaccinate my kids.
I don't know how many people read this blog, but I cannot stress how important it is to get your kids vaccinated. I was three when I contracted meningitis. Hib protects against kids getting meningitis, but unfortunately for me, the Hib vaccine wasn't readily available back in 1985 (it wasn't very effective and the next generation that WAS effective came in 1987). Considering the odds of my child contracting meningitis or something else as equally worse versus those of becoming autistic, I will take the chance and have my daughter and her future siblings vaccinated. I can handle autism. I don't think I could handle my daughter's death to a disease I could have protected her from. Don't put your kids or anyone else's at risk—get your kids vaccinated!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sound Off: CEO Bonuses and Simplicity
I saw an article today that talks about how Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain was requesting a $10 million bonus for Christmas this year. Talk about cojones! He apparently felt that he deserved this bonus for orchestrating teh sale fo ML to Bank of America and for keeping ML's losses down to a measly $11.67 BILLION. Yes, you read that right, billion. And for those of you who are curious, that's 1.67% of the bailout Congress approved in September.
I heartily agree with the NY Attorney General that this request is shocking considering the state of the economy and that Merrill Lynch, in addition to other investment firms and banks, have all been suffering heavy hits. I have to ask though, why does someone need a $10 million bonus? I personally would love to see Mr. Thain explain to the countless children who won't be getting a Christmas this year why he deserves to get $10 million for his Christmas bonus.
And where does this $10 million come from? Because aren't the American people having to pay $700 billion to fix the excessive ways of Wall Street? Does Mr. Thain think that the American people are going to stand by and watch him roll around in our hard earned cash? Not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouth or the right circumstances to spend our adult lives twiddling our thumbs while earning $10 million bonuses (which is a piddling amount compared to bonuses in years past I'm sure). It's true that there are a few people in history who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and gone from trash to treasure, but considering there are 300 million and counting in this country, that's the exception, not the norm.
Here's my suggestion to Mr. Thain and the Merrill Lynch BoD: Give the $10 million to charity in Mr. Thain's name… he can still feel like he got a cool $10 mil, quite a few families will actually get to celebrate a joyous holiday this year, and the American people will feel a little less slighted than they already do.
I told myself I would try and keep economy doom and gloom off the blog, but I just HAD to comment on this. So excuse me a moment whilst I climb up on my soapbox here (it's a long climb)....
I think the whole thing boils down to this: why can't everyone learn to live within their means and more simply? I really think that the majority of our issues--global warming, pollution, Wall Street failing, poverty, etc--are due to all of us not learning to live a little bit more simply. We're too excited about the next big technological advance and we don't stop and think long enough about what the true impact of that might be (myself included). Apparently we are a very insecure group of people as we have to use 'stuff' to generate our self-worth. And yes, this would be a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black, as I too am a victim of this 'stuff' syndrome.
One of my resolutions for the new year, which will actually start now, is to start culling my stuff and live a bit more simply. If I don't have room for it, it's gone. Every quarter I'll clean out the closet and cull more stuff. I'll give gifts that are consumable and practical, not kitchsy and cluttery. I'll recycle more and try to reuse more items around my house so I reduce my waste but also reduce the need to buy more things. I'll reinvent the stuff I have or trade it with others. We'll save more money and try to reduce our extraneous spending. I think I'll track all of this and see what happens! I welcome any and all suggestions on living more frugally and simply and I encourage all fo you to find ways in which to live more frugally this next year. Maybe together we can stop the syndrome and find fulfillment in our current condition.
Until the next time!
K & Co.
I heartily agree with the NY Attorney General that this request is shocking considering the state of the economy and that Merrill Lynch, in addition to other investment firms and banks, have all been suffering heavy hits. I have to ask though, why does someone need a $10 million bonus? I personally would love to see Mr. Thain explain to the countless children who won't be getting a Christmas this year why he deserves to get $10 million for his Christmas bonus.
And where does this $10 million come from? Because aren't the American people having to pay $700 billion to fix the excessive ways of Wall Street? Does Mr. Thain think that the American people are going to stand by and watch him roll around in our hard earned cash? Not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouth or the right circumstances to spend our adult lives twiddling our thumbs while earning $10 million bonuses (which is a piddling amount compared to bonuses in years past I'm sure). It's true that there are a few people in history who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and gone from trash to treasure, but considering there are 300 million and counting in this country, that's the exception, not the norm.
Here's my suggestion to Mr. Thain and the Merrill Lynch BoD: Give the $10 million to charity in Mr. Thain's name… he can still feel like he got a cool $10 mil, quite a few families will actually get to celebrate a joyous holiday this year, and the American people will feel a little less slighted than they already do.
I told myself I would try and keep economy doom and gloom off the blog, but I just HAD to comment on this. So excuse me a moment whilst I climb up on my soapbox here (it's a long climb)....
I think the whole thing boils down to this: why can't everyone learn to live within their means and more simply? I really think that the majority of our issues--global warming, pollution, Wall Street failing, poverty, etc--are due to all of us not learning to live a little bit more simply. We're too excited about the next big technological advance and we don't stop and think long enough about what the true impact of that might be (myself included). Apparently we are a very insecure group of people as we have to use 'stuff' to generate our self-worth. And yes, this would be a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black, as I too am a victim of this 'stuff' syndrome.
One of my resolutions for the new year, which will actually start now, is to start culling my stuff and live a bit more simply. If I don't have room for it, it's gone. Every quarter I'll clean out the closet and cull more stuff. I'll give gifts that are consumable and practical, not kitchsy and cluttery. I'll recycle more and try to reuse more items around my house so I reduce my waste but also reduce the need to buy more things. I'll reinvent the stuff I have or trade it with others. We'll save more money and try to reduce our extraneous spending. I think I'll track all of this and see what happens! I welcome any and all suggestions on living more frugally and simply and I encourage all fo you to find ways in which to live more frugally this next year. Maybe together we can stop the syndrome and find fulfillment in our current condition.
Until the next time!
K & Co.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sound Off: Why my job is awesome!
Ah, the holidays. I saw a headline this morning that said retail consumer spending is at an all time low. Maybe with the economic crisis we're facing, more folks will actually get into the spirit of the holiday and focus more on family and not on stuff. Maybe too, we'll have less crazies at the mall and on the road. And while we're wishin', maybe Central Texas will get some snow on Christmas!!!!
All the wishing aside, I had to share some really funny things from work today. The first one is some thoughts my friend John had on the good ol' days. John is not much older than my 26 years and he sent me an email talking about how kids have it so good these days. The funny thing is, I'm not yet 30 and I remember vividly the days pre-internet, Caller ID/Call Waiting, PlayStation3 and DVD players (I suppose that's a result of growing up in a rural community). One of the comments in particular was about how there weren't any microwaves.
I know for a fact that this is not entirely true, as Microwaves have been around since the 50's. So ok, the boxes of convenient cooking we have all come to know and love might not have been here since then, but they've been around at least since 1971 when the government placed stringent regulations on microwaves sold in the US. Michael and I inherited his parents old microwave from the 80's, named "The Genius". An IM conversation ensued betwixt John and yours truly discussing the merits of said microwave and other blasts from the past.
I mentioned to John my friend Kellie's irrational fear of "The Genius" nuking myself and Michael and any unborn children and this sparked a further discussion of whether or not microwave ovens emitted radiation (Which technically they do, but not the nuclear kind. The electromagnetic waves are at the right frequency to excite water molecules which then heats them and thereby cooks our food since the majority of our foodstuffs is water based in some way.). The only danger one has from a microwave is if they put something metal inside (since microwaves reflect off of metal) and if you boil water in a narrow necked container – it will explode on you when you open the door, causing severe burns. I saw Alton Brown do it on his TV show once and it was pretty cool. So ignore those dumb chain emails telling you not to boil water in the microwave; just be smart about it and you won't get burned. And you shouldn't put a live creature into the microwave either. That's just not cool.
Kellie still avoids standing in front of the microwave whenever she can, despite the fact "The Genius" has long since departed. Everyone has their quirks: Tracie had her thing about poisoned food, Debi hates chicken, and I can't stand the way my groceries are bagged. But I digress.
The other bit of office fun is this call for music for our upcoming office holiday party:
"So do you ever go to a holiday party and think "Man, this is the worst holiday music I've ever heard!" Yeah, me too. Happens all the time!!!
Well, now's your chance to shape the future of holiday parties.
This year the music for our holiday party is literally in your hands! (okay, not literally, unless you have a CD you're holding)
We are looking for the greatest holiday-themed party music of all time to play at our shindig on December 10. If you have any suggestions, please reply to this email. No suggestion will be mocked, shunned or otherwise ignored.
And if we don't get any requests, then we're going to have to stick to the default playlist, which includes these timeless favorites:
--Jingle Bells by those barking dogs
--Frosty the Snowman by Alvin and the Chipmunks
--Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland by Sheena Easton
--Hey, it's chill in here, yo! by Nick Carter
--Let me Sleep by Pearl Jam
--Get outta my snowflake, flake! by Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong
--Turkey Stuffin' by Snoop Dogg
You can see this is a worthy cause so please don't hesitate and suggest a song today!"
I had no idea some of these songs even existed, which makes me kind of want to listen to them at least once just to see how truly awful they are.
So there you have it, the joys of my job. [sigh] I love my job.
Happy Friday!
K&Co.
All the wishing aside, I had to share some really funny things from work today. The first one is some thoughts my friend John had on the good ol' days. John is not much older than my 26 years and he sent me an email talking about how kids have it so good these days. The funny thing is, I'm not yet 30 and I remember vividly the days pre-internet, Caller ID/Call Waiting, PlayStation3 and DVD players (I suppose that's a result of growing up in a rural community). One of the comments in particular was about how there weren't any microwaves.
I know for a fact that this is not entirely true, as Microwaves have been around since the 50's. So ok, the boxes of convenient cooking we have all come to know and love might not have been here since then, but they've been around at least since 1971 when the government placed stringent regulations on microwaves sold in the US. Michael and I inherited his parents old microwave from the 80's, named "The Genius". An IM conversation ensued betwixt John and yours truly discussing the merits of said microwave and other blasts from the past.
I mentioned to John my friend Kellie's irrational fear of "The Genius" nuking myself and Michael and any unborn children and this sparked a further discussion of whether or not microwave ovens emitted radiation (Which technically they do, but not the nuclear kind. The electromagnetic waves are at the right frequency to excite water molecules which then heats them and thereby cooks our food since the majority of our foodstuffs is water based in some way.). The only danger one has from a microwave is if they put something metal inside (since microwaves reflect off of metal) and if you boil water in a narrow necked container – it will explode on you when you open the door, causing severe burns. I saw Alton Brown do it on his TV show once and it was pretty cool. So ignore those dumb chain emails telling you not to boil water in the microwave; just be smart about it and you won't get burned. And you shouldn't put a live creature into the microwave either. That's just not cool.
Kellie still avoids standing in front of the microwave whenever she can, despite the fact "The Genius" has long since departed. Everyone has their quirks: Tracie had her thing about poisoned food, Debi hates chicken, and I can't stand the way my groceries are bagged. But I digress.
The other bit of office fun is this call for music for our upcoming office holiday party:
"So do you ever go to a holiday party and think "Man, this is the worst holiday music I've ever heard!" Yeah, me too. Happens all the time!!!
Well, now's your chance to shape the future of holiday parties.
This year the music for our holiday party is literally in your hands! (okay, not literally, unless you have a CD you're holding)
We are looking for the greatest holiday-themed party music of all time to play at our shindig on December 10. If you have any suggestions, please reply to this email. No suggestion will be mocked, shunned or otherwise ignored.
And if we don't get any requests, then we're going to have to stick to the default playlist, which includes these timeless favorites:
--Jingle Bells by those barking dogs
--Frosty the Snowman by Alvin and the Chipmunks
--Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland by Sheena Easton
--Hey, it's chill in here, yo! by Nick Carter
--Let me Sleep by Pearl Jam
--Get outta my snowflake, flake! by Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong
--Turkey Stuffin' by Snoop Dogg
You can see this is a worthy cause so please don't hesitate and suggest a song today!"
I had no idea some of these songs even existed, which makes me kind of want to listen to them at least once just to see how truly awful they are.
So there you have it, the joys of my job. [sigh] I love my job.
Happy Friday!
K&Co.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sound Off: Wacky PETA at it again!
Amidst the doom and gloom of the financial failure our economy is facing, I decided to sound off on something more humorous and closer to home, or rather, my face as the case may be. I was dinking on the internet tonight and apparently the second most hotly debated topic is PETA's latest crazy shenanigans: urging Ben and Jerry to make ice cream from breast milk. Yes, my friends, you read that right. The Peeps for Ethical Treatment of Animals wants to take my breasty bounty and make delightful creamy treats with it.
Now that you've caught your breath and gotten up off the floor from laughing so hard, I will admit, I am curious to see how ice cream made from breast milk would taste. Talk about the perfect teething product!!!!! It'd be cold, it'd be nutritious and baby would be soothed and well-fed in one!
But I would be remiss if I did not allow my inner Practical Polly to appear and point out the glaring logistical error that PETA has made, namely, where the hell do they think all of that milk will come from? I'm guessing they all hate ice cream, because how much milk do they think mommies make? From what I've heard from other moms, I am extremely blessed to produce 8-10 ounces in a 20-25 minute pumping session. It takes 7 cups of milk, or 56 ounces, to make one half gallon of ice cream in my ice cream maker. I'd have to pump 7 times minimum to get enough for one full sized container of Blue Bell. I'm soooo glad that PETA thinks it's OK to starve the babies of this country in order to save a cow from being milked. And if all the cows were freed, what would we do with them? Are cows going to become the next celebrity pet? Move over, Chihuahuas and Kinkajous of America... make way for Cows!!!! I would also venture to say that PETA members must not have breastfed their children, since they are not familiar with engorgement. A cow has to be milked otherwise they will be in some serious pain. Ask any mom who has ever breastfed--engorgement is no laughing matter!
It amazes me that this crazy organization has such a strong following. Why do we allow such crazy to be in power? (This reminds me of another similar question I have often asked, but I won't mention names) I can understand advocacy against cruelty to animals, but some of the things they consider cruelty is downright ridiculous. Dogfighting? Cruel. Drowning kittens? Sick. But milking cows? Not so much.
Now don't get your panties in a bunch and sit there and tell me that I have no idea what those poor cows go through. I know perfectly well what it feels like to be a milk cow. Every day I hook myself up to a milking machine several times to make mama juice for my kid, so you can just go and drink that tall glass of ice cold, creamy, frothy milk with those hot, fresh out of the oven, gooey chocolate chip cookies and get out of my face.
Anyway, PETA can't change 10,000 years of domestication with saran wrapped interns and pornographic ad campaigns (I'm sure there is something ironical about sex and meat in that). PETA wouldn't exist today if it weren't for our prehistoric ancestors milking a goat. I think they'd be better off changing it's name to People for the Ethical Treatment of Humans (PETH). They could definitely take their $30 million annual budget and do some serious good in this country, like feeding the homeless, green energy, or making sure schools have the money they need to better educate our children. Hell, if they wanna stick with the animal theme, then how about fighting the overpopulation of pets or financing pet schools or educating pet owners on potty etiquette!
In the meantime, I'm going to go make some mama juice and figure out how I'm going to make a mint off of breast milk ice cream for babies...Boobies 'n' cream, anyone?
Nos vemos,
Kelly
Now that you've caught your breath and gotten up off the floor from laughing so hard, I will admit, I am curious to see how ice cream made from breast milk would taste. Talk about the perfect teething product!!!!! It'd be cold, it'd be nutritious and baby would be soothed and well-fed in one!
But I would be remiss if I did not allow my inner Practical Polly to appear and point out the glaring logistical error that PETA has made, namely, where the hell do they think all of that milk will come from? I'm guessing they all hate ice cream, because how much milk do they think mommies make? From what I've heard from other moms, I am extremely blessed to produce 8-10 ounces in a 20-25 minute pumping session. It takes 7 cups of milk, or 56 ounces, to make one half gallon of ice cream in my ice cream maker. I'd have to pump 7 times minimum to get enough for one full sized container of Blue Bell. I'm soooo glad that PETA thinks it's OK to starve the babies of this country in order to save a cow from being milked. And if all the cows were freed, what would we do with them? Are cows going to become the next celebrity pet? Move over, Chihuahuas and Kinkajous of America... make way for Cows!!!! I would also venture to say that PETA members must not have breastfed their children, since they are not familiar with engorgement. A cow has to be milked otherwise they will be in some serious pain. Ask any mom who has ever breastfed--engorgement is no laughing matter!
It amazes me that this crazy organization has such a strong following. Why do we allow such crazy to be in power? (This reminds me of another similar question I have often asked, but I won't mention names) I can understand advocacy against cruelty to animals, but some of the things they consider cruelty is downright ridiculous. Dogfighting? Cruel. Drowning kittens? Sick. But milking cows? Not so much.
Now don't get your panties in a bunch and sit there and tell me that I have no idea what those poor cows go through. I know perfectly well what it feels like to be a milk cow. Every day I hook myself up to a milking machine several times to make mama juice for my kid, so you can just go and drink that tall glass of ice cold, creamy, frothy milk with those hot, fresh out of the oven, gooey chocolate chip cookies and get out of my face.
Anyway, PETA can't change 10,000 years of domestication with saran wrapped interns and pornographic ad campaigns (I'm sure there is something ironical about sex and meat in that). PETA wouldn't exist today if it weren't for our prehistoric ancestors milking a goat. I think they'd be better off changing it's name to People for the Ethical Treatment of Humans (PETH). They could definitely take their $30 million annual budget and do some serious good in this country, like feeding the homeless, green energy, or making sure schools have the money they need to better educate our children. Hell, if they wanna stick with the animal theme, then how about fighting the overpopulation of pets or financing pet schools or educating pet owners on potty etiquette!
In the meantime, I'm going to go make some mama juice and figure out how I'm going to make a mint off of breast milk ice cream for babies...Boobies 'n' cream, anyone?
Nos vemos,
Kelly
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Sound Off: Green Bags & High Fructose Corn Syrup
As the saying goes, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! I just have to take a moment here and sound off about two things that are hugely irritating to me.
First item up for discussion: Green Bags. The Green Bag movement is dear to my hippie heart in many ways and in case you aren't familiar with it, green bags are reusable shopping bags made from recycled plastic. I call them green bags since I first saw them at HEB and because of the whole "happy environment/stop global warming/go green" movement. Green bags come in many different colors and I have red ones from Target and green ones from HEB. They're actually pretty strong and I love their versatility. Plus, they're cheap to buy and make me feel oh so European. So why are they hugely irritating for me? For one reason alone: while it seems that everyone wants to use them, the people bagging your groceries are clueless at how to use them. I mean come on, do you have to put my produce and that gallon of milk in the same bag? And do you have to load one bag with ALL of the heavy items? I don't know how they even lift it up into the cart much less how they expect me to carry it out of my car and up the stairs to my kitchen! Or worse, they put two items into a green bag, call it a day, and then bag everything in the disposable plastic bags.
Honestly, I wish they'd just let me bag my own damn groceries. I've always had issues with grocery store baggers; it really irritates the piss out of me when I get home and I have broken eggs, squished bread, uncooked meat mixed with produce or baby stuff, and household products with the cereal. I like to have my cold stuff packed together to keep it cold, the delicate items placed seperately and my jugs of liquid non bagged. And for the love of God and all that's holy, please don't mix mothballs or soap products with any food products!!!! I don't understand how something so simple can get so screwed up. I actually enjoy it when the store is so busy that my cashier doesn't have a bagger and I get to bag my own groceries. If I could just bag my own groceries, I would be ecstatic. Yes, I am that nuts. But you know you love it :o)
My other beef is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Michael and I were watching TLC last night and saw several commericals from the Corn Refiner's Association touting the wonders of HFCS. For the idiots in the commercials who think that having sugar made from corn is ok, HFCS IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. And for the idiots in the commercials that can't seem remember their own names much less why HFCS is bad for you, here's a reminder: the body does not recognize HFCS the same way it recognizes real, honest to goodness, genuwine sugar. Why might this be bad? Ah, well, let me step up onto my soapbox and tell you through the use of clever analogy!
After the legal amount of real sugar is consumed, Body the Bartender cuts you off and says you've had enough and calls you a cab. When you consume HFCS, it's like Body the Bartender matches you shot for shot until you've consumed an entire bottle of vodka each, the bar has long since closed, and offers to drive you home themselves. Friends do not let friends drive drunk. So what does this mean in plain English? THIS IS HOW PEOPLE GET FAT. With HFCS, you keep eating until you literally cannot fit anymore in your somach and yet you still want more. This is why you can chug a two liter of Coke and still not feel satisfied.
With obesity levels in this country soaring, I am shocked and amazed at the Corn Refiners' gumption to tout a product that is actually contributing to the problem. I wrote my college thesis on obesity in children and the numbers are not pretty. Schools are having a really tough time trying to educate students and their families about healthy eating and exercise. You'd think it was common knowledge, but it's not. And now, the stupid Corn Refiners are erasing all of that hard work by lying to the American people about HFCS. Corn Refiners of America, you are making people fat and killing them. Where is Homeland Security? Because I would think the number of deaths attributed to diseases caused by unhealthy food products is terrorism and unpatriotic. Oh wait, the corn industry is subsidized by Uncle Sam, so of course it's ok to keep on fattening us up like pigs for slaughter.
Now before you start wagging your finger in my face about my Oreo addiction, I hereby acknowledge that I do eat some products that contain HFCS. It's incredibly hard, and incredibly expensive, to go completely HFCS free. Believe me, I tried. The stuff is innocuous and insidious. The stuff shows up in everything from your cereal to your chocolate milk to your tomato sauce. It's cheap, easy to obtain, and so easy for food producers to use.
So what is our best defense? READ. Seriously! If more people actually stopped to read, and not just the internet or their email, they'd know that U turns are not allowed at certain busy intersections, that they cannot go down an up row at the foodstore (that's for you Kristin!), and just how far down the list HFCS is on their foodstuffs. They'd also know that the speed limit is 30 mph and that even though I am going 40, they can back the eff off of my tail while driving. But that, my friends, is for another sound off at a later date.
Goodnight,
Kelly
First item up for discussion: Green Bags. The Green Bag movement is dear to my hippie heart in many ways and in case you aren't familiar with it, green bags are reusable shopping bags made from recycled plastic. I call them green bags since I first saw them at HEB and because of the whole "happy environment/stop global warming/go green" movement. Green bags come in many different colors and I have red ones from Target and green ones from HEB. They're actually pretty strong and I love their versatility. Plus, they're cheap to buy and make me feel oh so European. So why are they hugely irritating for me? For one reason alone: while it seems that everyone wants to use them, the people bagging your groceries are clueless at how to use them. I mean come on, do you have to put my produce and that gallon of milk in the same bag? And do you have to load one bag with ALL of the heavy items? I don't know how they even lift it up into the cart much less how they expect me to carry it out of my car and up the stairs to my kitchen! Or worse, they put two items into a green bag, call it a day, and then bag everything in the disposable plastic bags.
Honestly, I wish they'd just let me bag my own damn groceries. I've always had issues with grocery store baggers; it really irritates the piss out of me when I get home and I have broken eggs, squished bread, uncooked meat mixed with produce or baby stuff, and household products with the cereal. I like to have my cold stuff packed together to keep it cold, the delicate items placed seperately and my jugs of liquid non bagged. And for the love of God and all that's holy, please don't mix mothballs or soap products with any food products!!!! I don't understand how something so simple can get so screwed up. I actually enjoy it when the store is so busy that my cashier doesn't have a bagger and I get to bag my own groceries. If I could just bag my own groceries, I would be ecstatic. Yes, I am that nuts. But you know you love it :o)
My other beef is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Michael and I were watching TLC last night and saw several commericals from the Corn Refiner's Association touting the wonders of HFCS. For the idiots in the commercials who think that having sugar made from corn is ok, HFCS IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. And for the idiots in the commercials that can't seem remember their own names much less why HFCS is bad for you, here's a reminder: the body does not recognize HFCS the same way it recognizes real, honest to goodness, genuwine sugar. Why might this be bad? Ah, well, let me step up onto my soapbox and tell you through the use of clever analogy!
After the legal amount of real sugar is consumed, Body the Bartender cuts you off and says you've had enough and calls you a cab. When you consume HFCS, it's like Body the Bartender matches you shot for shot until you've consumed an entire bottle of vodka each, the bar has long since closed, and offers to drive you home themselves. Friends do not let friends drive drunk. So what does this mean in plain English? THIS IS HOW PEOPLE GET FAT. With HFCS, you keep eating until you literally cannot fit anymore in your somach and yet you still want more. This is why you can chug a two liter of Coke and still not feel satisfied.
With obesity levels in this country soaring, I am shocked and amazed at the Corn Refiners' gumption to tout a product that is actually contributing to the problem. I wrote my college thesis on obesity in children and the numbers are not pretty. Schools are having a really tough time trying to educate students and their families about healthy eating and exercise. You'd think it was common knowledge, but it's not. And now, the stupid Corn Refiners are erasing all of that hard work by lying to the American people about HFCS. Corn Refiners of America, you are making people fat and killing them. Where is Homeland Security? Because I would think the number of deaths attributed to diseases caused by unhealthy food products is terrorism and unpatriotic. Oh wait, the corn industry is subsidized by Uncle Sam, so of course it's ok to keep on fattening us up like pigs for slaughter.
Now before you start wagging your finger in my face about my Oreo addiction, I hereby acknowledge that I do eat some products that contain HFCS. It's incredibly hard, and incredibly expensive, to go completely HFCS free. Believe me, I tried. The stuff is innocuous and insidious. The stuff shows up in everything from your cereal to your chocolate milk to your tomato sauce. It's cheap, easy to obtain, and so easy for food producers to use.
So what is our best defense? READ. Seriously! If more people actually stopped to read, and not just the internet or their email, they'd know that U turns are not allowed at certain busy intersections, that they cannot go down an up row at the foodstore (that's for you Kristin!), and just how far down the list HFCS is on their foodstuffs. They'd also know that the speed limit is 30 mph and that even though I am going 40, they can back the eff off of my tail while driving. But that, my friends, is for another sound off at a later date.
Goodnight,
Kelly
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