I haven't written for a long time because I have been so freakishly busy. This whole mother of a senior thing is time consuming. Add to that teaching 6 college classes at 3 different colleges and I often catch myself coming and going. I was so addlepated yesterday I forgot it was Tuesday night--Glee night! I forgot to watch the BEST SHOW EVER! Seriously, what is the world coming to when I can forget to watch musical theatre??
In addition to the stress of the last two weeks of the semester and the apparently endless list of activities that goes with graduation, my daughter is now actively competing in not one, but two sports. During the week I attend track meets and on Sundays I travel to Ames to watch her play in the high school spring league. I guess ASA softball is Josie's first real high school sport, even though she is still an 8th grader. She and the other junior high players have been seeing quite a bit of playing time, which is fun. Each game day is a double header. Late in the second game versus the Ames JV team, Josie found herself on third base. She's already stolen home once, so she was pretty confident in her baserunning. Sure enough, there was a passed ball and she headed for home. About three steps off third, her cleats caught her sweats--and pulled them down. She ran the rest of the bathpath with her pants around her ankles! AND--she was safe!! You've heard of Shoeless Joe Jackson of the Chicago Black Sox, right? Well, meet Pantless Josie B of the Southeast Webster-Grand Eagles.
Even if she doesn't lose her pants again, it's going to be a fun summer watching her play ball. It's my favorite sport to follow, probably because its outside!
Track is also an outdoors sport, but the weather is never as nice as it is during softball. After a glorious March, this April has been somewhat miserable. At the Little Eagle Invite I not only wore a sweatshirt and a jacket, I bundled up in two blankets. Frosty--that's what it was. Braving the cold was worth it to watch Jo win three events and finish fourth in another. Have I mentioned lately how proud I am of my middle child?
The end of this hectic period is well within sight. DMACC starts finals week in 8 days; graduation is in less than a month; Cody has secured a summer job at the Y camp outside of Boone, so not only will be he reaping life skills, but he'll be out of the house most of the summer, meaning I can redecorate his room without his interference . . . I mean help. Patrick is very much looking forward to moving up into Cody's room when big brother goes to college in the fall. First, I plan on basically fumigating said room, repainting it, fixing the windows and the walls, etc., etc., etc. Cody's kind of hard on housing.
My plan is to persevere for the next month--and then kick back and enjoy the summer. I'll still be teaching my online and night classes, but the majority of my day will be spent sitting in a bag chair, watching ball games and reading my Kindle. I'm sure I'll miss Cody (I sat in my car and cried for twenty minutes after I put his open house invitations in the mail), but right now I'm just so excited for this next stage of his life the fact that he'll be gone doesn't seem so bad.
That's what I say now. But if you see me sitting in one of those bag chairs crying a little this summer, you'll know I'm missing my Code man as he starts on his huge adventure called life. *sigh* As much as I'm looking forward to summer, I'm kind of dreading it, too.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Hoodie-gate?
Thank you, Geraldo, for, once again, making everything crystal clear. It's the hoodie that's the problem. Thank you for solving all the racial violence problems in America with that one simple fashion statement. Shoot--if you just would have announced it a little sooner, Trayton Martin might still be alive. Well, perhaps "Shoot" wasn't the best interjection to use in that sentence. Sorry--I'm a little embarassed. Not as embarassed as you were when you opened Al Capone's vault--but close.
Here is what the eminent journalist-said on "Fox and Friends.": "I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly not to let their children go out wearing hoodies. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as much as George Zimmerman was."
Seriously, Geraldo? Seriously? A over-zealous neighborhood watch officer with a penchant for calling the police (46 times in the last eight years) and history of racists statements shoots a kid who is carrying nothing, but Skittles and iced tea--and it is the fault of the kids' attire. Let me guess--you believe that women who wear short skirts deserve to be raped.
The shooter, George Zimmerman, is only 28 years old and is of Latino descent. He's now in hiding because of a series of death threats. His father says it is all a big misunderstanding. So was Pearl Harbor.
Actually, the chief investigator of the case immediately wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter in the death of Trayton Martin. But, Florida's unusual weapons law is making that difficult. You see, Zimmerman lives in Florida--a state that has a concealed weapons law, much like the one that is currently working its way through the Iowa Legislature. In addition to making it legal to carry a concealed weapon pretty much anywhere a person wants to go, another part of this law says that a person doesn't have to flee if they feel attacked. The "Flee First" law is pretty much standard in any state; it is believed to save many lives. And, guess what? We are thinking of getting rid of it here in Iowa. Yeppers, some legislators in Iowa want it to be legal to carry a concealed weapon anywhere you want to and also believe we should shoot first and ask questions later.
In other words, the laws in Florida that are making it so very difficult to arrest and charge a man that shot a teenager, are currently being seriously considered here in the heartland. It is my hope that the lawmakers and voters in Iowa will see past the subterfuge and consider the REAL issue in this shooting: too lenient gun laws.Sorry, Geraldo--the hoodie wasn't the problem. It was the Wild West mentally of Florida and other states that promote concealed weapons. We absolutely, positively DO NOT need a law like this in Iowa.
Well, at least Geraldo didn't blame the Skittles--'cause I freakin' love those.
Here is what the eminent journalist-said on "Fox and Friends.": "I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly not to let their children go out wearing hoodies. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as much as George Zimmerman was."
Seriously, Geraldo? Seriously? A over-zealous neighborhood watch officer with a penchant for calling the police (46 times in the last eight years) and history of racists statements shoots a kid who is carrying nothing, but Skittles and iced tea--and it is the fault of the kids' attire. Let me guess--you believe that women who wear short skirts deserve to be raped.
The shooter, George Zimmerman, is only 28 years old and is of Latino descent. He's now in hiding because of a series of death threats. His father says it is all a big misunderstanding. So was Pearl Harbor.
Actually, the chief investigator of the case immediately wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter in the death of Trayton Martin. But, Florida's unusual weapons law is making that difficult. You see, Zimmerman lives in Florida--a state that has a concealed weapons law, much like the one that is currently working its way through the Iowa Legislature. In addition to making it legal to carry a concealed weapon pretty much anywhere a person wants to go, another part of this law says that a person doesn't have to flee if they feel attacked. The "Flee First" law is pretty much standard in any state; it is believed to save many lives. And, guess what? We are thinking of getting rid of it here in Iowa. Yeppers, some legislators in Iowa want it to be legal to carry a concealed weapon anywhere you want to and also believe we should shoot first and ask questions later.
In other words, the laws in Florida that are making it so very difficult to arrest and charge a man that shot a teenager, are currently being seriously considered here in the heartland. It is my hope that the lawmakers and voters in Iowa will see past the subterfuge and consider the REAL issue in this shooting: too lenient gun laws.Sorry, Geraldo--the hoodie wasn't the problem. It was the Wild West mentally of Florida and other states that promote concealed weapons. We absolutely, positively DO NOT need a law like this in Iowa.
Well, at least Geraldo didn't blame the Skittles--'cause I freakin' love those.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Marilyn's column and David Barton
In this week's Review, Marilyn quotes a web source extensively. It is wallbuilders.org
Finally had a minute to look into it and--yeah--it didn't take long to find LOTS of scholarly criticism on the founder, David Barton.
This article isn't "scholarly" at all--but is a sampling of some of the issues with her source. Google it yourself--pretty interesting stuff. Needless to say, most of what was reported in the Review this week was less-than-accurate.
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/593010/jon_stewart_and_actual_historian_refute_beck_fave,_david_barton,_on_religion_and_law/
Finally had a minute to look into it and--yeah--it didn't take long to find LOTS of scholarly criticism on the founder, David Barton.
This article isn't "scholarly" at all--but is a sampling of some of the issues with her source. Google it yourself--pretty interesting stuff. Needless to say, most of what was reported in the Review this week was less-than-accurate.
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/593010/jon_stewart_and_actual_historian_refute_beck_fave,_david_barton,_on_religion_and_law/
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
I WAS ROBBED
I have posted for a couple of weeks because I was ROBBED--which has been taking up a lot of my time. For the record, when people tell you not to keep your PIN number in your wallet and not to carry your social security cards around either, there is a REASON for that. The last two weeks have been a major pain in the buttocks dealing with the theft of my wallet.
But, more disturbing than the loss of my money and other "stuff," is the loss of the feeling of security I had at work. It was just a short month ago that I caught myself walking down the hall at DMACC and thinking, "Wow, I finally feel comfortable here; like I belong." Just a few days later and a stranger walked into my classroom while I was teaching, grabbed the wallet from my purse on the floor at the back of the room, and ran off with my . . . everything. He took my cash card and immediately went to several ATMS's and withdrew my money. It happened on a payday,of course. But he also took all my credit cards, my checkbook, my insurance cards, my children's and my social security cards--and bunch of other stuff too numerous to mention including some coupons, the bastard.
I dismissed class early (they were in tears, practically, because we didn't get to watch Yentl), and called the police. They came and were great. The guy also broke into the food pantry and stole some free food. Very odd.
A few days later the police found my wallet with most everything in it--but no debit card (which I had already canceled) and no social security cards. Cody and I went to the social security office in Fort Dodge to order replacement cards and to put a credit watch on our finances. It was pretty uncomplicated, really,but I was surprised to see an armed security guard at the door of the offices. "What's this world coming to"" was my cliche'd thought. A week later a good Samaritan in Boone found my debit card when she was out jogging, tracked me down, and called me.
Lesson learned: I don't carry my PIN number or my social security card with me any more and I take my purse everywhere, even to the front of the classroom. Still--something valuable is lost--and it's not just my med card, which wasn't with the rest of the wallet when it was recovered. The whole "Iowans are good people; they would never steal" naivety is gone.
I'm not sure how I'm supposed to remember my kids' social security number (I can barely remember my own!) and it is requested EVERYWHERE--but I'll figure out a way and put those new cards that arrived today in the safe. The bank gave me back the stolen money and the cards have all been replaced. My struggle now is to remember the lady that went out of her way to find me after she found my battered debit card on the ground and not dwell on the skinny, nervous, unhealthy young man that robbed me.
But,I'm freaked out. I teach a lot of night classes this term and often am walking to my car after 10:00 PM. My friend David bought me pepper spray and this thing that if I pull out the pin, it will make a REALLY loud noise--but that still doesn't make me feel much safer. I want to bring either Dean, Cody, or Macbeth with me to work at night, to keep me safe from the bad'uns that enjoy hurting people. I know it is irrational--but it is still how I feel right now as I prepare to walk to my car after class at 9:30 at night.
Pepper spray in one hand; cell phone in the other--here I go. But I'm telling you right now, that thief took way more than my wallet--he took my confidence and that's a little harder to replace than credit cards and checkbooks.
But, more disturbing than the loss of my money and other "stuff," is the loss of the feeling of security I had at work. It was just a short month ago that I caught myself walking down the hall at DMACC and thinking, "Wow, I finally feel comfortable here; like I belong." Just a few days later and a stranger walked into my classroom while I was teaching, grabbed the wallet from my purse on the floor at the back of the room, and ran off with my . . . everything. He took my cash card and immediately went to several ATMS's and withdrew my money. It happened on a payday,of course. But he also took all my credit cards, my checkbook, my insurance cards, my children's and my social security cards--and bunch of other stuff too numerous to mention including some coupons, the bastard.
I dismissed class early (they were in tears, practically, because we didn't get to watch Yentl), and called the police. They came and were great. The guy also broke into the food pantry and stole some free food. Very odd.
A few days later the police found my wallet with most everything in it--but no debit card (which I had already canceled) and no social security cards. Cody and I went to the social security office in Fort Dodge to order replacement cards and to put a credit watch on our finances. It was pretty uncomplicated, really,but I was surprised to see an armed security guard at the door of the offices. "What's this world coming to"" was my cliche'd thought. A week later a good Samaritan in Boone found my debit card when she was out jogging, tracked me down, and called me.
Lesson learned: I don't carry my PIN number or my social security card with me any more and I take my purse everywhere, even to the front of the classroom. Still--something valuable is lost--and it's not just my med card, which wasn't with the rest of the wallet when it was recovered. The whole "Iowans are good people; they would never steal" naivety is gone.
I'm not sure how I'm supposed to remember my kids' social security number (I can barely remember my own!) and it is requested EVERYWHERE--but I'll figure out a way and put those new cards that arrived today in the safe. The bank gave me back the stolen money and the cards have all been replaced. My struggle now is to remember the lady that went out of her way to find me after she found my battered debit card on the ground and not dwell on the skinny, nervous, unhealthy young man that robbed me.
But,I'm freaked out. I teach a lot of night classes this term and often am walking to my car after 10:00 PM. My friend David bought me pepper spray and this thing that if I pull out the pin, it will make a REALLY loud noise--but that still doesn't make me feel much safer. I want to bring either Dean, Cody, or Macbeth with me to work at night, to keep me safe from the bad'uns that enjoy hurting people. I know it is irrational--but it is still how I feel right now as I prepare to walk to my car after class at 9:30 at night.
Pepper spray in one hand; cell phone in the other--here I go. But I'm telling you right now, that thief took way more than my wallet--he took my confidence and that's a little harder to replace than credit cards and checkbooks.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Now You've Pissed Me Off!
"But is there such thing as a sincere liberal Christian, which says that we basically take this document and re-write it ourselves? Is that really Christian? That’s a bigger question for me. And the answer is, no, it’s not. I don’t think there is such a thing. To take what is plainly written and say that I don’t agree with that, therefore, I don’t have to pay attention to it, means you’re not what you say you are. You’re a liberal something, but you’re not a Christian. That’s sort of how I look at it." Rick Santorum, 2008 interview with the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life.
Seriously, Rick?? Seriously?? You really want to go there with me?? K--let's take off the gloves and spar.
Let's start with the website jesusisaliberal.org According to this site, "(Jesus) rejected greed, violence,
the glorification of power, the amassing of wealth without social balance, and the personal judging of others, their
lifestyles and beliefs." Hmmm--that sounds pretty liberal to me. And--Mr. Santorum (May I call you Rick? Or, perhaps, Dick??)--if you don't want us liberals taking what is plainly written and saying that we don't agree with it, perhaps you should take your own advice. Ah, yes, the judging thing. Pretty sure, that Dick and those like him spend most of their time judging: judging President Obama, saying he isn't really a Christian; judging homosexuals and saying they are not entitled to the same rights as others; judging, well, basically anyone that isn't JUST LIKE THEM.
But, everyone knows that you can't take everything that is written on the internet as gospel. Are there any BIBLICAL references that show that Jesus Christ was a liberal? You bet your sweet patootie. Let's start with peacemaking, because everyone knows that liberals are doves and conservatives want to bomb 'em back to the Stone Age. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. [Matthew 5:9] Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. [Matthew 5:39] I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite-fully use you, and persecute you. [Matthew 5:44]" Well, maybe Rick skipped Sunday school that day.
How about Bible verses in regards to justice, because you know that liberals are soft on crime and good conservatives say to skip the trial and hang the bastard, he's probably guilty of something? According to the Bible, :"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone at her. [John 8:7] Do not judge, lest you too be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Matthew 7:1 & 2.] Oops--there's that judging thing again. Well, maybe Rick was on jury duty or perhaps stoning someone the day they covered those verses in church.
Well, how about in regards to wealth and that dreaded socialist philosophy of "spreading it around" a little. Surely, Jesus wants rich people to keep their money and live in great big houses that they can build to the glory of Him. And, you know, play golf and polo and most importantly contribute to Republican presidential candidates. Sorry, Rick--wrong again: " In the temple courts [Jesus] found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. [John 2:14 & 15.] Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. [Luke 12.15.] Truly, I say unto you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 19:23] You cannot serve both God and Money. [Matthew 6:24.]"
I could go on and on--but the website seems to be right. Jesus was definitely a liberal. SO--if Rick Santorum was right, it is impossible for Jesus Christ Himself to be a Christian. WOWZA--it's gonna take a few minutes for me to get my head around that one. According to former Senator Santorum, Jesus can't be a member of the religion that bears his name! What does that make Jesus then? An aethiest? No--that doesn't make sense; Jesus most certainly believed in himself--he wasn't invisible or schizophrenic or something. Is he a Muslim? Nope--that can't be right--then we'd have to bomb him and burn his holy books. How about Jewish? Wait--he WAS actually King of the Jews--so maybe that's it. Jesus was the founding member of Jews for Jesus.
Glad we've figured out what Jesus is. And I think it's also been made perfectly clear what Santorum is as well. I'm not going to say that he isn't a Christian (although I'm sure he'd say that about me) because he IS--he believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he died for our sins. That's all it takes, folks. You don't have to be for this war or that tax or the other policy to be a Christian--you just gotta believe those two little things. Rick Santorum can add this issue to the long list of other issues for which he doesn't have a clue.
That being said: I urge you all to VOTE FOR RICK. It would be so much to watch Obama kick his ass this fall in the general election.
Seriously, Rick?? Seriously?? You really want to go there with me?? K--let's take off the gloves and spar.
Let's start with the website jesusisaliberal.org According to this site, "(Jesus) rejected greed, violence,
the glorification of power, the amassing of wealth without social balance, and the personal judging of others, their
lifestyles and beliefs." Hmmm--that sounds pretty liberal to me. And--Mr. Santorum (May I call you Rick? Or, perhaps, Dick??)--if you don't want us liberals taking what is plainly written and saying that we don't agree with it, perhaps you should take your own advice. Ah, yes, the judging thing. Pretty sure, that Dick and those like him spend most of their time judging: judging President Obama, saying he isn't really a Christian; judging homosexuals and saying they are not entitled to the same rights as others; judging, well, basically anyone that isn't JUST LIKE THEM.
But, everyone knows that you can't take everything that is written on the internet as gospel. Are there any BIBLICAL references that show that Jesus Christ was a liberal? You bet your sweet patootie. Let's start with peacemaking, because everyone knows that liberals are doves and conservatives want to bomb 'em back to the Stone Age. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. [Matthew 5:9] Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. [Matthew 5:39] I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite-fully use you, and persecute you. [Matthew 5:44]" Well, maybe Rick skipped Sunday school that day.
How about Bible verses in regards to justice, because you know that liberals are soft on crime and good conservatives say to skip the trial and hang the bastard, he's probably guilty of something? According to the Bible, :"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone at her. [John 8:7] Do not judge, lest you too be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Matthew 7:1 & 2.] Oops--there's that judging thing again. Well, maybe Rick was on jury duty or perhaps stoning someone the day they covered those verses in church.
Well, how about in regards to wealth and that dreaded socialist philosophy of "spreading it around" a little. Surely, Jesus wants rich people to keep their money and live in great big houses that they can build to the glory of Him. And, you know, play golf and polo and most importantly contribute to Republican presidential candidates. Sorry, Rick--wrong again: " In the temple courts [Jesus] found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. [John 2:14 & 15.] Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. [Luke 12.15.] Truly, I say unto you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 19:23] You cannot serve both God and Money. [Matthew 6:24.]"
I could go on and on--but the website seems to be right. Jesus was definitely a liberal. SO--if Rick Santorum was right, it is impossible for Jesus Christ Himself to be a Christian. WOWZA--it's gonna take a few minutes for me to get my head around that one. According to former Senator Santorum, Jesus can't be a member of the religion that bears his name! What does that make Jesus then? An aethiest? No--that doesn't make sense; Jesus most certainly believed in himself--he wasn't invisible or schizophrenic or something. Is he a Muslim? Nope--that can't be right--then we'd have to bomb him and burn his holy books. How about Jewish? Wait--he WAS actually King of the Jews--so maybe that's it. Jesus was the founding member of Jews for Jesus.
Glad we've figured out what Jesus is. And I think it's also been made perfectly clear what Santorum is as well. I'm not going to say that he isn't a Christian (although I'm sure he'd say that about me) because he IS--he believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he died for our sins. That's all it takes, folks. You don't have to be for this war or that tax or the other policy to be a Christian--you just gotta believe those two little things. Rick Santorum can add this issue to the long list of other issues for which he doesn't have a clue.
That being said: I urge you all to VOTE FOR RICK. It would be so much to watch Obama kick his ass this fall in the general election.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
And now it's Rick Santorum
After taking a break last week (I had something like three million papers to grade) from writing my blog, I feel I must return to my first love: politics. Yes, there are many more local things I could discuss: trimesters, Jo's awesome basketball season, Iowa's apparent lack of a winter--but I just can't stop myself from writing about the new leader in the Republican presidential race: Rick Santorum. This guy is a serious nutcase and right now, he's leading serious contender Mitt Romney and political heavyweight Newt Gingrich. And Ron Paul.
First off, he's a heavy-duty homophobe. I'm not talking your garden variety "let's leave the Lutheran Church" homophobe--I'm talking verging on mental illness homophobe. During his 99-country tour of Iowa, Santorum frequently compared same-sex relationships to inanimate objects like trees, basketballs, beer, and paper towels and even tried to blame the economic crisis on gay people. As Santorum explained back in August, religious people have a constitutional right to discriminate against gays: “We have a right the Constitution of religious liberty but now the courts have created a super-right that’s above a right that’s actually in the Constitution, and that’s of sexual liberty. And I think that’s a wrong, that’s a destructive element.” I don't know about you, but I wouldn't even know how to go about having sex with a paper towel. Anyone that can imagine that is a little unhinged.
Rick actually spends quite a bit of time talking about sex. He thinks contraception is "dangerous" and that perhaps states should ban it. I'll just let him say it himself: "That's the perfect way that a sexual union should happen. We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that's not for purposes of procreation, that's not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can't you take other parts of that out? And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it's simply pleasure. And that's certainly a part of it--and it's an important part of it, don't get me wrong--but there's a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special. Again, I know most presidents don't talk about those things, and maybe people don't want us to talk about those things, but I think it's important that you are who you are. I'm not running for preacher."
Okay, so let me get this straight. Rick Santorum thinks the president should decide what is "special," particularly in regards to sexual things. And if a couple isn't having sex for procreation, it loses it's "specialness." So, post-menupausal and sterile women should just give up the ghost. Oh yeah, and he's not running for preacher, whatever that means. So sayeth the man that wants to be president.
The fact that this man is even taken seriously says a lot about the electorate. In the fight for "who can be the most conservative" he surely wins. Well, I guess that something. Not something substantive, educated, or sane--but something.
First off, he's a heavy-duty homophobe. I'm not talking your garden variety "let's leave the Lutheran Church" homophobe--I'm talking verging on mental illness homophobe. During his 99-country tour of Iowa, Santorum frequently compared same-sex relationships to inanimate objects like trees, basketballs, beer, and paper towels and even tried to blame the economic crisis on gay people. As Santorum explained back in August, religious people have a constitutional right to discriminate against gays: “We have a right the Constitution of religious liberty but now the courts have created a super-right that’s above a right that’s actually in the Constitution, and that’s of sexual liberty. And I think that’s a wrong, that’s a destructive element.” I don't know about you, but I wouldn't even know how to go about having sex with a paper towel. Anyone that can imagine that is a little unhinged.
Rick actually spends quite a bit of time talking about sex. He thinks contraception is "dangerous" and that perhaps states should ban it. I'll just let him say it himself: "That's the perfect way that a sexual union should happen. We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that's not for purposes of procreation, that's not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can't you take other parts of that out? And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it's simply pleasure. And that's certainly a part of it--and it's an important part of it, don't get me wrong--but there's a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special. Again, I know most presidents don't talk about those things, and maybe people don't want us to talk about those things, but I think it's important that you are who you are. I'm not running for preacher."
Okay, so let me get this straight. Rick Santorum thinks the president should decide what is "special," particularly in regards to sexual things. And if a couple isn't having sex for procreation, it loses it's "specialness." So, post-menupausal and sterile women should just give up the ghost. Oh yeah, and he's not running for preacher, whatever that means. So sayeth the man that wants to be president.
The fact that this man is even taken seriously says a lot about the electorate. In the fight for "who can be the most conservative" he surely wins. Well, I guess that something. Not something substantive, educated, or sane--but something.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I'm going to take a break from writing about politics for a week. I'm going to write about something really important: my son Cody's upcoming high school graduation. The next person to ask me what Cody's plans are after graduation may just get smacked. Cody's plans go up to the actual graduation ceremony and then he's pretty much plan-less. As frustrating as I find that--being a super planner myself (when I was little more than a toddler I was making lists for my mother), it is HIS future and there's not a whole lot I can do if he doesn't hurry up and make some decisions, darn it.
All I can control is what leads up to the graduation ceremony--senior pictures, class rings, and, of course, the graduation open house. Not that Cody hasn't had input into these things--it's just that if he doesn't make a decision, I just go ahead and make it for him. And--it gets done--crossed off the list--never to be worried about again. The ways things should be, darn it. But, I digress.
We decided to combine a cross country pasta supper with a zombie theme. Yeppers--no little ham sandwiches for this graduation party--we're gonna be DIFFERENT. Instead of the obligatory cake, we'll be serving zombie cookies. I wasn't even going to offer mints--but then I found a brain mold so decided to go ahead and make some bloody little sweets. Well, at least I PLAN on making mints--I've never actually done it before and most of my cooking experiments don't turn out so well.
The plates and napkins won't be in class colors, but in black, because, well, zombies like black. I bought them on clearance the day after Halloween, along with some eyeball ice cubes and an intestine jello mold. The punch will be bright red and served in an IV bag. Instead of signing a guest book, visitors will have their picture taken with the grad by a pack of marauding zombies left over from Paddy's birthday party.
But that's not all folks: Cody decided he wanted to have a bouncy house for all his little nieces, nephews, and cousins. And not just any bouncy house--but a PRINCESS bouncy house. Patrick--in full zombie regalia--will serve as the host of the bouncy house. Yes, I do have strange children. Why do you ask?
The biggest challenge has to do with the most normal decision we've made--the meal. Before every cross country meet the last six years, Dean has hosted a pasta pot luck for his runners. We decided Cody's graduation party would be his last pasta supper as a high schooler. Since Cody's a vegetarian (yet again, he is odd), we decided on a white sauce, a red sauce, two different noodles, and no meat. A little research showed that serving pasta buffet-style is difficult. Apparently, I am to cook the noodles to "slightly below al dente" and then give them a "cold shock." I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds complicated. Then you serve the pasta in warm water. Well, I found some really cool skeleton tongs to serve it with--that's a start, right?? Ham sandwiches might have been easier.
I haven't figured out what to do about bread yet. I've been using my newfound couponing skills to buy the pasta and sauce at really good prices. I may have to MAKE the alfredo sauce--something else that terrifies me. We are having the party at the Dayton Country Clubhouse--I couldn't add cleaning my house to the stress of cooking and remain SANE. Cody's job is to show up, be charming, and, oh yeah, GRADUATE. We are hoping his band will play at 8:00 if they can coordinate their schedules. If not, there will be a zombie walk through Dayton at this time.
So, if you're not doing anything the Friday before graduation, consider yourself cordially invited to Cody Kelso Breitsprecher's zombie graduation pasta supper. Come eat some vegetarian spaghetti, bounce is a big pink castle, and congratulate my favorite graduate. If nothing else, it should prove interesting.
All I can control is what leads up to the graduation ceremony--senior pictures, class rings, and, of course, the graduation open house. Not that Cody hasn't had input into these things--it's just that if he doesn't make a decision, I just go ahead and make it for him. And--it gets done--crossed off the list--never to be worried about again. The ways things should be, darn it. But, I digress.
We decided to combine a cross country pasta supper with a zombie theme. Yeppers--no little ham sandwiches for this graduation party--we're gonna be DIFFERENT. Instead of the obligatory cake, we'll be serving zombie cookies. I wasn't even going to offer mints--but then I found a brain mold so decided to go ahead and make some bloody little sweets. Well, at least I PLAN on making mints--I've never actually done it before and most of my cooking experiments don't turn out so well.
The plates and napkins won't be in class colors, but in black, because, well, zombies like black. I bought them on clearance the day after Halloween, along with some eyeball ice cubes and an intestine jello mold. The punch will be bright red and served in an IV bag. Instead of signing a guest book, visitors will have their picture taken with the grad by a pack of marauding zombies left over from Paddy's birthday party.
But that's not all folks: Cody decided he wanted to have a bouncy house for all his little nieces, nephews, and cousins. And not just any bouncy house--but a PRINCESS bouncy house. Patrick--in full zombie regalia--will serve as the host of the bouncy house. Yes, I do have strange children. Why do you ask?
The biggest challenge has to do with the most normal decision we've made--the meal. Before every cross country meet the last six years, Dean has hosted a pasta pot luck for his runners. We decided Cody's graduation party would be his last pasta supper as a high schooler. Since Cody's a vegetarian (yet again, he is odd), we decided on a white sauce, a red sauce, two different noodles, and no meat. A little research showed that serving pasta buffet-style is difficult. Apparently, I am to cook the noodles to "slightly below al dente" and then give them a "cold shock." I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds complicated. Then you serve the pasta in warm water. Well, I found some really cool skeleton tongs to serve it with--that's a start, right?? Ham sandwiches might have been easier.
I haven't figured out what to do about bread yet. I've been using my newfound couponing skills to buy the pasta and sauce at really good prices. I may have to MAKE the alfredo sauce--something else that terrifies me. We are having the party at the Dayton Country Clubhouse--I couldn't add cleaning my house to the stress of cooking and remain SANE. Cody's job is to show up, be charming, and, oh yeah, GRADUATE. We are hoping his band will play at 8:00 if they can coordinate their schedules. If not, there will be a zombie walk through Dayton at this time.
So, if you're not doing anything the Friday before graduation, consider yourself cordially invited to Cody Kelso Breitsprecher's zombie graduation pasta supper. Come eat some vegetarian spaghetti, bounce is a big pink castle, and congratulate my favorite graduate. If nothing else, it should prove interesting.
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