My Grimm

I love my Grimm.
I don't know what I'll do without him.

However... things have changed.
I worry about my Grimm everyday now.

In the beginning of December, I was starting to realize how many puddles of pee there were around the house. I was getting tired of cleaning up every puddle only to find another and not know who was peeing all over my house! Then, one night, I put a clean load of laundry on the bed that was fresh out of the dryer. Grimm immediately jumped on the bed, got onto the laundry, and PEED! I was so pissed (for lack of a better word). Sam did some reading and found out that random puddles might mean that Grimm had a bladder infection... so he took Grimm to the vet. The vet thought he was at the tail-end of a bladder infection, based on a urine test, so she prescribed Metacam (an anti-inflammatory) and some eye drops (since Grimm's eyes have been kinda booger-filled). The vet sent them home with a good bill of health.

Two weeks later, Grimm was acting bizarre... well, more unusual than usual... he was sitting in front of his water bowl, not drinking, just sitting. We called the vet and we took him back in. This time, the vet heard a slight heart murmur and checked his blood pressure, which was pretty high, according to the vet. The vet immediately wanted to do a blood test, which we *wanted* them to do... and we waited 30 minutes for the results. When the results came back, the vet gave us two options: 1) go to the emergency 24-hour clinic OR 2) put Grimm to sleep. That left us with one option: Take Grimm to the 24-hour clinic.

At the 24-hour clinic, we were told that Grimm's lab results weren't as bad as the original vet had described. However, Grimm was very anemic and they were worried he had (chronic) kidney failure. Grimm looked so comfortable and happy while we were at the vet. He was laying in Sam's jacket, purring, and somewhat falling asleep while we were waiting. After two hours, Grimm was admitted into the 24-hour clinic and was put on an IV drip with fluids. He was given Pepcid for stomach upset, amoxicillin (just in case), and an appetite stimulant. After 20 hours, Grimm's blood tests were improving and he was eating and acting more "normal," according to the vet tech. However, his blood tests were not improving as much as they would have liked... so we had Grimm stay another night in the hospital. The next morning, the vet tech said Grimm did good overnight. Later that day, his blood tests showed more improvement, but not as much as they would have liked (again). That night, we took him home.

While Grimm was being "discharged," the vet tech was telling us a LOT of information. We were sent home with 5 cans of Science Diet k/d for renal failure, a bag of fluid along with 10 needles, a bottle of amoxicillin, and appetite stimulant pills... along with a list of what to do, how much, and how often. Sam and I sat down and figured out that the easiest option would be do give Grimm most of his meds at night, when we were both home. That included the subcutaneous fluids, amoxicillin, pepcid, and appetite stimulant (every three days). However, we were going to have to give Grimm amoxicillin in the morning before leaving for work, as well as in the evening. We tried to give Grimm the fluids the following evening, but he wanted nothing to do with it. We managed to give him the pepcid, but it didn't seem to make him feel any better. The amoxicillin went down, no problems. We just felt like horrible parents... I didn't want to do this to him, even though it was for his own good. The following day (Christmas), we managed to get the amoxicillin down, but not the appetite stimulant and not the pepcid. We got in some fluids (50ml out of the 150ml we were supposed to give him)... after wrapping Grimm up in a towel and holding him completely still in the bathroom. Again, we felt as though we were pissing Grimm off with every needle, pill, and liquid we shoved into him.

Tonight, we came to the conclusion that we want Grimm to live... as comfortably and happily as possible, for as long as that may be. I do not want to stick a needle in my cat every night while he's wrapped like a burrito in a towel, looking sad and angry. I am tired of popping pills down his throat when we don't even know that it's doing anything, especially the pepcid and appetite stimulant (since he's eating ok without it). Grimm seems to be breathing harder and his pupils are dilated... which isn't a good thing, we know... but we did what we were told to do (for the most part), and nothing has seemed to help so far. We're wondering if the 24-hour clinic didn't slip him a sedative while he was there... and he's just now coming out of the medicine-induced sleep. Either way, we are keeping an eye on him... a very close eye.

We do, however, want to talk to the vet tomorrow. The 24-hour clinic recommended an injectable medication to help with Grimm's anemia. We want to look into that... and we would prefer to take Grimm to the vet everyday that he needs a shot, so we don't mess it up. We also want to finish giving him the amoxicillin... his eyes are clearing up, without the drops. However, the drops are good for Odin, too... if he ever needs them again (he used them as a kitten). We also want to ask the vet about Science Diet k/d kibble for Grimm to munch on during the day, since he prefers kibble to wet food. We already bought Grimm a new water bowl that says, "Thirsty" on it. *super cute*

Odin and the kittens seem to be leaving Grimm alone, for the most part. Grimm has been hiding under my desk, on top of the pink ottoman. He's been there most of the time; he only gets up to pee, drink water, and eat food (on occasion). He surprised us on Christmas by getting up and coming into the kitchen when he heard me open a soup can. I was shocked... and Sam immediately gave him wet food. :) Grimm also came out tonight and showed interest in the new toys I bought the kitties today at Wal-Mart (since Odin's flower toys were inside the stocking). I ended up giving Grimm a catnip toy in the office, along with his old friend, the stick. :)

I'll keep everyone posted on Mr. Grimm via Twitter and FB. I'm just glad he's home and sleeping, safely under my desk. <3 I love my Grimm (aka Bubba). I don't want to see him leave this world prematurely... he's only 4 years old and he's too good of a kitty to have such a horrible thing happen to him.

Oh Hai...!

I haven't blogged in a while... so I thought I might just give everyone a quick update.

First of all, HAPPY OCTOBER! October means that Halloween is just a few weeks away and I am EXCITED! Halloween is my favorite day of the year. When else is it appropriate to dress up in costumes and knock on your neighbor's doors, asking for candy? :) hehe

Most recently, my PARENTS drove up to Portland for a visit! It was a kinda last minute thing, but it was fantastic. I enjoyed having my parents over to finally show them the house, where I've been living, and they got to meet a few of our friends while they were here. It was good times. I can't wait for their eventual return. :)

Towards the end of August, my friend Malia flew up for a short visit. She stayed at the house and I enjoyed her company. We went to Multnomah Falls, Powell's Books, and The Bridge of the Gods. We had a fantastic time... until Sam and I drove her up to Centralia to meet a friend for part 2 of her vacation. I was sad to see her go... but I know she'll be back eventually, too. :)



I'm headed down to Napa in a few weeks for a Not Thanksgiving Dinner with Sam's family. It should be a good time. Thankfully, Sam had some Alaska Airline miles saved up and his mom was kind enough to loan us the additional money needed to FLY to Napa. It's only a weekend trip, but it will be good to see that side of the family again. :)

I'm headed down to LOS ANGELES a few days after I return from Napa. Crazy, I know. I wanted to go to my sister's baby shower and my mom was kind enough to pay for my flight down there. Another weekend trip, but I haven't been down there since February and I'm starting to seriously miss "my boys," Colby, Gavin, and Colin. This trip has been in the works for a while now... Colin's first birthday, Colby's 9th birthday, my sister's baby shower, etc... I'm just hoping I can get everything squeezed in! :)

My kitties are doing fine. Grimm is surprising me daily. He has been jumping on my lap while I'm watching TV, snuggling next to me in bed, and purring a lot more. Odin is still a spazz that likes to be held and snuggled whenever and however possible. Logan (the indoor/outdoor/not really ours cat) has been coming in for food only lately. Although, it's been decent weather outside, so he hasn't needed to stay inside to keep dry.

I'm STILL unemployed, BUT... within a few weeks, I should know if I'm getting a job with the IRS. :) I applied for this job back in April or May. I was fingerprinted last month and now they're running a complete background check on me. Good times. Hopefully, I pass and I have a job. This is what I've been waiting for, right? :)


Finally, this Labor Day weekend... was PAX. Sam and I went along with our friends Whitney and Nate. We had a fantastical time.


I MET WIL WHEATON!!!



I can finally say I've met someone famous. I've always like Wil Wheaton... I am a true ST:TNG fan. He was such an awesomely sweet guy, too. He commented on how AWESOME my She-Ra shirt was. Don't worry... I washed it. :) hehe...



That's it for now... I'll have to post pictures later, I guess... if I feel like it. :) Hope you have a GREAT October!!


Remember: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wear Pink For The BOOBS!!

A New Idea

At first, my great idea was to have people over once a month, on the second Sunday of the month, for a good home-cooked meal and friendly conversation. That worked, for a while, but it was usually the same people every month, no matter how many people I invited and no matter how long/short of notice people were given.

Then, my monthly "dinner" turned into a monthly get-together for D&D, for which I still cooked dinner... but the only conversation was between the boys (and Whitney) about the game. It wasn't especially fun for me, except that I got to cook for 8-10 people, which I love to do.

Then, my "monthly" dinner turned into an almost weekly experience when the D&D game became more exciting, if you can say that. I was cooking for 8-10 people every week! It was awesome, but again, I ended up cooking, doing laundry, and playing The Sims on Sunday evenings...

Now, D&D is pretty much non-existent, due to conflicting work schedules. It's upsetting, sure, because I don't have a house full of people every week/month like I used to and there's no one here to cook for, except for Sam! haha!



Here's my NEW idea. Once a month. One person (the person picking rotates every month) chooses a LOCAL restaurant. We all go. We all have a good time. Simple.

~*~*~*~*~*~

For example:

August: Sarah

Food: Dick's Kitchen
3312 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR 97214

Time: Sunday, August 22nd at 6pm.

~*~*~*~*~*~

September: Whitney

Food: Delta Cafe
4607 SE Woodstock Blvd
Portland, OR 97206

Time: Sunday, September 19th at 6pm.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Here's the rule: NO COMPLAINING.
And yes, that's coming from me.
I've decided I've come to a point in my life where I need to explore new foods, new tastes, and new places. I think this will be a good experiment and a way to see what other people want for food, not just what I want!

Yes, the thought crossed my mind about expenses, but if we all go to a place that is local, chances are the prices will be decent and the food will be fantastic! Not only that, but the "picker of the month" will be at blame if the restaurant is too pricey. :)

What do you think? :)

Happy Birthday, Sam!

The husband, Sam, is officially 38 years old. On one of my "creative" days, I found a website that had a quick tutorial on how to make a Star Wars cake... R2 D2! I thought I'd make one, but a small one, since no one was coming over for the big event.







I think I did pretty good for a first try. No fondant; just frosting. Sam was pleasantly surprised. :) Happy Birthday to him!

Today's Lesson

Previous Lesson: Life isn't fair and you don't always get what you want.

Today's Lesson: Life is a waiting game.


After talking to my doctor today, I realized that life is a waiting game. When you're in the womb, you have to wait to develop properly and your mom waits for you to come out... and sometimes, 3-4 days in the hospital later and you (the baby) still haven't arrived. (*hugs* to our friend Laurie who waited and waited for her baby boy... and he finally arrived!) Then you have to wait to crawl, walk, talk, etc... it's not a given. You have to wait and learn it/grow into it. You wait to grow tall enough to be able to ride all the rides at Disneyland. You wait to attend college until you're old enough/have a high school diploma/GED. You wait to find "Mr./Mrs. Perfect" and then you wait to marry them... however long it takes. You (generally) wait to have kids until after the wedding. You wait... and wait... and wait... until you die.

I've been waiting to get a job for over a year. I've been waiting for the money to be able to buy a plane ticket to LA to see my friend's kids and my family. I've been waiting for my computer to fix itself (HA! Not going to happen, but I'm optimistic). I've been waiting for Odin to stop acting like a kitten and act like an adult cat (and sleep more often). Heck, I'm staring to wait to be 30 so I can be a "real grown-up."



I'm tired of waiting.
I want life to be "normal," like it's supposed to be when you're older.

... anger... rage...

My main computer of over 6 years has taken a shit. I am VERY upset. VERY. It had all of my music, pictures, documents, downloads, games, etc. on it... and it's ALL gone. Sure, I had uploaded a few pictures to Photobucket and Facebook, so I have those. Sure, my music is all on my iPod, so I have that too, I guess. I suppose my resume is saved on the e-mails that I've sent to multiple companies, so that's ok. But for the most part, I'm not only out of six years worth of stuff... I'm also out the cash for a new freakin' hard drive. I am SO pissed off right now.

I think what I am mostly mad about, whether or not someone wants to think it's valid, is that nothing was done to prevent all of my stuff from being lost. No regularly scheduled back-ups were done, nothing was copied or saved to other places like it should have been... and there were warning signs of my computer going south a few months ago when the fan on my motherboard/processor didn't want to work properly. At that point, I would have saved everything, backed it all up, and then done what needed to be done. Don't blame it all on me, either... I am *NOT* the computer person in our house... that's the husband's job, both at work and at home.

I'm sure some of you might be thinking, "But Sarah, it's your computer... why didn't you back it up?" Well, where should I back it up to? We have a portable hard drive, but I was under the impression that it was for music ONLY. And not only that, but if I wanted to save music on that hard drive, I had to have it in "proper format," which is why none of my music was saved over there... for fear I'd put something in the wrong format (which is very possible, even with actual written instructions) and get yelled at. So why would I even dare to back up my computer, let alone any files, on there, especially with the high possibility of getting yelled at? No thanks.

Sure, it's not the husband's fault that the computer died. I know that. But I do feel as though he could/should have seen this coming and "prepared" a little better for it. Maybe I should have taken the fan not working as a sign and at least backed up all my pictures on a CD or something... but I didn't... so maybe I'm mad at myself, too. Either way, I'm simply mad as hell and don't exactly know how to vent my anger and frustration... so here's a blog... that I'm typing from "my new computer," the laptop. Thank goodness we bought this, right? haha!





On another note, it seems like everyone I know is either pregnant or popping out a baby. It's insanity, I say! What I do find bothersome, however, is that more and more people I know are being diagnosed with PCOS, which makes it harder to conceive. Not only that, but the ladies I know with PCOS, no matter how mild it may be, seem to be intelligent ladies that genuinely want to have kids... but yet, there are people in this world that have sex ONCE and BOOM! they're pregnant.

It just doesn't seem fair. But as Sue always said... "Life isn't fair and you don't always get what you want." Nothing more true than that... unfortunately.

Oh, joy...

The other night, I was talking to my friend Sansa (Leah) and I realized... not only have I been unemployed for over a year now, but I've been going on at least 4-5 interviews a month, sometimes more, for the past 13 months. That's more than 60 interviews, including some second interviews... and NOTHING. Still no job offers.

That's depressing.
Seriously.

And what do I have to show for these past 13 months of being unemployed?
Nothing.

Well, I've done a little work around the house, but not much. I cleaned out a few boxes of stuff in the garage, but it's still not organized the way I'd like it to be. I've watched a LOT of mindless crap on television, including all episodes of Las Vegas on TNT. I've wasted A LOT of time on Twitter and Facebook... and craigslist, JobDango, and other job websites. I've driven so many miles, answered and made so many phone calls, sent hundreds of e-mails, and had Sam send faxes at his office. I've crafted several items, including magnets, picture frames, and made several baked goods and tasty meals. I've taken several naps, with and without the kitties, and I've been known to sleep in until 2pm. I've planted a garden, picked some blueberries, and watered the flowers. I've washed the cars, gotten my car fixed, and changed my own blinker light and air filter. I've played fetch with my kitties, taken care of the neighborhood kitty, we adopted a bearded dragon (who eats a TON of food!), and taken care of my fishies. I've driven to CA, flown to CA, and gotten married in CA... which I *FINALLY* got a copy of our marriage license, by the way...!

I'm sure I've done a lot more than that, but that's all I can think of right now. Maybe I'll add to my list later. Either way, I feel as though these past 13 months I have been extremely unproductive. I haven't gone back to college, I haven't volunteered, I haven't done as many home improvements as I would have liked to, and, most importantly, I HAVEN'T FOUND A JOB! Ugh.

I think what has been irritating me the most lately... are all these damn cupcake shows on TV. One day, I'd like to own my own cupcake shop. I think it would be AWESOME. I'd get to do something I love to do on a day-to-day basis. I love baking and I love cupcakes; how awesome would that job be?! Anyway, I get so upset with these shows because some of the people on there are younger than I am, but they have their own bakeries. HOW did they afford it?! I mean, did their parents buy the shop for them? It's frustrating... and annoying. I'm going to be 30 next year; I want to be a productive, contributing member of society... I want to make a difference! If I wasn't in the situation I am now, I'd be all over going to a bank and asking for a business loan, but I know that ain't gonna happen... especially not with this economy. This SUCKS. Ugh.



On a side note... I'm playing fetch with Odin and his favorite toy as I type. I love this cat; he makes me laugh... especially when he slips on the hardwood floor while trying to catch his toy as it, too, slides across the floor. :) Grimm, on the other hand, is peacefully sleeping inside the curtain by the sliding glass door. That's his new sleep spot; I'm just glad he's not sleeping on the bathroom rug anymore. hehe...

The Bathroom... Part 3

Not much happening in the bathroom this week, other than taking down the huge mirror, the medicine cabinet, the "cove base," and pulling out a few screws and drywall anchors. Nothing too exciting, but I did find several different colors of paint during this process!












Total colors found: Red, Beige, Yellow, and Blue... so that's four.

The mold that used to be under the toilet is gone, but it looks like there's mold on the drywall that's right next to the shower...

The shower floor/drain looks as though it has been there since the house was built... or at least since the 70's linoleum was put down.

The "cove base" around the bottom of the wall/top of the floor was also original and had been there since the linoleum had been put down.



This week's task: prep the walls for a latex-based primer that is mold and mildew resistant.

In response...

A friend of mine recently posted a blog containing a forwarded e-mail she had received titled, "If George W. was an idiot..." I'm sure you've seen or heard of it by now; it's been going around the interwebs for the past 6 months or so. I found some of this e-mail very disturbing and I've been looking for a Democratic response of some sort... but for now, I found this amazing "explanation" on a fellow blogger's page: Media Monitor. All of the pictures discussed can be found on the direct blog.

A widely-spread email entitled "If George W. was an idiot?" is full of inaccuracies, half-truths, and innuendo. The anonymous email is being distributed as fact to thousands of websites, blogs, and individual emails despite having no byline, attribution, or source citations. Here is a detailed response to most of the allegations in the email, with help from Media Matters Action Network.

"If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan’s holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?"

It's untrue that President Obama "gave the unions a majority stake in GM." According to the May 27, 2009 Wall Street Journal, "General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers agreed to a new restructuring plan that would give the union a significantly smaller stake in the company than previously envisioned..." This agreement was worked out between GM and the UAW, not by the president, who made the decision earlier in the year to rescue the company from bankruptcy. It's also not true that the Obama "reduced {your?} retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90 percent." GM stock declined in value because the company was going bankrupt, not because of anything the president did. The stock went from more than $40 a share in October 2007 to under $4 on the last day of trading BEFORE Obama took office. So the 90 % decline happened under Bush, not Obama. The stock (it's now called Motors Liquidation Company) is now trading for 75 cents a share now, but could be zero if the government had let it go under. (Source: http://www.factcheck.org/).

If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

Yes, the gift of 25 classic American movies the president gave Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown were on DVDs formatted on the American video standard, but did you know that George W. Bush had done EXACTLY THE SAME THING in 2004 when he gave the Queen of England an incorrectly-formatted DVD movie in 2004? (See http://intotheunknown.co.uk/2009/04/ukgov-announces-wholly-british.html).

If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?

It's untrue that the president gave the Queen of England an iPod "containing videos of his speeches." Instead, the iPod was loaded with video footage and photos of THE QUEEN on her 2007 official trip to the U.S.

If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you have approved?

Conservatives have derided the President for allegedly bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia. The White House says that it was not a bow, but whether it was or was not, how did you react when George Bush actually KISSED the Saudi King? Check these images out here.
Were you upset? Did you protest? (For more information on the cozy personal and financial relationship between the oil-rich Bush family and the Saudi family, read investigative reporter Craig Unger's book, "House of Bush: House of Saud" (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780743253390

If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the fourth of May (Cuatro de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?

You claim that President Obama made a mistake when speaking Spanish. It appears that he was making a joke about the holiday being observed on the fourth of May at the White House, and immediately pronounced "Cinco de Mayo" correctly afterwards.

If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?

In visiting Austria, President Obama said "I don't know what the term is in Austrian." This may have been a slip-up, but it may have been, as one Austrian writer said, Obama’s attempt not to offend Austrians as referring to their language as German. Nonetheless, how did you react when President Bush addressed Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Spanish? You will note that Italians do not speak Spanish. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/science/earth/10notebook.html?ref=world )

If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word advice would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoe as proof of what a dunce he is?

You state that President Obama did not spell the word "advice" correctly. This is debatable. I found it very unlikely that a graduate of Harvard Law School and author of two best-selling books would make this mistake, so I did some research on this and found the copy of the letter the president wrote a concerned citizen. The "c" in advice looks somewhat like an "s," but in enlarging the word it looks like a "c" to me (see image of letter).

Who was claiming a "media cover-up of Obama's spelling error"? (It's not surprising that these chain emails attacking Obama rarely cite sources or reveal their source material, because to do so would expose that the charges come from a biased viewpoint.) I found that the source of this charge came from the Media Research Center, a right-wing conservative organization founded by Brent Bozell III. Media Matters describes L. Brent Bozell III as "a zealot of impeccable right-wing pedigree (see http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/outthere/otmeltdown.html). Regardless of whether you believe that the word was not spelled correctly, one thing is not debatable -- you can't spell "misspell" correctly!

If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?

When referencing the Special Olympics, Barack Obama made a joke about himself on a late-night comedy show. His joke hadn't even aired when he called the chairman of the Special Olympics board to apologize for comparing his bad bowling skills to Special Olympics (ABC News). Did George W. apologize for offending more than 90 percent of the world's population when he said this: "Perhaps freedom is not universal. Maybe it's only Western people that can self-govern. Maybe it's only, you know, white-guy Methodists who are capable of self-government." (George W. Bush, London, June 16, 2008). Come to think of it, did George W. apologize for any of his numerous offensive remarks?

President Obama has made a few gaffes so far, but President Bush during his eight years in office misspoke hundreds of time. Here is a compilation: http://www.slate.com/id/76886/ In one of his misstatements, he called Africa "a nation that suffers from incredible disease." (My six year-old knows that Africa is not a country, but a continent!) Did you send out emails to your friends every time Bush said something truly idiotic?

If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how he inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

Again, you are incorrect in stating President Obama was the first president to install and use a teleprompter at a press conference. George Bush used a teleprompter. Oh yeah, Ronald Reagan also used a teleprompter. Check out these images here. Unlike these two presidents, however, Barack Obama has written and edited many of his own speeches.

If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans , would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

Your email notes that more people were killed by floods in the Midwest than died as a result of Hurricane Katrina. I looked it up and it just is not true. Of the many storms in the Midwest in 2009, the highest death toll thus far is 36 confirmed deaths. http://prod.newsday.com/flash-flood-warning-issued-for-louisville-area-1.1347443 In comparison, there were 1,836 confirmed deaths caused by Hurricane Katrina. http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?ID%3D192%26Detail%3D5248. Again, you just can't seem to get your facts straight in your vendetta against Barack Obama, but hey, maybe if you get enough like-minded people to pass on these untruths without checking into anything, maybe they'll believe them!

If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?

False again. President Obama inherited an economy in disarray and since taking office, has aimed to drastically revamp our nation's failing health care system and our crumbling infrastructure. I was curious to see how the national debt changed during the Bush years and according to the unaffiliated website PolitiFact.com, "When Bush took office; the national debt was $5.73 trillion. When he left, it was $10.7 trillion." http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jan/22/rahm-emanuel/5-trillion-added-national-debt-under-bush/. When he took office, Obama not only faced the fallout from the worst economic downturn in 30 years, but also inherited this massive debt. One Republican, David M. Walker -- who served under George W. Bush -- said this: "There's no question in my view that Bush was the most fiscally irresponsible president in the history of the Republic...Obama was handed a bad deck."
Since you seemed concerned over wasteful spending did you know that billions of dollars were wasted during the Bush administration, particularly in massive contracts given out to private contractors that operate in Iraq and Afghanistan: According to one commission set up to investigate the use of private contractors, "billions of dollars of that amount ended up wasted due to poorly defined work orders, inadequate oversight and contractor inefficiencies. In one example, defense auditors challenged KBR after it billed the government for $100 million in costs for private security even though the contract prohibited the use of for-hire guards."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-06-08-report-dod-spending_N.htm

I hope that we are always critical of those we elect, but I see that you are not being consistent or fair in your criticism. Your complaints about President Obama are ironic, given the fact that President Bush did in fact make so many similar and even more egregious mistakes and made them much more often. Have you heard that expression: People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Sure, not all of the topics were covered, but most of them are.
Some points that were not included:

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?
"On the June 1 edition of Fox News' Special Report, reporting on the Obamas' May 30 personal visit to New York City, anchor Bret Baier stated that according to a May 31 New York Post article promoted by Internet gossip Matt Drudge, "aircraft expenses for the date cost you at least $24,000." Prior to his report, Baier promoted the story in two teasers, each of which highlighted the cost of the trip. But like Drudge and the Post, at no point did Baier note that such use of taxpayer funds for private travel by the first family is typical; former President George W. Bush, for example, reportedly used Air Force One for trips to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, which he reportedly visited 77 times over the course of his eight years in office."
Media Matters


If George W. Bush had stated that there were 57 states in the United States, would you have said that he is clueless?
It was a joke. Get over it. Sheesh. As a child, I know it felt like there were 57 states, seeing as how many we drove through while traveling in the summer. Imagine a campaign trail.


If George W. Bush would have flown all the way to Denmark to make a five minute speech about how the Olympics would benefit him walking out his front door in Texas, would you have thought he was a self important, conceited, egotistical idiot?
Obama wanted to bring the Olympics to the United States; Chicago had been chosen by the Olympic Committee BEFORE Obama had taken office. It's not like Obama was trying to make Chicago a "new" location for his convenience.


If George W. Bush had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America, would you have approved?
I have a link, explaining czars. ""Czar" is a label bestowed by the media – and sometimes the administration – as a shorthand for the often-cumbersome titles of various presidential advisers, assistants, office directors, special envoys and deputy secretaries. (After all, what makes for a better headline – "weapons czar" or "undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics"?)" If you click on the PDF file, you will see: Bush had 35 "czars" and Obama has 32. FactCheck.org



One day, I will write a "If you think Obama is an idiot..." response... or I'll have the husband do it for me. :)

I am just tired of all the hateful, intolerant lies that are being spread throughout the United States in attempt to "get our country back."
Get our country back from what? A non-US born Muslim with black skin?



In the wise words of my late "second mom," Sue:
Life isn't fair and you don't always get what you want.

Uh huh... Riiiiight...

Tonight at the gym, I was once again subjected to FOX News. Luckily for me, it wasn't Glenn Beck this time... it was "America's Election Headquarters," since tonight is the primary elections in some states.

To those who say, "FOX News is fair and balanced!" I say: "BULLSHIT."
I say this for a few reasons (these are just my recent discoveries; there are many more reasons):

1. While I was watching tonight, FOX showed all of the Republican candidates and who was winning where. FOX did not show the Democratic candidates and who was winning where EXCEPT for the California Governor race. That was it. If it was indeed "America's Election Headquarters," they should have shown each state with each party and which candidate had how much of the vote... not just the Republican candidates.

2. I also noticed that FOX was streaming how many seats the Republicans needed to "win back" the Senate and House. Nothing about how many seats the Democrats needed to hold on to the majority. And to be honest, this was JUST the primaries, not the actual election! No one is winning any seats tonight, just the Republican or Democratic candidate nomination for the actual vote, which isn't until November.

3. Sure, FOX had both a Republican and Democratic "advisor/analyst," but the news anchor only talked to the Republican advisor about candidates and their positions and policies. The news anchor had a "discussion" about female candidates with the Democratic advisor and asked why he thought more women were winning this time around... nothing about Democratic policies or positions. It was a fascinating thing to read while on the elliptical... I'm glad it was close-captioned for my "convenience."


Last week, I was on the elliptical (headphones in and turned way up) and a guy asked me if I was watching CNN. I shook my head no and he went up to the front desk and asked for the remote so he could change the channel. I looked at my watch and realized it was almost 2pm... I still had 15 minutes left on my workout time. The guy turned it to FOX News and walked away. I was pissed. The guy didn't say he was going to turn it to FOX News... he just asked if I was watching CNN. I'd rather have CNN on in front of me, in the background, compared to Glenn Beck and his intolerant, hateful self preaching hateful messages, full of lies and speculation. Once Beck came on the TV, I immediately got off the machine and went to the front desk to complain. After, I went to the women's only gym... no TVs in there... just music. I finished my workout (on a treadmill since all the ellipticals were taken) and went on with my day.

Either way, I have expressed my feelings to the manager of our local Bally's about FOX News being on the TVs at our local gym (and so has the husband). I'd rather the news channel be dedicated to actual news, like CNN or MSN. Actual news is fine (even if it's on FOX News, but I have yet to see actual news on their channel), but I can't tolerate "opinion-based" shows that spread lies, intolerance, and hateful messages across this country.

The Bathroom Part 2

Tonight, I decided I needed something to do... so I grabbed the spray Goo Gone, paper towels, a scrub pad, a hand towel, a washcloth, and a screwdriver and went to work in the bathroom. Within an hour, I was able to pull up the 5.5 remaining tiles and de-goo the remaining "floor," if you can call it that anyway.

The result: I think I gave myself carpel tunnel. Other than that, I am quite pleased.







If you didn't get the memo... I'd like Home Depot gift cards for my birthday. :)
*hint hint*
I REALLY want to finish this bathroom, but our home improvement budget is limited.

Next on our list of bathroom tasks:
1. Pull down the trim around the floor.
2. Take down the mirror and medicine cabinet.
3. Take out busted bathroom light/fan fixture.
4. Prep the room to paint.
5a. Paint walls:
1) Mildew-resistant primer.
2) Light turquoise paint.
5b. Paint medicine cabinet: Light Brown/Tan
6. Install new bathroom fan/light fixture.
7. Remove toilet.
8. Put down new waterproof flooring.
9. Re-install toilet.
10. Caulk entire bathroom properly.
11. Re-hang mirror and medicine cabinet.
12. Install over-the-toilet shelving.
13. Install new shower head and shower door seal.

DONE!
Now... can we get all of this done before my friend Malia visits at the end of August...? I sure hope so! That's only about 78 days from now!

The Bathroom

On Monday, I started ripping up some of the peel-n-stick tile in our "master" bathroom... I use that term lightly since the "master" bathroom is freakin' TINY!

Here's what I've done so far...





As you can see, the people/dumbasses that owned the house before us, put non-waterproof peel-n-stick tile OVER the existing linoleum... but why, you may ask...? If you look closely on the second picture, you can see where they tried to pull/peel/scrape off the linoleum, but did not succeed... so decided to just put peel-n-stick tile over it. Also, they did not remove the toilet before placing the tile... so I didn't have to remove the toilet to remove the tiles. In fact, those were the easiest tiles to remove, other than the ones that were water-logged from the shower door leaking. Nice, eh?

Admit it... you *LOVE* that linoleum pattern, don't you??

Either way, I have about 5.5 tiles left to pull up... and then I need to get out the Goo Gone and get rid of all the sticky, gooey glue from the linoleum. After that, I can take down the mirror and medicine cabinet (I'm thinking about painting it a different color) and prep the room for painting. I'm putting on a mildew-resistant primer and then a light turquoise blue top coat (to match our comforter). Then, when we have a little extra cash, we can put down some new waterproof flooring... that will be exciting (for me, not Sam).

I shall keep you posted on the slow, but eventual, progress.

The ZOOOOOOO!!!

On May 11th, my friends Whitney, Felicia, and I went to The Portland Zoo. On the second Tuesday of every month, the price for admission is $2.00! Can you believe it?! And if you take the MAX, it's only 50 cents to get into the zoo! That's crazy... but oh, so affordable! I've been to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park several times and the Denver Zoo only once... so going to the Portland Zoo was another zoo experience! Yes, I know, I grew up in LA and NEVER went to the LA Zoo. I was spoiled as a child, I guess...

We decided we were going to look for letters of the alphabet within nature while at the zoo. We were inspired by a collection of prints we saw at the local craft store and thought, "We can do this for cheap!"

Here are the letters I found (in ABC order):
















































Somehow, I missed the letters G, Q, and W, but I think I did good for my first "ABC trip" to the zoo! Besides, who needs those letters anyway? HA!

Until next month...!

May Update

Everyone has been blogging lately... I feel like a slacker! I guess I shall update everyone on what's going on here in Portland... and the POD situation. Random pictures, and my first video, will be posted inbetween updates! Yippee!!

If you remember, last summer, my parents boxed up all of the stuff in my bedroom in CA and shipped it to Portland in a POD. Well, I never really got around to going through those boxes... until last week. Last Monday, my friend Whitney was kind enough to help me go through some boxes in the garage (I bribed her with Oreo cookies... hehe). We bagged up 5 bags of garbage and about 5 bags to donate to the ARC (Value Village)... in one afternoon. The following Thursday, I went back into the garage and cleaned all day, getting through the rest of the boxes, except for what was labeled, "Partylite" or "Candles." I put several things on Craigslist, both for free and for sale, and got rid of everything I posted. What didn't disappear... went to The Goodwill. I donated a LOT of shoes, clothes, and old toys that I didn't want or could replace in the future if needed.



Unfortunately, I found SEVERAL ITEMS that were NOT mine within the boxes. That made me very upset... I know I had a lot of stuff in my old bedroom, but come on. That's just ridiculous. There was also broken items sent to me. It's BROKEN. Throw it away! Sheesh. I found a lot of things that were meant for children... I don't know who was having a girl, but I found a 3-pack of onesies among baby toys, Hot Wheels, Spiderman toys, and Play-Doh. /sigh. I found things that probably belonged to my sister and mom while going through all the boxes. So annoying. What am I supposed to do? Mail it back to them? How lame is that? Also... how petty are my parents that they mailed me stuff that wasn't mine, was broken, or was simply trash in the first place?! Irritating.



Now that all the boxes have been gone through, I just need to rearrange what's left so there's room to walk in the garage. Sam wants to build shelves in the garage for added storage space, as well as make it easier to access boxes within the garage. He also wants to make it more of a "shop" type garage, with a Warhammer 40k table on the side. Great. The only good thing about organizing the garage: I get a planter's bench for all my gardening needs. I am excited about that! Now I just need to get Sam to build it! HA! That'll be a while...



With the start of May, I started a QuickBooks class at Mt. Hood Community College near Gresham, Oregon. It's about 25 miles from my house, but unemployment is paying for me to go, in hopes that it will help me find a job! It's a 5 week course, designed to teach me the basics of QuickBooks... but so far, the teacher is driving me insane! There is NO book and NO student copy of QuickBooks (for home use). The teacher uses handouts for everything, I'm getting an in-depth lesson on accounting (which is mind boggling to me), and whenever someone slow in the class needs help, we ALL have to wait for the teacher to help him/her! It's SOOOOOOOOOO annoying! I can't wait for this class to be over and done with. Two more weeks. Thank goodness!



The cats are good. Grimm (on the arm on the couch) is continuing to play peek-a-boo in the bathroom, in hopes that someone will give him fresh water from the sink. Odin (on the blue blanket) is still obsessed with the lizard. Logan (on the black blanket) is still in and out of the house, but he stays in about 8-9 hours during the day, passed out on the back of the couch. The lizard, however, is a different story. She's trying to lay eggs. I've never had a female bearded dragon before; I know nothing about the females and their egg laying habits. Her tank is a MESS (omg... seriously) and she's only laid about 7 eggs... but we can feel more in her belly! The eggs look like yellow jellybeans, which to me says the eggs are unshelled, which means there's more of a chance to be impacted inside of her, unable to get out, which could cause an infection... and a $200 vet bill. Ugh. And if you're thinking, "Wait, how can she lay eggs if she hasn't been around a male bearded dragon?" The answer is: A female bearded dragon lays eggs, fertile or not. Yup... so we have this to look forward to every year... Yippee. It almost makes me want to raise a male bearded dragon, so we can at least make a small profit every time she lays eggs...! HA! But she does like her worms... superworms, to be exact. Look at this: (forgive the taking in the background.. I can't figure out how to edit it).



My good friend, Malia, is coming up in August to visit and I AM EXCITED! This will be the second friend from CA to visit me since moving to Portland. However, she will be my first CA friend to see, and stay at, my house! :) My friend, Jenny, is trying to convince her hubby to come to Portland for their 10 year anniversary... I completely support this idea. <3 Before August, there are a few things that need to be done around the house. For starters, the lizard needs to be relocated... I know Malia doesn't want to spend the night with the lizard. :) Then, our "master" bathroom needs to be fixed up a bit so we're not all three sharing the hall bathroom. I'd love to fix up the hallway bathroom a bit, too, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. If it happens, it happens... I am trying to be more realistic about our "home improvements."



My good friend, Tevys, *might* be moving in with us in June. I am also looking forward to this possibility. I think it would be a good place for her. However, I know her life is ever-changing and it may not actually happen, but if it does and she moves in with us next month, I will be a very happy Dot. :)



The job situation has been very... well... not promising. I've been on several interviews, but only a few second interviews and no job offers. I have sent out several hundred resumes, e-mails, and cover letters, but I only hear back from about 10% of what I send out. I've applied with two temp agencies now and they haven't even called me! I am just getting frustrated and tired of this whole process. Eventually, I will get a job... I know I will... it's just going to take some time.



On a healthier note... Sam and I have been going to THE GYM! We've been going almost everyday for the past two weeks. It's a good thing. We renewed my membership for $100 for an entire year! Instead of $19 a month, it comes out to about $8 a month! That's a huge savings! :)



The garden is looking GREAT! The peas and tomatoes are growing, the flowers are blooming, and there are a few green blueberries on the bush! I am excited for this year's edible harvest! I'll have to wait until the fall to eat the garlic, but it is worth waiting for. My cilantro is also growing, which means I'll be making lots of salsa this summer!



Oh, and we saw Iron Man 2 at midnight on opening day. It was fun... and a good birthday gift for Sam's friend (and best man), Eric. Eric and his wife are amazing people. I wish we lived closer... I know they're just in Vancouver, but that's still in another state! hehe...

And with that... you're caught up.
Well, except for our fun trip to the zoo earlier this month. I'll post pictures from the zoo on another blog. Promise.

My Political Epiphany

You may or may not agree with what I'm about to say... but it's my blog so please be respectful.

I have never been vocal about my political views. In fact, I have tried to keep most of my political views to myself, since I have several friends that typically do not agree with me on most topics. That being said...

While I was in middle and high school, Bill Clinton was in office. I was very happy with what he accomplished during his eight years in office. Not only was the Family and Medical Leave Act passed in 1993, Clinton also passed The Brady (crime) Bill, raised federal minimum wage in 1996 and lowered federal taxes in 1997. The man created THOUSANDS of new jobs, all across the country. He was a good president that did fantastic things for this country. Clinton also managed to give the country a Federal Surplus, the first one in a long time.



When it was time to elect a new president in 2000, I was over 18 and I could vote! Yippee! Unfortunately, Al Gore didn't win in 2000 and John Kerry didn't win in 2004. I had to suck it up and deal with George W. Bush and his "war on terror" for eight long years. Sure, I agreed with Bush initially, but after a few years of fighting with little to no results, enough was enough. Finally, in 2006, a lot of people in the US felt the same way as I did and voted in more Democrats to the House and Senate, making it harder for Bush to do/pass whatever laws he wanted to. I didn't throw tantrums, I didn't protest (even though I wanted to and should have), I didn't watch anti-Bush TV programs, and I didn't make false accusations to get my point across about how much I didn't like George W. Bush. I sucked it up and waited.

In 2008, the presidential election campaigns looked promising. The Democrats had Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as their primary candidates. I was glad to see a woman running for president; I was also glad to see an African-American man run for president. I didn't care which one of them "won" the primary vote; I just wanted one of them to win the 2008 presidential election. And Obama did just that. I was, and still am, excited for change.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Obama. In fact, people started to throw "tantrums" about Obama winning the election, saying he wasn't a natural-born US citizen, even though a copy of his birth certificate had been disclosed. It seems like everything Obama does, there is something wrong with it...

When Obama was elected, our economy was just starting to tank. George W. Bush was kind enough to put a few laws into place before leaving office, including "The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of Pub.L. 110-343, enacted October 3, 2008), commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis authorizing the United States Secretary of the Treasury to spend up to $700 billion to purchase distressed assets, especially mortgage-backed securities, and make capital injections into banks." This, folks, was the bank bailout. Bush did that.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, (aka The Stimulus) signed by Barack Obama, includes federal tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits, and domestic spending in education. The money that was given to the car companies was from the Public-Private Investment Program, which was a part of TARP (something that Bush had signed into office), and only $3 trillion of the allocated $11.5 trillion was spent by both Bush and Obama by the end of the "Cash for Clunkers" program that so many people were up in arms over. Since then, the economy has started to pick back up, slowly but surely.

And now, there's the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, that was recently passed and signed into law on March 23, 2010. This health care bill does many things: (from Huffington Post)
1. Health Insurers cannot deny children health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. A ban on the discrimination in adults will take effect in 2014.
2. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
3. Seniors will get a rebate to fill the so-called "donut hole" in Medicare drug coverage, which severely limits prescription medication coverage expenditures over $2,700. As of next year, 50 percent of the donut hole will be filled.
4. The cut-off age for young adults to continue to be covered by their parents' health insurance rises to the age 27.
5. Lifetime caps on the amount of insurance an individual can have will be banned. Annual caps will be limited, and banned in 2014.
6. A temporary high-risk pool will be set up to cover adults with pre-existing conditions. Health care exchanges will eliminate the program in 2014.
7. New plans must cover checkups and other preventative care without co-pays. All plans will be affected by 2018
8. Insurance companies can no longer cut someone when he or she gets sick.
9. Insurers must now reveal how much money is spent on overhead.
10. Any new plan must now implement an appeals process for coverage determinations and claims.
11. This tax will impose a ten percent tax on indoor tanning services. This tax, which replaced the proposed tax on cosmetic surgery, would be effective for services on or after July 1, 2010.
12. New screening procedures will be implemented to help eliminate health insurance fraud and waste.
13. Medicare payment protections will be extended to small rural hospitals and other health care facilities that have a small number of Medicare patients.
14. Non-profit Blue Cross organizations will be required to maintain a medical loss ratio -- money spent on procedures over money incoming -- of 85 percent or higher to take advantage of IRS tax benefits.
15. Chain restaurants will be required to provide a "nutrient content disclosure statement" alongside their items. Expect to see calories listed both on in-store and drive-through menus of fast-food restaurants sometime soon.
16. The bill establishes a temporary program for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55‐64 in order to help reduce the often-expensive cost of that coverage.
17. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will set up a new Web site to make it easy for Americans in any state to seek out affordable health insurance options The site will also include helpful information for small businesses.
18. A two‐year temporary credit (up to a maximum of $1 billion) is in the bill to encourage investment in new therapies for the prevention and treatment of diseases.

I don't know about you, but A LOT of those things sound pretty good to me. I especially like the no denying coverage pre-existing conditions, health care for all children, no more lifetime maximums (which are usually $1 million or unlimited), no co-pays for preventative care including annual check-ups, and calorie counts for all restaurants. Maybe I can appreciate these things because I have worked in medical settings with patients who have complained about their "not so good" health care benefits that they pay a lot of money for. Maybe I can appreciate these things because I didn't go to the doctor for over a year because I didn't want anything on my record that would give me a pre-existing condition that would deny me for coverage later. Maybe I can appreciate these things because I've been both the patient and the employee when it came to my doctor billing fraudulent charges to my health insurance... health insurance that I was paying over $100 a month for and I still had a $30 copay, a $3,500 deductible, and a $1 million lifetime maximum!

Why do you think insurance premiums go up every year? Of course, the typical answer would be, “It’s a company that needs to make money in order to pay their employees.” Well, sure, but insurance companies make that and then some. Insurance companies collect your money every month, hoping that you won’t go to the doctor and that you won’t get sick. Think of it like someone trying to sell you flood insurance for your home, but you live in Southern California, where it’s typically dry. If you have health insurance, but don’t go to the doctor at all, where do you think your money goes? If you think it’s saved in a special “health insurance savings plan” that’s used for you and only you, you are sadly mistaken. There are people out there who have very serious diseases and complications and require a lot of medical care. If just one of these people pays $100 a month for his/her health insurance, but spends more than $1,200 a year with that care, where does that extra money come from? Your premiums. I know there are people out there that do not want to "pay" for others to get "free" health care, but I hate to tell you all... it’s already happening. Every time someone without insurance coverage goes to the emergency room and doesn't pay the bill, your insurance premiums go up in order to help cover the cost. Pharmaceutical companies are charging outrageous amounts for their fancy, non-generic prescription drugs and that also raises your insurance premiums.

Which leads me to my next topic... Apparently, this health care bill is going to make this country Socialist, Communist, Fascist, and even Marxist. Yes folks, I've heard them all used to describe what's going to happen to our country. Let's look at the political spectrum:





Socialism is defined as: a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole; a procedure or practice in accordance with this theory; (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to Communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles. It is an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods are controlled substantially by the government rather than by private enterprise, and in which cooperation rather than competition guides economic activity. There are many varieties of Socialism. Some Socialists tolerate capitalism, as long as the government maintains the dominant influence over the economy; others insist on an abolition of private enterprise. All Communists are Socialists, but not all Socialists are Communists.

Communism is defined as: a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state; a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party. Communism is a theoretical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members; A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

Fascism is defined as: A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism; A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government; Oppressive, dictatorial control. Although both Communism and Fascism are forms of totalitarianism, Fascism does not demand state ownership of the means of production, nor is Fascism committed to the achievement of economic equality. In theory, Communism opposes the identification of government with a single charismatic leader (the “cult of personality”), which is the cornerstone of Fascism. Whereas Communists are considered left-wing, Fascists are usually described as right-wing.

Recap:

Socialism: The people own the business/means of production/company. Individuals can each own a share, but together, they own the whole. Hot Dog on a Stick and WinCo Foods are Socialist; they are employee-owned businesses. Businesses that sell shares of stock are participating in a form of Socialism and NewsCorp, the parent company for Fox News, does just that.

Communism: The government/The community owns the business/means of production/company. No individual owns a share; the whole is owned by the community.

Fascism: Extreme patriotism and nationalism; one country is better than any other and that country will take any means to "prove" it to other countries, including going to war, along with the attitude of, "If you're not with us, you're against us."




Since Obama has taken office, the following items have started to bother me (things get added onto this list on a daily basis):

1. HYPOCRISY.
- People don't want the government telling their doctors what they can/can't do, BUT people want the government to ban abortions...?
- People don't want the government to interfere with their lifestyle choices, BUT people want the government to ban gay marriage...?
- People don't want "big government" to interfere with state sovereignty, BUT people want "big government" to outlaw certain things for all states...?
- People don't want government run health care, BUT people want Medicare...?
- People don't want to pay taxes, BUT people want to drive on the roads, visit public parks, and be protected by the police and fire departments...?
- Oh, and my favorite double standard: "It's OK if You're a Republican." I've always hated hypocrisy and double standards, but this saying takes the cake!

2. The media's "scare tactics" that have misinformed people into believing untrue statements. It started with, "Obama isn't a natural born US citizen!" and it has progressed from there. Obama is a Muslim. Obama is a Socialist. Obama is a racist. Obama is putting us into TRILLIONS of debt. Obama is Hitler. Obama wants to take away your guns. Obama is attacking your personal freedoms. If you watch Fox News, you've already heard all of these.

The main person on most of those comments, of course, is Glenn Beck. Here is a recent clip from his show and shown below, is the TRUTH behind what he's claiming. Unfortunately for Beck, there are still intelligent people in this country who are willing to prove his theories wrong on a daily basis. There's more on my thoughts on Beck later on...

3. The unwillingness to cooperate of the Republican representatives and senators. They are acting like CHILDREN. They're not getting their way, because they're the minority, and they're throwing almost daily temper tantrums. Since the Democrats pushed health care, the Republicans have decided to stop cooperating with Obama and the Democrats in Congress, according to John McCain. When the Democrats were the minority in Congress, they still continued to vote- there was still cooperation to get things passed. No one threw temper tantrums like this; these are grown adults acting like children because they didn't get their way. They all need a time out. ALL Republican senators and representatives that act out in this manner NEED TO BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE. I'm not saying a Democrat needs to fill their spot, but I am saying someone who is going to act like a grown-up and not throw tantrums when things don't go their way deserves a seat in Congress. Knock your shit off and grow the f*ck up.

4. People trying to tell me that Ronald Reagan was the best president ever. First of all, I was born the year he took office and only 7 (going on 8) when he left office. I don't remember ANYTHING about his presidency! I'm wondering why friends my age seem to think they remember... Sure, he was great, but was he the best? I don't think so. Reagan was pro-education; "We also believe that a good, solid education is the right of every child in our land." Reagan was also anti-nuclear weapons; "We must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of this Earth." Same as Obama.

5. Conservatives should NOT push their agenda on children. I think it's a CRIME that Texas wants to remove Jefferson from history textbooks, simply because he used the term, "separation of church and state." The Conservatives in Texas want the children to know a "different" America, one that fits their agenda. They don't want people they don't know or like in our history books. They won't put in Hispanic leaders into text books because they're not known... How is that history? I seem to think Jefferson was one of the best Presidents... he's on Mount Rushmore for a reason, folks. Are they going to remove Lincoln next because they never wanted slavery to end? That's the whole point of school... to LEARN about things you don't know! *duh* As Reagan said, "We've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion, but what's important." Jefferson is important. End of story.



The moral of this blog: Don't start spouting propaganda within my earshot that hasn't been checked by a trusted online source. Don't tell me you watch Fox News; anything you say can and will be held against you, especially if you like Glenn Beck. I don't want to hear it. I put up with Bush and his bullshit for eight years. You can deal with Obama for another three... maybe another seven.






**warning: the following epiphany may offend some religious readers**




My Epiphany:
Glenn Beck is afraid that America is going to become Socialist and/or Communist in nature, thanks to the health care bill. As we learned above, all Communists are Socialists, but not all Socialists are Communists. Glenn Beck is Mormon; he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). As a member of the Mormon church, Beck (and all other Mormons) must pay a 10% tithing on his monthly income. On top of his federal and state taxes, he also has to pay 10% to his church (and he may pay more, since he is most likely able to).

Here's the good part:
The church takes this money, along with fast and other offerings, and does several [good] things. One of these things is providing food and/or monetary aid to church members who are in need. Within the church, the church owns the company/means of production/business when it comes to their canneries, farms, and retail establishments (bookstores, clothing, and furniture). Church members are "called" into their positions within the church and are not paid for their leadership roles, whether the person is a Bishop or a nursery school teacher. This, my friends, sounds a lot like Communism to me.

So...
WHY IS GLENN BECK SO AFRAID OF COMMUNISM?!
He's a part of a church that has embodied Communist practices!

(Granted, I am *NOT* a Mormon, so if this isn't 100% correct, you know why.)