22 June 2010

Doctor Who's crack - HaHa!



A friend posted this article on Facebook:

NASA discover Doctor Who’s crack in the middle of the Milky Way

 
It's a real article.  Brief, but funny how these things happen.  This season...pretty much the entire season has to do with a "crack" in the universe.  There's a similar-looking "crack" in the Milky Way, albeit nowhere near as scary!   :)

The article didn't make me laugh.  The title of the article did though!  I just can't stop giggling and thinking of the Doctor's CRACK!  Not a completely unpleasant thought (depending on which Doctor you think of!)

07 April 2010

Counting Down to the New Doctor Who Season!



Thank you BBC America for the widget! You can download one too by clicking on the BBC America link!

UPDATE! - So cool that this widget started the count-down for the 2011 season premiere.  I never replaced it and haven't posted in a year.  Thank you for making it easier on me and the zero other people reading my blog! ;)

05 April 2010

I'm Such a Bad Parent...

I'm a bad parent. A seriously bad parent. I never should have brought my two beautiful boys into this world. I should hang my head in shame and put my children up for adoption immediately. I don't keep them safe. I'm evil. Do you know what inexcusable thing I've done to my boys? I've exposed them to GERMS!!!!!!

Now the following post was not directed at me by this "friend" on Facebook. It's just applicable. To me, and, well, to most normal parents:

“Can you tell me why on earth someone would bring an infant - not even 6 months old - into a school when students are there???? Seriously - these people should not be parents!!!”

I had to ask for clarification as to what the issue was. Was the infant crying and disturbing school? Was it a former student who was forced to drop out due to the pregnancy and was flaunting the baby like teenage pregnancies are good things?

There were several posts alluding to how atrocious a violation this baby in school was. It really was surprising…but then, lemmings do tend to agree with everything people say. Not being a lemming (but having an idea what she was inferring) I asked for clarification. After having to have her clarify several times, she finally said that high schools are not sanitary places. So my deduction was correct, Watson!

Was the baby licking the floor? Honestly, people what do you expect to do with your baby? According to her post I guess I should not be a parent. When my husband and I had our first child we said that it wasn’t going to keep us from going out to eat, going to the beach, seeing movies (although we never really did see many movies together), etc. Our concern was more if our infant was loud how it might affect others, and we were lucky to not really have “that” baby that was always disturbing people.

If you send your kid to daycare because you work, he’s exposed to germs. We all know that most people don’t keep their kids home from school unless they are desperately sick. They drug them up with all things purple and pink and send them off to daycare and school. This is certainly not right, but we all know that it's what happens.

Kids NEED to be exposed to germs. Now, I’m not saying that you need to bring your infant to the infectious disease center in a hospital, but you can’t keep germs completely away. If you have older children they will be coming home with germs. If ANY of you leave the house and interact with ANYONE you are bringing home germs. You don’t have to heft your bundle of joy into the arms of your coughing cousin, but you don’t have to put him in a bubble either.

What about each visit that newborn has to take to the doctor’s office to check his progress? I mean I know MY doctor’s office generally has sick people in it. I’m sure her doctor only sees the healthy ones!

She’s one of those “friends” on Facebook…you know the ones. Those high school friends who weren’t really friends at all the last time you saw them. Your friendship ended well back and you really haven’t given them much though and then BAM! You get a “friend” request on Facebook. You accept only out of morbid curiosity. You really NEED to know if they've changed (and thankfully most, including this one have).

All I have to say is I don’t think it’s the person bringing their child into public that shouldn’t be a parent. It’s the judgmental twat that thinks that you need to hide them under the bed to keep the germs off that should think twice about procreating!

22 March 2010

Who Deserves Health Care?



Does the military deserve health care? Well, of course they do, silly! How could you even ask such a question? If our military was not healthy how would they protect our country if called upon to do so?

Do our teachers deserve health care? Of course! They are responsible for the education of our children! The future of our country!

Do our police officers deserve health care? Duh! How could they do their jobs if they were not healthy? They, like our military, protect us and keep us safe! They need to be cared for so they can do their jobs!

What about that waitress that makes less than minimum wage, that just brought you your expensive dinner? You know the one. You were planning on leaving her that substandard tip because she wasn’t quick enough for you due to the fact that the restaurant is understaffed and she’s covering two complete sections. The one that, even though she does not smoke has to breathe in the crap you are blowing out.

What about the plumber whose company doesn’t offer health care because he’s not full time? And why isn’t he full time? Because cutting back on his hours enabled his company to keep him but save money because he’s working fewer hours and they no longer are providing him with health care. Sadly, his wife is expecting twins and he’s praying that they will be healthy so he only has to pay for the delivery.

What do you say to the parent whose teenager has had cancer since they were little? The parent has had a good job complete with health care. Thank God because it’s made them able to care for their son throughout his ordeal, but now he’s graduating. He’s too sick to go to college. Too sick to get a job right out of high school. So after years of fighting to keep their child alive, what do they say to him? It’s been lovely, but we can’t afford to keep you alive anymore? The family would bankrupt themselves to save their child. You and I both know that. After bankruptcy where would they be? Where does that leave them?

You may say, well what about Medicaid? Medicare? You know who would cut their funding out from under them if given an inch?

Why is it so difficult to believe that a country is stronger with a strong workforce? With a healthy workforce? Why can we not believe that our workforce is better off and more productive when their basic needs are taken care of? We believe that for our military. We believe it for our civil servants.

So why are we against health care reform? Because it will bankrupt the country? Or at least more than our last President already did?

Because it will put the insurance companies out of business? Good.

Because the government can’t do anything right, so how will they ever be able to run health care? You mean apart from Medicare, Medicaid and our military health care system. They seem pretty good, although you’ll certainly catch people bitching about how they suck. They’d bitch even more if you took it away from them.

Because the legislation doesn’t prohibit abortion? So let’s throw the baby out with the bathwater! I’ll touch on that now…

The problem with completely prohibitive laws (or anything for that matter) is there is almost always an exception that needs to be addressed. Once you address that exception then there will be something else. For instance, I think most people would say that they wished there were no abortions. This isn’t a post to debate abortion. This is to merely illustrate a point. Despite what people may lead you to believe people don’t have abortions because they are fun!

An example, a woman is pregnant. She and her husband are thrilled. They already have some children, but this is such a welcome surprise. It is discovered during one of her doctor’s visits that she cannot carry this child. That if she does that she will most certainly die. The child has little hope of surviving. What an awful decision to make. I would never want to be in that position. I would also not want to widow my husband and leave my children without their mother.

You may say that God will provide. Let His will be done. There is nothing wrong with you saying that. You have your faith and beliefs. I have mine and my neighbors have theirs. We may share some beliefs or we may be completely different. Thus we have a separation of church and state. It's there for a reason and it's not to subjugate your faith. Believe what you want. Don't force it on anyone else. I can imagine someone telling an atheist that God will see them through their ordeal. Wouldn't comfort them as it may comfort you or I.

Some would respond to my scenario that the bill doesn’t outlaw an abortion. True, but the same people opposing the health care reform bill would like to. I digress, however, and will return to the point. If the family decides to terminate the pregnancy they should pay for it. Sounds logical. Please add to the end of this “and if you are poor you can die.”

OK. No abortion. Too touchy. Let’s talk another example. The legislation needs to prohibit cosmetic procedures. I heard this one several months ago. I don't know if anything regarding it made it into the bill, but my objective is to point out the ignorance in the extreme prohibitions. "I’m not paying for someone’s boob job!!!!!" OK. What if you, your mother, sister, daughter, etc survives breast cancer via mastectomy? Too bad, so sorry, but pay for it yourself? What if you or a loved one are in a car accident and you need reconstructive surgery? Oh, Ella, stop being ridiculous! Of course that would be covered! Not in the absolutely prohibitive terms that many legislators would demand.

But all the Republicans are asking is for this bill to be thrown out and to start over! Can we please leave the drug-induced fantasy world now and check into rehab (hope you’ve got good insurance to cover it!)? The Republicans are only interested in passing a bill that meets their complete approval. Some may say, what is wrong with that? Did we forget the art of compromise? Was that not what our elected officials should be doing? The problem is you cannot get many of our elected Republicans to compromise.

Yes, I am picking on our elected Republicans. Not Republicans in general. The elected Democrats and the President have made concessions in an attempt to make this a bipartisan bill. What they didn’t realize is that no matter what compromise they would make, no elected Republican would support it. Our elected Republicans showed quite clearly that it was their way or the highway. So when the elected Democrats realized this and decided that they would do it with or without bipartisan support it is then turned around on them. See how unwilling they are to compromise?!?! How shocking! I thought President Obama was going to be a uniter!

Then the statistics…the polls come into play! Did you know that a majority of Americans don’t support this legislation? Did you know that statistics can be twisted into anything you want them to be? Yes, the majority of Americans do not support the legislation…BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES MADE TO IT. They do not believe enough is being done. They believe it is too weak. Why is it too weak? Because concessions were made to court Republicans even though they never had any intention of supporting the legislation to begin with.

Republicans in Congress have held the needy in our country hostage claiming that they do it because of the fact that tax payer dollars would fund abortion. They shout out racial slurs toward their Democratic rivals and resort to name calling. No doubt it goes on from both sides, but is this really what our lawmakers should be doing? I mean I have long known that the best way to win an argument isn’t with facts and rational points, but with an outburst and a bit of slander. Honestly, is this what we have as our representatives? Oh how term limits would help!

And please, don’t spout rubbish spewed forth by anything from Faux News. I mean, hell, an excellent reason to pass health care reform is for Rush Limbaugh to move! Seriously….no sarcasm! I won’t sit here and say that Fox News lies. They don’t need to. Half truths work just as well. Although one might argue that a half truth constitutes a lie by omission.

Almost anything can sound bad when given out of context. They excel at doing that! Let's have an example shall we? "There are even some Democrats that won't support this bill! Even they don't support this kind of reform!" Makes it sound like those Democrats and the Republicans are kindred spirits. What they don't bother telling you is that there are many and varied reasons why some Democrats voted against the legislation and it wasn't because of a show of solidarity with their Republican counterparts, but rather they were against some of the changes made to the bill to appease Republicans. (Many reasons, this being only one!)

If you want to watch Faux News, watch Faux News. Just realize what they are. I watch MSNBC knowing that they are left leaning. But I also watch knowing to not believe everything I’m being told. Could we all form our own intelligent opinions and not merely vomit Glenn Beck quotes?

Think people. Think.

I have known people that have remained in the military because of a sick family member. They knew it was the only way for that child to be properly cared for. Some would call it noble. So would I. Not everyone qualifies for military service.

Is the person working 2 or 3 part-time jobs (or in some cases full time jobs) not working as hard to support their family as that executive pulling in million dollar bonuses? That hard worker doesn't deserve health care?

What I have noticed is that it is terribly easy to scoff at health care reform when people are sitting pretty and have health care. May you always have your health and your health care. Otherwise, you may end up learning your lesson the hard way.

And one parting thought: Who has the right to life? You say to save the unborn. How about saving those already born? Or are their lives not worth anything?

27 February 2010

Facebookin' it

Facebook brings us closer together.

I'm a big advocate of it.  I suck at email.  I never call.  I do however, sit there wondering how all my old friends and family members are doing (I do talk to immediate family...I'm not that bad...yet).

So Facebook allows me to see status updates and interact with people that I haven't seen or heard from in ages, check out what pictures they've posted, and feel a little more a part of their lives.

Now, I'll be honest.  I've friended people who I was NOT on good terms with.  I've gotten these friend requests and looked at them and said to myself, "Didn't we hate each other?"  And then that sick side of me kicks in and I have to say, "I wonder what a train-wreck their lives have become." So I usually end up accepting the request.

Now I don't WANT people to have sucky lives, but there is that part of me that wonders if karma ever took over.  Usually I've been delighted to discover that the majority of these people have pulled their heads out of their behinds and have fixed themselves.  Once or twice I have realized that there just ain't no fixin'!


But the real joy in Facebook is when you find those people that meant so terribly much to you in your life and somehow you lost touch.  My platoon sergeant in Hawaii (there's no way I could begin to say how much he meant to me and my family.  He touched everyone he ever met!).  My old friend/boyfriend from college (you know the guy you promise that you'll marry if you're both still single at 27?).  Those close friends from high school and college that just pop into your mind and you wonder "what ever happened to...?"

I've had those wonderful moments where I've found someone or been contacted by someone and it quite literally made my entire day.  It's a wonderful feeling.  I thought I was getting ready for another one of those days this week.  A friend of mine from high school sent me a "friend suggestion".  He found an old friend of ours from senior year.  Someone who I looked for, but couldn't find.  He just joined Facebook.

I went to the prom with him...no romance...no NEVER, but he was a friend.  I went on high alert and sent "friend suggestions" out to the rest of our senior clan.  Slowly I saw them all have their friend requests accepted, as was mine.  Then I got talking to him.

We made some talk about what we liked about Facebook and how glad I was that he joined.  What was he up to, what I'd been up to.  I told him about some of the most surprising requests I'd had and commented that it was nice to see that some of the people that really needed to had matured over time, but joked that there isn't a lot to be said for maturity sometimes.  Just a light passing comment.  His response surprised and kind of pissed me off.

"Speak for yourself. I've only gotten less mature over time. But maybe some of us were a little too mature to begin with. Maybe uptight would be a better word..."

I reread my email to him to make sure that I was in no way inferring that he had been one of those people I was referring to...nope...I was pretty clear on that.  It really angered me.  Instead of responding "in kind" I let it go completely.

I guess part of me was offended because part of me knows that I was always a bit more mature than other kids, and no doubt some could interpret it as being uptight.  Maybe it was offensive because I didn't want it to be true.

I've spent some time over the past few days looking back at my senior year of high school.  Was I uptight.  I guess I was compared to many of the kids that went to my high school, but I don't regret it in any way shape or form.  The other aspect of my reflection was, that this dude hung out with me.  He went to the prom with me.  We had a group of 6 that did most everything together in school.  So if I was so uptight why did you hang out with me?


I can't fathom that this is why the 20-year-late insult, but who knows.  I guess I can sit back and take consolation in the fact that he never procreated.  That he looks like shit, and is apparently as childish as he ever was.

Ah well, next friend request please....

19 February 2010

Apply a tourniquet to midsection and twist....



Wow...you're brave enough to continue reading a menstruation post...be warned...graphic in nature! :)

I just love being a woman! Once every 28 days (if your blessed to have a normal menstrual cycle) we bleed. "Normal" is said to be 35 milliliters. That's about 7 teaspoons or a little over an 1/8 of a cup (and as someone who spends a good deal of time in the kitchen, I can tell you that is NOT a lot!).

Why is it then that I feel like I dump all that out each hour? Seriously, when you have to use a tampon AND and maxipad to stem the tide it's ridiculous!

I was late getting ready to take the oldest to school this morning so I actually didn't get out of the shower and dressed until 7:00am. I put on my menstrual armor round about that time and headed out not long after. After dropping my oldest off at school I headed to the pharmacy on Fort Hood to pick up a prescription. This is normally a tedious task, but said tedium was performed 2 days earlier when I dropped the prescription off. Pick up is a joy, especially at 8:20am.

So back to the car by 8:30am and ready to head to the commissary for some light shopping. I felt wet. But how could this be with all my armor on and only 1-1/2 hours after donning it!?!? Arriving at the commissary the first stop was to the rest room where I checked the mirror. Yep...wet. Luckily, I had a long purse that I could sling so it covered my behind without having to do the old "remove your jacket and tie it around your waist" move which merely lets everyone know that you've bled yourself, because that style is sooo 10 minutes ago.

Sadly, I had to actually grab some more menstrual armor while I was there because I had no more armor "with wings". The corks OK...but no more wings. Through the self-checkout I went and then sat on my cardigan on the way home so I wouldn't bleed on my car seat.

Change cork - done
Change pad with "wings" - done
Change underwear - not necessary (see below)
Change jeans - done

Get back in the car to drive 20 more minutes back to the commissary to purchase food.

So "wings". What a lovely invention. If I remember correctly the wings are there to protect your underwear. They really do a remarkable job (for the most part). The blood wraps right around the maxipad and then soaks through my pants...the underwear are protected though! Good job!

I remember my mom talking about her dreadful periods. I felt so lucky that I wasn't like that. Then I had my first child and the periods were heavier afterward. Not horrible, but a marked increase in that alleged 7 teaspoons of blood. Still didn't have to worry about doubling up my armor, but I had to check frequently.

Then I had my second child and the flood gates opened. I think he rearranged things in there because I've never been "regular" since he was born!  And as for my monthly cycles, yeah right!  For me that's now anywhere between 21-29 days...yes, it sucks...3 weeks between periods and your bleeding for a week of that so it's 2 weeks period free...ewe...not the sheep, but EEEYWWWEE!

My goodness, what would happen if I managed to convince my hubby to go for a 3rd!?! I'd have to be seen for regular transfusions!

I love being a woman, but this is just too icky.

And a couple of other random menstral notes:

-You get some pretty awesome gas when you've got your period. But it honestly sucks when you're trying to push out a good fart and you vaginally shoot out what seems like all 7 of those teaspoons! What is that some cruel joke from God? Like saying, "Thou shall not fart"

-And Twilight fans: What did Edward do when Bella had her period? I mean she was like completely yummy to him to begin with, so when she was oozing blood once a month what did he do? HA! There you go Stephanie Meyer! The giant hole in your saga! Oh wait...it's fiction!!! (Can people start acting like it is now? Good books and all but still FICTION!)

13 January 2010

Subliminal Crack




Oh how delighted I was when I checked the Proclaimers homepage recently and saw a video for the song "Notes & Rhymes".  It is one of my very favorite songs from their newest album (of the same name).  I don't know what it is about Craig and Charlie Reid, but their songs entrance me.  They are absolutely beautiful!  I think of them as subliminal crack.  They have completely addicted me to anything they sing.  I just can't stop.  I'm hooked.  I'm an addict and I don't want to quit!

I fondly refer to them as "my Proclaimers" because of how dearly I love listening to their dulcet Scottish voices.  It's so wonderful to hear a group that doesn't feel it's necessary to put on an American accent to sing!  I smile just to listen to the wonderful Scottish accent the boys have.  If I'm the least bit sad it will bring a smile to my face and I'm singing before long!

Well, enough ranting about how wonderful they are.  I wanted to post the link to their "Notes & Rhymes" video.  You can purchase their album from Amazon.com.  It's soooo worth it!



My favorite line of the entire song, "If we lived a million lives, I would love you every time, and be right there by your shoulder."  How utterly beautiful!

You can always get updates from the boys if you subscribe to The Proclaimers' homepage (there is also an American link if you're into that) and through their site on Facebook.  I believe they have a MySpace page as well, but I don't MySpace!

12 January 2010

Bite me alien Boi!

I was having quite an afternoon with my son.  We had Cub Scouts this evening so we were pressed for time.  He had to do his homework and part of it required him to memorize 2 short poems (only 4 lines each).  I explained to him how to memorize things (line by line) and he kept on having a meltdown while trying.  His problem was that he wasn't merely trying to memorize these poems, he was trying to spit them out as fast as he can and was getting tongue tied in the process.

We've been having a couple issues with our oldest.  The first being that my almost 9 year old seems to think he's smarter than his mom and dad.  Yes, I know this isn't going to stop anytime soon, if ever, but it's incredibly frustrating when we're trying to help him with homework and he won't listen.  Too smart for his own good.  Second, when something is the least bit challenging he quits.  This can be video games, art, or even schoolwork, although with the schoolwork he has no choice and just makes everyone's life hell while he's doing it.

So I lost my temper a bit with the meltdown.  When I noticed my normally calm husband starting to lose his temper I tried another tactic...after all one of us needs to remain calm!  I told him how smart he is and that it's a problem when he quits when things get hard, because they WILL get hard throughout his life.  I explained that he needs to persevere and I made the comparison between what he was doing now in memorizing these short poems and actors having to memorize their lines.

My children are freaky Doctor Who fans like me so I used the relatively recent fact that one of the Doctors (David Tennant) had played the role of Hamlet on stage.  I told him that not only did David have to memorize an enormous amount of material, but that the material was incredibly challenging because it's not the way we speak today.  Additionally, David had to know when to say his lines and deliver them with feeling and not just rattle them off as quickly as possible.  He seemed interested in the comparison and did calm down enough to learn the poems before Cub Scouts.

After Cub Scouts I told him that speed only comes after memorization.  I then told him that because of how he's been about quitting when he meets a challenge that we are going to do something very challenging.  We are going to memorize one of Shakespeare's sonnets.  I haven't decided which yet, but it will be one of his more popular ones.  After he gets the memorization down, we'll work on delivery.  I then remembered a clip that David Tennant was in with a costar, Catherine Tate, and decided to play it for him.  It's an awesome clip for Doctor Who fans.  Lots of Who remarks and it ends with Tate's annoying schoolgirl character rattling off a Shakespearean Sonnet as quick as she could.  He got a giggle and I never get tired of watching it.

The clip is from a charity drive that is done annually in Britain, Comic Relief - Red Nose Day.  So that's what the numbers in the upper right are...the phone lines from 2 years ago.  It takes a bit to load, but it's so worth it!



I'll have to post how the sonnet memorization goes!

11 January 2010

Some cool promo shots from the Doctor Who team!




10 January 2010

Doctor Who Season 5 preview

And the BBC has gotten right out there to show Matt Smith in his debut season as the Doctor!  Good luck, Matt!  I loved David Tennant, but looks like you've got potential.  I would expect nothing else!

Thank you to the BBC and Matt Smith's Facebook Fan Page (via his fan site) for posting the link!



I'm hoping that the BBC doesn't mess up the Doctor Who homepage though.  For the new season it's got a big "Not available in your area" across the middle and I had to go back to Tennant's season four.  Not very cricket!  They need to understand how much the fans across the pond rely on the site for info.  It helps keep it going!

Hope you enjoy the preview.  Look at it with an open mind and remember that while most of us fight against change that change is the basis of Doctor Who and Matt Smith wouldn't have been hired if they hadn't seen something in him.  He's not David Tennant, but who can be and why would we want a copy!  I think he'll do great!