"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids."

This land is your land, this land is my land

2009-11-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

Do you have one of those, who in history would you of liked to have met? I do. I have a lot, but one is my all time favorite. He rocks my world.
And these pleasures that you cannot ever forget are the yeast that always starts working in your mind again, and it gets in your thoughts again, and in your eyes again, and then, all at once, no matter what has happened to you, you are building a brand new world again, based and built on the mistakes, the wreck, the hard luck and trouble of the old one.
Life has got a habit of not standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it. If a day goes by that don't change some of your old notions for new ones, that is just about like trying to milk a dead cow.
As through this world I ramble
I see lots of funny men.
Some rob you with a six-gun,
Some with a fountain pen.
But as through this life you travel,
As through your life you roam,
You will never see an outlaw
Drive a family from their home.
Civilization is spread more by singing than by anything else, because whole big bunches can sing a particular song where not every man can join in on the same conversation. A song ain't nothing but a conversation fixed up to where you can talk it over and over without getting tired of it.
The world is filled with people who are no longer needed --
And who try to make slaves of all of us --
And they have their music and we have ours--
Theirs, the wasted songs of a superstitious nightmare--
And without their musical and ideological miscarriages to compare our song of freedom to--
We'd not have any opposite to compare our music with--
and like the drifting wind, hitting no obstacle, we'd never know its speed, its power.
Woody Guthrie was what folks who don't believe in anything would call an anomaly. Admittedly, the intersection of space and time at the corner of July 14, 1912, and Okemah, Oklahoma, was a long shot to produce anything like a national treasure.
Woody was born in one of the most desolate places in America, just in time to come of age in the worst period in our history. ... He became the living embodiment of everything a people's revolution is supposed to be about: that working people have dignity, intelligence and value above and beyond the market's demand for their labor. ... For me personally, Woody is my hero of heroes.

the 3 R's

2009-11-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Out of my two children, my 6 year old Sophie loves books the most. She will sit and listen to every word, pictures or not. She loves all the twist and turns and the complicated detail in Norse myths. Or exotic fairy tales told by other countries. All she wants to do is read, and Art. But reading is her passion, but she has not learned yet and it is frustrating her to no end. She frequently will ask her teachers to teach her, but she is impatient. I can see in her eyes the thirst for literature, for the fantasy life that lives and breaths in those books. I am thinking of getting her a tutor, she is too impatient for me to teach her, and she is so hard on her self. Strangers usually do a better job.
We had a parent teacher conference last week and her teachers says she is the brightest kid in the class, full of excitement, excitement to learn. She is basically ready for graduation. No surprises here, and no I do not regret her entering Kindergarten at 6. I think every kid should start later. What a wonderful think honestly, they get another year of just being a kid and they start with that much more experience and thirst for knowledge. As my Sophie is demonstrating. It brings tears to my eyes honestly. I never had that thirst. I could care less. I guess I could blame my parents, I don't recall a single book ever read to me, or any interest in my school studies. My Mother especially, since I was raised by her alone. She never asked to see any homework etc.
Patrick and I are very different. We do not allow TV or computer time unless something educational has happened. Then still 1 hour max. TV will rot your brain, I and my husband are living proof of that one. Why raise another vegetable, like so many children out there.
This Xmas even, no toys allowed! We are going to have a small one, with food, lots and lots of baking and puzzles and games only. I think Sophie is old enough to learn new things. This weekend I taught her some new card games, and she loves them. She loves games and we love playing them with her. Now we need to work on Mac.

seven stuff

2009-11-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

On the seventh hour
of the seventh day
of the seventh month
the seven doctors say
"He were born for good luck
that you'll see"
I got seven hundred dollars
don't you mess with me
'cause i'm the hootchie cootchie man...
Muddy Waters
Iron Maiden's seventh studio album was Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
A famous dance group from Kercova(Macedonia)- Sevens group TThe number of notes in the traditional Western Major Scale
The original diameter in inches of the 45rpm format gramophone record.
There are seven musicians in a septet or a septuor.
7 Shades of Black is a song on the Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist, which made its release in 2007.
Love Is the Seventh Wave by Sting on his first solo album, Dream of the Blue Turtles.
The number of stellar objects in the solar system visible to the naked eye from Earth— the Sun, the Moon and the five classical naked eye planets: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn.
There is on a Scottish Mason's apron seven tassels on each side and when the apron.
In almost every system of antiquity there are frequent references to the number seven.
The Pythagoreans called it the perfect number, 3 and 4, the triangle and the square, the perfect figures.
There were for instance seven ancient planets. The sun was the greatest planet of the ancient seven and next to the sun, the moon, changing in all its splendor every seventh day.
The Arabians had seven Holy Temples.
In Persian mysteries there were seven spacious caverns through which the aspirants had to pass.
The Goths had seven deities, as did the Romans, from whose names are derived our days of the week.
King Solomon was seven years building the Temple. It was dedicated to the glory of God in the seventh month and the festival lasted seven days.
We require seven Brethren to make a Lodge perfect and we have our seven steps on the winding staircase.
The seven dwarfs
The seven deadly sins
The Trumpton fire brigade (a UK children's cartoon: They are Pugh, Pugh, Barney, Magrew, Cuthburt, Dibble and Grub)
The seven orders of architecture
The seven seas
The Seven Sisters
Almost all mammals have 7 cervical vertebrae
There are 7 types of virus according to the Baltimore classification
The number of spots on a seven-spot ladybird
The Menorah is a 7-branched candelabrum
God rested on and sanctified the seventh day (Shabbat). – Genesis 2:3. "Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars." – Proverbs of Solomon son of David King of Israel 9:1
The Shmita (Sabbatical) year arrives every seventh year.
The Jubilee (Yovel) year comes after 7 times 7 years.
The Counting of the Omer leading up to the Giving of the Torah is expressed as "7 times 7 weeks."
The number of Archangels according to some systems.
The minor symbol number of yang from the Taoist yin-yang.
The number of palms in an Egyptian Sacred Cubit.
The number of ranks in Mithraism.
The number seven is of particular significance within Cherokee cosmology.
In Buddhism, Buddha walked 7 steps at his birth.
Circle Seven Koran, the holy scripture of the Moorish Science Temple of America
In Spanish and other Romance Languages, cats are said to have 7 lives as opposed to English, where cats are said to have 9 lives.
In Iran cats are also said to have 7 lives. [8]
The seven days of the week
The Kulin people of Australia living near the Dandenong Ranges traditionally have seven seasons. Some of the Native Americans of Montana also have seven seasons: chinook season, muddy spring, green summer, gold summer (or dry summer), 'Indian' Summer, late fall, and cold winter.
The United States declared Independence in the 7th month of 1776.
The British fifty pence coin has 7 sides
11-06-2002 NY City love you baby

Would you love me 'til I'm dead

2009-10-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

Remember high school? Remember all the "what's your favorite" list? Now that I am sooooooooooo old (he he) I don't really have any list, I can honestly say there is not one Movie or book I like best. BUT I was thinking this week, I have been in bed a lot with some infection. It's been on and off for 2 years now. Seriously. I have an appointment finally with a specialist! So don't worry too much. I'm a big girl and I am finally realizing I can get help, since I never had insurance really.
BUT as I was saying about favorite's. I think I might have an all time favorite song, of course it's sweet and romantic. I do love a good mushy song. But mostly I love a great voice and thoughtful lyrics.
Also it is Patrick's and my anniversary soon. 7 years. I waited a long time to find him, Seemed like forever, Lots of mistakes a long the way. But we are soooooooooooo happy and I am stunned! I come from a broken family he comes from a broken family. I do not believe in soul mates or love at first sight BS. I believe in commitment and honesty and love. He makes me happy all day long. He is a wonderful and funny friend and he is very sexy (sorry) but it's true. He makes me laugh all the time and he is a great father! He doesn't mind my insanity and he is super motivated. And he loves to clean. I have truly found the perfect man (wink wink) I am looking forward to a life time with him and maybe that is why this song is my favorite? It reminds me of him?

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.

I've been a long time that I'm waiting
Been a long that I'm blown
I've been a long time that I've wandered
Through the people I have known
Oh, if you would and you could
Straighten my new mind's eye.

Would you love me for my money
Would you love me for my head
Would you love me through the winter
Would you love me 'til I'm dead
Oh, if you would and you could
Come blow your horn on high.

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.

My new hero: Spike Jonze

2009-10-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

We took our kids to see where the wild things are, It was so good, I felt so deeply. I cried. This movie makes you think, which is interesting as often we get lazy and want it all presented on a nice clean plate for us to devour. This movie is about social rules, it is personal and is a magical film about childhood angst, it is uncompromising and an excellent interpretation of a classic book. Haunting, Innovative, And mostly kid friendly. Kids will totally get it. It rocked my world, I can't wait for it to come out on DVD, I will watch it over and over. My little one (3 year old) wasn't very interested, but he wasn't interested in any movie we have taken him to so far. My daughter got it, she looked kind of like "wow, he is throwing a fit and like biting his mom, you mean I'm not the only freak out there!"

our town

2009-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Iris Dement and this song always chokes me up.
The Willamette Valley (pronounced wi-LAM-it) is the region in northwest Oregon in the beautiful USA that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its emergence from mountains near Eugene to its confluence with the Columbia River at Portland.
We live in such a beautiful place, not to warm, not to cold. The Willamette Valley has a wet climate, with about 50 inches of rain a year. It rains alright, that is why it is soooo green! Summers are dry and somewhat warm, the rest of the year, from November to April is very wet. Snow is rare, with on average only one to three light falls a year, and a major snowstorm only a couple times a decade. I am soo glad there is barely any snow. I don't really care for the snow. I would rather visit the snow.
Some fun stuff: In the movie A League of Their Own, directed by Penny Marshall, Geena Davis's and Lori Petty's characters are discovered playing softball and living on a dairy farm in the fertile Willamette Valley. The Davis character eventually returns to her life there. And why wouldn't you.
I loved this when I was a kid, (oh River why did you have to die...)
The 1986 film Stand by Me was largely filmed in Brownsville, Oregon, a historic town in the midst of the Willamette Valley.. The unspoiled and natural beauty appears in many scenes, helping to establish the mood of the 1950s.
Health, prosperity, safety and security are all desirable aspects when it comes to seeking a place to live, work or raise a family.
We are the 7th best college town under 250,000 people
Corvallis is cited as the #1 city in America for green buildings per capita.
The 509J School District recognized the City for its outstanding efforts in support and encouragement for significantly lowering the drop out rate in the Corvallis School District.
The October issue of National Geographic Adventure has rated Corvallis as one of the ten best Where to Live and Play Now! cities.
Corvallis was named the Safest Small City in America for a second year by Farmers Insurance Group. Our low scores on crime rate, extreme weather, environmental hazards, and terror threats led to our #1 ranking.
The September/October 2008 issue of AARP Magazine named Corvallis as having the third greenest commuters (percentage who bike or walk) and the third longest life expectancy at 80.93 years.
ECO-Friendly Award
It is hard living in such a wonderful town, like no shopping, and no soul food! Like Tim Gunn on project runway I am trying to make it work. I miss the big city life, one day when I am a rich girl I shall move to a fancy loft in NY city. And live the life I have always secretly wanted! But for now I am sold on Corvallis.

I love meat and vegetables

2009-10-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am an Omnivore, I love chicken, pork, beef and Turnips. In fact there is not one single vegetable that I do not love, and I mean LOVE. Prepared the right way and it all taste good to me. I'm not crazy about a lot of meat, but that was my Mom's fault, she allowed me to be picky. My kids on the other hand are NOT ALLOWED to discriminate against any vegetable. They have to sample it first, and honestly they look at me and go "wow Mom, this taste good." Or they simple put it back on their plate.
My kids are learning like crazy, Sophie has tons of homework (very simple stuff) and Mac has discovered dinosaur train on PBS. He is also obsessed with Dora the explorer, which we watch instantly on Netflix. My kids don't really watch that much TV, they are big time players with their imagination and such, which is nice. I guess my husband watched hours and hours and hours of TV growing up. We didn't even have a TV at times. Of course, I am trying to make up for it now. I think they realize TV is well, boring. But not Dora, Mac knows about 20 words in Spanish already and is ready for Kindergarten at 3. Not really. Dual-immersion look out. Just like big Sis.
But back to food, my favorite word! I could never be a vegetarian, I just love food too much. I can not imagine why someone would choose to be a vegetarian as well. I mean it couldn't possible be political, not these days. Too many people suffering for me to give a rats ass about some bunny. I love meat, love it.
So, on Mac's new favorite show Dinosaur train (which he only gets to watch once a week, since I am now working the other days) They teach all about Dinosaurs, and he is super into it. His says "Mama, dinosaurs are grande." He likes to mix Spanish in with everything. So does Sophie. When I'm asking Sophie to stop talking, she talks a lot!!! She says, "Mom, my boca is zipped." Today I asked Mac what is an Omnivore, he said Crows, I thought how the Fuck did he know that. TV! Go figure, I guess it is good for something now. Pigs are one well-known example of an omnivore. Crows are another example of an omnivore that many people see every day. Humans are omnivores.
When I was a kid, I watched threes company. I wonder what I learned from that show, yes sesame street was on, but I never got to watch it. We commuted on the Bay Bridge everyday. We lived in SF and I went to school in Berkeley. When we finally moved to Berkeley we didn't have a TV.
I love this song, not the movie so much. But the song kicks ass!!

It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right.

2009-09-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

OK this might shock some of you but when I was 8 or maybe 9 my mom took me to a double feature of Tommy and Pink Floyd's the wall. At the old UC theatre on University avenue. (very cool web-site)1982 possible? Doesn't exist anymore. Awesome place, did the Rocky horror picture show and everything. Spent many a Saturday nights throwing rice and singing "lets do the time warp again" Boy have times changed. So when I was younger I loved Ann Margaret and Pink Floyd, never realizing drugs made these movies what they are. And everyone sitting in the theatre with me, practically all day, were probably tripping on something. We never went to a park, or camp, or anything associated with being a kid. No, I spent my days with my Mom (and she was high) FUN! (um... not) Why did I have to be an only child? I think about how I don't do drugs but I still love these movies and I wish I could bring Sophie to see them. She would love them. Especially Rocky horror. We could dress up, I can do a mean transvestite. Well a woman dressed up as a woman dressed up as a man.? Wha...

Mabon

2009-09-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

September 22, is the date of this year's Fall Equinox (or Autumnal Equinox). For those who practice Wicca, Druidry, or other forms of neopaganism, it is known as Mabon.
There is either an equinox (autumn and spring) or a solstice (summer and winter)
On a day which has an equinox, the center of the Sun will spend a nearly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on Earth and night and day will be of nearly the same length. The day is longer than the night at an equinox.
What does it mean? Well the days began to grow shorter and the nights longer at Summer Solstice, and at Fall Equinox, we will begin to notice the nights are getting even longer...winter is coming...and I can tell also because the mornings are quite chilly and the leaves began to change over the last few days here in Corvallis.

So what then is Mabon? What is its significance in the pagan calendar? Everyone knows about Halloween, but not about Mabon.
Mabon is the name used by some traditions of Wicca, as well as some other forms of Neopaganism, for one of the eight annual sabbats central to their beliefs. It is celebrated on the Autumnal Equinox, which in the northern hemisphere occurs on or around September 23rd (occasionally the 22nd). Many celebrate on the 21st since most early Wiccan and Neopagan sources reference this date as Mabon. In the southern hemisphere, the Autumnal Equinox occurs usually around March 21. Also called Harvest Home, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair, or as Alban Elfed by Neo-Druidic traditions, this holiday is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and God during the winter months. The name may derive from Mabon ap Modron, a character from Welsh mythology, although the connection is unclear. Among the sabbats, it is the second of the three harvest festivals, preceded by Lughnasadh/Lammas and followed by Samhain [Halloween].

Children will always be afraid of the dark, and men with minds sensitive to hereditary impulses will always tremble at the thought of the hidden and fathomless worlds of strange life which may pulsate in the gulfs beyond the stars or press hideously upon our own globe in unholy dimensions which only the dead and the moonstruck may glimpse.
-- H.P. Lovecraft, "Supernatural Horror in Literature"

Is Glenn Beck the Imperial Wizard of modern Know Nothingism?

2009-09-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Know Nothingism was a nativist American political movement. It began because of popular fears that the country was being over run by immigrants. They feared American culture and traditions were being lost. They wanted immigration and naturalization of all immigrants stopped. These immigrants were the Irish. The Know Nothings began in the 1840's and Father Coughlin believed Democrats were moving the nation into the Socialist camp in the 1930's. So what is new? At the speed the Left is making us Socialist none of us will be around to know. I look at Beck and other's on the Right and I see a bunch of racist bigots hiding behind the language of the Constitution and freedom. Lets face it, Beck didn't get all wound up by the security forces in Afghanistan acting like they were at a Fraternity Toga party, yet the world was coming to an end because some members of ACORN acted absolutely stupidly and told someone how to run a brothel. Glenn Beck called President Obama a racist with a deep seated hatred of White People on the air. In a conversation with Congressman Keith Ellison, who is Muslim, after denying racism because some of my best friends are Muslim's, Beck ask him to essentially prove he was loyal to the United States.
On 3-10-09 in response to the killing rampage by Michael McClendon in Alabama, Beck stated listening to the description of him, he was reminded of the American people that feel disenfranchised right now and feel that nobody is listening to their voice. He further opined that because they get shot down by Political Correctness how do you not turn into that guy. Some one who just shot 10 people in cold blood.
This is just a sampling of the nightly gag spew that Glenn Beck puts out into the air waves. Forget all the phony civility crap. This is just blatantly racist crap that has no place in the discussion of our nation. It is time for Fox News to put up or shut up. Do you support a racist bigot?

True Blood

2009-09-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

True Blood is the most campiest, soapiest, funniest, sexiest show and everybody has a different southern accent. Part drama, love story, thriller, and horror. This isn't a normal show I would watch, I'm not really into the romance stuff. But I am a just girl so... Sookie Stackhouse isn’t your normal waitress. With an unwanted ability to hear people’s thoughts. Enter Bill Compton, a 173-year-old vampire who just wants to fit in. With his lack of brain waves, spending time with Vampire Bill is the “peace and quiet” Sookie so desperately wants. And of course he's hot.
In the series opener, we learn that vampires exist, and with the Japanese invention of synthetic blood, which satisfies a vampire’s nutritional needs, humans need not fear. An action-packed, comedic gem among so many dark, melodramatic vampire tales, True Blood is a breath of fresh air.
A nice romantic scene for me was after asking for permission (What a gentleman?!), Bill runs his fingers through Sookie’s hair and smells her neck. “I can smell the sunlight on your skin.” He says with longing and an inner torture. He leans into her, and it seems like he might be planning to kiss her (He was probably going to ask for further permission.), when Sookie has had enough of waiting. She reaches up and pulls his mouth to hers. The kiss is passionate and takes Bill a little off guard. He’s unable to stop his reaction (extended fangs) so he turns away from her. He offers to take her home and she agrees.
It's good so far, campy Vampire fun. Bill is a sexy Vampire. Mush more then the twilight fellow, more mature.

A fallen leaf is nothing more than a summers wave good bye

2009-09-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone gather around, I've got a secret... it is now entering my favorite time of year. So small and quiet, an almost sleepy but very busy period. Everything is in a transition. The sun is fading. People, nature, trees are changing, school is beginning. there is hope in the air, the calm before death. I just love the wind, and the breeze. and winter creeping at my back door.
Another secret I have is one people are usually surprised by, I love poetry.

Autumn Movement by Carl Sandburg
I CRIED over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts.

I am excited about this fall, school starting for my sweet girl, our fresh newly planted trees and plants. Our new cozy house, we will be here a year in November, my second favorite month. October is my all time favorite though. And it ends with the best holiday ever. Halloween. The time to be the freak you want to be and know one Will care. There is so much excitement in the air, September is here. My little girl will be 6.

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.

Trader Joe's

2009-08-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

We are getting a Trader Joe's, and I am super excited, but what's up with its overpackaged produce? Some of TJ's fruits and veggies come bundled in plastic wrap and on plastic trays—way more padding than any other supermarket uses. A Trader Joe's customer relations representative says the extra packaging ensures safe transportation and efficient stacking. It also means the chain can sort and deliver its own produce and doesn't have to install scales at its checkout counters. That saves the store and its customers money, but it's wasteful and irritating, particularly if you want to buy more or fewer items than come in a single package. And even no-frills 7-Elevens and corner stores can handle selling individual pieces of fruit without scales. Trader Joe's rep says the company is rolling out compostable packaging and "selling some of our produce out of its package." Well, there's an idea that could bear fruit. I wil of course shop there, they are known for its high-quality, inexpensive fare. I heart TJ'S. See you in the spring, but with less packaging, I hope.

escuela

2009-08-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

School is coming hip hip Hooray! I need her to get out of my house. Just kidding, um... I am super excited for Sophie, she has come along way. Speech therapy alone. She spent the first 3 years of her life glued to my body and never talked really to another living soul. My little girl is starting kindergarten!
I am so amazed by her everyday, she is so strong and kind and not wishy-washy at all, and brave, fearless really. Her imagination thrills me, her kindness towards strangers and living creatures comforts me. She has a great bright future ahead of her and Pat and I are making it even more special and more awesome by enrolling her in the dual immersion program at our local school. How awesome is that! I feel like Momma of the year, honestly.
Dual language programs first appeared in the U.S. forty years ago. Miami, Florida was the first district to implement a Spanish-English dual language program in 1962. Why couldn't I of gotten in that. Mom? Why didn't you do that for me? It should be mandatory as far as I'm concerned, and I am surprised more parents don't teach their children a second language. Especially Spanish. Come on people their are so many Spanish speaking citizens. Multiple benefits exist for acquiring a second language during the primary years. WE value other cultures – the people, art, history, etc. We support learning a second language and encourage practicing the language. We really miss our culture, that one we left behind in Oakland, and me growing up with a Jewish grandmother. And we live in a small city, not much culture honestly. I hope to one day move to a larger one. Portland, Seattle. Maybe when she enters high school? I am sure I will be tired of Corvallis by then. She will no doubt have more opportunities knowing Spanish. How can she not? I am so envious and excited and I too can better learn Spanish with her. Hooray! I just got a call and both the kindergarten teachers are coming for a home visit September 9Th. Sophie will no doubt love them both. And we will get to do it all over again when Mac enters too. Kids and learning is so fun. I am full of optimism.

Top 11 Favorite Atheist Quotes

2009-08-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

These are my current ten eleven favorite quotes regarding atheism and religion.

“Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.”
–Thomas Jefferson

“Why should I allow that same God to tell me how to raise my kids, who had to drown His own?”
– Robert G. Ingersoll

“An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.”
– John Buchan

“Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private schools, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and the state forever separated.”
– Ulysses S. Grant

“Creationists make it sound like a ‘theory’ is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night.”
– Isaac Asimov

“In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people.”
– James Madison

“I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.”
– Richard Dawkins

“Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
– Douglas Adams

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
– Stephen Roberts

“Since the Bible and the church are obviously mistaken in telling us where we came from, how can we trust them to tell us where we are going?”
– Anonymous

And what is currently my very favorite quote:

“We godless lack that certainty, and we know the world is a complex place that requires compromise and is not ruled by a moral force — virtue is subject to negotiation, and is found in working together with others to find mutually satisfactory solutions. Good is not absolute, it is an emergent property that arises from successful networks of individuals. It is also something that is measured by evidence: we look at the good that people do, not the promises that they make and never keep, or the lies that dovetail nicely into dogma. Competence is a virtue. Intent is meaningless without action.”
– PZ Myers

What are your favorite quotes?

My celebrity look alike

2009-07-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Try it!

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

I love music from the 70's

2009-07-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Easy-Listening Songs From the '70s
I really really do, honestly. I think they are the best written love songs ever. Very sappy, the music is pleasant, easy, the lyrics are plain easy to get into. Some of the best songs were written in the 70's. Hard headed woman. Oh my god, the first time I heard this song I almost cried. Cat Steven's is a GOD! Song's from the 70's tell stories, romantic ever and after stories. What would we do with out them. What happens though after we have kids? Does the romance die? Here are some lyrics Rewritten by the artists after They had Kids.

"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, but My Sitter Was Grounded for 'Inappropriate' Entries on Her MySpace Page" by England Dan and John Ford Coley

"Nobody Does It Better Than Disney" by Carly Simon

"Hey Nineteen, Your Dad and I Are Going to Stop Paying Your College Tuition If You Say 'Simone de Beauvoir' in a Bad French Accent One More Time" by Steely Dan

"I Keep Forgettin' to Give You Your Antibiotics" by Michael McDonald

"I Go Crazy When You Talk in a Robot Voice All Day" by Paul Davis

"You've Got a Friend I Won't Let You Play With Anymore Because Last Time You Were at His House They Let You Watch The Shining and You Didn't Sleep for a Week" by James Taylor

"I Am ... I Said ... and That's the End of the Conversation, Period" by Neil Diamond

"The Cat's in the Cradle ... Check ... the Dog's in the Bathtub ... Check ... Now, Where Did I Put That Baby?" by Harry Chapin

Postage stamp collecting or philately is the most popular hobby in the world.

2009-07-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

I used to be a great collector of things, anything at first, bottle caps, shells, frogs, pets, dead animals (mostly birds). It got a little strange there for a while, hair, weird clippings from the paper, receipts, dead birds. Mostly junk. Broken furniture, old TVs. I always think I'm gonna do something cool with them, like a great art thing, funky, cool. I have a hard time passing up thrift stores. I thought maybe i was going crazy for a while. Like I was compulsively shopping for stuff I didn't need. Maybe I was gonna turn into a pack rat? My mom was one, it could be passed on to me right? I have tried to convince my self that just because you are compulsive and need to pick something useless up and bring it home that you're OK. Those who view collecting as trivial or a waste of time, miss the connections that it has to life skills and occupations. Scientists also collect things; they gather information, data, and samples. Museums and libraries are collections. Many people make their livelihoods by collecting and disposing items. In fact, all of us go through our lives collecting and discarding things around us.
Maybe I'm not insane, maybe it's a hobby or maybe I'll end up like the most famous compulsive hoarder of all, Langley Collyer, who for 15 years filled a New York City mansion with 120 tons of trash, including 11 pianos and all the parts of a Model T Ford. He and his reclusive brother were both found dead among the clutter, having died just days apart. Langley had been crushed by falling debris.

saggy mattress and daVinci days

2009-06-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Well it's almost July, which means one of two things, Daddy's birthday and only the best festival ever! daVinci days. This year we are doing something fishy, participating! We are Throwing our self into it, hook, line, and sinker! The project is big fish, luckily our friends are helping us, Sophie is doing a giant dolphin, I'm doing a starfish, Gavi is doing something later to be named,but will be totally awesome. Christina is perfecting a can of tuna. Pictures to come after completion. Can't wait to see them with all the rest of the art. Sophie will be very proud!
On to another not so fun topic. CRAP for a bed. We have a terrible mattress that is on it's last leg, it sags so bad now, we end up glued to each other every morning. In the "hole" as i like to call it. SO??? why are mattress's so damn expensive. We don't have that kind of money, and we don't have any credit cards. We are stuck in our rut. Any body? Have a decent Queen you need to give to charity (me and Pat)

spoil your kids...

2009-06-23T08:01:00.001-07:00

Why not, c'mon buy them everything they want. What could it hurt? If you want to may I advise against. I mean a couple things here and there are fine. They are kids, they need some stuff. But it is also good for them to say NO. teach them about life so they don't grow up to be spoiled brats. Or better yet, never leave home. Never feel the need to see the world? Why should they when they have YOU. Yikes! Or even better like this young boy, please watch this whole video. It is a lesson in parenting if anything. And a lesson when you know you have a Drama Queen.

Living with Invisible Chronic Illness

2009-06-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sick and tired of being sick and tired?
You are doing what you can to eat better, cut back on the caffeine, slow down, exercise more, and just take a deep breath. But isn't there something else that would help you fight back against the fatigue that often accompanies the never-ending "to-do" list?
What's more, lack of energy becomes a vicious cycle. More folks today report only fair to poor or very poor quality of sleep. Yea, tell me about it, toss and turn with worry half the night. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the majority of us who report everyday fatigue and loss of energy admit they don't get the minimum Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals from their diet even one day per week! Who has time to eat a balanced meal? Who has time to make a balanced meal, when you're tired, you don't want to cook. You just wander around doing nothing productive. Cleaning a bit, straightening up a tiny bit. Making sure your kids are fed, garden is watered. Fibromyalgia is a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to gentle touch. Other core features of the disorder include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. In addition, persons affected by the disorder frequently experience a range of other symptoms that involve multiple body systems, including difficulty with swallowing, functional bowel and bladder abnormalities, difficulty breathing, diffuse sensations of numbness and tingling.
Fibromyalgia is considered a controversial diagnosis, with some authors contending that the disorder is a ‘non-disease’, due in part to a lack of abnormalities on physical examination, objective laboratory tests or medical imaging studies to confirm the diagnosis. So it IS an invisible illness, which is funny because I keep going to the Doctors, which I have grown to hate by the way! They keep telling me, No, No, No nothing the matter. Go home. Relax. Bla bla bla bla bleah. I need to catch a break, It depresses me. Which worries me. What a cycle! What a crappie life to be "living" And yes, i have tried eating better, I try all the time. I have cut out alcohol. I have cut out sugar. Exercise? Yes, I used to ride a bike 20 miles a day. No luck there.

papa's day

2009-06-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

With Father’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what to get the old man for his big day. Ties - lame. Sweaters - lame. Bacon-Of-The-Month Club - actually very cool. Puppy Dog Boxers - barf. Father's Day and Mother's Day, exist for two reasons. 1: To sell greeting cards and gifts. 2: To remind people to appreciate people in their lives that no one should need to be reminded to appreciate. I mean, c'mon. If someone has to tell you to love your mother and give her flowers and tell her she's a great mom, you are an idiot. She's your mom. She gave birth to you, and raised you, and refrained from killing you at any point during your young life. Rest assured, there were many times she wanted to. And she didn't. She is to be honored and admired.
Likewise with dads. They spent their whole lives loving you and caring for you and playing trucks and trains and dolls and house and catch with you. Put up with your grumpy Mom, who is grumpy because she has whiny children at her beckoning call. That's true love. And you need Hallmark to tell you one day a year to tell the guy you love him and buy him a card and an Amazon gift certificate? You suck. Gifts suck really. Be creative this "holiday" technically Fathers day is NOT a holiday. I mean Holidays are religious and holy. fathers day... commercial.Give your dad the perfect gift, a 6 pack of his favorite beverage and a day spent with his wonderful family.

digital TV sucks

2009-06-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

I used the government web site to obtain a card for a $40 credit towards getting an analog to digital converter box for my TV last August. So, no I am not a procrastinator. In all the information that is out, there is very little mention of the fact that the digital signals are very much weaker than the current analog signals. That means that the government subsidized box you bought, as is the case for me, is pretty much useless. That is, you order the coupon, go to a store (where there is blessed little information available except that you can only return the digital box if it is defective), pay your share, take it home, install it, and do a scan where you find NOTHING. Then the meaning of all or nothing sinks in…
So, it seems that extending the deadline for the conversion will be of little value to many of the people that it is intended to help. It will be just prolonging the realization that they are out of luck if they can’t afford cable or satellite subscriptions.
Are we going to be forced to listen to satellite radio one day? All be pushed into Broadband Internet? Buy music in digital format only? I really don't like the way technology is headed. I'm all for change, but not at the expense of forcing us to do something if we don't want to do it.

I have become equal parts truck driver, gladiator, and mule

2009-06-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

FINALLY went to a LIVE show, it's only been... way too long. I remember the good old days, went to so many shows and now i just have my Pandora and ipod. Had a great time of course. Went with our friends Gavi & Christina and Pat. Nice to be out with the love of my life with out the kids. I got to hold his hands and everything, ah shucks. Sniff sniff. The theatre was perfect not a single push or elbow. Sounded great too, the ringing only lasted about 10 hours. The drive was a straight shot down the 99. honestly 2 turns. Got to love Oregon. And Neko Case. Oh and she played my favorite song, the one in the video. "At last" I only hope I get to go back again. Sophie would of loved it. Soon my dear, soon. She told me "why can't I go Mom, I really love music." Cutie.

Just say "no" to high stakes testing

2009-06-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

First of all I would like to say, there is nothing standard about a child.
Making students accountable for test scores works well on a bumper sticker and it allows many politicians to look good by saying that they will not tolerate failure. But it represents a hollow promise. Far from improving education, high-stakes testing marks a major retreat from fairness, from accuracy, from quality, and from equity.

My newest rant, I have always been Anti-Testing but now that my daughter is about to enter "school" I am all worked up. Again. The school she will be going to is our neighborhood public, nice school, most of the poor kids go there, which is fine with me (duh, we are poor too) The teachers are new, I guess you have to give 3 years at any school, that will have you. Then you can go to any school you want. MOST teachers I guess want the "better" schools. But what is better and why did you even become a teacher in the first place? The better schools have the good testing! AH HA! must be a good school right? No it's totally bullshit. They have better teachers and resources. They have money from the "rich" parents. They have it all and that is what the testing reflects. They spend more time testing these kids then teaching them now, they take valuable time away from teaching and learning. Kids don't read anymore because they have to get ready for a test instead. We need to lower the STRESS so kids can relax and learn. Anxiety is not uncommon in a typical 1st grader now. Maybe this is all a conspiracy by the pharmaceutical companies? Not likely. But testing is definitely ruining our schools, ours failed the no child left behind. Why? because it's Bullshit.

The Federal education law known as No Child Left Behind is fueled by standardized tests. These expensive tests of questionable merit restrict teacher creativity, discriminate against poor children, rob kids of memorable learning experiences and turn classrooms into test-prep factories. The test companies are unaccountable to the public and our best teachers are being driven from the classroom. Art, music, science, social studies, field trips and even recess are being sacrificed at the alter of test scores.
Federal law demonizes schools in which every child does not pass a norm-referenced standardized test. These tests require half of all students to fall below the norm, in other words, fail the test. This is just one of the Orwellian lies upon which NCLB is built.
http://www.pencilsdown.org/ check this out.