Life Takes Turns

I'm posting less and less, aren't I?  Many apologies.  The truth is I've started working at home part-time and the computer time isn't just for blogging anymore.  Hopefully, I'll get a handle on the paid work and will get back to the blog work soon.   

This week has kicked my butt.  In the past 7 days, we've lost two friends.  One was diagnosed with cancer only four months ago and one seemed in perfect health and just didn't wake up Thursday morning.  Throw in spending 12 hours helping friends move their family a whole five minutes farther (why does it feel like an hour?) and I'm physically and emotionally drained.  

The only thing I'm holding onto with any clarity right now is that God has a plan and when it's time, it's time.  Sometimes life takes turns and it's not up to me to steer the car.

~G

Tea Party Isn't Just a Meaningless Blip

Take a look at the latest data about the Tea Party:




What I derive from this isn't that the Tea Party is a viable third political party, which I hope it doesn't become as it will only split the conservative vote, but that the message of the Tea Party strongly resonates with voting Americans.  The idea that our federal government has run amok isn't relegated to crazy right-wingers, but is a mainstream idea gaining traction among the electorate.  Hopefully, this will influence how voters respond in November.

The data leaves me with questions, though. How many career politicians will co-opt the Tea Party message for their benefit and drop it as soon as they (re)secure their seats?  Is the only way to assure necessary change (how bastardized has that word become?) in Washington to boot out all incumbents?  Are all incumbents in need of retirement?

What are your thoughts?  

~G

Oh, Daily Caller, You Make Me Smile

While winding down for the evening, I browsed around The Daily Caller and found this little nugget about Keith Olbermann's whiny-baby exit from Daily Kos.  This paragraph is too perfect to not share.  Please read the whole article in its entirety.  You won't be disappointed.  Besides, how can an article go wrong if it includes this passage:

Now, a battle between liberal website commenters and Keith Olbermann is like watching a boxing match between thin-skinned toddlers: The mildest sparring leaves both parties covered in blood and weeping profusely. It’s horrible to watch.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/06/18/keith-olbermann-throws-giant-hissy-fits-we-watch-because-were-paid-to/#ixzz0rGQgebPg

Oh, sweet writing, how I love thee.

~G

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

Frankly, I'm not shocked.  I'm not shocked BO can't stop lawyering and talking long enough to get something done.  I'm not shocked it took 57 days for him to meet with the BP Chairman of the Board.  Those of us who voted for McCain/Palin realized that BO had zero executive experience and "running" a series of political campaigns is no where akin to running a country back in 2008.  Heck, being mayor is better experience than being a community organizer.  But, dear readers, you knew that.

There are a couple of note-worthy stories that offer a glimpse of reason:

From the DailyCaller:  Louisiana voters are giving Obama poorer marks for his BP-oil spill response than they give Bush for his Katrina response.  Finally!  Obama has allowed inaction and red tape to scuttle Louisiana's and Mississippi's and Alabama's and Florida's initiative for addressing the impending damage and the voters have figured it out.  The Obama Administration's message is that the government will take care of it - but in truth, they have no idea how to do it, have no concept of what needs to be done, or have anyone on staff with any actual experience managing anything profitable.

The Administration's method is to ask people to sit on their hands and wait for the government to rescue them and then dither while the people drown.  I'm not a fan of federal power, but if the government has the power and those in charge insist they are in charge, I expect them to take care of the mess.  I expect phone calls to the CEO of BP - from the beginning of the crisis.  I expect a close accounting (and an invoice sent to BP) of the clean-up costs and people and equipment sent in - immediately - to protect and clean the water, beaches, and wetlands.

An example of a community not willing to play by Administration rules is Okaloosa county in Florida.  They have declared they won't wait for the government to bail them out, but will go ahead with their plans to protect their beaches.  Finally!  Of course, when you read the  fine print, you'll see they are going through the proper governmental channels and will only go their own way if not given approval.  Still, the plan is better than sitting on their hands.

It boils down to this:  Americans want Obama to do something other than just contacting the lawyers or insisting BP set up a fund to help those out of work due to the disaster.  The truth is those affected need clean water and clean beaches and clean product that aren't poisoned by oil.  They need a clean work space!

You see, most hard-working Americans aren't content to hold out their hands and receive money.  Most Americans want to work hard for their gains.  Clean up their space, get out of the way, and let them succeed.

What we need is a little less talk and a lot more action.

~ G

No Sheeples Here - Guest Blogger

Please welcome The Right Girl's first guest blogger.  No Sheeples Here has graced us with a thought-provoking post about the American Flag.  Be sure to leave a comment and say hello.  Without further ado:



WARNING: This Flag Is More Than A Piece Of Cloth

Call me a sentimental old fool.  I happen to think that America’s history and the sacrifice of generations who fought for our flag and our country means more than just a piece of cloth at the end of a pole.  It represents freedom and American ideals.

The American flag flies on the moon, hurtling out in space on a gravity-less lunar surface, planted there by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. It flew at Ft. McHenry in 1814 and was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s immortal “Star Spangled Banner”.  It was raised at great peril on Mount Suribachi in 1945 on the godforsaken island of Iwo Jima.  It sits atop Mount Everest, placed there by American mountaineer Jim Whittaker in May of 1963. When our Olympians stand victoriously on the podium, Old Glory is raised high above their heads. The flag is how America signs her name.  The flag is the emblem of America’s collective character.

There’s commotion going on about Wilder Productions adding a warning label on its reprints of the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, the Articles of Confederation and the Federalist Papers.

It reads, in part: “This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today. Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and interpersonal relations have changed since this book was written before allowing them to read this classic work.”

Can someone please tell me why there must be a warning label on the only safeguard of our liberties?  It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who is credited with saying that “the United States Constitution has proved itself the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written.”

As Flag Day, which is celebrated each June 14 approaches, let us remember the poignant words of John F. Kennedy, who on October 27, 1963 said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors; the men it remembers.”

As long as older gentlemen stand ramrod straight to salute Old Glory. As long a brave young men go to fight a war on distant soil so that the enemy doesn’t fight us in our homeland and until I am no more, I will stand guard over liberty. Will you join me?

The next time you catch a glimpse of the moon, remember, there’s a flag up there.

~ No Sheeples Here

Spillage

There's a "repost this" status passing through the news feeds of Facebook.  It says this:

"So where are all the 'save the gulf' concerts? Where are the tv benefits with celebrities and musicians giving heartfelt speeches for our fisherman, wildlife, beaches, loss of income and sabotaged gulf economy? I find it strange how these people, including our own government are so quick to help Haiti and other countries, but sit on their **ASS*** for the oil spill. Just the facts...repost if you agree."

Good question, yes?  Where are the benefit concerts?  Where are the ads all over the internet imploring people to give as they did for Haiti?  Granted, we aren't seeing the loss of life and destruction, but we are seeing the loss of a sizable portion of our Gulf Coast.

The Facebook status has brought the liberals out en masse.  I'm seeing them responding with self-righteous statements about the "greed" of "corporate America."

Greed? Which part seems greedy? The lack of government oversight for government rules? The forced deep-sea drilling when ANWR would be much less hazardous to our environment and when drilling in shallower waters is less dangerous than deep-sea drilling? The pass the Obama Administration gave BP's permits a week before the explosion? BP and the US government have both screwed up royally, but I'm not sure "greed" is the answer. Besides, how is a British company "corporate America?"

I'd say we're not seeing the concerts because most of those who put media-based benefits together are liberals and we have a liberal in the White House who has said he takes "full responsibility" for the spill - while he commences to do ... nothing. He hasn't helped Gov. Jindal by opening EPA channels or other agencies to get support to LA.

Obama has failed to speak with the CEO of BP. This is unconscionable. If someone were crapping all over your yard, you'd certainly talk to them about cleaning up your yard and not blithely expect them to do right by you. Having concerts to help the Gulf Coast clean-up and economy would be a blatant acknowledgement that their chosen one clearly isn't The One and aside from James Carville, I'm not sure they're ready to do that.

Sigh.  Thankfully I'm not the only conservative who's thinking about it.  Check out these fine examples:

I'm very impressed with Another Black Conservative's piece discussing the oil spill.  ABC puts it all together and remembers the details the MSM fails to remember.

There's a hilarious new blog called "Barack Obama's Oil Spill."  It's along the lines of Barack Obama's Teleprompter Blog, and brilliantly funny.

One of my new favorite haunts, Andrew Breitbart's Big Government, published an excellent piece by Andrew Mellon.  It's called "The Passion of Barack" and I think you'll enjoy it.

No Sheeples Here reminds us of what many on the Right knew going into the 2008 elections, but was deliberately ignored (obviously) by the majority of voters and why Obama's completely out of his element in dealing with the Gulf oil spill.

Keep your eyes open, because No Sheeples Here is our guest blogger later this week.

~ G

We've Been Jammed!

A friend and I made jam yesterday.  Strawberry jam, to be exact.  She'd never made jam.  It had been ten years since I made jam.  Strawberries were on ridiculous sale.  Had to make jam. I didn't have jars, so we opted to make freezer jam. This isn't a "how-to" post because all you need to know is on the direction sheet found inside the Sure-Jell box. This is a "YUM" post.

 And yes, these are recycled frosting cans.  Hush - like you've never cheated and bought icky canned icing.  Why am I taking jam pictures outside?  Because the grass is green and the light makes me happy.  Hey, the weeds are green, too.

Pay no attention to the wrong date on one of the jars. In my feeble defense, there were 5 kids running around while we made jam. Eh, the date's only off by a day, right?  Close enough.

Pay no attention to the missing spoonful spoonfuls.  This was the last-little-bit can. Hey, we had to test it. Homemade jam tastes amazing. It tastes like sunshine in a jar.  My friend said I sound like a hippie.  Let the record show that I forgive her for calling me a hippie.  There are only four jars because I sent one home with my friend - the one who called me a "hippie."  Tuh.

Any movie buffs out there who know where I got the title?  Post your answer for bragging rights.  

~ G

Not Quite "Nothing"

Remember my exciting colonoscopy and endoscopy?  That the doctor biopsied a polyp?  Remember how I told you it was nothing and all is well?  That's true. Mostly. The nurse called last Friday with the lab results. Turns out the "nothing" isn't quite "something," but it's not quite "nothing," either.  How's that for a sentence that would make an English teacher proud?  Ha.

It was an adenoma polyp.  Basically, it could have become pre-cancerous if left in my body.  Most colorectal cancers start with adenomas.  The course of action is to live my life and have another colonoscopy in three years.  

Glad it's out.  Glad I sucked it up and got truthful with my doctors.  Glad I did the procedures.  Glad I don't have to do it again for three years.

This is actually a huge answer to prayer.  (And thank you for praying.)  The cost of the procedures just about sent me stumbling to my rescue inhaler. I'm a mom.  I loathe spending money on myself.  When I walk into a store with $20, I think of all the ways I can spend the money for the benefit of my family.  Typically, that means something for the kids or house - not me. 

So, I prayed.  I asked God to make the money worth it - that it wouldn't quite be something, but not be nothing that I would feel guilty about for years, thus refusing to do future tests that would waste family money. God answered, didn't He?

Thank you for the prayers.  Now, to start wrapping my mind around politics again.  Baking.  Gardening.  Time to clear my brain of health issues and get back to the other exciting sections in the blog.  :-)

~ G

Giveaway Winner!

Mommyto3 is the winner!  Random.org gave "8" as the winning number and that's Mommyto3's post.  Email me with your address and I'll ship it on out to ya!  And congratulations!

Giveaway!

I'm giving away this gorgeous, handmade ceramic pitcher!  It was made by a potter in the Texas Hill Country.    You can use it for flowers or drinks or whatever.  It's 7 inches high, 8 inches wide, and 2lb 4oz.  It comfortably holds 2 qt of liquid - perfect for lemonade or sangria!  

If you want this pitcher, you have SEVEN ways to enter.  Each time you do one of the following, post the link in a separate comment below.  I'll be using random.org to determine the winner, so post up to seven times.   Giveaway ends at 8:00 PM Saturday, June 5, 2010.  You can:

1. Follow me

2. Link to this giveaway on your blog

3. List my blog on your blog

4. Follow me on Twitter

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter

6. Join The Right Girl on Facebook

7. Tell me how you'll use the pitcher.

P.S. This giveaway is only for continental U.S. residents and military with A.P.O. boxes.  Sorry, the pitcher is just too heavy for me to pay international shipping.

~ G

What's Your Mythology?

We all have a mythology.  We all have a story we tell in a certain way that may or may not be completely accurate.  It's usually not by intention that we fudge the details. We just tell the story over and over and eventually the way we tell it becomes "the" story and after awhile it becomes our mythology.

For instance, when I talk about how we potty-trained Middle One I say that he was done in a day.  Well, that's true.  I know that he never had a daytime accident after his Potty Party (remind me to tell you about Potty Parties some day).  I know he never wore a daytime diaper again and it only took one day.  What I don't recall is if we diapered him at nap or bedtime.  My memory says we didn't.  But did we?  Did he really never wear another diaper?  Is it the truth or the mythology?  (Can you tell we're discussing Little One and being done with diapers around here?)

Anyway, I've been thinking about mythologies and the things we believe because that's what we "know" to be true.  And of course, anytime I spend any amount of time considering something, eventually I start thinking about it in political terms.  

We're in a mythology battle in America.  Yes, it's the culture war, but I think simply calling it a "culture war" makes it sound as if the pro-gay marriage folks are against the evangelical Christians who are against the Yankees who make tough biscuits who are against the Southerners who want to fly the rebel flag.  "Culture war" sounds too convoluted and complex to me.  There are too many mental images that come to mind with it and too many people who appear to be at odds who are really on the same side.  O'Reilly has some good points in his book, but the title is misleading.

We're dealing with a mythology problem.  It's basic.  Our American Mythology boils down to a single yes or no question:

Do you believe America is good?

If you answer "yes" then you inherently believe America does good things.  Sure, we're don't always make the best decisions, but on balance we're a good country.  We're a good nation with good intentions with a good history and should get back to the roots that made us "good."

If you answer "no" or had to think about your answer awhile, then you probably believe we are a faulty nation, that we are no better than any other nation, that "American Exceptionalism" is pompous and arrogant.  Chances are you believe America makes too many mistakes and that we should be more like other countries or that our system of government is wrong.

For me, therein lies the problem.  It's mythology.  If you're a "yes" person, then we're seeing the same America.  We believe that on balance, we're a good country and were founded on sound, timeless principles. If you're a "no" person, I'm not sure we can ever see eye-to-eye on where we are as a country, where we've been, or where we're going.

To my mind, the two main political parties lie along those fault lines of  "yes" or "no."  Granted, I'm speaking in generalities and, of course, there will be exceptions to the rule.  I am convinced, however, that the Republicans like America.  They like the Constitution as it was written and attempt to see it in its historical light.  Democrats don't really like America.  They perceive the Constitution as a "living" document to change with the times and that we need to constantly change it to make it work for us.

And that's what's dividing our country.  Sure, we have some cultural differences, but I think our great divide can be boiled down to a simple question: Do you like America?

~ G