Video of the kids' play from this Christmas! :D

Adventures in Christmas Photo Taking!

Took over two hours to finally get a decent one. So here's some of the rejects! :P

These first two were a trial run to make sure I could get everyone in the frame with room for cropping.

Christians, Facebook, and Matthew 18

I have been losing a lot of facebook friends lately. Most of them just disappearing from my friend list inexplicably. I could just assume that they are all weeding, as I have done on occasion. But six in one week?! And about 10 in the last month? Two that I know of for sure were upset with me about something I said or posted. I know because they sent me messages before they unfriended me. And most of the lost friends are Christians, which isn't surprising since at least 90% of my friends are!

Anyway, on to the point of this blog. Why don't Christians follow the instructions in Matthew 18 for handling conflicts? They don't in life and most especially don't on facebook or other social networking sites. For those who may be unfamiliar with the instructions in Matthew 18, here they are:

1. If you are having a controversy with a brother then you take it to that person privately. Verse 15
2. If he (or she) won't listen then get one or two other people to go with you to approach the person. Verse 16
3. If he won't hear that then you take it to the church at large. Verse 17
4. If that does no good he is to be treated as a heathen.

I dare say that step one would be sufficient in most cases to bring a resolution. But no one ever does that. Instead they backbite and gossip and ignore the problem and the person. Does that please God? Certainly not.

As for the other steps, if they are ever needed it would have to be over something pretty serious, not just a disagreement about political issues or other life choices (i.e. vaccination, home birthing, smoking, etc). Those other steps should be reserved for a serious doctrinal thing, if the person was slandering someone, stealing, lying, or something overtly sinful.

Another question I have is, why is it that people think that we must all believe certain things? One of the things I was unfriended over was because my husband (using my account) commented on a post by a lady. She had posted something about the Ft. Hood shooter and Muslims in general. My husband replied that even Muslims need Jesus (or something to that effect). The other person unfriended me because I don't care about whether a business says "Merry Christmas" or not, it really makes absolutely no difference to me whatsoever! Are either of those issues worth losing a friendship over? I don't think so, but those ladies obviously do!

What silly frivolous things to end a friendship over! How is that going to play out at the judgement seat of Christ I wonder?!

What really gets me though is the lack of reason. The lack of circumspection. There was no discussion or debate, just an ugly message and a severing of a connection!

And the most recent friend loses I am unable to explain. I've not posted anything lately that I think is especially controversial. But then maybe my political fervor and apparent lack of spirituality are that disturbing!

I am thankful for the real friends I have. The ones who take the time to discuss things and love me even though they think I am completely off my rocker on certain issues.

So I suppose I should not regret those friends who don't want to be my facebook friend anymore, but part of me does. I really like some of those people.

The End! :P

Opposing the 'War', but thankful for the troops

Whenever I voice my opinion about the War in Iraq or Afghanistan I usually hear a comment that sounds something like, "But so many our our soldiers have died over there. We have to keep fighting." or, "I'd rather it be over there than over here!"

By the logic of the first reply, we will keep fighting forever! or until...until what? Our president sent our troops over there for nothing! He was at the least acting on very poor intelligence or at worst just looking for a fight. There were no WMDs. War does not spread 'democracy' or Christianity.

And what if there had been WMDs? Should it matter to us? If they were not being used on us why should we care? Iraq was a sovereign nation. No matter what we thought of their leader, he was THEIR leader. We have no business messing in the personal affairs of other nations. The idea of 'rogue nations' is preposterous! Sovereign nations should be left alone as long as they leave us alone. I don't mean to say that we should not be ready to defend our nation, but preemptive war (a war about what might happen) is wrong.

The 'War on Terror' is as big a joke as the 'War on Drugs'!! You cannot fight a mindset, an ideology, a tactic, with guns.

The wars we are currently fighting (as is every military action the US has engaged in since WWII) is unconstitutional. There was no declaration of war. Only Congress can declare war. So the POTUS used a loophole.

As for the second response. How long do you expect it to stay 'over there'? If we continue to invade countries and kill their people? how long will they put up with it before they decide to 'turn it all into glass'? How much do you think they will take?

That is really off topic though...

I oppose the wars we are fighting at present. BUT I am thankful for the men and women who volunteer to fight in them. I honor their sacrifice and devotion to duty. I only wish our leader had enough guts to NOT send them to fight a senseless battle and die or be maimed, for nothing but imperialism! I wish our current POTUS would do the right thing and bring our troops home...not just send them somewhere else.

My step-dad served 23 years in the Marine Corps. My mother served 8. One of my stepmothers served 20+ years in the Air Force. My grandfather served some time (not sure how long) in the Navy. My father-in-law served over 20 years in the Navy.

I have friends who have been or are in the Armed Forces.

I am thankful that they are and were willing to serve their country. I support our troops...but I DO NOT support the wars that they are currently fighting.

Love Thy Neighbor

So who is my neighbor?

According to Jesus it is anyone in need. Remember the good Samaritan?

It disturbs me to see Christians use Patriotism and 'godliness' as a cloak for hatred.

So the shooter at Ft. Hood was a Muslim...so what? Are we to conclude that every Muslim in America is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to kill as many Americans as he or she possibly can? In the same way that we assume that every whack job 'Christian' who kills an abortion doctor is a good representation of Christianity? Or the 'Christians' who wish to exterminate all of African or Jewish descent?

Oh! But I remember now! Islam commands these Muslim haters to kill Christians!! That's right...

So what about the 'Christians' who have used the word of God to justify killing? Are there not passages in the Bible that seem to teach violence to unbelievers, like Deut. 13:15? Oh yeah, I forgot! Those are all taken out of context!! Silly me!

Okay, I think I'm done with the sarcasm...I think...

I was unfriended by someone on facebook who didn't like that my husband (using my account) called attention to the fact that even Muslims need Jesus. Big deal, no skin off my back...friends who can't take a little honest questioning of their position are not worth my regret.

It does worry me though that this seems to be the prevailing thought of most fundamental Christians. They don't want Muslims in America, but why? Could it be that they are afraid that God is not big enough to convert them? Or is it that they are being derelict in their duty to try and win these lost souls to Jesus Christ, because it is easier to spout hate and misinformation?

I am not a liberal who thinks there are many ways to heaven. There is one way, through the blood of Jesus Christ. If you reject God's provision then you go to hell. But does that mean that I should not have compassion on those who do not believe as I do? I think not!!! Does that mean that I should try to deny them the benefits and opportunities that should be available to every citizen of the United States of America? Seriously, I saw comments on a story about the Ft. Hood shooting that said that anyone who is a Muslim should not be allowed to be in the Armed Forces! Are you kidding me?! They are Americans!!!

I direct your attention to the Constitution...Article 6 section 3 "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."

A person being elected for government office cannot be given a religious test and neither should someone entering the military. To do so would blatantly violate a Constitutional principle!

So Christian, when was the last time you passed out a gospel tract or witnessed to someone about the saving power of Jesus Christ? When was the last time you showed compassion to the unsaved so that they could see Jesus in you? Until you are diligent about the Father's business, you have no business complaining about the Muslims 'taking over'!!

Baby #8 is on the way...

Not sure when I'm due...its a bit if a surprise.

Feeling nauseated, except when I'm eating!

I dread hearing the "Don't you know what causes that?" Ummmm, yeah...

Or "Another one?!" Obviously!

I feel like I have to give some explanation, some justification, for why we keep having babies...I shouldn't, but I do...

So, here it is...

1) I am morally opposed to abortion. I believe that life begins at conception, the moment sperm meets egg; therefore I cannot in good conscience use any form of hormonal birth control or the copper IUD. All hormonal birth control has the potential of allowing fertilization (conception) but preventing implantation. I could explain this further but there is an abundance of information out there about that.

2) We do not wish to have anything permanent done. You never know what might happen and there are some risks involved with those things as well.

3) Obviously I am not fastidious enough to be effective in using NFP- which is very reliable if used properly.


I am not extremely happy about this pregnancy. I am not ready for it... We are not that well off financially... Our house is too small for such a big family (ever tried to share one bathroom with 8 other people?)... My health is not that great... I really would have liked to lose all the baby weight from Sara before I got pregnant again...

On a positive note. Hubby is happy. Kids are thrilled. I know a few good midwives in town so I can have my pick. I have some very good friends who I know will pray for me.

I am sure I'll feel overjoyed before long, but right now I'm just a little...put out.

So...we have the 'flu

Took Gilby in today because he'd been running fever for a couple days (since Sunday afternoon) and this morning when he got up he complained of his legs hurting when he tried to get out of bed. Now Gilby is not a complainer, at least when it comes to physical discomfort. A fever for him is like a sedative, makes him calmer but doesn't make him act like he feels bad. So I called the ped first thing and made an appt.

Also asked for the ped to see Sara because she has been extremely fussy the last 24 hours or so.

So the ped did a swab on Gilby and Sara and sure enough they both have the flu. It is likely that what Cora had Saturday and Sunday was the 'flu too.

So far I'd say that, while I am sure those of us who have been sick weren't real happy about it, the 'flu hasn't been that bad for us. This is kind of a milestone for us, to my knowledge, we've never had a confirmed case of the 'flu. Not really one I want to brag about I suppose, but there it is! :P

President declares a National Emergency!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/24/h1n1.obama/index.html

"The 2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve. The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities," Obama said in a statement.

Really?! According to another report the number of cases has been over exaggerated.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/21/cbsnews_investigates/main5404829.shtml

And this from the CDC website is troubling:
Will tracking of 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths after August 30 be the same as it was in the spring and summer?

No, tracking of 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths will not be the same after August 30, 2009. In an effort to add additional structure to the national 2009 H1N1 reporting, new case definitions for influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths were implemented on August 30, 2009. The new definitions allow states to report to CDC hospitalizations and deaths (either confirmed OR probable) resulting from all types of influenza, not just those from 2009 H1N1 flu. This is a broader set of data than states were previously reporting as it now includes 1) laboratory-confirmed influenza for all types of influenza, and 2) pneumonia and influenza cases identified from hospital records, most of which will not be laboratory confirmed.


That seems designed to inflate the numbers, which will increase fear.

It does not make sense to declare a state of emergency for 1,000 deaths and 20,000 hospitalizations When 35,000+ people die every year from the seasonal flu!


And this little gem from another article:
"More comprehensive tracking is not possible with current resources and medical record-keeping, some public health advocates say"

Really? We cannot test for it? and record it anywhere? Give me a break! That is just a push for the health care bill!

The hysteria over this is out of proportion with the real danger, it doesn't make sense. There is something else at work here, and it cannot be good!

found another great blog post about this on Spunky Homeschool

Obama poised to sign away US sovereignty

Christian Political Action Committees

Are they really a good thing?

Why do Christians seem to want to use the government to promote religious views? There's the American Family Association, the Right to Life, and Christian Coalition of America, Moral Majority, and many others!

My main beef with the CPACs is that I do not believe that it is the government's responsibility to legislate a moral religious code.

Yes, I agree that homosexuality is immoral. I believe drug use is a bad idea. I believe pornography perverts what God intended to be a wonderful thing. I believe that alcohol is bad to drink. I believe that people should get married and then stay married instead of shacking up. I believe abortion is the most awful thing a person could do to the unborn.

But all of those things are my religious views. I believe those things because I believe in God and I believe the Bible is His word. They are, at their heart, religious views. I have no right to impose those views on others who do not hold the same.

The essence of Liberty is that every person, as long as the do not hurt another, should be allowed to live in the manner they desire. Whether I agree with it or not.

Think about history. The times of greatest Revival were when people were trying to separate the Church from government, not trying to join the two. The Reformation, the Great Awakening. The latter especially came about because of Baptists who believed that the government had no business involved in religion, hence the 1st Amendment! It was because of that Great Awakening that we had the liberty in America to worship as we chose. And now the Christian Right is trying to take it away!

Jefferson said that it didn't matter if a person worshipped one God or 100 as long as that person would faithfully obey and uphold the Constitution. How a person views the Constitution is a much better measure of how that person will be in a position of authority than how well they can spout Christian Right rhetoric. For example, I know that Obama will be a bad president simply because he does not believe the Constitution means what it says, or that it is even a good governing document. That's enough for me. His religious affiliation or social views are irrelevant. His position on the Constitution is enough to know that he will not govern well. Incidentally, there is a clause in the Constitution that says that no religious test would be given to those seeking public office. The Founders made it clear that one's religion should not be the defining characteristic of whether one was fit for public office.

But this post isn't about Obama. It is about Christians using the government to spread the gospel.

How can Christians really think that making laws will make people turn to Christ? It won't. Just like having too many rules in a church as a condition of service (legalism) will eventually kill the church. It destroys liberty.

True revival starts with the individuals in the church, not through government intervention. If Christians honestly wish to see a return of the American people to a Biblical worldview, they must stop using the political podium as a bully pulpit. I am in no way suggesting that Christians stop preaching the word or passing out tracts or witnessing. I am saying that using politics to do so is wrong.

Christians need to stop thinking that the Republican party is the moral party. It is not, if the people involved at the top are any measure. Christians need to do their duty and vote, not for the religious candidate but for the Constitutional candidate.

Christians must, to some degree, separate their religion from their politics. Our religion ought to make us honest and trustworthy in our political dealings-in all our dealings with others. It ought to make us willing to do our duty, and not shirk it (that includes jury duty!!). It is our duty to be engaged in politics. To make an educated decision about who to vote for, not an emotional one. It is our duty to obey the law, and to oppose those laws that violate the ultimate authority of our land, the Constitution (not the Bible).

It seems that many Christians believe that the final civil authority in America is the Bible. Actually, that would be the Constitution! Yes, the Bible should be the final authority for Christians in their personal lives. It is not, however, our final civil authority. This is what makes it hard for Christians I think. I know it was for me. How can we 'advocate' homosexuality or abortion? Shouldn't we seek laws to curb such immoral behavior? NO! The proper place to rail against those things is in the pulpit at church, not the political podium. Those things are personal decisions and ought to be left to an individual's conscience. I hear you, But...but...its WRONG!!! And? So is divorce or lying or lust or... Do you, Christian, want to make divorce illegal? or adultery? or fornication? Those things were also punishable by death in the Old Testament.

Step back, take a breath, consider...why do Christians wish to make America a "Christian" nation? Even John Adams, likely the most pious Founder, signed a treaty that said we were not! (that was a treaty with Morocco) Why cannot they distinguish between a nation of Christians and a Christian nation. Do you, Christian, really want a theocracy? Really? Like Rome? Or any number of Muslim nations?

And which version of Christianity do you wish to impose? The Mennonite one? Where women have to wear a head covering and the same style of dress all the time. The Catholic one? Where one must confess one's sins to a priest. The Mormon one? Where drinking Coke was a sin. The Jehovah's Witness one? Where celebrating any holiday or birthday is forbidden. The Puritan one? Where neglecting to pay the preacher or not going to church on Sunday landed you in jail. You see the trouble one can get into?

Morality is for the individual to decide, that is called soul liberty. One can choose to believe or not. We should not use the government to decide which morality is right. The government already has its hands too much in our personal lives! And it has a hard enough time handling what it is supposed to!

Christians deprive themselves of some wonderful allies for Constitutional governance because they draw a line in the sand that says, "If you aren't a Christian, you cannot be a true American." I doubt Jefferson could stand up under the scrutiny of the Christian Right! And yet he was a great Patriot!

I'll end with a quote. Thomas Paine said, "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."

Without Natural Affection

Romans 1:28,31, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient... without natural affection..."

Caution!! Don't read the links below unless you are prepared to read something very terrible! You have been warned!
Peter Connelly Part 1
Peter Connelly Part 2

The verses I quoted above describe the condition of the brute (I will not refer to it as a man!) that killed that baby perfectly. There is no end to the fury that I feel when reading about about it, and other cases like it. It calls on every instinct of protection and creates such a feeling of hate toward the perpetrator of such heinous violence that it frightens me to think of what I might do to such a 'person' if I were to meet them. How can one look on such monstrous human beings without being filled with 'righteous indignation'? How can one not wish to inflict upon them the same type and degree of suffering that Peter, and others like him, suffered?

I know how...by remembering that all sin is THAT bad in God's sight. God hates lying, stealing, adultery, etc. with the same passion that he hates what was done to that little boy. Shirking of duty, which is what that 'mother' was guilty of, no matter how small is still a sin.

I am not suggesting that our civil authorities punish petty thieves as severely as they do murderers, but only thinking on how a righteous God views sin. James 2:10"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." As angry as such vileness makes one, one must remember that all men, and women, are sinners. The only hope for any of us is the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Continental Congress 2009!!

Delegate election in this Saturday October 10! (Can it really be October already?!)

If you are not helping at a local polling place do get out and vote!! If you are not helping but would like to contact your local coordinator!

Linkies!
http://givemeliberty.org/user/congress/Region.aspx?state=TX
http://www.cc2009.us/

Sara update...

Well we had Sara to the ped again yesterday. Ped ordered an xray. (Why does it cost so much more at the hospital than it does at an urgent care?)

Ped called about 2:20pm and said that her skull was indeed fractured!! I feel so awful! At least I know how it happened! Hubby is going to be taking that ladder off the bunkbed!! We are going to get a couple baby gates to keep Sara from wandering the house.

So...Ped said that she would have to report it but that she would tell them that she did not suspect any abuse/neglect and that she believed it was just an accident. I am so glad we have been seeing the same ped for so long (9 years) and that she is a good doc. I hope that her assurances will carry some weight.

Please pray for us...I am worried. I know how bad it looks for her to have TWO fractures in such a short time. I think I figured out what happened the first time too. I had been at WalMart and I was carrying Sara and Wes ran off...I chased him and slipped and fell and Sara hit the ground too. I am sure that was the initial injury the first time. Then she hit her head again in the same spot and then that's when the bump appeared. Crazy fluke accidents! It looks bad though...it really does!

Prayers needed for Sara

Some of you may remember the deal with Sara several months ago. To make a long story short, she developed a hematoma in her head. For those of you not familiar with medical terms, let me explain. It's where a bubble of blood develops, usually in your brain area. It's very bad, because if you get blood actually on your brain, you die.

Her hematoma several months ago was formed by a skull fracture. This morning, she has another suspicious-looking 'bubble' on her head. My mom just called us, and asked us to pray. She's very upset right now, because this same thing happening in the space of just a few months...doesn't look good.

Sara bumped her head last night Mom thinks, and that's probably our cause. Please pray that Sara will be OK, and that we'll be able to get this fixed without getting into any trouble with the government.

Thanks!



Update!
Sara is okay, no alarming symptoms and the ped doesn't seem worried. Were supposed to get a CT scan but didn't have the $750 to fork over and since Sara seems fine otherwise I decided to skip it. Ped called at about 6 pm and asked about Sara and said she wanted to see her on Mon at 9. She did not seem alarmed when I told her I didn't get the CT done, just sympathetic about the cost. So we shall see...

To all my "Tea Party" protesting and Liberty loving friends

We have protested. We have written and/or called our Congress people. We have complained to our friends and tried to get others to pay attention.

Now is our chance to DO something!! There will be an election of delegates for the Continental Congress 2009 on October 10 all over the country. These delegates will meet in November to formulate and deliver to Congress a "petition for redress of grievances" per the 1st Amendment. This is the next, and a vital, step to recovering our Republic. If all we do is continue to protest and talk nothing will change. We will continue the slide into despotism. This is the time to consolidate our efforts. All the pinpricks of the many different groups with greivances will not get the monstrosity that our government has become to take notice. We must work together, even though we may not all agree on every particular.

Please help with this effort. Find your local polling place and vote for delegates. Voluteer to help at a polling place if you can. And if nothing else give a little money to help with the costs for the delegates who will be going.

Please don't let this opportunity go by!

Fascism is a wonderful thing!!

This couple had their children kidnapped by CPS because a WalMart employee reported them for suspected child pornography.

But before we become enraged at the employee or WalMart lets get angry at the legislators who made a law requiring that any possible pedophile activity be reported. It is so much easier for the state to keep tabs on the people if they enlist the help of the people to report on each other!

Now, I want real pedophiles prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but when the Law goes after innocent people like this it makes me doubt that anyone the state labels as a pedophile really is one. This kind of high-handedness is ridiculous. It is crazy that parents have to consider if the picture they are taking could in anyway be construed as sexual! I know I have taken nakie pics of my kids. I do not view them as sexually stimulating in any way! And millions of other parents have done the same. Use some common sense people!

And if this had been the only case of such abuse of government power I might not be so upset. But it has happened before in other states. A Texas couple had their children taken and were brought up on charges over one breastfeeding picture. I found this site interesting. They claim that 60% of of child molestation accusations are false!! I am sure there are many more examples of this kind of misuse of authority and false charges. I know personally of one case that I am fairly certain was false and yet the party involved was convicted and will likely never see her children again, not even in pictures!

And then there is guilt among the ranks of those that are supposed to uphold the law. The case of the former social services commissioner. And that is not the only one, there are plenty more! Here's a list.

I don't really know what the point of this was except to rant a little. :)

And so it begins...again!

The yearly battle about whether to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". It is not even Halloween yet!

The Gap has said that they will not say "Merry Christmas" and the Religious Right already has their panties in a bunch. LOL

So why is this so important to the Religious Right? Why does it matter so much that companies want to be inclusive rather than exclusive?

Christmas did not begin as a Christian holiday. It's origins are pagan. Early American Christians actually did not observe Christmas because it was pagan and the Puritans thought it was just a show of fleshly lusts (the gifts, overeating, and other revelry).

I will acknowledge that most Christians these days accept Christmas as the celebration of Christ's birth, but will also add that much of the celebration has little to do with true Christian charity.

We must face the fact that there are many other holidays around Christmastime. Kwanzaa, Hannukkah, Winter Solstice, etc. And that America has a population that is mixed.

By making such a stink about this causes Christians to seem desperate and reactionary. Wish people "Merry Christmas" if you want, but don't be childish and get upset when a business makes a business decision (and I could go on about the ethics of a business using a religious holiday for profits). This griping sounds like my kids when one wants to play one game and the other doesn't and a fight ensues over something that DOES NOT MATTER in the grand scheme of things.

I posted about a similar topic last year.

Why do we let what the world does, or does not do, have such an impact? Why get so upset about something so trivial? How can saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" be construed as "War on Christmas"? Why would you want companies, whose sole aim is to profit from the holidays, to use Christmas, ostensibly Christ's birthday, for purely secular means? Why would you want Christ's birth associated with such frivolity?

I may add/change this later but for now, that's all I have! :D

Town Hall with Mac Thornberry

I went this morning early, 8:30 am. to a town hall. Of course we knew that the main subject would be health care reform. I didn't want to know about that since I am pretty sure I know where he stands already. Anyway, it was okay. Not many hard questions or even many original thoughts. There were a few amusing moments and a few infuriating ones and many eye roll moments.

There was one lady that had some good things to say about health care and I agree with her on some of that. She said that we don't need another government agency, but that we need to better use what we have. I like her idea of a sliding scale for premiums and co-pays with medicaid. That idea is very appealing to me. We cannot afford private ins. but I hate using medicaid because then I pay for nothing and others pay for it all. That doesn't sit well with my libertarian ideals.

I asked a couple questions. One was for someone else that couldn't be there. Not sure that person will be happy with the answer.

My own question was, "Considering your vote for the 'bailout' last year and your vote for the PATRIOT ACT, how can we trust that you will do as you vowed on taking office to uphold the Constitution? How can we trust that you will represent the people and that you will not vote for anything that violates the constitution?"

His response the bailout part was justification. Saying how the President and his advisors were saying that something MUST be done. and that the amended bill was more palatable. He didn't really answer my second question. But he did say he disagreed with me about the PATRIOT ACT. I asked, "So, you don't think that it infringes on our 4th amendment rights?" He replied, "No, not at all."

Well thank you Mr. Thornberry for making me even more sure that I was glad I didn't vote for you in the last election!!

Watch this before you get the Swine Flu Vax

Swine Flu Action Plan from Renee Tocco on Vimeo.

President Obama's health care speech

I read the transcript last night and then watched it this morning online.


As I watched I jotted down stuff as it came to mind during the speech. I will elaborate on what I wrote.

I was irritated by the long applause at the beginning, before he had even started speaking. Let's get to what we came to hear please! I counted 20+ standing ovations, most started by Pelosi, one by Biden, and another by someone else. I wish people would contain themselves and actually listen to what is being said instead of reacting to the tone of voice being used. It did seem to me that even the Pres. was getting tired of it by the end.

Obama claimed that the 'stimulus' had brought our nation 'back from the brink' of economic collapse. I really don't think that is the case, since much of that money hasn't been spent and what has hasn't been accounted for very well.

I contend that America is not wealthy. We have the appearance of being so, but being on the verge of bankruptcy is not my idea of being wealthy. I think every legislator in Washington needs to read Dave Ramsey's book, "The Total Money Makeover" and apply it to our nation's finances. We are $11 trillion + in debt, that is not wealthy!! We are enslaved to foreign lenders!!!

I do agree with the President that insurance companies are part of the problem. They will not cover those who need it most because it hurts the bottom line, but then they are businesses and they are in it to make money not for philanthropy.

Obama spoke about the rising costs of health care. I contend that much of that cost is because of insurance companies and also because of the regulation, licensure, and taxes and all associated costs.

Obama said that an average of $1000 of insurance premiums for those who have it, goes toward paying for those who don't have insurance. That will not change because of this plan. Those who have will still be paying for those who don't through the public option and subsidies. So people won't be saving, their money will just be spent a little differently.

Why would a transition to single-payer disrupt coverage? I don't think it would. And if that is what he would really like to have why not go for it?

I agree with the President's disapprobation of scare tactics and the fact that our polarization into ideological camps are wrong and do not get anything accomplished.

It is not strictly true that there will be no change in coverage. There is a commission in the bill that will decide what constitutes 'basic coverage' and to determine what coverage a company must provide.

I agree that we need to make it so that those with pre-existing conditions can get affordable coverage.

Not so sure about the routine procedure coverage. I see this as a way for practitioners to milk the system.

I like the idea of the exchange, but I worry about corruption and how practical it will really be.

I don't really like being required to have coverage. I really don't think auto insurance should be required either.

I wish that employers would not be required to carry it for employees. I think this may over tax some smaller businesses that don't qualify for the exemptions.

There are a few things that the right is insistent about that I've not been able to verify, namely 'death panels', coverage for illegals, funding for abortions, and no freedom of conscience. Those on the right are adamant that these things are true and yet I've found no citations to show me exactly where in the bill these things are. If there is a loophole for illegals, we need to get it closed up. Surely if these concerns are brought up and addressed there would be less opposition from the right.

Obama said that the public option would not cost taxpayers money, I wonder if he really believes that? How can it possibly not cost the taxpayers money? Where will the funds come from? Even if it is from 'savings' in other areas, it is still taxpayer money. All the money the government has is from the taxpayers!

I dislike his insistence that this MUST be done NOW and in the way that he wants. The president can suggest things to Congress but he cannot mandate. Article 2 section 3 of the US Constitution says, "He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; ..."

I mentioned above about my incredulity that this will not cost the taxpayer money, it most certainly will. Government programs ALWAYS cost more, much more, than projected.

Some of the deficits that he deplores were because of his votes in Congress. He did vote for spending for the Iraq war and for the 'bailout' bill.

How does the President propose to completely do away with fraud? Does he really believe that we will be able to eliminate it completely? How ridiculous!

I do agree that 'politicking' is a large part of the reason that we cannot come to an agreement on health care reform.

Why is it that so many politicians do not seem to understand that it is government getting involved that has gotten us here. The reckless spending and the manipulation of our economy and money by the FED (and yes I do realize that the FED is not really a government agency).

So there you have my thoughts on the President's speech on health care.

For those who oppose it for the reasons I mentioned above, if you have some proof that those things are true, PLEASE show me where in the bill it is! I really do want to believe the very worst of this piece of legislation!

Pres. Obama's speech tomorrow

I plan on having my kids watch it tomorrow. Linky to the live stream, in case you want to watch it too! I embeded the livestream on the bottom of this page also.

I read the text and there is nothing in it that I think is wrong. It is just your basic 'do your best' admonition.

We will of course discuss it after! ;)

Yard Sale today...

was successful....sort of. We made about $300 but still have lots of stuff left. Some will go to the consignment store and some will go to charity.

Hubby is off applying for a second job...not sure how I feel about that. We need the money, but we see him so little as it is...

Kyla and Emma will be leaving in just over a week to go stay with Mom and Dad for a few months. Things will be very different around here.

Hoping for a restful Sunday and a pleasant Labor Day.

OH NO!! THE MARK OF THE BEAST!!! RUN!!

Okay, maybe not. :P

So this little tidbit is going all over the internet.

Here is the actual text in the bill:

SEC. 2521. NATIONAL MEDICAL DEVICE REGISTRY.
12 (a) REGISTRY.—
13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 519 of the Federal
14 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360i) is
15 amended—
16 (A) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
17 section (h); and
18 (B) by inserting after subsection (f) the
19 following:
20 ‘‘National Medical Device Registry
21 ‘‘(g)(1) The Secretary shall establish a national med-
22 ical device registry (in this subsection referred to as the
23 ‘registry’) to facilitate analysis of postmarket safety and
24 outcomes data on each device that—
25 ‘‘(A) is or has been used in or on a patient; and‘‘(B) is—
2 ‘‘(i) a class III device; or
3 ‘‘(ii) a class II device that is implantable,
4 life-supporting, or life-sustaining.
5 ‘‘(2) In developing the registry, the Secretary shall,
6 in consultation with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs,
7 the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
8 Services, the head of the Office of the National Coordi-
9 nator for Health Information Technology, and the Sec-
10 retary of Veterans Affairs, determine the best methods
11 for—
12 ‘‘(A) including in the registry, in a manner con-
13 sistent with subsection (f), appropriate information
14 to identify each device described in paragraph (1) by
15 type, model, and serial number or other unique iden-
16 tifier;
17 ‘‘(B) validating methods for analyzing patient
18 safety and outcomes data from multiple sources and
19 for linking such data with the information included
20 in the registry as described in subparagraph (A), in-
21 cluding, to the extent feasible, use of—
22 ‘‘(i) data provided to the Secretary under
23 other provisions of this chapter; and
24 ‘‘(ii) information from public and private
25 sources identified under paragraph (3);


As near as I can figure this is how the misunderstanding got started
"18 (B) by inserting after subsection" That little word "inserting" does not refer to inserting things into people but to inserting text in another part of the bill.

So relax, Obama isn't trying to give us all the mark of the beast quite yet. :D


ETA:
Okay, so I had someone bring to my attention what a Class II implantable device is funny that they were being talked about and tested way back in 2004 when our wonderful, godly president Bush was in office!

The ACLU is evil...or maybe not.

I know that the typical conservative opinion of the ACLU is that it is an evil organization that is always against Christianity. I went searching their site today and while I morally disagree with the positions that the ACLU defends, constitutionally I think that the ACLU is doing a good thing.

Take the most recent viral christian-right vitriol...FL residents take stand against ACLU

Christians are frantically trying to portray this as an attack on the First Amendment. But is it? The teachers were leading prayer, not students praying on their own. How would these Christians feel if the teachers were leading students in muslim prayer or buddhist prayer? I imagine the response would be very different.

Teachers are government employees, well at least public school teachers are, and should not be using that position to proselytize young people.

So now I have a long list of things I found on the ACLU's website. Cases that I believe Christians would approve of.
Virginia jail ends censorship of religious material

ACLU stands up for pregnant women's right to refuse medical care

ACLU calls for provision for freedom of speech and association protection

Kindergartener's right to freedom of religious expression

ACLU over unlawful searches and detentions by TSA

ACLU Challenges Defense Department Personnel Policy To Regard Lawful Protests As “Low-Level Terrorism”

ACLU Files Federal Lawsuit To Protect Religious Liberty Of New Jersey Prisoner

ACLU of Pennsylvania Defends Church Forced to Shut Down Its Ministry to Homeless

ACLU Urges Governor Crist to Uphold and Respect Religious Freedom for All Floridians

City of Portland Upholds Freedom of Religion

Judge Orders Children Returned To Their Families

ACLU Sues To Protect Marriages Threatened By Recent Court Decision

ACLU Says Religious Tests for Public Office Unconstitutional

ACLU Challenges Louisiana Law Funneling Taxpayer Funds to Favored Churches

Louisiana Court Affirms Christian Protester's Free Speech Rights

ACLU of New Jersey Applauds Ruling in Favor of Student's Right to Sing "Awesome God"


ACLU of Tennessee Fights for Religious Freedom in Wilson County Public School

City of Omaha and ACLU of Nebraska Announce Settlement in Lawsuit Over Muslim Woman Barred from Public Pool

ACLU of Nebraska Defends Church Facing Eviction by the City of Lincoln

Following Threat of ACLU of Virginia Lawsuit, Officials to Agree Not to Ban Baptisms in Public Parks

Continental Congress '09

Busy Life!

Once again I have been completely neglecting this blog!

Let's see....

Cora had her first meet (a 'mini' meet with just the girls from her team). She did well. Her first *real* meet is Sept 12. She has been working so hard and I am proud of her.

Kyla and Emma will be going home with Mom after Cora's meet. Mom is coming out for that. They are excited. They will be staying for a few months. I have to get together all the school work they will be doing while they are there.

The only thing left in our garden is the tomatoes, which are finally starting to produce! We have at least a dozen tomatoes growing right now. We have had a really cool spider living in them. We did have grasshoppers eating the tomato plants but the kids have been catching them to feed to the mantis they caught.

I have gotten through about half of the Dyslexia program with Kyla, Emma, and Ellis. Now if we can just keep Wesley and Gilbert and Sara from messing up the letters and numbers in clay I think we might get through it before Kyla and Emma leave!

Oh! We found a beautiful moth last night. I'll have to post a pic later.

We have had a trip to the canyon. And done lots of weed pulling. And made too many trips to the doc.

Sara sprained her ankle a couple weeks ago. She had climbed up on a stool and then fell off. She got a bump on her head and hurt her ankle. Then a few days ago I noticed a bruise on the bridge of her nose, which I have no idea how she got! Sara has had more injuries than any of my other kids! She already knows how to jump, kind of. She jumps up and falls on her butt. And she loves twirling. I will have to post the video I have of that. It seems each kid gets more daring than the last! I suppose they feel they have to keep up with the older ones.

Missing my dog Fuzzer. I've had people offer dogs or suggest going to the shelter, but I just don't want to get another dog... Emma has been having bad dreams since Fuzz died. She said she keeps dreaming that Wes or Sara wander out in the street and get run over...she was much more affected than I thought. She has always been cautious about what the younger kids do but now she is worse! She completely spazzes out if they are even out in the front yard! And she doesn't want me taking the little ones places by myself...afraid they will run off in the parking lot or something. Can't get her to understand that I have been a mom a long time and that I've had just little ones before. LOL

Hubby has been working a lot. Long hours and weekends.

Started school Monday...well actually Tuesday. Monday I had to take Cora to the ped for an eye infection so that kind of messed up the schedule. Don't know how much I'll get done today since Sara is being VERY fussy and was up most of the night. Not really awake but just very fidgety and it kept me up and I am very sleepy now.

I have taken over as the organizer for our local C4L meetup group! That is exciting!

Reading a good book, "Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom" by Barry W. Lynn. I don't agree with him politically, but he makes some good arguments and I find myself agreeing with him more often than not. So far, I like Chapter 3 best but I am looking forward to Chapters 6 and 7.

I will save my political post for later. :D

Well...there is a busy day ahead and I need to get started. Have a blessed day all.

Randomness

We finally have a tomato growing! We have had loads of flowers but I noticed the first tomato a couple days ago. Peas are bearing again. No bell peppers yet although lots of flowers. Used our first onion! I am ashamed of how little time I have spent in the garden, but with Kyla's and Cora's activities and sickness and petsitting I have not had much time.

Today Wes is sick(update: he has strep-gave him penicillin injection). He has had a cold but this morning he is running a fever and vomitting. I am taking him to the ped later. Kyla had an appt to get vaxes this morning for her trip to Zambia but they were out of some that she needed so we are going to try and go to a pharmacy here that does travel vaxes.

Wes has decided to be Wes today instead of superman so he has clothes on! LOL For some reason when he is superman or spiderman he must be naked (except for his cape when he's superman).

Sara is walking! She is still quite wobbly, but so cute! She does not say any words, except "Uh-oh" with any regularity. She has said "Mama", "Wesley", and "Emma". Wesley is still her favorite person. She loves the gun sounds app on Daddy's iPhone. We've not been doing so well with going potty though. With everything that has been going on I kept forgetting to take her and now she is refusing to go most of the time. That is a little disappointing.

I am going to be the new coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty Meetup in our town. That is exciting! The young man who was doing it is going off to college.

I am still reading "Thy Kingdom Come" and "Democracy in America". Enjoying both but not getting very far with them very fast. I can't read them late at night because I am too sleepy to digest what I read.

Not too much else going on, just livin'.

Fuzz

Our beloved doggie was killed today by a car. She was such a good dog(except for her habit of running off every chance she got), she will be missed. It was her self appointed job to watch over the sick in our household. I don't know how I'll know if the kids are faking anymore. My kids are all so sad. Ellis, poor guy, saw the whole thing. Cora is taking it pretty hard. Even Kyla showed proof of a compassionate heart and cried (in the bathroom). We are all going to miss her very much!

Sara's MRI

I hope I NEVER have to have another baby sedated or have an IV! What an horrible ordeal!

She screamed so that her eyes are bloodshot, poor baby. It took five tries before they got the IV in. So Sara has a bruise on each hand and foot. I still feel on the verge of tears three hours after the MRI was over. Some of that could be due to lack of sleep. I've been up since 3am with Sara. I drove her around for two hours to keep her asleep. Poor thing was so hungry!

I am thankful for modern medicine, but I hope I don't have to make use of this ever again!

UPDATE:
Ped's office called and everything looks normal! YEAH!

To all IDIOTS with guns...

(*disclaimer: this post in no way advocates for gun control)

Just FYI, bullets do not vaporize when you shoot them in the air. They do not get stuck in the atmosphere either. The bullet you shoot comes down somewhere. Use your brain. Do not discharge your firearm in a crowded area, like at a Fourth of July celebration.

The sister-in-law of a friend was hit by one of these stray bullets on the 4th in OKC. Thankfully she was not seriously injured. Makes me so mad when stupid people do stupid things!!

I hate waiting!!

Sara's MRI is scheduled for July 8!! I can't believe it is nearly two weeks away! I am going to be a wreck!

I don't want anymore bad news!!

About two weeks ago Sara got a bump on her head, but it was soft. Never had seen a soft bump like that so I took her in to the ER. ER doc said that it was likely just a hematoma and nothing to worry about. I still just had this feeling that something wasn't right, so I called the ped the next morning and got her in. Ped ordered a CAT scan and yes the bump on the outside was a hematoma, but there was also another hematoma next to her brain. So today I took her for another CAT scan, just to be sure the hematoma was going away. Well, this time they saw a fracture and there is a bleed as well so now we get to have an MRI done! YEAH! :S I am so glad that I did not listen to that ER doc!!

But that hasn't been the only thing going on. A few months ago Kyla was in to the ped for strep. The NP heard a murmur while we were there so they sent her to see a cardiologist. That appt was last week. When he was examining her he asked if she'd ever suffered from joint pain and an associated rash. I told him about something that had happened about 7 or eight years ago...

Back then Kyla had complained of joint pain. We had taken her to the ped and she was referred to an allergist who diagnosed her with JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). After a few months on the meds she was no better so I quit giving her the meds (those were some serious drugs and not to be taken unless one REALLY needs them) I never felt comfortable with that diagnosis. Anyway, after a month or two off the meds Kyla's symptoms disappeared, and we assumed that it was just growing pains and that Kyla was a weanie. She has had a couple other episodes of joint pain since then.

Well after hearing that the cardiologist said that he believed what she had was rheumatic heart disease. That is caused by untreated rheumatic fever which is a result of an undiagnosed or improperly treated strep infection.

Kyla suffers a lot of strep (3 cases in just the last year). With rheumatic heart disease each case of strep causes more damage to the heart. Different parts of the heart can be affected. In Kyla's case it is her aortial valve.

Kyla will have to be on antibiotics for the next 5 years, or more, to prevent future strep infections.

I hope this is all I have to deal with right now...I just don't know if I could take anything else at the moment!

I really do neglect this blog!

It has been nearly a month since my last post! I had such grand dreams of blogging at least once a week! LOL

I have been busy with the garden. I think I killed the cantaloupe...I was trying to 'help' it! :( One of the bell pepper plants died and one of my last two remaining corn stalks was attacked by Wes. But the tomatoes and the peas look great! We've even eaten some of our peas! :D It has been constant work to keep the grass out of the beds. The weeds are easy, but GRASS! UGH! I hate grass! :P

Peas

One of the tomato plants

Corn

Sara is just beginning to walk! She has taken as many as four consecutive steps before falling! Won't be long now and she'll be running after her big brothers.

Sara standing on the trampoline

Kyla has been very busy with CYIA (Christian Youth In Action). She completes her training on Friday and they are all going out for pizza that evening. She will be helping with 5-day clubs during the rest of the summer. She will also be taking a class at the college starting next week. She is growing so fast! Next time I blink she'll want to be leaving home or getting married! :-O

Cora is busy with gymnastics and doing very well.

The rest of the kids are doing well and growing.

We are planning a trip to D.C. in Sept (for the 'Tea Party). I am excited and hope that everything works out for us to go. My mom will be going with us and that will be nice.

I have a new job!! I will be pet-sitting. It should be mostly fun...the animals I am watching starting this week are just too sweet! One of the dogs is just so nice! She laid her head on my lap when I bent down to pet her! If she wasn't so big, I could see her being a very cuddly lap dog. :) I am so thankful for the opportunity! I had been praying that the Lord would provide a way for me to make a little extra money and then my friend called and asked if I was interested. It is great because it really isn't a rigid schedule and I won't have to be long from home at any one time. And if I absolutely must I can have the kids ride along with me and they can wait in the van while I feed and water the animals. It is very convenient having two girls who are old enough to babysit!

Now to politics! :D

For those who live in Texas- CALL THE GOVENOR! and tell him to veto SB 1440 the bill that will give CPS license to take children and 'interview' them without court permission and without the parents' knowledge or consent (which they already do enough of) and the stipulation that CPS must show compelling evidence has been removed. This would be a huge blow to parental rights. So call!

For the rest of the nation- There is just too much that is highly disturbing going on in Washington...I don't have the energy to keep up with it all! It is discouraging. :( The president who was going to 'change' things in Washington isn't following through...he is accomplishing large changes but not in how things run...it is the same old political game with the same disregard for the will of 'the people' and more government grabs for power. Very disheartening!

So on that happy note I will end for now! :P Have a blessed day!


P.S. Sara has this weird bump on her head. It is on the left side and is about the size of a quarter. It is not red or inflamed and doesn't seem to be sensitive to touch at all. It is not hard but feels kind of like bubble wrap (sorry that's the most accurate description I can come up with). I don't recall her hitting her head. I called the ped last night when I noticed it and then ended up taking her to the ER, just because it is so strange. The ER doc said it is just a hematoma and didn't reccomend doing a CAT scan since she seems fine otherwise. Has anyone else every seen anything like this? I really am trying not to worry about it...I have seen PLENTY of head bumps with the kids but this one is just...well, weird! Anyway enough of my hypochondriac mommy moment! LOL

God supplies right on time!

Kyla wanted to participate the the Christian Youth In Action (CYIA) this summer. The training program is 12 hours a day for 10 days and the cost is about $250. Kyla also wanted to take a babysitting class at the college and Cora wanted to take gymnastics and compete. We did not have the money for all of that.

On Sunday Hubby was given a check. Someone had given money anonymously to us. That was enough to pay for Cora's gymnastics class ($158) and her sweats ($82) and Kyla's babysitting class ($72) and Kyla's passport (for her trip to Zambia next year) and a little leftover to pay for Cora's leotard.

Well, yesterday when we went to the CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) office to get Kyla's application and talk with them about payment arrangements, we found out that she had been given a full scholarship! Someone had donated the money she needed to pay for the program!

I am so thankful that God loves us so much to provide for even the things we want and don't necessarily need. :D

Little Tait

Little Tait



Tait and Lauren Zimmerman were married May 3, 2008. They joyfully found out that they were expecting their first child a month later. Six months into her pregnancy, Lauren began experiencing irregular contractions. After a rushed 20-mile drive to the midwives, during which time the young couple offered up many prayers for the safety of both mother and baby, it was discovered that the baby’s feet were already in the birth canal. Lauren was rushed in an ambulance to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, a 40-mile drive.Tait received a call from the midwife en route informing him that there was no reversing the labor, and that his new son or daughter would be born that day. After arriving at the hospital, Tait and Lauren were given the difficult news that — because of the combination of the baby’s position and extreme prematurity — the baby would have to be delivered via C-section. The couple’s midwife tried to prepare Tait for all possible outcomes, and just prior to the surgery, Tait and Lauren committed their son to the Lord in prayer.

Tait Edward Zimmerman, Jr. was born November 6, a 27-week preemie, weighing just 2 pounds 9 ounces, and measuring 14 inches long. Amazingly, Little Tait was breathing on his own, though he did need significant breathing assistance over the next few months. Little Tait spent his first three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital at Providence in Anchorage, AK, connected to numerous feeding and oxygen tubes, wires, leads, and IV’s.Tait and Lauren Zimmerman daily drove the 120-mile round trip to and from Anchorage for the first eight weeks to spend precious hours with their son, many times joined by Tait’s dedicated parents and sisters, and then were blessed to be able to stay in a small parent room off of Little Tait’s NICU room for his final five weeks in the hospital.

These three months were filled with strange new medical terms, and a whole education in newborn intensive care. Tait and Lauren found themselves looking forward to curious milestones — the removal of an IV, their son’s first feeding (from a syringe through a feeding tube), removal of the bili light and accompanying goggles, higher oxygen saturations, closure of his heart’s PDA valve, fewer apnea events, progression from the CPAP to Vapotherm, graduation to an open crib, satisfactory weight gains, first oral feeding, and first time unconnected to the plethora of cords, wires, and tubes.When it came to reaching these milestones, however, Little Tait was on his own schedule. He took a somewhat longer than usual amount of time progressing with his breathing and then coordinating his breathing and eating. While these long months were some of the most difficult of Tait and Lauren’s lives, the Lord used them as a time of growth and provided daily opportunities to share their family’s hope and vision with many of Little Tait’s kind caretakers.Little Tait finally came home on February 6, his three-month birthday, weighing 8 pounds 15 ounces. Today, he is a smiley, chubby, healthy little guy who brings constant joy to his parents. While he may need some therapies in the future, and has minor lung damage (common in babies who have been on extended breathing support), he faces no major medical challenges. Tait and Lauren are so thankful to the Lord for all the Lord has done in and through their precious son’s life, and pray that Little Tait would grow up to be a mighty man of God.

Early in their son’s stay, Tait and Lauren were approached by social workers, informing them that — because of their son’s low birth weight — Medicaid would automatically cover their hospital bills in full, as well as contribute to meals, lodging, transportation, and any future therapies. While it was definitely a tempting option to just sign their son’s substantial bill off to the taxpayers, and while social workers raised many arguments in favor of the government programs, Tait and Lauren sought counsel from and stood firm on their pre-marriage commitment not to accept government welfare, but to seek to cover the costs on their own, and with any help that the Lord would send through private support.
Tait and Lauren Zimmerman have developed a website telling Little Tait’s story and communicating their need to the Christian community.Visit http://www.littletait.com/ for more information.

This family is so wonderful.

Pit bull is killed after 'attacking' children!

That kind of biased 'reporting' is so disgusting! The dog had hurt no one! If it had been a collie growling and barking would the cop have shot it?! I don't think so!

First there is no such breed as a 'pit bull'. There is the American Pit Bull Terrier. But many breeds (20+) that are commonly identified as 'pit bulls' among those are Labrador Retrievers, Bull Mastiffs, Rottweillers, Boxers, Patterdale Terriers, and many others.

If you go and look at statistics about 70% of dogs that attack are unneutered males. So the real problem is not spay/neutering your pet.

This should be very enlightening:
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html...

Many times news papers and other media label a dog as a 'pit bull' in the news story only to find out later that the dog was actually another breed and then never correct their mistake, or the correction is buried in the back of the paper.
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/MistakenIdentity/WrongId.htm...

In this one site's list of dog attacks they list 'pit bull type' in one catergory, but as I said before 20 + breeds fit in that 'pit bull type' so the numbers for that category are subject to much scrutiny and disbelief in the accuracy.
http://www.dogsbite.org/bite-study-fatal-attacks.htm...

This page is interesting too:(it's a Canadian page but lots of good info)
http://www.dogwatch.net/fight_ontario_ban/experts_excluded.html...
from the page
"The top 4 biters by breed are German Shepherds, Rottweillers, Cocker Spaniels, and Golden Retrievers.

Bites by "pit bull" type dogs account for less than 5% of all serious bites in Canada."

I do not own a 'pit bull', never have, I likely never will, and not because I think they are vicious by nature.

I was shocked to see how many other breeds of dogs are mistaken for 'pit bulls'. On one of the links about that has you identify the pit bull it took me four tries to get it right, and I thought I was pretty good at dog breed identification.

Before I Was A Mom (stolen from a friend's facebook page)

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her/him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom ."

TheHill.com - Not all senators warming to Obama cap-and-trade ...

TheHill.com - Not all senators warming to Obama cap-and-trade ...

This is a way to get revenue for the government. This will increase the cost of everything we buy! And Obama knows this. He knows that this will cause hardship, especially for those "low-wage earners" he professes to care so much about, and he doesn't care! This increases the size and scope of government and will send more companies looking for other places to produce their products and thereby increase unemployment. How can he continually spout how much he is concerned about the 'poor' and then turn around and do something he KNOWS will hurt those very same people?! His 'tax cut' (I won't go into what a crock that is right now) for 95% of Americans will be completely offset by the projected increase in living expenses ($700-$1,400 per household).

As anyone who has ever studied economics at all should know the companies who must pay the carbon tax (and that is what it is) will pass on that cost to the consumer! That is us!! That is the people that Obama has given a 'tax cut' to! How will this help the economy? How will this help America recover? How is this upholding the Constitution?

I sincerely hope this doesn't pass, but I am afraid it will because "The One" is used to getting his way!

President=Hitler?

this is a completely pointless post-you have been warned! :P

So, I remember during Bush's (the younger) terms the liberals said he was a fascist, like Hitler. Now we have Obama and the conservatives are saying he is a communist/socialist, like Hitler. I decided to try a little experiment. I googled "Obama Hitler", "Bush Hitler", "Clinton Hitler", "Reagan Hitler" and "Carter Hitler" and then looked at the number of results for each. Here are my results:
Carter~2,290,000
Reagan~1,470,000
Clinton~3,990,000
Bush~1,140,000
Obama~7,380,000

I have no idea how to interpret those results, but I found it interesting all the same.

No Official Photos of Air Force One Flyover Anytime Soon - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

No Official Photos of Air Force One Flyover Anytime Soon - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com:
"No Official Photos of Air Force One Flyover Anytime Soon
By Jeff Zeleny
So will photographs of Air Force One, flying against a backdrop of the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline a week ago, ever be seen by the public?
Not if the White House has its wish.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Tuesday that the internal review — ordered up after President Obama expressed anger at the controversial photo shoot – would likely be completed this week. The White House Office of Military Affairs is on the hook for approving the flyover of New York City.
At the daily press briefing, a reporter asked Mr. Gibbs why the White House had not authorized release of the photographs.
“I’ve watched CNN. I didn’t notice a lack of archival material from that flight,” Mr. Gibbs said.
“No, from inside the plane,” a reporter replied. “The photos they took, we haven’t seen those.”
“I don’t know where those are,” Mr. Gibbs said."

(emphasis mine)

Do they really expect me to believe that Obama knew nothing about this? Really?!! Come on! If he has so little control over his staff what does that say about his governing ability? You know that verse about, "if you can't keep order in your own house..." (my own paraphrase version). If it had been Bush, the outrage would have been unending! Every news outlet and talk show host would have been berating or making fun of him. But Obama is "The One" so he gets a pass.

And Mr. Gibbs, what kind of idiots do you think we are? You don't know where the pictures are?! Yeah right!! Kind of like the bow that wasn't really a bow...

Pentagon to Implant Chips in Soldiers' Bodies

Pentagon to Implant Chips in Soldiers' Bodies

This is SO frightening! Talk about invasion of privacy!!

Why we are really in this financial crisis

The Republicans blame the Democrats. The Democrats blame the Republicans. The Libertarians blame them both. Everyone blames Wall Street.

Who is really at fault? How did we get into this mess? When did debt become the American dream?

I believe the fault lies not with any political party or policy, but with a mindset, an ideology.

We have become dependant of 'credit'. We have forgotten the caution in the Bible, "The borrower is servant to the lender." We have been fooled into thinking that we must have things NOW instead of saving for them. We buy cars on credit, we buy houses on credit, we buy electronics on credit, and in the worst case scenario we pay our bills on credit!

The kids and I have read portions of the book "On Jordan's Stormy Banks" (A very good read by the way), in that book there are several times where some old black man or woman talks about how they never borrowed money (never 'bought it on time'). They may have been 'poor', but they came out of slavery and did not want to be servant to a creditor, they wanted to be free.

The idea that owning a home is a 'right' (and according to President Obama it is) is so wrong! No one is guaranteed that. Home ownership is not an inalienable right! But I digress...

The problem is that Americans are so in debt. The reason they cannot afford health care is because they have so much debt. That may not be the case every time, but I do think it is generally true. The reason they are in debt is because they think that they must have certain things. They are not willing to go without in order to be free.

Wall Street did not force anyone to buy a home they could not afford. Wall Street did not force anyone to invest. Wall Street did not force anyone to use a credit card. The only culpability that Wall Street has is that it propagated the myth that 'credit' is good. And of course even that you cannot blame Wall Street totally for. The people who believed the lies are not innocent. They should have thought, they should have investigated. If they didn't know, they could have, if they had really wanted to. Those who have gone into the debt trap did so of their own free will, perhaps unwittingly, but always willingly.

The economic crisis was caused by people making investments and using credit irresponsibly. The American people, not Wall Street are really to blame. Perhaps our leaders should have warned us more, but of course they are in the same credit boat so why would they? Even our current President is continuing to lie and say that how much debt we can accrue is the measure of how strong our economy is!! What a load of...uh...crap!

My husband has a business that has never borrowed money. Making payroll week to week gets a little tricky sometimes, but there is no debt. If he can do it, so can everyone else. The problem is of course that the businesses, like the individuals who run them, want it NOW! They do not want to save and grow slow. They want to appear prosperous when they are not. Debt creates a false sense of prosperity. Prosperity from debt is an illusion, and illusion that we see crumbling all around us and yet we still do not want to acknowledge the true cause. It is so much easier to blame the faceless Wall Street.

The growing 'prosperity' that America has enjoyed was doomed to fail. And now that it has everyone is playing the blame game and not wanting to take responsibility. Unless we do, we are bound to continue in the error and spread more blame where it does not belong. Every one of us must accept our part of the blame for this mess. We must stop accruing debt. We must save. We must seek out real prosperity, not the mirage that debt presents. Go without that new iPhone or the plasma TVs or the blue-ray or the new car...until you have saved for it. Only then will we get out of this mess and have something real to show for our hard work.

The Backlash Against Breast Is Best: Why Is Breastfeeding Under Attack? | The Business of Being Born Message Board

The Backlash Against Breast Is Best: Why Is Breastfeeding Under Attack? The Business of Being Born Message Board:

“It appears no longer within the realm of the imaginable that . . . ‘breastfeeding-friendly’ could mean making it possible for women and their babies to be together,” writes Lepore. “When did ‘women’s rights’ turn into ‘the right to work’?”

How profound!

I am a BIG breastfeeding advocate. It always makes me a little sad when a mom decides not to breastfeed. I know that breastfeeding doesn't automatically make a good mother, but it has always seemed to me that they are giving up on God's best. And one must see breastfeeding as God's best, if one is honest, because God is the one who designed the breast to produce food for babies. God set in motion all of the intricate hormonal and other physical changes that make it possible to breastfeed. He put in babies instincts that help the baby breastfeed.

Having said that, I do realize that there are women out there who really cannot breastfeed, I personally know three. These women, despite their best efforts did not produce milk, or not enough milk, for their babies to thrive on breastmilk alone. And having had some supply issues myself with Sara I know how frustrating and discouraging that can be. However, I do think that many women give up because of bad advice or inaccurate information or because they have problems and don't get the help and encouragement they need.

Where the Kudzu Grows: Ron Paul, the fresh breath of reason

Great words from the man Ron Paul!!
Where the Kudzu Grows: Ron Paul, the fresh breath of reason

It's so discouraging!

I have been reading news stories about the Tax Day Tea Parties. It is so disheartening and infuriating to see that the majority of people believe that those who went were all racist and that they were all right-wing Republicans who think Bush did a great job. That could not be further from the truth!!

The people that went to our local event that I know personally were not attending because they are racist. They went because they believe that our government is abusing it's power. They went because the 'bailouts' made them angry. They went because the idea of government control of private business is abhorrent. They went because they are afraid that their freedom to attend such a protest will be taken away by a government that no longer cares for it's citizens.

Yes they are opposed to Obama's policies. Things like his ideas on taxation and community service and healthcare and many other things. It has nothing to do with his race (at least for those who I know personally that went) and everything to do with policy.

Those who are tagging the tea parties as protests specifically against Obama are wrong!! This has been brewing for awhile. Remember that the 'bailout' was Bush's idea! As was the Patriot Act. STOP making this about race! When the only answer to the concerns of those who went is a cry of "RACISM" they have no alternative but to believe that they are right. There can be no dialogue, no discussion.

Those who label the tea party attendees as uniformed may seem to have a point, unless you consider that there were such a variety of reasons that people went. There were many different groups organizing events. The AFA, AFP, WeSurroundThem, C4L, etc. There were so many issues that it may seem as though they didn't know why they were there. They did, they just had different reasons.

I admit that there were there the stereotypical Republican 'sheeple' who were only there because they were mad their man didn't get in, but I do not believe they were in the majority (at least I hope not!).

One thing did strike me in one article. Apparently 'tea-bagging' has some lewd sexual connotation. News to me. But then I don't have my mind in the gutter as the liberals seem to! :P

I do think that all of those people who went need to unite around one common purpose, the defense of the Constitution! We must all coalesce in the one issue of the violations of our Constitution by our elected leadership.

The Tea Party protestors are racist?!

I listened to this whole thing and these are the thoughts I had as she spoke:
1) I am not a racist
2) I am not part of the 'right-wing'
3) I am not a redneck
4) I am NOT a racist
5) I do not hate Obama because he is black
6) I am not a 'white power' activist
7) I do not have a neurological problem
8) I am NOT A RACIST!!
9) I do know my history
10) I don't watch FOX news
11) I am not a racist!
12) I am not a member of the Klan (don't even approve of such nonsense)
13) I have no objection to a black man being in the white house.


I cannot believe that she said that so many times! And then the part about it being a neurological disorder. The left is NEVER guilty of spinning stuff and working up the 'rabble'!! And a Democrat NEVER started a war! Do these people even have a brain? Or have they just been brainwashed by the leftist news media? Has SHE read history?"

Let's see...
WWI Woodrow Wilson-Democrat
WWII Franklin Roosevelt-Democrat
Korea Harry Truman-Democrat
Vietnam Eisenhower- Republican (note: this was continued by two Democratic presidents and ended by a Republican one. Eight of the fifteen years we were in Vietnam a Democrat was in the White House.)
Kuwait- George HW Bush- Republican
Serbia- Bill Clinton-Democrat
Iraq- George W Bush- Republican

There are many more times that our troops were sent overseas for military action, but those are the biggies. As you can see neither party can claim that the other is 'warmongering' since they are both guilty. There is a comprehensive list of all military action abroad here if you really want to find out which party used the military more.

As for the Republicans being the 'racist' party see THIS link.
Another
and another

I am not a Republican, but I do hate lying! by anyone! Unless our politicians start being honest (which they won't) there is no hope for our Republic.

Emma

My lovely second daughter will be 12 tomorrow!

Emma is such a joy. She is sweet and compassionate. She is so observant of everything! She is growing into a wonderful young woman. I love it when she tells me of some new discovery she has made. I love it when I see her being kind to her younger siblings and helping them with something. I love it that she does such a good job making her daddy's lemon water for him when he comes home from work. I was humbled the time she confessed to having a bad attitude about something and was repentant. She will make some man a great helpmeet one day.

Emma

3 months

Last summer

Emma bowling a strike!

The Obama Deception

Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or a Libertarian or a Constitutionalist you need to watch this whole video. InfoWars is non-partisan. They have also done documentaries exposing Bush. The POTUS is just a front man for who is really controlling the economy and the politics of our country. Jesse Ventura says, "...it's just showbiz...". Sad but true.

America is being handed to socialists, PLEASE America don't let that happen. Now is the time to stand up, get involved, and stop our country's slide to communism. Socialism/Communism has never worked anywhere! It has only served to enrich the elites and to further impoverish the masses.

Tea Party

The kids and I went to our local 'Tea Party' on Wednesday. This morning I watched the news coverage of it online.

It was encouraging to see so many people show up. There were at least 300 people at each one (there were two locally one at noon and another at six). I was disappointed by the news. The news people introduced it as a protest against Obama. That was not what it was really about. These people are not upset only because of Obama's economic policy, although that is a big issue, they are upset because the government is consistently overstepping it's Constitutional bounds. Both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of that.

We want our Republic (not democracy) preserved. We want the government back in it's box!

I do wish that Repulicans who were at the tea parties would open their eyes a little more to the wrongs done by their own party. When they reduce their argument to partisanship they destroy their credibility. The GOP is not the answer to the Constitutional crisis our country is in. Republicans are part of the problem!! Can we say "Patriot Act"?! And lets not forget that the GOP had the White House and both houses of Congress for at least two years and did basically nothing! Bush did not use that time to fulfill any of his campaign promises, like privatizing Social Security.

Someone at the C4L (Campaign for Liberty) meeting last night said that the one good thing about Republicans is their determination not to be parted from their guns. They have put a line in the sand and that is good. I agree. I don't think that the Obama administration will put an outright ban on guns, but that they will make it so difficult and so expensive that will effectively be a ban while they will still be claiming to uphold the second amendment.

I hope that Americans are really waking up, it may be too late already, but I hope not.