Friday, May 30, 2008

Do You Shop at Safeway?

I don't, I think they are overpriced and poor quality(this is my opinion based on local stores and you may have your own opinion). I will give them the credit for stepping up and taking care of one of their employees though. It tugs at the heart and you can't help but feel good about a story like this.

By Michelle Esteban (link to story)

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- It will take thousands of dollars and several surgeries to reconstruct a local man's face.James O'Neal compares himself to the Elephant Man. A genetic disease left his face horribly disfigured, but that could soon change.O'Neal knows his deformity shocks people. He knows others with the same genetic disorder would rather hide than work, but for 7 years James has proudly worked the registers at the Kingsgate Safeway on 124th Avenue NE in Kirkland.

"I just tell people this is who I am, it's the way I am. If you don't like me, you don't like me," he said.

His customers don't like him -- they love him.

"I really love James," said shopper Katie Knopf.

Knopf has put her money where her mouth is. "We want to change his life," she said. She knows O'Neal's insurance likely won't cover all of the costs of difficult and extensive surgeries. So she's launched a Web site asking for donations for reconstructive surgery. Knopf also got Kinkos to donate a thousand fliers and plans to distribute them to local schools and the registers at the Kingsgate Safeway.Her generous heart tugged on Safeway's heartstrings. The grocer decided to kick in the first $10,000. "James is our employee, he is one of us and we absolutely think the world of him," said Cherie Myers, Safeway's director of public and government affairs. "This is just a bonus, this our bonus to him. He never asked for it, he's never said 'woe is me.' He's proud to be who he is." That's why customers flock to him. Knopf says she'll stand in line just to have him ring her up.

In July, Safeway stores in four states will kick off a three-week Canister Campaign, collecting donations to help O'Neal. Those who want to contribute can also donate online through KOMO News.

click on link above to read story and see a picture of James.

I know I haven't posted on vacation yet, I haven't gotten my pictures uploaded yet from vacation so I will get to those posts as soon as I do.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Return from Vacation

I now have a graduate from High School. My daughter graduated on Saturday and the Media Matters family traveled to Tennessee for the festivities. It was kind of low key. We got there Friday night and returned yesterday. We had fun seeing all the tourist traps in Downtown Nashville and I will be back to regular blogging tomorrow. I will share a little more of the trip and pictures. We will start with the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Do You Make More Than Your Husband?

If you were to look at our hourly wage, I beat my husband by a landslide in salary. My husband gets reimbursements for his job that do surpass my pay though, so in some cases he does bring home more than I do. Do I resent my husband in the fact that I make more than him? No, I do believe we have had a few heated conversations(and just recently) about money but it can be a stressful subject. Do I wish we both made more? Definitely! With the cost of everything rising, it is much better to be making more money than we do. Do I feel our economy is in a crisis? NO! I am still at the very crowded Wal-Mart shopping like everyone else. It is definitely a matter of making smarter decisions in our purchases, and this can be said for anyone. Why am I posting on money? See below.
(link)

Some Women Breadwinners Resent Husbands
Work's Importance Can Create Tension
POSTED: 11:43 am PDT May 20, 2008

Some women who are the primary breadwinners for their families -- or those who earn as much as their husbands -- are proud but also resent their husbands, according to a new survey by BettyConfidential.com.

The survey was sent to 100 women, 25 of whom responded. They were asked about how the salary situation affected their relationships, some of which had already led to divorce.

Some women complained that they were still expected to do traditional "women's work" at home despite the demands of their jobs, and others found that they could just not agree with their husbands on how to arrange their lives to fit two important working schedules

click on the above link for entire article

One thing, my husband and I do share the housework and the baby work. I try to cook often and he gets to the dishes frequently. I wouldn't mind making double my salary and letting him stay home and be Mr. Mom which I think he would enjoy. In this day and age that is just not feasible because Baby Media Matters will someday be Big Boy Media Matters and then Teenage Boy Media Matters and things just get more expensive as time goes by.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Lemons

You know the saying watch what you eat to be healthy? Well I think that saying means something totally different in this next story.

Bacteria Found On Restaurant Lemon Slices
One-Third Fail Small Test For E. coli
UPDATED: 8:10 am PDT May 20, 2008


LAS VEGAS -- Lemon wedges get plunked in your water or iced tea at a restaurant, and you think it's healthy.

The truth is that a little lemon wedge could contain hundreds of types of bacteria, some of them extremely dangerous, and others just disgusting, Las Vegas television station KVVU reported.

In testing of lemons from six restaurants, the station found two contaminated lemons. In one case, it was bacteria that you wouldn't want anywhere near you, let alone your mouth.

To collect the samples, the station visited restaurants the Olive Garden, El Pollo Loco, IHOP, Jerry's Nugget, McCormick and Schmick's and Triple George Grill.

Without touching any of the lemons, they were scooped them from the cups, placed into a bag and taken to the lab to get the results.

"I was surprised, because I would expect most lemons in most restaurants to come back clean," Francis said.

Four out of the six did.

But the lemon from Triple George Grill contained E. coli.

The other contaminated lemon contained coli form bacteria. There are hundreds of types. The lemon was found at IHOP.


Makes you think twice before heading for that lemon slice now, which I do love to have in my iced tea and water. I have a lemon tree in my back yard and love to have fresh lemons. Hmm, I better make sure I wash those good before cutting them. Could be birds doing their business on them.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Myths About Chocolate

Since we started the week with chocolate, I might as well stay there today. I love chocolate, who doesn't? Actually there are few people who don't. So people just don't have the taste buds for this wonderful delicacy called chocolate. I will research that and get back to you. I do know there is a condition or something that people have that they can't stand the taste of it. Anyway on to to today's subject.

7 Myths & Facts about Chocolate
Melting the Myths for Good
-- By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer
click here for entire article and more on the facts

Whether you prefer a gooey chocolate truffle or a mug of hot cocoa, chocolate is the number one indulgence for most of us—especially on Valentine’s Day. But this indulgence comes at a price, right? After all, isn’t chocolate bad for us, full of caffeine and saturated fat? Not so fast—new research has shown that chocolate can be a part of a healthy diet after all.

  • Myth: Chocolate is high in caffeine: Fact: While eating chocolate may perk you up, chocolate is actually not very high in caffeine.
  • Myth: Chocolate is loaded with saturated fat and is bad for your cholesterol. :Fact: Stearic acid, the main saturated fat found in milk chocolate, is unique. Research has shown that it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels:
  • Myth: Chocolate lacks any nutritional value.: Fact: Chocolate is a good source of magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. It also contains polyphenols (an antioxidant also found in tea and red wine)
  • Myth: Chocolate causes cavities. Fact:Candy alone is not responsible for cavities.
  • Myth: Chocolate causes headaches: Fact: While sited as a common cause of migraines, a study by the University of Pittsburgh has shown no link between chocolate and headaches
  • Myth: Chocolate causes acne: Fact: Regardless of what your parents or grandparents may still say, studies in the past twenty years have eliminated chocolate as a cause of acne
  • Myth: Chocolate causes weight gain: Fact: Any food can be part of a healthy diet if consumed in moderation

Chocolate’s bad reputation is slowly changing and research now shows that chocolate can be a part of an overall healthy lifestyle, when consumed in moderation. If you keep your portion sizes small and select dark chocolate whenever possible, the ccasional treat can be a guilt-free part of your diet.

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Chocolate Milk Anyone?

I love chocolate milk, I guess there are all kinds on the shelf and I have tried a few, but the best thing for me is pouring good old-fashioned Hershey's Syrup in a big glass of non-fat milk. YUM!!!
Well someone I guess did a study on some chocolate milk and what's the best out there. +
Check it out

Best Chocolate Milk May Not Come From Cow
Soy Milk Surprises Testers
J. Scott Wilson, Staff writer

    • One of the scariest moments in my parenting life came when I asked my 3-year-old what he wanted to drink with his dinner, and he replied, "Chocolate milk!"

      Who had told him about the stuff? Was there a Nestle pusher hiding in the bushes outside? Had that danged rabbit hopped in through an unguarded window? Was there a brown cow nearby?

      In any case, chocolate milk has not yet been added to the drink menu at our house. However, after tasting the new breed of chocolate milks made with low- or non-fat milk, I just might have to consider it as an occasional treat. There's some good stuff out there and, of course, a few that dropped the ball.

      My usual five-person tasting panel ranked each milk, awarding a total of 20 points for mouth feel and flavor, for a possible perfect score of 100. Nutritional information is provided for each one.

  • PET Chocolate Milk:
  • Yoohoo Chocolate Drink
  • Nesquik Milkshake:
  • Nesquik
  • Organic Valley 1% Milkfat
  • Silk Soymilk Chocolate
  • Promised Land: But it's quite simply the best chocolate milk available in a grocery store, in the panel's opinion.

Make sure that you click on the link above to get all the details on Chocolate Milk taste test. I have heard of some of these brands and I don't like Nesquick at all or Yoohoo but I am curious to try the Silk and maybe the Promised Land. My favorite will be the way I always do it, you can control your chocolate content that way.

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

A Funny Thing

You know something, I am pretty set in my ways, things I like to watch, eat and how I like things done. I do love to learn new things though and I love to find out interesting histories of things. One of the new things I enjoy doing is going to Trader Joes. A quaint little market that I have never set foot in until recently. If you are not familiar with a Trader Joes, the best way for me to describe it, is a General Store for international foods and organic foods. My son loves the cereal bars. They are organic and good for you and just a $1.69 a box. They don't have the garbage as the cereal bars might have at a regular grocery store. Another thing is I love strawberry, peach, or apricot jams on my toast. I never have really gotten into other berry flavors or grapes. Well a funny thing happened I had my english muffins(from Trader Joes) for breakfast last week and was out of my strawberry jam and found a co-workers Boysenberry jam in the the fridge and asked her if I could use some, of course she said yes. I was a little leery so only had a little bit of it. I loved it, it is so good. So the curious person I am wanted to know something about Boysenberry and this is what I found.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

It was first cultivated on Rudolph Boysen's farm in northern California. Walter Knott was the first to commercially cultivate it in southern California.[4] His family's small restaurant and pie business eventually grew into Knott's Berry Farm.
In the late 1920s, George M. Darrow of the USDA began tracking down reports it had encountered of a large, reddish-purple berry that had been grown on a farm by a man named Rudolph Boysen.[4] He enlisted the help of Walter Knott, a Southern California farmer who was known as a berry expert. Knott hadn't heard of the new berry, but he agreed to help Darrow in his search for the berry.

Knott's Berry Farm

Darrow and Knott learned soon after that Rudolph Boysen had abandoned his growing experiments several years earlier and sold his farm. Undaunted by this news, Darrow and Knott headed out to Boysen's old farm, on which they found several frail vines surviving in a field choked with weeds. They transplanted the vines to Knott's farm where he nurtured them back to fruit-bearing health. Walter Knott's began selling the berries at his farm stand in 1935 and soon noticed that people kept returning to buy the large tasty berries. When asked what they were called, Knott said, "Boysenberries," after their originator.[5] As their popularity grew, Mrs. Knott began making preserves which ultimately made Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California world famous.


Who knew that Boysenberry was Knotts Berry Farms first popular berry. I like the fact that they gave the credit to the first farmer who tried to cultivate it.

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Friday, May 16, 2008

You've Been Warned

Man Refuses To Turn Off Cell On Flight
Southwest Traveler Cited For Cell Phone Call
POSTED: 9:33 am PDT May 13, 2008
click here for small article
DALLAS -- A Southwest Airlines passenger got an unwelcome reception in Dallas after allegedly giving the crew a hard time about using his cell phone.

Officials said that when the man refused to get off his cell phone during the flight, Southwest officials summoned police, who met the jet at Love Field

The call apparently involved cardiac care for Jones' critically ill father. A business associate said the nature of the call was life and death.

You know most, if not all, planes do have air phones for use. I am sorry if it is a matter of life or death for 200+ passengers on a plane not to use your phone, I suggest stay off of it.

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Not Only in the Movies.

Since we are on the Religious track this week so far, let's look at something else of interest. OK raise your hands, who is anxiously awaiting the release of the new Indiana Jones movie?(ME!!). Do you remember the first one where he was in search of the ARK of the Covenant? Well check out this story.

German Archaeologist on Trail of Ark of the Covenant
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
By Roger Boyes

story link

BERLIN — It is only a breathless Hollywood script: treasure-hunter Indiana Jones races with German archaeologists to track down the fabled Ark of the Covenant, the chest that held the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were etched.

Now German researchers claim to have found the remains of the palace of the Queen of Sheba — and an altar that may have held the Ark.

The location of the Ark, indeed its existence, has been a source of controversy for centuries.

Many archaeologists believe that their profession should not be in the
business of myth-chasing. Even if the Ark were found, it would be impossible to establish scientifically whether it was the original receptacle for the Ten Commandments.

click on the link above to read entire article.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Do You Believe?

Vatican: It's OK for Catholics to Believe in Aliens
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
courtesy of Fox News
The Associated Press contributed to this report

VATICAN CITY — There could be alien life forms and believing they exist isn't contradictory to having faith in God, the top astronomer at the Vatican said in an interview published Tuesday.

In the Vatican newspaper piece, titled "The Extraterrestrial Is My Brother," the Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes said the expansiveness of the universe means there could be life on planets other than Earth.

As there is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, so there may be other beings, intelligent, created by God. This does not conflict with our faith, because we cannot put limits on the creative freedom of God."

The interview covered a variety of topics, including the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of alien life.

The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.

But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."

click here for entire article

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

We Live in Such a Litigious Society

Families Take Autism Claims To Court
Link To Vaccines Not Supported By Science
POSTED: 7:36 am PDT May 12, 2008
(link)

WASHINGTON -- The Institute of Medicine said in 2004 there was no credible evidence to show that vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal led to autism in children. But thousands of families have a different take based on personal experience

Thimerosal has been removed in recent years from standard childhood vaccines, except flu vaccines that are not packaged in single doses. The CDC said single-dose flu shots currently are available only in limited quantities. In 2004, a committee with the Institute of medicine concluded there was no credible evidence that vaccines containing thimerosal caused autism.

Many members of the medical community are skeptical of the families' claims. They worry that the claims about the dangers of vaccines could cause some people to forgo vaccines that prevent illness.

Yes, I worry about this also. How many children are going to have to die or suffer from a disease that they don't have to, because of ignorant parents.

Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others. Dr. Andrew Gerber, a psychiatrist, said that medical experts don't have a comprehensive understanding of what causes autism, but they do know there is a strong hereditary component.



This is still a possibility for my son, but as he gets older and still shows no signs, my confidence grows. What I don't get is why are parents blaming things they have no control over or evidence over. I don't care what some report they paid someone to conduct tells them. There is no definitive proof that vaccines cause autism, nor is there any definitive proof of what does cause autism expect maybe heredity. This will never convince me to stop getting my child vaccinated.

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Friday, May 09, 2008

I'm Married!

FOXSexpert: The Pros and Cons of 'Living in Sin'
Thursday, May 08, 2008
By Yvonne K. Fulbright



Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell do it. So do Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.side note, I thought Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins were actually married, shows what I know. I did know about Goldie and Kurt though

And these days, it's not just the celebrities. More and more unmarried couples are living together, and research indicates that most people have tried it.

The distinction between cohabitation and marriage is eroding in many contemporary societies. For years now, the number of couples choosing to live together without getting married has steadily increased.

But is it smart to move in together when you aren't married?

For more than 1,000 years, the Roman Catholic Church recognized commitment by simply taking the couple's word. If a man and woman had privately agreed to marry, then they were seen as a married couple. Many modern-day thinkers have felt the same way. American anthropologist George Peter Murdock once defined marriage as "a global institution involving a couple cohabitating, engaging in sexual activity, and cooperating economically." For many couples, the actual act of officially tying the knot is just a technicality.


There are pros and cons to this arrangement. You will have to visit the article here to get the pros and cons.


I think Mr. MM and I would disagree on this subject. I want your opinion though and see how many more would disagree with me.

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Thursday, May 08, 2008

The Damage Has Been Done

Not even Brooke Shields could help the ailing Hannah Montana. Was is just a coincidence her ratings were down for the highly advertised new episode of Hannah Montana or was it inevitable. I watched the episode Sunday night because I love the show. I had a feeling all the negative publicity in regards to her photo was going to hurt her and that seems to be evident in the dropped ratings for this previous Sunday, May 4, 2008 .

If you are not familiar with her, here is a brief summary of her show:
courtesy of TV.com

Miley Cyrus stars as Hannah Montana, a teenager who lives a secret life as a pop star. Cyrus's real life dad, country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus, plays her dad and manager. Miley just moved from Tennessee as a country singer and now has to adapt to life in Malibu. The show includes original music recorded by its star, Miley. Mitchel Musso and Emily Osment star as the friends of Miley who know her big secret and Jason Earles stars as Miley's brother.
Premiered: March 24, 2006

I believe due to her poor choices in regards to this photo may have done more damage to her show than she wants to believe.

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Obviously Ignorance is not Bliss

Why Conservatives Are Happier Than Liberals
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
By Jeanna Bryner

Click here for entire article

Individuals with conservative ideologies are happier than liberal-leaners, and new research pinpoints the reason: Conservatives rationalize social and economic inequalities.

Regardless of marital status, income or church attendance, right-wing individuals reported greater life satisfaction and well-being than left-wingers, the new study found.

Conservatives also scored highest on measures of rationalization, which gauge a person's tendency to justify, or explain away, inequalities.

The rationalization measure included statements such as: "It is not really that big a problem if some people have more of a chance in life than others," and "This country would be better off if we worried less about how equal people are."

"Our research suggests that inequality takes a greater psychological toll on liberals than on conservatives," the researchers write in the June issue of the journal Psychological Science, "apparently because liberals lack ideological rationalizations that would help them frame inequality in a positive (or at least neutral) light."

The same rationalizing phenomena could apply to personal situations as well.

"There is no reason to think that the effects we have identified here are unique to economic forms of inequality," the researchers write. "Research suggests that highly egalitarian women are less happy in their marriages compared with their more traditional counterparts, apparently because they are more troubled by disparities in domestic labor."

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Potatoes!

Who knew there was such a huge variety of potatoes? I didn't.

Rainbow Of Potatoes Color S. American Meals
UPDATED: 6:12 am PDT May 6, 2008
Mary Stucky, Contributing Writer
click here for entire article

Nowhere is the lowly potato more revered than in the Andes of South America. This is where potatoes originated. In just two countries -- Peru and Bolivia -- there some 10,000 different varieties of potatoes, in colors ranging from green to black to pink. Each has a unique taste and culinary purpose.

In Cochambamba, Bolivia, the market is a vast labyrinth of vendors and their wares. There are potatoes everywhere. Indian women in pretty straw hats sit beside colorful hand-woven blankets piled with what can only be described as mountains of potatoes.

They eat potatoes at every meal, but they're not bored. In the Andes, potatoes come in amazing variety. Some soups require three different types.

Maxima points out a potato she calls papa (potato) huayco. This potato is so purple it's almost black. Beside the papa huayco are huge baskets of brightly colored papa lisas, shocking orange with pink spots. There are potatoes that look like small brown rocks -- they're called chuno and grow at extremely high altitudes. Chuno is freeze-dried using an ancient process and can last for years.

Now a new culinary movement called Nuevo Andino has sprung up to take advantage of all this variety. Classically trained chefs are combining native ingredients with modern techniques. For example: blue mashed potatoes.


This article is provided by Round Earth Productions, an independent production company that provides in-depth global reporting for radio, print, television and web distribution. Major funding for this story came from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit roundearthproductions.org.

I know the few varieties I see at the grocery story but I think I need to look more closely and see if any of the types they talk about in this article are here. Sounds interesting, I would like to try some of these different varieties.

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Sit and Relax

I am one of the privileged in my office to be able to sit by a big window. There are windows along the whole wall I sit against. Outside my window I see a walkway with plants, trees, and bushes and it is a shaded walkway. Sometimes it is nice just to look out and see the squirrels playing tag. I think one the other day was after the other's peanuts. Yes, we have people all over the complex here that feed the squirrels peanuts, they are spoiled and pretty tame. If the squirrels think you have food they are likely to approach you for it. It is lunch time for me and I sit by the window and type and watch. It always fun to see people getting deliveries of flowers and balloons too. Someone is loved :). Funny thing, I just came from my Supervisor's office and she said that she had read my post on office politics and had to laugh because I said I loved my job. I told her I do love my job and clarified that it is some of the people that I can do without here. She went oh yeah, she felt the same way. See it is the job and maybe it is the job you love that you are at and you just have to ignore the office politics and the gossip and the back-stabbers, and just anyone that brings the environment down. That was the point of the post and try to learn to deal with it. So it brings me back to the window as I sit here and post, it is a beautiful day in Sacramento and you can't help just sitting here and relaxing and enjoying it. Look somebody is bringing someone lunch. You have to pass this walkway to get to anywhere in the complex and you can imagine a lot of fun things as you people or squirrel watch. Have a great day and find something to enjoy where ever you are at.

Update: My supervisor did remind(after she read this post) to thank her for my window seat. So THANKS :)!

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Monday, May 05, 2008

I Can No Longer Be Quiet!

I have a few issues I would like to discuss that are bothering me. First of all let's talk about little Miley Cyrus. I love her, I love Hannah Montana. I think the show is cute and she is a great role model for young girls, her show is fun. Everyone who opens a paper, reads the Internet, or just turns on the t.v. should be aware of the scandal surrounding her. Vanity Fair did and article with her and her dad and the controversy is the picture she posed for. I have seen the picture and I am appalled that this would be allowed. She is 15, Yes, only 15. With a world full of pedophiles, rapists, and just any other sicko that would exploit a picture(on the Internet) why would this be allowed to happen? This is not a woman but a child. How could her family say this is beautiful, again SHE IS 15! In a world full of sickos why would you do this? This is telling girls who are very impressionable and vulnerable that it is OK to expose our back sides to camera as nothing else is showing. That is not the point, it is too seductive for a child that age.

So this now brings me to my next subject with a small lead in.

What has the world come too? I think you can thank women's lib, gay rights and other crazy wacko groups for this one. Now don't get me wrong I have no problem with gays and I have no problem with women getting equal rights as men, in pay and that sort of stuff if they can do the job. I do have a problem with the twits out there that have to take it to the extreme. Where was it that we got off the track of what is actually norm/avg and what is just lunacy? Take the girl that had to be in Boy Scouts or the Woman who had to be in the Citadel(then flunked out) or the women that have to be in the Men only Clubs. Where did we lose our sense of individuality and separation from the opposite sex. MEN AND WOMEN ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. There is a reason for that. Men should be allowed to have their separate interests and so should women. This now brings me to my second subject in this post.

Gay Wisconsin Teen Nominated For Prom Queen
High School Bars Student From Royalty Ballot
POSTED: 4:30 pm PDT May 2, 2008

RACINE, Wis. -- A Wisconsin high school has told an openly gay student that he can not go after the title of prom queen after classmates nominated him.

"If a guy can win Miss Legs and a girl can win Miss Physique, how is that different than me being nominated for prom queen?" said Uriel Gomez, a student at Washington Park High School in Racine

With two weeks until the May 17 prom, Gomez is in limbo and feels his reasons to be in the running are legitimate.
click here for entire article.

So this brings me to my point, I have nothing against gay people but this is taking it too far. Kings are men and Queens are women and we should not change that fact because a little boy wants to be one. This may seem prejudice to some but it is not. We have to draw the line somewhere.

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Do You Work Here?

I do!

Seven Ways to Handle Your Dysfunctional Office
by Margot Carmichael LesterMonster Contributing Writer
courtesy of Monter.com

  • Step Away from the Action: Start looking at your office as though it were any dysfunctional organization from movies or TV. “Sit back as an observer and watch,”
  • Remain in Control: One way to stay functional is to avoid returning fire -- no matter how under siege you feel.
  • Stay Focused: Concentrating on your job performance while others are engaged in less-productive activities can be an effective way of coping and advancing,
  • Tune Out: If you’re in a position to close yourself off from the insanity and negativity, do it, advises Erik Myers
  • Enlist Allies: Sometimes it helps to find what career coach Marty Nemko calls “an island of sanity amid the maelstrom.”
  • Look for Patterns: Studying -- but not obsessing over -- colleagues’ dysfunctional tendencies can give you an edge, Flagg says
  • Leave: the end, the best outcome may be to move on. “It's really the only thing that actually works,”

I wouldn't say that I need to leave my job, I do love it and it does get frustrating dealing with the politics of the job, but all offices have office politics and the ones that think the people they work for owe them something. We have quite a few of them here.

click here for the entire article

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Friday, May 02, 2008

Birthday Boy


Baby Media Matters is 2 today!

Presenting Parker Drew Seiber!
Baby Media Matters
05/02/2006
8:47 am
8lbs 15 oz
19 1/2 inches long.




and now

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBA!

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