Snow, Snow, Snow

Thank goodness, my sickness is just about over. I just need to get some energy now. Anyhow, while catching up on the news, I came across this article. My only question, why don't you move to Antartica if you want more of this white stuff...all year round? Don't get me wrong, snow is great. But, NOT all year round.

FYI

Just wanted to say that I have come down with my yearly sickness. Every year I get dead sick at either Thanksgiving or Christmas. So, there probably won't be mnay new post this weeked. Sorry.

That's IT!

I am no longer going to read anything else about the Tom & Jerry election. (Oops. I really meant the Bush-Kerry election. Really, I did.) Everything I have read since the election has basically said that Kerry did not get religious enough to win.

Last time I looked, the Constitution guaranteed "freedom of religion". (1st Ammendment) You have every right to believe and to practice your own religion. Granted, you cannot practice anything illegal (Sorry, no ceremonial coke), but you can still believe in it. That means the freedom from religion, too. You cannot force your views about religion on me. Ask any of the Jehovah's Witness people that come around my house. Especially the ones that put their foot in my door so I cannot shut it. Why would should someone become president just because they have the right religion? Think about it.

Also, ever heard of "Seperation of Church and State"? (1st Ammendment) That little clause also comes from our Constitution. Need anymore explanation?

The Constitution was designed to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." (United States Contstitution) It was not meant to be used when it suits your purpose and discarded otherwise!

The REAL Things That Need Reform

I try not to get in debates or discussions about child protective services throughout the United States. In my view, they all need to be reformed. (Better yet, torn down and started from the ground up) On top of my own background, I grew up "in the system", there are stories like these that just make me want to hurl. If you want to know about some of the real stories/horrors of growing up "in the system" go ahead and email me at deathbyabsurdity@yahoo.com.

For now I will just stay that protective service workers are understaffed, underpaid, overworked and generally unappreciated.

***Note: I have sat on this post for several days. I was going to change it somehow, but have decided to let it be. I just cannot say more without becoming very mean and ruining my own mood.

I Just Can't Take It!

I took the weekend off to spend some time with my kids and girlfriend. But, when I was reading this article, every single calming effect from this weekend evaporated. All I can say without raising my blood pressure above 200 is: who decided to make a GAME out of the death of president JFK? This is not an informative information simulation. In fact, if you come the closest to "recreating" the assisination, you could win up to $100,000. What IDIOT decided that this was okay or even appropriate?

I do not have a problem with video games. Video games like "Rome: Total War", a simulation game about the Roman Empire, can be informative. In fact, the History Channel uses this game to show battles in their series Decisive Battles. I just cannot fathom why anyone would think that becoming Lee Harvey Oswald would be a good thing.

What More Do You Want?

Okay, time to talk about life. I have always believed that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. He may have to force feed it to you once in awhile, but you can still swallow it. I'm starting to wonder now.

I am not the most religious person. I have the same approach to religion that I do the rest of my life.

1. Forge Your Own Path. It may not be easy, but I can proudly say I am not one of many sheeple.
2. Question Everything. Knowledge is power. Just don't forget that instinct and gut feelings are a form of knowledge.
3. Make Decisions. There is always a choice. You may have to choose one from several bad options. You may not like the options, but you never have to let fate decide for you.

Anyway, I have come to a time that is actually harder than all my years in foster care. I always thought that after foster care, I could handle anything. I was wrong. Humbled to the nth degree, maybe there is enough room for me to squeeze sideways from between my rock and hard place. I think I will try to find some inspiration in one of my favorite poems.

Silly Is As Silly Does...

My kids have been enthralled with the "Silly Putty" that I bought them at the Dollar Store. Here are some interesting tidbits:

• One of the original "Silly Putty" eggs is on display at the Smithsonian.
• "Silly Putty" still costs under $2.00. In 1950, it cost $1.00.
• It was invented during WWII as an accident. Scientists were trying to find an alternative to rubber.
• "Silly Putty" was packaged in eggs because it was Easter.
• The makers of Crayola, Binny & Smith, now own the rights and produce over 500 pounds of it per day.
• It was originally packaged during Easter, hence the plastic egg packaging.
• "Silly Putty" bounces higher than rubber.
• A college student once dropped a one-hundred pound ball of "Silly Putty" from a roof. It bounced 8 feet then shattered into pieces on the second bounce.

If Only I Were A Vacuum...

Did you know that a "Big Mac" has enough calories to power a vacuum cleaner for 98 minutes? Ohhhhhh, the sucking power! Now I know what to do when I get a craving for a "Big Mac" next time...feed it to my vacuum. LOL

What?!! An Artist With An Ego?

Rembrandt painted 62 self-portraits during his lifetime. More than any other world-famous artist!

What the Crystal ball says...

Certain things have recently gotten my interested in different fortune-telling techniques. Here are just a few:

• Astragalomancy-telling fortunes by rolling two dice
• Cleromancy-3 dice
• Ailuromancy-observing how a cat jumps
• Sycomancy-write your question on a leaf and see how fast it dries (Ever watched paint dry?)
• Oomancy-studying the shapes an egg forms after dropped in a glass of water

Of course, I left many out. Like palmistry, rune reading, crystal ball gazing, tarot, etc. Just thought that these were fun. But, you could always go to your trusty "Magic 8" ball.

Funny Trivia

From The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees:

"What popular beer has a hooker on its label?

The label of St. Pauli Girl beer has a buxom German beauty serving up six glass mugs of brew. St. Pauli Girl is named for the St. Pauli neighboorhood of Hamburg, Germanyu, which was historically a red-light district. This leads one to believe that beer may not be the only thing that a St. Pauli girl might serve up."

An Absolutely Positively Awesome Read

I am a SciFi junkie. I have 3 bookshelves filled with primarily SciFi. The other genres on my shelves are DIY, classic fiction, non-fiction, and books of useless information. (Yes, I am also a knowledge junkie) So I thought I would broaden my horizons a little and try another genre. So, I found myself reading Midnight Rain by Holly Lisle. I decided on it, btw, because one of my favorite SciFi authors, S. L. Viehl, had recommended it. I started reading it on my break this morning and almost "got sick" just so that I could go home, right then, and finish it. Needless to say that I stayed at work because I am not quite that irresponsible. I was at Chapter 7 by the end of my 60 minutes total break time. I'm sure I pissed off a few people on break because I know at one point someone was talking, I justed was suffering a case of selective hearing and didn't answer. Find a way to read this book. Somehow, Someway, Read It. I might have to buy some more bookshelves now.

Links, Links, and More Links

Okay, so now that I think I am done ranting and raving for the day. (Patting myself on the back now. Please wait.) I have added an "Authors I Read" section. This is not an extensive or complete list. Some of my favorite authors are here, while some are not. I have given links to their homepages if I have found them. If you want your link removed please email me at Deathbyabsurdity@yahoo.com or post a comment.

In the future, I plan to add a "Blogs I Read" section and maybe a few others. If you have any suggestions, please email me or comment.

Rant, Rant, Rave

Back to the CNA thing. I just cannot get it out of my skull. I will get more rewards from wiping asses that I would by being Donald Trump. Point Blank. Period. Without a doubt in my mind.

Here is why, I get to make a difference. To me rewarding is that feeling you get when you finish the baby blanket for the new niece/nephew. It is getting invited to go with a resident to their family holiday dinner at home because that residents sees me as one of the kids. It is being able to make my sons smile after a few seconds of joking around. It is making the last moments of one of my residents better because I can hold their hand and pray with them even though I am trying (not successfully, mind you) to keep from bawling so much my eyes float away. Those daily little reminders that show me I make a difference.

This is the epiphany I had when contemplating leaving my girlfriend because one of our sons is depressed and thinks the world would be better off without him. Not one of the therapists he has seen knows why or what happened to our son. I thought that it might be because of me. That my relationship with their mom combined with their fathers total lack thereof might have caused this. Thankfully, this delusion only lasted a few minutes, I could never abandon my family like that. I am their mom, too. I think my depression is at an end. I cannot be there for my sons if I am constantly worrying (how the hell am I going to pay for this field trip or that bill). I cannot be a mom if I am constantly trying to figure out my role in life. I am terribly disappointed in myself that I only came to realize what a wonderful role I have and what a difference I make after my son's diagnosis. My blog really is apt then. I almost killed what matters most to me with my own absurdity.

Rewards

I see the commercials for a certain credit card. The try telling you what is priceless and how much that priceless moment cost. Whooopie! If that moment were so priceless, how can you consider what it cost? When my son does something priceless, I don't run to my credit card bill to see how much that moment cost. I sit back burning the image into my brain and most of the time onto some 35 mm film. Priceless moments are a reward that makes you stop, look, and listen like you were going to cross a 10 lane highway. (Especially when they are with your kids)

This commercial makes me want to scream every time I happen across it. It seems to say that the only way to get those moments in time are to buy, buy, buy. It tries to tell us consumers that by being able to afford the over-priced vacation, the expensive meals, etc is the only way to have quality time. BULLSHIT. The first family bio that my youngest son brought home which had both his biological mother and me as parents will stick in my heart more than the family vacation to Chicago museums will. Those unexpected, not-a-pricetag-in-sight moments are what count, not the over-priced make-a-moment ideas that we come up with because it will make a great picture!

Whatever!

I've been trying for months now to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. (Yes, I'm 25 and still haven't grown up.) I've pondered becoming a nurse (which is still not out of the question), a poet, a doctor, and a conglomeration of other things. My future is now certain.

(Drumroll, please)

I will be myself. I think that careers and titles have become a little too important in our American culture. It was pointed out to me, yesterday, that I am just a CNA. Yes, I may wipe asses for a living, but I also do many other important things every day. I comfort residents who have not seen a family member for many years. I get to hold their hand and pray as I try not to bawl my eyes out when they are passing away.

I may be just a CNA, which does sometimes stand for Certifiably Neurotic Asswiper instead of Certified Nursing Assistant. I can tell you that I wouldn't trade it for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Equal But separate Doesn't Work!

This morning I was at a local restaurant in Small Town, USA. The 700 club was on the television. While eating, I almost choked when one of the anchors said that homosexuals should have equal but not special rights. What is so special about the rights we want? (Yes, we. I am a proud member of the dyke community.)

All we want is to be able to walk safely without being bashed just because we are gay. We want the right to marry. We want equal rights.

Americans are a sturdy bunch. We will fight for our rights until we get them. Personally, I have a whole list of what I will continue doing even though I am not the biological mother. Hopefully, people will see that we are not going away. We will continue to fight for our rights just like every other american.

Voting

Hopefully, everyone knows by now that votes count! I hope that you voiced your opinion today and voted. If you did not, then by all means shut up when you do not like what our new president does! If you do not vote, you may as well move to some tyrannical country where there is no such thing as voting. Voting is not only a right and priviledge. IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY. How can you tell those in power what you desire or need if you do not use your voice? Your vote is more powerful than any letter or phone call. As the saying goes....Use it or lose it.

Fate vs. Choice

I had a wonderful discussion today about Fate versus Choice. Personally, I believe it is ludacris to believe that I do not control my actions. Anyhow, I was able to use a poem that I found many years ago to highlight my belief. I thought that it would be a great post.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole.
I thank whatever gods may be,
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance,
My head is bloody yet unbowed.

It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll.
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

Anonymous

I hope this makes you think about what you do. Stop making excuses about your actions. They are yours, so own up to them!

**************Here is the correct version, with the stanza I forgot:

Inviticus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole.

I thank whatever gods may be,

for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance,

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance,

my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears,

looms but the Horror of the Shade,

and yet the menace of the years,

finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how straight the gate,

how charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley