Saturday, April 30, 2011

Interesting Today 4/30/11

i would concur and watch this video
brilliant student, his teach must be real proud!

transparency? i think not

reading the bible (or koran or torah) will make you an atheist - it did me!
Tornadoes kill hundreds in the United States. Atheists: "Climate Change causes severe weather and people unfortunately die when this happens." Christians: "Um, god was vacuuming!"  thanks for the laugh atheism resource!
 
sounds a lot like soylent green is on the horizon for us
 
goal - 100,000 naked people!
 
POOR choice of words whitey
 
i think we all know it starts with the letter t, but they have more.
 

Friday, April 29, 2011

Interesting Today 4/29/11

donald trump filed bankruptcy FOUR times!!
oh yeah... that's the leadership this country needs


 gitmo docs hid evidence of torture
ain't america great? and they claim to be the moral compass for the rest of the world ***insert sarcasm here


mind-gut connection: why intestinal bacteria may have important effects on your brain
i should have been a doctor, i love this stuff

 pot prohibition turns 100 years old: a centennial anniversary that's hardly worth celebrating     agreed!


trump:american leaders are stupid
i really can't believe that some citizens of the us would elect this guy and not because he said OH MY! the word fuck several times


we have our own spoiled royals: corporations
the only difference is they DO influence our political process


when speech turns profane
there definitely is a time and a place for profanity


appeals court lifts band on federal funding for stem cell research
YEAH!!! it's about time


they want to eat your brains
that is the first thing religion does to you

Success.... redefined

I've seen people who think they've achieved success because their cars are bigger, their houses are bigger, they wear the latest style and drink the tallest soy, caramel, vanilla, 1 shot white mocha, 1 shot dark chocolate mocha and 2 shots of decaf espresso with whipped cream - latte. And oh yeah, the biggest ego's backed up with the smallest self-esteem. I have a hard time comprehending that means success in a world encountering so much difficulty just making it through a day; what with all the disasters we see on TV, the bad things that happen to good and bad people and just the natural suckiness of life, at times. Life is hard and nature is not kind. There are many obstacles we have to overcome like bad parents, bad influences, the people who think they are successful listed above, age, genetic anomalies, personal tragedies, self-created mistakes, just to name a few. I think success needs to be redefined to include more of who comes out on the other end of struggling through severe situations that life indiscriminately hands out to us.

I'm talking about what we do in between birth and death when life hits us with everything that it has. Do we succeed at living? Sadly, many of us don't and for them, suicide is the only option. It is a very small percentage that take that route, but how many don't actually commit suicide and live their lives out in a suspended version of wretchedness for the entirety of that time? I haven't researched it but my guess would be those people probably wouldn't really tell you if their lives sucked anyway. Living that life wouldn't be my idea of succeeding, it is just hanging on until your life is no more.

For those who have endured, persevered and also, excelled despite all the setbacks that life continually throws at them, I believe a round of applause is in order. Life is probably the hardest thing we will ever do. The rewards are great, if we would really give ourselves credit and truly enjoy the benefits of the things we achieve. To myself and those closest to me, I have said many times "I'm sooo tired of just coping" and then go back for more in order to push through to another level of achievement. That strength is something that I know I don't give myself enough credit for... ever.

Enjoying, really enjoying and being satisfied that you and the things you do matter, is another key element of being a success in life. So many of us have such a hard time with that and aren't able to rise above just projecting the outward appearance of success invented by man. We don't like who we are, how we look, what we say, how we say it... we just don't matter. And that's part of my point... we MATTER, first and foremost, because we are alive and continue to be a part of life. We don't succeed when we don't believe living is an important part of that success.

So, take a good look at yourself to see if you are surviving life on life's terms or just waiting it out. Do you show a willingness to achieve when truly the odds are literally stacked against you at all times? Take a look inward, too, penetrating the outer facade, to see if the person you are doesn't ever hold back, is someone who participates in life and someone who looks life in the face and says "Bring it on, bitch!" and relishes waiting for life's reply. In my book, that is a pretty successful person.

I can't end this piece without saying something to a new friend of mine - JT Eberhard... you are a shining example of what a successful person is and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reminding me how successful I am.  :)

And the race is on!!!

 ONLY concentrate on Team 1!!!

Team 1: Greta Christina of Greta Christina's Blog, Hemant Mehta of Friendly Atheist, Jen McCreight of Blag Hag, and JT Eberhard of Zerowing21.


Team 2: PZ Myers of Pharyngula.



Thursday, April 28, 2011

Interesting Today 4/28/11

i am now officially a birther.  :)   no, really!

there have always been smart people, even before 1903... it's only now that people are actually listening

fuck you, republicans

hunky jesus 2011
just hilarious!

this might explain why 2nd amendment rights keeps getting infused into political debates. the nra is doing what the koch brothers are doing? 
are we finally becoming a kinder, gentler society?

that's something you'll never see on cover of american vogue


i just blogged about that

we've got our own little japan brewing here

proof explained, daily new factoid bit

via the friendly atheist

diary of an ex-mormon - via thinking atheist
wish that the disillusionment would be more widespread
"free the mind and your ass will follow" love that


klansman trump reminds blacks they will never be american

via pharyngula


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Interesting Today 4/27/11

seriously? respect going south fast.

ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!


a national strategic narrative
written by mr. y - going forward intelligently

women surpass men in advanced degrees for first time
this is REALLY good news for women


why we regulate and why john walsh needs to resign
excellent read


go the fuck to sleep
bedtime stories for children... hilarious!


trump unable to produce certificate proving he's not a festering pile of shit
no comment


one more reason religion is so messed up: respected theologian defends genocide and infanticide
go GREATA!


jt eberhard - student secular alliance - i heart him!


hitchens: why fight religion
because to do nothing is unacceptable


"The president ought to spend his time getting serious about repairing our economy," "Unfortunately his campaign politics and talk about birth certificates is distracting him from our number one priority — our economy."  Priebus said.
oh no he didn't! does he really want us to remind him of the republican agenda since they took office?
i lifted this from pharyngula comments from Illuminata, this person said it perfectly:
I am a non-violent person. But this makes me wish I were a violent person, so I could kick this piece of shit's teeth in. It's HIS FUCKING PARTY that made this birther bullshit something we've all had to listen to. It's HIS FUCKING PARTY that refuses to do anything about jobs or the economy - choosing instead to starve poor kids and rob poor women of healthcare. It's HIS FUCKING PARTY that doesn't give a flying fuck about anything but divisive, pointless culture wars. And he was still craven, arrogant and apparently braindead enough to say this? I seriously, fully and completely loathe repukes.


 ted talks - using nature to grow batteries very cool!


 please hurry up with the dadt repeal
yeah, seriously... what are we waiting for?


large us banks profited off federal reserve
and we're surprised by this?


confirming the link: warming temperatures drive up pollen production and allergies
another reason to believe in global warming... shit or get off the pot, people!


three printers refused to publish kent state lgbt student publication, citing f words, images of cross dressing
censorship much?


white house sees opening in boehner admission about need for government revenue
did the orange light bulb finally get turned on?


armadillos spreading leprosy
who knew?


christian beach towel
lol!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Interesting Today 4/26/11


trump, sit down and shut the fuck up!



lawrence o'donnell - the last word - what would jesus take?
for people believing in jesus, lawrence nailed it. for those of us who don't, still nailed it


reporters witness a christian pastor molesting women during demon banishing service
once again - some use religion and NOT as a force for good in the world, it is an excuse for them to do whatever the hell they want!


happy bunny says today - "hey, your dumb is leaking out!" jeez, what truth!  all day long i've been bumping into dumb leaking out. getting a little sick of it. can i get a do-over?


religious fish - no match for me  :()   muhuahhhaaaa!!

make your own atheist billboard!!

louisiana would ban all abortions
... and here we go,  what they've been going for all along.

atheists invade polk county school board meeting
they rocked, too!

 toddler shoots mom dead, boy's father says
yeah, right...

more than a year later, gulf turtles and dolphins keep dying
they say they don't know why... wtf?? hello... oil spill, dispersants!


surprising reason why people believe in conspiracy theories
maybe that's why i usually don't believe in them!

Health Insurance - oxymoron, actually.

In my mind, the health insurance I pay for should be something, in the case of catastrophic but necessary medical intervention and treatment, that is available to me to ease my mind of any financial concerns during that medical crisis. Isn't that what it's there for? When I stumbled upon an article in the New York Times, I found out that I was apparently wrong.

According to their chart, if someone required an organ transplant, only 45% of insurance providers would cover the procedure in their plan and even if they covered it, it was not a guarantee they would actually PAY for the required procedure or all of the other costs associated with that procedure. Immediately, I checked my policy and whew!... I'm covered.  But wait, if it stemmed from a pre-existing condition that had been documented before this policy went into effect, it actually wouldn't be. So really, I won't know until the time when I'm actually going to need it whether they would pay for it or not! Those poor 55% who aren't even covered but are paying health insurance, who need an organ transplant... they're completely screwed unless they have the money in the bank to pay for it. Wow... that just blows my mind.

Having worked at a doctor's office and being responsible for processing insurance claims, I know a little about this game called health insurance. From that experience, I've come away being more thoroughly convinced that the insurance companies don't give a rat's ass about who they insure. And also, that I've learned entirely more than I never wanted to know about this racket. We have no choice but to play this game, but the insurance companies are the only ones who are winning.

Our household is self-insured since the company my husband works for doesn't offer coverage and I am currently unemployed. The cost for our family coverage is $490 per month.The deductible is $3000 per person and coinsurance is another $5000 per person. So we are paying $5880 per year in premium payments and then, additionally, at the very least, another $8000 per policy year before they will pay 100% of whatever medical emergency I might encounter. So, in reality, what I'm paying is $13,880 in the year that something truly catastrophic happens for the privilege of having the insurance company take over the cost on the rest of it. That's what I hope, but what if it isn't covered? Well, then it looks like a line of credit and/or robbing our savings will be the only road we can take.

With the sky-rocketing cases of diabetes now and the current high-level of obesity in this country that will contribute to increasing those cases of diabetes, it was shocking to see that only 27% of insurance providers would even cover diabetes care management. This is where they have gotten ahead of the upcoming medical crisis and are guaranteeing their next windfall profits. So that it makes a pretty picture in your minds... Premiums come in, no payments go out = profits.

That is what I mean by health insurance being an oxymoron. The very definition of health insurance is to provide a guarantee of compensation for illness in return for payment of a premium. It really doesn't seem to be what the insurance companies are doing when they don't cover or pay for everything during catastrophic medical situations that create exorbitant costs to the average person who doesn't have that kind of money at their disposal. Health insurance, I'll say it again... it's an oxymoron!

The insurance industry does an injustice to the community they say they are serving. Their profits are climbing at an astounding rate while the people they insure are losing their health, their possessions and literally, their lives. It boils down to one thing only and that is greed. Greed for the almighty dollar is more important than people, once again.

It's the "What's in it for me?" mindset that is prevalent in the insurance industry and also, permeating every industry and every level of government in the United States. That is not to say there aren't good companies or organizations out there, but seriously, when you look at the disparity between rich and poor... how can you not see that this mindset is what needs to radically change in this country?

Every human being must breathe, drink water and eat to survive, as well as, to maintain their health and quality of life. Why would or SHOULD we all not be entitled to get or be able to afford the fundamental things we need to survive or sustain our lives?

I hope that in the future, the near future, people would ask themselves that same question and figure out a way to help change the mindset to go in that direction and make the necessary changes in how we do business and how we run our government. Let's hope that we all make an effort to agree that the things we need to survive are something that is deserved by everyone. And that includes health insurance that actually does what it says it will do.

Proving Atheists Wrong with Science? Fail.


On my initial look at this chart, the first glaring omission is the fact that animals and all the foliage that have existed on this earth also require water. That’s the first of many mistakes the writer of this piece makes when they claim to speak from a scientific standpoint. Not including all the data to support the rational or correct conclusion to the statements made is something an actual scientific person would not do.

In reading through it again, I’m just stunned that the person had the audacity to open their mouth on this subject. The author is obviously completely clueless about the basic fundamentals of the substance about which they speak.

 Oh, the claims!

 

He/she writes that water is a substance that we drink and then it’s gone! Just gone. And because the earth is only 6000 years old, that’s why we still have so much of it left. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the math calculation probably isn’t right either, so I’m not even going to take the trouble to think about it further or confirm those figures just based on the original declaration. He/she didn’t have me at stupid. Why don’t these people do some research before putting this stuff out there?

 7th Grade Science, Anyone? 

 

I’m a layman and understand that water in its liquid state is what we consume, as well as, what is eliminated when we urinate. It doesn’t go away;  it takes another form! As a gas, it’s known as water vapor, moisture in the air or humidity. In its solid state, it’s called ice crystals in the shape of snowflakes or hail. I’m betting that if the writer would have paid attention in science class, they would have known that and ultimately, couldn’t have made the silly statements that were made. But I’m guessing that, obviously, way too much attention was paid at church or bible study for that to happen.

I don’t have a problem with someone debating anything they believe is different from what I believe or what I know because I don’t know everything and taking the time to listen to other arguments can indeed enlighten me to things I didn’t previously have a clue about or maybe had an incorrect understanding about. I certainly make every effort to educate myself, but there are definitely things that I don’t know everything about. If a subject is beyond my understanding, I may try to debate it but I would defer to the experts in that field with any evidence to back up my statements. So, to see something that is put out there by someone who doesn’t even understand the BASICS about life and then tries to malign another group with an incredibly incorrect argument; well, that just irritates me. Why do they even bother? Their limited understanding of science should raise a red flag for them. It’s sad that they don’t even realize how totally ridiculous they are going to look.

 Arrogance

 

The other point I would make about this piece is how arrogantly it is written. The statements towards the end are so ‘in your face’, as if the author thought they were truly saying something profound. Scientists are frequently cited as being arrogant because they are direct, precise and to the point with the information they are presenting. Frankly, I think that many people are just intimidated by their ability to be that direct. The scientific papers and research papers I’ve seen don’t call out anyone; they present their research, list details and establish a conclusion from the facts ascertained. To date, I have never seen an article by a scientist entitled “Proving Creationists Wrong With the Bible” using statements like ‘Now what, creationists? God is slowly proving you wrong! What will you do when you will have neither scripture nor science to back you up? Where can you turn?” as part of their ability to prove their position. In scientific papers we see facts, results and conclusions; they’re very straight-forward, but not arrogant. It’s just a presentation of accurate, testable information. Not only did this author state inaccurate information, the conclusions drawn weren’t even correct! Then they had the gall to insinuate the atheists are the stupid ones. Funny.

 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. — Bible, ‘Proverbs’ 17:28.   Maybe in the future they should shutteth their lips.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Interesting Today 4/25/11

can i call you GREATA? excellent blog!

mayor's opinion on atheists - nice message just in time for easter 
once again, we get blamed for all the ills in the world, 
but the religious are the ones who commit all the acts
"You can have all the faith you want in spirits, and the afterlife, and heaven and hell, but when it comes to this world, don’t be an idiot. ‘Cause you can tell me you put your faith in God to put you through the day, but when it comes time to cross the road, I know you look both ways."
-House, M.D. Season 1: Episode 5 "Damned if you Do
woot woot!!

i'd go with both

wish these people would just stop these indoctrination practices

world's most premature baby goes home
she had some damn good doctors

human cannonball dies 
at least he died doing what he loved?

guantanamo files: most surprising revelations from the leaked documents 
really? anybody surprised that our government says one thing and does another?


china to surpass us economy in 5 years
so what are you going to do about it u.s.?

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Interesting Today 4/24/11

today, i hope that every person out there had a wonderful day off! smiled, romped, laughed out loud or burst into song! did you hug your spouse, your neighbor, your significant other(s) and/or kids, if you've got them, that is? and did you LIVE TO THE FULLEST TODAY?!?! i hope so and i hope you really do it everyday!  :)
"Little known fact of the day: The big difference between Jesus and a picture of Jesus is that it only takes one nail to hang the picture."   Ray Garton
YEAH!! 

tim minchin - tony the fish

yeah, right

good friday, rebecca black parody

"mourning the death of logic and reason in our society on this Easter sunday."   brooke elphic
tell them pz!   truth isn't reached by a dissembling path - pharyngula
"Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."  Richard Feynman
 mary collins - hiv can help fight disease
the up-side of HIV?

sam kinison - jesus didn't have a wife


swearing soothes pain
yes, it fucking does!

bible contradictions

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1... and it's Easter

Here is my first official message on this holy day....

"Susi, I wish that you could feel the love that is being poured out for you in this movie. God does love you, he loves you so much he gave you his son. It is amazing and it will change your life if you let it. We as Christians are so afraid to put it out there for fear of what our non christian friends might say or think.... well, I am here to tell you that God loves you a non believer just as much as he loves me one who puts all my faith and trust in Him. My prayer for you and all who have not found Him yet, is that you do. Life is SO much more and So wonderful with HIM in it! Blessings... I truly mean it... blessings to you all! Happy Easter!"

Why do religious people seem to think that non-religious people aren't feeling how grand life is or that our lives couldn't possibly be just as wonderful WITHOUT him in it?? Really... how arrogant and how wrong. 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Interesting Today 4/23/11


faith based morality gets hitchslapped - would that i could
speak as eloquently as he... ahhh

enjoy and happy upcoming easter

.... and it has been told over and over and over again.

definitely!

yeah! where are these boards?!?

the writing was on the wall years ago

i'm thinking we could really learn something from europe... no?

i heart science!

what an amazing idea - help if you can!!

comment read on facebook - "One less piece of scum... sounds harsh but meh." i'm in agreement

and the industry is regulating itself.... yeah, yeah

Yeah... I got your passion right here...

As the high holy day approaches, the intelligent fibers of my being are having what I can only call ... mini-seizures.  This is in response to the many, many references around me that are celebrating it. It just boggles my thinking mind that there is a large portion of our population that believe Jesus - you know, the one they have no evidence for even having existed -  was created by God, as the god to willingly go to his own death in order to save the gazillions of other believers that will come after him and then is cruelly killed by his fellow human beings; showing just how truly bad and evil people really are. Then, three days later he mysteriously rises again. And don't forget, he did so along with all the other holy ones. Cool story and if you believe that... I've got some land that has a huge oil deposit under it.

Funny thing, that story... it's been retold many times, even before the Christians took a hold of it and made it their very own. Osiris, Krishna, Mithra, Horus and Buddha, just to name a few, have their very own versions, too. Al Stefanelli, wrote a nice article in reference to it. We have so much documented and corroborated history at our disposal that, at the very least, you would expect that it should make a person question the ideology they choose to believe and at the very most, make one reach the conclusion that the majority of this is just incredible story telling. I like to call it "Telephone - Extreme Edition". There are people who actually take the time to understand our history and are constantly verifying what went on before us, helping us to understand how cultures operated and lived.  So, knowing this, I always find it hard to believe that people wouldn't question what really amounts to indoctrination, initially, and a continued acquiescence without really examining realities or facts.

I would encourage my fellow human beings to really exercise their synapses and read up on the chap who is allegedly going to deliver them safely to the here-after, as well as, all the other information available that counters the traditional stories they have wrapped themselves in. My original jump-start into clarity was with the bible itself... page for page, cover to cover. Interestingly, The Pew Study done recently showed that only about 37% of the believing population actually reads the good book. Faith will do that to you, it doesn't require verification of any kind. Also, of the ones who do read it, my guess would be they only read specific passages during church services or bible study, so as to contemplate or highlight specific character traits that needed working on. So in essence, it's not really being studied, just cherry-picked through to get just the right pieces.

After you've read the bible, then go to Amazon and search for every non-christian author who writes on the subject of not believing... Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens being some of the well-known ones. There are so many astute and qualified people who have done tons of research on the subject that is in complete opposition to religious thinking. After that, pick up a copy of Nailed:Ten Christian Myths that Jesus Never Existed At All. It is written by David Fitzgerald, a very nice, articulate man I met last year at Skepticon III. He does a very good job in his book exposing the inconsistencies or the lack of evidence of a Jesus that most Christians revere and continue to revere, in spite of evidence to the contrary. If this would have been my starting point many years ago, this alone would have saved me many years on my so-called religious journey. He also recently published an Easter Quiz that highlights some of the problems with the traditional views of the events surrounding Easter.

Coincidentally, while writing this entry on my blog, I took a break and checked my Facebook page. I was just told by a believer "~He went through that for you too Susi~If Jesus Christ is good enough for the rest of us, he's good enough for you.~".... so there. Well, if that's the case, since I'm such a reject from the religious community and terribly evil... God must have some pretty low standards, that or he deems me worthy because of my wickedness! Her statement doesn't even begin to make sense. I'm just shaking my head right now and experiencing continual self-inflicted facepalms.

And so, my day and rest of the weekend will probably go very much like that post, as I continue on my own version for passion of the christ. In this version, I will defend myself against their unwillingness to challenge their, in my opinion, illogical belief system. One they hold on to because of fear, laziness, delusion, sense of safety...whatever it is that makes them continue it. I call my passion wanting knowledge, understanding it, reasoning skills, continual learning and educating myself and being in complete awe of knowing that I can't possibly know everything, but have learned quite a lot.

I also have a passion for something I like to call reality. It is deeply rooted in me and something that I am very grateful that my mind continually craves for.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Interesting Today 4/22/11

yes, incredibly ignorant... i see it all around me

like we really need another liar to be elected

and just when you thought he couldn't get skankier

they ARE coming!

i heart hitch

if only christians would just bother to learn something

yes, that's right.... they are not holy

and i want to be a spectator... i think. ;)

I'm My Own Guidance Counselor

Remember when we were in high school and guidance counselors were there to help us face and figure out what inevitably would become our future? I loved my guidance counselor because she always made me feel better for the choices I was about to make. She gave me encouragement and helped me decide what was of benefit to me. She also inspired a fire inside of me that other people, like the parents, weren't able to or didn't want to do. When I look back at my life now, I wonder, what happened to that inspired 17 year old that had that guidance counselor that only ever envisioned the most perfect future for me?

Personality-wise, I'm still the same... still considerably funny and intelligent, determined and task-oriented. I've honed a lot of quality skills since then, but I'm basically still the same. What I find amazing, as I look back on my life and judge the past 48 years; it seems to me the last 20, I've managed to somehow bury the "right" to go for those things that once were encouraged by my guidance counselor. I ask myself... why? A lot who know me might disagree since I seem bolder than most of the people that I live amongst, but I somehow feel that what I've put forth so far is really only the tip of the iceberg.

In my 20's, it was about firmly planting my independence in the face of those who had gone before me and succeeding when all the odds were against me; specifically because I chose to not go to college. I worked my way up from the file clerk position at an insurance company to become a purchasing manager handling a $6 million annual inventory. Not that that is a lot in this day of mega-corporations, but in my day and the fact that I didn't have a college education, actually pretty good; and also, considering that it took me less than 10 years, pretty respectable. Granted, someone who went to college may have gotten there sooner, but that's my point... in reality, it probably took us the same amount of time. Only, I didn't have to spend 4 years or more in college to get to that exact same position. All it took was hard work, perseverance and determination. Yay for me and for my accomplishments, but I recalled, as I was starting out on the course called my life, I looked back over my shoulder at who I was becoming and I realized that I was taking that child full of her future and starting to put her in a bit of a box. I distinctly remember asking myself in my early 20's - when did you start lying to yourself? Just a little bit and then just a little bit more every year. It seemed to me, at the time, I justified it because that's what growing up and fitting in was all about.

In my 30's, my life dramatically changed focus from what I was doing to what I could do for my kids and my husband. That was a transition that challenged everything that I believed about myself, but was probably the best thing I've done in my life. At times, it took every ounce of strength to do the right things and stay sane. My friends who really know me understand what I mean. Parenting is not for the weak of heart, especially those parents motivated by a less than palatable upbringing of their own. I wanted it to be NOTHING like what I had and went to whatever lengths I had to take, in order for it to be better than what I experienced. It took a lot out of me and required more of me than I ever thought possible. Being a good mom is something I'm very proud of, but again, I look back during moments of reflection and I see parts of me hidden, more and more, making me seem unrecognizable at times. Another wedge between who I was or wanted to be and what was actually taking place in my life. I don't regret motherhood, not in the least, it is one of the greatest accomplishments to date. I'm VERY proud of my kids, love them utterly and more deeply than I ever thought I could love anything and wouldn't change a day of what it meant to get them safely to adulthood. But there is a but... it's a feeling of a sort of loss and it doesn't get any less as the days go by.

In my early 40's, I was starting to look around me and to yearn for something, but I didn't know what. That longing continued to take a back seat while every one's lives around me changed, adjusted or just happened. But the discontent or dissatisfaction of what I thought I wasn't continued to creep into my consciousness when I had more than a few moments to take a deep breath and take stock. It is only recently that I really started to get big hints that a change is evolving to the foreground of my life.

Approaching my 50's, I have to say this has been the sweetest time for me and one of incredible rediscovery. It's been a reaffirmation of my strengths and a time of forging very wonderful new connections that I've had the privilege of making recently. Not working, at the moment, has been a happy coincidence and the fact that my children are of an age that doesn't require constant supervision, is also helping to add to the amount of relaxed, reflective rediscovery I can now take for myself. Say that fast 5 times. :)

The thing that I had to remind myself of, during this time, is that I don't need a guidance counselor to ratchet up my enthusiasm or my direction... I AM the guidance counselor! Not that I didn't make choices or live my life other than what it was supposed to be at the time, but this time.. NOW... I'm returning to living my life the way it started out when I was in high school. I see directions that I want to take and take them, without hesitation or fear or wondering if there are other opinions or thoughts I need to take into consideration before making that decision. It's making me fully responsible again for what choices I want to make next.

That... is a beautiful thing!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Interesting Today 4/21/11

is this the reason sarah palin is so whacked? 

pirate ship bedroom 
i want one!!!

the history of the beloved gw bush 
wow - he was even worse than i thought!

plastic bottle homes 
very cool! thanks, helen sotiriadis, for sharing!


paul's headstomper case not dismissed
GOOD!!


us peace index released - majority of violent states southern, highly religious 
ya think?? did we really need a study for that?

no dinosaurs in heaven 


i'm for gay marriage... er, marriage
via revolutionary atheist 



the ultimate easter quiz
if you make a habit of questioning things, you should pass brilliantly!

WHY??????

of course they did... money talks and our congressmen walk


obama sends drones to libya 
i'll have to concur w/ the gentlemen who coined the phrase "you lie" during state of the union address in 2010. you said we were leaving... "you lie".


ok... let's just add insult to fucking injury! wtf is wrong with our government?


easter, the bunny and what it has to do with jesus 
i'll give you one guess... it started with the pagans and has absolutely nothing to do with christianity. oh, other than they stole it!


"What if schoolchildren stood facing not the American flag every morning before class started but a photograph of a devastated Hiroshima, shortly after it was obliterated by our atomic bomb, and pledged their allegiance to the idea that
such a thing will never happen again?" Robert Koehler   
actually, quite a nice idea.

we expected anything else?

why do we have to wait for the execution... can't they just take them now?


the congressional record is allowed to be rewritten??? what??? well, from the standpoint of getting rid of inaccuracies.. ok, i'll agree, but why not leave the incorrect remarks in there, show what needed to be corrected and then point out what a dipshit you're representative really is??


j edgar hoovers fbi took ufo's seriously 
shame they weren't able to prove one way or the other

really? that was counter-productive now... don't ya think?

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Interesting Today 4/19/11

"The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he is a baby."   Natalie Wood
arizona governor vetoes birther bill wow! something i didn't expect! 
makes you want to take a step back and be wrong!
and he would totally stand out with that hat
the smilers... of course!
how in the world anybody can think this is even acceptable, is beyond me.

while smearing & denouncing the good names of those dems who did. remember these hypocritial asshats come election time.
well, i'd say the odds predict you do.
where frustration and bad parenting skills meet?

"I would never do anything to intentionally harm or berate others regardless of ethnicity. So I ask for your forgiveness, for I am truly sorry." what a crock of shit - you just did something intentionally harmful by forwarding it! i would much rather have the truth than an apology for getting caught and then saying all the right words.
will these sob's PLEASE STOP with the endless lies!?!?!?!
let's hope it works and doesn't hurt something else in the process, like dispersants in the gulf of mexico did
via deep thoughts
when you thought it couldn't get any worse
YEAH!!

cape wind, first us offshore wind farm, building plan approved 
it only took 40 years

"20% is hardly a majority, but it's a bigger minority than blacks, jews, homosexuals, NRA members, teachers, or seniors, and it's certainly enough to stop being shy about expressing the opinion that we're not the crazy ones." -
Bill Maher