Thursday, October 31, 2013
Happy Halloween, y'all!
I have my big cauldron of chocolatey evil, the doorbell chime has been changed to tortured screams, I look like I've been Walking Dead for a few nights, I'm ready for the little Trick or Treaters.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
But wait! There's more....
Upon FURTHER investigation, it would seem that San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro is merely an "advocate" of the UNESCO designation of The Alamo as a World Heritage site. Other elected officials, including Texas Land Commission Jerry Patterson, a Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, are actually behind seeking this designation. Patterson "pooh poohed" the concerns of Texans, calling the fears that the Texas landmark would fall under UN control "horse hockey".
My question is this, if this is merely a "paper designation" with no real control being handed to the UN and the only benefit is "prestige", why seek it out against the wishes of the citizens of Texas? Why completely discount the desires of the people who live here, work here, pay taxes here and vote for your happy asses? Whose approval are you seeking? Who are you trying to impress? If there are no benefits to Texas and her citizens, why invite an international body that is widely despised in this state to put their stamp of approval on one of our most cherished historical sites?
According to Mayor Castro, “ the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designation is a significant and advantageous designation that does not in any way relinquish control, and it's a designation that the Statute of Liberty and the Grand Canyon and other sacred American sites already have." (emphasis mine) Okay, what significance? What advantages?
To my knowledge, the history of The Alamo is widely known, it's power a draw for tourists from all over the globe. How is getting the UNESCO designation going to improve that? Are there really people out there who will think, "Finally! The Alamo has been recognized by the UN! We must go to it immediately!"?
General Manager of the San Antonio River Authority (political affiliation unknown), Suzanne Scott, is also pushing for the designation. She believes becoming a World Heritage site will provide economic and cultural benefits that the Alamo would otherwise miss. Huh?! Again, I ask, what economic and cultural benefits?! Culturally, the Alamo is already beyond rich, with a heritage uniquely Texan. Unlike the other World Heritage sites mentioned, the Alamo does not "belong" to the American story. It's a purely Texas story, a keystone in our identity and heritage. What cultural benefits will the UN bestow upon it?
And as for economic benefits, going back to the "increase in tourism dollars", a recent study done for the committee estimated that the designation, the first of its kind in Texas, "would generate an additional $44 million to $105 million annually in local tourism dollars, and more than 1,000 new jobs." Okay, again, how? Are that many people holding back on visiting the Alamo until it's recognized by an international body? 1000 new jobs? Well, that would certainly be welcome since San Antonio is a sanctuary city and has one of the highest levels of unemployment and highest rates of taxation in the state. Makes sense to invite a bunch of illegal Mexicans in and give them jobs at the most sacred site of the War of Texas Independence.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I've only been a Daughter of Texas my whole life, and a strong advocate for disengaging with the UN and kicking them out of the US. And of course, that's an opinion that is widely held among Freedom loving Texans. And of course, we're all getting a little tired of elected officials mocking us, dismissing us, and generally doing as they please. I'm just sayin', Mr. Patterson, you might want to consider this as you attempt to climb the ladder of Texas politics.
All quotes cited are from the following source:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/UN-takeover-of-the-Alamo-horse-hockey-4939918.php
UN/Alamo story update
I've been doing some digging, and I'm pretty sure Julian Castro doesn't have a Socialist leg to stand on. The Alamo is co-managed by the Texas General Land Office and The Daughters of the Republic of Texas. There is NO involvement with the National Park Service or any other federal entity. The Alamo receives NO federal funding, it is entirely owned by the citizens of the State of Texas. And we aren't going to go along with Castro's play. Just another Socialist trying to look bigger than he really is on the international stage.
Today has been one of those days
I bounced (ha ha) out of bed this morning at 6 a.m., in the dark, and realized it was going to be a tough one. I will spare you the details, but the intestinal yuck has been sweeping through the Panhandle and it hit me sometime during the night. Great.
Got the girls up, lunches packed, and laid out their clothes for the day, minus undies because I haven't done laundry in 4 days and of course they're out of undies. So a quick load, wash, dry, voila! undies. Most of you were relieved of the duty of dressing your kids when they were still kids. I will probably do this to a certain degree for the rest of their lives.TQ has no sartorial sense and will go out looking like a rodeo clown, and BQ is an avowed nudist and will go out looking like, well, Lady Godiva. Not acceptable.
So girls at school, back home, load of dishes in the dishwasher, laundry sorted and started (4 freaking loads?! really?!), and I crash on the couch, thinking just a few minutes. Two and a half hours later... continue laundry and sit down to tackle a couple of writing projects I've had simmering for a while. I think I have one covered and hope to have the other finished by the weekend.
And then I realize it's time to pick up the cute chicks. WTF? Where did the day go? Get home, snacks and homework out of the way and I check my blog. Shocked! Shocked, I say. There isn't a freaking thing posted today! What the hell happened to my Blog Fairy? She is so fired.
So this is my apology/excuse for slacking on the posting today. I hope you'll forgive me.
Got the girls up, lunches packed, and laid out their clothes for the day, minus undies because I haven't done laundry in 4 days and of course they're out of undies. So a quick load, wash, dry, voila! undies. Most of you were relieved of the duty of dressing your kids when they were still kids. I will probably do this to a certain degree for the rest of their lives.TQ has no sartorial sense and will go out looking like a rodeo clown, and BQ is an avowed nudist and will go out looking like, well, Lady Godiva. Not acceptable.
And then I realize it's time to pick up the cute chicks. WTF? Where did the day go? Get home, snacks and homework out of the way and I check my blog. Shocked! Shocked, I say. There isn't a freaking thing posted today! What the hell happened to my Blog Fairy? She is so fired.
So this is my apology/excuse for slacking on the posting today. I hope you'll forgive me.
The difference between boobs and testicles
As only Ann Barnhardt can so eloquently state it.
http://www.barnhardt.biz/2013/10/30/those-arent-boobs-folks/
Thank WiscoDave for the link.
http://www.barnhardt.biz/2013/10/30/those-arent-boobs-folks/
Thank WiscoDave for the link.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
They can try, but it won't end pretty
The fucking baby blue flag of the UN flying over the Alamo?! Are you fucking kidding me? Not in this lifetime or any other. The socialist, La Raza-raised puke of a mayor, Julian Castro, may have just put his head in the noose.
http://divinefreedomradio.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/united-nations-to-take-over-the-alamo/
http://divinefreedomradio.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/united-nations-to-take-over-the-alamo/
A Tree Grows in the Panhandle
This is proof for all of you smartasses with your smartassery who mock our lack of foliage. We do too have a tree in the Panhandle, and here it is! Na-na-na-na-naaaaaa-na!
You can click on the pics to enlarge for easier reading.
Monday, October 28, 2013
C'mon baby, light my fire
These are toooooo cool. I'm not much for jewelry, not really a Diamond Girl (I prefer pearls for numerous reasons). But should I ever find myself with a new wedding ring, I couldn't imagine anything cooler than these.
 |
| "Spark" Flint and Steel ring set |
The Forgotten Libertarian: Calvin Coolidge
Pres. Calvin Coolidge
I stumbled upon this blog a couple of weeks ago, written by a British citizen. It has very astute commentary about what's going on here, where we're headed if we don't turn around, and it celebrates the best Libertarians among us. This particular article highlights Calvin Coolidge with ten of his best quotes. Check it out.
http://the-libertarian.co.uk/calvin-coolidge-10-great-quotes/
Letting Go
This is going to be an emotional ramble of jumbled thoughts and tangled feelings, so bear with me or feel free to move along.
Had the cute chicks' annual ARD meeting this morning. For those of you not familiar with special education, ARD stands for Admission, Review, Dismissal and it's the meeting were students are evaluated for admission to SpecEd, their IEPs (Individual Education Plans) are reviewed and revised for the coming year, and sometimes students are evaluated for Dismissal and mainstreaming. This meeting includes every person involved in your child's education. In the chicks' cases, Diagnostician, Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, SpecEd teacher, mainstream teacher, principal, and other specialists as deemed necessary. Many of these folks have been with the girls since pre-school. They are very special people and deeply invested in TQ's and BQ's success. They are, in many ways, family.
Today I walked in to see two new faces. These ladies represented the new post-secondary vocational program that was started in our Education Co-op. Last year, I signed Teen Queen up for several vocational programs with the thought that we'd be on a waiting list for several years. In the State of Texas, a special ed student is allowed to attend public high school until the age of 21 at which time they age out, or until they are accepted into a vocational program. Due to a corporate grant and a couple of very generous endowments, this new program opened and reduced the wait-time for those on the waiting list. My years of wait were reduced to 7 months. After the introductions, Beth, the Diagnostician who has guided the girls for the last 10 years, turned to me and said, "Well, Mom, you ready to watch her walk the stage with her class in May?"
Okay, lump in my throat now, so you can imagine my reaction this morning. I couldn't speak, tears running down my cheeks, and then wholesale bawling. Boxes of Kleenex and little Halloween chocolates found their way to me almost by magic. I had an instant flashback to the last "graduation", from PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities) to Kindergarten. TQ was five, wearing a tiny little purple gown and mortarboard, standing in front of the audience and leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance in a strong clear voice. From memory with her tiny chubby hand over her heart. Three years prior, she had lost all vocabulary, eye contact and social connections; and now she was reciting the Pledge. Not a dry eye in the room. And then she sang the Panther Fight Song. So here we go again. In six months, she'll be going to Senior Prom and the next month graduating High School and entering a Vocational Program. Wow.
Now some of you may be saying, "What's the big deal? It's a natural thing, kids grow up and you let go." And in normal cases, that is so. With special needs kids, things straddle the two worlds. Neurotypical kids (don't you love all this new terminology?), at age 18, become legal adults and your role in their lives changes dramatically. You are no longer legally responsible for their lives, they are free to make their own choices, and subsequently, mistakes. You can advise, guide, yell, praise, and pray, but you are no longer allowed to control. That legal separation aids in the parent "letting go" of the child. With many special needs families, the parents file for custodial guardianship when the child turns 18; and thus, the parental role continues. We have a line we have to walk, while still legally responsible for our kids, we are morally obligated to "let go" as much as possible.
When our kids are born, we all have a "vision" of who and what our kids will eventually become. Sometimes you get close to that vision, sometimes you revise when you accept your kids have different dreams and visions. And sometimes those dreams and visions are taken from you with a diagnosis. I had to let go of my "dream child" when she was 3 and a doctor told me the prognosis. Basically, I had to go through the stages of grief, letting go of the child I had planned on having in order to embrace and appreciate the child God gave me. And then, I started new plans. Different plans. My goal has always been to prepare TQ and BQ to become happy, healthy people, advancing as far as they can, and many times farther than I ever dreamed. I'm fighting the battle between Momming her to infinity, and giving her wings to fly. Even if it's not that far, I want her to fly as far and high as she can. I'll always be there for her to pick her up and dust her off, setting her back on her feet and encouraging her to keep flying.
So, come May, my beautiful, incredible Teen Queen will end the first part of her journey as she walks across the stage with the kids, sorry, Young Adults, who have had her back for the last 13 years. She'll begin a new chapter, perhaps finding something that will become a passion. And I will let go. I'll also gladly accept donations of Kleenex and Xanax.
Had the cute chicks' annual ARD meeting this morning. For those of you not familiar with special education, ARD stands for Admission, Review, Dismissal and it's the meeting were students are evaluated for admission to SpecEd, their IEPs (Individual Education Plans) are reviewed and revised for the coming year, and sometimes students are evaluated for Dismissal and mainstreaming. This meeting includes every person involved in your child's education. In the chicks' cases, Diagnostician, Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, SpecEd teacher, mainstream teacher, principal, and other specialists as deemed necessary. Many of these folks have been with the girls since pre-school. They are very special people and deeply invested in TQ's and BQ's success. They are, in many ways, family.
Today I walked in to see two new faces. These ladies represented the new post-secondary vocational program that was started in our Education Co-op. Last year, I signed Teen Queen up for several vocational programs with the thought that we'd be on a waiting list for several years. In the State of Texas, a special ed student is allowed to attend public high school until the age of 21 at which time they age out, or until they are accepted into a vocational program. Due to a corporate grant and a couple of very generous endowments, this new program opened and reduced the wait-time for those on the waiting list. My years of wait were reduced to 7 months. After the introductions, Beth, the Diagnostician who has guided the girls for the last 10 years, turned to me and said, "Well, Mom, you ready to watch her walk the stage with her class in May?"
Okay, lump in my throat now, so you can imagine my reaction this morning. I couldn't speak, tears running down my cheeks, and then wholesale bawling. Boxes of Kleenex and little Halloween chocolates found their way to me almost by magic. I had an instant flashback to the last "graduation", from PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities) to Kindergarten. TQ was five, wearing a tiny little purple gown and mortarboard, standing in front of the audience and leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance in a strong clear voice. From memory with her tiny chubby hand over her heart. Three years prior, she had lost all vocabulary, eye contact and social connections; and now she was reciting the Pledge. Not a dry eye in the room. And then she sang the Panther Fight Song. So here we go again. In six months, she'll be going to Senior Prom and the next month graduating High School and entering a Vocational Program. Wow.
Now some of you may be saying, "What's the big deal? It's a natural thing, kids grow up and you let go." And in normal cases, that is so. With special needs kids, things straddle the two worlds. Neurotypical kids (don't you love all this new terminology?), at age 18, become legal adults and your role in their lives changes dramatically. You are no longer legally responsible for their lives, they are free to make their own choices, and subsequently, mistakes. You can advise, guide, yell, praise, and pray, but you are no longer allowed to control. That legal separation aids in the parent "letting go" of the child. With many special needs families, the parents file for custodial guardianship when the child turns 18; and thus, the parental role continues. We have a line we have to walk, while still legally responsible for our kids, we are morally obligated to "let go" as much as possible.
When our kids are born, we all have a "vision" of who and what our kids will eventually become. Sometimes you get close to that vision, sometimes you revise when you accept your kids have different dreams and visions. And sometimes those dreams and visions are taken from you with a diagnosis. I had to let go of my "dream child" when she was 3 and a doctor told me the prognosis. Basically, I had to go through the stages of grief, letting go of the child I had planned on having in order to embrace and appreciate the child God gave me. And then, I started new plans. Different plans. My goal has always been to prepare TQ and BQ to become happy, healthy people, advancing as far as they can, and many times farther than I ever dreamed. I'm fighting the battle between Momming her to infinity, and giving her wings to fly. Even if it's not that far, I want her to fly as far and high as she can. I'll always be there for her to pick her up and dust her off, setting her back on her feet and encouraging her to keep flying.
So, come May, my beautiful, incredible Teen Queen will end the first part of her journey as she walks across the stage with the kids, sorry, Young Adults, who have had her back for the last 13 years. She'll begin a new chapter, perhaps finding something that will become a passion. And I will let go. I'll also gladly accept donations of Kleenex and Xanax.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
What a couple of boobs
Considering Halloween is the end of October, and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I nominate these costumes for Most Relevant Costumes.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Tres romantique!
Some hot hard cider, pumpkin bread cooling, snow gently falling outside, and a roaring Jack O'Fire in the fireplace. And nekkid on a bear skin rug....
The masks are off
yes, yes they are. Really good read, adding to my blog roll.
http://bastionofliberty.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-masks-are-off.html
Thanks to jesse from DC for the tip.
http://bastionofliberty.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-masks-are-off.html
Thanks to jesse from DC for the tip.
Silencing the media
Reading this one hit home. This isn't something one admits to out loud. I was an on-air news reporter. There, I said it. My BS is in mass communications/journalism, and when I was a student, I actually believed in the power of media as the Fourth Estate. My real experiences in the field in a small market weren't nearly as glamorous as that of Woodward and Bernstein; I mostly covered local elections (still plenty dirty) and traffic fatalities (where I learned the true meaning of gallows humor). But I still believed that the responsibility of journalists was to ferret out the truth and hold the feet of those in power to the fires. After about a year, I was seriously jaded. It was all about ratings, entertainment (and the gore factor is a huge part of that), and power. And those in power doing anything to stay in power.
A freelance reporter had records taken from her in a raid by DHS and Maryland State Police. The records taken included names of Air Marshall service whistleblowers. Names of people journalists swear to keep anonymous. It isn't like doctor/patient privilege. Nothing that well protected. It's just protected by ideals and the First Amendment. But the infuriating part is that the records weren't on the search warrants. That wasn't even (supposedly) why they were there; they were looking for illegally held guns. Seems her husband had been found guilty of resisting arrest (oh the horror), and therefore couldn't have firearms. Ironically, her husband is also an ordnance technician for the Coast Guard; try to do the mental gymnastics to balance that one.
What it comes down to is a breakdown of the media system. The very few who haven't become useful idiots for the King, become targets for the King's men.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/25/exclusive-feds-confiscate-investigative-reporters-confidential-files-during-raid/
A freelance reporter had records taken from her in a raid by DHS and Maryland State Police. The records taken included names of Air Marshall service whistleblowers. Names of people journalists swear to keep anonymous. It isn't like doctor/patient privilege. Nothing that well protected. It's just protected by ideals and the First Amendment. But the infuriating part is that the records weren't on the search warrants. That wasn't even (supposedly) why they were there; they were looking for illegally held guns. Seems her husband had been found guilty of resisting arrest (oh the horror), and therefore couldn't have firearms. Ironically, her husband is also an ordnance technician for the Coast Guard; try to do the mental gymnastics to balance that one.
What it comes down to is a breakdown of the media system. The very few who haven't become useful idiots for the King, become targets for the King's men.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/25/exclusive-feds-confiscate-investigative-reporters-confidential-files-during-raid/
Well, I guess they fixed it
Poppy always said he'd fix my little red wagon,
if this is what he meant, I should have let him.
Friday, October 25, 2013
I think we can all relate
I see my position in my marriage as business manager. My primary job is to keep things running smoothly; as I'm not "contributing financially", my contributions are more executive. I keep the budget balanced, the household bills paid, things running smoothly. I'm also chief housekeeper, chef, child care provider, and laborer as needed.
This week saw me fulfilling one of my least favorite roles, used car dealer. He'll get bored, look at Craigslist, see a bunch of vehicles that are "soooo cool!" and aren't his. Then he'll look at what is his, which he just had to have a few months ago, and think "It's time to swap trucks!" We've been through 8 trucks in 3 years. We have an insurance agent who cringes whenever she sees an email from me. We actually bet $20 that this one would last more than a year because it was "everything on his wish list". Right.
So my job is detailing, photographing, writing up the ad and posting to Craigslist, then taking calls, setting up appointments, and basically selling the damn thing. I have never sold one for less than we had in it. And I never saw a penny of profit. It all went into the next greatest thing. Until this time.
We bought this for $7000 in March:
This week saw me fulfilling one of my least favorite roles, used car dealer. He'll get bored, look at Craigslist, see a bunch of vehicles that are "soooo cool!" and aren't his. Then he'll look at what is his, which he just had to have a few months ago, and think "It's time to swap trucks!" We've been through 8 trucks in 3 years. We have an insurance agent who cringes whenever she sees an email from me. We actually bet $20 that this one would last more than a year because it was "everything on his wish list". Right.
So my job is detailing, photographing, writing up the ad and posting to Craigslist, then taking calls, setting up appointments, and basically selling the damn thing. I have never sold one for less than we had in it. And I never saw a penny of profit. It all went into the next greatest thing. Until this time.
We bought this for $7000 in March:
1999 Super Duty Supercab 7.3 L Turbo Diesel 4WD, white, 153K miles, short bed.
Minor scratches and dings, clean windshield, all electronics work, seats and dash have covers, very light wear in back. Very clean for it's age. Comes with the standard tailgate and louvered 5th wheel tailgate. Both standard and 5th wheel tow packages and camper hitch. 66 gallon diamond plate fuel tank in bed. Hypertech Power Programmer. NADA Blue Book for just the standard features in this condition is $9665, so much more in extras. $9200 obo, text or call .
Went on Wednesday, guy came to look last night, sold it to him today for full asking price. I'm getting the profit, ALL OF THE DAMN PROFIT, off of this one. Period. Consider it a healthy contribution to the WiserAngel Freedom Fund.
This may become my theme song for a while.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
I can relate
Been battling a bad case of bronchitis this week AND dealing with the old man being home all week. The worst thing in the world is a bored man and internet access. Specifically Craigslist. I absolutely HATE Craigslist. I hate whoever created it. I hate every idiot that keeps it going. If I have to hear "Wow! This is amazing! I need this! It's only $X hundred/thousand dollars!", I will be digging a shallow grave in the begonias.
Thanks wc for the pic.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
I want this!
This would be my ideal romantic getaway. Park me someplace in the mountains, near a river. Of course, those big windows could make an interesting display for the local wildlife. ~blush~
More meat charts
Catfish Brody sent me a link with really good, detailed, full-color meat charts. There are several for beef and pork, and then also one for lamb and one for goat.
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/meatcharts.html
I haven't butchered anything bigger than a catfish or hen, but there may come a day when I'll need to know these things.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
In response to the recent school shooting
We need more of these:
Shamrock, TX. I'm still waiting for an answer from our school superintendent. We have numerous licensed and capable shooters on the staff (I run into them at the range regularly), they should be able to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to carry on campus, to protect themselves and our kids. It's the most logical, practical choice.
http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/photos.aspx?id=958696#.UmXYuPEo7IU
Shamrock, TX. I'm still waiting for an answer from our school superintendent. We have numerous licensed and capable shooters on the staff (I run into them at the range regularly), they should be able to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to carry on campus, to protect themselves and our kids. It's the most logical, practical choice.
http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/photos.aspx?id=958696#.UmXYuPEo7IU
