If You Are Interested...

I was interviewed about my blog at bloginterviewer.com, check it out if you can.

Stop and Think...After that if it still seems like a good idea, talk to me.

You may think that my title is directed towards my monsters, but no because even at 8,7&5 they have more sense then a lot of adults I know.

For example, it bugs the hell out of me when people say, to me "taste this, it is nasty" or "smell this, it is so gross". Why in the world do you need someone to confirm that for you? Is it just because you were tortured with a smell or taste that was so bad that you cannot possibly be the only one to suffer? I'm not sure the reason, but I find it annoying.

If something bad/sad/unfortunate happens to you, please to not feel the need to invite me into the same awful situation. Doing so only proves how selfish you are and if not selfish, stupid. For me, I would prefer stupid, however as a cynic, I lean towards selfish. What is worse is that people do this ALL the time to "friends". Is it because they do not really think you are friends or is it that they don't understand what a friend is?

I suppose if I were a good Christian, I would pray for these "friends", but as I am not I simply hope that Karma does exist.

Thanks!

I have a lot to say, but I first wanted to thank all of you that read my blog. I love the comments and conversations it has started have been awesome. So, I hope you keep reading and keep commenting.

Now, to bash Republicans or Democrats first, this is a tough one:)

Okay, Republicans win, so here goes. Are they seriously following the words and advice of Sarah Palin? Really???? They would be better off just sitting back and doing nothing then bringing here out to things! I believe that, as history shows, Democrats were going to lose seats in the mid-term elections. Please let them! Stop dragging some woman with very little political experience and No "Family Values" to stand on, be the face of your party. I guess the choices are limited at this point though, you either go with Palin and her inexperience or Steele to the strip club. Gosh, the party of "family values" is standing strong. The Republicans need to get back to their roots and start dragging out "real Republicans" like Ron Paul. Someone that truly understands what is meant by small government.

Not to be out done, the Democrats have preformed their own idiotic stunts this week and I am sure that was just the beginning, we will be hearing more during the Nuclear Summit this week. Someone tell me WHY the President felt the need to explain under what circumstances the U.S.(under him of course)would use nuclear weapons. I am a believer of "never say never" and while I know of belief some have of President Obama's closeness to Godliness, I am not sure he can see the future or needs to justify issues that have not arose yet. I am waiting to see what happens this week though, will he sign a treaty destroying ALL of our nuclear weapons and "go first" and be surprised when we are the only one to do it? God, I hope not.

I would like to say that what I like most about President Obama(and yes Laura there are a few things;-) is his idealism. I don't often agree with him, but I love his passion and hope. I love that he believes that people want to help others. I love that he wants to believe people are not out to destroy the U.S. I truly do admire that about him. I believe that when he speaks you can see straight through him. You can see when he believes 100% of what he is saying, but I also believe you can see when he doesn't. I like that is a person.

For those of you who don't know Ron Paul, go check him out! He Rocks!

Extremism...

I am against it. In fact, it maybe the ONLY thing I am completely against. Extreme politics, religion, education, exercise, anything to the extreme is just not good. It is one thing to have strong beliefs and convictions, but when you cannot see how the other side come to their opinions, because all you see is them as wrong...You are ignorant and close minded. It is people like that who are the ones that instill hatred in our society by perpetuating intolerance.

It really bugs me when people make blanket statements about another group of people. I know this is not a new thing, but it is bothersome none-the-less. In my opinion, intolerance is unacceptable in a civilized society. That is not to say that you cannot disagree with people or dislike them, but generalized hatred is just wrong. I don't understand how someone can "hate" all gay & lesbians or republicans or Jews, and the list could go on and on. That is not to say that there is not a Jew that I dislike or democrat, but I do not dislike all Jews or all Democrats because of that experience with one or a few individuals included in those groups.

I have been told many times that I am wrong to feel this way and that since the beginning of time people have stereo-typed and hated based on that, but I don't. I have taught my children not to. And I hope that others will someday think about how ridiculous it is to "hate" or "love" to extremes.

Baseball.

Today was Opening Day for the 2010 baseball season here in DC. This makes me happy. Happy because I love baseball and because this year we were able to buy a partial season ticket plan for the family. The girls are still warming up to the game; Declan has found his love for it though, which is good. The girls are still in it for the Presidents race and the Friday Night Fireworks:) Whatever they need to get them to keep going works for me. I love being able to share this experience with my monsters as it was such a big part of my childhood. With a grandfather that was an umpire and a father that was all-state and invited to try-out for the St.Louis Cardinals, it is in the blood!

Back to Opening Day...we got to see President Obama throw out the first pitch, which was cool, even though he threw to the left;-) That is what makes living in the DC metro area so cool. It was about 90 degrees and he came out with a Nationals jacket on(to cover the vest) and then put his White Soxs hat on to go with it! That just goes-to-show you that he is fitting in just fine in DC, where no one is actually a Nationals fan, everyone has their favorite team and cheers for the Nationals because they are the home town club. And because the Nationals are so bad, you can even cheer for them if they are in the same division as your team!LOL! I am hoping that they can win a few more games than last year, but after today's outing, I am not hopeful:) There were LOTS of Philadelphia fans in attendance and the game was not sold out. Maybe the team will win a few games and people will start showing up to the stadium.

Next game is a Friday Night Firework game so the girls will be happy, me too after the sunburn I got today. I hope to report on two new baseball lovers by the end of the season!

How Far Have We Really Come?

As I sat tonight listening to a conversation between 3 adults and I was shocked by what I heard. The amount of ignorance that still surrounds mental illness is astonishing. I am not sure why this surprises me, but it does. Why people cannot see mental illnesses as any other illness is just incomprehensible to me. People never question the validly of a person who needs glasses or someone that needs medicine to control high blood pressure, yet I often hear people question people suffering from mental illness. Few things anger me more than when I hear people question "if" medication is necessary?or Does so-and-so Really have a problem? and my favorite comment is "It is life, just deal with it; there is nothing wrong with you".

Why is it so difficult for people to accept that a persons mind can be broken? Why are people unwilling to take the time to learn about mental illness? I wish I could understand why, why is it so difficult to accept mental illness? I know that society has come a long way, but it seems that most of the change has come only in words and not really acceptance and change. People are still asked on job applications if they have ever been treated for a mental illness, that opens a whole lot of illnesses, many of which come be easily treated once diagnosed, never to be an issue again. However, because of the judgments made towards people with mental illnesses, many of those that need help will not get it and that is dangerous and sad.

My hope in posting this blog is that just one person, just one will think through what "mental illness" really is.

Words Escape Me...

I cannot tell you the number of times I have read this story over the past two days and each time I read it, I get the same sick feeling come over me. It is not that I am surprised because rarely am I surprised by the awful things people do, but I am horrified that a child was put through this at the insistence of a "sister".

To ask the question "Who in their right mind would do such a thing?" does not seem like the right question. No one in their "right mind" would prostitute a 7 year old. A seven year old that trusted you. How do you take money from MEN! Men and Boys to have sex with your 7 year old sister? Not only was this baby raped by countless people, but she was also threatened. Ordered not to scream as she was raped repeatedly. Threatened to be killed if she told anyone. How in the world does a 7 year old recover from that? How does that 7 year old ever trust again? How she EVER have a "normal" relationship again? Will she be able to sleep peaceful again? Will she ever do the things that 7 years do without feeling "different"? These are the questions I want answered. That is why I have reread this article so many times.

As the mother of a 7 year old girl, I cannot imagine someone doing that to her. I don't know if she would be able to continue to live. I know her life would never be the same. I heart is heavy as I think about the baby that had this done to her. I hope she gets the support she needs. I hope she finds a way to make her way back to some sense of a "good life". I do not know this 7 year old girl, but she has changed the way I look at the world and has made me distrust people a little more and hold my monsters a little tighter.

Please keep this girl in your thoughts as you hug your family today.