January 2009 - Posts
I have that same feeling I had when I was a new mother. Constantly tired. I stayed in bed until 9 today. It was awesome, though I'm still tired, because I woke up at the usual time, and just lay there for a while.
Today I have to take the kids shopping for new pants. I bought Tristan all new pants in August, and they're all floods now. In five months he outgrew them all.
Murder on the Orient Express. That's tonight's movie.
Happy Saturday!
Crunch. Ugh.
I was working on a theory paper for school all day yesterday. I only worked half a day because I was sick, so the other half of the day I wrote this essay and it practically killed me. I was so fried after writing it, I took off my glasses to rub my weary eyes, and set them at the side of the chair I was sitting on. A while later, I got up, and stepped right on them. I wasn't operating on all cyclinders yesterday. Anyway, my glasses were comically askew when I put them on my face. I managed to right that situation, but the right nose piece snapped off, so it's a little irritating on the bridge of my nose without that smooth plastic there, and just the slight jagged edge that remains.
At least I can still wear them. I'd be lost without my glasses. I have contacts, but they irritate my eyes after too long. My back up pair is an older prescription, so I can't see with the clarity that I do with these ones. I just may have to get a second pair with my current prescription, I'm thinking.
If you pay taxes in the U.S., be afraid. Be very afraid. Of Obama. I know how much America loves Obama. I know he's charismatic. I know he says what people want to hear. I know it's awesome that he knows how to use a Blackberry, and a computer. Heck, he seems like a great guy. But what we have here is a cult of personality, folks. We can't afford Obama. Especially not in this economic climate.
This quote sums it up, perfectly:
"Rather than carefully
watering each plant with care, Obama seems to be turning a fire hose on
an entire desert. Even America doesn’t have enough money for that."
By the way, in his first week in office, he reversed a policy signed by George W. Bush that prevented the U.S. from funding international communities with funds for abortion clinics. So, not only will Joe Public get to pay for the abortions of Americans, but we get to contribute financially to abortions all over the world now.
I know abortion is a hot topic, but I don't like it one bit. Let's get real here. People don't have abortions because of incest, and because the baby is threatening their life, or because they were raped. What's going on here is called cognitive dissonance (Cognitive Dissonance is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time). We know in our hearts and heads that it's wrong, and that causes us a problem to stand for something that we innately know is wrong, so we have to fabricate a justification (rape, incest, which is rarely the reason, or, it's not a really a person) so that we can change our mind based on the loose and flimsy justification, so that we can sleep at night.
Surveys from abortion clinic data reveal that the number of women having abortions because of rape/incest/life threatening reasons, is a fraction of 1%. The other 99% are people that hate that whole meanie-head idea that there are consequences for my actions, that don't want someone to find out they've been sexually active, that feel they can't afford it (there are plenty of people who can, and would love to have that baby, by the way), that don't bother to use birth control, so this method will do.
Don't believe me?
There were 13,843 abortions performed in the state of Minnesota last year.
The most
common reason cited was that a woman did not want children at this
time (10,190), aka, this puts me out. I don't feel like it.
Other reasons included already being a single parent
(1,024) (aka, an economic reason) and unfulfilled educational goals (886).
Ninety-eight women
cited rape or incest. Ninety-eight. That's 0.7% folks. 99.3% of women terminated their child because, why? This is a hassle. That unique, once-in-a-lifetime person doesn't get to have their life because they were a hassle.
BLEH!!! This quick fix, lack of responsibility in our society bloody-well disgusts me.
I just got home from church and I'm about to continue working on my theoretician paper that is due next Friday. I'm writing about Edward T. Hall, an anthropologist who has done very interesting research in the area of non-verbal communication; particularly, cross-cultural differences. In particular, he spent a lot of time with the Navajo and Hopi Indians, but he also has a lot of experience with the Japanese and other cultures. He has led an interesting life and I'm enjoying researching him.
Church was awesome today. I love my pastor, Kelvin, and I love worshipping with this group of believers. I go to a multi-cultural church, and it is awesome to see the unity there.
I have such peace and contentment in life, and I am so blessed.
A thought for the day (something my mother always says): Be kind to everyone, you never know the burdens they carry.
I laugh every time I look at this picture. My cat, Sugar, looking all sophisticated in her scarf. She's seriously awesome. I love her big time.
This weekend I have to start writing a paper on Edward T. Hall, but I plan to try to get some serious relaxing in, if at all possible. I'm seriously exhausted this week.
I'm getting ready to wrap up work here pretty soon, and I just poured myself a nice glass of Chateau St. Michelle Reisling (2007). I'm normally prefer red wine, but this is a tasty white. I like it.
Saturday Movie Night® is Mongol, which is about the life of Ghengis Khan. Should be interesting. I read about the nomad Mongols a couple of years ago, just for fun, and their age old conflict with the Chinese (fortification from attacks from nomads such as the Mongols was the motive for building the great wall of China in the first place).
I am so brain dead. I'm out. Peace.
As you know (or don't, if you're new to reading Cogitations), I've been eating my way back into my size 6 jeans by way of Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine.
Today, I reached my 10 pound weight loss goal that I began back on December 29, 2008. Being more conscious of what I was putting in my mouth was key.
I didn't realize how many things I mindlessly shoved in my pie hole until I started to take responsibility for it. I was like some passive spectator while the food and my mouth had this elicit love affair going on right under my nose (ba-dum-bum).
Anyway, I'm happy to have shed the 10 pounds and I feel much better and healthier. My friend Mary has lo st a whole bunch of weight on Weight Watchers. Not surprising, since the basis of Weight Watchers is making healthier food choices, and controlling your portions. It really the most effective way to maintain a healthy weight throughout your life.
When I was a little kid, I used to practice signing my name. I paid special attention to the formation of the K of my first name, and the S of my last name. I would often delight in my fortune of having a last name that began with S, because, in fact, S was one of the finest letters that ever was. S is for sophisticated, S is for stately, S is for superb. It just didn't get any better than S. How I labored over practicing that "S".
There was much to consider. Would I write my first name in full, or just use my first initial? You just never know when fame might come at you from left field, and I wanted to be prepared. I didn't want to be caught off guard when an adoring fan approached me with those five words: "Can I have your autograph?" and have my fan underwhelmed by a substandard signature, unbefitting of my celebrity.
It's funny the weird things that kids do. Being a celebrity is the last thing I would ever want to be, and it wasn't meant to be anyway, because I never did come up with a dazzling John Hancock.
This is awesome.
This is *exactly* what I've been talking about. OK, let me back up.
When gay marriage started being legalized (instead of civil unions, which I believe is the way to go, instead of redefining marriage) I said that the government was opening up Pandora's box, and there would be no legal standing to oppose polygamy.
Gay marriage supporters have long said that if consenting adults want to marry, the government shouldn't be allowed to keep them from doing so. Enter polygamists. They now have a platform as well. Before you know it, people will be marrying cows.
<snippet>
But Blackmore's lawyer, Blair Suffredine, said during a telephone interview that marriage standards in Canada have changed.
"If
(homosexuals) can marry, what is the reason that public policy says one
person can't marry more than one person?" said Suffredine, a former
provincial lawmaker. Canada's Parliament extended full marriage rights
to same-sex couples in 2005.
The government asked for this. Have fun, boys.
I watched a really interesting and moving documentary about the St. Francis Inn, which is a soup kitchen in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, about two miles from Independence Hall.
It was amazing to see the squalor that some people live in, as if you were touring a third world country. Dilapidated buildings, garbage everywhere. Tristan thought it was a garbage dump, only to find out it was a neighbourhood.
The kind of poverty some people live in is so horrific, I can't even imagine what it must be like.
The amazing thing about the St. Francis documentary was the way that the staff members treated the homeless, referring to them as "guests". They would look them in the eyes when talking to them, touch them, hug them, and then seat them at a proper table and serve them, as if they were in a restaurant. It was a wonderful display of respect and dignity that these people, with such social stigma attached to them, never see a day in their lives.
I ordered the video as part of my Theorizing Communication class, so I don't think it's available anywhere else. I believe it is a fundraiser.
The friars that run the soup kitchen live by the motto, "We live simply, so these people can simply live." If only more of us had such compassion for our fellow man.
I'm thinking about removing the local news & weather web part from my msnbc.com home page. The only news posted up there is the happenings in Gastonia, NC, which is in Gaston County.
This is the type of news I'm greeted with in the morning. I was told all about Gaston County (not going there or moving there) when I moved to Charlotte. Basically, co-workers told me that Charlotte is great, and not filled with rednecks; those are all in Gaston County, I was told.
If the stories weren't so disturbing, it would be funny to read them, because they invariably contain quotes from the locals on whatever happening is being reported. The quotes are fraught with such grammatical offenses such as "ain't never".
I have to keep a communication log today, which details all of the communication I do in a 24 hour period. So far, singing the "Time to Wake Up" song, verbal communication with my kids, texting, blogging and reading the news. I've been awake 20 minutes.
I was able to log into Blackboard today. My online virtual classroom for my Theorizing Communication course, which is the first course in the Master's in Communication and Leadership Studies program.
This, from the syllabus:
"Given our schedule, the amount of reading, and number of postings and assignments, you will find this course rigorous."
This, from the Introduction:
"[...] you should also start reading the required course texts, if you haven't already
started. There’s a lot of reading to do! Also, I must stress again that this is
a demanding course."
So I checked the Module 1 assignments and I have 8 chapters to read, some online files to review, and an assignment due Thursday. That's my homework for this week.
Next week I have an assignment due every day. Plus readings.
Wow. This is going to kick my butt hard. LOL.
I guess I need to become a college basketball fan and support the Gonzaga Bulldogs, now that I'm a student at Gonzaga University.
At least they're good!
"Gonzaga is one of only nine schools to have reached each of the past
nine NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments, and is the only
school not from a major conference to do so. In 2004, Gonzaga earned
its highest-ever national ranking, ending the season as the AP #3 in
the final polls."
Academically, the school also excels. US News & World Report college rankings for 2009 have come out (the rankings are done by region). For the West, Gonzaga ranked #3 for Master's Universities. Yay!
Mmmm.
I went to Lowe's this weekend and Lean Cuisine entrees were on sale for $1.88 a piece!! I bought 10 of them, not knowing if I'd like them or not, since I'd never had that brand.
For lunch I had Thai chicken in a red chile sauce and rice in coconut milk and ginger. It was very good, but dinner was delicious! I just finished a parmesan crusted fish with penne pasta in a fire roasted tomato sauce, with zucchini and carrots. Yummy. I'm glad I have another one! I think the biggest thing about eating the Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones entrees is really portion control. The portions are smaller than what you would eat if you fixed your plate at will at the dinner table. What I've discovered is that I was still a bit hungry at first after eating them, but now that I've been eating them since 12/28, I find the portions are exactly enough. As I sit here typing, I actually have a full feeling after eating it. I always make sure I drink a glass of water with the meal also, and I find that it holds me until snack time.
The bottom line is those smaller portions really are enough food, I just needed to reprogram my body and my brain as to what amount of food is appropriate.
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