When Ugly ruins Hope

For the record I am not an "inner city dweller" or an "idiot college kid". Nor were 98% of the people who worked on the Obama campaign. Statistically, he was voted into office by hard working, middle class, middle aged, Americans. I support freedom of speech. I respect people with differing opinions.We can disagree and both be right. I generally try to find some common ground. Unity. That is-unless-you are a freaking idiot. If you want to really know what is wrong with America read this. Proof that racism and ignorance are still alive and well. Somethings may never Change.

Shamu Sausage

As some of you know I am a semi-vegan. I NEVER eat red meat. I do not eat eggs. On occasion I will eat pork. I will eat chicken, but only if it is white meat, no veins, no skin. I do eat fish. There are several reasons I abstain from red meat. For one, I think it is disgusting. Secondly, cows are cute. Thirdly, raising cattle is horrible for the environment. Which brings me to my thought:

The Norwegian group: The High North Alliance, which represents the interests of coastal communities in the Arctic(READ THIS AS LOBBYIST GROUP) recently became the first group to measure the carbon foot print of whaling. Norway and Japan (the two primary whale hunting nations) have long been seeking validation of their practices.

The survey, focused on whale boats' fuel use, showed that a kilo (2.2 lbs) of whale meat represented just 1.9 kilo (4.2 lbs) of greenhouse gases against 15.8 for beef, 6.4 for pork and 4.6 for chicken.

"Greenhouse gas emissions caused by one meal of beef are the equivalent of eight meals of whale meat," the study said. (YIKES!)

"Basically it turns out that the best thing you can do for the planet is to eat whale meat compared to other types of meat," said Rune Froevik of the High North Alliance. (WTF?????? Talk about lobbyist propaganda!!!!)

As you can imagine the environmental group Greenpeace dismissed the survey, saying almost every kind of food was more climate friendly than meat and that the threat of extinction was more important.

Now I'm all for being green. I mean I don't eat meat anyway. But if you knew eating whale was better for the environment, better for our children's future, would you put down the steak and grub on some blubber? (BTW do you have any clue how they kill whales? If not then you REALLY don't want to know.)

Just curious. By the way if you are interested in knowing your role in climate change check out your carbon foot print here.

Thank you-Come again!

On February 28th someone abandoned this beautiful baby girl in a cab in Queens, New York. The cab driver immediately took her to a firehouse which had been designated as a "safe have. Numerous states have adopted "safe haven" policies as a way to ensure that unwanted infants are left safely. In Michigan for example, you can leave a baby at a fire station, hospital or police station with no questions asked. If the baby is left safely and is unharmed criminal charges are not filed. In the Queens are there are approximately 450 places designated as "safe havens". I'm not sure which is more disturbing: that someone abandoned this beautiful baby in a cab or that Baby Safe Haven is actually working on a partnership with 7-11. Yes, the party store. This would allow people to leave their baby 24 hours a day with a 7-11 clerk. Have any of you ever seen the movie Clerks? Have any of you ever been in a 7-11? Do I need to say more?

She blinded me with...

Dear Delivery Truck Driver Headed East on Page Ave at 8:30am,
Let me just say that I know what it's like to have a rank cup of coffee or old Coke hanging out in your cup holder. I feel you pain dude. Have you noticed a lot of drive throughs have garbage cans? So do most gas stations and pretty much anyplace else. Also have you ever considered actually stopping your truck to toss out your putrid drink? Like maybe at a stop light? That would be the preferred method. Because ya see I really didn't enjoy having your foul fluid tossed on my car as I drove past you on my way to work. Can I just tell you that had my window been open even a smidgen I would have followed you. Drug you out of your truck and flashed you. Thus rendering you temporarily blind and in need of counseling.
XOXO
Zoe

The truth about turkey

Yesterday Peyton made a charming bracelet at school to tell the tale of the first Thanksgiving. He told the story so well and was only slightly embarrassed when he continued to call the Indians “aliens”. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the pilgrims brought a scourge of smallpox to the Indians and committed other horrible crimes in the name of religion.

Thanksgiving is full of embarrassing facts. The Pilgrims did not introduce the Native Americans to the tradition; Eastern Indians had observed autumnal harvest celebrations for centuries. Our modern celebrations date back only to 1863; not until the 1890s did the Pilgrims get included in the tradition; no one even called them "Pilgrims" until the 1870s.

Plymouth Rock achieved status only in the nineteenth century, when some enterprising residents of the town moved it down to the water so its significance as the "holy soil" the Pilgrims first touched might seem more plausible.

The most striking reality surrounding the Pilgrims is that the Eastern coastline of America had been in contact with foreigners for about 100 years before the establishment of the Plymouth colony. A year before colonists arrived, smallpox introduced by these contacts had wiped out the Wampanoag village that the Pilgrims settled. Pilgrims were able to survive their first winter partially because of guidance by the natives and because they dug up the deceased Wampanoags to eat the corn offerings in the graves.

Throughout the nation, elementary school children still enact Thanksgiving every fall as our national origin myth, complete with Pilgrim hats made of construction paper and Indian braves with feathers in their hair. Should we teach these truths about Thanksgiving? Or, like our textbooks, should we look the other way?

Happy meal with a side of sex

Let me start by saying I am not a prude by any means. However, as the mother of a daughter I am concerned with the toys and clothing that are readily available and deemed acceptable.

Numerous groups have expressed concern over the early sexualization of girls-so much so that the APA developed a task force to assess the depth of the problem. The APA report focuses on the increasing rates of eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem among younger and younger girls. The Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., is now seeing patients as young as six with eating disorders. Girls are worrying about their weight and expressing dissatisfaction with their bodies at younger and younger ages.

An article in the Post asked“When do little girls start wanting to look good for others?” and quotes a sex educator as guessing that whereas it once began at six or seven, it now gets started as early as four. I don't believe the issue is the female desire to be attractive. There’s a world of difference between simply wanting to look good (Ava already loves dresses and pretty jewelry)and dressing like a stripper. Once Ava is out of toddler sizes we may have to put a pole in our living room. I don't really think a 4 or 5 year old needs low rise jeans, micro minis, crop tops, heels or bikini underpants! When little girls go from looking pretty/cute to flat out slutty we have crossed the line. "Whatever we may think of immodesty in grown women, there is little doubt that it is disgusting, demeaning, and depraved in little girls".

The toy choices are equally as bad as the clothing. Recently I got Ava a happy meal and in it was a scantily clad roller derby figurine. I got my daughter sex with her fries!!!!! The APA singled out the Bratz dolls, saying, "It (is) worrisome when dolls designed specifically for 4- to 8-year-olds are associated with an objectified adult sexuality." I mean have you see those things? They are little plastic whores. So how do you buy them and then not expect your daughter to want to look like them?

How do you feel about the clothing and toy options available for children under 16? Do your daughters have Bratz dolls or similar ones? Do you have a pole in your living room? Is your 4 year old on the cover of Preschoolers Gone Wild?

Can somebody loan me some bail money???

Today as I was leaving work I saw the stupidest freaking bumper sticker I have ever seen in my entire life. It read : At least I can still smoke in my car. Are you freaking kidding me??? What made it worse was in the back seat of this hoopty were two car seats. One which was rear facing. Of all the arrogant, idiotic, moronic things I have ever read this seriously takes the cake. I highly considered waiting by this car and beating the owner to a bloody pulp with my purse. It would be worth ruining a perfectly darling bag and spending the night in jail. So worth it. However it would have made me late to pick up the little terrorists and at a $ a minute for each late minute....that's most likely more than bail. Damn it all. They so deserved a good ass whooping.

Praying for water

I have felt like god has been calling me to him for many years. I have turned my back on these calls for many reasons/excuses. However, even though I did not have faith I have always felt a strong and compelling compassion for humanitarian issues...especially those involving the lives of children.

I have recently answered God's call and have begun building my relationship with him...this is largely in part due to discovering an awesomely progressive church (Westwinds). Currently the church is looking at Causemology: Over the course of a year you involve yourself in a cross-section of brand new ways of exploring and investigating what it means to be a lover and a follower of Jesus Christ in our ever-changing world. One of the sections is our environmental shoe print on the earth. Yeah, as a semi-crunchy I love that.

Today at church they played Kelly Clarkson's Irvine which is deeply moving all on it's own. On the screen they showed statistics related to the worlds lack of access to clean water and photos of children getting drinking water from soiled streams. Seriously, I must be majorly premenstrual because it was almost too much for me to bear. I was choking back sobs.

• Chew on this:
  1.1 billion people (18% of the world's population) lack access to safe drinking water
  
  In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year due to a lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation
  
  Access to clean water and sanitation can reduce the risk of a child dying by as much as 50%.

I can not even imagine. We did not even begin to think of water as a luxury...although it looks like people in Georgia may have to start. Perhaps we should. Check out Play Pumps for an awesome way to get involved.

• The PlayPump systems are innovative, sustainable, patented water pumps powered by children at play. Installed near schools, the PlayPump system doubles as a water pump and a merry-go-round for children.

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now.

Holiday Inn Horrors

Peyton was invited to a classmates birthday party at the Holiday Inn this evening. His mother had very generously allowed Cade to come and participate also and all the parents were invited to stay. This was a bit awkward for me as I knew no one and since the great weight gain of the 21st century I am self conscious and anxious around people I don't know. This causes me to either talk way too much or not at all...coming across as a total bitch. Anyway, everyone was nice enough and the actual party itself was pleasant. The Holiday Inn itself is in pretty pathetic shape and in my humble germ a phobe opinion the pool should be condemned by the health department. After spending four "entertaining" hours there I would like to Share some advice, criticism...what ever you'd like to consider it:

• If you leave a troop of children unattended at the pool, especially those unable to swim or simply to young to be left unattended, they will be "parented" by other parents. Even though we would prefer to simply enjoy our own children we don't care to watch yours drown.
• If said unattended children do a cannon ball onto my youngest sons head they will be spoken to firmly and if I could find the offenders parent so would they.
• A bra and panties is NOT acceptable swimwear for a pubescent girl. Especially one whose name happens to be Modesty.
• Please do not allow your young boys to swim in boxer shorts that are to big. the water only stretches the...it's not pretty.
• Thirteen year old boys should not have tattoos...much less four jailhouse style done in Ole E lettering.
• Six year olds do not make good babysitters for 8 month olds and should never be left to push them in a swing unsupervised. Ugly things happen.
• Poooter is not a nickname that should be bestowed on anyone.
• Preteen/Teenage girls should not be in the parking lot of said establishment (which happens to be along the highway) in string bikinis doing cheers.
• As a manager: if customers complain about rowdy, unattended children hurdling themselves into the pool and hanging off the balcony you may want to get of your fat ass and investigate. BTW we live in a letigious society and when said child falls from the balcony to his death the parent will surely show their face and proceed quickly with a lawsuit.

There. I think thats it. But what was truly sad about the evening was that the other guests were regarding these children in total disgust. When in fact they were acting just as you would expect a group of children to act with no supervision and apparently no history of parenting. It is not the children we should be looking at, but the parents (using that term loosely).