I'm Sick of It!

I can't stand it. I know I shouldn't read the local news stuff, but sometimes I can't help it. I have to say that the vitriol spouted by some supposedly "Christian" people by an innocuous statement that they took as "liberal" makes my blood boil.  For example, I was glancing through the blogs section in the Gilmer Mirror and found a short comment by a woman who participated as a vendor in Gilmer's "Treats on the Square."  If you don't know what that is, every Halloween the vendors in town get together around the courthouse and give out candy to kids as a safe alternative to trick-or-treating.  It's very popular in the county.  This vendor stated:

"As a mother/grandmother I have taken my grandchildren to Treats on the Square for many years.  It has always been a wonderful experience for the kids  and reassuring for the parents/grandparents.  This year I participated as a vendor, having a home based business.  I was very disappointed in the vendor turnout this year.  I know that the economy is very tight for everyone, but, this was pitiful.  I want to give kuddos [sic] to everyone who did particpate [sic] and maybe leave a litle [sic] encouragement for all to participate next year."

She did not call anyone out, nor does this sound like a derogatory comment.  In fact, I appreciate the sentiment.  Do you think that her comment deserved this one in reply?

"If you want it larger next year then buy candy or give the merchants money to buy candy. In case you have not purchased candy its fairly high, even at Sams Wholesale in bulk. With the thousands of people that come by, many with two or three sacks the candy goes very fast. Also, many older kids that should not be trick or treating are participating with the younger children. People will take what you will give them for free, all day long, until you are broke. I am thankful for the merchants that did participate, but instead of complaining about the matter do something positive to make it better. Put your money where your mouth is as very few people do. Go and donate money starting today to make next years event better. This Obama type thought process was voted out by the Nation in the last elections."


Are we in such a state of fear that everything someone could say is now an attack on our rights? Come on, people! Start using your brains instead of repeating the propaganda of fear that our society is immersed in!  Did that comment sound like that "mother/grandmother" was a spouting the hated "Obama-type thought process?"  This comment was ridiculous!  She did "put her money where her mouth is" and gave out candy to the kids.  It's TRICK OR TREATING, and it was created to keep the kids SAFE, not to just give them something for FREE!  PLUS, it's supposed to help out the merchants, too, by allowing them to ADVERTISE!  This just makes me sick, sick, sick!!!  I applaud the woman who wrote this, and it is my dearest hope that my friends in Gilmer and Upshur County see this note and start doing something to change these thoughts--even if it is just in our small part of the world.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only one that I read--there were quite a few.

You can read this for yourself at: http://www.gilmermirror.com/pages/full_story/push?blog-entry-Treats+on+the+Square+&id=10114726

ADD Apparently

I'm not quite sure what is wrong with me, but looking at this blog, I realize that I have said very little about me, but a lot about my opinions.  It is what it is, yes; but does it really make a difference or matter to anyone but me?  And do I really want or need it to?

I think that this blog is named perfectly.  After all, what is ranting and raving without a coherent theme anything but stream of consciousness.  But how egotistical for me to say that my consciousness is "intelligent?"  I like to think I am, and for most things, I would say that I definitely fit the bill.

However, there are things that I know I have no clue about.  For example, I don't know how to make gourmet meals.  I like to think that I could, and I could try, but everything I make comes out as comfort food.  Not that it's a bad thing, just not what I necessarily wanted (and it always has way too many calories).  I also don't know a lot about American history, which I'm kind of OK with.  I know quite a bit about European history, but American history is not my thing.  Others, though, when I tell them that I live in the US and know only vague references to certain "American milestones," look at me as though I'm stupid.  I don't like that.  I can tell you about Colonial New England in the 1600-1700s, and America during World War II, but I won't apologize for not wanting to know much about a war that I think was fought because of stupidity on both sides.  Yes, we can learn from our past, but the Civil War was just dumb.  And it wasn't unique.  Every country, at some point in time, has a civil war.  I think of it as a way of keeping down the population, that way we don't have another Black Plague or something silly like that.

So, yeah, just my opinion.  Again. 

Anyway, I'm thinking about making a couple of other blogs--thematic in nature.  One for history.  One for museums.  One for the ins and outs of a small business, which I'm about to start. 

OK.  That's all I've got for now.  See, there really was no point.

Vaccines

I am going to rant because I can.

I have to say that I certainly agree with vaccinations for children.  I would rather vaccinate my child than take the chance that he or she will get the measles, polio, TB, chicken pox, or Hepatitis.  I'm really disgusted with those who took the word of ONE doctor who ran a test with such a small control and created a panic that is detrimental to their own children as well as mine. 

Let me explain something by asking a few questions...

How many children these days have polio compared to before the vaccine?
How many children these days contract smallpox compared to before the vaccine?
How many children have contracted the measles since the vaccine?
And so on...

I can tell you right now that these vaccines have stopped or extremely slowed the spread of these diseases.

I understand not wanting to put your children through getting the vaccines.  I do.  I don't like getting a shot, either.  But they make some that you take orally, now.  I'd rather my child be uncomfortable, or even hysterical for several hours, rather than get something that will damage them for life.  I'd rather run the risk of an unknown threat than to have them contract one that I DO know about.  All I'm saying is that it is irresponsible and unhealthy to not vaccinate your children.

And to prove a point with where this is going--the true story of MMR and Autism in comic book form:

http://darryl-cunningham.blogspot.com/2010/05/facts-in-case-of-dr-andrew-wakefield.html

While it is in the form of a cartoon, he is correct.

Please vaccinate your kids so they don't infect mine before they are old enough to get their own and pass it along. 

Wendy's Story

Like I said...Very Very Very short.  At least this first installment.  Wendy's helping me get the plot bunnies hopping again. 

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The phone rang four times before anyone in the house picked it up. Wendy answered with her usual joyfulness, having just been playing with her son, Joshie, and daughter, Koti, in the kitchen. The smell of the fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookies filled the air, and the remains of the flour fight they had been having since finishing the mix hovered around her.


After listening for a moment, a small frown appeared on her face. Her husband’s friend, “Big Mac,” was on the other end, asking to speak with Jay. Wendy did not really care for Big Mac—he made her uneasy. His big lips, squashed nose, and hefty build intimidated her. He always made her feel as though she was a thing to be looked at, and while she was very beautiful, she was not aware of her appearance, or that she captured the attention of everyone in any social situation. She was content with her children and Jay; they were enough for her. So she was not happy with the fact that Big Mac was probably going to ask Jay if he wanted to play poker at Big Mac’s house. It seemed that was becoming a weekly “thing.”


“Jay!” Wendy yelled up the stairs where Jay was changing, having just gotten in from working. “Big Mac is on the phone! He says he needs to talk to you.”


Jay yelled back that he was still not done changing, but that he would take the call upstairs. She waited until Jay picked up before setting the receiver back into the cradle and going into the kitchen to begin cleaning up the original mess, and the other mess that occurred while she was not there to referee.


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Two hours after the phone call from Big Mac, after dinner had been eaten and the cookies exclaimed over, Jay and Wendy sat together on the couch watching television. When their show was over, Jay got up and went to the door.


“Don’t go tonight, please,” Wendy said as she followed him.


“I have to go—I have to win back the money that I lost last week, Honey,” Jay replied as he put on his black trench coat and grey fedora.


Wendy pouted, looking so very sweet that Jay could not help but lean over and give her a long, passionate kiss.


“I won’t be long, Darling. I should be home no later than midnight, I promise.”

On Writing

Well, I don't have much to say...but I say that and usually end up saying a lot.  Verbal diarrhea is something that I am good at, I think, insomuch as I do a lot of it.  I'm really working on doing some more writing, but things just seem to keep getting in the way.  And the title of this blog is a play on Steven King's book.  I'm nowhere as good as he is, and he discusses writing at every opportunity--something I can't do and don't have time for.  For example, this is what my week is like:

Weekdays--I get up at 6 in the morning, get ready for work.  I work eight hours a day (though I only seem to work 4 because nothing gets done, and I at least get to blog some while I am here), go home, fix dinner, then clean the kitchen.  I may have to do laundry.  Then the hubby wants us to spend time together, so I might be able to get some research time in while we are watching a movie.

Weekends--Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.  Apparently, we live in the most bug-infested house in all of the world.  Not roaches or anything like that, but we get these itty-bitty centipedes, pill bugs, and weird-looking worms that come into the house and curl up and die all over the place.  So the vacuum and I are on a first-name basis right now (which I hate to do).  The husband DOES help--but I absolutely have to get the bugs out of the seam of the carpet and baseboard before I'm happy.

The bad thing is that we still haven't unpacked everything--or, more importantly, my husband hasn't unpacked all of his stuff, yet.  I'm still bringing boxes from the other house (almost done!), but we have boxes in our living room with stuff he pulled out of his truck when he totaled it in February!  I'm exhausted because he wakes me up when he does (the man can't sleep past 7 am), and we are constantly moving, going to someone else's house and traveling.

No more!  Not this weekend!  We have a birthday party to go to, but that's it!  We are going to stay home the rest of the time and only go out for pizza (frozen, that is).

Yeah, like that's going to happen.  I need to write!  Or maybe I just need a book.