Sorry for the Delay

There will be a post on Revelation... but I needed to reread it to figure out how/what I was going to post. And then work got in the way. Ah well, it will be coming soon.

Australians do ‘patriotic duty’: Birthrate up

Australians do "patriotic duty"

Treasurer Peter Costello urged Australians to “do their patriotic duty” and have more children but it seems they were doing it anyway, just for fun. A new study shows the birthrate hitting its highest level in seven years.

Okay, just had to share this one because I thought it was pretty funny. Why can't OUR government give us fun things to do?

Revelation

Okay, I'm taking this one request. I've been studying religion on and off now for almost two years trying to decide what exactly I believe in. I know that I believe in God and Jesus but that's pretty much the extent of it. I am currently re-reading the Bible, the Catholic version this time (New American Bible). I was raised Catholic and am really trying to find a path from the Bible to Catholic teachings. Some are obvious, some not so much.

I'm going to go off on a tangent on this blog at times (not every post) and pick a religious topic and ask for feed back on what others think. I am going to try to be somewhat specific because we'll already be on a tangent. We'll see how it goes.

Due to the nature of the world today, especially in the aftermath of Katrina, I think Revelation may be a good place to start. Although we're basically starting at the end, we may not have all the time in the world to start at the beginning. Besides, most of the beginning is a history lesson anyway, right? Okay, stop yelling at me.

I am willing to let anyone with any religious background (or none) have a voice, however, this is a family blog, so I will not tolerate disrespect or rudeness. I have no problem deleting comments. It is, after all, my blog and when I'm not asking religious questions - don't forget - I'm Queen.

I will try to post something specific at a later time when I have a chance to sit with the Bible for a little while. Or - if you want to start a conversation on Revelation in general, feel free to comment.

Ghost Story

Soldiers spooked by Louisiana ghosts

Check out this video! Crazy. I do believe in ghosts & spirits, having seen them, but this is too spooky. And now I'm going to go reread Revelations 10 and 11 since they seem to be on "someone's" mind.

ETA: Okay, if they are finding Bibles that were left by hurricane victims I can see why they may have been open to that passage. Don't know how the Bibles managed to stay open, but I can see why that passage. Here's an excerpt "Then I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven wrapped in a cloud....He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and then he cried out in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices, too." That is from the Catholic Bible in case anyone is comparing notes.

Where did all New Orleans Prisoners Go?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170134,00.html

"Around the nation, state and local authorities are checking refugees' pasts as they are welcomed into homes, schools, houses of worship and housing projects. In some states, half the refugees have rap sheets.


"It's a balancing act," said Kyle Smith, deputy director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (search). "We don't want to treat them like criminals after they have been traumatized, but we want to make sure they are in no danger nor the families they are housed with."


Civil libertarians call the checks thinly veiled race and class discrimination against people who have suffered already. The checks are made on those evacuated or forced to seek help from charities or others — in other words, people who are often black and poor."

I have one thing to say to the civil libertarians. Too bad. If these refugees are going to live in my neighborhood, go to school with my child, etc. I want to know if they are criminals. I don't call that discrimination, I call that common sense. Of course, only a small percentage of the population seems to remember, if they've ever known, what common sense is, but I won't digress too much right now.

Has anyone heard what happened to all the prisoners that were being held when the hurricane/flooding hit? Just curious. You saw them on TV lined up and haven't heard anything since... Anyone? Anyone?

What a Great Mayor...

http://rds.yahoo.com/;_ylt=ApHASQ0gzki4HaqN8WrPZE5XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBqaW1tbzI5BGNvbG8DZQRwb3MDMARzZWMDc2M-/SIG=13npqj09b/EXP=1127359147/**http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fnews%3Ftmpl%3Dstory%26u%3D%2Fnm%2F20050919%2Fts_nm%2Fkatrina_nagin_dc_1

"We are suspending all re-entry into the city of New Orleans," Nagin said. Last Friday the mayor, trying to revive hopes in his city that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina three weeks ago, announced plans for some people to return to restricted areas.

His invitation to residents to come back had been met with skepticism by federal authorities.

Nagin conceded that the city, much of which is still flooded after the levees were smashed by Katrina, would not be safe in the face of another storm.

"Our levee stations are still in a very weak condition," he said.

"Our pump stations are still not at full capacity. If we have anything above nine inches of rain and a three-foot surge in any storm we will once again have significant flooding on the east bank of Orleans."

Okay, where do I start? I haven't touched on this on my blog, although I have commented on others'. This man should be run out of town. Why would you bring people back into a city that does not have drinking water? Just to make yourself look good? You didn't screw enough people the first time by not having a plan after declaring a mandatory evacuation?

Well, at least we know he'll be safe if he has to evacuate again. He can go visit his new house in Dallas. I wonder if he'll take any evacuees into his house?

OH YEAH... When I'm Queen...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050920firefighter,1,2545665.story?coll=chi-news-hed

"The driver of a car allegedly revved the engine several times and then sped forward, striking and injuring a firefighter who was in the street trying to stop traffic Tuesday on the city's Southwest Side, police said."

When I'm Queen? This idiot? Dead. Anyone that injures an emergency worker because they are too impatient to be careful needs to be hurt. This guy, to do that on purpose? I'm sorry, if you have no regard for life, I have no regard for yours.

Libby, this is for you... OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!

Um... Political Penquins?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0509140174sep14,1,5630283.column?coll=chi-news-col

"While investigating the sexual politics of penguins and the hit movie "March of the Penguins," I discovered a startling penguin-related psychosexual development.Even though the mainstream media have ignored this news, I am compelled to report it here, to you, today:Roy and Silo, the two famous gay penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo, are no longer a pair. Silo has gone straight."

"Conservative humans have apparently been flocking to "March of the Penguins," telling their friends to see it, extolling penguin family values.This caused the Times to sniff loudly on Tuesday, in another penguin-related article, "March of the Conservatives: Penguin Film as Political Fodder."Yet there was no mention in the story of Roy and Silo breaking up.Still, conservatives were eager to please and provided many quotes to reinforce the theme that conservatives have turned the movie's "stirring depiction of the mating ordeals of emperor penguins into an unexpected battle anthem in the culture wars."The film "most passionately affirms traditional norms like monogamy, sacrifice and child rearing," film critic and conservative talk-radio host Michael Medved was quoted as saying, adding that conservative audiences yearn for such themes."

Okay, I saw March of the Penquins. While I was completely awed by what penquins have to go through to survive, I did not once think politics while I was watching this. And can I just say, I had absolutely no idea that gay penquins were living in Central Park!

September 14th

When I'm Queen... people will be able to stay perpetually 29... or 39, I'd settle for 39. Bye-bye 39!

Never Forget

When I'm Queen...

No one will go in for an oil change and come out $400 lighter.

AAAhhhh - Need to vent

When I am Queen generalizations of groups of people will be outlawed. I hate hearing "all fill in ethnicity", "all yuppies"... you get it, pretty much "all anything" makes me crazy. Today I was reading a blog which had a comment attached basically saying that there were NO working mothers that have been able to strike a balance between work and family. That ticked me off. It's not that I have the perfect balance, and I don't claim that it can definitely be achieved, but who are you to tell me that it can't?

I have never understood the animosity between stay at home mothers and working mothers. I feel that everyone has to do what's right for them and their family and that's that. I don't judge anyone (for being a stay-at-home Mom) and I don't need to be judged by anyone, let alone someone who doesn't have enough imagination to think that there's no one out there who can handle the working mom thing. Is it hard? Sure. Do you miss stuff? Sure. Are the children scarred for life? NOOO!

Yeesh. It's not a crime, it's a lifestyle. Live your own life and let everyone else live theirs!

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Katrina story that stood out for me

"In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of refugees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A 3-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids, had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he told rescuers his name was Deamonte Love."

This was a story that really struck me and put me on a emotional rollercoaster ride. Yesterday I read about this and was taken by the strength and bravery in this little 6 year old. I did not have the whole story though and within a few hours the fact that the children were alone hit me full blast and I became outraged at the parents for leaving the children... who in their right mind isn't holding on to their children as tight as they can during a natural disaster?

Then I found the full story today on a military spouse website I frequent...

"The water wasn't going down and they had been living without light, food or air conditioning for four days. The baby needed milk and the milk was gone. So she decided they would evacuate by helicopter. When a helicopter arrived to pick them up, they were told to send the children first and that the helicopter would be back in 25 minutes. She and her neighbors had to make a quick decision.It was a wrenching moment. Williams' father, Adrian Love, told her to send the children ahead.....The helicopter didn't come back. While the children were transported to Baton Rouge, their parents wound up in Texas...."

I cannot imagine the hell that these parents went through not knowing where all their children were and what was happening to them. Talk about hell on top of hell. I'm very glad that they were all reunited. I would have been out of my mind.

Did I mention...

When I'm queen, people will need to take a common sense test before becoming parents? If the test is failed, the child goes up for adoption (to people that have already passed the test). I'm tired of hearing about the stupid things that people do to their children. There was a rash of incidents in the southern states a few weeks ago that involved mothers driving around with their children in the trunk of the car. This is just one example, there are so many more out there.

Next time I come across one, I'll post it for a more current example. I'll be surprised if I get through tomorrow without coming across anything.

Cruelness beyond My Imagination

German saboteurs designed an exploding chocolate bar for a campaign of sabotage against Britain in World War II, according to documents released Monday by the British National Archives. There was no evidence, however, that such lethal treats were ever deployed.

The chocolate bomb was illustrated in documents which also explained that it was intended to blow up seven seconds after someone tried to break off a piece. The sketch of the device, labeled in English, was apparently made by British agents.

"The bomb is made of steel with a thin covering of real chocolate," the note said. "When the piece of chocolate at the end is broken off the canvas shown is pulled, and after a delay of seven seconds the bomb explodes."

What kind of insane person covers explosives in Chocolate??? When I'm Queen, tainting the wholesomeness of Chocolate will have to be outlawed. I'll have to consider a suitable punishment for this.

** Please do not consider this post trivializing the Nazi's and their plans - I just couldn't pass up the chocolate explosives.***

When I'm Queen...

No one will be able to send out a mass political/activist-type email without snoping it first to find out if it's true or not. Snopes.com is one of my favorite websites...which my family has found out against their will.

When I'm Queen ...

1. Proven child abusers and rapists will immediately face a firing squad.
2. There will be laws against stupidity when someone other than the stupid person is affected adversely.
3. Iran and North Korea will be in a very lengthy if not permanent time-out.
4. We will not enter into any war without a detailed exit strategy.
5. We will not use the National Guard like active duty soldiers. I know that they signed up to serve, but remember they have other careers and 18 month extensions are not fair. (Okay, VERY biased on this one.)

These are a few of my beliefs, I'll have to spend some time working on others....

Getting Started

This is a test post so I can see the blog.

Also a warning that it might take me a while to come up with the time to post something intelligent. Hopefully once I get started I'll have something to say.