Sunday, September 14, 2008

Job Opening: President of United States

Job Opening: President of United States
No experience necessary but enthusiasm to succeed a must.

The qualifications below are required but not limited to the following:

· Work to provide access to affordable healthcare for everyone (a family should not have to choose between rent, food and treating illness).
· Support medical research for prevention and curing illness and disease (incl. HIV/AIDS) via research including stem cell.
· Educate children to prevent pregnancy and disease with many possible options (Teaching abstinence isn’t the only option and doesn’t seem to be overly effective).
· Advocate and protect a woman’s right to privacy and choice (pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion).
· Reduce domestic violence and strengthen laws to protect those harmed by partners and caregivers (young women are not the only victims – protect everyone who needs it).
· Protect Social Security AND provide fair pay and benefits for everyone so that children and the elderly can have the support they need as vulnerable citizens.
· Ending the current war(s) and providing extended support and care to its veterans (one can support the military without supporting the war – they are doing an honorable job).
· Provide early, quality education to all children extending to before and aftercare.
· Educate our educators and provide incentive for them to continue to educate with passion and not going through the motions perpetuating the overall failure of our educational system.
· Develop an ethical and environmentally friendly plan to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil.
· Supporting alternate fuels and energy resources and making them affordable and accessible to the general public.
· Strengthen our place in the global economy by revitalizing domestic industry and manufacturing.
· Recognize and attend to the “third world” situation in the United States. Turn our eyes back to Rural America and help those without basic utilities, food, healthcare, transportation, jobs, clothing, and education (think about never using the bathroom inside your own home).
· Farming! The original foundation business of our nation. Support our growers by providing knowledge, education, technology and our money as consumers. Let’s foster a new environment of young farmers who grow organic and sustainable crops to feed our country (check those labels of origin on your fruit and veggies).
· Securing our borders and entry points with a stronger, more finite system without vigilantism.
· Remove incentive to enter country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented / falsely documented immigrants.
· Protect our country from domestic and foreign terrorism by tightly securing, monitoring and guarding our chemical and nuclear plants and repositories.
· Realize that abundant, clean water and air is a rare commodity that we need to conserve and protect for quality of life as well as for National Security.
· Devise a fool-proof (because our nation is full of fools) plan in case of catastrophic natural events and potential attacks on the population (Remember the elderly, special needs individuals, hospitals – include everyone).
· It is not necessary to be perfect – no one is and not one of our nation’s former leaders can lay claim to that title – but regardless of your personal life you should do your job. My boss has no right to know what I did last night but if it impacts my job performance I might possibly get fired despite any excuse I might offer. Get it? Just do your job.

I don’t normally post politics, aside from the occasional YouTube video, but the past several years and the current political maelstrom causes me to worry about my family and our future. It causes me to worry about our country domestically, its international reputation and reaction to that reputation. The above list is what I find important as a woman, a wife, a mother and a U.S. citizen. My opinion is not up for debate and is not necessarily partisan. I want a candidate that can accomplish my requirements for the job. If you can do that – then you have my vote.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Hurricanes, War, Politics...and I can't get a 3.5yo to pee in the potty.


I feel as if I missed my window of opportunity when I was pregnant almost 2 years ago. When the latest boy entered our world, I had little time to sit, and sit and sit with another to pee. Good lord knows I tried breastfeeding on the bathroom floor while my second son sat for what seemed like hours on the red little Bjorn potty.

My pediatrician took some of the pressure off of me when he told me to take a break for everyone's welfare until things calmed down a bit. I took it to heart and laid off the 3yo for a bit. I didn't quite understand then but know now that even though our eldest decided the day he turned 3 to never need trainers again, that my middle child is a different animal alltogether.

Now he's going to turn 4 in little over a month! I've tried bribes of candy and toys. I've tried tender understanding and soothing over accidents. I've even tried guilt and shame to my own embarrassment. You know what he tells me when I admonish him?

"Well, Mommy, I just can't make a sad face."

The pediatrician tells me that I'm still well within "window" of potty training my stubborn child. I'm almost ready to jump out of it!!!


Friday, September 5, 2008

Wholacious Foods


Avoid it at all costs until they get parking under control and the general public stops losing their minds!
Otherwise, nice and chichi grocery.