Christians and Giving. Not Just for Christmas.

Last week Saturday, my son and I went to a Saturday evening church service to read the lessons during advent.  It was short and sweet, looking forward to the birth of Christ.

Yes, I know, it may not have been December 25th.  I am not here to argue that point, because the point is, Jesus was born.  That's the important part of the message.

The part of the service that interested me the most was that of the Gospel.  John the Baptist, who went out before God, to baptize people in the name of God, even got arrested for it, but stayed faithfully strong through everything.

 In Luke 3:7-18, groups of people came in crowds, masses, to be baptized by him, for what ever their own purposes were.  John tells them to be the good fruit worthy of repentance, because even one that comes from a line of good blood won't help you if you're the rotten fruit that spoils the bushel.  Now, what was so interesting about this particular lesson?  Well, it's about the masses asking John the Baptist, "What shall we do?" And John basically tells them that whom ever has extra share with those who don't have.  For example, those with 2 coats should give one to someone who doesn't have one.  If you have extra food, you should give it to someone who has nothing to eat.  Tax collectors, which can be interpreted today as politicians/government to only take what is meant for them to take.  Soldiers (which can be our law enforcement people as well as military, but would be most public workers) should be satisfied with what they make.

Now, mind you, this isn't about gathering the Christmas spirit by saying that it's only this time of year to be generous or humble.  This is something to live as part of our daily routine, to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  It struck me as very interesting, because I'd had a certain couple of ladies wonder if I was missing something when I disagreed with them about people and/or corporations making as much money as they wanted.  I don't see that message here in the Gospel.  These couple of ladies always tried to find a way to chastise me in a certain blogging area that I don't participate in any more, because some of them were like talking to a brick wall that spit cement back.

I'm just wondering, now, if people who head the corporations are allowed to "make as much money as they want", how are the contributing to the fact that if they have extra, they should give it to someone who doesn't have?  It's one thing to be charitable, because in reality, there will always be someone who is in need, and they should get the help that they want to get up onto their feet.  This does NOT mean that we can help everyone, because some plain do not want to be helped.

But, in the case of those who are capable of doing something, and just fell flat on their face at some point, and need a hand up, to me, rather than "making as much money as I want", just to look good in public by 'giving away' a portion of my extra, it would make more sense to spend my extra by offering this person a job, where they can feel proud to earn what they received.

Some corporate top leaders rake in millions, maybe even billions.  Them giving about $10grand is a piece of cake, it's not even close to being the extra.  That's only a portion of their extra.  Yet how many people right now are hurting for something?  Everyone is in need all over, it seems.  Unemployment is high, and there is a skills gap.  We finally got something going to try to close that gap.

I am finally happy that our governor, Scott Walker, is now going to tame down his far right controversial law making practices, and do things that are for ALL people of Wisconsin, which is to help us stabilize the economy by ensuring that there are enough jobs for those who can work, but also to grant those who want to be trained in the fields that need people can be trained in those skills.  Because seriously?  It takes more work to try to figure out ways to jump through the hoops to try to defraud the system, than it is to actually work for a living.  The accomplishment of working for your own keep is a satisfactory feeling as well.  

With more people able to get an education with the grants, the better off we will be.  Many of our baby boomers are on their way to retiring.  That leaves a LOT of positions with skills needed to be filled, and not necessarily ones that our current unemployed workers are qualified to take.  With this, we can ensure that more of us can live up to the expectation of helping those around us.

And while we're at it, lets all remember, those who won't work, won't eat.  If one can't, well, that's why we are here to help.  If one can, but refuse, that's a choice, and we MUST remember that we can't help everyone, because one who won't work won't appreciate or take your help, either.

Merry Christmas to everyone.  One last note...  You don't have to be Christian, or even religious, to care about people.  Helping people in need when you are able to do so is not about obeying a request from a higher power.  It's about doing the right thing, because it feels good to do so.

Domestic Terrorists: Gun Control or Gun Rights?

In the recent time, we have experienced yet another tragedy, where there was a single person on a shooting spree that has killed several people, including children, mothers, friends, and more. Now there are heated debates on how to settle these types of tragedies. On one side, there are those who say that we ought to encourage more gun ownership. Really? It did the mother a lot of good, when the very guns she had in her own home was used against her.

I do have to wonder, though, is what would happen? So, teachers bring guns to school. For what purpose? Escalate the violence? And what about the safety of the children, should they get their hands on it? If the teachers lock it up, what good is it for when the next attacker comes in to shoot up the school? And if that never happens, why are we paranoid for the "just in case"? Stop and think about it... this is NOT a logical answer because it's your last minute knee jerk reaction, and it makes little sense. It strikes me as weird, when many of our conservatives say that guns don't kill people, people kill people. Sure. True, only to a point. Some methods are better than others. In a recent attack in China, there was a man who ran into a school with a large knife, and stabbed 27 people. All of them survived. Yet all of the shooting victims died. 

Obviously, the gun played a large part in how the people died vs. lived. On the other hand, we talk about gun control. Seriously, what, exactly is gun control? To regulate the ownership and sales? Okay, so... we make more laws about how to sign up and get one, and keep closer track of who has one and who doesn't. Then what? So we make it more difficult for honest people to get them? Then what? The burglars and the black market still have their stash, and it's not going to slow down any time too soon. That's such a delayed reaction, it's NOT funny. In a more realistic way, we need to ensure that we are paying closer attention at WHO is getting their hands on these weapons. 

Sure, we could try to take them away from "gang-bangers". But, if you noticed, the shooter at the Connecticut school was NOT a gangster. The shooter at the Brookfield Spa in Milwaukee was not a gangster. The shooter at the Sikh Temple, while a white supremacist, wasn't exactly what you'd call a gangster. The shooter at the Colorado movie theater was not a gangster. Neither was the shooter in Minneapolis. Nor Columbine.  

Here are some scary statistics about who is the guilty party of these mass shootings. This talks about how there is usually a lone shooter, and more than 4 victims died. About half are work related, though the other half is public. Most are white male, though there was one woman. It's very scary that most of these people obtained the guns LEGALLY. And 68 were semiautomatic, and another 35 were assault weapons. 20 revolvers, and 19 shotguns... so, I would say that it would make more sense if we controlled what types of guns were legal for private use. If you think about it, semiautomatics are also pretty common in the military, and assault weapons are made for one thing, and one thing only. It's to hurt people. Nothing more. So, why not keep the revolvers and shotguns, and keep the rest under lock and key? And stop coming after us honest people for our weapons, we are not the problem. 

We need to figure out a way to make rules about certain things w/o discriminating. So, let's say someone is autistic. Excuse me, but, never have I read that autistic people are naturally violent. On the other hand, SOME - who are schizophrenic, may be violent. Depression isn't necessarily a marker either. I just wonder sometimes whether or not we are covering mental illnesses in the appropriate manner. There is still a stigma of being mentally ill, to where we want to sweep it under the carpet if we may be ill. Insurance also covers mental illness at a much lower rate and less often than a physical ailment. Why is that? Answers, anyone? It's important that we are able to access the health care that we need. 

Take a look at the most recent CN mass shooting, and the hurt that is left behind. Yet, aside from vigils and prayer chains, what is being done to help those who are still feeling the sting of an aftermath? It's nice to do fundraisers to help cover funeral costs for those who can't afford it, but who is paying for the bereavement counseling and the grief support groups, and other mental health issues that the survivors may be experiencing?

 Maybe it would be nice, since Christmas is almost here, to go ahead and send gifts. That would be heartwarming for the survivors.  

On the other hand, we must still ensure that the wrong people don't get their hands on firearms? Do we tell parents of these mentally ill that they are not allowed to own a gun? That's discriminatory. Maybe make it mandatory that since we HAVE to register as a gun owner, when we sell or give away that gun, it's mandatory to notify who and where it was sold/given to. How about with every gun, there needs to be a test bullet sent to a mainframe and keep records similar to a weapon version of CODIS? I don't know. But, to push for more rights sounds just as ridiculous as buying back honest people's guns. Neither is a good solution, because it's still a knee jerk reaction in haste. So, what do you think? Are there answers? Any common sense approaches? The more we TALK, not argue, the better solutions we have.

Successful Holiday Party!

Earlier in the evening, I hosted an international type holiday party and invited people to attend.  I asked that they bring a nontraditional dish to pass, because it's more fun to mix it up.

We had various neighbors, relatives, church friends and more attend, and it was a great social gathering.

One of the neighbors brought home made Italian wafer cookies that had a hint of anise flavor in it called pizelle.  Another neighbor brought two different types of dip and some nacho chips.  One of the pastors came with Tanzanian curry rice which was absolutely delicious!  My mom brought home made Japanese style egg-rolls, which are always awesome.  Someone else brought shrimp cocktail, and another pastor brought mini cream puffs.

I made 2 of my favorite things, guacamole and goulash - though if you add sour cream to the goulash, it turns into paprikash.  We had an evening full of good company, and it was nice to get to know a few of our neighbors as well.

Hopefully, next year, we can host this again, and have a bigger gathering.  It was really fun.

Whose Mad? Say What?

Okay.  So you're a parent.  You have a kid whose fairly smart, and usually has a good head on their shoulders.  The kid wants to be a dolphin expert some day.  You can afford a descent vacation to take a field trip to Sea World.  You let the smart kid who wants to work with dolphins to the area where kid can feed them.  Kid gets excited over not having any fish left for dolphins, and picks up the empty container despite signs and warnings NOT to do this near the pool.  Dolphin acts like a dolphin, reaches up, bites at the cardboard, and bites the kid's hand while at it.  Kid is fine, just some superficial wounds, understands that she messed up...  Sea World staff responds, attending to the family.

Sounds like a learning session...  but, the parents are mad because the dolphin "attacked" the kid?  Um.  No.  The dolphin attacked the container, thinking there was food in it.  Duh.  The kid is worried more about the dolphin eating the cardboard container than her own hand.  The parents want something done about it, even though there are isolated incidents such as this that happen.  The last one was 6 years ago.

Solution:  Parents should keep better eye on their kids while going to sea world.

Genetic Disorders: Not Always Inherited

Basic Genetics

Most of us know, that we are made up of DNA, that spiral ladder looking thing, that holds all of our information to make us what we are. Tall, short; thin, fat; hair color; eye color; smart, average; etc. We have 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46. We get 23 from our biological mother, and the other 23 from our biological father.

22 out of the 23 will determine all of the things such as intellect and what we look like, amongst other intricate things that make us unique to ourselves, and not even identical twins are exactly alike, as one may be right handed while the other is left. The 23rd set determines if we are male or female. X is female, Y is male. Women get an X from mom, and an X from dad. Men get an X from mom, and a Y from dad.

There are various information even on the sex chromosomes, such as how fertile and other things that can happen on that particular set too. Just because many of the issues are either dominant or recessive, doesn't mean it has to be a dominant gene to become reality, and dominant doesn't mean that it's expressed - it can be present, but not showing. And yes, some of these things are expressed on the X/Y genes as well. If you're male, and it's on the X, you inherited from your mother. Y from your father. On the other hand, females may have inherited from either parent, since we have both X's.

And you will be surprised, that some of them are called "de Novo" cases, where the mutation happened in vitro, to where it is genetic on one hand, because it's in the chromosomes, but, de Novo, meaning "of the beginning". So yes, it could be a brand new beginning of the mishap gene.

16th Chromosome Issues: 16p11.2 microdeletion

My son and I have this microdeletion. It's on the p arm of the 16th chromosome, in the band numbered 11.2. We are missing about 600kb worth of info on ONE, not both of the chromosomes. What is odd, is that often times, this shows up as a new case, though often it is inherited by a parent.

Funny thing is, I was taking my son to the doctor, because he still has balance problems, and cannot ride a bike at the age of 12, although he can ride a scooter. We were thinking he inherited something from his dad, which could be in any form... X, dominant or recessive. Recessive would mean a mild form, dominant, which means that a recessive gene would not have done anything, or on the X.

His father, my ex, has a different disability, called Charcot-Marie-Toothe syndrome, aka perineal nerve disorder. It's shown by the fact that the forearms, calves, the meaty part of the hand by your thumb, and the small of the back is really weak, disproportionately to the rest of the body. It's inherited, and you either have it, or you don't. So, we went up to a neurologist, who tested and didn't think my son fit the CMT. But, other things popped up, such as the fact that my son's toes are slightly webbed at the bottom, giving it the look that they all start in different places, rather than inline, and the low set earlobes. It was this deletion.

Another tid bit is, that often times, there is a dimple on the back, below the small of the back, right above the tail bone where the hips join at the spine, almost making it look like an extra little line, with a dimple that almost resembles a cleft chin. This dimple is most present during babyhood, and eventually might virtually disappear.

Many of the people affected by the deletion have language delays, a higher rate of Asperger's Syndrome, or even ADHD. Here is a link to help understand more, although it's in it's beginning to find out all there is to know. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025795/
There is also a higher rate of abnormal EEG's and seizures, which may have been attributed to one of the old vaccines, no longer in use. While that vaccine may have been a trigger, it wasn't the main cause. My son and I both had the seizures, yet normal EEG's, and we are both medication free since we were 5 years old. Funny thing is, neither of us have the hyper, though my son might have the ADD.

We were well enough not to have had the language delays, I was actually early, while my son was on time, though he used to mumble, and still needs reminders to speak up. While we don't have the learning disabilities per se, we definitely think "differently" than the norm... it's not an out of the box thing, it's just that our line of thinking is not the usual line of thinking. We might come to the same conclusion using different methods, which may not make sense to you, but perfect sense to us. I am lucky to have an average IQ, though we haven't had my son tested yet. His learning disabilities seem to be that he understands concepts, such as how to add or subtract, multiply/divide, etc, but, can't memorize the facts, such as 3x7=21. He would have to add 7, 3 times.

In physical ways, the microdeletion affects obesity, and also our appetite. We happen to be more hungry than the normal person, and no matter how healthy we eat, we have difficulty losing weight. So, being over weight may be something that we just have to live with, although we try to be as healthy as possible by eating good foods rather than high fat junk with empty calories.

We are still waiting for the test results from a neurological psychologist, and while that will help us determine his IQ and what, if any learning disabilities, I don't think it will quite tell us enough, or to answer what ever questions I have for the future, since my son and I understand each other pretty well, more so than most mother/child relationships. Could it be that he does have some behaviors attached to it that he could be considered special needs? Or maybe because I'm his mom, I'm supposed to understand, or that we both have the same deletion?

I don't know. Maybe all three. He seems to have it more. Aside from the obesity and hunger issues, I don't really express other parts of it.

What concerns me is, this 16p microdeletion affects insulin registration, and I'm diabetic with high numbers. I'm on insulin. I walk, and if I have high pain, my numbers are still high. I can eat legumes, corn, peas and honey, and they don't spike my blood sugars even though they're considered starches if you're diabetic. Go figure.

X Chromosome Issues: Xp22.33 microduplication

With the Xp22.33 microduplication, here again, it's on the X chromosome, p arm and the band 22.33 kb is triplicated - yes a set of 3, and for women, it's only on 1 x, not both.

This is one of those that you may be at higher risk of developing lupus, because of this info, but with the duplication, it affects males more than females, because we have the XX, rather than the XY. The males that have the extra is even higher yet to possibly getting lupus. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16575839
Here again, it could be a de Novo case, as well as it could be that it was inherited. My son and I have this microduplication as well. Odd thing is, there was only a 25% chance that my son would inherit BOTH from me, rather than being de Novo or just one but not the other.

Odd thing is, there are various learning disabilities attached to this too, including ADHD, yet neither of us, with this microduplication nor the 16 microdeletion have this diagnosis. There are other learning disabilities that my cross over as well, including certain autism spectrum issues, yet that isn't expressed in either of us either.

Other disabilities associated with this are other developmental issues such as not being able to sit up w/o support, etc. Respiratory and breathing issues may be a problem, and you may be prone to that. I am. My son, not as much, to which I'm grateful.

What's the fuss?

The fuss is, because there are so many issues that are tied up with the genetic issues, and many primary physicians don't understand the intricacies, it is important that you get your doctor to pursue knowledge together on this, even if it means you go to the geneticist, endocrinologist, or whom ever can help you understand the issues.

I am lucky that my doctor and my son's pediatricians understand the gravity of all of this, though since we are probably the only patients (that they know of) with these issues, so, we may have to be the guinea pigs, and go find our own answers to come back with. So please, find a doctor willing to work with you, and it would help if the doctor is an endocrinologist with basic understanding of genetics.

Many of the issues such as bronchitis and pneumonia will be treated as such, even if we are in the situation that we are at higher risk, thus needing stronger medicines at times.

Please feel free to ask questions, or leave comment. I'd be happy to share with everyone about what I know in more detail.

Holiday Makings... What's YOUR tradition?

What's on YOUR table?

Thanksgiving is coming. Many of us are getting ready for the standard fare. Turkey (or other type of poultry), stuffing, a potato of some type, sweet potatoes and/or squash, either some sort of cabbage or veggie casserole, and the usual pies.... Pumpkin, pecan, apple, or other type of berry or something.

That is all fine and dandy, and I love this traditional fare just as much as the next person. Just that I don't buy croutons at the store. I save up the bread crusts or the other pieces that no one ate from the end of the bag, and I cube those up (yes, just plain stale) and make the stuffing from that. I add my large minced onion, 3 ribs of diced celery, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 heaping TBS sage, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 eggs... It's actually quite tasty.

Many people like my pumpkin pie, also, but that's a secret recipe that I might share, if I'm feeling generous, at Christmas time.

But anyway, I think it's neat how different cultures have their different foods, such as the fact that my step father has something called lefse. It's Norwegian, and it's a very thin potato & cream flat bread, almost as delicate as a crepe, and it's eaten with butter and brown sugar on it. We've used this in place of dinner rolls, though I do like plain rolls to scrape up the left over gravy off the plate...

But, it is interesting to have other stuff besides the regular foods. MY thing would be to have an "International" Thanksgiving. I think that would be fun.

Why "international"?

I think, TOO often, we think of the First Thanksgiving as something that was celebrated with the colonials and the Native Americans as a peace offering with the feast, where the Pilgrims were thankful for the feast in front of them, and so that is how it got to be that way.

But, lets think about it here in this country, there are so many more things than the merge of two cultures, and then surrounded by nuts, squash, and all of the same old usual... I think it's neat to do something different.
So, fry bread rather than dinner rolls. For those of us too busy or not coordinated enough to make a home made bread dough, buy the frozen kinds, let it thaw, and when it begins to rise, stretch it out, and it's okay to have a little poked hole in it to deep fry to a nice golden brown. The hole will allow the grease to pass through, rather than make the bread too soggy. This would be a nice tribute to our Native American heritage that is so rich in the USA.

To honor the Jewish roots that many Christians have, making mashed potatoes using soy milk would be a great way to substitute it, so the meal is kosher. Season with onion and/or garlic, salt and pepper. I don't normally like drinking silk milk, but, the texture is that silky that it's a great compliment to mashed potatoes.
Being part Japanese, the thing that I miss during American holidays is either something that resembles miso, and some sort of pickle. Japanese people love pickled anything, and I like the radish. But, a salad with that Asian Sesame & Miso paste dressing is top notch, and some pickled cabbage would be great as a side to it too. The acid actually helps clear the palate with all the surrounding rich foods, to better enjoy the new flavor of each different dish.

But then again, I'd be happy with a good Hungarian goulash as the main course as well, though maybe a type of paprikash would actually be a better substitute for the turkey. The stuffing can be made with some chicken or turkey broth in a slow cooker if you want that to go with the meal, if you're replacing turkey with the paprikash.

So, what's YOUR non-traditional tradition? Inquiring minds would like to know...

Why? Well, Why NOT?

Getting Involved...

You know, it gets me. So many people say they believe that our children should be safe. Goes through all of the motions to say that child abusers should die, pedophiles should get a nice date with Bubba, etc... Then here comes all of these awareness programs that give the stats to let you know how bad you should feel for these poor little children.

Fine. I agree that we need to be the voice these children don't have. Take a stand. Do something. Making your neighbors or your online friends aware of the numbers isn't going to stop the numbers from climbing or making them disappear.

I have an organization called Youth Voice Initiative. It's a 501c4. No. It's not a charity, where we post stats about why we should feel bad. Those charities are 501c3's, just like churches who feed the hungry. Youth Voice Initiative, or YVI, is all about action. We are about pushing the legislation to make sure that those who abuse our children are doing their time. Educating police, judicial systems, etc about the long term effects and how to spot it when they approach a situation.

Yet, even with displaying petition links and asking people to step up to the job, I hear a deafening silence. No one steps up. They don't want to step into the limelight, because they don't want to cause waves. But, they want the children to be safe.

Quit being chicken, and step up to the plate! Put your money where your mouth is, and get involved. It won't hurt, and it doesn't take as much time as you think.

Please check out YVI's website at www.youthvoiceinitiative.org - and message me with any questions or concerns. You may be pleased with how you can be involved w/o being in the public eye.

What is not our business?

 

American Political Parties: Right & Left or Right and Wrong?

The Politics of American Government

It seems as if the last couple of decades have brought in some extremism to our fine country. I don't mean it in a derogatory way, just that we have moved past the central type thinking, which is why Wisconsin is considered a swing state in the first place.
Yes, I'm talking the Republicans and the Democrats, mainly, though other political parties have done some of this as well. Really. Seriously.

Once upon a time, the Republican Party, or the GOP, could be reasoned with. Look at Wisconsin's former Governor Tommy Thompson(R). Who else can be known just by a first name, like "Tommy", and everyone knows who you are talking about? Anyway, back around 20 years ago (I think) Tommy came up with a program called Wisconsin Works (W2, affectionately). What it was, is that to cut down on fraud, because once upon a time, anyone could walk into Wisconsin and get on Welfare, or that what everyone was talking about. So, Tommy came in and decided to reach across the political isle, shake hands with some democrats too, and come up with this plan.

The plan was, now you had to have at least a certain amount of time IN Wisconsin, say around 30 days, to establish a stronger residency rule to even be able to apply for any welfare benefits. Which is good, because as Wisconsin tax payers, we pay in, and I'd like it to stay with our own, rather than allowing anybody to walk in and collect. Another part was to ensure that rather than making a career out of being on welfare, that one would have to apply for a job, and not just any job... A high school drop out who wants to try to apply for upper management positions may end up getting cut off, because that position is out of reach. So, they had to go and apply for jobs that they would be able to get. Not too bad of an idea.

Mind you, the program wasn't perfect. W2 encouraged higher education. But, especially if you're a non-traditional student, meaning you either have kids yourself, or you're an older student, not the standard 18-23 year old, single w/ no dependent student, and so you had other responsibilities to attend to, you were able to get help being funded via loans, grants and other aid for 3 years if you went to a 4 year college or university, 1.5 years at a technical or associate's degree, etc... That is about 75%, and to add in that rarely does anyone graduate from a 4 year university in the actual 4 years because of a number of factors, it did seem cruel that one would get cut off in their home stretch. I'm not sure, but, I think that did get extended to graduate. I seem to remember that some of the aid would be considered a grant if you finished and graduated, and if you landed in your field, could get a bonus, but if you dropped out, it was a loan that needed to be paid back, at least in part. That's if you were in that program... Not for those of us who were lucky enough NOT to have to get into that program. Let's face it, a better education helps us in the long run.
But, unfortunately, it's not like Tommy stayed the innovative guy he used to be... He used to be pro-life, but, didn't want the government to stand in. Now he decided to join the Tea Party, whom are even more conservative than the standard GOP, and wants to ban abortion, period. He moved further to the right. That is a bit depressing. Not just for the issue, but over all in the scheme of things. Will he reach across the isle to make a good and acceptable compromise, or will he play the conservative hardball and want it his party way, or the high way?

It's the same on the Democratic end as well, with many of the voters stating that they support abortion until the day before a baby is to be born. Now, while I AM pro-choice, this irks me, because after 23 weeks, the more viable the unborn becomes. While I hold no magic power to say when is life a real life, to me, the more viable the life is, the more it ought to be revered, not looked upon as a symbiotic form. yet, some of them say if one is born at 23 weeks gestation, that is a person in need of protection, but, another still in the womb at 40 weeks and counting (maybe late) is still a symbiote and would allow for the abortion. To me it makes no sense, because the 23 week old is 50/50% likely to live or die, and the 40 week one has a 99.9% to live. It bugs me that the line is so blurred that legal and ethical often are the same thing, no matter what.

Not just this, but, remember, we were all from immigrants at some time or another, yet we chose to come in and practically decimate the Native Americans. On the other hand, does this mean we should just let any immigrant just walk into the country? There has to be some kind of middle ground here. Yes, everyone is protected by the innocent until proven guilty, and needs probable cause to be arrested. On the other hand, if an illegal alien commit a crime, it should be dealt with harshly, not just be deported. Immigrants do help us a lot, but, lets face it, this isn't an all or nothing deal either.

Who is correct?

Mind you, this game of blaming is also getting VERY old. The right wants to accuse the left of wanting to take away our 2nd Amendment, when it simply is NOT true, in any way, shape or form. Speaking as a liberal myself, it's NOT about taking away gun rights for those of us who are upstanding citizens. A good militia is one thing. And remember, this group would be working with or for the military, and once upon a time, one could be deputized by the sheriff as a regular citizen, and the badge gave you power. This does NOT mean that the militia has the right to be a group of vigilantes.

For example; anyone who knows me understands that I HATE pedophiles and those who sexually abuse our children. These are the worst type of people, in my book, much worse than those who physically abuse, though emotional abuse can be almost just as bad. Does this mean, that because I support the military, and I'm an honest citizen, that I can shoot the sex offender who gets placed in my neighborhood? No. As much as I'd like to send them elsewhere, doesn't mean I can just do what I want.

To the ultra liberals, sometimes you bug me with your kumbaya. No, we can't always just turn the other cheek. Sometimes war is a necessary evil. Sure, we should NOT be the world police force, but, we HAVE to be able to defend our shores. And while there may be a possibility that a situational sex offender may be able to correct bad behaviors through the right treatment, just like alcoholics and drug addicts, they have to want to change, or, they won't want to change their situations. Most other sex offenders, such as classic pedophilia, there is no cure, so please, stop bombarding the rest of us that people need help. The children they assault need the help. Don't believe me? Look at the young men who were victimized by Sandusky, or somewhere in the Church. Just remember, abuse and rape are NOT about sex, it's about power & control. When used for power and control, sex is a weapon, not a celebratory act. Some of these people have happy marriages and are solid citizens otherwise. So no, it's not about a priest not being able to marry. While it's the Church that may say to give life to God, God also commands not to abuse our children. The lack of sex is an excuse to abuse the children they're supposed to help protect.

For those who say that Obama doesn't have leadership, please take another look. In the Middle East, rather than choosing to strong arm the area, Obama and Hilary chose to act as diplomats, and bring about an allied force, rather than say do it my way or the high way. So Obama hasn't quite won over the U.N. Bush turned the U.N. away when he went in against U.N. orders. Strong arming the U.N. won't solve anything, and by being diplomats, it's helping to bring in money from else where to fund the democracy of Persia, so we can keep more of our funds here to help fellow Americans.

FYI: No, Obama is NOT a registered Muslim, who is bound by Sharia Law. He was born in the U.S.A. and is American, and Sharia law does NOT apply here in America, and none the less, here we have the freedom to practice what ever faith we like - so, those of you who keep touting this need to get over yourselves.
For those of you who want to tout Obama as the Messiah, please stop. It's this very attitude that encourages the far right to make crazy accusations like Obama is a Kenyan Muslim, when he was born in Hawaii to an American, and has publicly announced he is Christian. So, let him be, he's not perfect, and makes mistakes like the rest of us. The more Obama gets touted as the liberal Messiah, the harsher twists and lies the far right want to make. You want him to win? Lets do it by treating him as a candidate, not the Holy Grail.

So, both sides have points, and both sides can be wrong. Thing is, I could go on and on, about a ton of other things. Even the libertarians are getting so much to the point that if they advocated any smaller government, either we would have to resort to vigilantes for support, or the military would be chopped in half to ensure that the coast guard and reserves would have to step it up to be true militia to police us.

My opinion? We need to practice common sense, NOT party politics, and move forward to real progress, rather than going backwards like the ultra conservative TEA Party or down the rabbit hole to trying to save everyone like the tree hugging ultra liberals. You can't save the whole planet via social aid, nor can you save by being the world dictator with the Might = Right mentality. Common sense will put you some where in the middle, and that each case would have to be looked at individually. While most will fit into a same or similar category, there will be exceptions to the rule, most of the time, though NOT all the time.

Food Glorious Vote: Holiday Celebration.

The art of creating a family meal.

I love to cook. When I talk about playing with my food, I am NOT talking about being rude, I'm talking mixing flavors, exploring new venues, and more. Food isn't just for living, it's a celebration, a cause worth sharing with others.

I also like to cook from various ethnic backgrounds. The trick is variety. Whether or not you cook a variety of different foods for different meals, or different foods included in one meal whether from one ethnicity or many, it's up to you. Certain different ethnic dishes mesh well with others. Try your hand.

Anyway, one favorite is eggrolls.

Ingredients for Egg Rolls

• 1 pound pork (or chicken), ground
• 1 large head cabbage (Napa works well), chopped finely
• 7 large dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted (reserve water)
• 1 bunch green onion, minced
• 2 stalks carrots (optional), chopped finely
• 2 TBS Soy sauce
• 2.5 TBS Sake
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients except wraps in a large bowl. Allow to rest and blend 30-60 minutes.
2. Place eggroll wrap as a diamond in front of you. In the front third, place a heaping spoon full of the meat mix into your wrap, going across.
3. Dip your finger into water, and wet the outside edged from the top of the diamond to the center corners. Dot the corner closest to you.
4. Take the corner, roll it over the mix, and press it to the bottom of the wrap. Take the corners in, like a round gift, and roll the whole thing until wrapped. Press to seal press the dough.

Cook 'em up!

When done, lay the eggrolls on a cookie sheet. Warm up the oil to medium high, and deep fat fry the eggrolls.
Serve with rice and soup. Dip into soy sauce or sweet and sour.

Holidays and Elections

Now that I've gotten you hungry with some good food, with more food to follow, just remember, that these are great party foods, and it's good to serve at family holidays.

This year, there are the presidential election, as well as many congressional seats. Stop in at your local office, and see how you can chipper up those who are working so hard on the campaigns and let them eat some of these specialties. I'm sure they will love them.

While it's not good to tell others what to do, of course everyone should vote, and like minded people like to get together, but, the main thing is everyone should vote. Have an election party where all of your neighbors can vote and come have a pot luck or something at your house. Don't just stay with your own party. Invite everyone.

After all, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated between the Native Americans and the new settlers here. So, go have fun, and don't forget to vote! More recipes for your election party or holiday coming right up...

Variations on an eggroll theme...

If Asian isn't your style, what is neat, is you can take it a whole new way. Make up some meatballs, as you would for spaghetti and meatballs. Put that into the center of your wrap, deep fat fry until done, and serve it with your favorite marinara sauce. Sprinkle mozzerella on top.

Not Italian? That's okay too. Fix up some taco flavored mix of meat and cheese. Roll it up. Serve it up with salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, and more. It's okay.

Or how about Greek? Grind up some of that gyro meat, and putt in minced onion along with feta cheese. Fry it up, and serve it with fresh tomatoes, cucumber dip, and enjoy. It should be all good. Just remember, the combinations can be endless.

Serbian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

More yummies with fusion food.

Pickle a head of cabbage in water and vinegar. Make sure you get it nice and tender, so that you can work with it.

Mind you, the water that you reserve from the mushrooms for the eggrolls and the juices left over from this, can be used as the water in your rice to cook it, to enhance the rice from plain to flavor.

You will need 2 pounds of ground pork (again, you can substitute chicken or turkey), 2 packets of the Sarmu & Paprika mix, about 1.5 cups of raw rice, and mix. Bake until done, @ 350 for an hour.

Ibanizta is a cool dish. Take fillo dough - and in a greased 9x13 baking pan, grease up and lay about 2 or 3 sheets of fillo dough into the bottom.

In a bowl, combine a package of softened cream cheese or two, a container of sour cream, container of cottage cheese, and about 4-6 eggs. beat until lightly lumpy. Drizzle some over the dough. Add another 2-3 sheets as a layer of dough.

Continue, and alternate using oil and butter to moisten the fillo dough, though not too much. End with fillo dough and oil. Bake until the top is a nice golden brown. What is crazy, is that the Cabbage rolls go well with the miso soup and the green tea. Left over eggroll meat goes great in ibanizta. Keep at it, you can find cool combos by trying things out.

Oom pah pah, Everything goes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkk2-2u3ciE

 

Paul Ryan 4 Smaller Government; Governing Against Civil Rights

Too many kettles, not enough stove time

The events of the last couple years has been VERY interesting. Really. Wisconsin is a hot spot for a lot of politics.
One thing that seems peculiar, that Paul Ryan has spent over $2 million in ads for his run for the 1st Congressional District Representative. That's a LOT of money. Yet he took the opportunity to run for vice president. The odd thing is, he has been rarely seen in his 1st congressional district offices, here in Racine, Kenosha, and some of the other surrounding areas that he represents.
One ad in particular, he's sitting in a classroom type setting, talking to people of various voting groups, such as a parent, teacher, etc. talking about how he believes in smaller government, and how the government should not be dictating so much that affects our personal lives. Really!?! That's interesting. It's so interesting, in fact, because he is the one that wants to make abortion 100% illegal. When asked about a rape victim who may want to have access to one, for her own mental health, he just states, "If it's illegal, it's illegal". Seriously? Rape is illegal, and rather than being worried about making sure rapists get their due justice with hard times (but then again, government is intruding on our personal rights now, aren't they)? Instead, he talks about if abortion is illegal, than that's just too bad for the rape victim. So. The rapist goes free. The victim has now been socially labelled, because say she is 16 or unwed. Society will pass the judgment against her that she is irresponsible, for not waiting until there is stability. Then the fact that *IF* she speaks up as a victim, they will most definitely see her in a different light, and still be discriminated against. Then, the financial part, because now she may need medicaid to have her care, and tax payers have to pay for it.
So, you see, in Paul Ryan's eyes, it's not the rapist who is the criminal. You do the math. Rape victims who end up pregnant use up too many resources and money, that they are the real perpetrators.
Mind you, the current statistic is that about 5% of all unprotected sex results in a pregnancy. Which means, it's 5%, across the board. 5% of rape victims, who will ultimately be blamed for her own pregnancy, even though we all know that women can't make ourselves pregnant.
This goes beyond just abortion rights and rape victims. What about the woman's health? Just letting people know, that while there aren't any hard facts yet, the consensus is, if the mother dies in some manner, unless it's during full term childbirth, the likelihood that her unborn will also die is pretty high. And also, I'd like to point out, we are ALL anti-abortion. It's just that thinking people are pro-choice. Choice means you can pick from 2 or more options. Not get told that there are limited options. So, until we can stop victimizing the victims further, we MUST go after the real perps. And this time, Ryan is the perv that wants to tell crime victims that their options should be illegal.
So again, I remind you, that Paul Ryan is running on the premise that big government is bad, and that's what is making us go bankrupt, corrupt and what ever else wrong for personal goals. Again, really. So why is it that he wants to ban same sex marriage? Didn't he just say that big government needs to stay out of our personal lives? Or maybe he's Lyin' Ryan.
Whether you support same sex marriage or not, it's NOT the point. If you're not the one participating in that commitment, you don't have a say as to what goes on. We would never tell a white woman that she can't marry an Asian man, would we? We would never tell a Hispanic man he can't marry a black woman, would we? So why would you tell a man or a woman that they have to marry the opposite gender or forget it? It's NOT about you, it's about them! As for taking anything away, I would like to ask, how is YOUR marriage, whether it's your first or fifth, any less sacred, because we have same sex marriage?
Yet again, you do the math. Never mind that same sex unions still pay the same fees to the courthouse, and may be able to pool money together for better property to pay taxes on, and make those larger investments to increase not only their own bottom line, but also by having a larger tax base, the government's too, so that everyone's taxes will go down by sharing the burden. No. It's about the fact that the benefits package will be less expensive as a couple, rather than 2 individuals, and that some how adds to the extra cost of things, if you ask Mr. Paul Ryan.
To further make against Ryan, now that he's been actively campaigning as Veep, and spending $2 mil on his Wisconsin Congressional seat, he's been MIA here to represent the people of S.E. Wisconsin, to which he is getting paid to do. Since he is nowhere to be seen on the home front, maybe we need the CIA to contact the FBI to investigate a missing person? Oh, wait. He's running as a vice prez. So maybe we should be fact checkers to see how wrong he is, not just for Wisconsin, but for the whole United States.

An FYI...

The collective bargaining bill that Scot Walker (and Paul Ryan supported as a fellow republican) signed, has been struck down. Too bad for Paul Ryan, that he couldn't use his federal pull to keep that in place, and the governor he so much admires took a loss with this decision.
Here is the link: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/state-and-regional/judge-strikes-down-law-that-ended-collective-bargaining/article_3e2a74f6-feb8-11e1-9bc6-0019bb2963f4.html

Rob Zerban for Congress!

Rob Zerban, a political newbie, is here to compete against Paul Ryan. I urge you to find out more about him and vote him into office.

What do YOU think?

Where would you like to see Paul Ryan serve his term?

• Vice President
• Congressman
• Neither, go home!

Politics & Religion: Separate, or Intertwined?

 

American Politics & Religion

 

U.S.A. Founded on what?

It is interesting for me to listen to a lot of republicans, especially the far right like the tea party. Many of them actually argue with me that the Constitution and this country were founded on (Judea)Christian values, because most of the original Amendments reflect off of the 10 Commandments. So they do. For example, homicide (murder, killing, manslaughter, etc) as well as theft (even petty) are both illegal. Adultery and sodomy are grounds for divorce, though it is not really defined in the U.S. Constitution.

Thing is, the Bill of Rights, or the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution, don't really have much to "do" with Biblical values. Lets check these out.

1) The government is not allowed to restrict how or what faith we practice, infringe on free speech or press, to peacefully assemble, nor to petition our government.
2) We are entitled an organized "militia" and not abridge our right to bear arms.
3) We have the right to our own homes, w/o the military barging in to take over during peace nor wartime.
4) The right to keep our private matters private, unless there is a probable cause (and a warrant) to search/seize our possessions.
5) We have the right NOT to incriminate ourselves.
6) The right to a speedy trial, with a jury of our peers, and if we cannot afford representation, one will be appointed to you.
7) Civil suits are excused from the jury.
8) We get a fair bail and sentencing, not to be overdone or overly excessive.
9) Certain rights cannot be taken away by the constitution.
10) The individual states have a certain amount of sovereignty under the constitution, so as to the fact that the U.S. can't restrict individual State rights to govern it's own people.

Let us see what we are comparing, since the Bill of Rights sets the stage for the Constitution and American Law, so then the Ten Commandments are also the basis for the faithful laws that are included in the Bible.

Here are the Ten Commandments, for which the rest of the laws and bylaws of our faith are derived and supported from:

1) The God of Egypt is the God. Put Him first!
2) No idol worship - do not put people or things above God.
3) Keep His Name Holy in your mouth.
4) Just as God rested on the 7th day, keep the Sabbath Holy.
5) Respect your parents.
6) No murdering!
7) No cheating on your spouse!
8) No stealing!
9) Do not lie about other people.
10) Don't be jealous of others, keeping up with the Jone's is not becoming.

Now, lets see here... I don't know about you, but, the two lists don't even look the same. The 1st Amendment says I get to be Lutheran, you get to be what ever faith you are, Paul Ryan gets to be Catholic, Mitt Romney gets to be Mormon. So we all get to worship (or not) the way we feel fit for ourselves. The Bible's first says put God first. You get the picture of where we are going...

Aside from the fact that Amendments 6 & 7 are the basis for our Miranda Rights, Deuteronomy 17:6 in theAmerican King James Version states "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death" and there is another that reiterates that. But, this, of course is meaning that we obey the commandment not to lie about others.

So the oath to tell nothing but the truth is not saying that you are necessarily Christan nor Jewish. Yet it's amazing at how many of these people say that we are a Christian Nation, that they are very Christian and "libtards are evil", yet are against "redistribution of wealth". Yet in Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke12:33, the way to truly follow Jesus Christ is to give your possessions and money to the poor (and undiscriminating at that), so you have a place in Heaven. The Bible also says that the meek will inherit the earth.

Do we see anywhere in the constitution about the meek ruling our country? No. Only the welcoming sign of the Statue of Liberty welcomes the poor, the tired to come rest here.

Faith Survey: A comparison

First off, let us not forget, that what separates the Jewish people from the Christians, is that the Torah, or Old Testament, is the Jewish Holy Book called the Torah. They believe in Jesus' existence, but NOT that He is the Messiah. They are still waiting for someone like King David. Maybe the Second Coming of Christ will be more proactive in certain ways, and will be one and the same with the Jewish Messiah. But I digress...
Lets first look at the Islam religion. Sure, there are many denominations of Islam, which is not so different than the different denominations of Christianity, and some are more conservative than others. Yet many conservative Americans want to say that all Muslims are extremists and what not. The Koran, the Islamic Holy Book, shares the first 4 chapters of the Bible/Torah, so in that case, since the Ten Commandments of Exodus are also in the Koran - which the Muslims believe in. On top of which, many of the other Principals of Islam also corroborate this. Look up "The Commandments of Islam: 1ststepsinislam" and you will see that one of the principals is not to be extremist. Other principals include not oppressing others; joining - not severing ties; taking care of parentless children; projecting generosity and love, forbidding hate; practicing humility & respect; not sticking their business where it doesn't belong; commanding leniency and mercy, not harshness nor cold heartedness; infecting truth, and more... Go look it up for yourself. It's there.

Yet Christians are sometimes the most judgmental people I come across, when we need to take the logs out of our own eyes before judging the speck in others'. To not judge, unless we get judged harsher. I would like to remind all conservatives who want to judge another faith just upon the 9/11 attacks, that the group whom committed that is a small fraction, and just like not all Christians go to war over faith, as it happens in the Eastern European countries, not all Muslims are terrorists either.

Hinduism, while it states it very differently, also has many of the same principles that Christianity does, also. There are 5 principles and 10 commandments.

5 Hindu Principles:
1) God is; in Trinity and in various forms.
2) Human is Divine
3) Unity of Existence in Love
4) Religious Harmony
5) Believing in the 3 G's - the Sacred River, Script, and Mantra

The 10 Hindu Commandments:
1) Truth
2) Non-Violence
3) Celibacy/non-adultery
4) No desire to possess or steal
5) Non corrupt
6) Cleanliness
7) Contentment
8) Reading of Scriptures
9) Austerity, perseverance, penance
10) Regular prayers

While more simple and serene, you can see where this would overlap.

Shall we look at Buddhism? While it's more of a way of life, not a religion, it can work well to get your own spirituality and "zen" working together as a balance. I really think it can go well with other faiths. Since it teaches tolerance of others, as well as enlightenment, it's more of a central balance that encourages to look at the bigger picture. While it's not so easy to explain, Buddhism is about peace and natural balance, as the Constitution wanted the Sovereign rights of this colonial country, but of the state and the people, also.
Shintoism is mainly wrapped up as the "divinity-way". It's very spiritual, even more than Buddhism, in my humble opinion. The deity is primarily female, and all aspects of life are in harmony. The term "kami" is kind of a generic word for "God(s)" of all sorts, though there is one of each male and female at the top, with the female being the dominant of the two. This may surprise many, since it's traditionally a Japanese faith, adapted from China. It encourages personal faith and communal way of life. This may be a reason why a socialistic democracy works in Japan so well. They all take care of each other, and you don't find the corporate head complaining that the janitor takes too much time to take care of his ailing parents - family is the key component, and when one person suffers, the greater community also suffers. I see their belief in taking care of each other as a good thing, not a bad.

Native American spirituality is a bit more complicated to explain, though I think the simplest way to describe it is similar to Lion King's "Circle of Life" - where the top of the food chain dies, and becomes the fertilizer for the plants that the other animals eat... and that we all must accept our place, and all life is related. Often, when Native Americans cut down a tree, they plant at least 2 to take it's place, so that the natural resources don't get over used. They want to leave the planet at least as good, if not better for the next generation - a good way to practice the Golden Rule.

There are many more faiths, also, and most normal people in each faith has the code of being faithful to each other and to the earth, being a good citizen, and so much more.

Founding Fathers' Faiths

Now say THAT fast 3 times in a row... Founding Fathers' Faiths...

I don't question that our Founding Fathers were very spiritual and very moral people. They were many of the highest regarded people, and looked down upon public drunkenness, lewd behavior and more. But, they weren't about being the judge and jury for their fellow man, but to have the greatest country, founded on the greatest Constitution on the planet, which is only as strong as the weakest link, supported by the strongest.
Thomas Jefferson thought Christianity and other religion as being superstition, because people have been tortured in the name of religion, for no good apparent reason. Of all the religions, he considered Christianity as the most perverted.

John Adams made it a doctrine, called the Treaty of Tripoli, in 11 states, that "our country's basis is NOT founded on Christian principles", "because the divinity of Jesus made a fine absurdity of a cover".
Thomas Paine is NOT going to dishonor his Creator by attaching Him to the Bible, nor mixing faith with politics. He understands that mixing them leads to Holy Wars that the government dictates the faith of the people, and the person(s) in power dictates the faith and government.
James Madison states that both religion and politics will stay more pure, if they stay separate, and was against religions getting a tax break.

In a nutshell, these founding fathers believed in a higher power, sure. But obviously were NOT necessarily Christian. They were deist, kind of like agnostics, not theists, as in organized religion. For more information, look up "The Faith of Our Founding Fathers" and see what you get. You can't argue direct quotes FROM them.

Still think they were based on Christian principles? Not me. In the mean time, I will follow suit of Jesus, who commands me to take care of those who are less fortunate than themselves, and they do NOT include the 1%. The Tea Party wants the poor to go to homeless shelters, the hungry to soup kitchens, and the weary to whom ever takes them in, and not make themselves anybody else's problem, and discriminates against who they think are deserving of help. And while sure, I am all for punishing those who commit crimes, but to lump the bad check writer because baby needed diapers and milk with those who commit felony fraud is just plain a travesty.

Until next time, peace out. Thanks for reading!

p.s. I am NOT a theological professional in anyway, shape or form. I love to read and learn new things, and gathered much of my info from being friends with Muslims as well as reading the Koran and research, I went to an Indian Reservation, and lived in Japan for a few years. I also went to college with an International Relations degree, and this is where I make my personal basis.

Voting: It's your right, as well as your civic duty!

May the vote be a force within you...

Rep. Paul Ryan is running for two positions, and he had already been put on the ballot for Wisconsin's First Congressional District, which includes where I live. Thing is, he's also running as Veep under Mitt Romney. In my opinion, they're both pretty far right strung.
Thing is, lets humor him, and say that Ryan has the power to bring the Romney/Ryan ticket all the way to the top. So why not endorse another candidate, then, for the congressional seat? And if he wins both seats, the seat does NOT automatically go to Zerban. Which is ridiculous, so on top of spending money on the election, there would have to be another special election afterwards. I think that Ryan is trying to ensure he's in, one way or another, and, he forgets who he is running for. This race is NOT about him, but for we, the people.
Rob Zerban is a local native, who is a concerned citizen of his district. So, he plans on running, as an independent democrat, who will for sure vote with his constituents in mind. He's not doing it for himself, no, that would be greedy puppetry. Rob is running for us.
There will be a fundraiser for him in Kenosha, WI at the Best Western Harborside, 5125-6th Ave. Please attend, and bring supporters.
Remember, voting isn't just a right, it determines the walk into the future. It's also your civic duty as a responsible person, to get out, and be a responsible voter! It's a power thing, just do it.

My Local Legislators on Akin's Faux-Pas Statements.

Remember "legitimate rape"?

We can recall that recently, Representative Todd Akin made statements along the line that all abortion should be illegal, even in cases of rape, because if it were a real rape, the female body would reject the pregnancy, so abortion wouldn't be necessary. As if we can talk ourselves OUT of it, too. This would mean that we could actually get pregnant by ourselves, correct?

No. Even the likes of Rush Limbaugh is saying those comments were stupid. Rush Limbaugh, of all people, the same guy who called a college student a slut for wanting contraceptive help during her college years. This is the same Rush, who thinks that giving rights to gay marriage is a war on "traditional" marriage. The same Mr. Limbaugh, that says he's against the women's movement, because demonstrating for equal pay for equal work is leading us astray. I could go on, but you get my point.

Anyway, my local legislators weighed in. I'd like to give a special kudos to Representative Cory Mason, who basically stated that once you start putting limits on who can or can't get an abortion, then we get lame comments like from Akin, who makes uneducated statements about a topic he should have stopped talking about. I agree with not restricting to the point where you're saying that this person has a right, but that person does not. I'd also like to give another kudos to Representative Robin Vos, for his stance that in cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother should be an exception to the 'no abortion rule'.

While technically, yes, I do support Rep. Vos's stance, because abortion for the sake of convenience does crawl under my skin. But, I have to agree with Rep. Mason about the fact that once you've made one restriction, all others may follow due to the fact that you get a bunch of morons who don't know the difference between a biological fact, and wishing something away like an ostrich.

So why would I support the open abortion rights stance, when I disagree with some of the reasons? Well, let's see, sure, some women can say that they've been raped, but, what about the rapists? ALL of them will say they've never committed that crime. They think they're entitled somehow, or because she may have been too drunk to say no, they took it upon themselves to take it anyway, even though the victim is too drunk to consent, also. Thing is, we don't blame the home owner, if the burglar breaks in and robs them blind. We don't blame the dead person for being shot to death, nor do we tell the family about what they did wrong as to why their loved one got stabbed or beat within an inch of their lives either. So why do we blame rape victims? It's an added stigma to an already stigmatized crime.

For those who are interested in attending and/or supporting a gathering for abuse survivors, please go here, to read more about it. Right click, and ask it to open in a new tab, or copy/paste into your browser.
http://likamarie.livejournal.com/910.html

Million Survivor March, March 2-3, 2013

Off to the Capital!

Abuse Survivors Unite!

MILLION SURVIVOR MARCH AND RALLY
MARCH 02 - 03, 2013, JEFFERSON MEMORIAL D.C.

The FACSA Foundation (Family and Friends Fighting Against Child Sexual Asault; FACSAFoundation.org) is presenting a FACSA Rally in Washington D.C., March 02 8am-9am for March and at 10 am- 6p.m. for the 2 day Rally, at the Jefferson Memorial. The FACSA Foundation is gathering child sexual assault organizations, advocates, supporters, family, and friends, from across the nation, to the “FACSA Foundation National Child Sexual Assault Prevention RALLY”, to make a unilateral stand against child sexual assault. By uniting child sexual assault prevention advocates from across the nation, we hope to change the stigma of child sexual assault, public opinion, the opinion of lawmakers, and most importantly bring hope to millions of children affected by child sexual assault and human trafficking, as they see so many fighting for them in one place.

If you can not join in person, please do so virtually. Order your t-shirt, gather game day friends, and join the Million Survivor March, and the 2 day Rally, which will be live streamed. We hope to see you soon.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Million Survivor March/Rally. We will have a silent march with drums (please design a t-shirt saying "my name is and I was sexually assaulted... and add your logo or your own artistic designs), speakers, bands, videos, and a candle light closing program in honor of and memory of all children affected by child sexual assault.

Contact: Connie Lee/FACSA Founder/President 318.540.4464
facsasavethechildren@hotmail.com FACSAFOUNDATION.ORG

What the heck is "Legitimate Rape"?

Rape is Rape

Todd Akins, a member of congress said this about rape. In his words, "If it's legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

So, if there is a pregnancy, the rape is no longer legitimate? Do these people even understand the science behind sex? A woman doesn't even need to be turned on. She could be in severe pain during sex. The body doesn't know the difference between rape and accommodating her man. Pregnancy happens.

Yet, the republicans think still, that abortion in all cases should be outlawed, even in cases of "forcible rape". HB-358, or the "Protect Life Act", isn't really protecting life at all. When the life of the mother could save her life, it won't happen, they want to make sure that an abortion does NOT happen. Even if the mother's life is in grave danger. Thing is, what is the likelihood that the baby will live, if the mother has to die before the due date? The stress of the mother's ailing body is enough to cause defects some how in the baby or at least quality.

My first pregnancy was a difficult one, where I was very ill. I had ridiculously high blood pressure. Extreme edema. Spilling proteins in my urine. It was bad. Really bad. So, anyway, one of the effects of all this is that the placenta may tear off the uterus, thus cutting life support to the fetus, and the mother can bleed to death. Yes, my first baby died, and I was 2 inches away. Should I be arrested for being ill during my pregnancy? Should the doctor have been sued because of the lack of action on the part of my doctor?

Anyway, I read somewhere that 520,000 women die as a complication of labor and delivery. That's just for normal births. Once upon a time, labor and delivery was the #1 killer of women. Yet we want to restrict certain procedures to ensure that more babies MIGHT be born, rather than save the mother, who will most likely live to see another day and have another child who will be born, and live.

My take is that this protection of life just means that it allows to let the life of the woman be less important than men. And of course, because another woman, who will also be second rate, can be hired as a nanny to raise the children of your dead wife, correct? That sounds sacrilegious from the very people who say that they value the sanctity of "traditional" or "Biblical" marriage. But your wife can die, and we'll pray that the child lives. I don't get it.

No, I don't think that abortion should be used as an "oops, I'm pregnant, shucks" type birth control. That is irresponsible. But, on the other hand, when we need it for rape, incest and the life of the mother, it should be readily available, regardless of who is abusing the system.

But anyway, back to the point of what is legitimate or illegitimate rape... So, what, if the woman is drunk, and can't speak for her self, it's illegitimate because, why, she was drunk? So, if a man is drunk and I lift his wallet, it's not really theft because a drunk deserves to get rolled, right? Wrong. So why is it that we don't prosecute rape cases as we do theft?

But of course a victim who pleads with her rapists to wear a condom, in case of disease or to prevent pregnancy, is illegitimate too, even though this victim still feels as dirty and violated as the next one.
Yet then, a woman having "too many" pregnancies can have a negative effect on her life, so rather than help by prevention, we would let the mother of 7, pregnant with the 8th to die during the delivery process, just to ensure that we don't end life? Well, now you've just made sure that the kids don't have a mother!
So even if this career politician may have apologized, that Akins supports women who have been victimized, he still doesn't agree with abortion for rape victims. Gee, what does THAT supposed mean? It's a contradiction in terms.

It is just disgusting that a measure like this HR 358 even got passed. Sex abusers should be the ones that get laws passed against them. But no, rather than ensuring that the offenders get locked up, we want to make laws against the women who may get pregnant from the offense. Then we ignore the fact that men can be victims too.

To see how you can help, please go to the Youth Voice Initiative website, and sign the petitions. There are 3. One for the Federal April's Law, a Wisconsin April's Law, and for Sean's Voice. April's Law is to put stiffer sentencing on those who prey on our children sexually. Sean's Voice is to get equal support of men who are the victims of abuse.

Should Sex Offenders or Victims get restricted?

 Not really a mugshot...  But you know, if it were, of an offender, I'd say arrest her!

School Supplies...

A family with 4 teens - 18, 17, 13 & 12 are in need of school supplies and school clothing.  I know the economy is bad, and we can't work miracles, but, it would be nice if we could try to help out some how.  They are in dire need, as the father left them out in the cold, and the mother was a housewife.  Now, with no resources, they don't have enough to get what they need.

Any little bit would be great, even if we don't make our mark.  Something is better than nothing.

Missing Child Alert

Missing Child Alert!

I just got this email from my mom - and I'm hoping we can find him before it's too late.

My friend’s 16 year old son Tyler went missing yesterday in Racine. He went out for a walk and never returned. He was wearing green khaki shorts and no shoes. The police are aware and have listed him as missing. Please pass this picture around any way you can, email, social media, etc. The more people aware, hopefully the sooner he will be found.
Thank you
Melissa Grigg
two-six-two. six-three-six. six-zero-nine-nine.

Missing Boy Named Tyler

Please lets try to find him before it's too late!

 

To my friend Always Free.

I would comment in the Journal Time's blog, but, ever since it got redone, I can only go onto the forum side, and then, they want to charge for my going into the forums if I read too much.  I'm already subscribing, I'm not paying twice.

Anyway, here is the blog in question:
http://my.journaltimes.com/post/ALWAYSFREE/blog2/here_you_go_maurice_b_lika_conad_yep_dem_diversity.html

I just want to let you know, racists come in all shapes, sizes and political parties.  But sure, if you're an abortion doctor, and you want job security, you're going to support those who approve of your line of work.  That happens to be the democrats, for the most part.  That does NOT mean that this particular doctor is necessarily a democrat.  There is a difference between supporting your sense of job security, and actually belonging to the political party.

Some babies are born cuter than others.  But seriously?  With the thick accent, I'm not even sure he knew what was happening.  And here is a question.  Why are those people protesting the abortion doctor's house, rather than actually adopting for real?  They have the chance, and it's not happening.  At least sign up to be foster parents.

So I have a question for the republicans...  If you don't think poor people should have babies, why are you pro-life?  And if you're so pro-life, why don't you think that working poor people should get help to keep their babies healthy by helping out with food stamps and medical care?

National Night Out 8/7/2012

We hosted our first National Night Out block party.  Of course, since it was a Tuesday, so we didn’t have a huge crowd, but, we had about 20 people total participating, so it was fun.

We had two different taco dips, layered jello, grilled yellow string beans and fruit salad that got passed around, and our neighbors had brats, hamburgers, and cheese burgers, while we had barbecued chicken and ribs.

A couple of our neighbors, we hadn’t met before, so it was cool.  A black guy even said we had the best bbq'd ribs he's had from a white guy, and that his wife would be surprised this came from white people.  He also loved my grilled beans.  :)

What made it super cool, was that the fire department came with a nice looking fireman, and he had smoke & fire alarms to help put up, and so one of the neighbors got a new alarm.  Also too, the Sheriff’s department came with McGruff, the Police Dog.  I got to talk to them about April’s Law, and they were really supportive.

Here are some pictures of the event.