tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132522512024-03-06T21:13:02.177-08:00Nina's News and CommentaryThe ultimate news blog providing you with the most popular news stories of the day from the mainstream and alternative media along with my commentary.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.comBlogger807125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-7553560238986312572012-08-17T20:48:00.002-07:002012-08-17T20:48:57.344-07:00Piglipstick and Nolocontendere - A Tribute<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently received the news that my friend and long-time fellow blogger, truth seeker and bullshit shiner Nolocontendere, author of the blog <a href="http://piglipstick.blogspot.com/">piglipstick.blogspot.com</a>, has died. Mr. P died at his home on August 4th due to complications arising from pneumonia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I met Mr. P through my husband and a friendship was thus begun. He came into my life when I was in full swing of questioning reality. He was a wealth of information, which he readily shared. And while his opinions were very strong, his emotions behind them a times almost fierce, he was at his core a peaceful, kind, tender-hearted soul. A big teddy bear, you could say. He knew planet earth could be a "paradise". And he dedicated the remaining years of his much-too-short life pointing out the factors of our world which kept paradise at bay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether people realize it or not, a beacon of beautiful light has left our planet. And whether Mr. P realizes it or not, he had a big 'ole influence on our planet. He entertained and enlightened many a soul. And for that, I thank him. And will miss him for it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RIP big dude. Keep on searchin'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nina</span><br />
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<br />Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-72808032763457554852012-06-12T20:55:00.002-07:002012-06-15T20:39:48.113-07:00Comcast - A Customer's StoryThe following is my family's current dilemma with Comcast. I've followed up with 2 e-mails to some of the higher-ups at Comcast. Whether Comcast will come clean and admit their customer service representative's gross error and honor the original agreement remains to be seen. My next step is to post my you tube video I created. <br />
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***<br />
On May 8th, 2012, my spouse contacted Comcast to inquire about high-speed internet (HSI) and phone package deals. We had been using Comcast HSI at a 12 month promotional price of $29.99, which was expiring that month and we were hoping for another good HSI bargain. We already had basic TV (for years) and wanted to keep that as well. He reached the Beaverton, ORE office and spoke with a young man named Jay. <strong>Jay said we could get HSI and the unlimited phone package for $45 a month</strong>, plus the $7 modem rental. Combined with our basic TV service of $12.61 a month, <strong>our total monthly cost for HSI, phone and TV would be $64.61 a month for 12 months</strong>, minus of course service fees and taxes. When my husband stated that I had spoken with a CSR named Maria a few days prior and she quoted me a price of $59.99 (plus $7 modem rental) for HSI and phone, Jay said this was our lucky day. <br />
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<strong>I stood by my husband as he reiterated the amounts and terms of the agreement and Jay concurred what my husband relayed to him. </strong>My husband also wrote everything down on paper as Jay spoke with him. (We still have that piece of paper. It will be shown on my you tube video.) <br />
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We received our first bill. Comcast claims we owe $92.76 – significantly higher than what Jay said our monthly bill would be. Going through the bill, I noticed <strong>the only discount we received was for the phone</strong>. <strong>There was NO discount for the HSI, nor was there any package deal of HSI and phone, again all as stated by Jay would be forthcoming.</strong><br />
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So my spouse calls Comcast and talks with CSR billing and gets nowhere. He kept wanting to talk about the discrepancy in what Jay said and what Comcast was now telling us. The CSR kept wanting to only explain the bill. So he is finally connected with a <strong>manager who says the only discount we received and were told by Jay we would be receiving was the phone discount of $15</strong> (which in and of itself was false in that the discount shown on our bill was higher than that - $26.95 so where this $15 he kept quoting comes from is unknown - likely something he was pulling out of thin air to cover his a$$). Utterly false. So I got on the phone to talk to the manager. He stuck to his story – in spite of my reading off the piece of paper of notes my husband took that day when he spoke to Jay. The manager said, again, the only discount we would be receiving was $15 and nothing for HSI. (I should also note that Comcast is currently offering that same discount as quoted to me by Maria back in May – but this manager said NOTHING about this. Don’t you think he should have to make SOME attempt at remedying the situation? Don't you think at the very least he should have said "we do have this one HSI and phone promotion...") I even went so far as to ask if they record their phone calls, including the one my husband had with Jay. They do, I was told by the manager. <strong>So I told him to find that taped phone call and listen to it. </strong><br />
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Think he will?<br />
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I doubt it. This manager was truly a bum - a poor poor example of a CSR manager. <br />
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I finally hung up, realizing I was going to get nowhere with this manager. This CS experience was horrible. At the very least, Jay gave us misinformation. At the worst, he mislead us, which is completely deceptive. And either way, as I told the manager today, <strong>this is Comcast’s problem to deal with, not ours.</strong> <br />
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I expect them to make good on the original agreement we had with Jay. <br />
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UPDATE: Spoke with a woman in "Executive Relations" who did what the original manager should have done: listened to the phone call of May 8th. "You were right," she said. We are receiving the original package as offered and agreed upon. There is some justice afterall in the mega-corporate environment. <br />
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<br />Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-92135705506415313402012-05-02T21:03:00.003-07:002012-05-02T21:03:53.327-07:00The Perfect Mother<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, to begin with, WTH Google?? Changing things again?? I don't have time to learn much less read these days. I'm not interested in change. I'm interested in CONSISTENCY. I'm lucky to get a few moments to write the occasional post (by occasional I mean 1/x every 3 months). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Back to my original subject. The Perfect Mother. She exists. It isn't a myth. The one I hate to hate because she's so darn nice. But hate her, nonetheless I do. She has boundless energy. I see her riding her bike several times a day, all decked out in her professional bike riding attire. Where the hell does she have this energy, especially at 7pm at night? By 7:30pm, I'm lying in the chair in a half-comatose state, my little one snuggled up onto my lap. And who is watching her children during these rides? She obviously has help and plenty of it, whenever she wants. That reason alone is enough for me to resent her. My one activity that I love more than anything, playing the piano, is something I get to do maybe 2-3 times a MONTH - certainly not EVERY DAY. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I see her play with her children throughout the day. I never hear her yell, even when one of her children happen to run out into the street. All I ever hear is positive praise. Good job this, good job that. Come to MY house and you'll watch this over-worked, overly-exhausted mama, hair half up, half down, likely broccoli and spinach in my teeth along w/bad breath because I haven't had time in months to really give my teeth a good brushing. In between the occasional comments of praise you will hear "don't touch that...no leave that alone...come here yes you i said COME HERE put that down before you hurt yourself no we don't touch that". I NEVER hear those words come out of this mom's mouth. Another reason I hate her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Who is cooking the meals and cleaning the house during all of this excessive outside playtime, I think. And the house. Oh, the house. I walk by and peek inside. Nary a toy do I see. The yard, no toys either. The lawn, PERFECTLY manicured. Flowers? All in tact and watered. Come to MY house and you'll see buckets, little shovels and rakes, turned over pots and a massive smattering of dandelions in our always-needing-to-be-mowed lawn, and the plants sitting there many of whom beg for water in their droopy state. My poor plants, many of whom are half-picked because I have a curious toddler who thinks all things with a pretty petal must be picked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And there's the nice factor. She always waves, always stops to chat, always with a smile on her face. UGH! DOESN'T SHE EVER LOOK TIRED? ISN'T SHE EVER BITCHY? When I'm having a mama day, I don't always wave. Chatting isn't something I want to do - unless it involves a shoulder to cry on, some good pastries and a babysitter. And smiles? Forget about it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I would continue but I'm having a mama day. So before I put my foot in my mouth even further, I shall close up.</span><br />
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<br />Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-25541766210671131692012-04-08T21:00:00.000-07:002012-04-08T21:00:55.270-07:00Bullshit Detector on this Easter SundayOk, so now that I'm a parent, I have to admit I'm now celebrating Easter with my little one in the fact that we hid little plastic eggs filled with chocolates around the yard today for her to search for, collect and enjoy. That was, of course, adorable and entertaining to watch. However, beyond that, the celebration ends. <br />
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I think of George Carlin on this day who did a hilarious routine about things he said were obviously "bullshit". Religion was one of his favorites to go after. It went something like this...(please forgive as I hack it up w/my own opinions and sarcasm)<br />
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"Ok, so you have these folks (the believers) who think there's some Man in the Clouds. And this Man only talks to them. However, to the rest of the world (who are referred to as the non-believers), he pleads the 5th. This Man, some 2000 years ago, sent Himself to Earth in human form and called Himself Jesus. This was done, you see, to free the people from their sins because they were being so wretched and ornary. The Man in the Clouds also did this to grant the believers eternal life in Heaven with Him, in so long as they do some things for Him. Some of these things include:<br />
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Following commandments such as not having sex with your neighbors wife or husband, not stealing or lying. Basically, be a good person. That should be enough to get this eternal life in Heavenly Paradise, but the Man in the Clouds doesn't think so. He thinks he should also be Worshipped on top of being Obeyed. [Makes you think the Man in the Clouds has some insecurity issues, huh?] If one refuses or simply isn't able to do such a thing, they are cast into Hell/Lake of Hell Fire for eternity. <br />
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Take your pick. It all sounds like a horrible, awful place. <br />
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Now, ask the believers why the Man in the Clouds would do such a thing to a Soul, a Being He so, supposedly, carefully and lovingly created. Why, because HE LOVES YOU. Yes, HE LOVES YOU so much, that if you don't satisify his insecure, ego-centric need for unconditional loving attention [sorta sounds like toddler behavior to me], the Man in the Clouds will abandon you forever and send you straight to hell.<br />
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If that isn't enough to sound the Bullshit Detector folks, I don't know what is."<br />
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Happy Easter/Bunny/Chocolate/Candy/Ham Day to you all - believers and non-believers alike. We may not unite on things such as Religion, but I think we can all admit to liking a good slice of ham and some chocolate.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-80869896836875354632011-12-06T21:22:00.000-08:002011-12-06T21:22:16.592-08:00Blame The VictimAn excellent depiction of Rugged Individualism and it's equally deplorable cousin Blame The Victim.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrcxJW53bKF60f1RqWCW-MMtkyVIRmfT58M_mLwfAP4SSbU12CPKpGxkxBjuFDPVjecP7wFyfpBpSobWlYrlbb-AIrg6NqE6NQxbVfb6EGsKVB5oHK4DfLBXSNQEIVIK_CxN1/s1600/TMW2011-11-30colorlowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrcxJW53bKF60f1RqWCW-MMtkyVIRmfT58M_mLwfAP4SSbU12CPKpGxkxBjuFDPVjecP7wFyfpBpSobWlYrlbb-AIrg6NqE6NQxbVfb6EGsKVB5oHK4DfLBXSNQEIVIK_CxN1/s320/TMW2011-11-30colorlowres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-3424838527033681702011-11-05T21:05:00.000-07:002011-11-05T21:05:30.223-07:00Who Are The Top 1%?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently heard where one of the Occupiers asked Michael Moore if he would be willing to give someone in need a million dollars. Afterall, the guy really is one of the top 1% - certainly one of the super rich. Last I heard, Mikey had refused to comment. Makes one think of all these media and celebrity types speaking out in favor of the Occupy Wallstreet movement. Uh, so let me get this straight. The Occupy movement is about redistributing the wealth - at least that is what the primary focus is - the hoarding of the wealth from the rest of us to the upper echelon's. And yet we have these ultra wealthy individuals, who only seem to favor an increase in taxes on their income as a means of offering up more of their income. In truth, who really needs a multi-million dollar salary or a hundred million or even billion dollar networth? NO ONE. Not that the idea is inherently evil. I just take issue with people who have a stockpile of money they will never use and don't need, all of which would be much better utilized helping rebuild our economy (i.e. through donating funds to help folks get into a home, return to school, rebuild the infrastructure, help someone start their own business, etc. etc.). My beef comes in when they think they're like those people who are protesting when <strong><u>NOT ONE OF THEM</u></strong> knows what it's like to be struggling and poor in today's economy. Many of them never have known such struggles as an adult. And while I realize that some of these folks may have come from poor or working class backgrounds during their youth and younger years, to that I say "big whoop". Being poor at 10 or 22 is vastly different than being poor at 40 or 50 - especially when the income drop comes suddenly after years of working your ass off. And MOST ESPECIALLY in today's economic climate of hyper inflation. The dollar goes oh so far less today than it did 20, 30 years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, click on the link below for the top 1%. </span><br />
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<a href="http://educate-yourself.org/cn/toponepercent18oct11.shtml">http://educate-yourself.org/cn/toponepercent18oct11.shtml</a>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-14890378956694191202011-11-05T14:06:00.000-07:002011-11-05T14:06:03.834-07:00Occupy This!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Occupy movement has me thinking. What isn't there to Occupy in this world? What part of this system truly works for All? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'd like to Occupy the real estate market. Rip it up. Tear it down. Get rid entirely of the idea of buying a home. Remove completely the concept of buying and selling, buying and selling, over and over again in order to make money. I find it utterly contrary to us as human and spiritual beings to move so much - especially when it's usually about the pursuit of profit/more dollars. How does this make any of us better than the bankers? The elite? IT DOESN'T. Housing is a human right. A RIGHT. NOT a privilege. And believe you me, when you've been priced out of the market, you do indeed begin to view home ownership in this light. There's plenty of space on this beautiful planet to provide each of us with a home and land OF OUR OWN.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This leads me to my next Occupy desire. Occupy this overpopulation bullshit. This planet has a vast intelligence whereby she is not going to allow for herself to be overpopulated. Life itself is also vastly intelligent. Souls simply will not come to this planet in abundance any longer if she is not capable of supporting life. Nope. The real issue is how the resources on this planet have been raped and hoarded. Mega corporations steal land from indigenous populations, employ destructive farming principles that create unhealthy food and leave behind soil that is no longer farmable, hence making way for said evil scum corporation to go spread their evil ways on other lands. Waterways have become our dumping ground and private mega corporations own most of our water supply. Add those two together and you have the illusion of mass water shortages; illusionary only because THIS WAS NOT CREATED BY WE THE PEOPLE but THEY THE CROOKS WHO RUN THE SHOW. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ah, this leads me to my next Occupy statement. Occupy the myth of manmade climate change. The powers that be along w/their mega corporations have spent years perfecting weather control/creation/manipulation technology. Think about this for a moment. What's one tactic these folks use when trying to get the populace to embrace something nad and difficult? SELF BLAME. Blame the private citizen. Not us. Blame the private citizen for driving a gas-powered vehicle. Blame the private citizen for using incadecent bulbs. Blame the private citizen for x y and z, ad nauseum. But us? Why, we will travel the world in our private jets and our limo's to tell you why YOU need to change YOUR behavior. After we induce you with guilt and encourage you to go to one of our many partners (i.e. WALMART, etc.) to stock up on :::choke choke::: "healthy" compact mercury-laden fluorescent bulbs and turn off your lights and keep your home thermostat at 65 - WE will then return to our 10,000 square foot mansions where every room is a perfect 72 degrees and remain silent on the MASSIVE amounts of energy waste our corporate partners employ every moment of every day. And when we return home, we'll mentally masturbate over all of the stuff we have like the glut of gas powered cars we own. Oh but hey, one of those is a Prius so that alleviates our guilt and allows us to put the finger right back on YOU: private citizen who, if lucky, are still living in your own little meager house, driving to a job each day, working for da man. In between your slavery, excuse me, your typical daily schedule, don't forget it is YOU who is causing the planetary destruction known as climate change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While we're at it, let us also Occupy slumlords. You know who you are. You also spend your time in the state of mental masturbation these days because you KNOW people are desperate in this current economic state. You KNOW there's been a huge glut of people now in the rental market due to the foreclosure scam. (And what the phuck isn't a scam when it comes to da system?) Rather than reaching into your hearts and offering out some compassion (i.e. reasonable rental rates), instead you decide to massively jack up the rents because, hey, you know, some poor schmuck will do whatever it takes to be in your home. Not only do you charge ridiculous rental prices, you think you can take advantage of your new renters. You won't fix things unless court-ordered. You lie. You threaten. You are always willing to evict for no reason at all other than your latest tenant is smart and aware and knows his/her rights and gawd forbid you be BOTHERED to MAINTAIN your property. Hell, you'll even go so far as one of your scum pal banks and evict an entire family - children and all. Let me tell you this from personal experience: Hell hath no fury like a mama with a little one who has faced no-fault eviction. Let us just hope paths never again cross...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So many things to Occupy. Health insurance. The cost of milk and bread. Stupidity. The church. Religion. Coal. Oil. GMO foods. I could go on and on in my anger and apathy. But what is the point? What would this accomplish?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nothing. Not a darn thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You see, we can tear down walls and rebuild, we can march and scream and shout, but nothing and I mean <em><strong><u>nothing</u></strong></em> will change with the level of thinking and feeling we employ in our daily lives. We need to Occupy our hearts. Our innermost feelings. We need to remember what it's like to be a child again. We need to Occupy our innocence. Our hope. Faith. We need to Occupy that space where we look at everyone around us and we desire to reach out and take the others hand and say "hello!" I watch my little one do this and I know - she has the answers. She knows. And somewhere within, so do I. And so do you. </span>Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-47295572805516704702011-08-13T21:22:00.000-07:002011-08-20T20:32:54.656-07:00A Message From The MamaI am particularly perturbed with the world at large for not being more understanding of mama's. We work harder and do more before noon than any of our soldiers do all week long. Even in battle. Every other profession gets an assigned break at some point. And sleep isn't an issue for any other profession - certainly not an ongoing situation of LACK OF. Despite all of this work, where's our glory? Where's our recognition? All the world has to offer us is <strong><u><em>one stinkin' day</em></u></strong>? THAT'S THE BEST OUR SOCIETY CAN DO? Give us just one day? And usually on that one day we're still stuck doing the daily chores and childrearing. Find me a mama who actually gets the day doing what she wants and I'll say "that's a mom whose children have left home!"<br />
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Not only are we deserving of glory and at least a purple heart of some sort (ever chase after a toddler? THAT'S a battlefield!!) - WE SHOULD GET PAID FOR IT. Let me tell you if men carried and birthed and nursed children, THEY WOULD GET PAID FOR IT. The system would ensure them of this. Every WEEK there would be a national holiday surrounding mama's (or papa's). <br />
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Nope. This is a man's world baby and ANY mama will tell you that. I always knew this to be true before I was a mama, but since becoming one, it's even more obvious. If it were more slanted towards the feminine, we would see the following: 1) Free and/or affordable childcare for ALL. 2) $ubsidies for all mama's the first 5 years of the child's life if mama chooses to stay at home. 3) Or hell, the elimination of money altogether and in its place, a system whereby every citizen gets EVERY SINGLE THING EVERY MAMA WANTS FOR HER CHILD: safe, secure shelter; healthy food and water; clothing; health care; a rock solid education; respect and any other emotional need met to ensure the child's happiness. <br />
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As a mama, I'm always in a hurry. I rush to take a shower. To pee. To eat. To get my child in and out of the carseat.<br />
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Ah, getting in and out of the carseat. Now THAT'S an adventure. Try doing it in a crowded parking lot with impatient assholes doing their best to be patient while you attempt to (ok I need to take a time out - mama duty calls - fussy baby who wants to nurse)...back. Where was I? Oh yes, loading up the little one in the carseat. I have a small car which means a small backseat which means I have to sit sideways to put in the baby which means I have to keep the car door open which means sometimes people have to wait to pull out while I put in the little one. Sorry. That's just the way it is. It's been humbling for me because I used to be one of the occasional impatient ones while another mama would load up her little ones in their carseats. I never said anything - I'm too scared and too damn polite to do that. But I certainly projected my impatient thoughts on that mama.<br />
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As such, I'm a much more tolerant and patient person of people, mama's in particular. And yet I'm less tolerant and patient with others who support any sort of this world that makes my life more challenging, difficult and downright (some days), impossible. But I'm about to get political and I try not to tarnish my soul anymore with such foolishness. Ok, not foolishness. Cause it isn't foolish. I just have to try and watch where I project my energy for energy that is too charged up is energy I simply can't create. Too tired to. <br />
No one worries more than a mama. No one can possibly know what it's like to both have your heart broken and burst wide open all at the same time. No one but a mama knows what it's like feel such fear and concern over the future of this planet. No one but a mama TRULY wants what is BEST for our children. For ALL children. Sure, lots of people (often childless or men) spout the "we must do what's best for and right by our children" but such folks don't really do what's really necessary. They still support the same 'ole same 'ole. Again, about to get into the political/social commentary so I'll stop. Scroll up and re-read the "what every mama wants for her child" sentence and you'll get what I mean. <br />
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Want to know what offends me? When I'm asked "so, what do you do?" Even when I've said "I'm a mama" I have still had people (male <em>and</em> female) ask, "no, what do you DO?" I just smile and say "As I said, I'm a mama. I just don't get PAID for my work" while thinking 'you stupid fucking idiot'... (Oh, how I'd love to just sit down w/someone like this and share w/them all of the ideas and attempts I have made to make $$ - just in the past year alone. Maybe I should start adding "professional money making attempter" to my "mama" title.) <br />
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Want to know what else offends me? How often I'm asked "oh, are you going to have more?" Or some folks have been gutsy by stating "oh you are going to have more, aren't you?" I know these people are well-intentioned. But god damn, I'm tired as hell, ok? LOOK IN MY EYES, I want to say. SEE the bags and wrinkles??? LOOK AT MY 3 MINUTE LAME ASS HAIRDO. LOOK AT MY FRUMPY CLOTHES. See how my pants bag on my ass?? That's because I've seemed to LOOSE this particular body part since giving birth and can't afford new pants! And I ain't a spring chicken. Being pregnant took a toll on my body in certain ways. Not that I wasn't as healthy (or even more so) than my younger mama friends during their pregnancies - just that well, time has a way of not being so nice to our bodies. Especially when we're forced to carry around extra weight for 9 months. The knees in particular. And my knees were never my strong point...<br />
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Geesh! Re-reading this, all I can think is "someone give this girl a vacation and a massage and a paycheck!"<br />
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Want to know what hurts though? No one and I mean no one asks me about ME anymore. Since when did becoming a mama mean I lose things about myself - like my hobbies, my ideas, my thoughts, hopes and dreams? My spouse is in school so that's a topic for people to discuss with him ABOUT him. But me? Oh, I'm just the mama. You know - the one who has nothing of value to share apparently. Oh sure, others will empathize w/me over my sleep deprivation (while more experienced mama's whose children have left home will laugh over at times which makes me want to hand them my little angel and let them spend a few hours with her THEN we'll see if they're laughing upon my return). But still - that sleep deprivation is because OF my little one. IT IS NOT ABOUT JUST ME. <br />
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Yes. Come on world. Give this girl a vacation. Give her some massage treatments. Ask her about things that have only to do with HER. For yes, I love being a mama. I am in love in a way I have never been before. But that doesn't mean I have to stop loving myself. Does it?<br />
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Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-48857025358769141292011-05-03T22:43:00.000-07:002011-05-07T21:29:20.059-07:00Late Night RamblingsOk, google. You just asked me for my phone number in order to continue to my blog. So I entered "5555555555" and you took it.<br />
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Idiots.<br />
<br />
So Osama suddenly turns up dead. Killed by our Navy Seals. How convenient of a time for such an event. And how beneficial for Obama who is pining for the 2012 election. Now he can claim "I killed Osama" and all of his googly-eyed peeps can continue to bow in front of his feet whilst doing their on-going dismissal of his failures. <br />
<br />
Ever moved with a baby? Try and avoid that unless you have free childcare lined up for weekS. And no, THAT is not a typo.<br />
<br />
The older the calendar tells me I am, the harder it is for me to relate to the general populace. I despise small cocktail type chatter and prefer deep relating, especially on the realities of our planet, the system, the crap behind Oz's curtain, etc. I feel this sense of urgency to wake up people now. And yet if they ain't there yet, I just can't stomach interacting with them. Am I a snob? Perhaps in a way I am. Mostly I just feel too old/evolved/different whatever the term is to spend my time trying to connect with someone who is on a whole different level and engaged in an entirely different mindset. I think what this means is me familia and I are headed to the hills of Canada or some such place where we can finally enjoy and live the life we have long desired. Oh so long desired. Be extra nice to find like-minded souls. Simpletons who engage in surface level conversations and who are unforgiving/emotionally void BORE THE CRAP OUTTA ME. Plus yeah, they piss me off, too. Wish there was a pill I could put in their food to change all that. Turn on the AWAKENED HEART/MIND gene. <br />
<br />
Being a mama is tough work. The most rewarding. The most challenging. The most unthankful. No recognition. Lots of demands and expectations. Thank god for that unconditional love thing (that and the adorability factor) cause otherwise mama's all around the globe would be putting their little darlings alongside roadway curbs some days. : )<br />
<br />
Speaking of, 8am comes all too soon and it's all too late so I'm off for now. Ciao.<br />
<br />
N.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-57594528624724354972011-04-10T21:57:00.000-07:002011-04-10T21:57:31.543-07:00Whew!On a lighter note...<br />
<br />
Did you know that when babies first begin to walk, they walk faster than their parents?<br />
<br />
Did you know when you put your baby down to play, she will automatically go for the one thing in which you do NOT want her to play?<br />
<br />
Did you know that the concept of babies sleeping soundly and deeply on a regular basis is a lie? (Ok, it's a myth. When you're a sleep-deprived parent who has relied on "experts" and find out said "experts" don't always know what they're talking of, you tend to call them LIARS.)<br />
<br />
Did you know that some days your baby may actually feel heavier to you - like <strong><em>noticably</em></strong> heavier? <br />
Did you know that in her infinate, awesome wisdom, nature gives parents, the mama especially, super human strength, incredible vision (also known as "eyes in the back of the head"), insight and the capacity to operate on very little sleep day in and day out? Uh huh. <br />
<br />
Did you know that, if you're a breastfeeding mama, and your baby consumes more milk, you will also consume more food? Talk about eating for 2! At NO time, not even during pregnancy, does this have more meaning. <br />
<br />
Did you know that the phrase "when the child is your own, it's totally different to your heart, mind, soul and patience than any other child you've ever known" is COMPLETELY TRUE? <br />
<br />
Uh huh. Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-1627915010370411142011-03-31T21:56:00.000-07:002011-03-31T21:56:28.978-07:00Mad Dash To Spew The Thoughts Rambling Through My BrainThe little one's asleep. Housework is done for the day. Been another busy day. And my mind is aching to expel the thoughts carried with me throughout this beautiful finally-reached-60 spring day. <br />
<br />
*Looks like we have another president with an impeachable offense. Dennis Kucinich has the balls to put the idea on the congressional table. Will others follow suit? Likely the repukes will only because he is a democrap. <br />
<br />
*The horrifying nuclear situation in Japan is not enough to touch the sociopathic mindset of certain leaders (which as those who know me is a term is use loosely) in terms of doing the right thing and ridding this planet of anything with the word "nuclear" attached. POWER WITH HEMP. <br />
<br />
*Ok. So you lose your job in this hellish economy. Can't find anything decent much over minimum wage. "Go back to school," you're told. You finally decide, "what they hey" and re-enter the classroom. Sounds easy, right? Think again. Obama wants to do away with the Pell Grant program altogether. Schools, even Community Colleges, are turning away students due to the overwhelmingly high demand while raising tuition 30% plus. At the same time, they are cutting staff. Unless you receive priority registration, chances are most if not all of the classes you want will be full. Interested in a high demand program? Get in line and wait. For 1-2 years. Staff tell you, "Take whatever classes you can, even if they're not part of your degree program". Which is another way of saying "give us your money even if you end up not taking the classes you want or need". Sounds like a recipe for collapse??? Hmmm...<br />
<br />
*We teach our beautiful angels, our children, to share. To treat others the way we wish to be treated. Then we toss them out into a System that does the exact opposite. Seems to me some of the system creators ought to go through kindergarten again, eh? Assuming they're human that is...<br />
<br />
*Who in the hell ever gave banks the right to own this land? The entire concept of home ownership/mortgage is nothing but a giant scam, albeit a (disgustingly) brilliant one. Who else but some banker would come up with the idea of perpetual profit from the land? It is horrifying to me. <br />
<br />
*I feel so grateful to be my little girl's mama. It is an experience that cannot be described with words. It must be felt. The feelings run stronger and deeper than any other feelings one can experience. <br />
<br />
*The term sustainability is tossed around alot these days. And the missing key in all of this is often money. And those left out of the equation are those who don't have any or very little. The housing market is one thing that is not sustainable. The cost of food is another. Health care yet another. Schooling, ditto. Need I go on? Simply put we have an unsustainable system that says in order to provide for your basic survival needs, you must have the money to pay for it. If you don't, well, sorry for you. How did we ever (de)evolve to such a state of consciousness that we became ok with this? How far away from our authentic selves have we strayed to accept such a concept? <br />
<br />
*Am I the only one who feels a sense of deep fatigue when seeing how, once again, The Empire goes and invades another country (Libya)? I mean really, how long can such people continue to create destruction without destroying their own inner consciousness? And how long can we as a public remain apathetic to such life and planet-destroying acts? Are we going to continue on in our apathy and/or sense of helplessness or are we going to dig deep and pull up those love reserves and let it all shine forth loudly, strongly and peacefully? I myself am a fan of love. : )Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-3627546496119307072011-03-24T17:24:00.000-07:002011-03-24T17:24:31.280-07:00Common Sense Legislation/A World With No Money?<a href="http://cannabistaxact.org/">On track</a> for the November 2012 ballot. Heck yeah, I say. Heck yeah! <br />
And for those of you who are fed the farmville hell up with the monetary-based system, check out the Zeitgeist Movement (google it). Proposed is a beautiful system that is free of money. Imagine it people. I know you can. <br />
<br />
Been a long time since I blogged. My days are spent in a daze keeping up with and caring for the toddler-in-becoming. I love being a mama. More than I ever imagined. However, even though in some ways I am more patient and open, in other ways I am less patient. My disdain for the horrors of our world has only deepened as I now have more reason to care about our planet and its future. I don't have the patience for obvious stupidity and obvious callousness and obvious disregard for life. Call me the mad mama on a mission. <br />
<br />
As papa bear says, don't poke the mama bear. Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-53066669880402103302010-08-19T22:27:00.000-07:002010-08-19T22:27:41.052-07:00another baby updatei sit here, typing with one hand as the little one commands that i hold/nurse/snuggle her every day after 8pm. sometimes this goes on for more than 2 hours. what this means is my days (or nights) of partying are over for now.<br />
<br />
pausing as i wait for confusion and laughter to cease as for anyone who knows me knows i am not a partyier. and hell, i can't even spell the word - but i do like a good time in my own way and where am i going w/all of this anyway????<br />
<br />
ah yes, the little one. <br />
<br />
breastfeeding is draining what few precious brain cells i have left (due to the partying i did in my younger years). add in sleep deprivation and singing "the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round" every day and you have a recipe for.....<br />
<br />
true love.<br />
<br />
ah, fooled ya, huh?<br />
<br />
i never knew love like this before...<br />
<br />
the first time ever i saw your face...<br />
<br />
we can take forever just a minute at a time...<br />
<br />
so many songs i sing to my little angel everyday - looking into her eyes - seeing heavenly forever/all there is - well...it never tires me. even when i am utterly spent with fatigue. why didn't i do this sooner?<br />
<br />
for once i was lost and now i am found...what used to pass my days - keeping up with the latest political and agenda happenings and screaming about it is no longer my passion. a little person, under 15 lbs, is my passion.<br />
<br />
and yet i want to present her with the reality as i see it. i want her prepared. aware. strong. courageous. loving and kind. i want to live another 60 plus years so that i can be here for her as she enters her own mid-life experiences. i'm anti-pill but find me an anti-aging pill and i'll take it just to add to that self-assurance.<br />
<br />
did i mention she has my eyes? and smile?<br />
<br />
did i mention she is adorably beautiful?<br />
<br />
did i mention she greets me with a smile each and every morning, without fail?<br />
<br />
did i mention i cannot live without her?<br />
<br />
did i mention i wonder why i did not do this sooner?<br />
<br />
what was i so afraid of?<br />
<br />
love?<br />
<br />
hmm...<br />
<br />
she's discovered television. and is mesmerized by it. the tv 'off' button is the most-used button in the house now. mostly it is now a big square thing with a black face, sitting silently in the living room. it's a silence i can live with. <br />
<br />
she loves to dance. i'll turn on some tunes, roberta flack being one of my faves, and she and i will dance, cheek-to-cheek. we've created several spontanteous baby naps doing this.<br />
<br />
did i mention there is nothing more calming than your baby's sweet little breathe on your neck?<br />
<br />
did i mention there is nothing softer than your baby's skin?<br />
<br />
did i mention there is nothing more precious than 5 little fingers stroking your shoulder?<br />
<br />
did i mention there is nothing more addictive than inhaling your baby's sweet scent?<br />
<br />
i write her letters, expressing my wishes for her and my concerns. i wish for myself, at times, super-hero characteristics. i want to protect her from harm and pain of any kind. i want to clean the slate clean of our world of all the ills and evils so that her life experience can be of the heavenly kind. my one goal is to work to ensure i leave her with a home and land so that she many never know homelessness. and the skills to garden and hunt so that she may never know hunger. i wish for her to be surrounded by good friends, the kind who can be trusted and counted on. <br />
<br />
for now, we are focused on learning how to scoot and sit up - on how to catch the drool and spit-up before they find their place on the carpet or mama's clothing. life is good.<br />
<br />
and now the clock tells me it is 10:30pm and little one is finally asleep. therefore, it is also time for the mama (that would be me) to tuck myself in to bed as well. <br />
<br />
g'night all.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-28472721789376792822010-06-22T18:30:00.000-07:002010-06-22T18:30:12.880-07:00Baby DazeThe Led Zeppelin song, Dazed and Confused, in particular the line "been dazed and confused for so long..." has been a theme song in my brain the past 6 weeks. The saying "A baby changes everything" is so true - the brain cells nonwithstanding. <br />
<br />
Good lord...<br />
<br />
She's changing so fast. And just when I think "at last - she is going to sleep for more than 2 hours" she surprises me and sleeps 30 minutes. Before wanting to eat. Again. For the 50th time. That day.<br />
<br />
There are of course lots of opinions on how to cope with this exhaustion. The breast nazi's (pro breastfeeding folks) tell me to ride it out and adjust my attitude. Don't think of it as exhaustion but focus instead on the good I am doing for my baby.<br />
<br />
I would focus...IF I COULD.<br />
<br />
Then there are the other supposed experts on the other side of the fence who advise to supplement with rice cereal or formula to help stretch out those sleep periods. Then I read where this is a myth.<br />
<br />
Then there's the grandparents, who are under the illusion that their children (that would be me) were these perfect babies who slept 4-5 hours at a time off the bat, who rarely if ever cried. Exhaustion? Why, they didn't experience that.<br />
<br />
Which proves my point that parents experience infanthood amnesia, which is nature's way of having us forget the struggles of this time period to ensure we have more children. Much like pregnant women experience both pregnancy and delivery amnesia. I can vow for that.<br />
<br />
As I said, she is growing fast. Much like a weed. And like a weed she has a purpose. Unlike a weed though, she has a beauty to her that I find intoxicating. It enables me to reach to her when she's crying at 3am wanting to feed, only having done the same thing 2 hours prior. <br />
<br />
See ya on the other side of the daze...Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-5264895187504831382010-05-23T14:50:00.000-07:002010-05-23T14:50:20.940-07:00Baby Baby Baby!Mr. N and I welcomed our little girl into the world 2 weeks ago. She's beautiful (looks a lot like her mama so of course she's beautiful) and healthy and just perfect. Labor and delivery was an awesome, surreal experience. It went as planned - a la natural with no medical intervening. 22 hours of labor and 1 hr 45 minutes of pushing. Hurt like hell at times but it's a weird sort of "pain". Nature has a way of making us women forget the pain. Physically I am doing well - healing and resting. Breastfeeding causes the pregnancy belly to disappear quite quickly. It's the lack of sleep that is hard to get used to. Don't think one ever does "get used to" it, frankly. Never thought I'd feel a love like this. It's overpowering at times - something you don't have any control over. Life has totally changed direction for us - new focus for certain. She is, quite literally, the center of our little Universe. As such, blogging is at the bottom of the priority list for the foreseeable future. And that's ok by this new mama.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-12121536076499635772010-05-04T16:23:00.000-07:002010-05-04T16:23:17.235-07:00Long-Term Unemployed: A Sobering StoryAs found on <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-27052-Rochester-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m4d28-Tier-5-unemployment-benefits--why-they-are-needed-update-April-28-2010?#comments"><strong><span style="color: blue;">this site</span></strong></a>.<br />
<br />
<em>"Dear Senator Reid:</em><br />
<br />
<em>First I would like to thank you for your work in extending UI benefits to millions of us Americans who depend upon these for basic survival. I also applaud your work on passing health care. I know these were tough tasks, and ones which you put yourself in the line of fire in order to get passed.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Senator I hope you will read my letter carefully. This is probably the single hardest thing I have ever had to sit down and write. I know that you personally know the pain of being a suicide survivor. I am writing today to share my family’s real life tragic experience of the 2009 economic crisis. I am also writing to plead to you for help for a group of us that the Congress has forgotten about - those of us who need a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension because we have exhausted all of our 99 weeks of UI benefits. Those of us who cannot find jobs regardless of how qualified we are, or how hard we look. The country has been deceived into believing that everyone has been looked after with the 60 day extension recently passed. In fact there are millions of us out here who have exhausted all four levels of UI benefits and are scared and suffering. Millions of living and breathing human beings who feel pain and shame, more desperate than we ever imagined we could be. Many of these desperate and scared people without UI benefits will be faced with a very real option that they will consider – unfortunately I am speaking of Suicide.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>My dad, S, killed himself March 16, 2009 because he ran out of money and could not find work. My whole family had been devastated by the economy. He was 61 years old and could not take it anymore. He could not figure out how to keep the electric on, buy food, or keep a roof over his head. A day before his electric was to be shut off, and 2 weeks away from eviction, my dad took the hardest walk of his life. He left a note on the dining room table for my sister and I. His suicide letter said “I love you. I had to do this. I ran out of money. I wish you both luck in your lives”. He left the door unlocked with the door key left in the lock. He carefully laid out two suits for us to pick from to bury him in. </em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>I almost caught my dad in time, maybe another 10 minutes and I could have saved him Senator Reid. Dad walked 2 blocks down to the Belmont Memorial Pier in Long Beach at 10:15 am, and walked into the men’s restroom midway down the pier. He took a glock hand gun and shot himself in the head. We called the police when we found the suicide notes. I cannot explain to another human being the depth of pain I feel inside. I will never forget the image of police and coroner’s cars in front of my dad’s condo. I will never forget the looks on the officer’s faces when I walked in. I will never forget hearing the words “they found your dad’s body”. I could not believe what they told. I made the coroner show me his face. They argued and warned that I shouldn’t see this. But I had to, it was my dad, I wanted to understand what was going on. After shifting through many frames cautious so I wouldn’t see the death scene photos she found one with just his face showing, his head was wrapped in a towel. He looked sad and old and asleep. I will never forget the spectator I crossed paths with as he walking out of the restroom laughing because there was not enough of my dad on the restroom wall to entertain him. I will live with horror of this in my head forever. The beach and piers are a really bad place to me now. I avoid the pain they remind me of. I remember looking in my dad’s refrigerator to see how much food he had left. I was desperate to understand what happened at 10:00 am that led us into this horror. There wasn’t much food there. The lights were going off soon, the heat and so on. He must have been terrified. How do you take your last walk knowing you will never touch earth again? How do you walk in that restroom door knowing you will never see daylight or the ocean or your family? I have a million questions Senator. Did he pray? Was he feeling alone and hurt? I will never know the answer to any of these. All I know is that dad left a note in his pant pocket with my phone number for the police to call me when they found him. I know that I will feel really lousy every March 16th and every Father’s Day. On top of this my family could not afford to bury dad. Thank God distant family helped us do what we could not here. Most of congress will never have to figure out how to bury their loved one after a suicide because they have no money.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>On a blog for those of us praying and hoping for a Tier 5 Extension I read about another person who has exhausted her benefits. She is, or possibly was by now, 50 years old and had no family other than two dogs and a cat. She was writing about her despair and her only remaining option. Unable to find work and with no UI benefits she has $850 left to her name. Her plan is to take her three pets to a local no-kill animal shelter and give them over, along with her last money to look after them. She is then going home to commit suicide. I wrote back on the blog as did many people and begged her to reconsider this. We offered to be an ear or shoulder and share her fear and pain.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>I have called and spoken with most of the senator’s offices and spoken with aids in each office. I relayed my family’s own story of pain and suicide. I also explained about the suicidal woman with the pets. Almost all of these aids acted as if they were bored or indifferent to my call. Each one offered a carefully crafted monotone exit line. However, I spoke with Mike in your Reno office. Mike stopped and listened to my story and my pain. He was the only person I crossed paths with that responded with kindness and compassion. He was kind enough to help me understand the process, and what you are doing to help us seeking a lifeline through Tier 5 Extension. I asked Mike if I write this letter could he please get it to you.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Congress continues to ignore the need for a Tier 5 Extension. I pray you will make this your mission to pass a Tier 5 Extension. There are millions of people out here terrified and suffering. While Congress delays and debates and ignores many of these people will perish. One of these people was my dad. He is not just a tragic story, he was a real living human being to me – he was my dad. Please Senator stop one more person from reaching such a dark and desperate place.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>You have my permission to use my story in any manner which you feel appropriate Senator. I ask that you please not use my name or the location of my dad’s death. We already experienced a second page newspaper story the day after dad’s death. </em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>You have my respect Senator. I sincerely hope you will fight for us – we need you right now!</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Sincerely,</em><br />
<br />
<em>R"</em><br />
<br />
**A note to those who have not been impacted by the current depression and a note to those who are living comfortably (as in no threat of being homeless or hungry anytime in the foreseeable future): <em><strong>You have an obligation to help out your fellow unemployed human beings.</strong></em> It would be an immense help if you would copy this letter, send it to your representative, then command that the EUC program be extended through years end (at minimum) AND that an additional tier of benefits for the long-term unemployed (aka 'the 99ers') be added. Like it or not, eventually we will all have to deal head on with this issue. The growing number of homeless people are going to have no choice but to begin to take from those who have, especially if services for the needy continue to be cut. The answer isn't to deny them the right to safe shelter and food. The answer isn't to turn this country into an us versus them wild-wild-west atmosphere. <em><strong>The answer is to HELP in any way one can.</strong></em> And a great start is to help those of us in this situation by writing and/or faxing - regularly - your representatives. Thank you.<br />
<br />
N.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-90373769078295526752010-05-02T22:10:00.000-07:002010-05-02T22:10:44.507-07:00Unemployment Rates: State by StateRemember kiddies to double these numbers as they do not include those who have fallen off the unemployment benefits roster nor do they include those who have had to settle for a part-time minimum wage job (as I tell clueless family members: <strong><em>you simply cannot grow an economy or save your ass from poverty on walmart jobs</em></strong>) nor do they include those who have simply given up. These stats are for March of 2010. You can bet those numbers will continue to climb - although I believe one of the reasons why congress has failed to extend the EUC program through years end and has instead allowed the program to lapse for a time before adding a month or so to the program is to help keep the numbers looking "hopeful" (thus allowing hundreds of thousands and/or millions to suddenly drop from the euc program and thus no longer are they included in the UE stats) . It is, afterall, an election year. <br />
***<br />
<br />
Michigan 14.1 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Nevada 13.4 ▲ 0.2% <br />
<br />
California 12.6 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Rhode Island 12.6 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Florida 12.3 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
South Carolina 12.2 ▼ 0.3% <br />
<br />
District Of Columbia 11.6 ▼ 0.3% <br />
<br />
Illinois 11.5 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Mississippi 11.5 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
North Carolina 11.1 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Alabama 11.0 ▼ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Ohio 11.0 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Kentucky 10.7 ▼ 0.2% <br />
<br />
Georgia 10.6 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Tennessee 10.6 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Oregon 10.6 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Indiana 10.0 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
New Jersey 10.0 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
United States (national)[4] 9.7 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Arizona 9.6 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Missouri 9.5 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Washington 9.5 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
West Virginia 9.5 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Idaho 9.4 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Massachusetts 9.3 ▼ 0.2% <br />
<br />
Connecticut 9.2 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Delaware 9.2 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Pennsylvania 9.0 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
New Mexico 8.8 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Wisconsin 8.8 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Alaska 8.6 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
New York 8.6 ▼ 0.2% <br />
<br />
Maine 8.2 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Texas 8.2 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Colorado 7.9 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Maryland 7.7 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Virginia 7.6 ▲ 0.2% <br />
<br />
Minnesota 7.6 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Arkansas 7.5 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Wyoming 7.3 ▼ 0.2% <br />
<br />
Montana 7.1 ▲ 0.2% <br />
<br />
Utah 7.2 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
New Hampshire 7.0 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Hawaii 6.9 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Louisiana 6.9 ▼ 0.5% <br />
<br />
Iowa 6.8 ▲ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Oklahoma 6.6 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Kansas 6.5 ▬ 0.0% <br />
<br />
Vermont 6.5 ▼ 0.1% <br />
<br />
Nebraska 5.0 ▲ 0.2% <br />
<br />
South Dakota 4.8 ▬ 0.0% <br />
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North Dakota 4.0 ▼ 0.1%Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-86458870295493973112010-04-24T14:09:00.000-07:002010-04-24T14:09:04.208-07:00Think Your Cell Phone Calls Are Private?I had a neighbor tell me that, a few weeks ago, she was on the phone with her mother. She owns a cell phone. I do not know if her mother was on a land line or cell phone. She told me that she and her mother were talking about the violence in the Middle East and were innocently talking about bombs - namely all of the bombs that were going off over there. Not about making them. <strong><em>Nothing conspiratorial at all. </em></strong><br />
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And yet, just using the terms middle east and bombs warranted an interruption with a computer-generated voice that said their phone call was illegal under code blah blah blah.<br />
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Still think you're safe from such monitoring?Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-73834590273381891422010-04-24T14:05:00.000-07:002010-04-24T14:05:42.616-07:00"Frivilous" LawsuitsOk, I just had to write up a brief post about this topic as, upon reviewing my latest post on my blog's main page, I see where google had posted an add about ending frivilous medical lawsuits.<br />
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Give me a god damn break.<br />
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Want to know why medical lawsuits are soaring? <br />
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Newsflash: We have a gross shortage of doctors in this country (largely due to the cost of malpractice insurance) and this trend is showing no signs of reversing. Having made contact/friends with those who are either still in the medical system or who once were and got the hell out, I have learned some very interesting tidbits, this shortage of doctors being one. Doctors, especially those who are part of a medium size to large medical practice, have been pressured for years by money hungry, profit-driven administrators to take on more patients, spend less time with them. Surgeons are pressured to pack in more surgeries. This leads to burn out - extreme fatigue - doctors who are simply not capable of performing their duties in the careful, responsible manner in which is necessary. The real outrage should not be aimed towards the patients themselves but towards the administrators whose sole concern is making money (then feigning "concern" when a patient complains) and towards the malpractice attorneys who get away with charging $450/hour and up and/or, who, upon winning their selected case, take over half of the patients winnings. The patient, the victim, gets lost along the way in this very corrupt system. And sometimes, the doctors themselves don't help, especially when they refuse to acknowledge the previous as well as their own ineptness which is by and large due to overworking themselves - sacrificing patient care for the almighty dollar.<br />
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I had a medical doctor last week tell me that the United States is becoming a 3rd world nation and much of this is evidenced in the health care system. Yep. And Obama Care is gonna fix all that.<br />
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Uh huh.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-12660698641873997252010-04-24T13:51:00.000-07:002010-04-24T13:51:47.913-07:00It Must Be Nice...It Must Be Nice:<br />
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*to be a self-proclaimed teabagger and be so heartless as to be against authentically helping others (funding war good - funding welfare bad), to be so blinded to the Constitution as to believe America is a Christian nation (so much for brotherly love and helping those in need), to be so ignorant and downright fucking stupid to be so hateful towards gays...and hey - some spelling lessons are in order...correct spelling does make you appear to be, well, more believable...i'm available for $25/hour to proof your signs, press releases and such...however my overall support for your movement begins and ends there (although i do agree with you, overall, on the idea that we are over-taxed as individuals). capiche?<br />
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*to be a self-proclaimed left-leaning progressive who is so blind as to the very fact that, at the CORE of sustainability is MONEY, namely the incomes of the people...the current economic/monetary system is NOT SUSTAINABLE...P E R I O D...one simply cannot proclaim to be progressive and supportive of sustainability until they address this very F A C T...<br />
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*to be one of those who are cheering the latest health care reform while BLINDLY REFUSING to acknowledge the VERY FACT that the government REQUIRING any individual to purchase health care (much less auto) insurance is blaringly, obviously unconstitutional not to mention downright outrageous...this is NOT a "good starting point" as many of these folks proclaim...<strong><em>it is a nightmare waiting to explode</em></strong> - burdening an already stressed health care system which is run solely FOR PROFIT ONLY (with decisions being made by "suits" who typically have zero medical training) and has ceased to be about true patient care...<br />
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*to be members of our family who are living a comfy life, for whom the system of the past worked beautifully, who have NO CLUE what it's really like to have to "tighten" ones belt.... judging us for our current $$ situation (pulling the typical capitalistic, rugged individualistic method of blaming the victim) while failing to see the GOD DAMN FUCKING TRUTH of the system...i was not joking when i said any further judgments, badgering or other such emotional abuse will warrant me throwing your ass out of our house....and my life.<br />
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*to proudly wear one of the various labels...oooh i'm a greenie...oooh i'm a neocon....ooooh i'm a lefty....ooooh i'm a socialist....oooh i'm a ____fill in the blank. get over yourself. you're a human being--amazing, miraculous yet no more special or extraordinary than anyone else. yes, you're a human being. i'm a human being. that's enough of a label, don't you think? labels divide and blind us to the truths, realities and opinions of others. this has been a hard one for me to accept. Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-1389383819852591872010-04-18T13:34:00.000-07:002010-04-18T13:34:28.517-07:00I Wish...Not that anyone but spammers will read this, much less read this blog anymore...but i wish the following:<br />
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~people would stop telling me how i am "glowing" and how "wonderful" i look. I DO NOT FEEL WONDERFUL. I am scared out of my frigging mind of becoming homeless with a baby. I am stressed to the max. I am not sleeping well and it isn't just due to late stage pregnancy symptoms. I am overwhelmed at the idea of raising a child in this fucked up system.<br />
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~along those lines i wish people would stop telling me everything is going to be just fine when there is NO PROOF of this. unless you have money and/or support from those who also have money and stability you will not be "just fine". miracles and opportunities are few and far between and it doesn't matter how much you pray or ask for help or THINK IT TRUE - the bottom line is this world is for shit and true idealism and true emotional expression and the acknowledgement of how things TRULY are does not exist.<br />
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~i wish the basics needed to survive were not based on the amount of money one has but instead, were provided for all\ - no questions asked.<br />
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~along those lines, i wish more people believed the above as i do.<br />
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~if there are other universes in which i am living and experiencing, i wish i knew how to go to that reality (in so long it was a reality much more conducive to my needs and values). if i did, i would be there immediately. without question.<br />
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~i wish love is all you need was a true concept.<br />
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~i wish certain people would stop nagging me/us, badgering me/us and questioning me/us and instead ask that difficult but REAL phrase that is TRULY about helping: "what do you need?" ask and i will tell you!<br />
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~i wish i didn't feel so god damn alone.<br />
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~lastly, i wish i would win the lottery. that would take away a lot of the unnecessary stress i am experiencing.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-88183015571059432222010-04-16T22:28:00.000-07:002010-04-16T22:28:31.665-07:00President Signs Yet Another Pitiful Jobless Benes BillI must admit <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5geDAhye5gfMcEUDBYjW7uOyszSFwD9F3TJEG1"><strong><span style="color: blue;">this is a great way</span></strong> </a>to take advantage of a desperate populace. Allow a much needed program to lapse, then give the thirsty, (unnecessarily) suffering masses a small glass of water to satisfy them for a couple of months (while, in their totally understandable desperation, these folks give high praise to our learless feaders), only to toss them out into the jungle again once those 2 months are over. <br />
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<em>"WASHINGTON — Just hours after Congress passed an $18 billion bill to restore unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, President Barack Obama made it the law of the land. The measure comes as welcome relief to hundreds of thousands of people who lost out on the additional weeks of compensation after exhausting their state-paid benefits. They now will be able to reapply for long-term unemployment benefits and receive those checks retroactively under the legislation."</em><br />
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Please note: This bill does not include additional tiers, which would add more benefits - something the 99ers have been pushing for. (The 99ers refers to the long-term unemployed who have exhausted all of their benefits - the maximum being 99 weeks.) <br />
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When you've had over 8 million jobs lost; when the majority of created jobs are in the low-wage service industry; when we failed to have a full recovery from the last "recession"; when we have had decades of, overall, declining wages and outlandish increases in housing, food, education and health care; when you hear the talking media pundits give praise to jumps in the market (which simply means it is being controlled by the rich to give us the illusion that all is well/getting better); when foreclosures took another huge jump last month; when close to 20% of the country is on food stamps (and that does not include the millions who are eligible and either aren't aware they are or are too prideful to apply)...I mean come on now. <em>How can you possibly think that the economy is slowly improving let alone fantasize it is somehow going to return to the good 'ole days?</em> Blind wishful thinking that isn't grounded in reality doesn't serve anyone. Not to say that such a wish isn't impossible as <em><strong>anything is always possible</strong></em>. As long as the motivation, intention and the realization that <em>things must change at the core</em> are present. Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-78632575953739988502010-04-16T22:12:00.000-07:002010-04-16T22:12:13.949-07:00Oregon Supreme Court Says Employers Can Discriminate Against Employees Who Use Medical MJYeah, that's right. <a href="http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20100415/NEWS/100419948"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Discriminate</span></strong></a>. <br />
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<em>"SALEM, Ore.—In a long-awaited decision, the Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that employers are not required to accommodate employees who use medical marijuana. The decision dated Wednesday and posted online Thursday in Emerald Steel Fabricators Inc. vs. Bureau of Labor and Industries involves an employer who refused to hire a temporary worker as a permanent employee after learning he was a medical marijuana user. The Oregon Supreme Court's 5-2 ruling overturned an appellate court ruling that had been based on technical grounds. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act authorizes individuals holding registry identification cards to use marijuana for medical purposes. However, “under Oregon's employment discrimination laws, (the) employer was not required to accommodate employee's use of medical marijuana,” the Oregon Supreme Court majority ruled."</em><br />
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Like the use of the term "accomodate"? What that really means is if you are a patient legally holding a card that gives you the <strong>legal right</strong> under state law (which the Oregon Supreme Court is supposed to uphold) to use mj for recognized medical conditions, your employer or future employer can refuse to hire you or fire you <em>simply because you hold the card</em>. Said employer doesn't even need to show you are showing up high on the job. The card enough is alone to get you axed. Hence, this is nothing short of discriminatory. <br />
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And why in the hell does the fact that in the State of Oregon, being it is legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes as long as it's prescribed by a medical doctor and therefore, patients can be discriminated by employers for following state law?<br />
<em>"The court also concludes that even though the state law authorizes the use of medical marijuana, the federal Controlled Substances Act pre-empts the state law."</em><br />
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Ah yes, the usual trump card played by mindless goons who wouldn't know the terms logic and open-mindedness (Truth) if they were to bite them in their ass. As I often say these days to people who look at such situations and ask <em>Huh?:</em> "You can't make sense out of crazy." And such laws, backed with mindless unsubstantiated dribble are the epitomy of crazy. <br />
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Anyone else thinking about the millions of people hooked on legal prescription narcotics? Or sleeping pills? Or the millions who take OTC antihistamines which make many people extremely drowsy? Or what about people who drive for a living and text and/or talk on their cell phones which has been proven to be as deadly (more deadly if you're a driver-texter) as driving drunk? <br />
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And yet here we have a case where someone simply has a prescription card for a legal substance, has not been shown to be impaired on the job present or past and yet, the employer has the right to discriminate against them anyway?<br />
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Yep. This "crazy" disease just continues the longer the system keeps on plugging away while the majority of the people engage in childish political battles instead of coming together and realizing BOTH SIDES ARE GETTING SCREWED IN THE ASS.Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-77967732190314945002010-04-13T19:29:00.000-07:002010-04-13T19:29:48.664-07:00I want my mommy....and a foot massage...and a chauffeur....and a maid....and cook...and oh yeah a bank account with lots of zerosThe return of my mind would be good. And my body, too. And oh yeah - a good night sleep would be WONDERFUL.<br />
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I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do this blog (it took me 5 times just to type "i'll"). I can't sit in front of this thing for long these days. I'm (nearly) constantly tired. Heartburn occurs regardless of whether I am sitting, standing or lying down. Walking normally left me 3 weeks ago. And we still have things to take care of before this little angel of ours makes her appearance. Of course none of it (with the exception of getting diapers which good lord did any of you know cloth diapers has turned into a science??) matters to her - just her mama and daddy. <br />
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Once she arrives, I will be in mama and rest mode 24/7 for some time. Even today, when Mr. N wants to tell me about the latest world happenings, I just kinda space it out, wave my hand and go "uh huh". Not like I don't care. Just cannot process. <br />
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Want to hear my latest pregnancy brain fart snafu? I backed the car into our carport post. I haven't hit anything with my car, well, with this particular car, EVER. And I have had it for 20 years, too. But here I was, driving half awake, having come from taking a snooze at the park, attempting to back up the car into our driveway (a definite no-no for me these days as the baby/my belly won't allow me to turn much) - something I've done regularly for years. And yet this time, for some reason, someone moved that damn post without telling me and it had a meeting of the minds with my bumper. Who won? Judging from the bumper and the post, I'd say it was a draw. <br />
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Well, Mr. N was so pleased with this. Even my tears didn't persuade him from showing me sympathy (well, for a little while that is). Instead he said that was it. My driving days were over until I give birth.<br />
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Yes, that is a thought that pisses me off. Royally. And while he doesn't control what I do - E V E R - he's right. Unless I am driving forward, I shouldn't be behind the wheel of our car. And being I am so tired so much of the time, that only adds to my inability to fully operate anything of the mechanical or moving nature responsibly and safely. <br />
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Damn, what did this post start off being? Oh well, who knows! We're at 36 weeks and counting. No signs yet. She could come next week or anytime after that through the middle to end of May. While the idea of birth (ok, pain) kinda freaks me out now and then, an even stronger emotion is the desire to birth her out of my body so I can not only experience being her mama, but so I can GET MY BODY BACK. Sleep on my back. On my belly. Eat a meal or drink a glass of water without experiencing acid reflux. Be able to carry around a little bit of gas without feeling like I want to explode inside. Jump off a park bench. Ride my bike. Drive. Get up without grunting. Walk normally with my hands by my side instead of one instinctively placed on the small of my back. And run. Oh god yes - me the non-runner suddenly wants to RUN. Everywhere. With my arms spread out wide by my sides. Giggling like a school girl while the warrior woman within says "YES. FREEDOM."<br />
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Screw all of the other freedoms at the moment. This girl wants to R U N. THAT, to me, as of today, is freedom. Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13252251.post-54833151188198346442010-04-04T12:47:00.000-07:002010-04-04T12:47:01.559-07:00Unemployment Stats: The TruthDon't listen to the bullshit being spewed on television by Obama over how the economy is showing signs of improving. Don't listen to any of these DC insiders talk about how we saw an increase of jobs last month (whereby approximately<strong><em> 50,000 are for TEMPORARY census workers</em></strong> and thereby cannot be viewed as real job gains). Don't listen as they blather on about job loss declining (when in reality how many more jobs can this country lose before showing SOME signs of slowing down - that slowing down simply being the result of <strong><em>nothing much less TO lose</em></strong>). And please don't fall victim to those who say "well at least many people are working part-time or temporary and that's better than nothing", as though a nation of part-timers and temporary workers leads to economic prosperity and recovery.<br />
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Instead, look at <a href="http://blacklistednews.com/news-8084-0-13-13--.html"><strong><span style="color: blue;">stats like this</span></strong> </a>for The Truth. <br />
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The days of working your ass off, fierce competiting, rugged individualism and busting your hump every day to make enough to pay the banks to provide a roof for yourself (whether you are a "homeowner" or renter you are working to make the banks rich) must end. It begins with stopping such mindless chanting and instead, exploring other means of living, where <strong><em>life is truly about living</em></strong> instead of struggling to survive and get by. Ninahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.com0