More house picks and my hubsband too!

:-)

On Palestine and Israel...

I know lately on both of my blogs I have focused more on Ohio but there are still core issues that I follow. One of them will always be Palestine.

My latest post on Watchblog is on the current situation in Palestine.

Being happy to be in hot water link lovin Thursday!

No, I'm not in trouble but as some of you know I have been having house adventures with the place we plan to move into. After many trials and tribulations, and endless visits from Columbia Gas, a new line from the street to the house, new lines in the house and other assorted mishaps...Finally HOT WATER! Woohoo!

So, if you have something to share OTA style, you know what to do. If you don't have a clue as to what I'm blathering on about...The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns is the place to head for your solution. Which will be a heck of a lot faster than what we went thru to get hot water in one house.

:-)

123beta stopped by to share Granny Peace Brigade

Blue Star Chronicles has a piece called The Soccer Ball

Planck's_Constant writes about MasterCard LPGA - Michelle Wie

Ohio Voter Registration ponderings...

Recently I went into detail over on Glass City Jungle how the GOP and Blackwell are doing a better job in making voter registration easy for Ohio Voters than Democrats are doing as far as online accessibility.

Yesterday I read this Cleveland Plain Dealer article that focuses voter registration.

The director of the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services sent a stern letter to the directors of all 88 county JFS offices today, emphasizing the necessity of improving Ohio's compliance with the national "motor voter" law.

"The department has been contacted by numerous groups and individuals over the past couple of months regarding this issue," ODJFS Director Barbara Riley wrote. "Concerns have been expressed that state and county agencies are not doing all that we can to comply with the federal law.

"In addition, at a federal hearing focused on (the National Voter Registration Act) on March 14 of this year, public assistance agencies nationally were heavily criticized for poor performance and lack of compliance in helping citizens register to vote."

Considering my limited contacts with the Lucas County Department of Jobs and Family Services in addition to regular frustrating contact with the Child Support Division, part of this issue in my opinion is directly related to the professionalism of employees. Considering even getting a straight answer let alone resolution of an problem is rare, it doesn't surprise me that there is a problem taking an additional step to help make sure people are registered to vote. Even when contacting Columbus's office of Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has been not much different than locally. I realize some do believe this is purposeful, however I tend to believe it's more based on poor management and poor employee training/supervision.

This leads me to ponder further. While I am not going to type cast those who come into contact with ODJFS as leaning more Democratic, statistics do demonstrate some evidence that traditionally those of us at the lower income levels tend to be Democrats. How many of those who so far have never registered to vote would also be Democrats would only be speculation. But if we speculate that they would most likely be Democrats this is another situation where potential Democratic voters are not getting voter registration information.

Of course on the flip side, do most people who have thus far not bothered to register to vote really get out and vote let alone be informed voters is something to be considered as well. To be perfectly honest, I'd be happy if when I came into contact with these departments their staff performed their jobs in a consistent, helpful manner and while I understand the Motor Voter Laws need to be followed, I have a very strong feeling it's going to take more than a "stern letter".

(This was written for the Carnival of Ohio politics possible thanks to Paul Miller at Northwest Ohio Net. Make sure to stop by and visit him tomorrow morning to read what some of Ohio's best bloggers are writing about.)

Why these call to action type email fests don't work

This editorial by Ohio State Senator Tom Niehaus points out what has become the major flaw in the system. They know it's not from Ohioans let alone Ohioans in their own district and they don't read the emails.

So whether you are writing a Democrat or a Republican, chances are very slim if you use one of these form letter type barrages it's going to do anything but end up in the electronic trash bin. This is also why it has become harder for those of us who actually want to contact our elected representatives to do so. It's really only effective if you are from the State in question.

Once on Daily Kos I read a suggestion from a reader that people input fake addresses from a particular State so that it would appear they were residents. I no longer place any validity in the majority of online polls because of the power plays by both sides to "Freep" polls. I've even seen it happen for local televsion station polls, a call to action to hurry up and vote so that the results can be skewed to create the impression that either Republicans or Democrat netziens desire.

So for those of you who do this thinking that it's helpful? It's not, and frankly all you are doing is delaying responses to those of us who actually live here.

Immediately I thought of Reverend Scott...

as I wondered...had he seen this video?






I may not be a fan of Al Gore, but I have been known to enjoy Futurama. So, even those of you who are not Scott, might enjoy the video clip.

:-)

I've had happier days...

According to the title link:

Cliff Arnall has analysed such factors as outdoor activities, nature, social interaction, childhood memories, temperature and holidays -- data gathered over a period of 15 years in interviews with 3,000 people around the world.

His conclusion: June 23 is the happiest day of the year.

But then again I never do seem to follow the crowd.

:-)

House pictures!

Emily, my oldest daughter took some pictures of the house before we finished the floor. So since I've talked about the living room and dining room colors as well as my sponging/paint wash I did on the one wall in the dining room....Here is an idea of what it looks like at that point in time in the process.

Yes, it is Thursday...a late link lovin Thursday post

Excuses, excuses, I know, maybe I can blame it on the lightening strike or the fact that I wanted to get over to see if our basement was flooded but Miguel's car decided today was the day to blow out the master cylinder.

However...better late than never! So, if you have something you want to share OTA style now's the time. If you have no idea what I'm talking about? Head on over to The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns to discover what it's all about.

:-)

Okay...Passionate America thinks that "Moonbats" are Stupid and have "Homelessphobia"

(I'd suggest those really interested in helping the homeless might want to consider donating here rather than donating to Wild Bill)

Me4President2008 sees other signs of the apocalypse with his post More crazy than Christian

Static or did I get nicked by Lightening?

I was sitting here a short time ago during what has been one hell of a storm system blowing thru NWO. Possible tornados, wind damage, flooding, and lots and lots of lightening with thunder. I had the sliding glass door open a bit into the living room and was sitting here in my chair when BAM! A lightening bolt hit really close to the apartment and a bright light came into the living room and hit my left arm. I felt this quick almost needle type sensation, then it felt numb and now it hurts. Left a small red mark on my arm. So the household discussion is did I get some type of a static discharge type poke from the lightening strike or did I somehow get hit by lightening?

Either way it felt really strange but I'm not glowing or anything...it doesn't hurt to the point I can't handle it but it sure as hell felt like more than a static poke.

I'm also really hoping our basement at the house isn't flooded - reports of 5 to 6 feet of water are making me concerned. We were going to head over after the rain stopped but it's flooded to deep to get out of here at the moment and it sounds like several of the roads on the way there are flooded even worse than here so it's not worth the risk. Tomorrow we'll head over and survey...Bright spot is we didn't carpet the basement yet and if it isn't flooded? We know we don't have much to worry about given the huge amount of rain we got in such a short time period.

:-)

My first major color failure at the new house...

Up until today I was happy with how almost every color turned out. I had a temporary issue with the one accent wall in the dining room but fixed that with a sponging technique. I wasn't crazy about the shade of pink Aubrey wanted for her room but it was her room so I can handle what I am now calling the Pepto Pink room. I lost the battle of wanting one wall this really awesome purple called "Nostalgia" in the bathroom (Miguel thru a fit) so we compromised on a lighter almost gray lilac with light blue.

Until my "Colorado Tan" that I wanted for my bedroom looked like someone thru orange sherbert on my wall. I don't know if the girl messed up in the coloring or what but it didnt look like the color I picked out at all. The walls are covered with that white plaster spray stuff so it's not a color bleeding thru. So I stopped. I waited to see if it looked better once it dried and it didn't. Back to Home Depot I go tomorrow to first see if the paint was mixed wrong and if it wasn't? Time for a different color...something definitely not orange sherberty...

:-)

Sherrod Brown and Hillary Clinton...

As I was taking a painting break, I stopped by the Cleveland Plain Dealer to see what was going on in the world of Ohio Politics. I spotted this blurb by Mark Naymik:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will headline a private fund-raiser Saturday for Democratic senate hopeful Sherrod Brown.

The event, which is not being publicized by the Brown campaign and is not open to reporters, could generate about $400,000, Clinton’s advisers recently told The New York Times.

So, I headed on over to the New York Times where this article gives just a bit more detail:

Mrs. Clinton, a possible candidate for president in 2008, is planning to head to Ohio this week to hold a fund-raiser for Representative Sherrod Brown, who is trying to unseat Senator Mike DeWine, a prime target of the national Democratic Party.

Mrs. Clinton's political advisers estimate that she will help raise at least $400,000 for Mr. Brown in a state that national Democratic leaders see as ripe with opportunity because of growing unhappiness with President Bush and problems plaguing the state's Republican leadership.

I headed over to Sherrod Brown's event schedule and sure enough there is no mention. However, maybe it's just because they have not put up information past Friday yet. Or it could be that Sherrod is happy to take the possible $400,000.00 but doesn't want some of the more anti-Hillary bunch to notice. If that was the case, Mark let the cat out of the bag...

Another Ohio visit is scheduled to help Ted Strickland raise funds. While the New York Times article states that Senator Clinton is doing this to help fellow Democrats, all but the most naive realize she's doing some early favor collecting and positioning.

2008 is still far enough off that I don't have a clear favorite though I do still admire quite a bit about John Edwards and just hope we don't have a repeat of John Kerry....

(written for the Carnival of Ohio Politics, brought to you by the wonderful Paul Miller of Northwest Ohio Net visit him tomorrow to see what some of Ohio's best bloggers are writing about)

Two names rarely mentioned anymore...

Michael Scott Speicher Status change from MIA to Missing/Captured October 2002...More information on him

Confirmed Captured: USAR SGT Keith M. Maupin DOI 09 APR 04

When I read articles like this Washington Post article on the two soldiers who were taken prisoner and I read this:

The two soldiers were the first to be missing in the Iraq war since Sgt. Keith M. Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, was captured on April 9, 2004, when insurgents ambushed his fuel convoy west of Baghdad.

A week later, al-Jazeera television aired a videotape showing Maupin, 20, sitting on a floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

It would be nice if they would take a moment to note that Keith Maupin is still listed as captured and his remains have not been found and Scott Speicher's family still has no information on him, nor has his remains been found.

For these families, until they have their loved one returned to them either alive or their remains they are faced with the never ending wondering, so the least we can do is to remember them...

Republicans are robbing the bank and the Democrats are driving the get away car

The blogosphere is a buzz with reaction to Frank Rich's article entitled "Karl Rove Beats the Democrats Again". Yet it was this one statement made in the comments at Peking Duck by Debra Hope that pretty much describes how many of us feel at times.

The Republicans are robbing the bank and the Democrats are driving the get away car.

James Mtume, a Talk Show Host may be the creator of that comment...

So, if you haven't seen the New York Times article, and you aren't a subscriber to the pay version of the New York Times select, I'd recommend visiting the title link.

Some good points are made in the editorial.

Happy Father's Day!

No Hamsters out of respect for all of the Dad's out there...

:-)

A strange dream and link lovin Thursday....

I guess I dream but I normally don't remember my dreams. This morning Miguel woke me up way too early to ask me a question and I was in the middle of a strange dream. Strange because I was dreaming about my junior prom (I'm 46) and to make it even stranger my date was Miguel. Which of course with him being younger than me isn't possible but in my dream he was the same age as I was. What does this mean? I don't have a clue, except maybe I've been breathing in too many paint fumes. :-)

Anyway...let's make your OTA dreams come true! You know what to do, and if you don't? Visit The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns

The Bullwinkle Blog stopped by to share Subjects of Interpretation....

More FEMA issues

I was reading the above linked CNN article and I came to this part:

The GAO also found that FEMA provided housing assistance to people who were not displaced, including at least 1,000 prison inmates, and also provided rental assistance to people who were simultaneously living in free hotel rooms.

Prison inmates? How did that happen?

I guess nothing should surprise me anymore but it's pretty sad that people would take money that was designed to help people who were hurricane victims.

I guess I have "young" ears

I saw the above linked story so I was curious:

Some students are downloading a ring tone off the Internet that is too high-pitched to be heard by most adults. With it, high schoolers can receive text message alerts on their cell phones without the teacher knowing.

As people age, many develop what's known as aging ear, a loss of the ability to hear higher-frequency sounds.

I can hear it...granted maybe not as loud as teens can but it's an irritating high buzz sound. Quilla, our pup also heard it...I think it irritated her more than it did me. So I may be 46 but I guess my ears are not yet out to pasture...

:-)

Lack of disclosure takes away from real issues

As most of you who are regular readers know, I've come down pretty hard on Learn and Earn for the name and the manner in which they are trying to collect enough signatures for a constitutional amendment that will allow slot machine gambling. For me this is a matter of full and clear disclosure rather than taking an anti-gambling stance. It clouds everything, and when I heard my first Learn and Earn radio ad yesterday, I was even more disturbed than I felt viewing the future television ad. How can we have an intelligent and informed debate on the merits when it's not being promoted honestly?

Then today, I read this article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about one of the organizations involved in collecting signatures for the proposed constitutional amendment to raise the Ohio Minimum Wage. The accusation being made is that ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) did not fully support paying it's own workers minimum wage. This Washington Times piece goes even farther and repeats the minimum wage issue but also brings up that a past attempt for ACORN offices to unionize was fought.

Some of these claims have been disputed, yet it appears there is some credibility to some of the accusations leveled against ACORN. Yet that's not my issue with this. My issue is here again we face a situation where the main focus of a proposed constitutional amendment will not be on the merits of the actual amendment but on side issues.

If there was full disclosure should they have selected ACORN to be a part of this? If the focus is going to be on this actual amendment why create the opportunity to have a side issue? It's the same as the Learn and Earn situation, both groups create discussion that will probably color public opinion in a negative fashion because of the manner selected to promote this.

We have already come to expect that politicans will not always be honest with us when they are campaigning, some will make promises they know at the time they are stating because it's what we as voters want to hear. Yet, if that happens we do have an easier recourse - we just select someone different. A constitutional amendment is a bit harder to change. Granted it's possible but, in my way of thinking even more care should be taken and an even higher level of honesty and full disclosure expected. The main focus should be on the actual merits of an amendment, that serves us all whether we end up being for one or against one.

(This post is for the Carnival of Ohio Politics, brought to you by Paul Miller of Northwest Ohio Net, stop by and visit him tomorrow morning to see what some of Ohio's best bloggers are writing about)

Johnson's Island makes the news

The above linked Toledo Blade article is about the $2.00 toll no longer being collected to drive the narrow land bridge over to the Island but it also includes some history. One of the chapters of my book is about Johnson's Island...infact it was a visit to there when I was a teenager that started me on my quest for research. All because of this one person who I still to this date have not found out a great deal of details on:



Why he or many of the citizens buried at the Confederate Cemetery are there or how they died there is still one of those mysteries I keep looking for answers on.



:-)

Now for something completly different...

I would have never predicted this result:

What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?

You are the Minister of Silly Walks
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

So...I didn't get any painting done...

My oldest daughter, Emily is a junior in college. She posts here once in a while but not as often as she used to because between work, school and just finishing up another internship and having a boyfriend her time is pretty tight. Right now she is not working and only taking summer classes and doesn't have any on Friday. We planned to go buy more paint and head over and paint the basement.

We haven't just hung out and had fun in quite some time so after we had fun at Home Depot in the paint department and I showed her the house since she hadn't seen it yet she decided she was hungry. Off to Bob Evans we went for lunch. Then, we were talking about how the house is going to need curtains, the apartment has mini blinds and vertical blinds for the patio door...we both immediately thought SAVERS! (It's kind of like Goodwill for those of you who don't live in this area.)

We both like to browse the strange things - especially the wall of grab bag type assortments where all kinds of things get put in a bag for pretty cheap. So we had fun and we spent some time together which was awesome because I do miss her. I also found some awesome curtains for Miguel and I's bedroom, three full sets of drapes in excellent shape for $7.99. I figured the basement walls will wait for me. Unless of course some magical paint fairy appears...

:-)

The basement hates me...

We headed over to the new place last night to tackle the basement...knowing the rest of the house only needed some paint with the dining room being the next worst room where the ceiling was going to have to be painted with Kilz or something similar.

Erin wants to have her main retreat area to be in the basement. Yes, that's a typical teenage thing. It doesn't look like it leaks but it does look like there is or was some moisture type seepage so we bought that masonry paint/sealer stuff to do first. Then we will do her selected "color scheme". The makers of Ugli Masonry Paint/Sealer lie...they say one gallon will provide 2 coats of a 75 to a 100 square foot area. One gallon did one coat of about a 75 square foot area. You also can't put it on with a roller it has to go on by brush. However, the one part of the wall that we finished last night does look really good and with opening up both windows in the basement for just a few hours it already didn't feel as "damp" or "musty" as it did before. I already have a carbon monoxide detector for that area, plans for a dehumidifer have been considered.

That's not why the basement hates me though...it has been well documented that I have problems with steps. At the new place the problem is I am the tallest one of the bunch and the bottom step has less of a height clearance, there is an overhang and while I have artfully missed it everytime I go downstairs....I've clunked my head several times going upstairs...Perhaps that is punishment for all of the times I have teased Miguel especially for being shorter than me...

:-)

Link lovin Thursday School's Out Edition

Last day of school here in my town which every year I look forward to as well as dread the upcoming battles of "those are MY shorts", etc.

Yet while some semblance of sanity remains...now is the perfect chance to share OTA style. Not sure what to do? Stop by and visit The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns...

:-)

Sometimes it is easier just to be quiet....

Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable. Where men are not acquainted with each other’s principles, nor experienced in each other’s talents, nor at all practised in their mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business; no personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them; it is evidently impossible that they can act a public part with uniformity, perseverance, or efficacy.

‘Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents’ by Edmund Burke

I'm not some paragon of virtue, I don't hold myself to be better than anyone nor do I have some major ego where I believe I am important in the sea of voices out there. I don't champion every cause and there are times I probably should defend others or a principle that I don't.

However tonight, I came across a situation that I can't be quiet about so even though the impact of my not being quiet will probably not even be a tiny ripple in the Ohio blogosphere, I wrote the below on why I would no longer support or post on Buckeye State Blog:

I don't mind the disagreements, reading posts at times that I really can't agree wtih or think go to far in attacking someone; I rarely go into rant mode. Yet, seeing that Learn and Earn is paying to advertise here with my very strong feelings on the way they are not being open as far as disclosing what this constitutional amendment is about I can't support or contribute to a blog that is accepting money from them.

Posting at a place that is making money from this organization would go against everything I stand for. Seeing their slogan "A lot of good will come from this" knowing that personal reports of their volunteers purposely are not giving people honest information that this constitutional amendment is not a scholarship amendment, it is an amendment to allow slot machine gambling with a promised side benefit being scholarships to a limited number of children for at least 12 years isn't something I can support. Nor does Todd's promise on the barrage he did on my personal blog that more information on the gambling aspect will come later do I find reassuring after hearing from people here in Toledo who have been approached as well as others. I don't care if you support gambling, or if you think this is the way to fund college scholarships, my issue is and will be always with the way this is being marketed. Now I realize it appears that Russell knows a Todd Hoffman which I am assuming is the Todd Hoffman of Learn and Earn from at least back in February from a comment I read at Plunderbund:

Dave Says:
February 8th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Eric - Sorry I missed you. I was back in Todd Hoffman’s office talking with Todd and Russell from BSB early on and then I left right after Paul’s talk.

I don't know if this has anything to do with Russell supporting the idea of this amendment or not and I know this is his forum so those of us who are guests have no input as to our feelings on advertising. I know my impact here is minimal so my no longer participating will not be a huge deal nor is it intended as a threat, I do not over-estimate my importance. However, this for me is an important issue. We go on and on about how we want honesty, we want transparency, we want voters to have trust in candidates who will bring about change. Supporting Learn and Earn as it is named and as it is being marketed to me goes against those values. I can see nothing good coming from this.

I will miss the information that I have learned here and I wish you all the best but there comes a time when a person has to decide where they draw their individual line and this one is mine. I could have just stopped coming and not written this, that is almost what I did, that would have been easier because I realize what typically happens next. This to me is worth that possibility.

I'm not posting this here because of some ploy to get hits here, that's not why I blog but since I'm not going back there, posting it here gives those who want to comment the ability to, it would be rather hypocritical of me to write that then go back to read or discuss.

What would you do for a klondike bar?

Yes, it is common knowledge that I am allergic to chocolate so I can only eat small amounts of it so usually I turn to the caramel krunch Klondike bar. However...this brand new one was too much to resist:



Sara Lee® cheesecake flavored ice cream with strawberry and graham cracker swirls and milk chocolate flavored coating.

Let me tell you...it was awesome...However it looks like from visiting their webpage while they have added new flavors including one called "Whitehouse Cherry" that they did away with my Caramel krunch...Now I know how my friend C feels about his favorite icecream being killed off...

Yet it could be worse...I could be left with these:



Fear Factor® Pop-Ups
We dare you to resist these chilling pop-ups. In sour cherry with an eyeball gumball and sour watermelon, both with the shocking taste of sour lemon slime. Or the slime pop -- sour watermelon flavored ice with sour lemon slime.

Ewwww....

:-)

Learn and Earn....the ploy continues....

I've written about Learn and Earn a few times here and here as well as recently on Glass City Jungle. My main complaint or fear has been that people will not know this is about gambling. That is happening, but don't take my word for it, hear it directly from people on a local message board called Toledo Talk where several people so far have reported being approached by those hired by Fieldworks to collect signatures:

Paddington in part states:

I was going to the library the other day, and a middle aged white lady and a tall black kid were outside with clipboards. I tried to avoid making eye contact with them, but they came up to me and asked if I was a registered voter. I said yes. Then they asked, "Do you think gambling dollars ought to be used to create scholarship money to send Ohio's youth to college?"

Of course I said no, but the vast majority of people walking by were enthusiastically signing their petition.

Basically the way it's being presented, it seems as if gambling is already legal in Ohio, and these helpful samaritans are out there to heroically take some of that gambling money and give it to Ohio's youth!

Toledolaw05:

When I signed it they never said a word about gambling. I guess I should have asked a question before scribbling my name

Timault:

Yeah I got hit up for the same petition at the OWE festival last weekend for a "scholarship petition"

How slimy... then again I signed the petition thinking that I'd research it later if it made it to the ballot... and it'll get a big NO vote from me.

I am as I have written many times not an anti-gambling person, I am however anti-deception when it comes to this or any petition to change the Ohio Constitution. Ironically not long ago on the floor of the Ohio Senate concerning the TEL Amendment it was stated that people don't just sign these petitions without taking a serious look at what they are about. At the time when I heard that I knew it was bunk, all we can hope for is that people who are so willing to sign a petition to get something on the ballot will pay more attention if this or any petition gets enough signatures. That even with the way the advertising is currently being done by Learn and Earn that when it comes to actually voting for or against something that voters will have more information.

I also strongly believe the laws concerning gathering these petitions should be looked at, it's obvious the chances of deception are allowed to take root when something that is about making slot machine gambling legal at seven race tracks and a few possible other locations is allowed to be called "Learn and Earn" in the first place. It should be the responsibility of the Ohio government to make sure that what they approve is openly presented to Ohio voters. While I have some major issues with the way the Learn and Earn campaign is being done, I also realize that our current government approved this constitutional amendment, the name and the petition.

If you are as disgusted with this as I am, I would suggest not only telling people about what Learn and Earn really is but also making a phone call to the Attorney General's office.

Contact information

Contact - Jim Petro
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro
State Office Tower
30 E. Broad Street, 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3428
(614) 466-4320

So I finally gave in...

One of the hardest things about being a parent is deciding which battles are worth fighting and for how long. I'm not going to claim to understand the whole desire behind the need for numerous body piercings, yet I did self-tattoo myself much to the chagrin of my mother when I was 16 so I do remember those rebellion days.

(Note to others who decide to consider the self tattoo route, don't forget when doing a tattoo in a mirror that it will be backward...yes, that was not one of my more bright moments back then)

Anyway on to Erin. Letting her get her ears piereced once, then twice because obviously one set of earrings is not enough was easy yet it started us down the adventure of "where will I let her get pierced next". Her older sister Emily was the first to get her belly button pierced, granted Emily was over 18 at the time so that wasn't my decision. Erin was much younger. I didn't see the burning need especially since few people were going to see it anyway given the school dress code. However she earned the money for it herself so I went along. I also met some interesting people at the tattoo/piercing palor that made me realize there are alot more places a person can be pierced than I ever imagined.

Next came the industrial piercing - which is basically two holes in an ear that has a bar going thru one hole to the other. Don't see why that was crucial and that one she decided after a few months she didn't like. Oh well, it was once again her money since I made a decision early on I wasn't going to pay for any of this stuff. (That I have stuck with.)

The past 7 months have been discussions of both a nose piercing and her tongue being pierced. I was totally against both. Even gave her pages of documentation from the American Dental Society on the tongue piercing. Erin will not be 18 until March. So she cannot get anything done without not only my permission but me actually physically being there to document I am her parent and I consent. I stood firm in my anti-tongue, anti-nose piercing stance. My other daughter Megan who is 17 months older than Erin is 18 and she had her tongue pierced two months ago which apparently increased the desire of Erin's desperate need because life just could not go on without her tongue pierced. The almost daily barrage was getting irritating and I knew she was doing it so that in a moment of frustration I would just say "Oh hell just do it". Okay so yesterday I folded in frustration but only on the tongue with a written contract from her that she will not get her nose pierced or ask me for any other piercings. At least until March I'm done with the whole mess and since Miguel was semi supportive of her, I went and signed the permission paperwork but I made him go in with her to watch it. Today she's complaining that it hurts and her tongue is a bit swollen. Gee...who would have thought that would happen....

:-)

About last night...

Last night I was tired and I violated my golden rule of rants which is think before hitting post in the comments at BSB. I'm not sorry for what I wrote, I have this tendency to let stuff go by because sometimes it just isn't worth it to comment. Yet I am human and I will agree 100% with something Tim Russo told me in an email not long ago, I take this stuff seriously. Probably too seriously at times.

I love blogging, I want more people to blog and more people to read blogs, I also try very hard to be credible. For me if bloggers want to gain respect and have more of an impact they have to be credible. Part of being credible is honesty. I don't blog to attack people or to demean people or to make myself appear I am better than anyone else. Yet way to much time is spent on Ohio blogs in doing that. Then those same bloggers bitch about why they don't receive better treatment from the media or political parties/candidates. To me that's a well "duh" moment. If you treat people like crap, chances are they are going to respond with the same attitude.

I've seen people that I used to respect treat other people pretty shitty. I've seen people that I used to respect who claimed to believe in ethics demonstrate that they had two standards of behavior, what they expected from everyone else and what they themselves had to follow. Not just over this whole ODP dinner fiasco but related to Learn and Earn and others. If it's a big deal that a Republican doesn't make it obvious as a part of his campaign that he is a Republican why isn't it a big deal if a Constitutional amendment campaign doesn't mention what it is really about? If it is bad for a Republican blog to slam a Democratic candidates wife than it should be bad for Democrats to do so? So much of the bullshit that gets pointed at "Oh look at those bad Republican bloggers" can be seen being done by some of the Democratic bloggers as well. They are no different, except obviously in their minds it's different when they do it.

Senator Obama didn't help anything by buying tickets for bloggers who would not pay their own way to the $150.00 per person dinner. I'm not upset because I wasn't invited. I would not have gone. This doesn't stem from some "sour grapes" attitude it stems from being tired of being lied to and being tired of having these people assume they represent us "all" they don't. It's being tired of having people see these larger traffic blogs and assume that all of us are like that. I think it's crappy that Chris Redfern doesn't ever email me back, I think it's crappy that Senator Obama didn't even have the courtesy to email me back. I think what Tim Russo has been doing is crappy. His goading of Sherrod Brown and Brian Rothenberg has been immature and unprofessional. Most of the bloggers who have written about how horrible Brian is are in part responsible for what happened thru their own behavior and their continuing to allow this to happen. If you don't like what is happening stop being a part of why it is happening.

I was told the day after it was announced that Obama was buying tickets for bloggers to attend this dinner that Tim was not going to be allowed to attend. I didn't post about it because Tim was posting that he was attending and despite me having some major issues with what he was writing at the time I am not one of the bash Tim Russo bunch. I also thought there was a chance I was being played so that I would post about it, that's happened before. So I was played, either way you look at it. Either by the person who told me Tim wasn't going to attend or all of the people that knew Tim wasn't going to yet kept up the pretense too.

Will these bloggers lose sleep over my feeling that I don't hold several of them in high regard anymore? I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter, I don't have ego issues where I feel I'm that important. Yet, I don't regret what I wrote last night, because by continuing to shut up and not say what I really thought? I was losing sleep over it, and I was sending the message that by not saying something I thought this was all okay.

It's not okay.

The House is progressing....

This is a before from the online Lucas County Auditor's office:



I forgot to take my camera when we went over so I'll do that maybe tomorrow. We have all new windows, a new front porch and new doors. It's getting to the point where we are choosing paint colors for the inside. So far Miguel and I have agreed, thankfully we have similar tastes when it comes to paint colors (lol). Fantastic news for me was the hardwood floors in the house were not destroyed and don't even need major refinishing.

I am so looking forward to being in a house again and it's going to be a late start as far as having a veggie garden again but might be possible. Quilla doesn't know how to go down stairs, I've purposely not let her living here in the upstairs apartment because I was afraid she'd bolt out the door if one of the girls wasn't careful so it will be a real experience to see how long it takes her to figure out going down stairs, she will finally go up stairs. I'm not looking forward to moving again but at least I will only be carrying things down the 17 steps of hell rather than up.

:-)

Not just the wife and the step children but the family dog

From CNN:

The couple, ages 60 and 59, were charged with four counts each of criminal conspiracy to commit murder. They were being held without bond.

Police said the pair initially offered $100 to an undercover sheriff's deputy to kill their son's wife, their 10-year-old granddaughter, two step-grandchildren, ages 14 and 16, and the family dog.

Why?

The couple's 31-year-old son has been jailed since November on 22 charges of sexual battery on a child, lewd and lascivious molestation and showing obscene material to a minor, court records show.

Detectives say his daughter and stepdaughter are the victims. The Associated Press has withheld the names of the grandparents and the family members to protect the children's identities.

The man tried to solicit a fellow jail inmate to kill his family, the arrest report said.

Maybe they were afraid the dog would talk too? I can understand not wanting to believe your son could be guilty of sexual battery and molestation of your grandchild and your step-grandchild but to try to have them killed...It never ceases to amaze me how seriously messed up some people are.

An additional outrage by Ted Strickland....

Following in the trend of the post below, it is with a heavy heart that I must turn my attention to Democratic Candidate for Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.

So much focus on these other mayors yet the wonderful City of Toledo, home of the Mudhens and Packo's Hot Dogs is ignored like yesterday's stale buns.

Even worse...Visit Ted Strickland's campaign site see those news headlines? Do you see Toledo mentioned there? I surely don't. Yet PARMA? Parma gets a headline? Toledo is below Parma?

Perhaps next time our Mayor should pay hard to get, so at least his endorsement of Ted Strickland get's Toledo a byline.

:-)

(Yes, I am suffering from not enough sleep, now aren't you glad I'm not like this often?)

Russell smells bad and Andrew's Mom dresses him funny

Yes, there could be another blog war! Grab the chips, a drink and get ready to sit by your keyboard for another adventure in the Ohio Blogosphere.

To do something probably never done before and if so? Too bad I'm claiming I am the first, I am going to insult BOTH of them!

Yet some history...It all started here when a letter Andrew wrote was written about by someone else.

Andrew retaliates

Then Staff (who we believe to be Russell) strikes back

By now you might be asking, "Lisa Renee what in the blue hell does this have to do with us". It has nothing to do with you, yet you must pay attention to this and you must not only select sides but you must blog about the bloggers who are blogging about the blogs blogging about bloggers. This type of horrible situation must be blogged about! Andrew must be revealed to the whole world as a...I know this will be harsh, so I apologize....he is a...Green Party supporter....

Worse, yes there can be worse than that. As hard as it may be to believe? Staff is...OMG this is so much harder than I thought....he is a Democrat Party supporter.

What in the world is wrong with these two? How dare they each have a different opinion, even worse, neither one of them is right because I am after all the only one who is right. I mean really what in the hell do they think blogs are for? Their own personal opinions? BAH! Yes BAH! I wrote.

Now get to work blogging about these two bloggers. Don't you dare start blogging about me or else I will be forced to blog about you. That my friends would not be pretty...

:-)

Link lovin Thursday with more video!

It is Thursday once again and time for those of you who love Link Lovin Thursday here on Liberal Common Sense, which stems from the creative idea of the most wonderful Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns to get to your buttons. Head over there to visit if you are not feeling hip with technology on this venture.

Now, for our flash back into how far we have come and featuring some other furry favorites of mine who are not Hamsters...



:-)

Planck's Constant stops by to save you from my brand of satire to share Why, Why, Why - and some answers

Excerpt: Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

I have never met anyone named Pavlov so why does his name ring a bell?