Clueless Emma

Dear Lovelies

A quick note to say I've been having technical difficulties and will be updating my blog more often in the near future. Thank you for your patience!

Clueless Emma

It's Mine, It's All Mine!

Exhausted after a week of moving in 108 degree weather--today it dropped to 100 (and most Oregonians do not have a/c!), I am happy to report that I signed the closing statement for my very own first house this afternoon! Whew! Almost as good, my rental is near to inspection clean, so I can expect a full refund and several weeks of unpacking boxes for placement in MY NEW HOME!

This is a big deal for me. Over the last 9 years, I have worked myself up from slightly educated and very broke with two babies at home, to holding a Master's Degree and Teaching Certificate, moved cross country for jobs three times, raised my babies to almost ready to fly from the nest, and finally bought my first home at age 41 all by myself--but with the help of a very dear friend, without whom I never would have had the guts.

Thank you, Moose--and praise God for His loving grace.  Often the answer to prayer is no, but every once in a while He says yes. Even if we don't deserve it, can never earn it, are never worth it. Grace. wow.

DC/NY Blitz with Middle Schoolers, Cranky Parents...and a Major Commitment

Sorry I've been remiss in keeping up with my blog lately--things have been hectic beyond words the last couple weeks--wrapped up the end of the school year; refrigerator quit when a transformer blew out, which made me rely on others (and the commitophobes all screamed AAGH!) to shuffle food around; had to clean out, clean off, and make room for fridge exchange; bought a house...

What's that, you say?

It's true, my lovelies, I have made one of the most ginormous commitments one can make--my very own first house! Exciting, terrifying, exhilarating, nerve-racking!

The next day I flew to the East Coast for 5 days with my mother and Tough Cookie and her middle school friends.

Haven't slept much the past several days, and last night caught 11:15 pm flight to Chicago from pdx, then to Baltimore, arrival at 9-something am. Bus ride to DC-->Smithsonian (American History) for Abe Lincoln's stuff (way cool!) then literal jog to Holocaust Memorial Museum. Itty bitty shoes and mountain of human hair. Suddenly being tired and stressed seems an extremely petty complaint.  Next, meet my sister (who just moved to DC) for dinner at Union Station and off to evening tour of WWII Memorial, Jefferson Monument, and something else I can't remember.

I'm a little tired.

It's now after 11 pm and I just now got to take a shower for the first time since yesterday afternoon, haven't slept for a very long time, and I'm glorying in the smooth clean yumminess of freshly brushed teeth. But I'm safe, half my family is with me, we're well and on vacation.

And I bought a house! Me. I'm a home owner.

Wow.

God is good.

Don't forget to watch the Troopathon tomorrow and donate to help the troops!

CE

In honor of Mother's Day

What makes a good mom?

Absolutely, unequivocally NOT THIS!

Umm...not even sure what to think about THIS!

Absolutely, unequivocally THIS!

Interesting statistics

I am thrilled this is not my son...or daughter...or whatever it is...

...This one makes me cry for some reason...

Thank you Tough Cookie and Eagle Eye, for making me a mom. I love you beyond words.
 

Mr. Wolcott, thanks for unwittingly making our point

parties were not professionally organized. Huh. Funny, that's what we've been saying all along. That's what makes this amazing--the silent majority has finally spoken out. Give it a year--we'll have millions more.

2) Liberal organizations have lots of deep pockets. Tea parties do not.

3) people are very concerned and very angry. The difference between the liberal hatred you are used to and conservative (fiscally, in this case) salt-of-the earth protesters, Mr. Wolcott, is the way that anger is displayed. There were no instances of violence or destruction Wednesday. Try to say that about any liberal gathering. We are not filled with bitter hatred. Many of us have faith that carries us through--peace that passes understanding. I know that must seem impossible to you, sir, but to many of us it's very real.

4) The "other part of the program" is the tsunami heading our way when the tax surf hits the beach. We can see what's coming. You have your head stuck in the sand.

5) We aren't trying to scare anyone, we're trying to let the government know enough is enough--we the people, by the people. You, however, Mr. Wolcott, are downright freakishly terrifying. It may do you good to come out into the sunlight occasionally.

Clueless Emma

$600 a MONTH for food and it will INCREASE to nearly $700??

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed by President Obama will award $47.4 million in food stamps in Oregon to increase the benefits families are receiving, said Lauri Stewart, a spokeswoman for Oregon Department of Human Services. Federal allocations for other benefit programs such as cash-assistance grants or food assistance for women, infants and children still are being calculated.

Families could begin seeing an increase in their monthly food stamp allotment by April 1 lasting through Sept. 30, Stewart said.

A family of four could see an increase of $80; a monthly food stamp allowance would increase from $588 to $668.

$700?? My family of 3 (two growing teens) eats for a month on about $300, accounting for groceries only--we won't count the fast food frantics on busy nights. What the heck are they buying--salmon and fillet mignon? Walmart, Target, and Winco are great for saving money, and I buy almost all our lunch snacks at Big Lots--I just bought 2 month's worth for $20 at their big sale last Saturday.

I was on food stamps and government housing while a full-time student a few years ago. At the time I got $300 a month and was hard-pressed to spend it all--even got letters saying if I didn't, they'd reduce benefits. Admittedly, it's a lot easier to buy salmon, fillet mignon and big brand stuff when the money is "free." It also would have been easier and a lot less expensive if I'd quit school and stayed in our government housing, eating off the backs of taxpayers. I'm debt up to my eyeballs in student loans, trying to get debt free and struggling. Why bother? Why not just sit back and let the guv take care of me? $700 a month??

I guarantee a majority of food stamps are going to illegal aliens--every time I went in to recertify, I was the only native English-speaker in the room. I guarantee most are buying food for others, a clear violation of the "rules." Yes, I bought the food when we had a family gathering or holiday and needed crudite. Why not? It's FREE!

When will it stop? When do we put down our feet and end this collectivist state? We talk about raising the bar for students, raising expectations, and whine that our kids are dumb. Is it any wonder? We hold hands and baby anyone who is diverse just for the sake of diversity, give handouts to the mostly lazy (I'm willing to bet everyone else living in my government housing 5 years ago is still living in government housing--why get out? It's FREE!).

This ridimulous money is merely going to keep recipients on the dole. Very few are getting off government aide even when they have jobs available. It is NOT going to create any new workers.

Tuesday morning rant, disgusted, unedited...I have to go to WORK.

US Army's Emergency Relief criticized for "hoarding" and "strong-arming." I can think of other problems.

I have mixed feelings about these criticisms aimed at the AER.

First of all, so what if soldiers are required to repay loans? This is really an issue? We may be living in a country with a pro-collectivist mindset at the moment, but are we really going to vilify lenders for insisting borrowers pay back loans?

As for strong-arming soldiers to contribute--when I served in the US Army from 1988-1992, we were "required" to give to United Way, which is arguably corrupt. At least AER is Army-based and supposedly helps families. At work in the school district this year, I was "expected" to give to United Way, who donates about 69 cents of every donated dollar. I was one of the few who didn't fold.

As for Army Emergency Relief--when I got married, I outranked my husband. I soon ETS'd out of the service to raise our son at home, and suddenly realized I had gone from being Sergeant with the limited authority that title affords, to being just a dependent spouse, with no authority at all. I needed my husband's signature on all paperwork, his permission for anything I wanted to accomplish on post (from checking out yard tools in order to maintain quarters, to checking out books from the post library, to using credit at the px.That was tough enough to transition to, but the real slap in the face came from organizations, like AER, that are marketed as entities that help families.

Several times, my husband left me and the kids, took my name off the bank account, and left me without any money. I had the water and electricity turned off. I begged the utility companies to work with me and allow me to make smaller payments. They would not.

I pleaded with the CO to tell my husband to pay the bills. I also showed him bruises covering my body, begging him to make my husband go to counseling. I was told he was unable to help me. In fact, if I "continued to raise these issues," I would be sent home--this was in both Tennessee and Vicenza, Italy. In retrospect, I should have just gone, but I ignorantly tried my best to keep my family together.

So I went to the Army Emergency Relief office to request money for utilities, and was told I needed my husband's signature. We were being abused, abandoned, and neglected, yet I was to get his signature, admitting he didn't pay the bills? As if.

When he was found "guilty of endangering a child" by a hospital panel after I reported an incident at the Fort Campbell emergency room, I attended recommended family counseling. He didn't. After the choking incident that finally ended the marriage, we were required to speak to a counselor to deal with the "situation calmly." This meeting consisted of the counselor unethically warning me not to file charges against my husband, as he would have to turn in his weapon and would lose his job, thereby "effectively shooting myself in the foot."

Thank God for my parents, without whom I would never have made it. There was certainly nobody associated with city or the military willing to help us. The only kindness and help I received for 4 years of active duty and 10 years of marriage to an active duty soldier came from my church. Members fixed my roof for free when it caved in and the pastor slipped a $20 in my hand a couple times as I shook his hand after morning services.

I hope things have improved for military spouses over the past twenty years. I prefer being the soldier.

CE

Down for the Count

Last Monday, at our interminable "Monday Meeting" I told a colleague both my kids were home sick, but that I (knocking on wood) seem to be avoiding it.

*Never tempt the Fates*

I have been flat on my back since last Wednesday--haven't wanted to watch TV or pick up my laptop or read or do much of anything but sleep. Today, Sunday, I'm feeling well enough to sit on the couch in the living room, finally able to eat a bit of oatmeal. I even drank a bit of coffee this morning (don't tell Nurse Ann!).

 

Knowing I don't have strep, but wanting to at least rule it out, I allowed Moose (who's been SO attentive and caring!) to drag me to the doctor's office yesterday for a throat culture. Kind nurse, Ann, explained this is a rampant virus in the Willamette Valley this year--I knew my classes started 2nd semester woefully empty, so something's going around, and my own kids have been out sick with colds. Apparently this stuff hangs on for 2 weeks, sometimes longer. Wicked. The only thing to do is rest. [REST! I kinda like those orders! Remember the Army days of the magical words "24- hour quarters?"] Besides, I could barely drag myself to the powder room, let alone deal with a classroom full of teenagers.

So I had to stay home from work 3 days, missed basketball practice and an important game--but at least we have a 3 day weekend so I get one more day to rest. It's certainly no fun being sick and I hate missing stuff I've committed to, but God has a way of using our down times to teach lessons. There's nothing like getting really sick to make me feel eternally grateful for the days when I feel fantastic.

Stay healthy out there! CE

$925 billion Porkulus bill

IS ANYONE WATCHING THIS?? DOES ANYONE FRIGGIN CARE THAT WE ARE BORROWING OUR GRANDCHILDREN INTO LIFETIME DEBT?? THAT WE ARE HANDING OVER OUR INDEPENDENCE, THROWING OUR FREEDOM TO THE WOLVES??

THIS IS NOT STIMULUS, IT IS SOCIALISM IN A CAN!

All who hope B Hussein's plans for America fail, raise your hands!

Hey, Leonard Pitts! Rush Limbaugh did say he hopes Obama fails--but not because he's jealous or angry or trying to hurt y'all liberals' po wittle feelings--it's because Obama's plans, as they stand, will reduce our capitalist republic to nothing more than destined-to-fail collectivist socialism. We cannot redistribute wealth and maintain any semblance of freedom.  And a nation that murders babies by the millions--particularly when purposely killing babies of minorities (see Planned Parenthood) and the poor (see Nancy Pelosi)--while coddling terrorists, as it turns against God's chosen, Israel, is a nation that destroys itself.

Peanut Palooza

I understand that food safety is paramount--I don't want to get sick. I understand that we must guard the health of the young and old--I don't want my kids or folks to get sick.

But because 500 people are ill (6 have died) out of 300 million people, we seem to be recalling every product manufactured with possibly tainted peanuts.

Does this seem excessive? Is this a typical overreaction and sky-is-falling mentality of the Left? Of the Government, in general? Of the micro-managing FDA? Is it non-partisan and "across the aisle" (where is this aisle, exactly, to which we continuously refer?) bureaucracy or is it just the caring government looking after its own?

Hit the Road, Jack III

Says Jack:

    Given that Bristol's pregnancy is a key feature to the official Trig story, do you think it odd that Palin has not offered a shred of evidence to support the birth of her supposed grandson other than her own word and blustery insults to those who would dare ask questions about the matter?

Says I:

    Nope. I think it's odd that anyone would spend so much time worrying and wondering about these rumors, and I actually think Sarah Palin's mostly non-reaction reveals her class.

Did anyone fuss about not seeing Chelsea Clinton's birth certificate? I mean, really, talk about an ugly baby...or the paternity of John F. Kennedy's children, especially those not born to the Mrs.? And as long as we're talking about it, surely Amy Carter is scary looking enough to warrant an investigation!

She no more needs to show you proof of her birth than you need to show the
public pictures of your children's birth. And just for kicks, I admit I don't have pictures in the hospital with my 2nd baby, I'm not sure I sent out announcements to relatives, and it wasn't printed in the newspaper. I guarantee she's mine, though. Your arguments are flimsy and your questions, low brow.

Give it up, Jack. This obsession is just gross.

Yes, Mr. Jamieson, it is a Wonderful Life

Wendell Jamieson twists a look at my favorite movie of all time, asserting that, had George Bailey never been born, citizens of Bedford Falls would, indeed, have been better off--that the smarmy alternative town would have been more fun and more profitable.

Interesting. Most likely, sadly, true. Nevertheless, I choose Bedford Falls, where neighbors take care of each other without government interference, where everyone knows everyone else in town, where corruption is the exception and morality is the rule.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!

 Champagne Ball 2009 at the Portland Hilton!!

  Nice decorations, good appetizer buffet!

5 Guys Named Moe--60s and 70s music. They were good, but I didn't enjoy the music much for dancing. After midnight, when the deejay took over, I finally started bustin' a move!

The 80s hair band was waay more fun than that silly 70s disco! [Bring back the country music!!]

Happy New Year 2009 from Clueless Emma and the Moose!!

Hit the Road, Jack

Jack Bogdanski, loony voice of the Leftiest Pacific Northwest is still pushing the 1) inconsequential 2) incredible 3) insensitive inquisition into Sarah Palin's pregnancy. I guess making it onto Michelle Malkin's website is quite a thrill for him (catching notice from the big league conservatives is likely the impetus behind these and other ludicrous Leftist lamentations), but I find it amusingly hypocritical, sinceJack often whines about his family being targeted by commenters.

School named for Barrack Hussein Obama

Oh dear...they aren't adding the middle name? Why not?

Times, they are a-changin'...

Gross.

Montana in November, saying goodbye

I just returned from saying final goodbyes to my grandmother in Billings, Montana. When I left Oregon a week ago, crunchy leaves were falling in the sun--today I drove back into rain, past bare wintry trees bending forlornly in the wind. So, too, seem the seasons of life; inevitable mortality strikes a blow through long-held denial, insignificant fears and pathetic insecurities laid bare...a mere wisp of smoke. Regrets abound. There is very little time.

Educator gone rogue

--except it happens daily in every school, folks. Ask your local conservative teacher how often he/she is berated and silenced by the overwhelmingly Left majority. Read your children's textbooks! Listen to what your kids tell you about the teacher! Stand up and support your conservative teachers, most of whom are great at keeping personal attacks and opinions out of the classroom. That is the MO of the Humanist Left, which rules our schools.

Humanist Manifesto I

The Manifesto is a product of many minds. It was designed to represent a developing point of view, not a new creed. The individuals whose signatures appear would, had they been writing individual statements, have stated the propositions in differing terms. The importance of the document is that more than thirty men have come to general agreement on matters of final concern and that these men are undoubtedly representative of a large number who are forging a new philosophy out of the materials of the modern world.

— Raymond B. Bragg (1933)

The time has come for widespread recognition of the radical changes in religious beliefs throughout the modern world. The time is past for mere revision of traditional attitudes. Science and economic change have disrupted the old beliefs. Religions the world over are under the necessity of coming to terms with new conditions created by a vastly increased knowledge and experience. In every field of human activity, the vital movement is now in the direction of a candid and explicit humanism. In order that religious humanism may be better understood we, the undersigned, desire to make certain affirmations which we believe the facts of our contemporary life demonstrate.

There is great danger of a final, and we believe fatal, identification of the word religion with doctrines and methods which have lost their significance and which are powerless to solve the problem of human living in the Twentieth Century. Religions have always been means for realizing the highest values of life. Their end has been accomplished through the interpretation of the total environing situation (theology or world view), the sense of values resulting therefrom (goal or ideal), and the technique (cult), established for realizing the satisfactory life. A change in any of these factors results in alteration of the outward forms of religion. This fact explains the changefulness of religions through the centuries. But through all changes religion itself remains constant in its quest for abiding values, an inseparable feature of human life.

Today man's larger understanding of the universe, his scientific achievements, and deeper appreciation of brotherhood, have created a situation which requires a new statement of the means and purposes of religion. Such a vital, fearless, and frank religion capable of furnishing adequate social goals and personal satisfactions may appear to many people as a complete break with the past. While this age does owe a vast debt to the traditional religions, it is none the less obvious that any religion that can hope to be a synthesizing and dynamic force for today must be shaped for the needs of this age. To establish such a religion is a major necessity of the present. It is a responsibility which rests upon this generation. We therefore affirm the following:

FIRST: Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created.

SECOND: Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as a result of a continuous process.

THIRD: Holding an organic view of life, humanists find that the traditional dualism of mind and body must be rejected.

FOURTH: Humanism recognizes that man's religious culture and civilization, as clearly depicted by anthropology and history, are the product of a gradual development due to his interaction with his natural environment and with his social heritage. The individual born into a particular culture is largely molded by that culture.

FIFTH: Humanism asserts that the nature of the universe depicted by modern science makes unacceptable any supernatural or cosmic guarantees of human values. Obviously humanism does not deny the possibility of realities as yet undiscovered, but it does insist that the way to determine the existence and value of any and all realities is by means of intelligent inquiry and by the assessment of their relations to human needs. Religion must formulate its hopes and plans in the light of the scientific spirit and method.

SIXTH: We are convinced that the time has passed for theism, deism, modernism, and the several varieties of "new thought".

SEVENTH: Religion consists of those actions, purposes, and experiences which are humanly significant. Nothing human is alien to the religious. It includes labor, art, science, philosophy, love, friendship, recreation — all that is in its degree expressive of intelligently satisfying human living. The distinction between the sacred and the secular can no longer be maintained.

EIGHTH: Religious Humanism considers the complete realization of human personality to be the end of man's life and seeks its development and fulfillment in the here and now. This is the explanation of the humanist's social passion.

NINTH: In the place of the old attitudes involved in worship and prayer the humanist finds his religious emotions expressed in a heightened sense of personal life and in a cooperative effort to promote social well-being.

TENTH: It follows that there will be no uniquely religious emotions and attitudes of the kind hitherto associated with belief in the supernatural.

ELEVENTH: Man will learn to face the crises of life in terms of his knowledge of their naturalness and probability. Reasonable and manly attitudes will be fostered by education and supported by custom. We assume that humanism will take the path of social and mental hygiene and discourage sentimental and unreal hopes and wishful thinking.

TWELFTH: Believing that religion must work increasingly for joy in living, religious humanists aim to foster the creative in man and to encourage achievements that add to the satisfactions of life.

THIRTEENTH: Religious humanism maintains that all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life. The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism. Certainly religious institutions, their ritualistic forms, ecclesiastical methods, and communal activities must be reconstituted as rapidly as experience allows, in order to function effectively in the modern world.

FOURTEENTH: The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls, and motives must be instituted. A socialized and cooperative economic order must be established to the end that the equitable distribution of the means of life be possible. The goal of humanism is a free and universal society in which people voluntarily and intelligently cooperate for the common good. Humanists demand a shared life in a shared world.

FIFTEENTH AND LAST: We assert that humanism will: (a) affirm life rather than deny it; (b) seek to elicit the possibilities of life, not flee from them; and (c) endeavor to establish the conditions of a satisfactory life for all, not merely for the few. By this positive morale and intention humanism will be guided, and from this perspective and alignment the techniques and efforts of humanism will flow.

So stand the theses of religious humanism. Though we consider the religious forms and ideas of our fathers no longer adequate, the quest for the good life is still the central task for mankind. Man is at last becoming aware that he alone is responsible for the realization of the world of his dreams, that he has within himself the power for its achievement. He must set intelligence and will to the task.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: There were 34 signers of this document, including Anton J. Carlson, John Dewey, John H. Dietrich, R. Lester Mondale, Charles Francis Potter, Curtis W. Reese, and Edwin H. Wilson.]

Copyright © 1973 by the American Humanist Association

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Humanists teach that under no circumstances should an American take up arms in defense of his country. Humanism is "for absolute pacifism, resistance to all wars at all times for whatever purpose". It will not countenance-war under any circumstances even in protecting one's homeland from invasion or in over-throwing tyrants. Right must never fight. It must arbitrate, pacify--as if one could argue with a Hitler or a Stalin.

...From the Pope to Stalin every one is preaching "the brotherhood of man". "Peace," "justice, and "democracy" are an the lips of every dictator-assassin and political demagogue.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Secular Humanism is an attempt to function as a civilized society with the exclusion of God and His moral principles. During the last several decades, Humanists have been very successful in propagating their beliefs.

Their primary approach is to target the youth through the public school system. Humanist Charles F. Potter writes, "Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every American school is a school of humanism. What can a theistic Sunday school's meeting for an hour once a week and teaching only a fraction of the children do to stem the tide of the five-day program of humanistic teaching?" (Charles F. Potter, "Humanism: A New Religion," 1930)

John J. Dunphy, in his award winning essay, The Humanist (1983), illustrates this strategic focus, "The battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: A religion of humanity -- utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to carry humanist values into wherever they teach. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new -- the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism."

Is this what's happening? John Dewey, remembered for his efforts in establishing America's current educational systems, was one of the chief signers of the 1933 Humanist Manifesto. It seems the Humanists have been interested in America's education system for nearly a century. They have been absolutely successful in teaching children that God is imaginary and contrary to "science."

Secular Humanism is manifested in Evolutionary Theory. To satisfy the fundamental question of "Where did we come from?" children are taught the doctrine of Evolution. The first plank of the Humanist Manifesto states: "Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created." The second plank states: "Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as a result of a continuous process."

Certainly, the public school system propagates the Humanist doctrine (clearly an atheistic "religion"), and thus, condemns the concept of God. This is an amazing irony. Creation Science has been successfully kept out of the public schools by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (A.C.L.U.) on the grounds that Creation is religious, and the government should not support religion in any fashion. "In fact, evolution became in a sense a scientific religion; almost all scientists have accepted it, and many are prepared to 'bend' their observations to fit with it."(H. S. Lipson, FRS, Professor of Physics, University of Manchester, UK, "A Physicist Looks at Evolution", Physics Bulletin, vol. 31, May 1980, pg. 138).

Irony of the night

While B. Hussein gives his accePtance sPeech, I am fliPPing channels to find something...anything...else to listen to while Playing Online Scrabble (isc.ro).

This leads me to the irony of the night:

Oregon Public Television heading while B. Hussein sPeaks=The Natural History of the Chicken.


No, I am not joking.

The whole thing makes me throw uP a little.

Woo-hoo! Halloween time 2008!

Tonight howls in the first 2008 halloween parties! Why tonight? I dunno, but I'm not fussin'! I've got big plans for the 31st--we're gonna check out the Zac Brown band at Duke's and then Saturday we're at the coliseum to see Dave Ramsey live.

But tonight I get to try out my hero costume and make sure it's the best I can make it--just for the record, I had this idea waaayy before SNL did! 

Update: pictures!

  SARAH PALIN AND HER TARGET MOOSE 

Joe the plumber on Huckabee today

Love Huck! Love that he has a talk show--and love that he is interviewing Joe Six-pack from Toledo, Ohio.

Good lookin' guy in a suit! Wow, he cleans up well! 

My imperfect translation of the interview:

Huck: Do you realize that if McCain wins, he has you largely to thank for it?

Joe:  Well, I hope it makes voters really think about it before they vote.

Huck: What do you think about the attacks against you?

Joe: They ones attacking are worried about whether I pay taxes, etc, instead of the big issues that the US president will have to face. That bothers me.

Huck: What happened there--how did you get to ask Obama your question?

Joe: Obama was getting simple questions, so I thought I'd go ask what I wanted to know. I always said I would, so I just did it. Now I can't work or do a lot of different things...there are over 100 people camped outside the house, asking things that have nothing to do with this and no relevance.

Huck: You didn't even run for office--now you've been thru the worst of politics.

Joe: I thought about laying low, as a buddy counseled me, but I have a lot of friends in the military who contacted me and said they supported me, that I had asked a great question and I should stick with it--so I decided to come on your show.

Wall Street Journal economic writer joins them

Writer: This is an outrage! A man who served his country and just wants to work and live his life is being attacked! It was a great question--how can individuals who are trying to run a business make it work when they are overtaxed?

Huck: what exactly would Obama's tax plan do for guys like Joe?

Writer: Let's say Joe's business takes off, and he hires 6 or 7 guys and has 1/4 million income--under Obama's plan, he'd have to lay off at least one guy. This is not helping create jobs!

Joe: Healthcare issues also create issues for a small business.

writer: Absolutely, good point! 

Huck: Fewer workers are hired when taxes are increased and there are more restrictions placed on businesses.

Joe: Exactly--that's the crux of the issue right there. Why start a business? Better to just work for someone else, but that isn't good, because small businesses are the backbone of our country.

Writer: Small business owners make this country function. Lowering taxes creates more competition, which creates more jobs. Also, big businesses can hire more workers if corporate taxes are lowered.

Huck: Joe, What is there about you that has not been said yet?

Joe: I have no desire to be in the limelight. My son is the most imortant thing in my life--after 9 yrs I finally got custody of him. I have opinions, I asked a question...and here we are.

Huck: as Joe the American citizen, what do you do when you can't buy everything you want?

Joe: Use coupons, stay home more, buy bologne instead of ham. I'm learning, too. I'm a plumber, you don't want my tax advice.

Question from a Canadian woman in the audience: I understand the anger at the economic situation, but I don't understand its target. Bush has kept you safe, has done great things for you--it is the democratic Congress that increased costs. Why are so many angry at Bush rather than at congress and those running Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?

[Good question!!]

Huck: You get honorary citizenship! You have a greater understanding of our blessings here than many citizens. A lot gets blamed on the president, because he is the one that people can relate to and easily identify, so it's easy to find him and blame him.

[Not a great answer--the reason is b/c the Mainstream Media is a Leftist mouthpiece and insists on running lies at worst, misrepresentations at best!]

Aaron Tippin sings Drill Here, Drill Now! Yeehaw!!

God forbid we actually try to teach differing views, rather than indoctrinate

The Creation Museum, which teaches life's beginnings through a literal interpretation of the Bible, is claiming attendance figures that would make it an unexpectedly strong draw less than a year and a half after it debuted. More than a half-million people have toured the Kentucky attraction since its May 2007 opening, museum officials said.

For creationists — Christians who believe the Bible's first chapter of Genesis is the literal telling of the universe's start — the museum is a godsend. Many have returned with family and friends, some from faraway states arguing it's one of the few with a Christian worldview.

Many scientists say they fear damaging effects on science education when young people tour the museum and fail to square its lessons with what they're learning in school. [Ummm...hmm...ya mean maybe they might try to think for themselves and ask questions, rather than blindly accepting godless brainwashing?] One display shows humans coexisting with dinosaurs — despite the two species being separated by 65 million years in most science texts.

"We're depressed, I think," said Dan Phelps, head of the Kentucky Paleontology Society, who toured the museum shortly after its opening. "There's been such a push in recent years to improve science education, but stuff like this still hangs around." [Hmm, wonder why it "hangs around?" Could it be because there is TRUTH in it? Could it be that there IS a higher power creating life and that He is bigger than the enemy trying to erase His thumbprint?]

Phelps said he fears some teachers, shying away from the origins controversy, may choose to omit mentioning evolution studies in the classroom. [I see...kinda like how many now shy away from mentioning that evolution is still an unprovable THEORY with every link still missing? The difference here is that every textbook touts it as truth, still recounting false studies as gospel, and if a teacher even mentions Creationism, it's called indoctrination.]

An American Carol hits the low notes just fine

I saw the new David Zucker film Friday night--we arrived quite late for the 7:05 show, thinking we'd just miss the previews, but found, shockingly, nearly every seat taken! It seems every single conservative in Salem showed up for the premiere (who knew there were so many)! So after a v-e-r-y s-l-o-w, albeit tasty and fattening meal at the Roadhouse on Lancaster (good thing we had 2 hungry hours to waste!) we hit the 9:30 showing of An American Carol.

I've been anticipating this movie for a while now, and was thrilled to know others were getting out to see it, too. I left much less excited. It's funny to those of us who have followed conservative politics for a while now, but those who haven't might miss quite a few allusions. That said, the slapstick goofy physical humor was lost on me. I can only think Zucker believes most conservatives are male (most women roll their eyes at low brow sight gags, ala The Three Stooges ...okay, so the wimpy guy gets smacked around a lot...snoooooze)...

Anyway, as much as I found its humor quite disappointingly juvenile and as much as I struggled to stay awake, which is rare for me during movies (although Friday nights after teaching all week,  I'm ready for bed at 8 and I'm barely conscious at 10, so it's not really fair to blame the movie) it was VERY refreshing to see so many out watching a conservative film, laughing at the idiocracy expounded by liberals. I'm excited that the turnout may encourage more films of this genre, and surely it will spur a cult following--I envision college kids replaying the DVD for years to come.

Well, it isn't nearly as good as Airplane, but then what is? It isn't as blatantly nasty as American Pie or full of pornographic images--it actually is possible and viable to produce a movie that isn't. But there is naughty stuff (blatant image of a guy bending over, language, etc...) and I wouldn't take my 13 yr old.

Trace Adkins sings in all his sexiness, Kelsey Grammer is an awesome General Patton, Cameos by James Woods, Jon Voight, Dennis Hopper, Leslie Nielsen, Bill O'Reilly.

As much as I love that there's a conservative movie out there, I would have loved it more if it had taken the high brow road with intellectual jokes. I don't buy the "decentness" in the character of MIchael Malone (I don't want to like his character at all), but it is fun to imagine Michael Moore experiencing a spiritual and personal epiphany. Just don't hold yer breath.

Do go see An American Carol, though--let's encourage similar films and let Hollyweird know there is a market in Truth.

Bacon Infusion

I recently discovered a ginger-pear-infused martini at Jonathan's Long Bar in downtown Salem--the first time, a few weeks ago, when we ordered the $9 yummy concoction, I smacked my lips in joy! Delicioso! A couple days ago, not nearly as good and I couldn't taste any pear at all--what a disappointment for $9! My date didn't seem to mind too much, though.

For those who don't know what to get the meatatarian guy/gal who has everything, check out this heart-clogging beverage:

FOR THE BOURBON- BACON INFUSION:
3 or 4 slices bacon, or enough to render 1 ounce of fat (PDT uses Benton’s, but any extra-smoky variety will do)
1 750-ml. bottle of bourbon such as Four Roses Yellow Label

FOR THE OLD FASHIONED:
2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon
1/4 ounce Grade B maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Twist of orange

FOR THE BACON-INFUSED BOURBON: Cook bacon in pan and reserve rendered fat. (1) When bacon fat has cooled a bit, pour off one ounce from pan. (2) Pour bourbon into a non-porous container. (3) Strain the bacon fat into the container and infuse for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature. Place mixture in freezer until all the fat is solidified. With a slotted spoon, remove fat and strain mixture back into bottle. 

FOR THE COCKTAIL: In mixing glass, stir 2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters with ice. Strain into chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange twist.

Recipe: THE BACON BLOODY MARY

1 1/2 oz. bacon-flavored vodka

6 oz. Bloody Mary mix

Barbecue rub

1 Slim Jim

1 lime wedge

Mix the bacon-flavored vodka and Bloody Mary mix together. Rub rim of tall glass with barbecue spices. Pour mix into glass. Garnish with Slim Jim and lime wedge.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Jake’s Dixie Roadhouse, 220 Moody St., Waltham; 781-894-4227.

An American Carol--see it!

Bill O'Reilly, Trace Adkins, Kelsey Grammer all in the same movie??

Yee-Haw!!

 I'd go see it just because tall, strong, handsome, silent, family-devoted Trace is in it, and then maybe because O'Reilly has a cameo, though that's pushin' it. Even better that it's a slam against the BIG LIAR, Michael Moore and his Hey! Koolaid! band of Obamunists.

Support conservatives in Hollywood--go see it! CE

Boy Scouts and VFW save thousands of American flags left at dumpsters by DNC

Oh, dear.

BO and his loyal Obuminists are not looking very good right about now. First, he wouldn't hold his hand to his heart, then he refused to wear a flag lapel pin, and now his peeps not only wasted, but blatantly threw away thousands of American flags used at the convention. Didn't it occur to anyone that maybe the flag still means something, even after the Obamunists are done with it?

Change?
patriotic?




NoBama!

Sarah Speaks!

Beautiful family, classy woman.

Rock star in the house!

Bristol with handsome fiance, who must have really no idea what he's taking on at the age of 18.

I've seen more support for women's choice, regarding marriage, work, freedoms here at the RNC than anywhere near the DNC. Feminism in the DNC is merely a front for socialist progressives. The republicans are more concerned with actual work and family than with whiney bra burners.

Dr. Laura, whom I deeply respect,complains about the lack of time Sarah spends with her kids. Well, I submit she has a husband who works it out for and with her. Mostly, I despise women in power. This one I like--so far. And 10 steps above Chillary, for sure.

Oh, darn it. I was going to blog on her speech, but I received a phone call and only caught bits and pieces...um...why did [I cannot for the life of me remember the broadcaster's name--AHA! Brit Hume--] just comment on Trig's condition, as if it matters?

Alan Combes suggests Governor Sara Palin did not take care of herself, resulting in Trig's Down Syndrome

Speechless. Truly.

The cruelty. The ignorance. The stupidity.

Always shocking to see just how twisted is the liberal mentality/lack of morality. Better to kill "imperfect" babies. Freedom of choice is mandatory...unless a woman chooses life.

I feel sick.

Tracy Lawrence and Chris Cagle at Oregon State Fair 08!

Hot, hot, hot!

Great seats. great show, great talent, and great time! 2 and a half hours of smokin' singin' and down home country music.

I'm tellin' ya, it just doesn't get much better 'n this.

Chris opened the show--sexy, talented, a bit short, but wow, what a sweetheart, signing a baby's blanket and a girl's shirt right in them middle of the show. He was personable and spoke intimately to the crowd as if we were all his buddies.

Tracy closed the show with flawless vocals and lots of audience participation. I saw him at the Oregon State Fair a few years ago when he traveled with Mark Chesnutt and somebody else I can't remember right now, and he's just gotten bigger and better.


Did I say how much I LOVE fair concerts?!

Gary Allan--Oregon State Fair 08

I have always liked GA's ballads, but who knew he was such a bad boy rocker! Wow! Arms covered with tats, band swiggin' whiskey from a bottle passed back and forth...maybe a bit over the top with encore covers of classic rock hits, but great entertainment and I tend to be one of the few that doesn't love a lot of the classics.  The concert lasted over 2 hours, which is phenomenal for a fair venue! $30 was a bargain--this is why I LOVE fair season--all the best names in country music for very little investment, AND fun on the midway!

HERE is one of his latest hits, Learning How to Bend, which truly can stand as my anthem this year.

THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS ADVICE I HAVE EVER READ

Obviously this man has never been a single mom.

...Don't Buy What Is Cheapest

"Cheap" rarely means "the best value." To get the most out of your hard-earned money, you must think value rather than price. A car that is inexpensive, but costs a lot to drive and needs frequent repairs has less value than a car with a higher price tag but costs less to run and maintain.

This concept of buying value over price can be applied to anything and will mean that you rarely buy items which are the least expensive.

Don't Buy Things That Are on Sale

Much like things that are on the cheap, things that are on sale are rarely the best value.

There are two major problems with most items on sale: They are often something that you really don't need, and even if you do need them, you can usually find an alternative with better value.

If it's not something you'd buy even if it weren't on sale, it's a purchase you shouldn't make.

When you find something on sale that you do need, don't buy it without looking at other options. If you need the item and there aren't better options, buy away.

TheStreet.Com.

SCHOOLS ARE NOT SOCIAL SERVICE CENTERS

...The issue is, are schools the best institutions for providing these services? Even if schools could provide them, it still makes no sense to provide them through schools if other institutions could provide the same services better. Like, say, institutions whose core mission is to provide those services.

Even if we stipulate everything the unions might ask us to stipulate — that these services are needed, and that they can be provided effectively by a big new spending program, and that schools can provide them effectively — the idea that a bunch of non-educational services should be handed over to schools makes no sense. Unless, of course, the real goal is to build up the government school bureaucracy and its attendant gravy train — such as the unions who are making this proposal.

The really funny thing is, we’ve tried bringing social services into schools before. Fifty years ago, schools didn’t serve breakfast and provide teams of guidance counselors. Providing these and other social services in schools was originally justified on grounds that the kids needed these services to do well in school. How has that worked out?

Well, after all the empirical research that’s been done on schools, there’s no serious evidence that educational outcomes have improved as a result of these services. When the unions were challenged to come up with some evidence, they responded that “teachers know” these policies work.

But if the real purpose of providing these services in schools was to enlarge the government education blob, mission accomplished.

On the other hand, a large body of empirical evidence demonstrates that changes in education policy can make a difference. Vouchers, accountability testing, and other programs have an empirically proven track record in producing better teaching (yes, even with kids who have high levels of poverty, etc.). Other policies, like merit pay, haven’t been tried much, but based on what we do know they’re much more promising than yet another big spending program.

If we want better learning, we should try better teaching. Just a thought.

by Greg Forster

I agree--if y'all want better teaching, y'all must quit hollering about wanting extra "free" services, including special ed "daycare" (services must be provided at taxpayer expense as long as the child has any response to stimulus), Individual Education plans, TAG, childcare for student parents, etc, etc...No Child Left Behind has school employees pulling out hair, because there is no way on God's green earth we will EVER get 100% of students to pass all the tests. Like it or not, some kids are dumb. Sorry. Hard truth. Some can't speak English even after living in the States for years (by the way,these kids usually fail Spanish class and math, too), some have learning disabilities that preclude them from ever reaching such learning levels, some kids purposely flunk, filling in bubbles randomly, and some refuse to take the test. The answers lie in the level of support offered by parents, directly influencing discipline and work ethic. Teachers are caught in the middle of everything--we just want to teach well and have fun, creating love of learning. Remove social justice agendas from school, return to traditional classrooms, and give parents back the responsibility for raising their children. It does not take a village--it takes prudent parenting.

US VOLLEYBALL GOLD MEDALISTS MAY/WALSH THANK GW BUSH--GET CENSORED

I watched this original broadcast and shouted in glee and disbelief when Walsh deliberately gave a shout out to GWB---just to have them quickly censored on official broadcasts.

Congratulations to both the men and women for winning GOLD in beach volleyball! I was tired just watching all that jumping in the sand...just one question: why are the men covered head to toe while the women wear nearly nothing? Hmmmm....

Feminine Military poetry

Joy!! I just found some of my poetry I thought long gone with my stolen pc tower...thank goodness for Yahoo mail storage!

I would love to hear from those of you who understand and remember.

(Copyrights in effect)

Zeroing Rifles 

Earth pocket unzipped,

toes touch black lint

rocks   roots,

belly pressed

in corner womb,

elbows planted

on green hair,

breath beats blood pulse

tension builds in/ex

       h  a  l  e

 

            wait

 

            wait

 

            wait

 

            gentle

            finger

            squeeze

 

sudden screaming echo

as the green torso falls

Cattle Drive to the Range

 

Crushed together

in wet ponchos,

we huddled

on splintered benches

back of a deuce and a half,

M16 muzzles seeming to

connect the dots of

Louisiana

red mud splashed

along pungent OD green canvas,

and us,

achingly aware of

warm bodies leaning

against thighs  arms  backs

steel pot helmets

clanging in rhythm

against steel poles

to the pock-faced insolence

of untamed roads.

And this one from my updated Bittersweet Poetry Page:

Guard Duty outside the POC at 5am

 

On the other side

of concertina wire,

shouldering alone

the dewy weight

of southern summer dawn,

as the slumbering earth

shuddered, melding

to the curves of my body,

I watched shifting shapes

along the scrub pines

dance among fireflies

caught in reverie

between my rifle sights

Ramblings on break, laziness, heartbreak, nature, and love

So I sit here on summer break, feeling the crunch of what I call freedom anxiety, stuck in that time zone between "YAY, freedom!" and "hurry up and be a grown up while the kids are with their dad for 5 weeks and I don't have to work!"

So far, I've painted and distressed some of my used awful tables I've collected around the house, and I have to say I kinda like em! Antique white paint, lots of sanding, and waaay better character than the shiny wood stain that dated them in an ugly way. I'm the sort of dreamer who has ideas but rarely acts on them--this was a breakthrough for me, as I found discount materials at Big Lots and just went for it! Since I didn't have much invested, there wasn't much risk, and it doesn't matter if no one else likes them!

There's so much more to do around the house--cleaning out the kids' rooms while they can't complain...going through moving boxes that have been lugged around the country for years now and never opened...tagging items for a big garage sale, reorganizing the garage, working in the yard (though I must say, I'm quite happy with my front yard so far--LOVE the finches gathering on the thistle socks just outside my window!)...yet I can't find the motivation or the energy to complete much of it. I have no valid excuse, really.

I've started running daily again and am thinking of going twice a day. This week, I'm not sleeping or eating much, due to a minor broken heart. Well, why not--it's been 6 months since the last one, so I'm due. This was different, though. This was good from the beginning. Maybe too good.

Having checked out the 5 love languages in a book store once and having taken the quick, online test to see (however accurately) what my love languages are, I must say they're pretty spot on. There aren't a lot of questions on the quiz, but the results were surprisingly close to what I figured already.

My scores:

10 Words of Affirmation

8 Quality Time

6 Physical Touch

4 Acts of Service

2 Receiving of Gifts

This makes a lot of sense to me--I certainly do need communication and attention to feel appreciated, wanted and needed. So in order to figure out how to make a match feel appreciated, wanted and needed, it is helpful to see what his love languages are, too. I don't think we have to have the same scores, but we do have to recognize the differences and similarities and figure out how to balance what we want with what our partner wants.

Okay, so having figured this all out, it sounds pretty easy, right? But it only works if both parties are willing to participate. If he feels cornered, overwhelmed, over-needed by her need for communication, and she feels neglected because he needs more space than she does, it creates tension. Similarly, if she withholds affection or lives far enough away to make it difficult to give him the physical touch he equates with caring, resentment may build.

But when this resentment presents itself, it does help to recognize that even if she isn't physically there enough for him, she shows him she loves him with her natural love language--writing him long emails or setting aside special moments to spend with him. When he is lax in affirming her with words and gets too busy to spend time with her, he may still show her love with his natural love language--touching often when they are together and giving her personalized or thoughtful gifts.

But what if the guy or gal in your life isn't willing to notice these differences as blessings, rather than shortcomings? What if they, instead, chalk it up as your being too much work, too needy?

Siggghh....this is why I sit here, staring at the piles of garage sale items stacked around the house, early run finished, but stomach aching, unable to eat or sleep. If there is anything I enjoy about heartbreak, it's the inevitable weight loss...but it's a shallow, hollow attribute.

Forgiveness is a very big concept in the bible--the most important, arguably. Where would we be if we all threw away every friendship, relationship, family member, colleague at the first small slight against us? Without forgiveness we are no better than animals. Unless we measure carefully what really happened, based on the true heart and intent of the accused, recognizing ourselves as just as capable of committing a similar or worse offense, we deny not only Christ His obedience, and the offender her mercy, but also ourselves the forgiveness we will inevitably desire later.

I can see my flags flying in my garden, patriotic red, white, and blue in the breeze. Huge coneflowers, bee balm, butterfly bush, and a smattering of perennials and annuals grow bright, stretching towards the light, basking in the warmth, bees strafing, finches dining but aware of the cat under the feeder...a moment I wish I could share with the one that, I'm afraid, can't (or won't) fully appreciate the beauty of nature--raw, imperfect, and fallible.

Repost (from fall 07)--->Dating 101 (in honor of my upcoming birthday :(

I’m old now. I just hit that pesky round number with the 4 in front. Sometimes waitresses still card me, which I know they do just to flatter me into a big tip, but I certainly don’t complain.

 

So here I am, old, ending a nine-month-long dating dry spell and suddenly have two dates—not only in the same month, but the same week! And this leads me to the spooky question that’s been haunting my nights lately: where the heck is that handbook of dating etiquette for 2007? I can’t find it! How am I supposed to know the rules?

 

From the beginning of my dating life, I kind of drifted from “love” to “love,” never dating around, but meeting an eligible guy (one who really liked me) and staying with him exclusively until we parted ways (someone else came along). That was fine for teens into 20s, but then I married a really bad one. The past 6 years of singlemotherdatinghood haven’t been much better. Meet someone, fall in love, realize it will never work, spend months nursing a broken heart. I’m ready to move beyond stupidity.

 

So now that I’m ready to be smart, where’s the doggone textbook? I made it through an English literature degree. I even earned a Master’s Degree in secondary teaching. But I’m flunking dating.

 

At this point in life, I’m stable for the first time ever—earning my own income, decent home, no plans to move (EVER) and no one holds the strings to my heart. It feels really, really good not to be in love right now. Oh, I miss all the lovely bits. I miss having my best guy friend lean in, kiss my neck, mumble in a low, personal voice, just for me, tickling my ears with sweet lovely promises…siiiighhh…but I’m not missing the stress, the vulnerability, the pain, or the heartbreak. Yes, I’m damaged. But I love men and dream of the day The One enters my life and we live happily ever after. Still dreamin’.

 

So I’m dating again.

 

Date #1 went something like this: upscale gathering place downtown, bustling with local bigwigs, as well as visiting businessmen eager to patronize the only East Coast-like restaurant and bar in town. Intimate lighting, friendly waitstaff, fireplace in the middle of the room, designed in rich, warm tones. He is tall, slender, with a full head of dark hair, and, although different from his pics, he’s a handsome man, a few years older than I. Very deep voice. My perception is that he’s not disgusted by me, so that’s a start. Actually, we enjoy great conversation, even broaching the forbidden topics of religion and politics with aplomb and agreement. This one could be a keeper. Not sure I love a traveling salesman—my innate skepticism—but I’m willing to spend time finding out.

 

Date #2. Meet in a local Roadhouse—casual, crowded, fun for a Friday night. He brings his male friend—that’s a first for me. It’s okay, though, I guess. If conversation drags, there will be another voice. Good looking men, both. My date’s a businessman—tall, casual but well-groomed, striking blue eyes, full head of thinning hair, charming smile, fit body. He likes to speak about himself and his business, but I don’t mind. I will opine when I feel like it. Friend is rough around the edges. Baseball cap (I assume bald),5 o’clock shadow, very casual. This one is trouble; he knows every attractive woman in the immediate area.

 

I’m perched on a bar stool between them. Our conversation is peppered with stories from their childhood, growing up together, and gentle teasing. After a couple drinks, we head to a local club that, I am assured, has changed from the 20-something meat market it used to be to an upscale adult watering hole. Riiight. It’s now a 20-something meat market with 40-somethings hanging around them. Date and I leave immediately, spending the rest of the evening at the local wannabe honky-tonk, talking and watching. Friend went elsewhere, entertaining his minions.

 

Ding ding ding! First round complete, heading into the second!

 

Both dates want to meet again. It’s a miracle!

 

This is where the trouble starts. I’m a conservative, old fashioned girl. Interpret this, apparently, as LOSER in the dating world. Oh, all men say that’s what they’re looking for. The reality is that they want me to be that way to all other men, while being something else behind closed doors. Which is one thing in an exclusive relationship, leading to marriage. But on the second date? I mean, really. At this point in my life, I am looking for consistency, responsibility, temperance, self-control, maturity, and someone who is not hittin’ it with everyone they meet.

 

So Date #1 and I set a day and time, but he has last minute work problems and can’t make it. No problem.

 

Date #2 and I meet at a local watering hole for a late afternoon quick bite and conversation before my son’s football game—he has told me he can’t stay long, as he’s traveling through on business. Good conversation, snacks. He tells me he’s interested in pursuing something, but keeping it casual, dating others. I agree, that’s best. But when we leave, he gives me a wonderfully long, warm hug and won’t let go—and this leads to a strange little battle. The man just told me he will be dating other women, wants to keep it casual—but basically wants to make out on the street.

Did I miss something? Now I understand that I’m different than most people. I’m socially conservative, which means, apparently, I stand alone in the dating world. When I’m in love with a man exclusively, I am very affectionate and physically demonstrative. But if I were to be that way with every date, then, well—I’d be like any run-of-the-mill liberal…well…as my students would say—‘ho’—runnin’ around out there. I’ve been losing men to those women my entire life. I expect that and it’s okay. Those are not the men I want, anyway.

But how does a 40 yr old single mom date carefully, making wise choices for her future and that of her children, if she is expected to play tongue hockey with every Tom, Dick, and Harry who buys her nachos?

His assessment of the situation: I’m not ready for a relationship. Funny, that. Because I think this is the first time in my life I’ve been ready for a relationship. I’m not desperate. I’m not feeling a need to be with a man, even with the holidays approaching. Contentment has long alluded me, and it feels pretty good that I have it now. It’s scary to realize that this is far better than the emotional upheaval I’ve previously known as normalcy—and that I may just prefer it to ever being vulnerable (hurt) again. But isn’t this the point we should all reach before we embark on yet another adventure of the heart? Content, satisfied, almost complete?

 

Do I really have to be pressured to make out on the public street with every second date? What are we, in high school?

 

I guarantee it is going to take a bit longer for me to be comfortable enough, to let down my guard, to feel safe enough to let anyone in past the 60 foot tall steel walls. I want to know he’s serious. I want to know him well enough to be sure he’s not just saying what I want to hear, acting the way he thinks I will approve, and that he’s willing to be honest with me about everything. 2 dates ain’t gonna do it. Am I really that weird?

 

Where is that doggone textbook! And hey…where is that cute friend in the baseball cap…

Repost (from last fall), The Vanishing Man

What I like about real-life heroes is that they are human beings with faults and foibles. Superheroes are great, but give me a real man any day. Intriguing is a self-deprecating half-smile, self-conscious duck of the head, his quiet chuckle…especially when reserved for quiet moments alone with me. Others can believe he’s a superhero, but I want to be the only one to observe the awkward little boy lurking in his past, to be privy to his doubts and fears and unsettling internal conflicts.

 

On the other hand, his inner strength in times of my indecision, his innate confidence in the person he is, unbending convictions based on traditional biblical ethics, and his solid belief that he is exactly what I need, truly lights my fire.

 

But where did all these hawt heroes go? Oh, I catch a glimpse of one now and again, but he either belongs to another woman or for some reason isn’t interested in me enough to follow up.

 

Which brings me to my latest lament: the Vanishing Man. I’ll not go into all the reasons I believe real men are an endangered species—that’s a whole different subject. My focus right now is that moment of disconnect between finding a prospect (specifically online—hey, I work with kids all day, gimme a break) and the moment I realize he has disappeared—or the moment he decides to. I suppose it could be argued that if he so easily vanishes, he was never really found, and in that way there is no loss. Sure, I’ll buy that. I just want to know why and what he’s thinking.

 

Cases (within the past month) in point:

 

1) Very handsome (this has been the month of hawties!), professional, full head of black hair, taller than I, lives less than an hour away, dad of 2 little ones. We talked the entire drive to my parents’ house on the coast (by phone) one weekend—laughing, joking, seriously, interesting. There seemed to be chemistry, and that’s tough for me to find, especially in communication, about which I’m highly picky. We both agreed that it’s best to move into any relationship slowly, as we laughed at each other’s experiences dealing with desperate people. Nice follow-up email, promised to set up a meeting the following week. When the promised weekend passed, I actually went against my personality and initiated an email to him with a tidbit to add to our prior conversation—he answered kindly, with a promise to get together the following week. Nothing. Vanished.

2) Date #1 from Dating 101. Received a call with an excuse for missing the 2^nd date and a request for a date the following week. I agreed, asked him to let me know his schedule, as he is the one traveling here for business. Nothing. Vanished.

3) Date #2 from Dating 101. Random text message, asking me what I’m doing. Excuse me? Whatever. If a man doesn’t make contact with me within 2 days of an outing together, he’s obviously not interested. Do not send me a text message 2 weeks later, asking me what I’m doing. Nunya. As far as I’m concerned, vanished. And although this doesn’t break my heart, it’s still a mystery how the wonderful, caring, tender man he is at first is so quickly replaced with el Dorko.

If it only happened rarely, it really would be no big deal. But I’ve figured that, with all the promised meetings that are never solidified, dates set up and canceled at the last minute, flat-out no-shows, and those who are incapable, apparently, of follow up after a date (I understand nachos are just nachos—still, I’d rather be up front and honest about all impressions and expectations), probly a good 90% of my prospects vanish.

 

Is it me? Perhaps. Or maybe it’s the whole tenuous disconnect of the internet—MTV’s Real World meets Cyber Stalker meets Sugar Daddy and all that. Virtual Vanishment.

Oh, there are plenty of men who would probly show up and be great dates. I just can’t get past the lack of sparks on my end—been there, done that. I can attest to the fact that chemistry does not build over time if it isn’t there in the beginning. I mean, his face isn’t going to change. Familiarity? Sure. But do we really want to base a relationship on having an old shoe around? A worn through t-shirt? The comfy wannabe Ugh boot? I don’t think so.

Well, as Grandma says, I suppose if it’s meant to be, it will happen. I’m not in a hurry. It’s nice to get out and be a grown up occasionally, though, especially with the holidays approaching. Shoot, if I follow Grandma’s advice, I’ll only date rich men, specifically doctors. Or not.

My superhero will:

• Stand tall with a backbone.
• Avoid kowtowing to the ex-wife
• Follow-through completely
• Express needs, concerns clearly
• Put me in my place with a kiss and tenderness
• Fight the world for my honor
• Differentiate between actual needs of kids and manipulation
• Make me weak in the knees with a properly timed whisper
• Devote himself to me alone
• Make a date and keep it. Always.

 

No more vanishing allowed.

WalMart accused of influencing supervisers to vote republican

OOooh this is just too ironic for words! As if unions don't directly influence its members to vote!

Oregon teachers are required to join the Oregon Education Association, part of the National Education Association. Supposedly dues are not used to lobby for special interests, but there sure are a lot of election flyers magically appearing in district mailboxes, with lists of who to vote for "in the interest of education." There has never been a conservative candidate listed while I've been here.

When I told my union representative that I would rather not receive such mailings, he was shocked! I carefully explained that although I appreciate legislation that helps kids and teachers, in no way do I see any justification for providing voting suggestions for every single measure on the ballot. Call me silly, but I think it is quite a stretch to correlate anything to do with gay marriage with (supposedly) neutral public education. Of course, the excuse given is that anything that impacts the kids impacts the schools--therefore, it is not only natural but necessary for the OEA/NEA to take a bully pulpit to further its Leftist agendas in the name of the children.

Now what would the pro-union (pro socialist) mouthpieces say if WalMart distributed flyers to its workers listing only conservative candidates and bills for an upcoming election? You think that would just be accepted as normal daily business? I mean, every ballot measure will effect someone in each employee's family!

We are still living in the best (capitalist) country in the world, holding onto the American Dream as an attainable, tangible possibility. The reason we have immigration issues is because non-Americans in socialist, tyrannical, communist, poor, and/or evil countries recognize the opportunities available here to everyone (citizen or not, unfortunately).

WalMart is fully within its rights to remain non-unionized. Bully for them! Unions are nice for some reasons, but mostly they increase costs, create lazy employees, and make it very difficult to fire poor workers.

Want proof? Check out your local unionized public school.

I Still Miss You

HERE

BEAUTY ON THE 4TH--FAMILY, FIREWORKS, AND FREEDOM

Okay, so i'm a bit late with this post, but I enjoyed Independence day in  Central Oregon at my brother's  place--my parents are house-sitting while little bro enjoys his first anniversary with his wife touring Europe, including the Running of the Bulls (gee, life is rough, eh?)...well, we at least enjoyed his country home and the wonderful choreographed fireworks display over pilot Butte in Bend.


Earlier in the day, Tough Cookie and Eagle Eye cut cookies with the 4-wheeler.

My Turbo and my folks' Rodeo--big and little versions. I didn't get the other dogs in the pic--we also had 2 yellow labs and a Corgi.
The drive on Hwy 22 over Santiam pass is gorgeous.

Komunistichiskiy vodkiy vecher v'Vegas

My last evening in Vegas this week shared with a dear friend: we toured New York, New York Casino, sampling the beverages of several watering holes, such as Nine Fine Irishmen, with its uberloud Irish jig band and standing room only. Eventually, we made our way to Mandalay Bay Casino and the Red Square Ice Bar, replete with everything from headless Lenin covered with pigeon poo to an all-ice bar to red searchlights and a private deep freeze, where guests bundle up in furs to keep warm while shooting the expensive vodka on a block of ice (in which Lenin's decapitated head is encased). I thoroughly enjoyed an expensive raspberry martini ($15). I was with great company and savored the conversation, esp since I was trained as an electronic warfare Russian linguist waaay back in my Army days and never would have predicted such a bar would exist to glam up the Communist Manifesto.

Note the personal light parade in the last frame (If you look closely, you'll notice a motorcycle cop's sillhouette directly behind our car!) All is well--but a word of advice: drive slowly in wee hours of a Communist vodka Vegas morn!

LAS VEGAS EDUCATION CONFERENCE: DAY 1

First day at the conference and all is well. Our school presented and passed muster, so now we get to just go into cruise control until evening, when we get to play!

Tonight we had a great meal at a steakhouse, about which I was initially wary--it was upstairs in a casino on Fremont and when we got there, around 7, there were only two tables seated. It was stuffy and too hot and my water glass had cloth fibers all over it. Now, had I been there with a close friend or family, I'd have left and gone somewhere much cheaper! But, as we get per diem,  I figured I could drop a few bucks on dinner.













I ended up enjoying a thick, fatty prime rib with au jus, yummmmy horseradish sauce, veggies, and baked potato. I barely made a dent in the steak, but it was wonderful--rare and nearly mooin'! I will pay for this indulgence tomorrow.



After dinner, we did a bit o'gamblin' at the Nugget. Some played $5 Black Jack tables, while I leaped into highly risky mode and lost $3 in the penny slots.







Watch out, Sin City, Emma's on the loose!

Lessons from the dog park

Running along the winding bike paths out at Minto Brown park is cathartic. Oh, it’s also painful and wheezy, with my body out of shape and my allergies in full bloom--but the lazy landscape lush with new crops in rich dark brown dirt and thickets of berries and the birds’ joyous hymns cleanse my soul. Turbo is tireless, glancing impatiently at me when I run too slowly to suit his druthers.

 

Among the lighter elements of this catharsis—a few lessons I’ve learned--I have seen:

1) The silhouette of a family of Dad, Mom, Boy, Girl—trailing into the sunset, fishing poles over their shoulders.

 

Lesson learned: There are still whole, complete families out there. Maybe it is still an attainable dream.

 

2) A middle-aged woman in blue denim overalls, hair a mess, on a very quiet, out of the way trail, dabbing her eyes as she walked.

 

          Lesson learned: I’m not the only one crying.

 

3) Children running unchecked in the dog park—possibly through waste and mess and at the mercy of all unleashed dogs.

 

                                           Lesson learned: Some parents really do not get it.

 

4) Unfamiliar dogs approach each other—stand stiff, look to the side, sniff each other, wag tails, then nonchalantly continue down the trail.

 

Lesson learned: Be polite, even when out of your comfort zone—but be wary.

 

And just from my own experience: chewing gum while running requires sticking it way back behind your teeth when close to the creek. Gnats travel in big ol’ swarms, and believe me, when you have to take a breath in the middle of one, you really don’t want a wad of gum in the middle of your mouth!

 

POETS AND PIRATES TOUR 08 SAILS INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST!

 Yeeeeee-Haw!  I'm still floating on Kenny Chesney Cloud 9 after a colossal country cavalcade!

 

Leann Rimes is gorgeous in her flouncy eggshell dress (she looked dressed for a business interview with her jacket on, but turned instantly sexy with it off). We all know she can belt and croon better than any other female artist. Hot, hot, hot!

Kenny is simply awesome. Vocally, there is no one better on stage. I know there are commentaries out there claiming he can’t, but lemme tell ya, the boy can SING. Disarmingly cute—yah, he's a little guy, but HUGE in personality--I was way too far away for my satisfaction, but always felt he was singin' to me, too. (Okay, so he was singing only to me, if you must know. Allow me my fantasy). Blue muscle shirt, black felt hat, flashy white teeth, and kickin’ guns, Kenny entertained and courted his fans for a good 2 hours +.

The Clark County Amphitheater was packed to the hilt, spilling out fans along the hill, across the grass. Cowboy hats, muscle shirts, beer, the salt of the earth—the only way it could have been better would have been out in the open, warm sky right next to the stage,   with a hot date doting on me…that said, the rain did stop for the duration of the concert, we had covered seats rather than the wet ground (with beer holders, no less!) and my little sister was with me—the next best thing to a hot, doting date! 

Last night, in my quest for countrification, I learned a few minor things that I shall pass along in the spirit of country music education:

1) Make sure chicken strips are cooked before eating them.

2) If the concert shirt seems too small, it is.

3) The aisle is great for dancing in the aisles and getting out to the restroom 2,782 times during the show after enjoying a Corona or two, but be aware that the heftiest drinkers will sit in the middle of your row, needing to leave for the restroom 5,782 times during the show.

4) Those heeled boots make a cowgirl’s legs and backside look lovely, but 4 hours standing on sloping concrete can make even the most ardent cowboy (wannabe) boot-lover long for Uggs.

             5) Always add an hour to the real start time of a concert.

6) Opening act who?

7) It is well worth the extra $25 for VIP parking. The walk to the venue isn’t bad, but the hour in line to leave is not a lot of fun at

midnight.

8) Free shirts from Axe are about as impressive as Axe commercials.

9)  Always a good idea to take little sister to country concert--when she wins an Emerson Drive CD, who better to give it to but big sister?


10) Where was Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker?

11) Don't sit on your camera.

12) If you order a Mexican palm leaf cowboy hat like on Kenny's album covers to wear to his concert, make sure you measure the circumference of your head to get the right size. I went with my military hat size, which turned out too small, which seems strange when the website says the hats run big...so has my clueless brain grown?

Try as I might, I could not get that hat to fit, so I just wore my faded black straw. Ah, well. He wore black, too.

  13) Never, never, never assume the camera batteries are still good. I could only snap a few pics before mine quit on me. Pretty basic stuff, right? At least I remembered the tickets this time...

On the Dem election follies

I think it's beautifully ironic that the Lefties who screamed about how the Right "stole" the vote 4 years ago can't even run an election when it's only them. So what do they choose to do? Change the rules in the middle to suit their needs, of course!

"Ah, well, so what if we said Michigan and Florida broke the rules and can't vote in this primary? We need the votes, so now we revoke our punishment and give you half the power you would have had if you'd followed the rules..."

Can we say CHEATERS?

What fun the next 4 years will be...

BIKINI BARISTAS

You've most likely been seeing them pop up all over the place--easily spotted by the number of big trucks and muscle cars idling in line at the drive-up window, scantily-clad coffee kiosks are multiplying faster than  spring bunnies. Several times I've also witnessed a middle-aged man draped over the window in a much-like-high-school pose, gabbing with the teen--or just-out-of-teen years--ladies.

Frankly, it turns my stomach. I will never give my bucks to what I consider a pathetic ploy for attention, earning money off the nearly-nude backs (and chests and back ends) of young women. So maybe the youth of today does not realize they are being exploited, since, after all, it's only coffee in the middle of the day. The (mostly) men who patronize said kiosks merely reveal their insecurities and need to ogle. But really, why? With the internet and TV barely holding anything back, why the need to hit up the local teens? And are men really so shallow that they will give great tips just because a girl flirts with him or is cute? Sighhhhh....

It disturbs me on many levels, ranging from basic morality to adult responsibility. Certainly, if it were my daughter working there, I'd worry about the kind of clientele she was attracting. We have enough young women abducted and killed without taunting and tempting crazies out in the open.

Come on, ladies--put your clothes on and have some self-respect. Come on, gentlemen, grow up. Be the adult here and make the right choice--avoid these kiosks and encourage modesty in our young ladies.

Bad Allergies? Ditch the tech stuff!

Fox News reports that exposure to the nickel in cell phones and the radiation from ipods may increase sensitivity to allergies and trigger similar symptoms.


This makes sense, in a way...my kids and I have had allergy symptoms throughout the winter, which is odd--usually it's mostly in the spring, and this was a particularly long, cold winter.

There is also a claim that the radiation messes with the central nervous system, which is rather scary and certainly something to look into!

Black leaders suddenly act shocked about abortions

I find it terribly ironic that leaders in the black community suddenly raise their voices against the millions of abortions occurring every year, claiming genocide against their children. This has been going on since the turn of the 20th century at least, yet the NAACP remains an advocate for abortion rights. Margaret Sanger's ultimate goal was to create a society of free sex without consequence and to "weed out" those she believed were undesirable human beings--minorities and the handicapped. By allowing abortion clinics to flourish in urban, minority  neighborhoods, community leaders encourage mass extermination of their children and grandchildren. About 1500 black babies are aborted daily, blacks comprise 32% of all abortions. Where is the outrage? This is not new information!  I submit that many black leaders--and white--are not as concerned about the safety and well-being of their communities, as they are about furthering filthy, anti-bible, liberal, social justice, "progressive" agendas that line their pockets with blood money.

On blacks,         immigrants and indigents:
        "...human weeds,' 'reckless         breeders,' 'spawning... human beings who never should have been born."          Margaret Sanger, Pivot of Civilization, referring to immigrants and poor people        

On sterilization & racial purification:
        Sanger believed that, for the purpose of racial         "purification," couples should be rewarded who chose         sterilization. Birth Control in America, The Career of Margaret         Sanger, by David Kennedy, p. 117, quoting a 1923 Sanger speech.        

On the right of married couples to bear children:
        Couples should be required to submit applications to have a child,         she wrote in her "Plan for Peace." Birth Control Review,         April 1932        

On the purpose of birth control:
        The purpose in promoting birth control was "to create a race of         thoroughbreds," she wrote in the Birth Control Review, Nov.         1921 (p. 2)        

On the rights of the handicapped and mentally ill, and racial         minorities:
        "More children from the fit, less from the unfit -- that is the         chief aim of birth control." Birth Control Review, May         1919, p. 12

       

On religious convictions regarding sex outside of marriage:
        "This book aims to answer the needs expressed in thousands on thousands of letters to me in the solution of marriage problems... Knowledge of sex truths frankly and plainly presented cannot possibly injure healthy, normal, young minds. Concealment, suppression, futile attempts to veil the unveilable - these work injury, as they seldom succeed and only render those who indulge in them ridiculous. For myself, I have full confidence in the cleanliness, the open-mindedness, the promise of the younger generation." Margaret Sanger, Happiness in Marriage (Bretano's, New York,         1927)

       

On the extermination of blacks:
        "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro         population," she said, "if it ever occurs to any of their more         rebellious members." Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social         History of Birth Control in America, by Linda Gordon        

On respecting the rights of the mentally ill:
        In her "Plan for Peace," Sanger outlined her strategy for         eradication of those she deemed "feebleminded." Among the         steps included in her evil scheme were immigration restrictions;         compulsory sterilization; segregation to a lifetime of farm work; etc. Birth         Control Review, April 1932, p. 107        

On adultery:
        A woman's physical satisfaction was more important than any marriage         vow, Sanger believed. Birth Control in America, p. 11        

On marital sex:
        "The marriage bed is the most degenerating influence in the         social order," Sanger said. (p. 23) [Quite the opposite of God's         view on the matter: "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed         undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."         (Hebrews 13:4)

       

On abortion:
        "Criminal' abortions arise from a perverted sex relationship under         the stress of economic necessity, and their greatest frequency is among         married women." The Woman Rebel - No Gods, No Masters, May         1914, Vol. 1, No. 3.

       

On the YMCA and YWCA:
        "...brothels of the Spirit and morgues of Freedom!"), The         Woman Rebel - No Gods, No Masters, May 1914, Vol. 1, No. 3.

       

On the Catholic Church's view of contraception:
        "...enforce SUBJUGATION by TURNING WOMAN INTO A MERE         INCUBATOR." The Woman         Rebel - No Gods, No Masters, May 1914, Vol. 1, No. 3.

       

On motherhood:
"I cannot refrain from saying         that women must come to recognize there is some function of womanhood         other than being a child-bearing machine." What Every Girl Should         Know, by Margaret Sanger (Max Maisel, Publisher, 1915) [Jesus said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep... for your         children. For, behold, the days are coming, in which they shall         say, Blessed (happy) are the barren, and the wombs that never bare,         and the breasts which never gave suck." (Luke 23:24)]

       

       

        "The most merciful thing that a large family does         to one of its infant members is to kill it." Margaret Sanger,         Women and the New Race (Eugenics Publ. Co., 1920, 1923)

Pope is in the US!

With all due respect, who cares?

Clueless Emma speaks out on Real Men vs Wannabes-- Internet Dating

Gentlemen, let me shed some light for those of you who are still struggling to make it into the Real Man Club. Obviously, I cannot speak for other women, but I like to think there are some who think the same way. Flat out direct and to the point, simple for the simple man, here is some advice for those of you venturing out into the cyber dating world. I've been on and off dating sites for the past 7 years so I've seen it all. It's embarrassing to admit it, but Clueless Emma realizes most of us don't meet many singles in our busy daily life--the internet is the way to go for busy professionals. Still, many men need a big smack upside the head:

Real men read the whole profile before making contact.

Yah, my pic is cute, but the minute you reveal that you're too shallow and lazy to read what I have to say, you're history. I give the link to my blog immediately, so you can see if we agree on fundamental bible and politics. If you have no interest in checking it out, then I have no interest in checking you out. Move along.

And when I say I will not answer email from men who have no picture or are still married, I mean it. Do not send wink after wink or email after email to get my attention. I saw you the first time. No answer is your answer. Move along.

Real men initiate contact.

If you're interested in getting to know me, then do something about it. Pay the fee to join the site--don't expect me to read between the lines to find your hidden email address. Think about it: if I can find it, so can the site operators, and it's just a matter of time before  you get booted. If you can't afford to join, I'm not interested anyway. Move along.

I am, apparently, the last woman left in the world that does not chase men. I do not call men, I do not initiate emails to men, I do not throw myself at men.

Guys, grab your stones. Risk rejection. Just ask. The worst that can happen is no--then you move on. I have had conversations with men that dragged on for days while they dropped hints for me to ask them out or call them. Pay attention here, fellas: I do not want your phone number. I will not call. Yes, I know you are hinting. Quit. Out with it, be direct! A confident man is an attractive man. I want a man in charge, not a doormat.

Real men are honest.

I mean really, how long does it take a woman with at least a pea brain to figure out you lied about your age? Or that you post only pictures that were obviously taken a decade ago. Or that you are not 5'9" (my height). Small lies, yes, but I'm thinking if you lie about something so simple, what else are you willing to lie about? If I had a dollar for every time I've caught a man (and usually I remain silent about it) in a flat out contradiction (one day the last relationship ended 2 years ago, the next 6 months ago), I would be a rich woman.

Y'all don't like women to say they're average weight when they're really obese, or posting pics of friends in the ol' bait and switch. So what if you're 47 instead of the 44 you post? I was told it was to show up in the searches of younger women. Mmhmm. Of course. Better to trick her into noticing you. Speaking of which, I notice there isn't a single man who searches more than 3 years older than he is. Always decades younger, never much older. (Except for the occasional 20-something looking for an adventure, I suppose. I just laugh.)

Don't say you are looking for love if you're really just looking for casual sex. If that's what you want, just say so! There are plenty of women willing to cooperate. I am not. And by the way, monogamous does not mean you sleep with only one woman until the next comes along. It implies commitment. Everyone is monogamous for that one particular moment, unless you're into group stuff which is beyond the scope of this post. Move along.

If you want to date around and see many women at the same time, say so in your profile! If I find someone who lights my fire and seems to be worth my time (a rare day, indeed!), I will want to see him without keeping other men on the side. It isn't fair to the ones on the "sidelines" for me to be misleading in any way, and it isn't fair to the guy I'm interested in. If you're not that into me, then say so at the outset and don't waste my time. If you've got your bobber in many ponds, jumping at anything that pulls on it, I don't wantcha on my dock. Move along.

Real men communicate.

If, at any time, you decide I'm not the one for you, tell me! Do not vanish. Do not disappear. Just say so. Yah, no one enjoys rejection, but it is far easier to take when it is accompanied by an honest, direct explanation than when I'm left wondering what I did wrong or what happened. Sometimes it's just not a match.

If you decide you want to give it a shot, to make plans with me, to get together at some point, stay communicative. There is nothing more irritating than a man who gives a general "next month sometime" or "when I get back from this business trip" or even "I may be able to get to Salem on Saturday" with nothing to follow. I know very well that the businesses you run, the bosses you work for, the colleagues you deal with, and the deals you make are not built on "maybe someday" statements.

If I feel like I'm sitting by the phone waiting all the time, unsure of your intentions or your promises to call or visit never materialize, or you profess great interest but don't contact me for days at a time, guess what? I know you are playing games and you've blown your chance. If you're not that into me SAY SO. Do not make empty promises and do not ignore me. I need communication and lots of it. I equate communication with interest, so when you disappear, I assume you are disinterested. Don't make me guess. If you don't want to talk to me, SAY SO and move along.

Real men wait.

I am as carnally created as anyone. I, too, need affection and attention and physical relations. What I don't need is a man who cannot slow down long enough to see if I'm really the one he wants.

The old pathetic excuse, but I NEED it, reappeared recently. No, dear, you don't. You WANT it. That's different. I want it, too. But I want it with a man who wants only me and sees me as the only woman in his future. Men do equate sex with acceptance. I get that. But it doesn't mean it should be the first (or 5th) step in a relationship. Bottom line: you don't want a woman who sleeps with everyone she meets any more than a woman wants a man who does. If you slow down long enough to think it through, you'll find that physicality breeds denial and ignorance. Most bad relationships result from falling in love with the wrong person--usually because sex blinded common sense and rational thought. If you've lasted through my first 4 filters, this one will most likely be the one to do you in.

I was recently told that since I expressed my needs clearly (reassurance, exclusivity, attention, communication, time, etc) in order to establish a strong enough level of trust to move forward in a relationship, he would share his with me. Guess what. He has to have "physical affection" to move into exclusivity. Gimme a friggin break. Real men understand that normal affection patterns: holding hands, cuddling, kissing, dancing, hugging, communication, honesty, conversation, etc., reassure a woman that she can be vulnerable to him. Besides, it's fun. Delayed gratification is a good thing.

Bottom line: if you think you need sex to decide if you like a woman enough to date her exclusively, move along. Cretin.

Real men don't have stupid pictures posted

with ex-girlfriends or wives or Hooters girls or porn stars; with sports cars; with chins resting on hands (can we say feminine?); scantily clad; in a big group of people where you can't be spotted easily; doing something stupid with alcohol in hand, etc, etc. Still stuck in high school mode? Move along.

more on this later, I suppose. I need a break.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

April 13 4:30 pm

Okay, back.

My clothes dryer awaits a new thermostat, so I spent the afternoon in a laundromat. Joy. As I wait for my MP3 player to recharge for my evening run, I shall shed more enlightenment for my bumbling bros.

More advice that popped into my head, watching the clothes tumble for an hour:

Real men don't use "69" anywhere in their usernames.

Real men call within 2 days if they ask for a lady's number.

Real men never vanish.

Real men listen intently, remembering details to bring up later. Gentlemen, this is a biggie. Instant aphrodisiac. I promise.

Real men always offer to drive and never push if she wants to drive her own car and meet him.

Real men never get drunk on an early date. The stumbling bumpkin is never attractive.

Real men never leave her during a date. Ever. Even if he's a stumbling tequila bumpkin.

Real men never pretend they don't remember the night before.

A Real man always comes out to meet her when they don't know each other well. Never, ever make her walk into a strange hotel or neighborhood, especially at night.

A Real man answer questions directly, without a dodge. If he doesn't know the answer right away, he says so. Then he gets back to her when he does.

Real men never hide a sketchy past.

Real men never block a woman on a dating site just so she can't see if he's still on it while he's dating her.

Real men tell her she's beautiful and hot and attractive and funny and that he can't wait to see her again. Unless she isn't and he can, at which time honesty and communication kick in. We know we have a lot of competition. We know it so deeply ingrained into our psyches, you will never have to say so.

Recognize our attention and communication and time and energy for the interest that it is. A doting woman is not a weak woman. There is power in that you have not yet tapped.

Just love us. Only us. Completely. One at a time.