Blah, Blah Blogazine

A New Generation of Idiots

2012-01-08T15:02:00.000-05:00

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life is by no means boring. We meet people here and we meet people there. We get to pick and choose who we want in our lives, and who we don't want in our lives. There are people we want to remember, and people we wish we could forget. People who make life better, and people who can make it worse. Then, there are those people who are a permanent thorn in your paw, but at every family function, there they are.

Why do I find myself having more problems with the people that I am tied to by blood than any other people in the entire world?

There is a serious issue with people in our family who grew up in my generation, and the ones who are younger. The people in my family between the ages of 18 and 21 are completely ignorant. They are disrespectful and downright stupid, (some never even graduated high school). They can't write a complete sentence properly, or spell some of the basic "sight words" that my seven-year-old can spell, but they will swear at an elderly person in a heartbeat. They are loud and rude. They talk before they think. They insult anyone, and then get all bent out of shape if someone insults them back. When we insult them they say things like, "she shouldn't be talkin' to me like dat anyways! I'mma kid to her. Why would she stoop to my level?" Well, you know what? Sometimes we have to stoop down to eye level when we talk to our children, so that they know we are serious. In the same way, I have no problem stooping to their level when they disrespect me. If you don't want me to talk to you crazy, don't talk to me that way.

The bad apart about this, is that I really don't want to participate in any more family functions that this girl is going to be attending. But what makes me a better person (even though I did lose it a little bit), is that I'm already okay with moving on. I will be at all future family functions, because at the end of the day, we're still family.

People, Places and Things

2011-11-11T22:47:00.010-05:00

The people we surround ourselves with.
I suppose it is a good idea to evaluate the people that you keep closest to you. Those that you would go above and beyond for. Maybe, one should consider if these same people would do the same for you. Are these people like you? What does their presence in your life mean? Are they helping you, hurting hurt, or having no effect at all.

The places we go.
We make the choice of where to go on any given day, or in life in general. Let's suppose you plan to go to Wal-Mart, and you know that you have to catch the number 7 bus to get there. You make your way to the bus stop, ride the bus and arrive at your destination. If only arriving at your life's destination could be as simple.

Where are the people in your life going and where are you going with them? Are they leaving you behind, holding you back, or neither?

The things that we do. What are the things that we do in life that hinder us? The things that lead to our success? Things that make us happy or sad? What makes us cry or laugh? Or, even more interesting, how do we balance everything in our lives so that we can reach an equilibrium? A place in our lives where we are as happy as we need to be, and endure enough sadness to know that we're still in the world and it's all real.

I have a lot of questions, and a lot on my mind tonight.

Throwback Thursday: Books I Loved

2011-10-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

I don't remember what grade I was in when I started reading the Boxcar Children Mysteries. All I remember is reading Volume One in school and having my mom purchase volume after volume, because I absolutely Loved these stories.

Another series of books that I really liked was "The Babysitter's Club." I think I read up to volume 33 before losing interest. There was a Babysitters Club movie released. I didn't really like the movie, but I did want to start my own Babysitter's Club. That never happened, but the books were a joy to read anyway.

The Michael Jackson Trial...

2011-10-26T21:10:00.003-04:00

I think it's crap. It's a total waste of money. People are just looking for someone to blame for Michael's death. Michael Jackson over worked himself, and made bad decisions regarding his health. I don't think his doctor should be punished for that.

Boy Wants to Join Girl Scouts and Is Told, "No"

2011-10-26T20:28:00.004-04:00

I saw the below video on Yahoo today.

SO here's my opinion on this. I don't agree with this whole transgender thing. I don't think boys should be in the Girl Scouts, or girls should be in the Boy Scouts. I was in the Girl Scouts when I was little and we had more than one overnight event. I don't think a boy should be allowed to spend the night at events with a whole bunch of girls or vise versa.

Furthermore, I don't believe that God creates little girls trapped in boy's bodies or boys trapped in girl's bodies. I believe that the parents are responsible for influencing their children to deny their own sex and explore the behavior of the opposite sex.

Also, just because your child wants to do something, doesn't mean they should be allowed to do it. Children cannot have everything they want. It's just not smart to raise a child that way. It's unrealistic. Life does not allow US to have whatever we want, so why in the world would anyone want to raise their child believing that they can do or have whatever they want. There are a whole bunch of people out here right now that worked hard, did everything right, and still got laid off. And you know what? They can't run to the news crying to get what they want.

Throwback Thursdays: Rikki Tikki Tavi

2011-10-13T14:48:00.005-04:00

If you don't know about Rikki Tikki Tavi you better go ask somebody! LoL Just kidding. I found it online & you can watch for free. So exited!

Here's the link to the video: Watch Rikki Tikki Tavi Online

Throwback Thursdays: My Favorite Characters, From When Cartoon Characters Didn't Talk Much

2011-10-13T08:15:00.002-04:00

These are my favorite cartoon characters from back in the day. These are from when cartoons were funny even without much dialogue.

My Favorites Characters:
Pink Panther
Wiley Coyote
Gossamer

My Favorite Character Duos:
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck - ("Duck Season!" "Wabbit Season!" LoL)
Tom and Jerry
Sylvester and Tweety

Note that the Road Runner is not in either list, "beep beep."

Words with Friends (on Facebook)

2011-10-12T11:12:00.002-04:00

A new favorite of mine :) Thanks Zynga!

U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Mumia Abu-Jamal's Case

2011-10-12T11:12:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, (10/11/2011), the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Mumia Abu-Jamal's case. Prosecutor's will now have to accept the life sentence already issued, or pursue a second death penalty sentence. If City Prosecutors do decide to pursue a re-hearing, it will cost the city millions of dollars. I'm going to sit back and wait to see if the city continues to waste money pursuing this.

Meanwhile, on the news last night, there were complaints about how much money protester's for Occupy Philly are costing the city. I heard it's costing the city around $400,000 dollars. I plan to go out there and be part of the problem on Saturday.

What I would like to know, is how much it costs the city to keep police officers at the local Wal-Mart in South Philly for security purposes. Also, how much extra does it cost to have them there in higher numbers during the Holiday season. Why can't Wal-Mart hire it's own security? That would create more jobs for unemployed people and less police officers will be up at Wal-Mart laughing & joking, instead of patrolling the streets.

The USA's Dirty Obsession with Beauty

2011-10-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

We already know how hard our society can be on a lady. If you gain too much weight, your fat. If you lose too much weight you have an eating disorder. If you're too pale, you need a tan. But if your too dark, you might want to try some skin lighting cream. Dye your hair light in the spring, dark in the fall. No split ends, no white after labor day, no blemishes on your skin, no creases around the mouth, stay up on the latest fashions, make time to exercise, wax, wax, wax and still get the kids to school on time. I mean, $%*-Damn! It's down right crazy. But it doesn't end there.

These days looks even affect who can run for president. When article, after article, and blog, after blog, bashed Chris Christie, stating that he wouldn't be a good candidate for presidency because of his weight, he announced his decision NOT to run. As I watched on the news, the reporter basically said that Americans would much rather vote for a better looking, non-fat candidate. I honestly expected someone to report the next day, that the story which aired the night before had been prejudiced, or that it displayed some sort of discrimination. That did not happen. There were no apologies.

I didn't really think about the Chris Christie situation again until this past Monday. On Monday night, I watched a news report about a woman in her fifties who gets botox and other non-surgical cosmetic treatments to make her feel, "beautiful and like herself again." The article was about how to get those types of treatments in the struggling economy that we live in. It basically talked about cutting back on certain things to be able to afford the treatments. As I watched I thought to myself, "Man, people really are THAT worried about their looks." I'm still trying to figure out why totally unnecessary, cosmetic procedures were even a topic in a category about finances and budgeting. I found it a little annoying that a report which started out about savings, ended up being about cosmetics. That's not even something that people need.

Last night, I watched a news story about a 13-year-old whose parents allowed her to get a nose job, because people were saying she had a big nose on Facebook. Number one: why does she have a Facebook page at thirteen? Number two: What the hell is up with her parent's judgement? I was disgusted with them.

Moving on: If you hate working out at the gym and getting those embarrassing sweaty spots on your shirt, right under the arm pit, there's a solution to your problem; Sweat-Lipo. You can now become (almost) sweat free by getting this treatment. If it's needed for medical reasons I understand, but what I don't agree with is the statement that sweating, "is socially a problem..." I wonder how many thirteen year old girls will be asking their rich parents for this?

I was really bothered by the above stories even being reported on the news. However, what bothered me the most out of everything I've been reading and seeing lately, is something that I heard on The View and read in a recent article. Andrea Peyser had posed a question about whether or not Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony, were too pretty to convict. I would like to think that the media's hype of these two free criminals, and the constant appearance of their faces on the web, is not what set them free. What about Meredith Kercher and Caylee Anthony? Are they not pretty enough for justice? My personal opinion, Amanda & Casey are not too cute for jail and they will both probably end up there again. Caylee was an adorable little girl and Meredith looks better than Amanda anyway. I also wish Meredith's family good luck in their continued pursuit for justice.

I admit, that I myself, like to look my best. Who doesn't? It seems that our country poisons it's people into believing that if they do not possess a certain level of beauty, they can possibly fail in life. Pretty people succeed and pretty people are happier. You can Google that. When you do, you'll find that it doesn't just happen in the USA. I just we could have more news during the news hour, and less stories about looking better.

Here's an interesting, rather old article: Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of Beauty

Our Black, White & Red Wedding

2011-10-11T21:09:00.006-04:00

Our Guest Book

Program

Table Decor

Unity Candles

Bibles

My Dress

Super Obama

2011-10-11T16:32:00.000-04:00

Apparently, Obama was supposed to have some kind of super, extra strong, country re-building powers that he did not use correctly during his term as president. I hear he's totally and 100% responsible for everything negative & wrong within the USA. So if you flunked out of school, lost your house, got laid off, didn't get the raise, were a victim of natural disaster, or stumped your toe; just blame it on Obama. Join the masses.

Nadya Suleman & The Octuplets On the Today's Show

2011-10-11T16:18:00.003-04:00

I think Nadya makes a lot of sense when she talks about accepting your mistakes and moving on. It's always a bad idea to use your energy dwelling on negativity. I like Nadya. She made a mistake, but I think she really gets more negative attention & bashing than she deserves.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Click Here! For a slideshow of Nadya Suleman & the Octuplets

Photos I took while at the Wissahickon

2011-09-23T13:29:00.000-04:00

It's so beautiful there. It's like a treasure planted in the middle of this concrete jungle of a city.

Philadelphia

2011-09-06T13:54:00.000-04:00

The Clothespin at Centre Square

2011-09-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

Located at 15th & Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA. Across the street from City Hall.

Places in Philly: The Liberty Bell Center

2011-07-06T21:17:00.014-04:00

The photo above is the Independence Visitor's Center located across the street from the Liberty Bell Center. The Visitor center is located at 6th and Market Streets and they are open 363 days a year from 8:30am to 5pm.

The Liberty Bell Center is located on Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets. The photos below begin with the outside of the center.

Exhibits outside of the Liberty Bell Center

Inside the Center:

The Bell was first called the "Liberty Bell" by a group trying to outlaw slavery.

In the 1800s, the Liberty Bell traveled around the country to expositions and fairs to help heal the divisions of the Civil War.

The actual Bell

No one knows what caused the bell to crack. The first bell cracked not long after it arrived in Philadelphia from London. In 1753 a new bell was cast using the metal from the English bell. By 1846 another crack had began to affect the bell's sound. The bell was repaired in 1846 and it was rung for George Washington's birthday celebration and then it cracked again. The bell has not been rung since.

The 2000 pound, copper bell now sits in the visitor center and there are people from all over the world who visit our city each year to learn about this historic symbol of liberty.

Please visit the Liberty Bell Center's Site for more information. Liberty Bell Center

Places In Philly: Stephen Girard Park

2011-06-29T07:11:00.002-04:00

This park is home to many squirrels and a great place to walk your dog. But me, I like to come here when I'm in a bad mood. On days like today, I can just sit under a tree and enjoy the breeze. It's serene.

Sent from my Cricket mobile device

Trying out the New Blogger Email Thing

2011-06-28T17:42:00.001-04:00

If this works, then I should be able to email a blog post. So let's see how it goes.

Places in Philly: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park's New Playground

2011-06-28T13:01:00.008-04:00

If you've read my previous blog post about FDR Park in South Philadelphia, then you already know how wonderful this park is. It's a great place for leisure and family fun.

The park's playground has recently recieved a serious upgrade! The old playground here:

Has been transformed into this super fun playgroud below!

My children love, LOVE this new playground. I personally think the old one was fine, and my favorite activity is still, feeding the ducks :)

To read my previous blog post click here: FDR Park aka The Lakes

How Green is Your Routine?

2011-04-28T20:53:00.002-04:00

Are you ecologically friendly? The Global Footprint Network has a great way for you to find out just how green your routine really is.

*Click here to take a quiz and see how eco-friendly you really are*
The above link will take you to Global Footprint Network's website where you can take a quiz to determine your ecological footprint.

I thought that I was doing pretty good before I took this quiz back in January. I found out that if everyone lived like I do, we would need three planet Earths to sustain us! Sounds crazy right? Well, what's even crazier is that right now, our country's ecological footprint is even higher than that. It would take over 5 planets to sustain us if everyone lived like the average US citizen. Since January, I've been making big steps to change my ecological footprint. I'll be sharing those steps in upcoming blog posts.

TVs with Knobs & No Remote Control

2011-04-28T20:15:00.003-04:00

My mother gave me a flash back yesterday. She called me to come from out of my comfortable position on the couch, walk all the way upstairs and turn off her lamp. Wow! I thought to myself. It reminded me of a story my dad used to tell me. Well, perhaps it was more of a lecture than a story. It went something like this:

"Juanita, I know you're not whining because I told you to get the remote off the top of the TV. Back when I was a kid my mom would call me from upstairs. I would have to stop playing and walk all the way downstairs to change the channel for her. Then, I had to stand there, and keep turning the knob until I found something she liked."

Now, when my dad was a kid, remote controls and color TVs did exist. But he says that he was so poor that they had a black & white TV and no remote. (He was a black kid in North Philadelphia, from the projects, with no father in his life, so he's probably telling the truth).

Well anyway, I broke the news to my children yesterday. I told them all about TVs without remote controls, with knobs and even about black & white TV. They looked at me like I was weird. So I showed them the old TV in my mom's basement. I'll have to go back over there and get a pic to post later. The images I've provided are from the TV History website.

Volunteering with the Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers

2011-04-16T18:07:00.012-04:00

I went to the Wissahickon on April 9th, 2011 and planted trees with the Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers and students from the University of Pennsylvania. There were 35 trees that needed to be planted. There were flags marking where the trees were to be planted. Our group picked the spot where we would plant our first tree. We had to do a little invasive plant removal to clear away three feet around where the tree would be planted. Most of it had been removed already and the dead vines of the plants were everywhere. We also had to dig up the root of the invasive plant that was in the spot where the tree would go. Once the invasive was removed and the hole was dug. We planted the tree.

The first tree we planted was a Hackberry Tree. The Hackberry Tree produces berries and it’s a good food and shelter tree for wildlife. The second tree we planted was a White Oak Tree. The White Oak is going to grow big and also provide shelter and food for wildlife. After we planted the trees we then watered them and put a white plastic covering around them to protect them from deer. This was my first time volunteering with the WRV and it was a great experience. I would definitely recommend this organization and service to anyone. The staff was really welcoming and helpful. I enjoyed being out in the woods and even though we were working, it didn’t really feel like work. It was just a really fun experience. Please check out their website and calendar for volunteering opportunities. http://wissahickonrestorationvolunteers.org/

Calculate Energy Loss – Vampire Power Tips

2011-04-04T14:18:00.000-04:00

I just tried this online activity to see how much energy is being wasted in my household. Check it out and get your results: Calculate Energy Loss – Vampire Power Tips

Canada's Leading Example for the International Year of Forests

2011-02-17T17:54:00.002-05:00

The United Nations has declared 2011, the International Year of Forests. It is a year to reflect, come together and create a plan for the future of forests. Canada began making plans for their forests years ago and their approaches have put them on the forefront of forest conservation. Since the year 2000, 130 acres of Canada’s boreal forests have received protected status.

Ten years ago, the Pew Environmental Group began a long-term initiative to protect Canada’s boreal forests and to support the rights of aboriginal people and communities. In 2003, the Canadian Boreal Forest Conservation framework was drafted by a coalition of aboriginals, conservation organizations and industry. It spelled out a vision that would keep nearly half of Canada’s boreal forests off-limits to industry. It would also limit developments in the remaining forests. This sent a message to the government and the framework gained support. The framework led 50 million acres in the Northwest Territories on the path to being permanently protected.

In 2008, the premiers of Ontario and Quebec pledged that each province would protect half of its northern boreal forests. There is now hope that the 190 million acres of boreal forest in Ontario and Quebec will eventually be made off-limits. Last year, 21 of Canada’s largest logging companies and nine conservation groups proposed the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement to support the protection of more than seventy million acres.

Canada’s approach to protect the world’s largest intact forest has made them a leader in Forest Conservation. They have set an example for other nations to follow.