May 16, 2009
To a military kid there is no sight more disturbing and distressing then the Flag at half-mast. For some reason every time I see Old Glory flying low my mind instantly goes to the people who died. I may not even know who it honors, as was the case yesterday, but it doesn’t matter. Just the image itself stops me and bids me honor those who have died. It symbolizes the mourning of a nation, a tragedy great enough to reverently lower the pride of a country into a position of sorrow. 9/11, the Oklahoma bombings, D-day, December 7, 1941, for all of these the Flag is lowered in respect. Even if you don’t know who died or don’t remember the day, that simple gesture is enough to make you pause, remember and say a prayer.
For the armed services it symbols the loss of a comrade, a buddy at arms. Whether it was 60 years ago or 8, it doesn’t matter. Our Flag is a prized possession, worthy of respectful treatment so when lowered to the humiliating position of half-staff, it becomes the greatest act of respect for any individual. Equivalent to a king bowing to thank a peasant, humiliating in gesture, but honoring in meaning. It bows to all that have died, those that paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedom in a world where freedom is becoming a lost prize. Even while flying low the Flag still bravely waves for all those who are still serving. Respect and honor, remembering those before and honoring those to come. And when I see the Stars and Stripes at half-mast, I wonder and pray.
April 28, 2009
Just thought this was extremely humorous… I was doubled over laughing while my mom scolded me for being insensitive, but she herself was trying not to laugh!
Gone with the wind: Chihuahua blown away – Pet health- msnbc.com
WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A six-pound Chihuahua has been reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked the puppy up and tossed her out of sight.
Dorothy and Lavern Utley credit a pet psychic for guiding them on Monday to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise OK.
The Utleys, of Rochester, had set up an outdoor display Saturday at a flea market in Waterford Township, 25 miles northwest of Detroit.
Tinker Bell was standing on their platform trailer when she was swept away.
Dorothy Utley tells The Detroit News that her cherished pet “just went wild” upon seeing her.
A pet physic??? *bemused expression*
April 13, 2009
I opened my English book this morning with much trepidation because lately they have had this thing about making me write. I swear the people who created this curriculum sat around one day and thought up ways to make the last three booklets you do as time-consuming as possible. “First” they chuckled dryly, “We will make them read an inspirational Christian book filled with non-believable characters whose near perfectness makes you gag more often then cheer. Then, if that’s not enough to consume their worthless teenage days, we’ll make them answer five pages of questions just to make sure they actually read the book. And as the cherry on the top, we’ll put a nice little one-liner at the beginning of the questions that makes even grown men cringe in retrospect, ‘Answer questions in complete sentences.’ Bwahahahaha…”
Seriously that’s what they do. I have the minutes to the meeting somewhere here…
And besides the reading you have to write and write and write. Now, this may sound weird coming from a girl who has a blog but there’s a marked difference between writing because you want and writing because to have to. Not even that, because I write all the time because I have to, and it’s fun! No, I think it’s more…pointless writing.
Okay, all you homeschool moms out there, I’m fighting a losing battle I really am not interested in fighting…So, don’t go call my mom and tell her to heap on the assignments. Ultimately it’s easier just to do the assignments as they are. Do you hear me students out there who complain about their strict moms and whine about the work load or whatever? DO THE ASSIGNMENT! It’s works every time, I swear! I’ve found in my many trials and tribulations, that, twenty-four hours is actually a very long time. And for all my drama at the beginning if I had done the assignment each day it would have taken twenty minutes, tops. Really, that was just me being dramatic. It’s fun to do that sometimes, but don’t make it a regular habit, it gets old really fast.
Summary: I really don’t like the work I’m doing in English right now, but I just wasted thirty minutes writing this post. And those were thirty minutes during which I could have finished my assignment for the day. Ah, the irony of being a homeschooled student. =)
April 11, 2009
“Forsaken me!?” The cry echoed hauntingly over the crowd at the muddy foot of the Hill of the Skull. Jesus’ head lowered slowly bearing with it the sin of the world. The Godman who had never sinned, now became the sin of everyone. Every feeling, hate, greed, lust, agony…shame, came crashing down on this perfect man. The light inside slowly flickered and died leaving behind an utterly sinful man. Jesus’ heart ached with such pain, not only did he now feel every sin every human being had and would ever commit, his Father — Daddy — had left him, completely, not able to look now upon his own son’s face. In Jesus’ greatest hour of need, His greatest strength had turned His back.
As the man on the cross writhed under the crushing weight of the guilt and hopeless pain, He saw you. Through the haze in his mind he remembered me. Through the ache of losing everything and being reduced to nothing, he saw us. Feeling the world’s evil as if he alone had committed each and every sin, he persevered because he saw you and me. Then with every last bit of strength he cried out a death cry, sealing evil’s fate to die with the man and never be raised again.
To the Father who had forsaken him, He now gave His soul, trusting completely the plan and love His God. The story now complete, the bridge restored. With great pleasure, God took the temple curtain and with all the power of His love ripped away the barrier. And although they futilely tried to sew it back up, that curtain could never be restored. In the mind of God, nothing but ourselves could ever separate us from Him again.
March 25, 2009
Now, I’m about six feet tall and, as a girl, am generally taller than 95% of the women in the room (here in Hawaii? Include men also…). I’m used to it, I don’t personally see myself as tall but there are not many things I can put on and say, “Oh, that’s way to big.” Gone are the days of being able to wear Daddy’s big shirt to bed. Gone also are the days of thinking it was cool when you grew another size *wince*. There’s something innocent about those days, when it was okay not to know everything and to not be strong enough.
To understand this part you must know my family. I have three brothers, two older one younger, all of whom are taller then me. As for their feet, well not even close. One friend recently commented, “Ho, brah! Who wear da canoes?” So, the other day I was waiting for my family to go somewhere and noticed by older brother’s “canoes” lying there and jokingly slipped my feet into them. Looking down a feeling of nostalgia came over me. My feet looked small, like a child’s and something in me wished it were true. Even though my feet are a size 10, just the image of them being small had a bigger impact than I had expected. The image was one of a child playing in her Daddy’s shoes, complete trust and innocence. She didn’t have to be strong enough because her Daddy was. Something about putting on big shoes brings out the child in us. You see it when we skip jokingly through the isles of the shoe department or laugh hysterically when switching shoes with somebody. The image of being small, of someone being bigger than you. Sometimes we forget we’re small, we forget somebody’s bigger than us, somebody who cares and is strong enough. The pressure to be in-control and to be strong is incredible but the most relief comes when we slip on big shoes and trust somebody else. When I looked down there was such a longing to go back to that place, that child in me who wanted to giggle and play dress-up, never dreaming it was harder than just picking an outfit. I can’t go back but I can be reminded. It’s amazing what happens to that unbearable load when you look at yourself as small, a child playing with her Daddy’s shoes.
So, when it’s to much to bear, go slip on some big shoes (slippahs work the best) and look down.
March 17, 2009
I love being Irish. But what annoys me is how it’s so fashionable to be Irish now… “Oh, me too! I’m totally Irish too, omg! We’re like sisters!!!!” See? Annoying. Especially because my family is probably as Irish as you can get here. My Grandpa immigrated from Ireland when he was a young man and we just found out that the Fant family was instrumental in leading the Irish rebels against England (Down with the British! or something or another…) So, that makes me probably about half Irish or at least one third. I’m also proud to be a second generation American! I love my family history. And yes, I’m Irish and I don’t care, I will still pinch you if you’re not wearing green. I don’t even get away with pulling the Irish card at home, so you have no excuse!
Oh crap, I’d better go put on something green…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
March 9, 2009
Early this morning President Barack Obama reversed a Bush implemented ban restricting taxpayer money used for embryonic stem cell research. The supporters say this lift is long over-due and condemn Bush for restricting science for the eight years. Embryonic stem cell research was not banned under the restriction, it was still being done with support of private funding. But for some reason there is a shortage of rich guys willing to cough up the dough for harvesting human life. I wonder why? If this is a break through science and we are on the very edge of curing life-long diseases, where’s the money? Where are the pharmaceutical companies fighting for the right to say they cured Parkinson disease and diabetes? I’m sure there’s a pretty penny in the business of finding a cure for leukemia. Maybe, it doesn’t work. Maybe, embryonic stem cells have no hope of even helping people much less curing a disease. No, that couldn’t possibly be it. I mean even the President of these United States is behind embryonic stem cells!
Oh people, I’m sorry to say that this is true. For some reason, people are unwilling to back this science that is being touted as the “possible cure!” Hmm… so guess what? They go to the government. And our illustrious leaders don’t disappoint. Rather than make tough decisions about where our money goes and where it’s needed the most or even where we want it going, they choose to use it on science that is dead. Stem cell research is not a wild goose chase, in fact, it shows great promise in helping critically ill patients have a chance at life. But not embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells are the dark horse in science today. Embryonic stem cells are out of control, as they should be, when a life is formed it grows at an extremely rapid pace. Those cells are multiplying like crazy and only within the context of a uterus are they controlled and able to do their job. When taken out of that, we have little to no control over what they create, literally. However, adult stem cells we have more control over and are able to put to productive use. But nobody wants to hear that embryonic stem cells are useless and we could easily get a better alternative without harvesting life. And now we are paying for it.This is a blog I ran across which details all the stem cell research and it’s cases, some pretty interesting stuff. Also these are websites just with the facts about the two research and it’s pros and cons and also some information about the two.
March 3, 2009
Looking around for some numbers on the current national debt I cam across something interesting. This graph is from the Treasury website…
*The current Debt Limit was increased from $11.315 trillion to $12.104 trillion effective February 17, 2009. See the FAQs for more information on Debt Subject to Limit.
Notice anything? Well, see that abrupt spike in the Debt Limit around the middle of February? That little surplus was a result of the $787 billion stimulus plan our illustrious President put into place. Now, thanks to Obama, our government can go even more into debt without the congress’ approval. Goodie. Oh, and just in the last month he has increased the national debt by approximately $500 billion. This isn’t me declaring a vendetta on the plans of the President, these are the facts. I ask, what good is a Debt Limit if it keeps getting raised? How is it positive if he raises the debt astronomically, then cuts it back a little bit and says we’re all better for it? We will never pay off the debt we owe, it’s not possible, but that’s no excuse to keep raising it.
February 25, 2009
*sigh* The last two days have been a whirlwind of political phraseology and predictions and testimony from both passionate sides. This Hawaii House bill 444 which gives civil partners (two of the same gender) the same legal right and responsibilities under law as a married couple, is likely the most controversial bill in the last couple of years. The battle is made even more interesting in that eleven years ago a proposal was added to the ballot to amend the Hawaii Constitution to define marriage between a man and a woman. It passed. Overwhelmingly. Now this bill seeks to give civil unions, which are recognized by Hawaii, the same legal status as marriage. Opposition to the bill is led by but not limited to the Christian influence on the Island causing the support to scream their old calling card of seperation of church and state. Because of the religious conantations the bill has grown into a civil rights issue with the support saying that they are for equal treatment for everyone, no matter their sexual preference. How nice. I do believe poor Mr. King Jr. has been dragged through enough muck and mire in the name of civil rights to make even the Cheery Cheer Bright lady cringe in disgust. Civil rights was established because, honestly, people do not choose their race or skin color based on preference. Gay people do. In fact, they even call it “sexual preference”. This bill has nothing to with civil rights, even looking at the facts their argument crumbles. We do not refuse gay people service because they are gay, nor do we make them walk on a different sidewalk or drink at a different water fountain. We do not fire or hire based on whether or not they are gay (military excluded). We will fire you based on what’s on your MySpace but it’s the same for heterosexuals as it is for homosexuals. Gays on avereage actually make more money than heterosexuals. No, this not a civil rights bill.
If not civil rights, what is this bill? To be honest I didn’t really take it seriously when I first read it. Who cares? They’re just being regarded legally the same as married couples. By law, marriage in Hawaii is between a man and a woman. That won’t change. However when I began to listen to other people and think of what the repercussions of this bill would mean I began to realize maybe this was a bit bigger than what I had first scoffed at. In the bill it states that every reference to marriage in any Hawaii laws will apply equally to civil unions. Practically marriage = civil unions, from a legal standpoint. So then…what’s the difference? If it means the same thing legally and you can get a civil union just as easily as you can get a marriage…? I fail to see the difference. If this passes (which it’s on a crash course to not, but bear with me) a couple years come and then people start wondering, Why not just replace marraige with civil union? Legally they’re the same thing. Civil unions is more inclusive and less condeming…blah,blah,blah” That’s the slippery slope and it has already started to slide inside the walls of the Capitol. House bill 878 was refered to the same commission as HB444 but three days later. This bill goes a step further than 444 to actually change the wording of marriage from gender specific to gender neutral. It has not made it to a hearing and most likely won’t but don’t look me in the eye and say we won’t change the defination of marriage in Hawaii. It’s already started.
But right now we have the chance to affect change. And I think we have. Early this morning after eighteen hours of testimony the Judiciary Commission took a vote on the bill on whether or not to take it to the floor of the Senate for another vote. The vote was 3 to 3, deadlocked. It has not moved forward but it still can. This is a small victory, we have many more to go.
February 11, 2009
“Sara is laughing and not giving up her knife.”
First off, I want to thank Mr. Nations for sending the email to my parents then for my parents showing it to me, knowing I would respond strongly. If you’re lost, (as 99% of you are right now) let me explain. The good ol’ Hawaii Senate has started considering a bill to ban the sale and ownership of ‘pocketknives’. The bill was introduced on January 23, was acknowledged and sent to be considered by the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations. Now, in the bill available to read was the following definition of a pocketknife, “a knife with a blade that folds into the handle and which is suitable for carrying in the pocket.” The bill would effectively ban the sale, ownership, manufacture and transportation of a flip-blade. The punishment for knowingly doing these dreadful things? A misdemeanor. Never mind the fact that you could still get a five-inch diving blade or a seven-inch hunting knife and use it in the same way. I get that they are considered “concealed weapons” because they are small enough to carry in a pocket but you could fit a good sized naked blade in your pocket just as easily.
I realize this bills is in the very beginning stages so I’m really not to worried, but I will be watching to see what kind of arguments they have for the ban of this easily replaced weapon. Besides how are they going to go around and collect all the knives? Or will they have drop boxes, “Drop your illegal concealed weapon here!” Think about if somebody stole it! Sheesh… And even to band the making, that’s preposterous! Well, if they pass it (which i don’t think they will) I want to see how many people actually come forward and give up their knife. I know I wouldn’t. Hmmm… I’ll probably get in trouble if it does pass but something tells me my knife will magically dissapear until I go to where it’s legal.
