Tag: – Just sayin

WTF

CNN – Arizona’s Legislature has passed a controversial bill that would
allow business owners, as long as they assert their religious beliefs,
to deny service to gay and lesbian customers.

The bill, which the state
House of Representatives passed by a 33-27 vote Thursday, now goes to
Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican and onetime small business owner who
vetoed similar legislation last year but has expressed the right of
business owners to deny service.
Full Article HERE


When
is government going to stay out of places they don’t belong?    And when
are we going to drop the phrase GAY RIGHTS…there should be no such
phrase.   HUMAN RIGHTS…. that’s all we should be concerned with,
because that’s what WE ALL ARE .  “Rights” should have NOTHING TO DO with
who we are sexually attracted to unless we’re referring to harm to
children or sexual abuse. Seriously… grow up, America.
Just Sayin. 
 

Jack’s back

I shared with you last week Jacks story… the mangy pit/american bull dog mix found on the streets of Hartford. Two weeks into his adoption, he is awesome.  He loves his new siblings and especially his new family. “P” adopted against the prejudiced opinions of some of her family and friends… who have all come to love this big, inquisitive teddy bear of a dog already.

Jack’s lesson for today… don’t judge a book by it’s cover, 
or someone elses prejudice. 
-Just sayin.

Ugly

Are you familiar with  the blog by Stephanie Nielsen, a woman horribly burned in a flying accident about six-seven years ago?  Her blog HERE  .   I don’t remember where I first heard her story, but I began reading her blog as she chronicled her struggle to recover from a near fatal accident that burned over 80 percent of her body. At the time she was the young mother of four children.  I was amazed at her courage and determination to get back to some semblance of a normal life, the family she cherished.

And now I’ll admit because I want to be honest before I accuse… that I stopped reading it other than a catch up now and then because in my opinion her blog became more of  a Mormon pulpit, an advertisement for the people and companies who undoubtedly send her lovely things for all her support of their product, and … every single family event is photographed by a professional photographer. For me, reading Nienie was no longer about admiring and cheering on  a journey being hard won by a determined woman against significant odds.  Laced in with the happy family occasions that we all loved to see was all the commercial and Mormon peddling that became too preachy for me.

I did what is appropriate to do when you start feeling differently about something like this… I just stopped reading it so often, although I check in now and then because I do still find her story amazing, her courage inspiring, and I wish her family the best,  always happy to hear of their triumph over a horrible incident that has no doubt changed their lives forever.

What really surprised me recently was… I stumbled across a blog that is set up solely to -hate- on Stephanie Neilsen. Thankfully she doesn’t get much attention.   But..there is a mommy bloggers feed with 700 something comments all aimed at Nienie -hate-.  This feed is out there for anyone to read.. including Stephanie and even more horribly, her children.   The ugly comments range from calling her snarky to sophomoric to selfish and there’s an awful lot of what can only be referred to as  jealous rage over the things she has been gifted because of her accident and incredible story.

It’s downright ugly and far worse than anything she could be putting on her blog –  HER BLOG – which is a chronicle of what she wants to talk about, a chronicle of her family’s journey.  HER JOURNEY. To snipe at someone in such a public fashion, the masses gathering to do so!… just because you don’t like her personality or what she chooses to believe in or the things she is gifted because of it…well, Jeez, have you held an honest mirror up to yourself lately?… is what I want to say.   This particular person, no matter WHAT she has gained financially since her accident… is horribly disfigured and suffers pain every single day.  Not one of these mean spirited people  would trade places with her ….. ever.

There are times when I am so uplifted by the generosity of the human spirit… and times when I cry at how low it can go.

– Just sayin.  

Going Commando

   Recently a dear friend in animal rescue joked on FB about being so behind in laundry she had to borrow a pair of her sons  underwear on that particular morning.  I’m sure he’s scarred for life….lol…. and of course there ensued what you’ve probably already guessed.. a hilarious back and forth among commenters about the virtues of underwear… or not wearing any –  a/k/a  “Going Commando”. 

A hilarious take on this can be seen here.. one of my favorite moments in the old sitcom, “Friends”.
 

  I happen to be one of those people who really can’t imagine going out of the house without underwear.  You might laugh at this, but I don’t think there has ever been a time when I did NOT have underwear on unless in the shower, the tub, having s*x or wearing a bathing suit.   I’m not pointing any judgemental fingers at those who prefer to go Commando… I’m just sayin…it doesn’t work for me.

  My grandmother lived on the Florida panhandle for a period of time.  During one particular visit,  we were in the company of a lovely neighbor, a  southern lady of about 90 years.  Virginia had a velvety southern drawl so thick, my grandmother could hardly understand it.  She  also had a lovely beach bungalow filled with southern charm, and she walked briskly around the house in floral summer dresses with the ease of someone much younger.  I have no idea how we got on the subject… but out of her mouth with exuberance came words I will never forget.  “It’s good to walk around without the hindrance of underwear.  You have to let your parts breathe!”. 

 I nearly spit out my sweet tea.

Well..Dang it all to hell and back…

…now you’ve got me thinking about Velveeta.  Did I even just type that? 

   You see… something about that stuff has just always reminded me of plastic.  Like those individually wrapped slices of  yellow-orange cheese my mother used to buy at the local A & P when we were kids that were of the same ilk.  Plastic-y.  bleh.

    Oh, my mouth was so happy when on occasion I’d be invited to stay at my friends house just down the street for lunch.  They had the real sliced cheese asked for at the deli counter and those sandwiches on Pepperidge Farm bread were just delightful. To be fair, my mom worked full time and probably didn’t want to spend the time standing in line at the deli counter when she could grab that prewrapped slice package quick as lightning right off the shelf.

   Yesterday, many of you shared FOND memories of  -Velveeta- and still use it in some of your treasured recipes. I’m a little embarassed to tell you I had no idea what “Queso” was and I actually had to google it.  Knock me over with a feather!  I’ve had it!  I’ve even made it!… although I just call it Mexican dip with nachos and now that I know what Ro-Tel is I probably won’t dice my own tomatoes, peppers onions.  Being really real here, it’s true I have used Velveeta maybe four times in my life because the recipe called for it and I didn’t want to F it up.  But I couldn’t help but think… oh, boy, we’re really eating CRAP today… is there even any CHEESE in this stuff?

   Turns out, there is. 

    So..I finally decided after so much praise from some of you, that I oughta do some  research before my cheese snobbery gets me in some trouble. Keeping it real, isn’t that what I blather on about right here on this blog?

   Here’s the Velveeta story according to Wikipedia-

Velveeta is a processed cheese product having a taste that is identified as a type of American Cheese with a texture that is softer and smoother. (PLASTICY… just saying)  It was invented in 1908 by Caleb Hommel of the Monroe Cheese Company NY .    The Velveeta Cheese Company sold it to KRAFT Foods in 1927.  The product was advertised for its nutrition. (go figure!)    According to Kraft’s website, in the 1930s, Velveeta became the first cheese product to gain the American Medical Associations seal of approval  ( get out of town!)    It was reformulated in 1953 as a cheese spread.   Velveeta is labeled in the US  as a “Pasteurized Recipe Cheese Product”.  The name “Velveeta” is intended to connote a Velvety smooth edible product. Smoothness and melt ability are promoted as its properties that result by reincorporating the whey with the curd.

Ingredients:  Milk, water, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, contains 2% or less of:  Salt, calcium phosphate, lactic acid, sorbic acid, sodium citrate, sodium alginate, enzymes, apogarotenal, annato, cheese culture. 

   I have discovered that while it’s true that Velveeta is a real cheese PRODUCT –  it is high in calories, fat and sodium if you look at the overall content of that package, not just the “serving size”.. which is one little slice.   So, while you won’t kill yourself using Velveeta in your favorite occasional Queso, if you’re a regular consumer of the stuff, you’re better off Health-wise buying a -real- cheddar version for your Queso, broccoli casseroles or grilled cheese.

…although, consumers might kill  you trying to get at the stuff if you’re found with it in your possession… you do know the cheesepacolypse is upon us, don’t you? 

 
– Just sayin.  

  

Cheesy Sister Act

On my way out to the barn early this morning I got a text from my sister as I was pulling up my boot straps…

S:   I’m ready to go buy Velveeta even though I’ve never used it, lol.

Me:  Isn’t that so ridiculous? Even the name is gross.

S:  LOL I know .. it must be a PR gimmick.

Me:  Well.. out into the Polar Vortex I go…with no Velveeta.

S:  Lol.. Stay alive! I will find you and bring nachos!

Me:   Perfect! …but only if you managed to score some velveeta.

S:  I’ll work on it.

*******

For those of you who are not aware.. on many media outlets it has been reported that there is apparently a dire Velveeta shortage. (  – you gotta be kidding me –  ).    So, the new panic shopping items before a snow storm, if Kraft has their way… will be  milk, bread, toilet paper, Velveeta.

 It just doesn’t get any sillier.

If it looks like a Duck…

 By now if you pay any attention at all to the media in it’s various forms, you’ve seen the sh*t hitting the fan over the Duck Dynasty Debacle. Maybe you’ve managed to avoid it, and if you want to continue avoiding it… move on to your next blog  now.

  If you’re still reading, to recap very briefly,  the Patriarch of the now very wealthy Duck Decoy making family, Phil Robertson, spewed off his appalling opinions regarding homosexuality in an interview and A & E suspended him from the show.  People are clamoring… Hey, what about freedom of speech??… others, like myself, are cheering.  First of all this whole deal has nothing to do with Freedom Of Speech.  Secondly, in my opinion there is a difference between freedom of speech and freedom to criticize people (and his particular criticism was VILE)  simply because they are different than you.  There’s no specific law telling you you can’t go pee on your neighbors geranium pot, but you wouldn’t do it out of decency, would you.   

I found this on another website and I say.. BRAVO.

 So…. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH?!”
I can’t count how
many times I’ve explained this, but I’m going to keep doing it. Was Phil
Robertson put in jail or fined by the government? Then his freedom of
speech is fully intact. That said, should A&E actually be suspending
him for his comments that in no way shape, or form should’ve surprised
them, it’s in his contract that they can. A&E is Phil’s private
employer, and at some point during negotiations
for the show, his lawyers were given a contract that included a clause
saying A&E can terminate him at any point if he does anything that
negatively affects the network or Duck Dynasty. That is standard,
perfectly constitutional procedure, and something Phil agreed to in
exchange for $200,000 an episode. And if he suddenly doesn’t agree with
those conditions, then he’s a sinner who gave false testimony.

This, that and a whole lot of JUST SAYIN

  Are you ready for the holidays?  For a time of year that was originally designed to be such a joyous, celebratory season, why do we have to be ready?   Why?  Because the powers that be (read that as media, retailers, etc.) have blown these once spiritual holidays into a money spending, guilt promoting, tension building headache causing some of the joy to be sapped right out of it.  This year Christmas was in stores at the same time as Halloween.  Are ya kidding?  I actually saw the Thanksgiving decor on shelves in July.  It’s packed away already, have you noticed?  I’m pretty sure Easter is  sitting on the loading dock.

  That being said, I love this time of year.  My Thanksgiving menu is mapped out and I have visions of that big juicy turkey leg dipped in cranberry orange walnut sauce.  And the Cheeses!…  Have you ever been to a Cheese Shop?  Believe it or not, I have not.. until recently in a town not far from here.  I went, I sampled …OMG and then some.    Once you’ve had really good quality cheeses like those you get at a good cheese shop…. you’ll never be satisfied with cracker barrel again.  My recommendation is Cambozola Black – the creamiest brie infused blue cheese I have ever tasted.   If you’re local… go HERE for your holiday cheeses, even if you’re just treating yourself.  

*******

  The Affordable Care Act.   *sigh*   Well.. I’m gonna say it right here right now.  I am so thoroughly disappointed.  I had hopes, I had dreams, I had confidence.. TWICE… that this administration would be the- change – the country needed after my thorough disgust with the previous administration.   I believed in the vision, the concepts, the forward thinking. I still believe it was genuine.   Apparently the country is not mature enough to handle it, and it’s not working out for a myriad of  other reasons either. You and I probably won’t agree that many issues can’t be blamed soley on our President, but some of the blunders are his,  they are big, and they are not the blunders I thought he might make.

  ** Our insurance is cancelling us.  Doesn’t matter that there is a year of _stay_ to sort this mess out…. they are still cancelling us regardless.  They are not honoring that particular new stay, they don’t have to.  Oh, there are other plans… and we can shop around, but my family already pays $1900 per month for insurance, and we are all relatively healthy.  Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we are being cancelled by our current insurance company, but if we want to come back, they’ll take us.  At an additional $400. per month, plus an $11,000. prescription deductible.     I’m sorry, Mr. President, that’s not my idea of affordable.

***********

  Michael Skakel  is getting out on bail, a new trial awarded.  You may or may not know anything about the murder of  teenager Martha Moxley here in Connecticut many years ago –  surprise surprise, a few Kennedy cousins were in the mix, one convicted for the murder.  One Michael Skakel, who was 15 years old at the time of the murder.  I read one of the books written about the crime, and it sure as hell looked like they had the right guy to me, but someone now thinks differently and he’s being given another chance many years after his conviction. My sister and I were talking about it yesterday.. and she made a great point…

WHY is this man OBESE??  Hasn’t he been in prison for ten years?…. Who’s providing him with all the extra food it takes to maintain that obesity?  Apparently withholding junk food is too harsh a condition to impose on convicted murderers.

*******
 Speaking of Kennedys –
50 years later, Despite all the research,  books, documentaries, TV specials and commemorations
of the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy,
who I think I would have approved of highly had I been alive and mature at the time,
we won’t ever really know for certain who was responsible for his assassination, will we.
Think what you will,  my belief is he was a visionary, he had real courage, the kind
Presidents should be made of, and he loved his country.
Off topic but not really – I will never give a flying f*ck what a person in office does with his or her 
private parts as long as it doesn’t involve children or abuse or the use of our tax dollars. 
That’s none of our collective business, period. 
You want government out of your business, right?  
I hear it time and time again, and I agree!
Well, no double standards then, ok?
Ok. 
********
– Just sayin.

 

forward thinking

We’re born.
That’s the first gift. 
 Then..no guarantees… no choice in the matter. 
  We have no control over the first years of our lives
and very little until we approach adulthood. 
Then the decisions are our own to make, and our responsibility alone.
That’s another gift we don’t all embrace. 
Some of us have had a less than stellar experience in our youth..
whether it was at the hands of family members or the bully kids at school, 
the list is long for possibilities as to the ‘whys’. 
The lucky ones escaped unscathed, nurtured, even. 
I don’t know where you fall in that catagory..
but here’s something we all share. 
You alone are responsible for your well being, for your happiness,
for what your life looks like and turns into. 
Blame no one but yourself if you are not happy with your station in life,
whatever that refers to in your world.  Be kind to yourself when doing so.
You make decisions at any given time, good or bad, given what you have to work with. 
You can most often change, even though change can be uncomfortable… at first.

All have a cross to bear, some bear several. 
It’s the outlook you choose that determines your wealth.
Wealth.. meaning peace of mind, state of happiness, fulfillment in life.
Money is not necessarily wealth. If you have an abundance 
of peace, happiness, fulfillment… you are wealthy.

Saddens me to no end, when I see someone wallowing in WHAT WAS – 
letting it pollute their current existence, possibly even ruining current relationships, 
careers, whatever.

 Just sayin.