Show me the Funny! My Fantastic Finds!

Welcome back Funny Fans! It's Thursday (and thanks to the pollen I'm zonked out on Benadryl - this should be fun!) and that means it's time for Show me the Funny! We didn't have a theme this week so if you are wondering if you missed something I assure you you did not.

It's a Free For All! Woo Hoo!

I did a little rooting around and scouring of the web this week to find you some new funny bloggers and sites. Let's hope that you find them as much fun as I did.

My new favorite bloggers to stalk are Dana and Joe over at Life is Good. Technically it's Dana's page but Joe is obviously a reliable source of fodder so I give him credit too. Join me in wishing them luck with their new plan to move to Florida - if they can take the neighbors.

Then I found Jeff Tomkins. His take on the worls is so similar to mine that I was thinking about asking him if I could send my clone to contribute to his blog but then I wondered what I was going to do with all my spare time. Anyway, if you want an idea of how similar we are you really must read his take on President Obama's recent gaffes. I should be on that PR crew.

And how could I turn down a blogger who refers to herself as Vodka Mom?! Uh oh! Mommy's drinkin' again! I Need a Martini Mom is probably not what you would expect from a kindergarten teacher but it just reminds you that teachers are sick twisted people that you trust your children too every day - good luck sleeping with that thought! Remind me not to join her circle of housesitting friends would ya? And you have to see what she's teaching her Kindergarten class about letter recognition.

This next one is for my pal Nut. We were just having a conversation about how the homework in elementary school has nothing to do with the children - it's parental competition. Well, Anna at Life Just Keeps Getting Wierder shared her take on it. Just watch your fingers; those glue guns can get HOT!!

And for our parting shot you have to check out J Jiggety. I am so frightened about sending Tuck to school now that I am shopping for homeschooling supplies. What am I going to pull out of HIS pockets next year?!

What did you find this week? Can you make me guffaw and laugh out loud? Try me! Or snag the button, blog your own and link back with linky! Don't forget to Live, Love and Laugh!!

Mom in Chief

So I was cleaning the kids' bathroom this morning (you know what comes next, right?) and started thinking (you saw that one coming!). I remembered the 60 Minutes interview with Barak and Michelle Obama shortly after the election and it stood out to me that she claimed the "Mom in Chief" title.

Now when thoughts like this occur to me in the bathroom I immediately start to "brain blog" phrasing things out and "reading" in my head. How cool would it be if Michelle Obama - our First Lady and someone who I think is pretty darn down to earth and painfully intelligent (Harvard and Princeton grad) - would start a blog about being a mom in today's economy, environment, and in the White House?

Think about it. Just because her house is bigger doesn't mean she isn't impacted by the same things we are. In the same interview she noted that the girls weren't going to be off the hook on doing their chores and being responsible for their things. Even if they DO have a full staff at their disposal.

She is going to be impacted by the same laws we are. She is going to have to deal with behavior issues and school issues. She's going to have to teach the same lessons we are. I know that other first ladies have faced all of this but now that I'm a mom it's different for me. Now I notice. And now that I'm a blogger I get to see more perspectives in parenting than I have before now.

So all in favor of the Mom in Chief blog, please raise your hand! I'd read it (and I probably comment too - but with a lot of spell check)!

I'm Confused.

Yeah, I know that comes as a news flash to everyone. (Insert sarcasm here!) But I really am confused. Now I don't claim at all to be incredibly informed about the whole bailout issue. I am one of those slacker Americans who doesn't get incredibly involved in politics, and I remembered just enough economics to pass my 10th grade Civics class and balance my checkbook. So if anyone can enlighten me a little more - in a constructive way - I would love it.

The banks and mortgage companies made some really bad decisions and made loans that they never should have made. Then they played Russian Roullette with them selling them over and over and creating one ginormous mess when people suddenly couldn't pay. They were given a $700 BILLION bailout. Our good friends at AIG took their bailout money and went on a vacay to the spa under the name of leadership training. No one required that these companies show what they were going to do with the money. No one is making them account for the funds they are given. No one required that those CEO's and CFO's and COO's made huge changes to cut costs and put a infinitely better business plan on paper much less into action.

Now we have Detroit asking for much less help. They too have made some really stupid mistakes by not being pioneers on the energy revolution front. They have bowed to unions and have put a lot of money in their own pockets as well. The unions have run their own companies into the ground and don't really seem to be trying too terribly hard to help out right now. Our government turned Detroit down. Big old "rejected" on that application and a severe tongue lashing for showing up at their hearing in private jets. Detroit went home with their tail between their legs and took their time out to honestly think about what they had done wrong.

They came back with an apology and a detailed plan of what steps they were taking, what steps they would take and what they would do with their money should they get it. They even carpooled this time. They got the big red stamp again.

Before someone one jumps on me for supporting the government's involvement in business, let me tell you that this is not my point. I don't want government involved in business except to make sure that things are run ethically and responsibly via laws. What I DO want is for people to actually look at the ripple effect.

You let the automakers fail and the folks on the line lose their jobs. The folks who work in the electronics factories lose their jobs because they don't need to make car stereos anymore. The people in the upholstery sector lose their jobs because there are no seats to cover. The machinists in the nut and bolt factories lose jobs because what are they putting together? This isn't even looking at the sales force that now has no product. Do you supposed Capitol Hill looked at these factors?

They gave the banks money so that they could help people stay in their homes. Well, guess what guys? If those folks don't have jobs, you can throw all the money in the world at the banks and they are still going to lose their homes, and food, and clothing.

I'm confused. I don't understand why the rules are different for white collar versus blue collar. I don't understand how you can give so much money to one group and require little to no accountability, but you can't give money to the group who has just given you every detail they can possibly provide. Especially when the second group has such a direct and monumental impact on the voter you are supposed to represent!

The CEO of Ford is working for $1. Not he's not going to starve thacks to all his years at the top but he made a personal cut to show his sincerity. AIG dude let his crew go to a spa. I just don't get it.

So Now What? What are you Going to Do?

I know that there will be political commentaries popping up all over the place this morning - I have already come across them. People who "lost" are stomping and still dragging down the policies that our new President-elect has said he will support. They are still railing that the country is headed for hell in a hand basket. And they are raging that we just put on our gasoline underpants.

Those who won are celebrating that it is a new beginning today. Life is going to dramatically change and things are going to get better. Then there are the people who are looking at our situation and are standing slack jawed at the history that has been made. Two women were in the political forefront. An African American man was finally voted President. A new day has downed on our great nation.

It really does not matter to me which column you are putting yourself in. I could not care less who you voted for. That part is done. I want to know what you are going to do next. Are you going to stand in the rain and rail at the storm that it ruined your picnic? Are you going to dance in the rain and say look the drought is over? Or are you going to come in out of the rain and say where can I help? Are you going to use sense or are you going to hope someone else does it for you?

The wrestling match is over. A winner has been declared. Are the fans just going to walk out of the stadium or are they going to stay and help clean up? A commentator said last night that now it is about expectations. We expect our new President to do wonderful things. To turn our economy around, to end war, to promote our image in the international arena.

I expect him to lead us in those directions (and I would have expected it of both candidates!) but I expect him to LEAD. Not to pull the wagon while we all sit on our behinds and cheer. As Americans went door to door and knocked and asked for votes I wondered how many would walk door to door and deliver canned goods to those who need groceries. As they made campaign donation after donation, I wondered who would give to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, soup kitchens. As they made phone call after phone call I wondered how many would go to the nursing homes and veteran's hospitals and St. Jude's and visit with those who need love and company so much.

Yes. There is a new and historic era coming in America. But what are you going to do about it?

Religion, Politics, and Things I Generally Avoid.

Confession time. I am not very involved in politics. I understand that as an adult and a parent I should be. I find politics very boring and very divisive. I prefer to keep my mind busy with things that are positive and uplifting that make life more pleasant for others. You may judge me how you like but at least I am open about my stance. Since you have chosen to visit my blog, I expect you to respect my decision not to be involved if I so choose whether you agree with me or not. And now that that ugliness is out of the way let me get to my point.

I looked around the sanctuary this morning during church and I noticed that there were quite a few more filled seats than I have seen in recent weeks. As we were leaving I noticed that the line of cars headed into the parking lot was a bit longer than I've seen in the past few weeks too. So what does this have to do with politics?

I have heard the phrase "We need to pray for our country is this time of trouble" more these past few weeks than I did in the past two years. As a matter of fact the last time this country seemed so united and religiously focused was right after 9/11. People filled churches then too. When we went to war initially, pews were packed. A few weeks ago when the bailout package was showing its face at every water cooler on the planet, there was a small spike. And now the Sunday before the election, look at the parking lots of your local churches.

I know why but I'm going to ask anyway. Why? Why is it ok for people to turn now and not every other week of the year? Why is He ok to talk about now? Why is it so important today when it wasn't that big of a deal this time last year? Does our country need MORE prayer now? Why? Because all of a sudden we find our McDonald's budget reduced?

Before I get skewered again, I have no problem with people turning to God. I would love to see more and more people turning. I would rather not have a whole empty pew beside me on Sunday morning. I don't mind waiting in line to pick my children up from nursery. I just hope they are sincere.

It is the people who aren't sincere who are giving the church the black eye. When people refer to hypocrites they are talking about people who act one way on Sunday AND IN A TIME OF CRISIS and a completely different way the rest of the week.

So my prayer is that on Wednesday when the election hype is over and the votes are tallied. In seven years when the economy has stabilized and we have forgotten all about this recession. When our property values are restored and we are telling our children about "when you were young." My prayer is that the church will be even more important than it is today. May the pews always be this full.

My Battle Against Stress!

Meredith Viera had a 2 minute interview this morning on the Today show that has been in my brain all day.



So we as women are taking this economic situation, plus our family stuff, plus our jobs, plus our children's behavior, plus our attempts to please others and we are doing ourselves in! I have read so many blogs, personal messages, and notes in the last 48 hours from friends and complete strangers that demonstrate this to me.

You may (or maybe not) know that I am blogging over at the BlubHer Overhaul. I have seen so many ladies struggling with stress eating or lack of motivation for working out or just being sick. And now I'm wondering how much of it is linked.

I have friends who have said to me on numerous occasions, "I just can't beat these blahs!" And I wonder if they really mean "I just can't beat this stress."

So of course having had all day and 2 loads of laundry (and the motivation of my own stresses) to ponder this, I started to ask myself "So what do we do to battle it?" Exercise? Eat right? Meditate? Pray? All very valid solutions I told myself. But I want more.

What can I do to help other women battle back against stress? Is it just a matter of leaving a comment on every blog I visit? Is it sending a random e-mail to tell someone I care? Is it praying for other people that I see hurting? But I still want more!

You may or may not have seen Copacabana last week -here's hoping you missed it! But that is what I want to do! I want to start a "Pay it Forward" style campaign. I want women to reach out to other women and make them smile. Even if it's only for a little minute, enough of those minutes from enough other people will make a difference.

I have seen so many references to medications, depression, and stress that I wonder if the tide can be turned. I am an optimist. I believe that it can be. But people have to look outside of their own meditation, exercise, dieting, and prayer and try to help other people. I come back to the gas situation I faced last week. I have no idea what effect if any my half a tank left behind had, but I have to believe it helped someone.

Help me. It's not an official campaign. I don't have a happy blog button for anyone to carry around. It's just what is right. So if you see someone today who needs a smile, tell them a quick joke or just smile at them. You may just save their life.

The Downside of a finished To Do list.

You have nothing else to do with your day. So here are a few snapshots of my day.

I watched C-SPAN. I hate politics!

When C-SPAN finally broke me I went to bake brownies. In the middle of mixing the brownies, I heard, "I have a booger. Can you pick it?"

After picking the booger and washing my hands (twice) I finished the brownies.

As I slid the brownies into the oven, I heard screaming from the back yard. "I stepped in dog poo!!" And I knew he had no shoes on. So what did he do? Tried to pick it off thus getting dog poo on his hand. Then he tried to come into the house to wash it all off! Not on your life S.M. Rhino!!

After washing the poo off I chilled while C-SPAN tallied the votes.

Then the baby got up and had lunch. Which was followed by going to pick up the Orangutan. And now we are home. No boogers. No dog poo. But plenty of brownies.

Which might explain this....