It's been so long!

I can't believe it, June is not even on here at all! I'll have to post some I suppose, but really I have just moved on over to Facebook since I don't think anyone is that excited about the self-centric Niki blog idea :) Plus it's just easier to post pics there straight from my phone!!

Pics from LA!

Max takes her train ride very serious.


While everyone else is having loads of fun!


Proof Max is having fun


At the Cafe de Leche just down the street. Max decided to take a nap.

It's not about politics, it's about BEING A GOOD PERSON

We all know something is wrong. I don't know anyone who thinks things don't need to change. A lot.

What bothers me most is the polictal retoric, the finger pointing, the unwillingness to agree we disagree, that we all have different priorities and perspectives.

I spent my life in indecision, avoiding conflict until I had kids. I can't say I changed overnight, and i most definitely don't have all the answers. In fact I have very very few and any I do have are specific to me. Kids made me think. My profession gave me logic. My environment gave me perspective. My friends gave me challenge. All helped me form my opinions and learn to defend them. I've learned that I had beliefs and it was REALLY hard to accept that. Now that I know where I stand I can listen, weigh the logic of the best choices I could make but I can't change what I believe.

So what is all this about? Most who know me know I'm a big fan of Glenn Beck. Yes he's just a TAD doomsday and at times a bit pushy about God BUT in general what he says really speaks to me.

It's not about politics, it's about us. Political correctness is out of hand. Politicians are out of control. I believe in capitalism. I believe in America, misguided teenagers though we seem to be. There is hope for us to do far more good in the world if we put ourselves straight. Take accountability. Be responsible. Take care of your neighbor on your own free will and good conscious

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I believe in these things. Then I heard Glenn Beck begin to say these things without fear.

So to do my part to help America be as great as it can be I am asking everyone to check out the 9.12 project, the 9 principles to believe in, and the 12 values.


The 9.12 Project : http://www.the912project.com/ (already down b/c of load. It says something. The fox News servers also went down because of the popularity of this idea - 5 times.)

Remember how 9.11 affected us? Remember that, even if you thought we *might* deserve the hate, you still stood united with your neightbors, your friends, your co-workers with passion and patriotism? Remember how wrong it felt for innocent people to die and how we all promised to never forget that bond, that unity, the sheer goodness of everyone as they came together in that moment of tragedy?

Glenn created the 9.12 project to remember who we were that day. But he speaks to it far more eloquently than I ever could:

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3812488&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/glennbeck/index.html

The Nine Principles and 12 values (We surround them and You are not alone)

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/21018/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491985,00.html

Again, I can't do it justice :)

And of course the totally awesome mosaic: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/program/we-the-people

He may fear the worst, but he's doing something to create the best.

Read it! Watch it! It doesn't matter if you are Democrat or Republican, it applies to all of us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJOqRY8Erbc

What TIana wants....

Gymnastics lessons (mom & dad)

Swimming lessons (mom & dad)

Easy Bake Oven (check)

Magic Tree House audio books (collections are a great value and more entertaining!

Junie B Jones audio books

Books books books - simple chapter books especially

I must be getting old

Or maybe I just started to form my own opinions. Gosh, it shouldn't have taken that long should it have? Oh well...


Hooray America! We have overcome some major fears and ignorances and elected the first (half) black president! Yay us! I can honestly say I am extremely proud that our nation has, for whatever reason, put a minority in the most powerful position in the world. Really. I don't agree with a WHOLE LOT if not ALL of what he stands for but dangit I'm an American and I'm going to support as best as I can who we've elected as misguided as I think we may have been to do so. Seriously though -I belive in earning your keep, working hard, repecting the life of those who can't speak for themselves, holding people accountable for their choices and helping those who cannot help themselves. If you can't read between the lines sorry... not going in to it here. All that matters is we elected Barak Obama and we have to stand behind him united - no matter how much we might not like his positions.

As Walter and I joke, 'Hey, now we don't ahve to pay our mortgage! Now we get even MORE money for being mediocre, and if we quit our jobs we'd be even better off!'

Not in a millions years, after all I have small kids to be an example to right?

The thing that absolutely KILLS me though, is that gay marriage is apparantly not ok and a threat to our society, yet destroying perfectly legitemate lives is? The mass murderer or child rapist deserves a break and it's cruel to him him/er but an abortion gone wro ng is a question? I shouldn't have a gun to protect my family and potetntially kill that threat but there's nothing wrong with killing an innocent soul that I believe with all my heart is a soul ? Now that's just screwy. I know the fundamental difference is when life begins and I wouldn't dream of trying to change someone's mind, but to me - birth control is a choice, not creating a life then taking it away. Our morals have just become so lax and we are so desperate to not hold anyone accountable for their choices that we've become a nation of lazy, selfish and greedy people who feel like they are entitled to anything they could possibly want.



But really....I'm not afraid of change or the attempt at change. Bring it on Obama, show me I'm wrong. I'm eagerly awaiting a prosperous nation that is LESS self indulgent. I'm happy to save the environment as long as thousands don't go hungry becuase we are too impatient to transition in a planned, controled manner. I'm all about helping anyone who needs help as long as they can demonstrate that they truly truly need it.

I want so badly to belive this is the change we need, the face of a new more tolerent, wise and equal America. Please, please let it be true and please let it happen!

but for the record I'm extremely suspicious of people who speak so eloquently that they aquire a flock regardless of the the actual words

Get out and Vote!

Some funny quotes I found:

"...Lest we forget that unless we tote the line with secular progressive Obamanation theory, we have no superior intellect and thus are unworthy of opinion. "

"Nice, the only thing you've left out is how nice it will be when government controls my thermostat or the for that matter, it will be really nice when I won't have to make any of my own choices and then I can work really hard and get paid the same amount as the guy sitting next to me who is NAPPING!"

*I'm voting Democrat because I know government sees the big picture, knows where my money should go andwill do a better job of spending my money than I could.I mean, I'm always getting myself into debt beyond my own ability to pay.

*I'm voting Democrat because it's alright to kill millions of babies as long as we protect the public by keeping violent, convicted murderers on death row alive.

* I'm voting Democrat because I believe businesses in America should not be allowed to make profits. Businesses should just break even and give the rest to the government so politicians and bureaucrats can redistribute the money the way they think it should be redistributed.

* I'm voting Democrat because I believe guns, and not the people misusing them, are the cause of crimes and killings. If we outlaw guns, crime will go away. Just like in Washington DC, New York City, and United Kingdom.

* I'm voting Democrat because when someone with a weapon threatens my family or me, I know the government can respond faster through a call to 911 than I can with a gun in my hand. Besides, Sarah Brady says a gun at homeis a zillion times more likely to be used against me. Only thegovernment should have guns because they never hurt anyone.

* I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four elitist liberals should rewrite the Constitution every few months to suit some fringe element that could never get their agenda past voters.

* I'm voting Democrat because illegal aliens are not criminals, are not sucking up resources that Democrats give them through government aid, hospital services,education, or social service, but are just people trying to make a better life by coming to America illegally. We can't blame them for that, can we?

"I admire and respect McCain, but when people like Dan, Shame Hammity, and the fat guy spew thier verbal diarrihea, the stench of thier petty arguments make it hard to stick around to hear if they have any real issues to discuss. Every day people don't have the luxury of concerning themselves with Bill Ayers, when they have to worry about feeding thier kids, keeping thier job, paying the rent."

Thank goodness for audiobooks!

My newest obsession, the "City of Ember" series has all been digital! Walter sent me a link to an interview Bill Murray was giving where he mentioned Ghostbusters 3, which was an interview for "City of Ember". I was mildly curious about what "City of Ember" after recovering from the excitment of a new 'busters movie (he pointed out enough time has past for us to have recovered from II) and went on a quick search to find out what it was about. I could tell from trailers that it was a kids adventure movie, some of my favorite kind.

Obviously it was frmo a book, I didn't need to research to know that, so I nosed around a bit for an audiobook. I found one somewhere and listened to it. It's short and, while not 'shallow' it's aimed at the younger crowd so it lacks a lot of in depth development. However, I absolutely loved it. I really really did. So much that I quickly went out to iTunes and bought the two sequals. Within the past week I've listened to all three twice, and seen the movie. The movie was good, but seriously lacking if you've read the book. I enjoyed it, mostly because I went alone with Tiana and the theater was empty except for one other middle aged man (That was wierd) and we could talk about all the things that were happening.

Anyway, if you still have a bit of an inner child enough to enjoy a very good story, wonderful characters and a bit of rhetorical thinking all through the eyes of a 12 year old(ish), READ IT!

The only bad thing is having that adult perspective just leaves you begging for more; more story, more character development, more books, more words! I haven't read the 3rd book which is the prequel and doesn't do more than explain the history of the other three books a bit, but I will eventually.

Anyway I highly recommend the books - they are very short and easy reading. The movie - if you have a kid to take with you, definitely. If not, it's hard for me to say because I think they left out some of the best parts from the book so I'm bias. It's still good though. Mostly it was just the joy of sharing an adventure stemmed from a book with Tiana. I'm making CD"s for her to listen to as well, since she enjoyed it so much.

Had to have some lighter fare-----although so far all books or movies i have seen lately are all post-apocolyptic or current crisis kinds of books....one from Koontz, Blindness (I wil NOT be seeing that movie...), the Ember series etc.....I better stop that!!

A typical scene at 1 am

Mandelbrot set Awesome video

Remember

Remember 9/11

All the heartache
All the sorrow
All the anger
All the unity