Vote, or be a slave to those who do...

Is it just me or is this election year even more pivotal than normal?  We have an important choice to make here, and I know where I stand, but it seems this year the emotions are so much higher than they have been in previous years.  Although I have to admit that my brother refused to talk to me for months after I voted for the "wrong" candidate one year.  In hindsight I don't think I made the right decision voting for Bush that year either, and it is a decision I have regretted ever since, but at the time I thought I was making an educated choice.  I realize now that I fell for the emotionally loaded political propaganda of the time, not really checking the facts in the voting record.  (Well that and I couldn't stand Tipper even though I loved Al's stance on the environment and women's rights.) 

My family is pretty staunchly Democrat.  I remember a conversation with my grandmother after we went and voted together one year.  She didn't understand why it had taken me so long to cast my votes, after all you were just supposed to vote straight ticket Democrat!  I, on the other hand, carefully considered each of my votes for each candidate throughout our district, voting for a majority of Democrats, but also selecting a few Republicans who I thought made more sense. 

I realize now that family traditions are almost always more important to people's decisions to vote than the issues themselves are, and I feel this has become a dangerous precedent as people fail to take into consideration the fact that the parties themselves are not static entities.  Their platforms evolve over time to make them more desireable to certain segments of the population or to adapt to pressures from their major campaign contributors.

I can't begin to claim I am an expert in politics, but I do know one thing.  When people vote their choice is based more on emotional attachments to certain ideas and ideals and less on the actual candidate's record. And guess what, both parties are counting on this fact.  This year, I am begging each of you to truly consider who and what you are voting for.  Our world is in turmoil, every action we take is under severe scrutiny by a world community that is increasingly volatile and hostile.  Please don't vote a certain way just because that is the way your family has always voted, and please don't vote simply in reaction to the dissatisfaction you may feel at this moment in time.  Your decision this year will have lasting and long term effects not just for you and your family, but for our entire country and the world.

In case you are wondering, I am NOT voting for Romney, but I am also not voting straight Democratic ticket either.  Let's elect a governing body that can work TOGETHER to create positive change.

Feeling Insecure?

Maybe it's just because this is the first time in my life that I have lived in a larger metropolitan area, but I am feeling increasingly paranoid about my family's security.  We moved into a great neighborhood, and have both a retired and active police officer living on our street and another around the corner on an adjacent street, so i should feel pretty secure, right?  But I don't.  Perhaps I watch too much news, perhaps it is seeing that there was an armed home invasion in a gated community only a few blocks away from ours, perhaps it is being a new mom, perhaps it is just plain insanity.  Regardless of the reasons, the plain fact remains that I am not feeling as safe in my home as I would like.

So, what are possible solutions?  We have a dog, and she barks whenever anyone is close by that shouldn't be, but that's not enough.  So, what's a gal to do? Well, if you are me you research home security systems.  Alarm Systems East Syracuse provides a nice site with a lot of information on security systems, so maybe this is a good place to start.  There are so many different security systems, and I don't want to go crazy a' la Tim the Tool Man Taylor when he installed a massive security system for his family on the classic family show Tool Time.  But I do want something that will provide a warning to my family should we be home, and something that will hopefully provide a quick response from both the security company and the local authorities.

Preserving our Past

I have been feeling nostalgic lately; thinking alot about the idyllic scenes that flash through my mind as I recall my early childhood.  One of the things I remember most fondly is going down into the basement to pick out some delectable jar of preserved fruit or vegetables, maybe even jam from my grandmother's stash of homemade preserves.  So, I pulled out my large pasta pot, bought a bunch of canning jars, some fruit, pickling cucumbers, random canning supplies, and got started creating my own versions of grandma's treats. 

My husband thinks I am crazy, and isn't as enthusiastic about the canning bug that has gotten into me (he thinks I might be going over the edge into nutsville because I have been watching too much of National Geographic Channel's Disaster Preppers).  But that's okay, he can sit by and eat his icky, commercially made, preservative and chemical filled foods while my daughter and I eat homemade, healthy deliciousness in which the only things I can't pronounce might be the names of the actual fruits and vegetables.

So far I have made no sugar added strawberry rhubarb jam, Kiwi Daquiri jam, and some spicy pickle chips.  I can't wait for the growing season to really hit, as I intend to take full advantage of the multiple farmer's markets in our area.  I am also looking forward to canning some homemade chili's, salsas, ketchup, soups, and so much more.

Man, I better get more shelves for the pantry!

Disaster Preparedness...Where do you stand?

So, I am sitting here watching Tevo'd episodes of Disaster Preppers, and it has me wondering how many people are actually trying to prepare for potential disasters.  It is 2012 after all, and many people believe this is the year we will face Doomsday, those who believe we will face massive natural disasters,  those who believe we are facing imminent financial collapse within the next few years, and yet others who believe the government will insigate martial law to control our increasingly discontented population.  Whatever form the Doomspeakers believe the "end of our world" will take, there are many interesting (some frightening) approaches and attitudes out there about what the proper methods of preparing are or whether or not it is wacky to even think about prepping for disaster.

Personally I have never wanted to believe in disaster or conspiracy theories, but I sometimes question whether that attitude is essentially irresponsible.  It seems our national zeitgeist about preparedness started getting lax about the same time the Cold War ended.  Apparently all that preparation (remember the nuclear war drills we had to do in school back in the 70's and early 80's) was only necessary as long as the Soviet Union was aiming its missiles at us.  Does that mean, however, that we no longer face the same types and levels of threat?  What about world overpopulation, the potential for biological warfare or terrorism, economic collapse, food and water shortages, natural disaster?

I can't help replaying scenes of the turmoil in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  What would I have done to keep my family safe, free from disease, and able to eat and drink?  Perhaps a little more preparedness isn't a wacky idea?  Perhaps it is the responsible thing to do to ensure that should the unthinkable happen we don't become a burden on our friends and neighbors.  Perhaps it is the responsible thing to do to make sure we are able to sustain our own families for a minimum amount of time should the worst occur.  Perhaps we are wacky to NOT do something, after all we have been taught since we were young that we should save our pennies for a rainy day haven't we?

I don't know, my husband and I are of two separate minds on this matter.  Frankly he thinks I'm nuts for even worrying about it; his faith in our American way of life has no bounds.  I on the other hand am more cynical.  Perhaps I will just start adding a few extra items to our grocery list each time we visit the markets to make sure we at least have the basic essentials of an emergency kit on hand.  At least then I won't feel totally vulnerable!

For Fema's suggestions on what you should do to prepare yourself for an emergency situation, visit this website:  http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm.

Good Christian, huh?

I have to say I was a bit disgusted when I opened up my browser to see the headline that Pat Robertson, a supposed leader within the Christian community, made the comment that Peyton Manning getting injured would "serve them right" referring, of course, to the Denver Broncos' decision to let the Christian Right's golden boy Tim Tebow go and replacing him with the champion quarterback, Manning.  This is the man who many in the Christian community look to for guidance on living a Godly life!  I cannot imagine a more hurtful and evil comment coming from someone who claims to be a mouthpiece and follower of Jesus Christ.  Come on people!  I thought we were working with the philosophies of the NEW Testament here, not an Eye for an Eye...and even under the Old Testaments rules, Manning suffering an injury would not be an equitable punishment for a mediocre quarterback losing his job.  Besides, how is it Manning's fault that Tebow can't toss a decent pass or make a decent call even with Jesus in his back pocket? 

NETFLIX PROFILE

Posted by Virgil Burks
After reading wireless internet reviews we upgraded our internet service. I was so glad that we were finally going to enjoy our Netflix account, and we certainly have! Netflix is definitely worth it’s eight dollars a month if you like to watch movies, documentaries, or television shows. They have so many options. The really cool thing that I like about Netflix is that it will suggests things for you to watch based on your viewing history and ratings. There are some things that I have really enjoyed that I wouldn’t even think about watching because I didn’t find them on Netflix. The personal profile is uniquely your own. You are able to tell Netlflix things that you are definitely not interested in and ask it not to show you certain things again. It also keeps a record of when you watched things. If you have to leave during the middle of the show and you stop or pause it, it will pick right back up when you are ready to start watching again. I use Netflix more than I use my cable now!

Terror

How many of us spend our free hours reading books filled with fictional monsters, feeling chills creep up our spines and finding ourselves turning on the lights to chase away those dark shadows that hide our nightmares?  Unfortunately it seems reality, though, is often more terrifying than any work of fiction could ever hope to be. 

I just got finished reading about a young girl who's family kept her imprisoned in the basement, sexually assaulted her, starved, beat, and abused her since the age of 10.  She is now 15.  If this is not a tale of true terror then I don't know what qualifies.   As a society we forget sometimes that the monsters aren't hiding in the shadows of the supernatural, they are right here within us.  I can't claim to have any understanding of what makes a group of people (a father, mother, and stepbrother in this case) believe that the things they do to another human being are justifiable.

Furthermore, in this case especially, I am disgusted and horrified by our legal system.  According to Yahoo news the parents in this case are only facing up to 11 years in prison whereas the stepbrother, who sexually assaulted the girl is facing 68 years.  Granted sexual assault is a terrible crime, but aren't the parents even more guilty?  After all, the abuse program started when the girl was 10, making the stepbrother 13.  After watching the parents force the girl to do her chores naked, lock her in the basement like an animal, force her to eat her own feces, beat her, starve her, and mentally abuse her while the brother was treated like a prince, don't you think it might make him think it was okay for him to do the same?  Personally I think these "parents" ought to be locked up in a basement for the rest of their lives.  After all, violators of the Geneva Conventions regulations on torturing enemy combatants during times of military conflict are faced with stronger consequences than these two monsters are!