It's not my fault man

Excerpts from this article are below ...

Is Shrek bad for your kid's health?
May 24, 2007

By MIKE MITCHELL Staff Writer

Shrek might be making your children fat.

Shrek can be seen on boxes of sugary cereals, pops, juice drinks, M&Ms, McDonald's Happy Meals and even Cheetos that make your tongue turn green - all foods that nutrition experts consider major contributors to obesity in America.

The article goes on to talking about kids begging mom for (non nutritional) Shrek cereal.

Now, I don't know about where you go grocery shopping, but where I shop most of the products have nutritional information on labels, which I'm capable of reading. Also, when I get to the check out counter, I am pulling out my credit and spending my money. Shrek ain't there buying my groceries.

So -- I guess what I'm saying is that if it's MY money that's going to buy the groceries (or the Happy Meals or whatever), well then I guess

"the buck stops here."

Dear George, Make up your freaking mind!!!!!

THIS from a speech George W. gave in April .....

President Bush Visits East Grand Rapids, Discusses Global War on Terror
"So no matter how frustrating the fight in Iraq can be, no matter how much we wish the war was over, the security of our country depends directly on the outcome of Iraq. The price of giving up there would be paid in American lives for years to come. ... Success in Iraq would bring something powerful and new -- a democracy at the heart of the Middle East, a nation that fights terrorists instead of harboring them, and a powerful example for others of the power of liberty to overcome an ideology of hate."

President George W. Bush
April 20, 2007

THIS from AP newswire

Gay Arab linguists continue to be discharged

Congressmen seek hearing on specialists dismissed under ‘don’t ask’ policy
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2007 21:14:27 EDT

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.

Seizing on the latest discharges, involving three specialists, members of the House of Representatives wrote the House Armed Services Committee chairman that the continued loss of such “capable, highly skilled Arabic linguists continues to compromise our national security during time of war.”

*IF* the war is so important to the "security of our country" why are you discharging VALUABLE specialists? It takes a couple of weeks to learn how to point and shoot a rifle, it takes *YEARS* to learn how to be a specialist in a language.

The way I see it, if these folks are not necessary to the conflict, well than it can't be all that important to begin with and

QUIT WASTING MY TAX MONEY!!!!!

I always liked big cats

What is Your Patronus? Version 1

Your Patronus is the Cougar! The cougar is a symbol of power, swiftness and balance. He is one of the most beautiful creatures in North America and will protect you with his powerful claws. Congratulations!That your Patronus is a cougar says that you are a quick thinker who leads a very balanced life. This quick thinking and balance cause you to often be chosen as a leader. Be careful not to let that power go to your head and you will be an excellent witch or wizard!
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V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

One of the things I love about my friend Crem is that I often ask his opinion on topics, and then completely ignore anything that he says. Anyway, during the week of July 16 the minivan will be heading to Branson, Missouri. Branson is a great vacation for the rest of family. There's amusement parks for the kiddies, and shows for the grandparents.

Anyone who has travelled with their family, and anyone who stays in a condo (or other house type unit - you know with a full kitchen and everything) knows that, really it's more of a change of scene for mom than a real vacation. Not that a change of scene is bad, but it's still not vacation. While I'm stuck in Branson there's going to be what I consider an event of epic proportions. The release of the long awaited final book in the Harry Potter series.

Now, I don't want anyone to think that this is significant only to Chip -- I mean it is but it's also something that Ramblingmom is waiting for.

There was a plan. The plan was that the morning after the release the grandparents would wander down to Walmart and get a copy of the book. Then I would spend the rest of the trip sneaking whatever peeks I can at the book. But I started thinking (and we all know how dangerous THAT can be) I don't WANT to wait, and one thought I had was to find a nearby midnight release party and go with Chip. Well, in this case (as far as I can tell) "nearby" means an hour away in Springfield, MO.

So I asked Crem's opinion "what do you think if Chip and I go on a mini road trip of our own." I don't recall his exact response but it was something along the lines of "it's JUST a book."

Yeah, sure, right, and Guinness is "JUST a beer."

So, I guess the new plan is that Chip and I will be driving to a release party, he's then ordered to read to me in the car on the trip back to Branson. The next day I'm not quite sure what exactly the plan is, but I'm thinking that might be a great day to hit the water park. Ramblingmom can find an umbrella and well hopefully Spouse will make sure the kids don't drown.

SIL is the family trip organizer (have fun honey -- it's that important to you go all out) and she was planning what shows the family would go to on what days. The original plan was for the family to go to some show on Saturday. My response

I think of all the shows the only one that would really interest
Chip is the one you have scheduled for Saturday morning. Could
that be scheduled for EARLIER in the week, as I expect Saturday
morning both Chip and I will have our respective noses buried in a
book.

Oh yeah, we're buying two copies of the book. I'm sure others will want to read them when we're done so we'll sell off a used copy. But I don't think it would be in good taste for Chip to come back from vacation bruised because mom keeps beating him up to get hold of the book again.

personal to the guy I was talking to on Sunday

Like I was sayin ....

I'm not yet ready to rule out the possibility of being a grandparent.

I invite you to copy this.

Some questions for us to ponder while awaiting the book!

Which would you prefer for a pet: Hedwig, Crookshanks, Trevor, Fang or Fawkes?

Crookshanks

What would you see in the Mirror of Erised?

A peaceful, well organized home.

What subject would be your favorite at Hogwarts? (assume a nice and competent teacher): Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Divination, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures or Defense Against the Dark Arts?

Divination

Which woud be your least favorite?

History of Magic (yeah I know it's not listed)

In which House would the Sorting Hat place you?

Well, I'm not bright (Ravenclaw), I'm not "unafraid of toil" (Hufflepuff), I'm certainly not power hungry (Slytherin), and I am rather strong so I must be Gryffindor.

Could you see Thestrals?

yes

Which Quidditch position would you prefer to play: Keeper, Beater,
Chaser, or Seeker?

Beater.

Which magical object would be most useful to you, Sneak-o-scope, Foe
Glass, Time-turner, Remembrall, or Pensieve?

Remembrall

What would be your preferred Hogwarts sweet: Chocolate Frogs, Bertie's
Every Flavor Beans, Acid pops, Cockroach cluster?

CHOCOLATE FROGS

Pumpkin juice, butterbeer, or elf-made wine?

elf-made wine

Is your best friend more like Ron, Herimone, Luna, Neville, Ginny or Hagrid?

Hmmm, as he reads this I best be careful. Neville -- he's quiet, he seemlingly hangs out in the background, and the depth of his knowledge is often surprising. He would also stand up to his friends if they were wrong.

Is the most toxic person in your life more like Lockhart, Snape, Umbridge, Malfoy, Filch or Fudge?

Snape

Is your most embarrassing relative most like Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon,
Dudley, or Percy Weasley?

I'm not related to Uncle Vernon. The rest of them ... well, I understand the characters, I'm just sayin'

What shape would your patronus take?

Dog

This never happened when I lived in the city.

I grew up in Chicago. Within the city limits. I was living in downstate Illinois for (too) many years, and while I was there people would often ask "so where are you from," "Chicago," "what suburb?" I finally took to saying that I was from "Chicago, city of." Okay, I guess if you look at the population of Chicago and look at the population of the collar counties, odds are that more people come from the Chicago area than Chicago itself. But with around 3 million people there, SOMEBODY has to come from there.

When I lived in the city, I didn't live in one of the really BAD neighborhoods, nor one of the really GOOD neighborhoods. I had issues at times, and places where cars broke down where I'd rather NOT have had a car break down (dang Camaro) but I (obviously) lived to tell about it.

So, the other day I'm in white collar suburb and I'm in my minivan. Cars in front of me are not moving, cars behind me are not moving, there's a line of cars to my right that are not moving, and there are construction cones to my left. So three burly guys come up to Minivan, open the back, and proceed to take about 3 computers, a monitor, and a printer.

And all I could think to myself was ...

"well, now that I'm done at the recycling center, it's time to go to the hazarodous waste drop off."

When I lived in the city I NEVER had people come up and take stuff out of my car.

Of course, when I lived in the city these guys would regularly come and just wander to my basement and remove stuff. OKAY OKAY so it was the boy scouts collecting newspapers.

Sheltie (with brains of a fruit fly) would sit and watch them.

click

Cute picture, huh?

This is a picture from Easter, it's Chip and his "Grandpa" Y. Grandpa Y isn't technically a parent of a parent of Chip - but we call him Grandpa and we love him dearly.

Grandpa Y is INTO origami. Seriously this guy leaves a trail or origami in his wake.

I like this picture, I like "watching" the people I love when they don't know I'm watching. I love watching my children interact with other loving adults. THIS is a picture Crem took that same day.

great minds think alike huh.

Today I have a similar picture -- but unfortunately at the time I didn't have a camera so it's only a picture in my mind.

Chip was in a ice show at the local rink. Crem actually came to watch day 3 of the show. Spouse and Princess went day 1 (when Princess lost her tooth), Princess and I went day 2, we decided that Princess didn't need to go again, so today I went and Uncle Crem (who is as much of an "Uncle" as "Grandpa" Y is a Grandpa) came to watch.

After the show, we had told Chip that he could choose to go someplace for dinner since he had done all the "work" of being in the show. He liked that idea and decided where dinner would be. I asked if he wanted to ride in ye old minivan but he choose to ride with Uncle C. Crem has an electric vehicle and I was following them. (Princess and Spouse did meet us for dinner). We were stopped at a light and I could see Crem talking to Chip and pointing out various and sundry things about his car. I know Crem loves talking about his EV (any EV owner loves to talk about his EV) and it seemed quite like Chip was very interested in the car. Chip is taking after yours truly in his interest in the environment.

Maybe, just maybe someday I'll get Chip and Crem to build me an EV. HEY gas prices being what they are.