The Conservative Mommy

Goodbye (for now)

2010-11-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

It's over. I began this blog almost two years ago after Obama was elected president. I knew I had two choices, put my head in the sand or speak out against him and liberalism. I chose to speak out.

I always told myself that I would blog until the mid-term elections. I just knew in my heart that this great nation would get a taste of liberalism and then vote it out in 2010. I am so glad I was right. Now that we've rearranged things and shown Obama what America really stands for, I feel like I can take a break from blogging. I have two precious babies that deserve as much of my time as possible and a sweet husband that would like some too.

Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for teaching me things, leading me to articles, and even questioning my beliefs. You never really know how strongly you feel about something until you have to defend it...defending conservatism, family values, and morals has been a privilege and an honor.

I don't think I'm out forever, but I'm out for now. Before I know it, these babies will be grown up and gone and I don't ever want to look back and think, "man, I wish I would have blogged less and spent more time hugging and kissing them".

God bless you and keep you. In Christ Jesus' name,

2010-11-02T05:16:00.003-05:00

VOTE!

Devastating hits

2010-10-19T07:31:00.000-05:00

I only have a quick second, but I wanted to post this topic about the NFL suspending players involved in "devastating hits". This is a very hot topic in our house since my hubby played in the NFL. I think it's pretty ridiculous that the NFL is going to let two plays from one Sunday afternoon affect the entire organization. Did you see how fast those plays happened? I'm amazed players are able to react and correct themselves from making "head shots" as often as they do. With the speed and intensity of the game as fast as it is, accidents and mistakes do happen. How do you take aggression out of football? That's the whole point. I liked how one ESPN commentator called players modern gladiators. That's what they do. That's what we pay them to do by purchasing tickets. If someone is afraid of getting hurt on the football field, then they need to pick another profession. That's what you sign up for when you play football. More later...off to preschool.

Interesting

2010-10-13T12:44:00.002-05:00

My friend JV forwarded me this article today and I found it very interesting. Thoughts?

Cell phone ban

2010-10-11T13:57:00.003-05:00

There are a few people in the Obama administration that are proposing we ban the use of cell phones in cars. I heard a great radio commentator analyse this today and laughed out loud at the irony.

Way back in the day, 1990ish, phones started becoming popular in cars. I remember my mom getting a phone in her car because she commuted an hour each way, so it was for safety purposes. You know the kind of phone I'm referring to, the big, clunky, built-in phone that was mounted on the floorboard of the car. Well, over the last 2 decades, phones became slimmer and sleeker, eventually morphing into the cell phone. Now a day, you would be hard pressed to find a mounted phone inside a car...everyone has switched to the newer technology...the cell phone.

This commentator was pointing out that if we ban cell phones, we are essentially, banning the entire original purpose of this type of device. We might as well stay at home and use our land lines from now on. Obviously, there is some tongue and cheek points to this argument but seriously, banning the use of cell phones by drivers in a car, what has happened to this country?

I've blogged several times about my feelings on texting laws. Here is just one of my posts. I think texting while you are driving is a very bad idea. I never text and drive. I encourage all drivers to be responsible and not text while they drive, however, it's not the governments job to dictate every single aspect of our lives.

I've had this article from October's Good Housekeeping (page 61) sitting on my desk for a month. I ripped it out because it had a survey of what people do while they drive a car. Here are their results:

72% eat
29% kiss
23% remove clothing
23% style hair
15% engage in sexual activity
13% apply makeup
12% write emails

So, I guess we should make it against the law to eat while you drive. Or kiss someone. Or apply makeup. Or style your hair. Or engage in sexual activity...ok, well, maybe that one :).

Do you get it? There are a million reasons why accidents occur every day. My husband and I own an insurance agency. I hear about auto accidents every single day. Sometimes, people bend down to pick up their dropped directions on the floorboard and have an accident, sometimes, people are handing their kids a sippy cup in the back seat and have an accident...and on and on and on...do we make that against the law? Do we make a law requiring every driver's hands be at 10 and 2 or else they get a ticket? Where does it end???

I've never said texting and driving are a good thing. I don't think it's a good idea to dig around in your purse to find lip gloss, then apply it while driving...however, it's not the governments job to make a law for every, single part of our lives. We have to be cautious of how much power we give the government or the next thing you know, we will be living like Cuba or Nazi Germany.

Bye Bye Margaret!

2010-10-05T20:59:00.001-05:00

America has spoken and Margaret Cho and her rainbow dress were kicked off tonight. I love it!

Dancing with the Stars

2010-10-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

If you were as appalled last night with Dancing with the Stars as I was, click here to file a complaint with ABC.

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-09-30T08:20:00.002-05:00

I logged in this morning to blog about one thing but then saw this article and decided it was too good to pass up.

A bakery in Indianapolis is under fire for refusing to make rainbow cupcakes in honor of "coming out" day. Who cares? When did it become anyones business what happens in a personal business? If I owned a bakery, I wouldn't make rainbow cupcakes for "coming out" day. I also wouldn't make cupcakes celebrating the KKK or Nazi extremism. I wouldn't make cupcakes featuring pornography and I wouldn't make cupcakes for a pro-abortion group. But you know what...some bakery would. There are plenty of bakeries around towns like Indianapolis who would love to recognize such events and that's where the money should be spent. Instead of bullying and pressuring this one bakery into lowering their moral standards, these people should check with other bakeries that have no problems with rainbow cupcakes.

It's a free market people. When did it become okay for mayor and city officials to be able to look into the practices of cupcake decorators? When did such a small group of people (like the gays) become so vocal, that we forget they're a tiny, tiny part of the population and we bow down to all of their demands? When did everything have to become a big political battle? If you need an event to declare yourself gay and cupcakes are a priority to you, find a bakery that feels the same way. Leave these poor people alone!

JFK Library

2010-09-23T16:21:00.003-05:00

I just got back from a trip to Boston today. On this trip, I made it to the JFK Presidential Library. I had never been to a presidential library, and I found it rather patriotic and educational at the same time. While walking around, I came across these two JFK quotes and immediately thought of blogging...

This quote is probably his most famous. JFK, a Democrat, even knew that we were not suppose to drain the resources from our country. That just because we were born here, we weren't entitled to any and every thing we wanted. JFK knew that it's not what the government can do for us but what we can do for the government (i.e. our country). In the 40ish years since this quote, liberal Americans have tried to convince us that we need to take as much from the government as we can. We need to depend on the government for everything. We are entitled. I hate that word. We are a lot of things as citizens of this great nation, blessed, lucky, fortunate, but we're not entitled to anything without hard work.

I also found this quote interesting. JFK is saying that he wants our nation to be a melting pot of cultures, but he wants everyone who lives in this nation to know what our country stands for, who built it and on what we believe. I have no problem with immigration. I encourage and embrace legal immigrants (one of my closest friends is an immigrant), however, if you are going to live here (legally or illegally) you have to adapt to us and not vice versa. Meaning WE should not be forced to learn Spanish. It drives me crazy that the government is pushing Spanish so much in the education system, in public documents, and so on and so on. If I lived in Germany and was able to vote in their election, I would learn German because I wouldn't expect them to give me an English ballot. In the US, we cater to Spanish only speakers.

I have a passion for foreign languages. My minor in college was a foreign language. If someone wants to learn Spanish to further enrich their life, than go for it. However, if the government wants to make us learn Spanish because the Spanish speakers won't assimilate into our country and learn enough English to get by, then that's ridiculous.

Who would have guessed that the JFK Library would have so many conservative statements painted upon its walls. Liberals today and Democrats of yesterday are not the same.

Girls in the locker room

2010-09-14T08:36:00.004-05:00

Once upon a time, I was a young newlywed married to an NFL player. Because of that, this story about the reporter being pestered in the New York Jets locker room, speaks volumes to me. Women should not be allowed in the mens' locker room of ANY male sport.

Let's look at it from many different perspectives. One, I did not like the fact that women were seeing my husband completely naked. My husband has told me many times, that he would be completely undressed, changing into or out of his uniform, when a female reporter would walk right up next to him to interview someone. Hello?! That's not cool. Can we say awkward? Unless your spouse is a stripper, I don't think it's appropriate for others to see them naked at work.

If men reporters can't go into the women's US Open Tennis locker room and interview them gals, then why are the women allowed in male sports? Would anyone think it was appropriate for Serena Williams to be completely naked, changing out of her tennis skirt, answering questions from a male reporter? No! It's ludicrous!

Of course this cute little reporter is going to be pestered in the locker room. What do you expect? You cram 40 half-naked or totally naked men in one room, then throw in a really cute blonde? That's not fair to her. Unless we can re-configure the male species, she is bait in a shark tank.

I'm not condoning or approving of their behavior, I'm just saying it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it's a bad combination. It's also not necessary. There are enough male reporters to go into the locker room or here's a bright idea, maybe she could interview the players (in this case, Mark Sanchez) outside of the locker room...when he's fully dressed.

Over it

2010-09-12T13:43:00.002-05:00

My hubby and I decided we are over The Real Housewives of DC. In fact, I'm over several things at the moment.

First, our little guilty pleasure is watching Bravo's The Real Housewives series. Their latest installment, DC has been BORING from the beginning. Other than the White House party crasher people, I don't find anyone interesting or entertaining on the show. However, this last episode, put me over the edge. I'm fine with the people on the show being liberal, I'm fine with them loving Obama, blah, blah, blah...but I'm not fine ignorance, and one of the gals on the show reached not only ignorance but flat out inappropriateness, so I'm out. (As a side bar thought: This is what I don't get about libs who read my blog? Why do they continue to read my blog, get ticked off and heated, then leave me nasty comments? If I disagree with something or I know something is going to irritate me, I remove it from my life. Life is way too short to put yourself in situations-like reading a blog or watching a TV show-where you know, you're going to be mad.)

Another thing I'm over...our president pretending like we're all idiots. It's September 11 and he has the audacity to stand in front of a podium and say our country is not at war with Muslim nations? Excuse me? I guess he doesn't get man-handled and frisked every time he boards Air Force One. All I know is that if we're not at war with Muslim extremist, then why do I have to be body searched each time I go to the airport. He's a liar. He's a fake. And in 6 weeks, he's going to understand what a lame duck president is. I'm so over him.

On a much lighter note, today is the Conservative Mommy's Mommy's birthday...Happy Birthday Mama! I love you!

Compassion International

2010-09-10T06:28:00.002-05:00

I was blog hopping yesterday and came across this post about Compassion International. For over two years now, my husband and I have been sponsoring a little boy from Tanzania. We get photographs of him, letters and little artwork about every 6 weeks. I thought her post was a neat behind the scenes look at the operation. If you're not already sponsoring a child somewhere, I highly recommend Compassion International.

Have a great weekend!

10 Worst Places to Live

2010-09-09T09:41:00.004-05:00

Yuck...I just read this article featuring the 10 worst places to live in the US. Some of the cities make me sad that they made the list. My hubby and I used to live in a suburb of Detroit, so even though I wasn't surprised at all that it was #4, it still bums me out. Two weeks ago, hubs and I visited Las Vegas, a city we love, so that was a bummer too. Maybe I'm the only one drawing these conclusions, but do you notice that the majority of these cities are in "blue" or "purple" states? Coincidence? I think not.

Thriving in a recession

2010-09-01T06:53:00.002-05:00

My mom told me about this article. It lists 6 companies thriving during this recession. The fourth one cracks me up!

Stay warm and toasty,

Two opinions

2010-08-25T11:38:00.001-05:00

Here are two different opinions regarding the mosque at Ground Zero. Both ran today in the Dallas Morning News. Which one do you agree with?

Opinion 1

Opinion 2

Mosque, Mosque, Mosque, Mosque

2010-08-19T09:28:00.003-05:00

All we've heard about all summer is about that mosque that a group of Muslims want to be built near Ground Zero.

This poll came out today and I find it interesting. It says 1 in 5 Americans think Obama is a Muslim. What I find interesting is that we don't know. I'd much rather know he was a Muslim (him admit it) then speculate. I also think it's odd that 1 in 5 Americans don't believe their president who says he is not. One in 5 Americans think their president is lying about his faith? There is something very wrong with that.

I don't agree with Mitt Romney's faith AT ALL. However, I at least have peace knowing that he's not afraid or ashamed of it. That he's not hiding it from us. The unknown is far scarier than the known.

The question is, should there be a mosque anywhere near Ground Zero? My answer is absolutely no.

To be honest, mosques don't bother me that much. My husband and I used to live across the street from the biggest mosque in the United States. We picked the neighborhood knowing that multiple times a day we'd hear the bells chime for prayer. We knew what we'd be looking at and we didn't really care. Mosques don't intimidate me...the psycho terrorists do.

To me, it's just a respect issue. I've been to Pearl Harbor...I've been to two concentration camps. I would have been appalled if I'd seen a Japanese museum near the sunken ship or a Nazi historical center near the death camps. It should be common sense.

When did flat out common sense leave our nation? If the Muslim people want respect...especially in New York where thousands were murdered, then they need to use a little common sense.

Dear Neil Patrick Harris,

2010-08-16T08:36:00.001-05:00

Everything I said in my previous post, please reverse it to why children need mothers. This is ridiculous.

Sincerely,

Kids need dads

2010-08-12T19:30:00.003-05:00

Jennifer Aniston is peeved at Bill O'Reilly for his comments regarding her statement that science is great because now women can become moms without having to wait on getting a husband.

Go O'Reilly.

Kids need a dad. In some situations, that is impossible, but we should all agree, it's ALWAYS in a child's best interest to have a father in their life (yes, drug addict, abusive losers don't count as good fathers). What Aniston was saying is that it's ok for women to go get artificially inseminated and have children on their own without a dad. I think that's a very selfish thing to do.

In my opinion, if a woman wants a child that bad, she can adopt one of the hundreds of thousands that are out there seeking any type of home. Creating a life on purpose when you can't provide for them a father is not doing what's in the best interest of a child. Children need dads! Children want dads. Children are more well rounded when they have a dad in their life.

I know I'm going to get blasted for what I'm about to say but I don't care. In my experience, the kids I knew in school with two parents were the most successful. The kids (especially girls) that didn't have a dad in their life were the ones that for the most part, partied, slept around, drank, and made poorer grades. This isn't a fact. This is just my observation. Kids need dads to help create a balance in their life. Moms are fabulous (I couldn't live without mine) but the encouragement and support I've received from my dad over the years has made me who I am today. AND my mom has been able to be a better mom because she had a partner in raising me...her husband.

Yes, we can now make babies without actually having to have a husband in the picture, but whose need are we fulfilling? The woman's or the child's? Who is going to miss out in the long run?

I agree with O'Reilly...the break down of the American family is the cause of many of our problems. Having kids without a man in the picture sets kids up for failure.

Soliciting for cookies

2010-08-10T13:20:00.003-05:00

Last night as I was getting my mail, two kids approached me about buying some cookies. The older daughter looked 11ish and her brother 8. They were going door to door in our neighborhood with a sheet of paper asking people if they want to order homemade cookies from them. This little girl (no parents were with them) explained to me that her and her brother had been playing baseball in the front yard when they accidentally broke a window in the front of their house. Their parents decided that in order to earn the $200 it cost to fix the window, the kids had to go door to door selling homemade cookies.

What do you think about this?

I get what the parents are doing in theory. Their kids broke a window and they want to teach them a valuable lesson about actions and consequences. But is sending them out alone, knocking on the doors of strangers the best way? Do I really want to eat the homemade baked goods of two kids? There are so many reasons why I think this idea might not be the best idea. I think teaching your kids that windows are expensive and even though it was probably an accident, there are consequences to accidents, is a great idea....but maybe they should have to earn the money by doing chores around the house...not baking goodies for neighbors.

I don't know. Does this sound like an odd punishment to anyone else? As I stood in my driveway, I watched these kids move on to the next house. Young kids soliciting for cookies. I'm not feelin' it.

Boob law

2010-08-04T17:27:00.002-05:00

Bright and early this morning, one of my dear friends texted me and said she couldn't wait to hear my post on what Gisele Bundchen said about making breastfeeding a law. Oh geez. Really? Do I even have to go there?

I don't really think Gisele meant it literally when she said America should have a law mandating breastfeeding. I think she must be super excited about it and therefore over exaggerated her feelings by saying it should be a law. At least I'm hoping that's the case and that she's not dumb enough to actually think we should fine women who don't breastfeed. Guess what? I'd be paying a big fine.

No, I don't breastfeed. And no, I don't feel bad about it. My friends and family know me and know why, blah, blah, blah...don't really feel like that's the point of this post. The point is that so many people think that if they have a good idea, it should be the law. Screw individual rights. Forget about personal accountability. Throw common sense out the window. We should just make laws about everything.

Hey, I think it's super important to put SPF 80 on my kids every day...let's make it a law. I also think it's important for my daughter to take a multi-vitamin...there's another law. Umm...I find that my kids behave better after an afternoon nap, that can be a law too. Oh wait, I stay home and raise my kids, should that be a law for moms? Oh...would Gisele give up her job and stay home to raise her son? No. She has decided that the best thing for her family is that her and her husband (Tom Brady) both work outside the home. I have decided that the best thing for my family is using formula. Giselle and I have different opinions but I would never tell her that she's wrong about hers. Or that we should make it a law.

Laws, laws, laws. So many Americans (and I guess foreign nationals like Gisele) have decided that they are just too dumb to make their own decisions and want the government to make all of them. We are expanding our government so quickly...in so many areas of our lives...that it's a wonder we're not all robots by now.

I'm going to go ahead and say Gisele was a boob for making that comment.

Whose eyes are watching me?

2010-08-01T14:08:00.002-05:00

The day before we left on our European vacation, France's lower parliament overwhelmingly approved a ban on Muslim women wearing burqas (the headdress that covers the entire face of the Muslim woman except for the eyes).

This was such an interesting time for me to be traveling over-seas regarding this topic. The week we spent in Austria, I saw more women wearing burqas than ever before. My dad, who travels to Muslim countries often, said that he had never seen more women wearing burqas then he did in Austria.

When I tell you that I saw a lot of burqas...I mean, I saw A LOT of burqas. So, what do I think about this law? I think if the French people feel threatened by Muslim men dressing like women to disguise themselves and then using that disguise as a way to terrorize the French people, then more power to them for passing this law.

I'm not going to lie. The burqa freaks me out. It was super creepy to me to be trying on shoes at a Austrian shoe store next to a woman who was covered from head to toe with nothing showing but her eyes. From my place in life as an American woman with freedom, the idea of completely covering myself because of my religion, is so strange that it's really hard for me to wrap my brain around it. Maybe I'll have a post one day about why I think the burqa is stupid...yup, I called it stupid, but for now, this post is about why I think it's okay for the French to ban them.

If 5'3" white women carrying big bags with bombs inside were going into Target and blowing themselves up, I wouldn't be offended when Target asked me not to carry a large bag into their store. If I fit the profile of someone who is out to kill, then I wouldn't blame them for "profiling" me and asking me not to partake in the behavior some have turned into murder. If the French are concerned about men dressing like women with burqas on and concealing explosives underneath all of that garb, then sorry ladies, you can't wear the burqas. (Heaven forbid we actually see who's underneath that fabric.)

Unfortunately, the ones causing problems in this world have made us have to change some things about how we live our lives (read my previous post about flying on airplanes), and it looks like it's ironically affecting the women of their own faith.

I back France 100%. You gotta do whatcha gotta do.

I'm back...and sick of flying!

2010-07-28T07:06:00.002-05:00

Hello, hello! Well, I'm not going to feel guilty for the two week blogging absence. First, I'm not going to be a slave to my blog and/or skip out of super fun stuff with my kids because "I need to blog" and secondly, I was on a fantastic vacation with my parents, husband and kiddos...the very best reason not to blog.

I came back with a little sticky note of things to blog about. We went to Europe for 11 days, and that gave me plenty of blog-worthy topics. But today, three days out, I'm still in a wee bit of jet lag fog, so I'm just going to take a few sentences to once again thank the Islamic terrorists for making flying the absolutely worst, degrading, ridiculous, time consuming, exhausting, repetitive, humiliating and down right pathetic thing we do these days as civilized human beings.
Over the course of 11 days, we flew 5 different times. Each time wore me out more than the time before. I wanted to staple my passport and boarding pass to my forehead as to not have to pull it out and show yet one more airline employee on the power trip of a lifetime who I was.

I'm all for security. And trust me, I understand now why we have to have it. But if you would have told me just 10 years ago that I would literally have to show my passport and boarding pass FOUR TIMES WITHIN 20 YARDS, I would have thought you were nuts. My husband asked person number 3, "didn't you just see me show the other two people" and he said, "yes, but this is our procedure". (That could be an entire post within itself. What, do they not trust persons 1 or 2 to accurately check, so they've hired persons 3 and 4 to check as well?"). But I digress...

Thank you again terrorists for turning something once civilized into some kind of large cattle-call where you strip down, have total strangers pat you down, are told you must leave your face cream behind (when did cream become a liquid?), are required to taste your 6 month old's formula and are utterly disheveled and agitated before even boarding the over-crowded, unfriendly airline where you're being waited on by people constantly in a foul mood because they're worried they might be another victim of yet another mass murderer determined to crash the plane as a sign of love to their freakin' Jihad.

Uggg...see you soon,

Blogging vacation

2010-07-13T05:44:00.003-05:00

I'm about to take a two week blogging vacation...going to spend some quality time with my kiddos without having to think about the computer or blog. See you in two weeks!

Pulled over

2010-07-07T15:43:00.003-05:00

On Friday morning, I was driving down the interstate with my two babies in tow when a police car pulled up behind me and turned its lights on. I looked down and saw that I was going the posted speed (70 mph), so I had no idea why I was being pulled over. I had been in the far left lane, so I put my blinker on and pulled over three lanes to the shoulder. When the officer came up to my window he said, "I saw you drive by me when you were on your phone"...and I said "so?"...and he said "how old are your kids in the backseat" and I said "1 and 5 months" and he said "you need to be careful driving while on the phone" and I said "why did you pull me over? I wasn't speeding" and he said "no, you weren't. However, you need to take the license plate covers off your plates" and I said "ok" and he said "have a nice day"...

This cop pulled me over...made me cross three lanes of traffic...made me and my babies sit on the side of the very busy interstate...just to point out the obvious...I was on my cell phone (which is perfectly legal and my every right while on the interstate in Texas) and to let me know that the clear plastic cover over my tags should come off. He didn't ask my name, he didn't give me a ticket, he didn't do anything but waste both of our times and put me and my kids in danger on the side of the road.

Why are cops allowed to pull someone over for no reason at all (I mean, if the plastic tag thing was really a big deal 1. I would have been pulled over before and 2. he would have given me a warning or ticket) but they can't ask someone to show proof that they're a legal resident of this country? Cops can harass and question innocent people about frivolous things like talking on cell phones while driving but they can't ask, "hey, show me your ID so that I know you aren't breaking the law by being in this country illegally".

This cop obviously had way too much time on his hands...he might be better suited spending his time finding and returning illegal aliens to their proper country.

Mommy and Mommy or no, Daddy, or no Mommy

2010-06-29T12:30:00.002-05:00

My friend J owns a dog service company with her husband. She was telling me about some of her clients who are lesbians and just had a baby. When J went to visit them, the lesbian who wasn't the one who had been pregnant was holding the baby. J asked her what the baby would call her and this woman said "daddy". Yes.

J said that these two ladies want their new little girl to grow up with a mommy and daddy, so they would call one woman mommy and the other daddy. They said they didn't want their daughter to go to school and grow up without the mommy/daddy foundation at home.

To quote my husband, what the freakin' crap?

Obviously, these women have missed the big picture. What might be an awkward situation for their daughter years from now at school (having to tell people she has two mommies) has now been made exponentially worse by them having her call one of the women "daddy".

Let's just set aside the fact that the best foundation for children to grow up in is a two parent, mom and dad household. Sometimes, that's just not an option but that will always be the best situation for children. But these women thinking that it is healthy and beneficial for their daughter to call one of them daddy is completely absurd. I mean...I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Not only will they be confusing their daughter with the fact that two women are raising her but now, they're going to really be confusing her when every other kid in the world calls the male figure daddy but she calls a woman daddy. I mean, come on, this is nuts.

I bet they voted for Obama.

BFF

2010-06-25T06:41:00.002-05:00

I heard a story on the national news this week that teachers and principals are starting to discourage kids from having best friends. Apparently, the new trend is for kids to know everyone and have a well-balanced and equal relationship with each child in their class. This is just another example of how the libs want everything to be equal.

This trend isn't new. When I was in elementary school, I lived in the same neighborhood as Janelle, Lynsey, Farah and Amber. Out of convenience, our moms carpooled us, we all attended the same dance studio, we rode our bikes to each others houses and therefore, had a closer bond with each other than other kids in our 5th grade class. We weren't mean to other kids or a clique, we just naturally knew each other better (you don't cram 5 girls into the car every day without getting to know each other). However, I specifically remember our teachers making us play with other people because we played together too much. We were too "close". Even at 12, I knew this was BS. It's good for kids to have close relationships with other kids!! This teaches valuable lessons about relationships that will carry with the kid forever.

For the rest of my life, did I only have these 4 friends? No. In fact after 5th grade, we all headed to junior high and made different friends. I was still friends with these girls when I graduated high school but they weren't my best friends, we all had made new friends and expanded our relationships with other people. The last time I saw one of these girls was last year...so in the last 16 years (since 5th grade), I have managed to make other friends successfully. It didn't scar me to have had a BFF in the 5th grade.

I don't think it's a school's business if a child has a BFF or not. Now, if there are problems with bullying or picking on other kids (tag teaming of sorts), then there is a completely different situation than just having a BFF...but a good old fashioned best friend is a blessing in life...AT ANY AGE. Teachers and principals have enough to worry; the last thing they should have time for is managing children's best friend relationships.

No Room

2010-06-22T06:45:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine has a Canadian grandmother who last week required knee surgery. It took 3 days post surgery for her to get a room. Three days. Three days for her to lie on a bed in the hospital hallway after surgery because they simply had no room. Three days of being in pain with no privacy and no room. Three days. When they finally did have a room for her, she had to share it with two other women. This is EXACTLY what happens with government run healthcare. There is do discrepancy in the procedures that take place, so hospitals get over-run with unnecessary patients. But worst of all, doctors and nurses decide they don't want to make less money and do more work, so they find another profession and therefore leave hospitals way under-staffed. Nothing in life is free...and that includes healthcare.

Earn it, save it, spend it

2010-06-17T12:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I was flipping around on the TV when I ran across the E True Hollywood Story on Kimora Lee Simmons. I don't know what possessed me to stop but I'm sure glad I did. I knew who she was and who she used to be married to but I didn't realize that there was such a backlash against her from the black community. The bad press comes from her spending, what some might consider, too much money. Ummm...that got my conservative attention quickly.

Kimora built an empire and in the process, made millions and millions of dollars. The bad publicity came (according to the E True Hollywood Story) when she starred in her own reality TV show and people saw into her extravagant life. Apparently, a lot of people were outraged at the amount of money she was spending on things that most would consider splurges...unnecessary things....things she didn't need but wanted anyway. My thoughts...who cares? You go girl. If you can make millions, then I thank the Lord you're spending those millions because that's what keeps our economy going.

I'm a big believer in the fact that you should spend the money you earn. In our house, we tithe to our church, pay our bills, save, invest, and then spend. I can't take this money with me, so I might as well enjoy whatever is leftover after I tithe, pay bills, save for emergencies and rainy days, and invest. When we spend our money, we are supporting the economy. We're keeping companies alive, sustaining jobs for some people, creating jobs for others...we're not just spending, we're investing in America. Spending money is a good thing (no, going into debt to live an extravagant life is not a good thing, read my last post if you think I mean that), but spending what you have left over after paying your bills is what keeps America running.

According to E, the black community was the angriest at her for living such a grand life. "They" (whoever that might be) felt that she shouldn't be flaunting the fact that she had multiple cars, a huge mansion, maids, drivers, nannies, expensive jewelry and went on lavish vacations. What? Was she supposed to hoard all of this money and live like a popper? Kimora provides jobs for people by spending her money. Kimora pays big bucks to car dealerships, hotels, jewelers, etc...Kimora is stimulating our economy without borrowing money from the government.

The libs would like everyone to be equal. They hate it when some people make more money than others. They hate it when everyone doesn't get what they want. They hate free enterprise, they hate capitalism. They think we're all too stupid to make our own decisions, so the government should run everything and distribute money to us. We should all be equal. No, we shouldn't all be equal. People who work hard to build their own business, people that study for years and years to learn a skill or subject, should be entitled to make as much money as the market allows, AND they should be able to spend as much of their money as they would like. Rich people keep America going. Rich people are who hire other people. Rich people are who invest in businesses. Rich people are who donate the majority of the money to charities. Rich people are necessary in the United States of America and anyone who thinks that a rich person should be ashamed to spend their money should take a really long look at who has employed them in the past...I guarantee you it was a rich person. Poor people can't give jobs to other people, only rich people can.

You go Kimora, spend that money girl.

More healthcare stuff

2010-06-16T06:59:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law is a physician and we talk endlessly about the healthcare situation in America. This week, she has been blowing up my email regarding Medicare payments to physicians and the abuse of suing physicians for malpractice. She sent me the following letter that one of her organizations sent to Congress this week. How do we expect them to handle all of our health insurance needs when it is obvious that they can't handle the burden they have already?

Failure by Congress to fulfill its responsibilities is undermining patient care in America. Three times this year, Congress has missed a deadline for dealing with Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, raising the specter of a 21 percent payment cut for physician services. The disruption and uncertainty for patients and physicians has made Medicare an unreliable program.

If Congress does not act this week, Medicare physician payments will be cut 21%. These cuts will also extend to the TRICARE program that serves military families, as well as some Medicaid and workers compensation programs, and some private insurance plans. The ripple effect of the 21 percent Medicare cut will be devastating to physician practices.

Congressional mismanagement of the Medicare program will force more physicians to stop accepting new Medicare and TRICARE patients; lay-off staff; and defer investment in new medical equipment, health information technology, and other innovations that improve patient care.

Patients and physicians should not become collateral damage in a congressional stalemate on budgetary matters. We expect our elected officials to resolve the budget issues without punishing physicians, seniors and military families.

Past actions by Congress created the current budgetary challenge. Further, since 2003, Congress has compounded this problem by employing budget gimmicks that defer immediate cuts by stipulating deeper cuts in future years.

Democrats and Republicans agree that the flawed Medicare formula that is responsible for pending cuts should be repealed. The annual SGR battle diverts attention from more productive delivery and payment reform initiatives. We must move to a payment system that fosters innovation and rewards physician efforts to lower the rate of growth in Medicare spending across the existing silos in the program.

Medicare must adequately cover the cost of care and close an existing 20 percent gap as measured by the government’s own conservative measure of annual increases in medical practice costs.

We must also allow seniors who wish to contract directly for their care with a physician of their choice to do so without foregoing the Medicare benefits for which they paid during their working years. Medicare benefits were earned and belong to Medicare beneficiaries. They must be allowed to assign these benefits as they see fit.

Playing brinksmanship with the health care of seniors and military families is inexcusable and represents a dereliction of duty. We urge Congress to honor its obligation to provide access to quality care to America’s seniors and military families by taking action to fix the Medicare physician formula problem now!

This is what I take from this letter to Congress...1. Why would anyone want to be a doctor today? Why would you want to pay for the extra schooling, the long hours, the hard work load? Before, doctors knew that if they put in the time and money, they would be reimbursed once in practice. That is not necessarily true anymore and only getting worse. People won't be able to afford to be a doctor. 2. It's obvious from this letter that Congress can't even handle Medicare (a small percentage of Americans), how on earth will they be able to handle the rest of us?

People...this healthcare garbage has to be repealed.

The Big 12...11...10

2010-06-15T13:27:00.001-05:00

So maybe someone was reading my blog???? Click here.

Let it go

2010-06-14T12:36:00.002-05:00

My friend AJ asked me this morning while we were working out when I was going to blog this week...I have a huge list of things to write about but the truth is, I have two babies, so my time is limited. However, I understand her point...there is just so much to discuss. The national news is just overflowing with blog worthy topics. Then at lunch today, my husband said something that was the final nail in my blogging coffin...he brought up another customer of ours who has decided just to "let it go".

What do I mean? Since we run an insurance agency, we meet people all of the time that inform us that they are just going to "let something go". That something is usually a house or a car payment...often a medical bill. They're just going to stop paying, file some sort of bankruptcy and let it go. Simple solution.

This makes me want to throw up. This is the problem with our economy today. People are spending way more than they earn, living well beyond their means, charging everything, saving nothing and then when push comes to shove, they just let it go. Someone else can pick up the tab but it won't be them.

The particular customer my husband was referring to today informed him that he hadn't made a car payment in over a year (thankfully, he is still paying his insurance payments). He told my man that he keeps waiting for someone to come re-po his vehicle because he will never make a payment. Oh well...he's been driving around for free for a year, so he felt like he won in this situation.

When I was in high school and college, I helped take care of two wonderful, beautiful kids. Their dad is a big time radio guy who often has his own conservative radio talk show (he will remain nameless). One time, he was taking me to meet a local TV journalist (cuz I was a journalism major) and he offered me his best advice while we were in the car...never spend more than you have and live like you don't make as much money as you do. I was 19 years old but that advice has stuck with me over the last 10 years. It sounds like such a simple concept but unfortunately, most Americans think it sounds foreign. Even our own president does. He's bank rolled this health care crap...yup, I said crap, and financed our kids' and grand kids' futures. He doesn't know how to spend within his means so why should average Americans learn?

I meet people all of the time that admit to living outside of what they can afford. Clients call me almost daily because they're buying a new car or purchasing a new home and they'll flat out say "we can't really afford a house this big but it's just perfect for us". Yeah, a big mansion with a full-time housekeeper and lawn guy would be perfect for me too but I don't have the cash so I'm not going to get one.

Libs want to spend, spend, spend to take care of other people. People who are lazy. People who are capable but would rather sit back and accept government money. People who buy big houses and fancy cars and just "let them go".

Big XII

2010-06-10T13:03:00.002-05:00

I am about to start typing with gusto. I have so much passion built up about this topic that I can hardly see straight. Bear with me...I have a lot to say.

My brother and my husband both played college football for a Big XII team. For a girl, I'm pretty much a Big XII expert when it comes to sports (for a girl at least). And now, the Big XII is dissolving right before our eyes. This infuriates me on so many levels:

1. Many, many players (and their parents) pick Big XII schools because the other schools in the conference are within driving distance of one another so you can see you kids play without spending a fortune. What happens if A&M joins the Pac 10 for instance? Parents are going to have to fly to Washington, Oregon and California to see more than half of the games. Most parents just won't go. I know that my parents (and my in-laws) picked a Big XII school because they could drive to any of the other campuses reasonably. And what about the fans? Fans can't just fly all over the country chasing their team to games...it will cost them too much money. The fan base for away games will dramatically drop.

2. What happens to all of the sports besides football? On ESPN, they keep talking about the football programs. Well yeah, football teams always fly to see their opponents. That won't change but the majority of other sports (think about all of the other sports...girls soccer, track, swimming, golf, boys tennis....so many other sports) can't afford to fly and are bused to every game/event...how can schools afford to now send them off to places on the west or east coasts? They won't have enough time to bus them...they will have to fly them. How do you fly the track team to every meet? How can schools afford that? They can't.

3. Schools like Texas A&M and the University of Texas have built their entire brand on being rivals of each other. The entire Aggie War hymn (their fight song) is based on the rivalry...if they are in different conferences, their traditions become meaningless.

These are just three of the many reasons why the Big XII shouldn't disband (like they care what I think :)). So, Nebraska wants out...let em leave. They're about to get their butt kicked by Ohio State and Michigan when they join their conference. We could easily fill one spot verses scrapping the whole darn conference.

Ugg...this doesn't affect my day job...there are more important things I could be worrying about but this does really get me anxious and mad. I will just be sad when 2011 rolls around and all of my teams are playing in different conferences.

How'd You Get So Rich?

2010-06-08T06:44:00.002-05:00

I have a new favorite TV show. I absolutely love Joan Rivers' new show How'd You Get So Rich on TV Land. I accidentally stumbled onto it last Wednesday night and was instantly hooked (it comes on at 9:00 PM on TV Land if you're interested).

On this show, Rivers hangs out with ordinary people who made an extraordinary about of money creating their own businesses and ventures. And when I say rich...I'm talking hundreds of millions of dollar or more rich.

On the new episode last week, she hung out with Mrs. Fields of Mrs. Fields Cookies...a totally cute, normal mom who started making cookies in one location in the late 70s...a few years later, she sold her business for $25 million dollars. Rivers toured her home, met her kids and learned about how Fields took her passion for baking and turned into something profitable.

The show is just really inspiring. It's the purest example of hard work and capitalism I've seen on TV in a long time. When you give people everything they want, then they have no desire to go out and create, to build, to think beyond the basics and make something fabulous out of their lives and at the same time, give back to the country with new and creative goods and services.

I really liked this one guy Rivers interviewed. He dropped out of law school to help his mom and dad with their failing family owned pharmacy. Fast forward two decades and he now runs the biggest wholesale drug company in the world. He is worth over $2 billion dollars. He took his parents' store, some creativity, great people skills and hard work and made something phenomenal out of it. Right now, this guy said he provides jobs for over 2,000 people. This is what happens when people are inspired to work hard and make lives for themselves as opposed to being handed everything by the government. This right here is why the government should be limited in our lives and we should be dominant. We should want to work hard and create something better for ourselves than the government could even imagine. PLUS we should get to have all of the fruits of our labor instead of having to give it all away to those who just don't work as hard...those who are lazy.

I think the show is funny, smart and definitely entertaining. Well done TV Land!

Sea World re-visited

2010-06-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, we took our two kids to visit Shamu at Sea World. Even as an adult, the sight of those killer whales is amazing. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Shamu show of ages past.

During the entire 22 minute show, the trainers didn't enter the water one time. There was really no need for them to even have their wet suits on. The trainers stood at the side of the tank and tossed fish to the whales as they completed their tricks. The only time any of them even touched the whales were when the whale would slide up to the platform, at that time, one of the trainers would pat its head. Don't get me wrong, the show was great and my one year old daughter LOVED IT, but it just wasn't the Shamu show I grew up with. You know...the show where the trainers would swim with the whales and the whales would flip them off of their noses high into the sky. They still had the high dive set up at the end of the tank (because the trainers used to jump off the high dive into the tank with the whales) but it stood untouched.

I get it. Sea World only survives because of those killer whales. If they had to ditch the whales, their theme parks would tank. We wouldn't have visited if not for Shamu. It's horribly, horribly sad that the trainer died in February. But I am slightly conflicted.

1. they've been doing these shows for decades...multiple shows a day in multiple cities...the death of that trainer was an accident (a horrific one but an accident)

2. the whales at the San Antonio park didn't do anything wrong back in February. That death occurred in a different city by a different whale...these poor whales were being loved on and played with for 4 shows a day and then bam...nothing...they're being tossed fish from fearful trainers on the side of the tank

3. These trainers looked scared to death of these whales. It was actually kind of comical to watch these trainers interact with these whales. It's like someone finally mentioned to the trainers that they were messing with killer whales...like up until February they had no clue that the big mammal in the tank could harm them.

My husband and I kind of joked about how scared the trainers looked after the show but then thought it was just us. Later, we talked to some other friends who, when they found out we had visited Sea World, asked us if the trainers still looked scared. Apparently, they had visited the park in March and said the trainers practically fed the fish to the whales from the back row of the arena.

All of this to say, Sea World is still awesome and awe inspiring for young kids and adults...but if you're looking for the classic Shamu show, you're about 5 months too late. I understand that Sea World can't have another accident or else they might lose their big money maker but seriously...seriously...it took a death for them to realize that they might have a liability problem when they throw humans in a tank with killer whales?

In the news

2010-06-01T21:44:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged in a week! Where has the time gone???? I always have random thoughts to post when it's been a few days since my last entry...here we go...

1. I think it's interesting when people get divorced after so many years of marriage. Like Al and Tipper Gore now separating. They've been married 40 years, they're in their 60s...I'm exhausted just thinking about it. I never really understand divorce, but it always intrigues me when people split after decades. This Thursday is my parents 33rd wedding anniversary...my grandparents have been married 65 years...yes, that's right, 65 years...so I'm a bit curious about the Gore's split. Forty years is a long time to put in and then just give up.

2. I'm still waiting for the BP oil spill to be blamed on Bush. I know it's coming. It's always coming. It's always Bush's fault. Always. Bless his heart. He's at home in Dallas right now minding his own business and somewhere out there is some liberal trying to find a way to pin this thing on him. He always gets the blame :). I hope BP goes under. They caused this mess and if they can't afford to clean it up, then they don't deserve to be in business.

3. This summer, we're taking our kids to see Shamu. I keep thinking about that poor trainer who was killed by Shamu this February. I don't blame the whale. It's a killer whale. It's in its nature. This is what happens when humans interfere with wild animals in captivity. They may seem like your friend but they will always be a wild animal at heart.

It was a very random week last week. A lot of heavy stuff happened to people around me. The lady who sells me candles died suddenly at her home, she was only 56; my brother's former roommate was hit by a public transit bus (thankfully, she is going to be ok but she has been in ICU) and some friends of ours have a 14 month old who is in a coma with possible brain damage. It's times like these when it's good to know the Lord. And if you don't know Him, there is no better day than today to get to know him.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 37:39

Glad to be back with you.

Reality TV Overload

2010-05-26T08:32:00.003-05:00

I have a confession...I am a reality TV junkie. I don't know how it happened. One day I was watching 30 minute sitcoms and the next, a string of reality TV shows. With tonight's finale of American Idol, you would think my DVR would have some more room but oh no....this summer is full of great reality TV.

Dancing with the Stars ended last night but The Bachelorette began the night before...now I'm also watching (and highly, highly addicted to) two seasons of The Real Housewives at once. Thankfully Survivor and The Apprentice both just concluded because there just aren't enough hours in the day to watch it all.

Here's why I think I watch so much reality TV...because it makes grateful for the life I have. Thank the good Lord I'm not trying to find my soul mate out of 25 people ABC picked or trying to jump start my career by singing on stage in front of Simon Cowell. I'm also very grateful that my friends are honest and sincere (unlike those Real Housewives).

I'm excited about tonight's finale of Idol. If I were to guess, I would say Lee is the winner however, I like Crystal too. Here's one thing I would bet on...this show is going to tank without Simon Cowell next year. Try as they might, Fox will not be able to replicate such a stand-out show without him. I guess this means I'll have to start watching his new show The X Factor. It's a good thing my babies go to sleep early...

Happy Wednesday!

San Diego...my verdict

2010-05-23T23:20:00.002-05:00

It's 11:20 PM and I so should be asleep right now. I'm having a bad reaction to the slight jet lag plus 3 hour nap I took today with my kids. On top of all that, I'm kind of excited that Bret Michaels won Celebrity Apprentice (though I did love Holly), so I'm just too amped up to sleep. I'm sure I'll be regretting this decision in the morning...

My husband and I returned Saturday from San Diego. I was very apprehensive at first about going because they are on strike from the state of Arizona, so I didn't want to be supporting them with my dollars...I would rather support Arizona. But since I didn't have a choice, I went. But I must, must tell you...the national news media is painting a very different picture of San Diego then what I saw. Yes, they're on strike...but what does that mean? That means that the few people on their city council made this decision and they just might not be representative of the entire city. I was actually blown away by the conservative movement in that city. I really didn't expect to see or hear anything conservative and yet I was bombarded with the conservative message. Not only was the local news actually non-partisan, I saw many different stories on the "anti-illegal immigration" movement in the city. As we drove around San Diego, I saw sign after sign about how illegal immigrants shouldn't be allowed, how the government was too big and how their border should be secured. Along with the news, the conservative commercials out numbered regular TV ads. I can hardly wait until this November to see the governor and senate results for that state because based on the ad campaigns I saw, the conservative movement is coming on strong and fast.

I went to San Diego with low expectations politically but left very encouraged. Liberals always think that if they're loud and obnoxious, they'll get their way and for the most part, us polite conservatives tend to let them. But not any more. I can really see a shift in the thinking of the American people. The Obama administration may have the national news outlets wrapped around his little finger, but we Americans aren't as naive to that trick any more. Come November, change is coming. And this time, it will be the right kind of change.

Checking out

2010-05-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm out for the rest of the week for a business trip in San Diego...I know, I know...San Diego?! They're boycotting Arizona which means I should be boycotting them. I wish I could. I wish I could. Trust me, I'll be letting everyone there know that I'm being forced to spend my dollars in San Diego when I 'd rather spend them in Arizona. That should create quite the blog for Monday morning...

See you then,

Returned

2010-05-14T13:50:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I went to get my mail and there was an invitation I had sent out on March 15 being returned to me for the wrong address in there. Almost two full months later, this invitation was being returned (the party already took place on April 10)...and the first thing I thought of was "and these people think they can run our healthcare system"...scary folks, scary.

Pew Poll

2010-05-13T15:08:00.002-05:00

I've been so busy enjoying the warm weather with my kids that I haven't had much time to blog. I've been meaning to discuss the latest Pew Poll about how Americans really feel about Arizona's new stand on illegal immigration. Instead of me typing, I decided to just post this video instead. Hannity sums it up for me.

The plus side

2010-05-10T05:37:00.000-05:00

Ohhhhh.....I love how angry I'm making the libs. I always appreciate and respect comments over a differing opinion that are well thought out and sincere. I never mind publishing and reading other opinions because that's what makes this whole blogging thing come full circle. But reading the nasty comments about how I'm a racist and horrible Hitler-like person just make me smile. When the libs get their panties in a wad, they just can't form a coherent sentence...they just start slinging mud. And that means we're winning.

The tide is turning. The movement to stop illegal immigration once and for all is taking over this great nation. From Arizona to Ohio, states are rallying together to stop people from other countries from entering our country illegally. The majority is in our favor and the libs can't stand it. They just can't stand it. They will yell, scream, kick, cry, whine, moan, complain and cuss themselves into a tailspin over the fact that we want our land to be respected and our laws to be upheld. They're crying like babies and about to cry even louder.

This is what I want to know. I don't need comments about what a f------ b----- I am. I don't need comments about how my father must be Hitler or whatever. I need comments about what the pros are to having people immigrate to our country illegally. That's what I want to know. If you're disagreeing with me, then you're disagreeing with the law that says you may only enter the United States through the proper authorities at the proper portals.

Someone who disagrees with me, please answer these questions. This is where the argument is, this is what we don't see eye to eye on. Please explain your side...

1. Why should we allow anyone and everyone to come into the US without care or regard?
2. Why shouldn't we make people come into our country in an orderly fashion?
3. Why shouldn't we punish people for breaking the existing law that says you have to enter our country legally?

And then explain these things to me as well...

1. What is the advantage of having hundreds of thousands of people come into the US every year illegally? They're not paying taxes so they're not contributing to the financial strength of our country, so what's the appeal?
2. How do you explain to the millions of Americans without a job that illegal workers are taking jobs that could be available to them?

If someone could soundly explain these things to me then maybe they'd have a leg to stand on. America is pro immigration. The foundation of our country is immigrants. But there is a huge difference between immigration and people just spilling over into our country without screening, without accountability, without responsibility to contribute financially to our system.

The hate comments show nothing but ignorance. Leaving me hate mail simply says that you're mad at the movement in the United States and mad at me for being happy about it. It also says that you don't know how to articulate the counter-point (where it would be beneficial to the US to not enforce the law making it illegal to enter the country illegally) and just know how to string four letter words together.

I'm feeling pretty darn good about things right now. I'm having a happy Monday!

Arizona (again)

2010-05-07T06:12:00.000-05:00

I'm still talking about Arizona...so strap yourself in.

I don't understand why so many legal immigrants are protesting this law. Like I said before, I have several friends who are here from other countries. They had to go through the hard work and spend thousands of dollars to be allowed in through the front door of this country. They didn't cut in line, they didn't cheat...they simply followed the instructions set forth by the US government, got in line, paid their dues and were allowed to enter as productive, registered members of this great nation. If you had to go through all of that, wouldn't you want everyone else to as well?

That's what I don't understand. I would think that the large Hispanic population in the US would want other immigrants to have to fulfill the same obligations and responsibilities they did. Why should they get to cut in line? Why shouldn't they have to pay? Is it because there is comfort in numbers? They want more of "their people" to be with them in the US. Sorry but if you want to be surrounded by more of "your people" then go home. You came here to be surrounded by our people...if you want to be with your people, go back.

I could never imagine moving to Japan and thinking, "oh gee...there aren't very many Americans living over here. There are just a bunch of Japanese people here. Maybe my American friends and family should sneak over here so that I can live with my American people but in Japan". That's dumb. If I am moving to Japan then I know I'm about to be living with Japanese people. If I'd rather live with "my people" then I should probably hang back in the US.

Do you watch the news? Do you read the paper? When people come into this country illegally, they are
1. breaking one of our laws
2. using our resources without paying for them (like our education system and healthcare system just to name a few)
3. taking jobs away from Americans who are looking for jobs
4. and surprise, surprise, our crime rate is increasing.

We can't afford to run a country that allows millions of people to break its laws and drain its resources year after year.

I'm up!

2010-05-06T12:00:00.003-05:00

I've stayed in bed for too many days in a row now. I must get up and type!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh geez...where shall I begin? I scribbled notes in my In Style Magazine this week as I would catch the news or some talk show...I have way too much bloggable material not to share.

I'm starting back in Arizona. Rush Limbaugh made a brilliant point today. If so many of these people want to ban together and disregard a federal law, then why don't the rest of us start disregarding some federal laws we don't like. I personally don't like paying taxes. Maybe if enough of us ban together, then we can bully enough people into letting us get by with tax evasion. Oh, what about the law that says I have to wear a seat belt. I'm not always feeling that law...you know, sometimes it sucks getting my shirt wrinkled with that big ole seat belt. Maybe a big group of us should stop wearing seat belts and then stop paying the fines we receive for breaking that law. Ohhh....and you know what...sometimes it might feel nice to just go out and hunt me a bald eagle. That would look pretty cool mounted over my fire place. Screw the federal law that says we can't kill the bald eagle.

Do you see how dumb this is???????????????? They are protesting an existing federal law that says you can only enter this country through the front door! It's a law! You can't just pick and chose the laws you don't like and say you won't abide by it any longer.

On Friday morning as I was waiting on my surgery to begin, I sat in the hospital pre-op area watching Good Morning America on the public TV. Gail King (who really is only "anyone" because her BFF is Oprah) said that this Arizona law made her so nervous. Why Gail King? Why? Are you here illegally? No. Then why should you care? If the Arizona cops have reason to ask you to prove your citizenship, you can...so do it and be grateful that you live in the US. Why would that make you nervous?

And then yesterday, I flipped The View on just as Joy was talking about the baseball teams that don't want to play against the Arizona Cardinals because of this law? Why? Because Arizona has the guts to actually want to enforce a federal law?!

Arizona isn't creating anything new here. They are just trying to protect this country's citizens from people who are breaking its laws!

Oh gosh...I think I'm going to stop for now. I seriously could type on and on all day about how ridiculous this is. I'll be back tomorrow. Trust me, I'll be back.

On bed rest...

2010-04-30T05:54:00.000-05:00

This morning, I'm getting my tonsils out. Ick! I don't know if this means I'll be too sick to blog or if it means I'll be so bored that all I do is blog...we'll find out...

Say a prayer for me!

Hoping you have a better weekend than me,

Arizona Immigration Law

2010-04-27T07:43:00.002-05:00

Here we go...I'm about to jump up on my soap box.

I am 100% behind the state of Arizona for trying to pass a state law that makes it illegal to be an illegal immigrant. I'm tempted to pick up my family and move to Arizona just so I can give tax dollars to support this law. If you came here without going through the proper portal, then you should be arrested. Here's why:

1. We need to know who is coming into this country. We need to know if you're on a terrorist watch list. We need to know if you're coming here to spend vacation dollars (i.e. to stimulate our economy) or if you're coming here because you have a job lined up (to better our country). We need to know if you're coming here to visit family and are planning on leaving when your visit is over. We need to know why you want to come into our country. Period. For the physical and economic safety of our citizens, we need to know why you want to be in our country.

2. We have an organized and legal way to enter our country, so if you want to visit, then get in line. (Yes, I know the line is long but it's our law, so get in it). One of my closest friends is Canadian. She and her family moved her years ago and went through the proper procedures. She didn't just dash across the Canadian border and start leaching our resources. They came in the orderly fashion that is expected of immigrants. And we welcome them with open arms.

3. It's the law. You are breaking our law by coming into this country without permission. We don't allow people to arbitrarily break our other laws. We wouldn't allow hundreds of thousands of people to drive drunk just because we didn't want to offend and/or seem racist by telling them not to or arresting them if they did. What good the law if we don't enforce it? The law is meant to provide safety to our citizens. Our citizens should matter more to this country than other people! We should have priority and protection over people coming here illegally! It's our country! I would hope that other countries would protect their citizens over us if we visited. If we break the law in another country, then we should be held accountable to their laws.

4. Other countries make you go through an organized system to visit, so it's not just the US being mean. My husband traveled to Bangladesh last summer and was required to apply for a Bangladesh Visa, declare how long his visit would be and show proper documents before entering the country. And that's freakin' Bangladesh. You would think they would be ecstatic to have ANY tourist whatsoever. If they can have rules and regulations about entering their country, then so should we.

This is not a race issue. This is a behavioral issue. I don't care if you're as white as a ghost, if you're Canadian or Cambodian, I want you to be checked out by the US government and approved before coming into this country. For my safety. For my children's safety. It's our law, so Arizona needs to enforce it.

What amazes me is that Democrats love regulating stuff. They want to regulate healthcare. They now want to regulate the financial industry. But for some reason, they don't want to regulate the border. Can someone explain this to me?

Please don't leave me a comment that we have to protect these illegal immigrants civil rights. They don't have civil rights in this country! We have civil rights and by them coming here illegally, they are breaking our laws and infringing upon my civil rights! I'm the one who should be complaining, not them.

I will probably post so much more on this issued because it bothers me so. I live in a border state. Illegal immigrants don't do anything but drain our resources, raise our taxes and threaten our safety. They are not productive members of our society. Don't tell me that they come here and work (therefore helping our society), because that is pointless to me. With the unemployment rate as high as it is, they are taking jobs away from viable American citizens, not paying taxes or paying for healthcare, so they are not helping, they're hurting.

High school

2010-04-26T05:47:00.000-05:00

At a wedding last night, I started talking to a friend with a teenage daughter going through a yucky period in high school. You know what I'm talking about...the drama, the gossip, the negativity that just makes a high schoolers life miserable...and her mama sad too.

The whole conversation got be thinking back to my high school experience...my ten year reunion is this summer...so while I'm not freshly out of school, I'm not that removed from it either. High school is hard. It really is. I thought it was hard and I did really well. I was in the top 5% of my class, dated the Homecoming King, and liked my teachers. However, the four years was peppered with big moments of disappointment, peer pressure, best friend change-ups and much more...it's just flat out rough being a teen some days.

My husband and I talk all the time about how we want to instill in our kids that while high school is important, it's really quite insignificant in the whole scheme of your life. Several weeks ago, I wrote about cyber bullying and how it is causing some teens to commit suicide. It just breaks my heart to hear about teens who kill themselves over something that's happening in high school.

I like the songs that Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift sing about looking back on high school and being 15...how if we could go back and tell our young selves things we know today, we might save ourselves from bad choices and heartache.

One of my favorite people in the world (who reads this blog often) had a really hard time when we were in high school. Now 10 years later, her life has made a complete 180 degree turn. She has a beautiful daughter, she's just weeks away from getting married to a wonderful, Godly man and she is just pure joy to be around. I often wonder if she didn't have moments in high school when she thought things were so bad she might not ever survive...and oh how she did.

Happy Monday from someone so glad she's not still in high school,

Where were you born?

2010-04-21T16:49:00.002-05:00

The state of Arizona has been making a lot of news today because they are talking about passing a bill requiring people running for president to show them their birth certificate. Interesting...

Last Friday, my husband and I went to the post office to apply for our kids' passports. It was pretty simple. We had to bring their birth certificates. My kids are only 19 months and 3 months and I already had the proper documents in hand.

Why doesn't our president have them in hand? Please, please stop your hate comments....let me at least finish.

How simple it would be for Obama to show us his birth certificate. Pretty simple. He just pulls it out and shows us. No biggie. Why wouldn't he want to show us? We already know his name. We already know his birth date. And supposedly, we already know where he was born. Why not just whip out the doc?

Wouldn't showing us his birth certificate be a lot easier than avoiding it? It would give Robert Gibbs some relief during press conferences. It would close the book on the topic all together. Hmmm...

So why isn't he? Why hasn't he pulled it out just to say, "see, I told you I was born in the US"?

We'd make George W. Bush show us his...

Drunk Moms

2010-04-19T12:44:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, I watched an episode of "Oprah" where she dealt with the topic of moms who drink in private. I thought the whole show was fascinating and scary at the same time. She spoke with several families where either the mom was drunk and killed one of the kids or the carpool mom was drunk and killed someone elses kid in the carpool. It was so sad and yet very educational because I never think about my friends and fellow moms at home drinking during the day and then picking up their kids or my kids from school.

Then two weeks ago, a mom that my husband and I are acquainted with was pulling out of a drug store parking lot when she hit another vehicle. When the police came to file the accident report, they had her walk the line and she failed. They hauled her butt to jail and had the dad come pick up THEIR TWO KIDS WHO WERE ALSO IN THE CAR. My husband and I were shocked. It was during the middle of the day.

I don't even really have words to describe my disbelief that a mom would drink during the day and then put her kids in the car and run errands. I know it happens, and I know these moms have serious problems (they're not just out at happy hour and had one too many). If you're drinking at home during the middle of the day so much that you fail a sobriety test, then you have a problem.

I'm a big believer in tougher punishments for drunk drivers (this lady included). Forget the young kids drinking and driving at 2 in the morning, now you have to be weary of the mom picking up your kid for carpool doing the same thing.

And today is...April 15

2010-04-15T05:19:00.000-05:00

Today is a well-known day in our country...tax day. I hope yours are in.

When you're paying your taxes this year, please look carefully at how much your employer is paying you verses how much you get to take home.

As part of our business, we finance vehicles. When going over the customer's application, I have to ask them what their gross income is. You would be amazed at how many people spit out their net income instead. We get so used to thinking about paychecks as the net verses the gross, that it doesn't cross our mind how much we actually make verses how much we get to take home.

(side note: gross income is how much your employer actually pays you before any deductions and/or taxes are removed and you're left with your net income)

When conservatives talk about smaller government, a huge part of that is lowering taxes so that you can keep more of your gross income. I hate looking at our paycheck and seeing how much the government gets of my hard earned money.

Just a thought on tax day...look at your paystub and really see how much money you should be going home with verses how much you actually take home.

Bringing down the house

2010-04-13T15:09:00.003-05:00

Pardon me as I get sentimental...I'm not a very sentimental person, so this post is a bit unusual. It's neither political nor conservative...just sentimental for once.

On Sunday morning, I watched on the news as Texas Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys) was imploded. I teared up.

Wow...so not my personality.

This story made national news, so it's definitely blog worthy. Texas Stadium retired last year as the Dallas Cowboys' home. For 30 years, the NFL team played their games, lost some battles and won many more. For me, I teared up because Texas Stadium was a part of my childhood. I grew up in Irving, Texas and though my family and I don't live there anymore, it's a dear place in my heart (19 years is a long time to live in one town).

My granddaddy had season tickets to that stadium and I accompanied him to many games there. It's a bittersweet memory because he passed away 10 years ago...and though he still lives in my memories (and in my son, who is his namesake), the Cowboys remind me of him often. He loved his Cowboys.

In high school, our football team made it to the playoffs two years in a row, and I was able to dance on that field with the dance team during halftime. It was very cool to stand on that star.

I know it's just a building. I know the new stadium way surpasses the old. But I would be remissed if I didn't at least acknowledge Texas Stadium. After all, I used to see it every day as I drove to school.

If you haven't watched the implosion video, it is pretty spectacular. My dad went and saw the implosion in person and said it was fantastic.

That's it. Nothing political. Nothing controversial. Just a memory of Texas Stadium.

Happy Tuesday,

Flying the friendly (and expensive) skies

2010-04-08T09:01:00.003-05:00

These airlines have every right to run their companies as they like. But some of them are going to have a hard time convincing me to buy a ticket to board their flight when they charge extra for everything including carry on bags. The only airline I know of that doesn't nickel and dime every move I make is Southwest Airlines. I would rather them raise the overall ticket price and then not charge me for everything from bags in the belly to a blanket. At least then you know upfront how much the flight will cost (instead of when you're on board the flight being charged for your snacks, headphones, pillow, etc.) When did flying get so expensive?

Texting Law

2010-04-07T07:16:00.002-05:00

Stephenville, TX is one of a few other cities to ban texting while driving. Last night, the city council voted to pass a law that would fine you $200 if you were caught texting while driving. What's next? A law to say I can't drink my Diet Coke while driving (that's distracting)? Or what about listening to the radio (that can be distracting too)? Or maybe a law that says I can't reach in my bag for a sippy cup and hand it to my kid (oooohh...that happens a lot...that's distracting)? Maybe we should pass a law that says our hands have to be at 10 and 2 at all times? Great idea, huh?

I am a HUGE probonant of safe driving. BUT it's not the job of the government to tell us how to live our every day lives. When you give the government an inch in areas like this, they will take a mile.

DUI offenders

2010-04-06T06:02:00.000-05:00

I turned on my morning news yesterday to hear about how some loser with prior DUI offenses was involved in another accident killing a mother and her daughter. His picture just disgusts me. How many other times did this loser drive around drunk threatening other lives on the road? How many times do people have to be caught drinking and driving before harsher jail sentences are imposed? How many people have to die first? This loser should have been behind bars, but instead he was hanging out in bars drinking it up and then getting behind the wheel of his car. These kinds of stories make me livid.

Neighbors

2010-04-04T20:46:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, some guy that lived less than two miles from my house committed suicide and at the same time blew up his house and his neighbor's house (accidentally got their house). Upset about his divorce, he rigged the place to blow. Thankfully, the wife and kids and neighbors got out ok but the guy took his own life. You just never know who lives next door.

This is the guy's house
This is the neighbor's house

This is the rear view. The guy who did it lived in the house on the left, the neighbors were just collateral damage. Uggg...I can't imagine how freaked out the neighbors must be.

Entitlement

2010-03-31T08:53:00.002-05:00

I think entitlement has become one of the ugliest words in our culture today. I've blogged on this topic several times before but the subject just keeps coming up, so I keep having to re-visit the word.

I was watching Rachael Ray earlier this week and it was about moms and daughters who fought over how much money to spend on their weddings. The daughters all wanted to spend more money than their parents had allotted because "it was their wedding day"..."it was a once in a lifetime moment"..."it was their right". Ugg...it was ugly.

I blame the parents for the majority of the problem. My mom and dad gave me my budget and that was it. There was no wiggle room. If I had wanted to spend more, they would have said tough luck. The budget process was about trust, maturity, money management, and at the same time allowed me freedom to spend the money within my budget as I wished. But the bottom line was that they loved me and wanted me to have a special day but at the same time...it is just one day. These moms were allowing their daughters to squeeze more money out of them because the daughters said they were "entitled". No they're not.

The last time I checked, there was no law saying parents had to pay for their daughter's weddings. It's a nice gesture but not a requirement. When the doctor handed me my little girl 18 months ago, he didn't say "congratulations, it's a girl; don't forget you'll have to pay for her wedding one day". Paying for my daughter's wedding will be a gift to her not a requirement.

I just think it's so ugly how so many young people today think they're owed stuff. I totally think it's the liberal mentality creeping into our lives. Just look at healthcare. People think they're owed healthcare...not true. Entitlement takes all of the hard work, sacrifice and responsibility out of life. These young brides are just prime examples of what happens when people start thinking they're "owed" something.

Spanish overload

2010-03-29T08:36:00.004-05:00

Living in North Texas, I am surrounded by the Spanish language on a daily basis. I know it's not just here...the language has dominated a large part of this country. I find a couple things amusing and irritating...

First, since I have a one year old, I'm finally getting acquainted with today's cartoons. I find it highly amusing and quite interesting how many of them are "Spanish" based. "Handy Manny", "Go Diego Go" and "Dora the Explorer" are three my one year old love. Each of them focus on a Hispanic character who uses Spanish in their daily lives. It's really quite comical at how much Spanish is crammed down our kids throats at such a young age. As someone who minored in French, I appreciate foreign languages and respect the ability to speak more than one language fluently, however, I think Nickelodeon might want to lay off the Spanish speaking shows just a tad...it's a little over kill. By the way...am I the only one who finds "Handy Manny" a wee bit stereotypical? It's about a Hispanic handyman? Come on?!

Another thing that's been bugging me is that when we Texans went and voted in our primaries back at the beginning of the month, the ballot was in English AND Spanish. Hello?! If you're a legal citizen (which you must be to vote in Texas), shouldn't your English be good enough to read a ballot? Why are we allowing people to become citizens of this country who don't speak our native language? If I were applying for citizenship in Japan, you can guarantee I would be able to speak Japanese! It's one thing to be new to this country and still working on the language but it's another to be a CITIZEN and not have enough grasp of the language to vote!

This leads me to point three...people flat out not teaching their kids English. My cousin and her mom own two retail stores. My cousin was telling me last night that at one of the stores, they have several Mexican employees who point blank tell them that they are teaching their kids Spanish and they are leaving it up to the public education system to teach them English. Good grief...this could be a post in itself...in fact, it most likely will.

I understand that English is a difficult language and that many, many immigrants come to this country not knowing it. However, part of the citizenship process...part of the assimilation process...should be being able to read and write the native language. I wouldn't expect the Japanese government to put their ballots in English too for me to vote...I would expect them to be in Japanese and if I want to vote, I better be able to read Japanese!

I'm on Spanish overload...

Not Constitutional

2010-03-23T16:17:00.002-05:00

Let's break a few things down.

Yesterday, super liberal, mega Democrat Al Sharpton had this quote, "The American public overwhelmingly voted for socialism when they elected President Obama".

Yikes! When super lib Sharpton says that, you know you're in a heap of trouble.

There has been a lot of talk about how requiring people to have health insurance is unconstitutional...and it is. Here's why:

The Constitution says that the government's only role is to regulate commerce...not create it. I heard a great analogy on the radio today. The referees in a football game have only one job...to regulate the game (make sure the rules are followed, the players are correct and the time is managed); the refs don't have any right to demand games be played on certain days, to demand certain plays within a game or demand certain players play. They only regulate. That's the government's responsibility with commerce. They don't DEMAND we purchase things. They just regulate the businesses that supply goods and services...they don't create those companies, consumers do. Consumers create companies by purchasing goods and services that appeal to them.

The government has NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to make us purchase health insurance. That is a choice we should make as individuals.

What they're doing by passing this bill is demanding we buy something. Why? What's next? Are they going to demand we buy vegetables instead of junk food? Are they going to demand we buy sunscreen if we're outdoors? Are they going to demand we buy smaller cars? Are they going to demand we buy books for our kids instead of DVDs? Where does it end? What business is it of the government to demand we buy ANYTHING?!

I've got a lot more to say about this. A lot more. Just remember one thing, NO WHERE in the Constitution does it say the government has a right to demand we buy something.

Healthcare

2010-03-22T06:29:00.003-05:00

So yesterday, they passed the first part of the healthcare bill. Obama will sign and it will go to the Senate. I honestly think this was the final nail in the coffin for many of the democratic congressmen. When the election rolls around this November, I will be surprised if many House members don't get their butts kicked. I also think this seals Obama's fate for being a one term president. We now will help pay for abortions...it's just sick. Click here to read an older post where I outline my thoughts on this healthcare bill. Trust me, so many more posts to come.

Green in the face

2010-03-18T12:52:00.002-05:00

So, I've had this super busy, crazy, hectic week and I finally catch 15 minutes when my babies are napping to sit down and read a magazine. I am a magazine JUNKIE! Reading magazines is one of my favorite hobbies. A-N-Y-W-A-Y...so, I'm sitting there with my Diet Coke and "In Style" magazine when I start flipping through and realize half the book is about being green. Uggggggggg!!!!! Yes, I know that because of Earth Day, we will be inundated with even MORE green stuff, but I am so sick of it.

Seriously...we bought our house 4 years ago next week. The city gave us two bins...one for garbage and one for recycling. I knew I wouldn't recycle. I know myself...it just ain't going to happen. Why pretend? So, I called the city and told them they could have my blue recycle bin back so that 1. someone else could use it or 2. I didn't want it taking up garage space. The girl on the phone was flabbergasted. What? You're not going to recycle? No. I'm not. You can have your bin back. She then proceeded to tell me that there was a $6 a month fine for not recycling in our city (a.k.a. not having a blue bin). Excuse me? I'm getting fined for not recycling? What is this Nazi Germany? So then I dug my heels in even deeper. I said that was fine and told her to take my bin and charge me the money.

Now, 4 years later, I still get the $6 fine on every water bill. That's $288 I've donated to the city because I didn't want the blue bin sitting around collecting dust in my garage. (And let's not pretend that many of my neighbors don't just toss trash in their recycle bins and mess up the whole system anyway...at least I'm honest about it).

So, I'm tired of not just "In Style" but my other magazines (Shape, Traditional Home, Southern Living, and many more) publishing article after article about being green. I'm green in the face over all of this green talk. Enough already.

Obsessed with winning

2010-03-16T08:01:00.002-05:00

Nancy Pelosi is just obsessed with winning. This healthcare vote push is nothing more than her trying to "win" something. The Obama administration is unraveling at rapid speed and her days as Speaker of the House are numbered, so she just wants to win. This blatant disregard for what her constituents want...what the American people want... is nothing more than ignorance and arrogance. These Democratic leaders are nothing but a bunch of bullies. I have about 10 other things that I wanted to blog about but the news is just dominated by Pelosi's face screeching at the top of her lungs that this healthcare bill will pass...so I couldn't not blog about it.

I love how Obama said he would rather be a great one term president than a mediocre two term president. That's impossible. If you're a great one term president, YOU WILL BE A TWO TERM PRESIDENT. If you suck it up (Jimmy Carter) then we will boot your butt out at the next election. But don't worry Obama baby, if you keep crazies like Pelosi in charge, you can guarantee yourself just one term.

Compassion for the other woman

2010-03-10T16:54:00.002-06:00

On Rachael Ray's talk show the other morning, CNN reporter Lisa Bloom was on discussing recent current events. During the segment, she mentioned how she had compassion for Tiger Woods' mistresses. Really? I don't.

If the other women knew he was Tiger Woods and knew he was married, then I don't feel sorry for them one bit. Lisa said one girl reported having an affair with him for three years and was convinced he would leave his wife for her. It was regarding this chick that Lisa used the word "compassion". If you enter into a relationship with a married man...I don't care what he tells you about how awful his wife is or how miserable his life is...I don't feel sorry for you in the end. In fact, I think you're pretty awful.

Do I think Tiger is a loser? Yup. Do I think the women he cheated with are too? If they knew he was married...you betcha.

Planned Parenthood Express

2010-03-08T12:43:00.004-06:00

Several times a week, I take my kids to a community center park two miles from my home. I always pass this Planned Parenthood Express as I drive there. Express...hmmm....let's make things like abortion and passing out birth control to teens even speedier and with less thought. As a mom who struggled for a long, long time to conceive...I know the true miracle of pregnancy and that ALL babies are created by God. Period. Medicine and "accidents" don't create a life.

On most days, there are several protestors outside of this particular Planned Parenthood Express. Yesterday was no exception. I finally decided to pull over, hop out of the car and take a picture of some of these protestors. These two ladies were out at 9:15 on a Monday morning standing in the drizzling rain. Good for them!

Why is it that the pro-abortion groups don't stand out there and advertise their right to kill babies? Why don't they spend money on ads during the Super Bowl like James Dobson's Focus on the Family did? Why don't they lobby Congress to get personalized license plates saying "Pro-Choice" on them? Isn't it odd that something that is supposed to be so popular...like aborting babies...gets so little support from individuals? Sure...it's easy to flippantly say you're pro-choice or to vote for a representative who is but you rarely find anyone brave enough to stand outside and hold up a sign. If you're so passionate about killing babies, why don't you show it?

It's pro-abortion people...not pro-choice. The only "choice" you're making that I'm not is to kill a baby. The other "choices" we agree on...adoption or raising the baby yourself.

Hot Shot Condoms

2010-03-08T06:54:00.001-06:00

Have you heard about these? I've been hearing about them quite a bit on the news lately. I find them quite disturbing...

American Idol sucks...

2010-03-03T17:10:00.002-06:00

I just sat here for 5 minutes trying to think of a title for this post and finally decided to just go with the obvious. Is anyone else out there hating American Idol this season???? It has been such a beating to watch! Where is the talent???? How can 100,000 people audition and the show end up with this lot? I mean come on...Aaron Kelly? He's suppose to be one of the top 10 male singers in America????? Uggg...AI used to be my very favorite show but right now, I'm dreading it. Tonight the girls sing and I have to tell you...I don't really care. And Ellen?! I love Ellen! I watch her TV show every day but so far, she has not impressed me on the show. She seems awkward and nervous. I so hope tonight is better...

Seriously?

2010-03-01T13:37:00.003-06:00

It's 2010 people...if you're still smoking in 2010, you deserve whatever ill health you have. Seriously...our president is still smoking cigarettes?

With all of research and knowledge we have about smoking, you are AN IDIOT for lighting up. I don't care what political party you favor, if you're smoking, you're dumb. Obama better get his little butt in gear...if that healthcare bill of his goes through and he's still smoking, he's screwed when it comes time for him to need medical help for his cancer, emphysema, heart attack, etc.

My heart is sad

2010-02-25T07:33:00.000-06:00

My heart is sad today.

I live in a big small town...the kind of town that's been around for over a hundred years, that has small town charm but big city perks. The east side of our town is historic while the west side is bursting with new. On the east side sits our original town square...you know the kind, courthouse in the middle, diners flanking the sides, and small little shops where everyone goes for unique things...it's the kind of square where the high schools have their annual parades, children go dressed in Halloween costumes on October 31 and Charles Dickens characters come to life every Christmas. It's charming.

Since moving here four years ago, I have come to know many of the shop owners personally. I am on a first name basis with the people who own the popcorn store, the girl running a home interior store, the fancy photographer whose studio looks out over the square and the people who own the candle shop. Today is the candle shop peoples last day. They're having to close up.

This older couple befriended me when we first moved to town and I started buying candles from them regularly (I am a candle-aholic). When I had my miscarriage three years ago, she hugged me and let me cry...then she watched with great anticipation as I was pregnant with both of my babies now. Both husband and wife always paid special attention to me and my family...asking questions, remembering details...really becoming friends with them.

Several months ago they told me that they could no longer afford to keep their store. They aren't retiring, they still need jobs, they just can't be business owners any longer. It just makes me sad. As a small business owner myself, I know how much you put yourself into your own business. How much time, money and energy it takes...your business becomes your baby. So, I'm sad that the next time I visit the square, they won't be there anymore. Life changes. The economy changes. People's spending changes. Things happen. It just feels like another little piece of America is being chipped away.

Why pay these days?

2010-02-24T07:27:00.002-06:00

One of my BFFs is an MD...she's a specialist actually and has a thriving practice of her own. Yesterday, she was telling me about an incident that happened in her office.

One of her patients showed up for his scheduled appointment. When the girl up front asked for his $35 co-pay, the man said he didn't have it. The girl said she would be happy to reschedule him for another time when he could come back and pay his co-pay but unfortunately, they can't see patients without first collecting any outstanding bills and/or co-pays. Irritated, he sat down with his wife and then moments later, thrust $40 in cash at the girl upfront for his visit. Apparently, he did have the money, he just didn't want to pay.

What's up with this? Have we completely turned this country into a "let's see how much we can get for nothing as often as we can" society? Do we automatically assume that we are entitled to medical treatment just because? That the government should cater to our every whim and pay for everything? No! When people don't pay their medical insurance, someone has to pay it. My friend doesn't pay the bills and her staff off of nothing. Her medical supplies and lab tests aren't free. When people stiff her, someone...somewhere is picking up the slack. Do you know who that someone is? It's us! It's us taxpaying citizens are who responsible enough to pay for our own medical insurance and unfortunately, end up paying for other people's as well...people who a lot of the time have the money themselves, they would just rather spend it on something else. Well so would I!

I would love to take the money I spend on medical insurance and spend it on something fun...heck, I'd rather spend it on something practical (like putting it toward my mortgage or my car payment) but I don't. But this is what's happening. People who aren't really poor...are receiving government benefits. By seeking medical treatment without paying for it (at a practice, hospital, etc.), they are sucking money from you and me. Some people actually can't afford it but I would bet that a large majority can and just flat out don't want to.

I knew a husband and wife once that had two babies on my dime. How did they do that you ask? They kept having children without health insurance. She would get pregnant, get all of the medical care that she needed, and had two c-sections...without paying for it themselves. I know that they could afford it...how you ask? Because I was their boss! They both worked for me and refused to participate in our group medical because they would rather spend money on Blackberrys, fast food and a ton of other junk. I watched first hand. And you know what? Rumor has it, she's pregnant again. People like this...people with jobs and money...are sucking our country dry because they are spending their money on other things and making us (tax payers) spend our money on their medical expenses.

Cyber Bullies

2010-02-22T12:59:00.002-06:00

Last week, a teenager in my community committed suicide. It was apparently a result of being cyber bullied. What has the world turned to?

I graduated high school only 10 years ago, but during the last 10 years, it is obvious that the stereotypical bully has gone from big, tough motorcycle ridin' bad guy to any teen with an email account or cell phone. This is crazy to me!

I totally get it. It's so much easier to be "tough" when you don't have to look someone in the face. I find people are way more candid when they send emails then when you speak to them in person. So, it doesn't surprise me that teens can pick on other kids through a text message or on Face Book. It's just so sad that it can get so out of control that a child takes his own life.

One of my favorite people is a teacher and she was telling me yesterday that a survey was taken at her school about bullying. The teachers said that they were aware of 90% of the bullying at their school but the students responded saying the teachers were only aware of 10%. There is an obvious disconnect between how much teachers know about bullies.

As a mom with two little babies, it breaks my heart to think one day they could be receiving text messages saying hurtful things from other kids at school. And I can't even comprehend them being so upset by it that they decide to take their own life. Teens just don't understand how insignificant high school really is in the big picture of your life.

So what do you do to prevent such an attack (or to prevent your child from being the bully)? We've decided not to allow our kids to have computers in their rooms or to have access to text messages...at least we say that now...who knows where technology will have us 15 years from now.

It just breaks my heart to think that these cowardly teens picked on another kid so badly that he thought his life wasn't worth living. Shame on them. Shame on any parent that doesn't know what's going on in their kid's life...who they're texting...who they're emailing...what's on their Face Book.

Speechless

2010-02-17T15:34:00.002-06:00

This actually makes me speechless...which is very hard to do.

Obama thinking that the stimulus package worked is an obvious sign that he's either
1. in denial
2. a liar
3. doesn't understand math
4. flat out stupid

Seriously. Hitler didn't ever admit when he was wrong and look what happened. You have to be able to admit when things don't go as planned. The stimulus plan/package/whatever you want to call it was a complete and utter failure. How can he pretend otherwise? I would actually respect the man a little if he just said "look, it didn't work out like I was hoping, it's time to move to plan B". That's an honest statement but Obama can't do it. He can't admit that he was wrong and that his plan flopped.

And please, please don't give me the "it's Bush's fault" excuse any longer. Bush is gone. Bush has been gone a year. Whatever "damage" you might have thought Bush did...well, Obama had a year to try and undo it. And what happened in that year? Unemployment is almost at double digits, the number of homeless is at a record high, and our county now has a gigantic debt to pay back because of this so-called stimulus package.

I just wish someone in that administration would tell the truth. It's been a crappy 12 months and it's time to try something else!

Kay or Rick

2010-02-16T13:03:00.002-06:00

Early voting began today in Texas for governor. Incumbent Rick Perry is facing off against Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. I'm voting for Perry.

Don't get me wrong...I love Kay. I've voted for her twice...and will keep voting for her...to stay in the Senate. Rick Perry hasn't always done everything I would like but right now...in this economy...Texas is rocking with one of the lowest unemployment rates, a growing housing market, and lower taxes. That being said...why mess with a good thing? Plus, we need Kay right now. We need her in the Senate! We need her squashing Obama's stupid healthcare hopes and keeping the conservative momentum going in D.C.

I've watched their two debates and honestly, I think she has kind of wasted everyone's time. Rick is good where he is...Kay is good where she is...why put the focus on these conservative's faults? Why not stick to what they're doing right and keep doing it?

If you're a Texan, don't forget to vote...early voting started today and the election is Tuesday, March 2. This vote will put our guy (or gal) up against the dem come November. No democrat stands a chance against a conservative in Texas...and that's why I love livin' in Texas.

TGIF

2010-02-12T12:52:00.002-06:00

Am I the only one not cool with the chain restaurant TGI Fridays new commercials? They recently started airing commercials where at the end they say "Thank God it's Friday"...yeah, I don't like them throwing the God word out there.

Is it just me or did it use to stand for "thank goodness it's Friday"???? I looked around on the internet and you can find both sayings. The new commercial just doesn't ring well to my ears. I'm very particular about the use of the word god when referring to actual God. Maybe it's the Southern Baptist in me, but that commandment on don't use the Lord's name in vain really sticks with me.

I know what the commercial is trying to say...but I don't think they're actually praising God or thanking God that it's Friday...I think they're using it kind of like when teens text OMG...that's using the Lord's name in vain, right?

I saw the commercial again last night and since today is Friday, I thought it would be an appropriate post and question to pose. I am glad it's Friday...and I did thank God today for many, many things...but not trivially...with sincerity in my heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Profiting Pastors

2010-02-09T13:18:00.002-06:00

A local pastor has been in the news a lot around North Texas because he is making money...outside of his church salary. I watched the first news report on Thursday night, then went online and read the newspaper articles. I followed this by going to the church's site and reading their response along with his blog. Here is my bottom line...it's none of our business if a pastor makes money outside of the church. Period.

This pastor preaches at a mega church...you know, the kind that has 10,000 people in attendance every Sunday at his main location, plus thousands more at one of his other satellite locations. He's young, handsome, energetic and very charismatic. I do not attend this church because it's about 40 minutes from where I live, however, I have had the great pleasure of visiting 7-8 times over the last three years because my brother does attend his church. Let me just tell you...it's an awesome experience.

I was one of those cynical people who frowned on the mega church until I visited his. This church is very Bible based, very genuine and as a Christian, I could really feel the Holy Spirit at work.

That being said, the poor press is coming from this guy making money off of selling his books and sermons through a "for profit" company he created. What's the big deal? Just because he is a pastor, does that mean he has to live a life of poverty? NO. That's not Biblical. As long as he's not embezzeling money from the church, then whose business is it. It's all about supply and demand. People are obviously demanding his books and so he's supplying them. If he was a bad writer or his topics weren't applicable, then people wouldn't purchase his material. He has a gift...a talent...and so he should be allowed to profit off of the goods he produces using that talent.

I know that there are some crummy pastors out there. With all of my heart, I believe that the majority of them are not. And I wholeheartedly believe that this man is a wonderful man who loves the Lord and his church. If he can sell enough books to afford to live in a 7500 square foot house, then so be it. As long as he is not co-mingling funds (which the reporter said he WAS NOT), then who cares if he makes additional money on the side apart from his roll as pastor.

My conservative ears burn when I hear that anyone is not "allowed" to make money. As long as the business is legal, then why can't they make money? This country survives only on goods and services being bought and sold. That's how everything operates. When people are told they "can't" make a profit, then that's when socialism starts. If the product is not in demand, the product won't be sold...but if it is in demand (which this pastor's books and sermons are), then the customer is satisfied and the producer is rewarded with a profit.

When did we all forget basic economics?

One year...

2010-02-08T07:25:00.002-06:00

Today is the one year anniversary of this blog. Last year, I started it out of frustration but this year, I am writing out of anticipation. I really have so much hope for 2010. I have hope that the economy will begin turning around, that healthcare will remain in place, and that the November elections will bring "change" to this country...the good kind.

This blog has made me very aware of several things:
1. Liberals will continue to leave nasty comments even though they know I don't post them
2. There are conservatives all over this country (not just in the South)
3. I can make blog friends with people I don't even know and will never meet
4. I can agree to disagree with honest, smart, sincere and respectful people who leave comments
5. There are conservative "stories" everywhere...when I watch TV, go grocery shopping, attend church, etc. I can always find something to blog about
6. Mentioning Elliot Yamin got me more hate mail than anything else I posted all year long (and I post some controversial things!)

I'm ready to buckle down and hit the blog with lots of posts this year. I'm excited about the future, I'm blessed by the past and I'm feeding breakfast to two babies in the present...so I gotta run. Happy anniversary to me...the Conservative Mommy!

A good chuckle

2010-02-05T07:47:00.003-06:00

I'm going to have a good chuckle today as I drive around in my gas guzzlin' Chevy Tahoe. Don't you know all of those celebrities are thinking life sucks right about now as they drive around in their soon to be recalled Prius Hybrids. Not only can they only go about 50 miles an hour...and have no room for groceries...now their vehicles are being recalled. I just can't stop smiling.

Have a good weekend!

Brace yourself

2010-02-03T14:20:00.002-06:00

I keep seeing the same commercial on TV for this one orthodontic group. At the end of the ad, they say they proudly accept CHIPS and Medicaid as payment options. Ummmm...my conservative ears don't like that. I'll explain...

As I've mentioned before, my 28 year old mouth currently has a nice shiny set of braces occupying every tooth. This is the second time as an adult that I've had to wear a full set of braces. They suck. I am wearing braces for medical reasons (such a long and boring story), not dental reasons. The ironic and sad part about my mouth is that my teeth are really pretty and straight...so putting braces on them just sucks all the more. I completely understand that sometimes braces are needed for medical reasons...not often (as the 14 doctors that I've seen over the last 12 years have told me). The majority of the time, braces are for cosmetic reasons only.

My braces cost $5600. My dental insurance paid $1000, which left me and my husband to pay the other $4600. (Don't forget, this is the second set I've bought) So, we pay our health and dental insurance every month (a hefty four digit amount) and still had to pay the $4600 out of pocket. We did this because we're responsible adults that realized that our money was best spent on my mouth and not other things, so we budgeted and paid for my braces.

So, why should people get to use CHIPS and Medicaid to pay for theirs?????

Let's take the small minority of medical cases out of the picture and focus on the real braces patients...people who want a better smile, straighter teeth, gaps fixed, etc...why should our tax dollars fix their smiles? I understand that straight teeth are important to many people and build self-esteem but so are breast augmentations for that matter? Should we allow Medicaid to pay for that?

My roommate in college had a gap between her teeth her whole life. She told me for years that one day she would save enough money to get that fixed. So, she did. When she was about 25, she paid the money out of pocket to finally get that gap corrected. She did it the right way...she worked hard, saved her money, prioritized and got the dental procedure done. She didn't rely on tax payers to pay for the gap.

One of the reasons our economy is so upside down is because too many people are relying on the government for to pay for things. There is such a rush for immediate satisfaction that people don't know the value of working hard, saving money and paying for something yourself. They want instant gratification.

It really irritates me that someone who doesn't pay for health or dental insurance in the first place can march down to this dental group and get their kids braces on Medicaid. If that's the case, then why do I pay my $$$$ a month health insurance premium? Why did I pay that $4600 out of pocket? Why didn't I just spend that extra money on frivolous stuff and when the braces were needed, rely on the tax payers to pay for it?

If Medicaid is this jacked up, just imagine what the Obama healthcare system would look like?

I'm back baby!!!

2010-02-01T13:18:00.000-06:00

Hello again! I'm back!!!

Wow, what in the world happened while I was gone??? These last two weeks have been filled with enough news to make 30 posts! I'm just going to hit the highlights today and then move on to current stuff tomorrow. So much to say!!!

First of all, can we say Scott Brown? If a conservative can win in a navy blue state like Massachusetts, then what is going to happen in purple states like Arkansas and Missouri...you know the states that sit on the fence during most elections? The libs can make as many excuses as they can about his win, but a message was sent to DC via the voters of that state that yes, they do want change...just not the kind of change Obama is giving the country.

Ahhhh...on to healthcare...I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that it's over. Some small type of legislation will probably be passed just so Obama, Pelosi and Reid can say "they did something about healthcare" but it's over folks. They ain't gettin' what they want and we ain't losin' what we have...which is THE BEST healthcare system in the world.

Did you watch the State of the Union? How is it that I was actually hoping Obama would take a cue from the Clinton administration and actually say, "hey guys, we tried something, obviously the American people don't want it; now it's time to move on to something else"...but noooooo...Mr. Obama's pride just got in the way.

I love that new legislation was passed saying businesses can donate an unlimited amount of money to political parties. Unions have been able to do this for decades but businesses have been limited. Why would liberals not want businesses to be able to contribute an unlimited amount of money? Because businesses (especially small businesses) need administrations that support them...like the Republican party. Democrats get their victories from unemployed, unmotivated, tax leaching, Medicaid using people every election. Let's see how much they cry when businesses (people who provide jobs, goods and services to our country) start contributing as much as they want. I can't wait!

My favorite TV show is back...all I have to say is "Pants on the Ground". Who knew those four little words could affect American pop culture so much :)!

I couldn't be happier...I have a healthy 16 month old daughter and a healthy 2 week old son. God has blessed my little family so much. Thanks for stopping back by my blog!

Our little man

2010-01-20T11:59:00.002-06:00

At 12:30 PM on Monday, January 18, our little man was born. Weighing 8 pounds even and 20 inches long, he and his conservative mommy are doing just fine...especially after watching Tuesday's election :). Still on maternity leave...see you real soon!

Maternity Leave

2010-01-13T19:49:00.002-06:00

I'm having a baby any day now (Monday is the scheduled c-section if not before), so I'm going on maternity leave...from this blog at least. I'll post the baby info Monday. I'm sure I'll be back with a vengeance before too long...no baby or lack of sleep can keep my fingers from typing. Until next time, God bless you and yours!

Love,

Dirty Harry

2010-01-10T15:00:00.001-06:00

Harry Reid strikes again. If ANY Republican made the comment that Reid made regarding Obama's skin color and the fact that he had "no negro dialect" they would be forced to resign IMMEDIATELY. We all know Reid ain't gettin' re-elected. The polls have been spelling it out for over a year...so sooner or later, we'll be rid of this loser of a politician, but now...after he chooses the poorest of phrases to characterize our president...I think it's time he's gone. It's people like this that the Democrats are getting elected.

The American Dream

2010-01-07T06:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I was listening to Rush Limbaugh talk about his recent hospital stay in Hawaii. He was discussing the fact that he was fortunate enough to be self-insured...you know...have enough money where he doesn't need health insurance because he can pay cash for everything. He said that had been a goal for him early on in life...to make enough money that he didn't need to rely on health insurance. That is an American dream.

So, why do I feel like the new American dream is to have health insurance provided for free by the government? When did the dream go from working hard and accumulating your hard-earned money to provide for yourself to doing nothing and having the government take care of you? What happened?????

Hard work has really been replaced with laziness. The goal of building your own future has really been replaced with getting a future handed to you by a bureaucrat. It boggles my mind. My grandparents...my parents for that matter...who are only in their early 50s (sorry Mom) each had dreams, each worked hard, each put themselves through school on their own dime, and each started their own businesses. How did they do it? Hard work. How much did the government help them? None. They didn't expect the government to help them. They knew that if they wanted to achieve their dreams, they better get to work. Good grief, my dad worked the graveyard shift at a gas station.

I just wish that the media would focus on working hard, striving for success, and building your own destiny instead of running story after story of how the government should step in...taxes should be raised... and the rich should give even more...etc., etc.

I like Rush's goal...to be self-insured. I think this is a good goal for my family. We might not ever achieve the amount of wealth it would take to be self-insured but along the way, we would see the fruits of our labor by having more money in savings and more pride in our work. Working hard to reach your goals...now that is the American dream.

Felt up at the airport

2010-01-05T06:40:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, my family and I went to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium to watch a game. When we first approached the gates with our tickets, they separated us into two lines: one for boys and one for girls. Why? So that the security officers could pat each of us down before going inside. Oh brother...is this what the world has come to? Being patted down prior to seeing a sporting event?
With all of the recent terrorist plots against airlines this holiday season, it's no wonder that airport security is a popular news topic online, in print or on TV. I mean what do you do? I understand the need to up security, but it is such a beating! Seriously...flying has become a huge pain all because of security. By the time you're done, you have no pride left. You're standing there barefoot, beltless, without bag or drink...among the other travelers...it's a complete hassle.

Now, the TSA has these new full-body scans so that every part of us can be searched...gee...just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. Ohhh...I have no great plan for eliminating the need for all of this...I just wanted to share my woes with other travelers...remember back in the day when things were simpler? What's it going to take to return?

My New Year's Resolution

2010-01-04T06:31:00.000-06:00

Ahhh...2010...a fresh new year lies ahead. For me, I'm most excited about the fact that two weeks from today, I am having another baby. This guarantees me a year to remember. Yes, I'm one of those cheesy people who makes New Year's Resolutions and almost always fulfills them. I try to keep them light-hearted and fun. I like to set goals to learn new things, work on skills...you know...expand my horizons and better myself. One year, I set a goal to run a marathon (I ran two that year), one year, I wanted to learn how to grow herbs and vegetables (my yellow bell peppers and basil were beautiful...don't ask about the thyme), and last year, my resolution was to stop mulling over our newly elected liberal president and actually do something pro-active...start this blog. So, as you can see, they're mostly self-indulgent little resolutions that give me something to strive for over the next 12 months. This year however, I think I've met my match...my resolution is to fix my dog.

I have a confession to make...I, the Conservative Mommy, live in a household run by a mean, territorial, dominating, and aggressive dog. Her name is Tulip and she weighs 3 pounds. Yes. I am so embarrassed. My husband and I bought this teacup yorkshire terrier almost 5 years ago when she was just 7 weeks old. I am learning that since that fateful day, we have done absolutely nothing right in rearing this pup. We spoiled her, loved her too much, gave her too much attention and worst of all...exercised her too little. She sleeps in the bed with us, goes on trips with us, and bosses us around 24/7. Over the last 15 months, since we've had our daughter, Tulip's behavior has gotten so much worse. She hates my kid. Hates her. She actively pursues her during the day to show her how much she's hated. Now, my kid weighs 25 pounds and the dog weighs 3, so I'm not overly concerned, but I just cannot bring another baby into this house with the dog in charge. I'm taking my house back over!

Tulip is a 2 year drop out of one dog obedient school, so this time around, I'm using The Dog Whisper Cesar Milan's methods of training and correcting problem dogs. It's been two weeks, but I've already seen major improvements. My husband and I are finally starting to establish ourselves as the "pack leaders" of our own home. I'm on my third Cesar Milan book, I've been watching his show and doing his question/answer interactions online...basically I'm OBSESSED!

Hopefully your new year brings you fun resolutions and exciting adventures. As a soon to be mommy of two, I know that 2010 will be filled with lots of work but lots and lots of fun. I will keep you updated on the progress Tulip and I make...I'm not one to back down from a challenge, so I'm optimistic.

I'm also quite optimistic about the elections coming this November...I feel the tide turning...

Happy New Year!

My Tulip

Should I stay or should I go?

2009-12-29T07:49:00.002-06:00

The following article was on our company's intranet site last week. The mentality of many of these people is why our country is in economic distress.

12.22.2009
Key Points

A growing number of people in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, where home prices have plunged, are considering walking away from their mortgages not out of necessity but because they believe it is in their best financial interests.

A standard mortgage-loan document reads, "I promise to pay" the amount borrowed plus interest, and some people say that promise should remain good even if no longer convenient.

Walking away isn't risk-free. A foreclosure stays on a consumer's credit record for seven years and can send a credit score plunging by as much as 160 points.
(Copyright (c) 2009, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

PHOENIX – Should I stay or should I go? That is the question more Americans are asking as the housing market continues to drag.

In good times, it would have been unthinkable to stop paying the mortgage. But for Derek Figg, a 30-year-old software engineer, it now seems like the best option.

Mr. Figg felt trapped in a home he bought two years ago in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe for $340,000. He still owes about $318,000 but figures the home's value has dropped to $230,000 or less. After agonizing over the pros and cons, he decided recently to stop making loan payments, even though he can afford them.

Mr. Figg plans to rent an apartment nearby, saving about $700 a month.

A growing number of people in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, where home prices have plunged, are considering what is known as a "strategic default," walking away from their mortgages not out of necessity but because they believe it is in their best financial interests.

A standard mortgage-loan document reads, "I promise to pay" the amount borrowed plus interest, and some people say that promise should remain good even if it is no longer convenient.

George Brenkert, a professor of business ethics at Georgetown University, says borrowers who can pay – and weren't deceived by the lender about the nature of the loan – have a moral responsibility to keep paying. It would be disastrous for the economy if Americans concluded they were free to walk away from such commitments, he says.

Walking away isn't risk-free. A foreclosure stays on a consumer's credit record for seven years and can send a credit score (based on a scale of 300 to 850) plunging by as much as 160 points, according to Fair Isaac Corp., which provides tools for analyzing credit records. A lower credit score means auto and other loans are likely to come with much higher interest rates, and credit card issuers may charge more interest or refuse to issue a card.

In addition, many states give lenders varying degrees of scope to seize bank deposits, cars or other assets of people who default on mortgages.

Even so, in neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreclosures, "it's going to be really difficult to prevent a cascade effect" as one strategic default emboldens others to take that drastic step, says Paola Sapienza, a professor of finance at Northwestern University. A study by researchers at Northwestern and the University of Chicago found that as many as one in four defaults may be strategic.

Driving this phenomenon is the rising number of households that are deeply "under water," owing much more than the current value of their homes. First American CoreLogic, a real-estate information company, estimates that 5.3 million U.S. households have mortgage balances at least 20% higher than their homes' value, and 2.2 million of those households are at least 50% under water. The problem is concentrated in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Nevada.

Josh Cotner, who owns an insurance agency, says his mortgage balance is about $100,000 more than the market value of his home in Gilbert, Ariz. Mr. Cotner could rent a bigger home nearby for $600 a month, far below the $1,655 he now pays on his mortgage, home insurance and property tax. He says he recently stopped making mortgage payments because his lender wouldn't help him reduce the principal on his loan under a federal program in which he believes he is qualified to participate. Given the sometimes lengthy legal process of foreclosure, he may be able to stay in the home at least another nine months without making payments.

Banks warn they may get tough with strategic defaulters by pursuing legal claims on a borrower's other assets. "We will try to reduce people's payments if they have a hardship," says Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. "But we have a financial responsibility to get people to pay what they owe if they can afford it."

Steven Olson, a loan officer and roof installer in Roseville, Minn., defaulted in 2007 on a plot of land in Florida he had bought as an investment. "I thought I could move on with my life," he says. But the lender, RBC Bank, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada, sued him, seeking to make him pay more than $400,000 to the bank to cover its losses on the loan. Mr. Olson has hired a Florida lawyer, Roy Oppenheim, to resist the claim. An RBC spokesman declined to comment.

States where lenders generally can pursue such legal claims include Florida and Nevada but not California and Arizona, where laws generally prohibit lenders from pursuing other assets of mortgage borrowers. A new Nevada law will protect many borrowers from these judgments if they bought a home for their own use after Sept. 30, 2009.

Another risk for defaulters is that banks could sell the rights to pursue claims to collection agencies or other firms, which could then dun the borrowers for up to 20 years after a foreclosure. Such threats appear to deter some borrowers. A recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond found that under-water borrowers were 20% more likely to default in a state where mortgage lenders can't pursue claims on other assets than in those where they can.

Brent White, an associate law professor at the University of Arizona who has written about this issue, says homeowners should make the decision on whether to keep paying based on their own interests, "unclouded by unnecessary guilt or shame." He says borrowers can take a cue from lenders that "ruthlessly seek to maximize profits or minimize losses irrespective of concerns of morality or social responsibility."

But it isn't just a matter of the borrower's personal interest, says John Courson, chief executive of the Mortgage Bankers Association, a trade group. Defaults hurt neighborhoods by lowering property values, he says, adding: "What about the message they will send to their family and their kids and their friends?"

In Mesa, another suburb of Phoenix, low prices are helping to draw buyers who may walk away from other homes. Christina Delapp bought a house out of foreclosure in July for $49,000 in cash. She says she will stop paying the mortgage on another home she still owns in Tempe if she can't sell in the next few months for more than the $312,000 that she owes.

Ms. Delapp, who has been jobless for 18 months, says that the new home is part of her survival strategy. "I feel very fortunate," she says. "Regardless of what happens to my credit, we've managed to put together the best safety plan that I possibly could."

Mr. Figg says that deciding to default on his loan was "the toughest decision I ever made." Still, lenders are guilty of having "manipulated" the housing market during the boom by accepting dubious appraisals, he says. "When I weighed everything," he says, "I was able to sleep at night."

License this article from Dow Jones Reprint Service
Document WSJE000020091218e5ci0000q

____________________________________
© 2009 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. News: Debtor dilemma: pay mortgage, or walk – Some underwater homeowners stop making payments, even if they can afford them, figuring it is in their best financial interest
By James R. Hagerty and Nick Timiraos
1234 words
18 December 2009
The Wall Street Journal Europe
WSJE
8
English

Should they stay or should they go? If you sign a mortgage, you are obligating yourself to that loan. First, we had people signing mortgages for loans they couldn't afford. Now it seems, we have people signing mortgages for loans they can afford but are choosing not to. Where is the accountability? We buy things we can't afford and shrug off the debt...now we are simply just not paying bills we can afford? Who cares about hard work, responsibility and accountability...I guess we now live in an "every man for themselves" society.

Tiger and Charile

2009-12-28T06:43:00.003-06:00

My husband is in mourning right now...he is very upset about this Tiger Woods scandal.

My husband has kind of turned from adult to kid. One of his heroes in life has disappointed him and it's been hard for him to swallow. I don't fault him. I hate it when people you respect do stupid things that make you realize they're not perfect, they're human and they're just as likely to screw things up as the next guy. So, needless to say, talking about Tiger has become a sensitive subject around our house.

But then last night I thought my husband brought up a really good point. We were watching Sunday Night Football when the Hanes commercial featuring Charlie Sheen came on. My husband asked me why he can beat up on his wife and not get his endorsements pulled while Tiger sleeps around and his are pulled immediately. Interesting...

I've always thought that Americans were generally pretty forgiving people with short memories. Look at David Letterman, Kobe Bryant and Bill Clinton...all three people who made grave marital mistakes and yet their careers continued right on. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing to extend to people but with your actions comes natural consequences such as a loss of fan base, respect and in Tiger's situation...endorsements.

I don't know why the Tiger commercials were pulled so quickly and the Charlie ones were left for viewers??? Is it because Tiger's main audience is more family oriented than Charlie Sheen's? Is it because we really all know that Charlie is a jerk but had higher expectations for Tiger? I don't know...but I do think my hubby brought up a good point. Two celebs...one hits his wife, one cheats on his wife...both have endorsements...one keeps his (so far), one loses his immediately...who knows???

The Christmas Story

2009-12-22T06:27:00.003-06:00

Luke 2 (New American Standard Bible)

1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. Whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

May your Christmas be filled with the hope and peace that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas,

A hairy situation

2009-12-21T06:32:00.003-06:00

For the last week, the local and now national news has been all over this story about a 4 year old boy suspended from his Pre-K class for having long hair. I'm a pretty big stickler when it comes to rules...especially at school. I don't always agree with them but if you chose a school for your kid, you need to know their rules beforehand. You shouldn't dictate how a school operates; if you don't like their rules, don't let your kid go there.

However, I find this quite bizarre because his hair doesn't even seem that long. There are many, many pictures online and on the news showing off his locks and I don't find them that much longer than average. I also have a hard time connecting a 4 year olds hair with a distraction in a Pre-K class. In this situation, I think the school district needs to reevalutate its criteria and standards. Rules aren't always black and white...I think this poor kid is somewhere in the grey area.

The Christmas Station

2009-12-16T06:18:00.002-06:00

I have a secret to admit...I've been listening to Christmas music since November 1. My favorite Christmas radio station started playing Christmas music 24/7 online on that day and then on the radio 24/7 beginning November 16. Christmas music is one of my greatest joys in life...a simple but great joy.

I love this radio station for many reasons but I love it the most at Christmas time because they call themselves The Christmas Station. They even run commercials saying "we don't say season's greetings or happy holidays...we say Merry Christmas". This is not a Christian station...this is a secular radio station proud of the fact that they play Christmas music. You never hear the DJs say happy holidays...it's always Merry Christmas. I love that. I love that they're not afraid to not be politically correct. I love that their entire mission isn't trying to avoid stepping on someone's toes.

Let's face it...are Jewish people listening to Christmas music? Probably not. So why should we be afraid to call Silent Night and O Christmas Tree Christmas songs...they are! They're not holiday songs...they are songs that celebrate Christmas. I have Sirius XM radio in my house and my car and they have three "holiday" stations...I admit...I do listen to them as well but it does bug me that they never say Merry Christmas...it's always Happy Holidays. But when I flip one station over to the Hanukah station (yes, they have one)...the DJs are always giving their Hanukah blessings unabashedly. There is such a double standard when it comes to Christians. We always have to be the politically correct ones...we always have to be the overly-sensitive ones when every other religion can just be themselves. I don't hear the DJs on the Hanukah station saying Happy Holidays just in case a non-Jew is listening. It's ridiculous.

Don't even get me started on the holiday trees or holiday lights that Lowe's and Home Depot sell...when did any other religious group start putting up trees in celebration of any other holiday besides Christmas???? It's a Christmas tree...a holiday tree is just political correctness at its worst!

And don't get me started on Barbara Streisand and Elliott Yamin putting out Christmas albums...I guess they didn't think there would be a large demand for their Jewish CDs? They decided to sing some Christian songs and make a profit? Just something to think about next time you hear Babs belt out Silent Night.

Let's just call a spade a spade. If the song is Jingle Bells, the holiday is Christmas. If there is a 7 foot blue spruce in your living room right now, it's a Christmas tree. Other religions aren't worrying about hurting our feelings, so let's not allow them to make us so politically correct. Let's celebrate what we want to celebrate without shame or disguise. The Lord sent a baby to this earth to be our savior. Born in a manger...he saves all who believe.

Merry Christmas,

Gay Mayor

2009-12-14T06:15:00.000-06:00

Houston is the first major metropolitan city to elect an openly gay mayor. This all went down on Saturday when they elected Annise Parker. Oh geez. Glad I don't live in Houston.

Peace

2009-12-10T07:15:00.003-06:00

This morning in Norway, our president accepted his Nobel Peace Prize. I listened to enough of the speech to realize that our ideas of peace are very different. I understand...Obama got the award because he wasn't George Bush. I mean...come on...he was chosen within a few days of taking office. He didn't do anything that deserved the Peace Prize other than not be Bush.

Liberals hate Bush because his idea of peace is when the good guy wins...not when the good guy stops using weapons and tries to "talk things out". I don't know how many innocent Americans have to die before the Libs realize that terrorist and extremists don't "talk things out".

I am very appreciative that Obama has sent more troops to Afghanistan...not too happy that he told them when they'd be coming home (isn't that telling the enemy when we're leaving so they know how long they have before they can go back to their old ways?)...but thankful that we're at least trying to move a little forward in getting peace to the Afghan people.

Presidents like George Bush will never be honored with the Nobel Peace Prize but I truly believe that history will remember them as presidents who truly demonstrated peace by making tough choices that ultimately protected American soil and gave freedom to millions around the world.

Harry Reid

2009-12-08T06:53:00.002-06:00

And stuff like this is why Harry Reid will not be re-elected next year.

Random...

2009-12-07T06:42:00.004-06:00

Here are some random things for your Monday:

First, make sure you're aware of this. The liberals will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Second, I think it's funny that last week my house in Texas got snow. How about that for Global Warming, huh? It's such a farce.

If Home Depot and Lowe's are going to call them Holiday Trees and if the employees at Target are not allowed to say Merry Christmas, then why should this surprise anyone?

Did I not do well in high school science or am I missing something? Don't we breath this out with every exhale? How can what billions of people on the planet Earth breathe out be destroying the Earth? Has this Global Warming thing gone a wee bit far????

Happy Monday! Stay warm!

Pregnant Athletes

2009-12-01T07:43:00.002-06:00

Wow, ESPN's Ouside the Lines really gives me great ideas for this blog. This last Sunday's show was no exception.

This last Sunday, the show profiled a pregnant high school girl who wanted to continue playing volleyball with her team despite her condition. As someone who is typing these words 8 months pregnant, this really bothers me.

I am a big believer that just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you are handicapped. I exercise every day, load and unload my own groceries, tote around a one year old, chase three year olds in my Sunday school class and walk my dog...I am extremely active and think that makes for a healthier and happier pregnancy. But I'm also smart. I am a long distance runner. With several marathons under my belt, nothing excites me more then to set out on a long run...something over 16 miles...but I would never run a long distance pregnant. Never. The risk does not outweigh the reward.

As a woman, when you become pregnant, there are certain things you have to give up. There are certain responsibilities you need to take. No matter how great you feel or how badly you want to be "normal"...you're not. You are carrying around a growing child...you cannot resume life as usual while pregnant.

This Fort Worth teen isn't completely responsible for her immaturity. Her mother is really to blame. Her mom appears to be making the point that her daughter shouldn't be segregated or limited just because she's knocked up. Sorry mom, that should be the case.

Let's pretend for one second that this MacKenzie girl is able to serve and volley as usual despite her condition...how fair is it to her teammates to play alongside a pregnant athlete? How fair is it to the opponents? Are these other players having to limit their aggressiveness because they don't want to be the one responsible for hitting a ball at her belly? Are they having to lower their game just to accommodate the pregnant player? How awful would a young girl feel if she returned the ball that hit MacKenzie that caused her baby injury? The consequences to the unborn child and to the other players are not worth the risk.

This mom...so set on making sure her daughter is treated equally...might want to stop and think about the fact that her teenage daughter shouldn't be pregnant in the first place. Perhaps if this mom put as much time and energy into relaying to her daughter the importance of abstinence or at least safe sex, this entire situation could have been avoided. Too many parents are practicing the liberal lifestyle of "accept no responsibility for your own actions, everyone must treat me as equal despite my shortcomings and all things in life must be 'fair'". I'm sorry, but if you're a pregnant teen...playing competitive sports shouldn't be an option.

Talkin' Tiger

2009-11-30T06:23:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm back from my Thanksgiving holiday in the good ole swing state of Missouri. There was really no point in blogging while I was gone because the only thing on the news for five days was the story about the party crashers. I seriously don't understand how two people crashing a White House party...not causing any problems...posing for pictures...and claiming to have been invited could have dominated the news for so many days in a row. Seriously people...don't we have a healthcare crisis going on? Don't we have troops over seas during Thanksgiving to focus on? It was day after day of the party crashers...I'd personally rather watch the Vince Vaughn movie myself.

So, I was relieved to see that at least Tiger Woods was stirring up some news that took the attention off of the reality stars. Here is my opinion on Tiger's situation...DON'T TALK! I wouldn't talk. Alcohol or drugs were not involved, he ran into a tree on his own property...it's really not my business. I don't blame him for declining to be interviewed by the police for the third time. What are they investigating anyway? It was one car, on the owner's property, no substances were being abused, no fatalities, no children involved...I think these Florida cops need to find something better to do with their time.

Thankfully, it was a slow news week. I would have hated to miss posting something exciting and actually news worthy while I was away. Now we all just have to brace ourselves for the big Senate healthcare debate beginning this week. Oh Lord, let this thing fail.

Difference between conservatives and liberals

2009-11-23T06:47:00.000-06:00

My sweet friend J emailed this to me. I couldn't say it better myself, so I'll let this person say it.

The difference between conservatives and liberals

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative doesn’t like to hunt because he believes its cruel to animals, he doesn’t hunt.
If a liberal thinks hunting is cruelty to animals, he wants all hunting to be outlawed.

If a conservative perceives an evil threat to America , he thinks about ways to defeat it.
A liberal ponders ways to make it happy and go away on its own.

If a conservative is a homosexual, he will nevertheless seek respect from his peers like heterosexuals do - through honesty, hard work, and public service.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect for his homosexuality.

If a black man or Hispanic is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful.
Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal looks for the corporation who victimized him and wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those whose message with which they disagree, be silenced.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion driven from the public forum.
(Unless, of course, it's a religion at war with America !)

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal calls it a “fundamental right” and demands that the rest of us pay for his.

Cervical Cancer

2009-11-20T07:20:00.001-06:00

And now...we don't need to be screened as early or as often for cervical cancer. It just keeps comin' folks...it just keeps comin'.

Mammograms

2009-11-18T06:46:00.000-06:00

So, the US Preventive Services Task force is now saying that most women don't need to get annual mammograms until age 50. Ummmm...my husband was quick to point out that it's very convenient for the government to push this new agenda right around the time that they might have to start picking up everyone's health insurance tab. It sure would save the government a lot of money if women didn't start getting annual screening for another decade. This is how Obama Care will work...we will all start receiving less care at a cheaper price. Let's face it, the more women that die of breast cancer between the ages of 40 and 49, the less healthcare the government will have to provide.

Gay Homecoming Court

2009-11-16T06:46:00.002-06:00

I am very, very disappointed with my alma mater, the University of North Texas. This university provided me with a wonderful education and great memories, but their new antics have my blood boiling.

Begining today, students will be able to vote about whether or not the homecoming court can consist of gay couples..i.e. two homecoming kings or two homecoming queens. Why people? Why?

Look at the US census...look at Gay Demographics websites...gays make up only 1% of the US population...1%! Why do we cater to 1%???? It's because for the most part, they're a loud, obnoxious, in your face, demanding group of people that want us to think they are in the majority but they're not...they're a small sliver of the population and I'm so tired of caring about their demands.

I hope and pray that the students at UNT are smart enough to vote this proposition down. It's ridiculous to think the homecoming court should be made of anything other than one man and one woman.

It's not car insurance!

2009-11-11T07:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I heard Obama (for the SECOND TIME) compare mandating health insurance as equivalent to having auto insurance. Let me break this down:

1. You only have to have auto insurance if you own a car. If you don't own a car, you don't have to purchase auto insurance. Auto insurance is not required for all Americans...only those who specifically chose to own a car.

2. The purpose of auto insurance is to protect other people from damage you do to them in your car. The law requiring liability insurance has nothing to do with protecting your car...it's about protecting someone else's car if you're at fault in an accident. Health insurance is about protecting YOU. If you don't want to protect yourself, then you shouldn't be forced to.

Pelosi's bill would require everyone to purchase health insurance or else be fined. You will be penalized for making an adult decision not to have healthcare. Obama needs to stop comparing this to auto insurance!

Muslims in the Military

2009-11-10T08:03:00.002-06:00

I will make my comments brief about the events that unfolded at Fort Hood last week. The lives lost deserved to be honored and remembered instead of just being side notes to the man who took their lives.

I do have an opinion about how apparently his religious views influenced his massacre. I have absolutely no problem with Muslim men and women being in the US military. I believe that 99% of them have honest, genuine patriotism and are aligned with the views and honor of our country. However, after events like this, we have to be on alert for other bizarre behavior from Muslim troops. It's unfortunate but necessary that a close eye is kept on their behavior and actions. We cannot afford to lose any more lives because we're being too politically correct to report strange behaviors and comments.

The man who took those lives showed signs of defection but those signs were overlooked. For the time being, we can't worry so much about racial and religious profiling, we need to worry about keeping our troops and civilians safe from extremist. How many people have to die before we stop being so politically correct and overly-sensitive to the Muslim population?

Retro Mommy

2009-11-09T07:32:00.002-06:00

This Monday morning, there are so many things I could be blogging about...the house vote on Saturday, Fort Hood...so many things. But to be honest, I'm sitting at my desk streaming Christmas music and really quite too chipper to bog myself down with stuff like that.

So, let's chat about what Rachael Ray was discussing Friday. (Yes, I watch a lot of Rachael Ray...that's why I keep referring to her show in recent posts). On Friday, they were interviewing retro moms. These are moms who, even though it's 2009, are living the lifestyle of a 1950s housewife. It was actually really refreshing...because I kind of think I am one too.

Families were interviewed where the wife's full-time job was caring for the home. Not just staying at home, but really celebrating their "jobs" as care-givers. These moms cooked all of the meals, cleaned the house, did laundry, raised the kids, etc..you know "stay at home mom stuff" (which I know many of my friends work AND do these things, so I recognize many women do both!), but these moms really took their role as a housewife seriously and were proud of their accomplishments.

The moms interviewed all had college degrees but decided that instead of pursuing jobs in the corporate world, they wanted to pursue roles as homemakers. So often, moms that stay home are considered uneducated, uncultured, and unsophisticated (especially in the media), so it was really rewarding to see that job honored and accepted instead of put down.

There isn't a wrong or right way to divide up the work/household duties in a home. I honor and respect moms of all types that do it all different ways. But I was flattered that the retro mom was recognized and celebrated on TV. Move over June Cleaver...there are more of us out there.