I must be having a very ugly weekend bc I have had three comments this weekend that were quite the kick in the gut.
Saturday at target the lady in line behind me says: "did you get all the sun today?"
Me: "oh does it look that bad"
Lady: studdering "oh well it will probably be better tomorrow"
Me: "yep its bad, yes all today, and no I'll look like this tomorrow too"
Today volunteering at the football game for the kids band association I am checking my phone as we are cleaning up. The stand manager who is not associated with the organization I was with but with the stadium sees my background photo and says : "oh is that your boyfriend let me see the picture"
I show her the photo.
Stand manager: "oh look how cute you look I couldn't tell with the hat on"
Me: ...
Stand manager leaves
Me : "did that just happen?"
So then I get home and the kid asks "did you wear that all day?"
Can't a girl catch a break???
Hopefully next weekend is a better looking weekend for me.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
What is wrong with our Justice system
Lately the news has been full of clerical errors that have lead to people not serving the jail time they were supposed to. For every instance of a person turning their life around after the clerical error there are not good instances. For instance the Missouri man who never received his day to start serving his sentence for 13 years. In those 13 years he became a productive part of society and didn't repeat his criminal behavior. However there was a gentleman in Colorado who was released 4 years early killed the states corrections chief that showed up at his door.
The case that got me the most confused was that of Rene Lima-Martin who was convicted of armed robbery in Colorado and sentenced to 98 years in prison, clearly there were many charges more charges, however everything I have read about the case sounds like the gentleman committed 2 armed robberies and was caught. He was convicted on 8 charges and had to serve them back to back rather than simultaneously so he was essentially sentenced to life. However due to a clerical error he was released in 8 years and since then has become a productive member of society, completed parole, and did not repeat his criminal behavior. however when Colorado figured out their error they sent him back to jail. Now I understand he needs to complete his sentence what I do not understand is why his sentence was so long to begin with. I am starting to wonder what his socioeconomic standing is? Plainly stated is he poor? How did this man get such a harsh sentence. Maybe the news articles I have read don't give a full picture of his criminal history. I do not think the articles would omit if he has killed someone though. (Here is one article about him : http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/09/colorado-man-returns-to-prison-after-being-released-0-years-early-due-to/)
What has compelled this blog post you are wondering. It was the fact that after thinking about Rene and his blight this weekend I read an article about a 21 year old driver in MD who hit and killed a motorcyclist while texting and driving and her punishment is a $500 file. ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME??? (Here is that article, or really just a press release: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/woman-gets-500-fine-in-fatal-gambrills-crash/25932998). The article says that there are conflicting eyewitness accounts. However the bottom line is that this driver was texting while driving and killed someone. Texting while driving is illegal and they killed someone. Their only punishment is a fine???? What is wrong with this justice system?
The case that got me the most confused was that of Rene Lima-Martin who was convicted of armed robbery in Colorado and sentenced to 98 years in prison, clearly there were many charges more charges, however everything I have read about the case sounds like the gentleman committed 2 armed robberies and was caught. He was convicted on 8 charges and had to serve them back to back rather than simultaneously so he was essentially sentenced to life. However due to a clerical error he was released in 8 years and since then has become a productive member of society, completed parole, and did not repeat his criminal behavior. however when Colorado figured out their error they sent him back to jail. Now I understand he needs to complete his sentence what I do not understand is why his sentence was so long to begin with. I am starting to wonder what his socioeconomic standing is? Plainly stated is he poor? How did this man get such a harsh sentence. Maybe the news articles I have read don't give a full picture of his criminal history. I do not think the articles would omit if he has killed someone though. (Here is one article about him : http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/09/colorado-man-returns-to-prison-after-being-released-0-years-early-due-to/)
What has compelled this blog post you are wondering. It was the fact that after thinking about Rene and his blight this weekend I read an article about a 21 year old driver in MD who hit and killed a motorcyclist while texting and driving and her punishment is a $500 file. ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME??? (Here is that article, or really just a press release: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/woman-gets-500-fine-in-fatal-gambrills-crash/25932998). The article says that there are conflicting eyewitness accounts. However the bottom line is that this driver was texting while driving and killed someone. Texting while driving is illegal and they killed someone. Their only punishment is a fine???? What is wrong with this justice system?
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Breast feeding
So I have a much older child, a teenager, but I still harbor feelings of inadequacy bc I was unable to breast feed him as a baby. Everyone had an opinion from DR's to family to strangers, EVERYONE. The nurse who wanted to know at his 6 week check up if I wanted the pills to restart breast milk that had finally stopped bc formula was not the way to go, the family member who told me it was my fault bc I didn't have patience, or the family member that told me I needed to try harder. None of these women were with me in the room while my child was crying bc he was hungry and didn't want to latch on. None of these women were the lactation consultant who was in my room and helped me make the decision. I couldn't let him cry when there was something I could do so I chose to switch him to formula to make sure he was provided for. I remember thinking that I was somehow broken and destined to fail as a mother bc I couldn't get him to breast feed.
Still to this day people insist that the only way to raise a healthy child is to breast feed so I still wonder if I did him a disservice. As many of my friends are getting to that baby having phase and social media is so popular many of them take the time to post articles backing up their opinions. Out of respect and not wanting to get into an online argument I am choosing to post this article here. This article made me feel like maybe I am not such a bad mom for not being able to breast feed, now don't get me wrong I have plenty of other things to question, as most parents do, but I feel better about my decision 13 years ago to give him food rather than let him cry until he did it the "right" way.
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/breastfeeding-just-might-be-overrated--study-finds-184819287.html
Still to this day people insist that the only way to raise a healthy child is to breast feed so I still wonder if I did him a disservice. As many of my friends are getting to that baby having phase and social media is so popular many of them take the time to post articles backing up their opinions. Out of respect and not wanting to get into an online argument I am choosing to post this article here. This article made me feel like maybe I am not such a bad mom for not being able to breast feed, now don't get me wrong I have plenty of other things to question, as most parents do, but I feel better about my decision 13 years ago to give him food rather than let him cry until he did it the "right" way.
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/breastfeeding-just-might-be-overrated--study-finds-184819287.html
Monday, February 17, 2014
Parole or not to Parole
I read an article tonight about two convicted killers of police officers in NY. The killings occurred in 1971 and three men were convicted in 1975. One gentlemen passed in jail the other two are up for parole again in a few months. Both of the two living men have been model prisoners who have earned degree's and one of the dead mans children is supporting parole. However the men have considered themselves political prisoners all of this time bc they were part of the Black Liberation Army.
This got me to thinking about parole for violent offenders. While these men say they are changed men with a low likelihood of repeating and going back to jail, do they deserve to be allowed to live their lives when they took the lives of two men? From what the article says the police officers were ambushed when responding to a call. From the article I cannot discern any motive behind the killings. I understand that they have reformed their lives but is that enough to allow them a second chance when they took two men's lives? My initial reaction is no, they do not deserve that second chance. They may have changed and grown up in jail but so what? They still need to pay for the crimes of their younger selves.
Then I started thinking about all the money it costs to house prisoners especially as they are aging. Maybe they should be paroled so they start to pay for their own way in lives. Maybe they would be able to continue to do the work they started in prison with young people and the less fortunate. Maybe they would be able to talk to schools about their experience and try to reach kids before they go down the wrong path.
Then I wonder are they really sorry or just trying to work the system to get out of jail? I know I am cynic and I am not going to be able to decide my position on this hot button issue tonight as I am very sleepy but I thought it was worth putting out here.
This got me to thinking about parole for violent offenders. While these men say they are changed men with a low likelihood of repeating and going back to jail, do they deserve to be allowed to live their lives when they took the lives of two men? From what the article says the police officers were ambushed when responding to a call. From the article I cannot discern any motive behind the killings. I understand that they have reformed their lives but is that enough to allow them a second chance when they took two men's lives? My initial reaction is no, they do not deserve that second chance. They may have changed and grown up in jail but so what? They still need to pay for the crimes of their younger selves.
Then I started thinking about all the money it costs to house prisoners especially as they are aging. Maybe they should be paroled so they start to pay for their own way in lives. Maybe they would be able to continue to do the work they started in prison with young people and the less fortunate. Maybe they would be able to talk to schools about their experience and try to reach kids before they go down the wrong path.
Then I wonder are they really sorry or just trying to work the system to get out of jail? I know I am cynic and I am not going to be able to decide my position on this hot button issue tonight as I am very sleepy but I thought it was worth putting out here.
Monday, September 30, 2013
The Government is shutting down???!!!
So let me get this straight bc those elected to office cannot come to an agreement about the health care reform the government will be shutting down, can someone please explain how that works?
What I have read about the shut down has absolutely pissed me off. Our military will have to continue working but instead of getting paid they will get IOU's, no national sites will be open so no site seeing in DC, no passports will be issued, no paychecks for Gov employees but the most absurd and frustrating thing is that those who are creating this shut down will not feel the affects bc they will still get paid. How is the world does that make sense?
I think it's time the American public rise and vote EVERYONE out of office. These people are not helping our country or the people they serve only making things worse. It's time for a change. I am sure there are some good people on Capital hill who do not deserve to be ousted but bc of all those who cannot play well with others they will all face the consequences. They chose to act like children they will be treated as such.
How must we look to the rest of the world when we go in to other countries to "help" or "fix" their issues but the government here cannot work together to keep it running? Seriously people, get it together. We need to stop being the worlds police and get our own country fixed up. For goodness sake 13 people were shot in Chicago on a Thursday night, including a 3 year old child! For goodness sake senior citizens are losing their homes bc of nominal debts and errors in accounting. For goodness sake an adjunct professor died of cancer bc she couldn't afford treatment after losing her $10K/year job which allowed her to live in her office on campus. I am sure there are many more For Goodness Sake notions out there that a quick glance at any news site could provide me with but quite frankly it all makes me too sad.
What I have read about the shut down has absolutely pissed me off. Our military will have to continue working but instead of getting paid they will get IOU's, no national sites will be open so no site seeing in DC, no passports will be issued, no paychecks for Gov employees but the most absurd and frustrating thing is that those who are creating this shut down will not feel the affects bc they will still get paid. How is the world does that make sense?
I think it's time the American public rise and vote EVERYONE out of office. These people are not helping our country or the people they serve only making things worse. It's time for a change. I am sure there are some good people on Capital hill who do not deserve to be ousted but bc of all those who cannot play well with others they will all face the consequences. They chose to act like children they will be treated as such.
How must we look to the rest of the world when we go in to other countries to "help" or "fix" their issues but the government here cannot work together to keep it running? Seriously people, get it together. We need to stop being the worlds police and get our own country fixed up. For goodness sake 13 people were shot in Chicago on a Thursday night, including a 3 year old child! For goodness sake senior citizens are losing their homes bc of nominal debts and errors in accounting. For goodness sake an adjunct professor died of cancer bc she couldn't afford treatment after losing her $10K/year job which allowed her to live in her office on campus. I am sure there are many more For Goodness Sake notions out there that a quick glance at any news site could provide me with but quite frankly it all makes me too sad.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
We need to do better
Editors note: I started this blog in April, I am not sure why I didn't post it but an article on yahoo in regards to the Ohio case and Serena William's comments made me come back to it and I realized I needed to hit publish.
This week I read an article about Canadian teen Rehteah Parsons who hung herself after over a year of being bullied after pictures of her surfaced being raped and were circulated throughout her school and community. Today I read an article about a Californian teen, Audrie Pott, who hung herself 8 days after allegedly being sexually assaulted while unconscious. There were pictures in this instance as well that circulated her community and school. Finally there is the Ohio instance of a young girl passing out and being sexually assaulted at a party. The only way she knew something had happened were the photos the circulated her community and school.
What is wrong with teenagers today and where are the parents and other adults in their lives? Where are they going to get alcohol, why do boys think it's ok to sexually assault an unconscious female, take pictures of it happening and circulate them, and why do the other teens find it appropriate to then share these horrible pictures with others? The pictures which could be described as child porn.
I feel like there is an epidemic going on with teens today that needs to be addressed. 1st why are boys not being taught that a passed out girl is off limits? Why do they think its ok to touch a passed out girl? Then how is it that their brains allow them to think it's ok to take pictures of their actions and share these pictures? I am starting to think that everyone who sent these pictures should be charged with child porn and anyone who didn't send them but received them and didn't report them should also be charged. This has to stop!
2nd alcohol isn't something they should be getting their hands on especially in these quantities, where are the parents and how do they not notice all of this alcohol being consumed? If its not happening at homes then elsewhere how are the teens getting the alcohol, the articles do not mention older people involved, everyone mentioned is under age. Which leads me to believe either parents are supplying the alcohol and should be held responsible or retailers are selling to underage kids and should be shut down.
3rd girls need to start having more respect for themselves as individuals and as a group. Why are the girls who receive these images not appalled by them and forced to take action? What if that was them, wouldn't they want someone to stand up for them? I just don't understand this.
4th where in the hell are the adults in these communities? In the Canadian instance the girl reported the assault but the police said it came down to "he said/she said" and couldn't go to court. Because clearly picture evidence isn't worth a damn in Canada. The girl left school due to bullying, why wasn't the school administration working to help her and teach the others how to behave since clearly the parents/adults in the community had failed. In the Ohio situation, the accused are star football stars and the community didn't want to hurt their football season. Are you flipping kidding me? The girl in California suffered for 8 days before she hung herself, there may not have been time in that instance to know there was a problem. I think kids can be secretive when something is bothering them. However in the other two cases the adults around the girls were well aware of the issues going on and didn't do anything to help them.
As a society we need to do better. Boys need to be taught that you cannot take advantage of a girl, if she is unconscious she is off limits, if she in inebriated she is off limits, if she says no she is also off limits. It doesn't matter if she flirted with you at one point or another, it doesn't matter if you thought she would be ok with it nor does it matter what she is wearing. If you think you might get in trouble you probably will so don't, it's that simple. Girls need to be taught to respect themselves. No person is allowed to take advantage of you, it doesn't just happen, and it's not your fault. Adults need to figure out how to stop the flow of alcohol into our youth bc clearly that helps the bad situations to become worse. School personal need to be vigilant and if that means overly cautious so be it but they need to work on stopping the re-victimization in the schools. Law enforcement need to start punishing the boys who do the victimizing, the kids who do the bullying, and the parents who turn blind eyes to the crap their children are doing or the kids around them are doing.
This week I read an article about Canadian teen Rehteah Parsons who hung herself after over a year of being bullied after pictures of her surfaced being raped and were circulated throughout her school and community. Today I read an article about a Californian teen, Audrie Pott, who hung herself 8 days after allegedly being sexually assaulted while unconscious. There were pictures in this instance as well that circulated her community and school. Finally there is the Ohio instance of a young girl passing out and being sexually assaulted at a party. The only way she knew something had happened were the photos the circulated her community and school.
What is wrong with teenagers today and where are the parents and other adults in their lives? Where are they going to get alcohol, why do boys think it's ok to sexually assault an unconscious female, take pictures of it happening and circulate them, and why do the other teens find it appropriate to then share these horrible pictures with others? The pictures which could be described as child porn.
I feel like there is an epidemic going on with teens today that needs to be addressed. 1st why are boys not being taught that a passed out girl is off limits? Why do they think its ok to touch a passed out girl? Then how is it that their brains allow them to think it's ok to take pictures of their actions and share these pictures? I am starting to think that everyone who sent these pictures should be charged with child porn and anyone who didn't send them but received them and didn't report them should also be charged. This has to stop!
2nd alcohol isn't something they should be getting their hands on especially in these quantities, where are the parents and how do they not notice all of this alcohol being consumed? If its not happening at homes then elsewhere how are the teens getting the alcohol, the articles do not mention older people involved, everyone mentioned is under age. Which leads me to believe either parents are supplying the alcohol and should be held responsible or retailers are selling to underage kids and should be shut down.
3rd girls need to start having more respect for themselves as individuals and as a group. Why are the girls who receive these images not appalled by them and forced to take action? What if that was them, wouldn't they want someone to stand up for them? I just don't understand this.
4th where in the hell are the adults in these communities? In the Canadian instance the girl reported the assault but the police said it came down to "he said/she said" and couldn't go to court. Because clearly picture evidence isn't worth a damn in Canada. The girl left school due to bullying, why wasn't the school administration working to help her and teach the others how to behave since clearly the parents/adults in the community had failed. In the Ohio situation, the accused are star football stars and the community didn't want to hurt their football season. Are you flipping kidding me? The girl in California suffered for 8 days before she hung herself, there may not have been time in that instance to know there was a problem. I think kids can be secretive when something is bothering them. However in the other two cases the adults around the girls were well aware of the issues going on and didn't do anything to help them.
As a society we need to do better. Boys need to be taught that you cannot take advantage of a girl, if she is unconscious she is off limits, if she in inebriated she is off limits, if she says no she is also off limits. It doesn't matter if she flirted with you at one point or another, it doesn't matter if you thought she would be ok with it nor does it matter what she is wearing. If you think you might get in trouble you probably will so don't, it's that simple. Girls need to be taught to respect themselves. No person is allowed to take advantage of you, it doesn't just happen, and it's not your fault. Adults need to figure out how to stop the flow of alcohol into our youth bc clearly that helps the bad situations to become worse. School personal need to be vigilant and if that means overly cautious so be it but they need to work on stopping the re-victimization in the schools. Law enforcement need to start punishing the boys who do the victimizing, the kids who do the bullying, and the parents who turn blind eyes to the crap their children are doing or the kids around them are doing.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Betty's horrible, terrible, no good very bad day
Today just blew and I can't seem to shake it so I am hoping that if I write it all down the bad jewjew will get off of me.
Woke up the child this AM and he insisted he had a sore throat and needed more sleep so I tell him to suck it up and get up. He is tired bc he went to bed late, then woke up in the middle of the night. I told him he didn't have a sore throat when he was eating his Halloween candy and out the door I go.
My co-worker texted me and told me that traffic was bad on one of the streets I take as a back road so I figured traffic would be slow but not as slow as it was. Consequently I was late to work but I got there before my boss and before the corporate guy who was coming in. So this could be considered a wash it just frustrated me that traffic was slow for no visible reason.
Within an hour of being at work the child's school called and saying he was in the health room with a slight fever. I didn't feel like I could leave work bc corporate finally came down to help me out after a week of putting it off. (yes I know there was a freak storm this week, however if they expected me to make it in they could have made it up...). My aunt was a godsend and picked up the child for me and brought him home.
We are short staffed (until Monday...) so the driver decides to leave to go on his route instead of helping the lone yard guy unload a delivery plus helping the multiple customers that arrive at the same time. So I go out to help load customers since the lone yard guy is swamped. My first customer goes fine, get him what he needs and off he goes. The second guy, not so much. I dropped a piece of pipe on my finger then the same pipe wound up falling on my head. ARG!! Luckily it was a piece of plastic pipe, not the cast iron but it still hurt.
I was already scheduled to work a half day to take the child to the orthodontist so when I leave I get home and have to wake him up. I know he is really not feeling well when I find him asleep, he never naps. We get to the orthodontist and he tells them he isn't feeling well so no one will work on him for fear of getting infected??? So a wasted half day of work. When I go to reschedule his appointment I asked if I would have been charged a cancellation fee today and was told yes. So what did they expect me to do? I am not going to pay especially when I have already taken a half day. So I rescheduled his appointment but the only times they have available are 9:30 AM so I have to figure out how to get him to a new appointment.
And finally as I am leaving the orthodontist I get a text to call the office bc corporate wants to talk to me. When I call in he proceeds to tell me that the reason we were having issues is something I did in May. His explanation makes NO sense to me but I am sure he has already told my direct boss and got him all pissed at me. This just blows!!!
So I am sitting here watching a chick flick drinking spiked lemonade my brother gave me for my birthday willing this horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day to end.
Woke up the child this AM and he insisted he had a sore throat and needed more sleep so I tell him to suck it up and get up. He is tired bc he went to bed late, then woke up in the middle of the night. I told him he didn't have a sore throat when he was eating his Halloween candy and out the door I go.
My co-worker texted me and told me that traffic was bad on one of the streets I take as a back road so I figured traffic would be slow but not as slow as it was. Consequently I was late to work but I got there before my boss and before the corporate guy who was coming in. So this could be considered a wash it just frustrated me that traffic was slow for no visible reason.
Within an hour of being at work the child's school called and saying he was in the health room with a slight fever. I didn't feel like I could leave work bc corporate finally came down to help me out after a week of putting it off. (yes I know there was a freak storm this week, however if they expected me to make it in they could have made it up...). My aunt was a godsend and picked up the child for me and brought him home.
We are short staffed (until Monday...) so the driver decides to leave to go on his route instead of helping the lone yard guy unload a delivery plus helping the multiple customers that arrive at the same time. So I go out to help load customers since the lone yard guy is swamped. My first customer goes fine, get him what he needs and off he goes. The second guy, not so much. I dropped a piece of pipe on my finger then the same pipe wound up falling on my head. ARG!! Luckily it was a piece of plastic pipe, not the cast iron but it still hurt.
I was already scheduled to work a half day to take the child to the orthodontist so when I leave I get home and have to wake him up. I know he is really not feeling well when I find him asleep, he never naps. We get to the orthodontist and he tells them he isn't feeling well so no one will work on him for fear of getting infected??? So a wasted half day of work. When I go to reschedule his appointment I asked if I would have been charged a cancellation fee today and was told yes. So what did they expect me to do? I am not going to pay especially when I have already taken a half day. So I rescheduled his appointment but the only times they have available are 9:30 AM so I have to figure out how to get him to a new appointment.
And finally as I am leaving the orthodontist I get a text to call the office bc corporate wants to talk to me. When I call in he proceeds to tell me that the reason we were having issues is something I did in May. His explanation makes NO sense to me but I am sure he has already told my direct boss and got him all pissed at me. This just blows!!!
So I am sitting here watching a chick flick drinking spiked lemonade my brother gave me for my birthday willing this horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day to end.
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