Telling, isn't it, that yesterday's Saudi Gazette published this cartoon on the front page, depicting a student getting ready to beat his teacher with a ruler:
If it wasn't so accurate, it would almost be comical.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Exam Season
Students in the Sandbox began their mid-term exams yesterday. In the next few days we will likely see reports [if they are published in the newspapers] of students assaulting their teachers. Happens every year. It will be interesting to see what Sabria Jawhar has to say. She certainly had plenty to say about a headmistress who she thinks should have taken the "high road" when a 20-year-old student broke a glass over her head.
Telling, isn't it, that yesterday's Saudi Gazette published this cartoon on the front page, depicting a student getting ready to beat his teacher with a ruler:
If it wasn't so accurate, it would almost be comical.
Telling, isn't it, that yesterday's Saudi Gazette published this cartoon on the front page, depicting a student getting ready to beat his teacher with a ruler:
If it wasn't so accurate, it would almost be comical.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Gang raped maid. Off with her head!
Okay. That isn't her punishment. Yet. Give it time. A young Indonesian maid has been raped by EIGHT men. EIGHT! Who do you think will be punished? The men? Or the maid? The maid will be. She will be sent to prison and given lashes and absolutely nothing will happen to the men.
The poor 21-year-old woman has got to be horrified. She had only just arrived some nine short days before she was abducted by the eight masked men - men who probably were covering their faces with their ghutra's and not actually wearing masks - and brutally gang raped.
The couple short paragraphs of this nightmare ordeal are here. The men? Long gone. They kept photos of the young maid on their mobile phones, though. You think any of their friends will turn them in? Nah. They'll provide cover for them, instead.
A couple of Saudi women came to the young maid's rescue, after she was dumped out of the car near a hospital. Guess she can be thankful for that. And, for this, "A number of Saudi women have expressed their solidarity with the maid." What the heck does that mean? Why is it that so many Middle Eastern families must rely on full-time household help to begin with?
How is it that Saudi families have housemaids, but expat families rely on houseboys? I somehow think that perhaps there is something to be said with having male help. There certainly would be fewer problems in certain regards, wouldn't there. No doubt the husbands wouldn't be able to stand it, though. A male - unrelated - in the home with a wife all day? Because a driver, who is a male and unrelated is totally different.
Maids are always a problem in households. Read this. An article about non-Saudi grown women whining about their Saudi husbands. You've made your bed, now lie in it. Woman up. And quit 'yer crying. No one wants to hear it.
If you can stomach the account of some woman relating how awful her husband is you will have read this: "He began to cheat on me in our own apartment. I caught him with other ladies. [Honey, if there were other women in your apartment, in your bed, they were NOT ladies. 'Ho's, maybe. But not ladies.] The most painful was when I caught him in [a] compromising position with the housemaid who had been working with us for six years." I know. We all know. It was the housemaid's fault. It always is. And never, of course, the fault of your low-life-two-timing-cheating husband.
Just because it can be bothersome to read such awful stories about life on this side of the world, if you are in need of something more pleasing, go read an A-List post at an A-List blog. A-List. Because Dogette and her friend Laura are now "A-Listers" in their own minds. Heh. If you want to read about dog poop, that is where you're going to find that kind of thing. Am I worried about losing traffic? Nah. I got my own special little award a week or so ago and my traffic has doubled! I should share it with you... Because I don't care enough about Haiti then I'm a _______bag. Or something like that. Maybe I'll bother dissecting it and sharing it later. Probably not. Mostly I just don't care. I really don't.
The poor 21-year-old woman has got to be horrified. She had only just arrived some nine short days before she was abducted by the eight masked men - men who probably were covering their faces with their ghutra's and not actually wearing masks - and brutally gang raped.
The couple short paragraphs of this nightmare ordeal are here. The men? Long gone. They kept photos of the young maid on their mobile phones, though. You think any of their friends will turn them in? Nah. They'll provide cover for them, instead.
A couple of Saudi women came to the young maid's rescue, after she was dumped out of the car near a hospital. Guess she can be thankful for that. And, for this, "A number of Saudi women have expressed their solidarity with the maid." What the heck does that mean? Why is it that so many Middle Eastern families must rely on full-time household help to begin with?
How is it that Saudi families have housemaids, but expat families rely on houseboys? I somehow think that perhaps there is something to be said with having male help. There certainly would be fewer problems in certain regards, wouldn't there. No doubt the husbands wouldn't be able to stand it, though. A male - unrelated - in the home with a wife all day? Because a driver, who is a male and unrelated is totally different.
Maids are always a problem in households. Read this. An article about non-Saudi grown women whining about their Saudi husbands. You've made your bed, now lie in it. Woman up. And quit 'yer crying. No one wants to hear it.
If you can stomach the account of some woman relating how awful her husband is you will have read this: "He began to cheat on me in our own apartment. I caught him with other ladies. [Honey, if there were other women in your apartment, in your bed, they were NOT ladies. 'Ho's, maybe. But not ladies.] The most painful was when I caught him in [a] compromising position with the housemaid who had been working with us for six years." I know. We all know. It was the housemaid's fault. It always is. And never, of course, the fault of your low-life-two-timing-cheating husband.
Just because it can be bothersome to read such awful stories about life on this side of the world, if you are in need of something more pleasing, go read an A-List post at an A-List blog. A-List. Because Dogette and her friend Laura are now "A-Listers" in their own minds. Heh. If you want to read about dog poop, that is where you're going to find that kind of thing. Am I worried about losing traffic? Nah. I got my own special little award a week or so ago and my traffic has doubled! I should share it with you... Because I don't care enough about Haiti then I'm a _______bag. Or something like that. Maybe I'll bother dissecting it and sharing it later. Probably not. Mostly I just don't care. I really don't.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
SOTU
How many replays of the SOTU speech does Fox have to play? If the jugearedjackass is in front of a podium with his trusty teleprompters and his lips are moving, then he is lying. I've got 70 pounds of beef and 53 pounds of chicken to cook today. Looks like I'll be doing it with the television off. Either that, or I'm going to have to cook to reruns of Everyone Loves Raymond and Diff'rent Strokes. Blech. The kitchen will be silent until this afternoon when Fox finally goes to programming that doesn't have the jeja on camera lying to the world.
90 lashes to that 13-year-old girl?
The "other" story about that...
What to believe? The first report or the new report? Did someone, here, in the Sandbox, decide that a more gentle and "user-friendly" spin had to be put on the story so that the punishment didn't sound as barbaric as it is? Maybe. We will never know.
Yesterday's Saudi Gazette offered a new "Dramatic episode of Saudi student's lashing." A version which, by the way, is quite different from that whichwas reported I blogged on last week.
Sabria S. Jawhar, who I thought was going to be a breath of fresh air* and who I sometimes agree with, does her best to set us straight.
Turns out, according to Ms. Jawhar, that the 13-year-old is really 20. Hmm. A seven year difference there. Because, lashing an adolescent instead of a grown woman just seems so - so - something. Oh! Barbaric. And turns out that the girl/woman assaulted the principal, allegedly by breaking a water glass over her head. We all knew such a punishment wouldn't be meted out to a young girl just for taking her phone to school or for "hitting" theprincipal headmistress. At least we've been set straight on that.
The school where the incident took place is "a public school" which has a "program for young women to obtain a high school diploma." Maybe it is for women who were but mere little girls that got pulled out of school early on to get married. Don't know. Either way, Ms. Jawhar says that the original report "wasn't true." What a surprise. The facts, as they were then known, were all wrong. Kind of sort of. Either way, Sabria would like to "turn this student over my knee and give her a good spanking for acting like the misbehaving toddler she is." Little late for that now, as the woman [who is unnamed] is now 20! Perhaps if that would have happened when she was a young child... [Not that I advocate spanking. I didn't spank my son. I probably should have. Hindsight. It is a wonderful thing.]
Sabria goes on to say, "This student understood the rules... She deserves to be punished, but the reactions are way over the top." I dunno. 90 lashes for breaking a glass over someone else's head? Seems to me like others have done worse and been punished less. No matter. The point Sabria wants to make with her column has more to do with Saudi women in general and not just the one woman at issue. "...the young woman's temper tantrum [toddlers throw temper tantrums, not adults!] and the authorities' overreaction point to larger issues of Saudi society's treatment of adult women, Saudi media's haphazard and lazy reporting [how do your colleagues feel about being called haphazard and lazy, I wonder?], the sense of entitlement among some [some! emphasis, mine] Saudi families and lack of parental control." Have to agree that not all 20-year-old students are perfect models of behavior, but how many assault authoritative figures at their schools by breaking a glass over their head? So, as "ridiculous" as it may seem "that Saudi women are treated like little children" there are obviously reasons why such rules and regulations regarding phones and dress-codes were necessary to begin with.
Phones are banned at all girls' schools [boys, too? probably not - this is, after all, a very male-dominated society where boys can do virtually no wrong]. Would it be a stretch to think that phones prohibited at girls' schools because the privilege was abused? I don't think so. So, the school makes a rule that "[a]ll women, including parents and guests, are not permitted to have mobile phones on school grounds." Rules are rules. Ms. Jawhar misses the point about this. She says, "It's fine to ban mobile phones use by students, but it's simply an abuse of power when applied to anyone else. If my mother came to my high school campus with a mobile in her purse, it's nobody's business but her own. [If your mother did that, and left it in her purse, I'd be willing to be no one would care.] And if she sat in the administration building's lobby and chatted on the phone with my sister, then it's her business. Just who has the right to stop her?" The school does, if those are the rules. Entitlement? Much? If the rules say no mobile phones on school property then it means no mobile phones on the property. Are you trying to say that whatever your mother had to say in her "chat" with your sister couldn't wait? A "chat" is not an emergency. That "chat" can wait until your mother has left the school grounds, can't it?
Ms. Jawhar gives us some insight on Saudi girls' schools which "can be unreasonably strict... Most schools have strict dress codes that require heavy dark colored clothing without adornment that is impractical for hot weather [oh my - I've been saying all along that the blag bag I am forced to wear when I leave our compound is impractical for hot weather and a myriad of other reasons]. I remember in my days at school that girls were required to wear black shoes and white socks. Makeup and perfumes were banned. There were no mirrors in the restrooms [was there any toilet paper?] and compacts from girls purses were often seized by school authorities." Surely there were / are reasons for the rules. I'd be willing to guess that as with any school that requires uniforms the envelope was pushed and pushed and pushed. "While proper decorum in an acedemic enviornment is conducive to good learning, there's a fine line between oppression and discipline." So, oppression is okay, then? Must be. "Perhaps if Saudi institutions like this school... stopped treating women as kids they will stop acting like kids." And, we go back to rules are rules. Good for thee but not for me, mentality. Oh, and isn't learning how to follow the rules a sign of maturity?
Forget about the rules at the girls' schools. Let's slam the Saudi media who, "in their own inept way, helped bring international condemnation from human rights groups in Saudi Arabia." Ms. Jawhar says, "The Arabic-language press not only got the woman's age wrong but also muddled the facts over whether the lashing sentence was for having a mobile phone on campus or for assaulting the headmistress. Amnesty International made matters worse by announcing the girl was 13-years-old." Right. Ms. Jawhar and I will have to agree to disagree on part of that. I think I was pretty clear in my earlier post that the lashings were meted out for something far more serious than a girl just having a mobile phone. How did I reach that conclusion? From the original media report. And as far as having Amnesty International making matters worse, I'd say that I think Saudi Arabia does a fine job all on its own in bringing to the world's attention just how incredulously it punishes women. I mean, after all, where else in the world is a rape victim punished? Not including other third world countries...
In the article is a paragraph or two about "sloppy reporting" and "blame." The school gets the "lion's share." Then about how "lack of transparency usually leads to erroneous reporting." Can't argue with that fact. Newspapers in the United States have seen their circulation decline drastically over the past few years for that very reason. Ms. Jawhar says, "The international community will only remember that a young girl was flogged for bringing a mobile phone to school. Nobody cares that it was an adult who attacked another woman with a deadly weapon." Not true. The international community will only remember that in Saudi Arabia girls are flogged. Doesn't matter if it was for bringing a mobile phone to school or for being the victim of a rape!
Then, this: "Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this incident is that the attack appears to not have occurred in the heat of the moment... After the headmistress confiscated the phone, the student went home and returned to school with her mother. It was during the meeting between the three women that [the] young woman picked up a drinking glass and struck the headmistress with it." There have been countless reports of young boys getting bad marks and going home from school only to return later with their father's who proceed to beat the crap out of the teacher that gave the bad grade. I haven't seen Ms. Jawhar report on any of those incidents. You see, it is not the student's fault for not studying or doing homework. It is always the teacher's fault for giving a bad grade. Muddled reporting? No. Muddled mindset.
"No doubt the mother was shocked at her daughter's behavior, but one has to wonder when the daughter learned that violence solves such small problems..." Oh, my. If that doesn't open up a can of worms! I'm not even going to go there, but one has to wonder where it is that so many men learn that it is okay to strap on boom-boom vests or don boom-boom panties in an effort to eliminate people who don't subscribe to the same belief system as they do...
Ms. Jawhar thinks that the "student possesses an undeserved sense of entitlement that the rules don't apply to her..." Isn't this part of the upbringing? The same sense of entitlement that makes it okay for people to cut in front of you in a queue at the grocery store? Yeah. I think it is.
But to blame the headmistress?!! You've got to be kidding. "The headmistress... could have stopped this runaway locomotive of a public relations disaster. She could have nipped the controversy in the bud by forgiving the student to spare her the lashing. But the headmmistress had her own temper tantrum by refusing to take the high road..." Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Personal responsibility? There isn't any.
*Not so much as it turns out. Sometimes, though, I think she is restrained, perhaps more out of necessity than not. Just my opinion.
What to believe? The first report or the new report? Did someone, here, in the Sandbox, decide that a more gentle and "user-friendly" spin had to be put on the story so that the punishment didn't sound as barbaric as it is? Maybe. We will never know.
Yesterday's Saudi Gazette offered a new "Dramatic episode of Saudi student's lashing." A version which, by the way, is quite different from that which
Sabria S. Jawhar, who I thought was going to be a breath of fresh air* and who I sometimes agree with, does her best to set us straight.
Turns out, according to Ms. Jawhar, that the 13-year-old is really 20. Hmm. A seven year difference there. Because, lashing an adolescent instead of a grown woman just seems so - so - something. Oh! Barbaric. And turns out that the girl/woman assaulted the principal, allegedly by breaking a water glass over her head. We all knew such a punishment wouldn't be meted out to a young girl just for taking her phone to school or for "hitting" the
The school where the incident took place is "a public school" which has a "program for young women to obtain a high school diploma." Maybe it is for women who were but mere little girls that got pulled out of school early on to get married. Don't know. Either way, Ms. Jawhar says that the original report "wasn't true." What a surprise. The facts, as they were then known, were all wrong. Kind of sort of. Either way, Sabria would like to "turn this student over my knee and give her a good spanking for acting like the misbehaving toddler she is." Little late for that now, as the woman [who is unnamed] is now 20! Perhaps if that would have happened when she was a young child... [Not that I advocate spanking. I didn't spank my son. I probably should have. Hindsight. It is a wonderful thing.]
Sabria goes on to say, "This student understood the rules... She deserves to be punished, but the reactions are way over the top." I dunno. 90 lashes for breaking a glass over someone else's head? Seems to me like others have done worse and been punished less. No matter. The point Sabria wants to make with her column has more to do with Saudi women in general and not just the one woman at issue. "...the young woman's temper tantrum [toddlers throw temper tantrums, not adults!] and the authorities' overreaction point to larger issues of Saudi society's treatment of adult women, Saudi media's haphazard and lazy reporting [how do your colleagues feel about being called haphazard and lazy, I wonder?], the sense of entitlement among some [some! emphasis, mine] Saudi families and lack of parental control." Have to agree that not all 20-year-old students are perfect models of behavior, but how many assault authoritative figures at their schools by breaking a glass over their head? So, as "ridiculous" as it may seem "that Saudi women are treated like little children" there are obviously reasons why such rules and regulations regarding phones and dress-codes were necessary to begin with.
Phones are banned at all girls' schools [boys, too? probably not - this is, after all, a very male-dominated society where boys can do virtually no wrong]. Would it be a stretch to think that phones prohibited at girls' schools because the privilege was abused? I don't think so. So, the school makes a rule that "[a]ll women, including parents and guests, are not permitted to have mobile phones on school grounds." Rules are rules. Ms. Jawhar misses the point about this. She says, "It's fine to ban mobile phones use by students, but it's simply an abuse of power when applied to anyone else. If my mother came to my high school campus with a mobile in her purse, it's nobody's business but her own. [If your mother did that, and left it in her purse, I'd be willing to be no one would care.] And if she sat in the administration building's lobby and chatted on the phone with my sister, then it's her business. Just who has the right to stop her?" The school does, if those are the rules. Entitlement? Much? If the rules say no mobile phones on school property then it means no mobile phones on the property. Are you trying to say that whatever your mother had to say in her "chat" with your sister couldn't wait? A "chat" is not an emergency. That "chat" can wait until your mother has left the school grounds, can't it?
Ms. Jawhar gives us some insight on Saudi girls' schools which "can be unreasonably strict... Most schools have strict dress codes that require heavy dark colored clothing without adornment that is impractical for hot weather [oh my - I've been saying all along that the blag bag I am forced to wear when I leave our compound is impractical for hot weather and a myriad of other reasons]. I remember in my days at school that girls were required to wear black shoes and white socks. Makeup and perfumes were banned. There were no mirrors in the restrooms [was there any toilet paper?] and compacts from girls purses were often seized by school authorities." Surely there were / are reasons for the rules. I'd be willing to guess that as with any school that requires uniforms the envelope was pushed and pushed and pushed. "While proper decorum in an acedemic enviornment is conducive to good learning, there's a fine line between oppression and discipline." So, oppression is okay, then? Must be. "Perhaps if Saudi institutions like this school... stopped treating women as kids they will stop acting like kids." And, we go back to rules are rules. Good for thee but not for me, mentality. Oh, and isn't learning how to follow the rules a sign of maturity?
Forget about the rules at the girls' schools. Let's slam the Saudi media who, "in their own inept way, helped bring international condemnation from human rights groups in Saudi Arabia." Ms. Jawhar says, "The Arabic-language press not only got the woman's age wrong but also muddled the facts over whether the lashing sentence was for having a mobile phone on campus or for assaulting the headmistress. Amnesty International made matters worse by announcing the girl was 13-years-old." Right. Ms. Jawhar and I will have to agree to disagree on part of that. I think I was pretty clear in my earlier post that the lashings were meted out for something far more serious than a girl just having a mobile phone. How did I reach that conclusion? From the original media report. And as far as having Amnesty International making matters worse, I'd say that I think Saudi Arabia does a fine job all on its own in bringing to the world's attention just how incredulously it punishes women. I mean, after all, where else in the world is a rape victim punished? Not including other third world countries...
In the article is a paragraph or two about "sloppy reporting" and "blame." The school gets the "lion's share." Then about how "lack of transparency usually leads to erroneous reporting." Can't argue with that fact. Newspapers in the United States have seen their circulation decline drastically over the past few years for that very reason. Ms. Jawhar says, "The international community will only remember that a young girl was flogged for bringing a mobile phone to school. Nobody cares that it was an adult who attacked another woman with a deadly weapon." Not true. The international community will only remember that in Saudi Arabia girls are flogged. Doesn't matter if it was for bringing a mobile phone to school or for being the victim of a rape!
Then, this: "Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this incident is that the attack appears to not have occurred in the heat of the moment... After the headmistress confiscated the phone, the student went home and returned to school with her mother. It was during the meeting between the three women that [the] young woman picked up a drinking glass and struck the headmistress with it." There have been countless reports of young boys getting bad marks and going home from school only to return later with their father's who proceed to beat the crap out of the teacher that gave the bad grade. I haven't seen Ms. Jawhar report on any of those incidents. You see, it is not the student's fault for not studying or doing homework. It is always the teacher's fault for giving a bad grade. Muddled reporting? No. Muddled mindset.
"No doubt the mother was shocked at her daughter's behavior, but one has to wonder when the daughter learned that violence solves such small problems..." Oh, my. If that doesn't open up a can of worms! I'm not even going to go there, but one has to wonder where it is that so many men learn that it is okay to strap on boom-boom vests or don boom-boom panties in an effort to eliminate people who don't subscribe to the same belief system as they do...
Ms. Jawhar thinks that the "student possesses an undeserved sense of entitlement that the rules don't apply to her..." Isn't this part of the upbringing? The same sense of entitlement that makes it okay for people to cut in front of you in a queue at the grocery store? Yeah. I think it is.
But to blame the headmistress?!! You've got to be kidding. "The headmistress... could have stopped this runaway locomotive of a public relations disaster. She could have nipped the controversy in the bud by forgiving the student to spare her the lashing. But the headmmistress had her own temper tantrum by refusing to take the high road..." Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Personal responsibility? There isn't any.
*Not so much as it turns out. Sometimes, though, I think she is restrained, perhaps more out of necessity than not. Just my opinion.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Dead workers? Get some more.
Plenty more where those workers came from. See how easy that is? There. Problem solved.
Three workers are dead after drowning in a sewage tank. Apparently one of the men got into trouble in the tank and two other men went in after him. Result? Not good. Surely an accident that could have been prevented. Like many others. Happens all the time, here. No OSHA or anything like that. Interestingly enough, though, the article says, "most accidents that happen in the workplace are due to negligence and not following safety procedures... ...all the safety equipment used should be checked before starting work... ...workers [should] ensure they follow company safety procedures." What safety equipment? What safety procedures!?! And, how about assigning some responsibility [blame!] to the employers who push workers to "work, work, work, work, work safety be dayum'd?" Never mind. I am pretty sure that that thought isn't anywhere near the radar screen when it comes to worker safety.
Maids. Another dead one. Ho hum. Routine. Nothing to see here, folks. The woman, from Indonesia, was "tortured... to death." There is hope. The couple suspected of torturing her has been "detained." No matter. It will all work out that the maid inflicted injuries to herself because she didn't want to sweep the hallway or take out the trash. Or something. So what that she was covered in "burns which were left untreated and became infected." Those burns? No doubt the maid carelessly grabbed the iron from the "hot" bottom of it instead of the handle, or maybe she "accidentally" spilled a vat of boiling water on herself. The couple will be absolved of any and all responsibility in the short term. Like always. Especially since the woman is reportedly in the hospital because she fainted during questioning. Give the couple a few weeks. They will have another maid from Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.
Gotta call b.s. on a report of a maid killing a sixteen-year-old boy. More to this than is being reported. As of now, the maid is admitting to killing the teen "in revenge for his cruel treatment of her." Cruel treatment? What is that? Code for something else, possibly? Dare I jump to any conclusions? Nah. Why bother? It's just a maid.
Three workers are dead after drowning in a sewage tank. Apparently one of the men got into trouble in the tank and two other men went in after him. Result? Not good. Surely an accident that could have been prevented. Like many others. Happens all the time, here. No OSHA or anything like that. Interestingly enough, though, the article says, "most accidents that happen in the workplace are due to negligence and not following safety procedures... ...all the safety equipment used should be checked before starting work... ...workers [should] ensure they follow company safety procedures." What safety equipment? What safety procedures!?! And, how about assigning some responsibility [blame!] to the employers who push workers to "work, work, work, work, work safety be dayum'd?" Never mind. I am pretty sure that that thought isn't anywhere near the radar screen when it comes to worker safety.
Maids. Another dead one. Ho hum. Routine. Nothing to see here, folks. The woman, from Indonesia, was "tortured... to death." There is hope. The couple suspected of torturing her has been "detained." No matter. It will all work out that the maid inflicted injuries to herself because she didn't want to sweep the hallway or take out the trash. Or something. So what that she was covered in "burns which were left untreated and became infected." Those burns? No doubt the maid carelessly grabbed the iron from the "hot" bottom of it instead of the handle, or maybe she "accidentally" spilled a vat of boiling water on herself. The couple will be absolved of any and all responsibility in the short term. Like always. Especially since the woman is reportedly in the hospital because she fainted during questioning. Give the couple a few weeks. They will have another maid from Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.
Gotta call b.s. on a report of a maid killing a sixteen-year-old boy. More to this than is being reported. As of now, the maid is admitting to killing the teen "in revenge for his cruel treatment of her." Cruel treatment? What is that? Code for something else, possibly? Dare I jump to any conclusions? Nah. Why bother? It's just a maid.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Cadillac Station Wagon, GM & Health Care
Years ago I had a Taurus station wagon. It was a GREAT car. Yeah, I know as weird as this sounds, it was a "cool" car. When the Taurus finally died I got a Volvo wagon. The old shape - square, boxy. We sold the Volvo before heading to the Sandbox seven years ago. It was the first time I ever cried over a car. I hated to see it go. [I still miss it!]
I saw an advertisement for a Cadillac station wagon. What? Cadillac makes a station wagon? Really? Gee. Only costs some $38,000 plus - that is for the low-end model, starting price, without "options." For a car. Checked it out, here.
I was scrolling through the site just to see what the deal was with it [mostly I want to know what color it comes in and I could care less about what is under the hood - just make it "go"]. I got to this page. A fire extinguisher costs $5,233.00?! Is that a typo? It has to be. Right? And a first aid kit costs $4,187.00? The reflective triangle costs $2,929.00. Am I so out of touch at this point having lived in the Sandbox for so long that I just don't know the "real" cost of things, there, in the States, lately? Roadside assistance is $12,870.00. How much is an AAA membership? Isn't that one of the reasons you become a member of AAA, for roadside assistance? I know it has got to be a heck of a lot less than $12,870!
No. There is not a chance I would ever pay those prices for any of those things. A fire extinguisher at the fire extinguisher store costs about $40.00. Even the most expensive first aid kit at Target only costs $329.99 - and one can be purchased for a whole lot less than that, even. A quick search turned up a reflective roadside "triangle" for $18.00!
Good grief. What is up with the prices as shown at Cadillac? This is all part of the jeja's foray into the car industry with Cadillac being a part of GM. And he wants to convince us that health care is going to be less expensive under his plan? Yeah. Right. If you believe that one, I have a Sand Castle I want to sell you.
I saw an advertisement for a Cadillac station wagon. What? Cadillac makes a station wagon? Really? Gee. Only costs some $38,000 plus - that is for the low-end model, starting price, without "options." For a car. Checked it out, here.
I was scrolling through the site just to see what the deal was with it [mostly I want to know what color it comes in and I could care less about what is under the hood - just make it "go"]. I got to this page. A fire extinguisher costs $5,233.00?! Is that a typo? It has to be. Right? And a first aid kit costs $4,187.00? The reflective triangle costs $2,929.00. Am I so out of touch at this point having lived in the Sandbox for so long that I just don't know the "real" cost of things, there, in the States, lately? Roadside assistance is $12,870.00. How much is an AAA membership? Isn't that one of the reasons you become a member of AAA, for roadside assistance? I know it has got to be a heck of a lot less than $12,870!
No. There is not a chance I would ever pay those prices for any of those things. A fire extinguisher at the fire extinguisher store costs about $40.00. Even the most expensive first aid kit at Target only costs $329.99 - and one can be purchased for a whole lot less than that, even. A quick search turned up a reflective roadside "triangle" for $18.00!
Good grief. What is up with the prices as shown at Cadillac? This is all part of the jeja's foray into the car industry with Cadillac being a part of GM. And he wants to convince us that health care is going to be less expensive under his plan? Yeah. Right. If you believe that one, I have a Sand Castle I want to sell you.
Yep. He said it.
Where his lips moving? Then he was lying as he read from his trusty teleprompter...
In an expected and less than stunning admission, the jugearedjackass actually said "I didn't do it." Do what? He was referencinghis that debacle currently stagnating the halls of the White House, by nancy pelosi and her co-hort harry reid, known as "health care." Who was he being interviewed by? And, which pundit said he would say it wasn't his doing, first? Links to be provided as I find them if I bother searching later... [Apparently he said what he said during his most recent interview with Diane Sawyer. It's out there. I'm not embedding it. I can't stomach it, again. Saw it at WZ's place after watching it several times on Fox News today. Still don't know who it was that said he would say this, though.]
He "didn't do it." No. No, of course not. No one was accusing you. [Snort!]
Just absolutely phukking amazing. No doubt whatever he utters he actually believes. He didn't do it. Which, so far, pretty much sums up his entire first year. He hasn't done anything [but spend money*].
*Don't even bother with the "but the Bush administration was in charge did it first is at fault" crap. We're past that. It now belongs to the jeja.
In an expected and less than stunning admission, the jugearedjackass actually said "I didn't do it." Do what? He was referencing
He "didn't do it." No. No, of course not. No one was accusing you. [Snort!]
Just absolutely phukking amazing. No doubt whatever he utters he actually believes. He didn't do it. Which, so far, pretty much sums up his entire first year. He hasn't done anything [but spend money*].
*Don't even bother with the "but the Bush administration was in charge did it first is at fault" crap. We're past that. It now belongs to the jeja.
Saudi Arabia Gives. Generously.
Fifty million dollars. To Haiti. I thought Saudi officials were going to be smarter than that. Pressure. They bowed to the pressure. And the humiliation and shame. Thus is the culture, here. Humiliation and shame go farther than anything else. Pressure? That, Saudi can take. But not humiliation and shame. Whatever. Fifty million dollars that will be used to rebuild some presidential palace over the next seven years. Of course, in reality, with the money given to be funded through the United Nations, Haiti can expect to less than a mere pittance.
Hmmph. Just six or so short months ago the Sandbox was welcoming maids from Vietnam and issued lots and lots of visas to recruit women [and men - for other positions] from there with flattering statements of how the "Vietnamese are peace loving [as opposed to?] and generally averse to committing crimes [like what other nationality?]." Guess that didn't work out as well as everyone thought it would. Imagine that. My take on that? I suggested that workers from other countries were catching on and that new markets were needed. Those workers from Vietnam? They are problems. They complain about being abused and not being paid. The nerve! Of course, the "official" spin is completely different. "The main reason for considering such a ban is that the labor recruiters in those countries are not qualified enough to supply housemaids that suit the local culture and tradition." Yeah. Probably not. How many recruiters in other countries are prepared to send their workers to countries that abuse and don't pay? The enticement that would provide: "You will have employment in a foreign country where you will be beaten and go without remuneration." If you want to think that it is because of "local culture and tradition," you are, in some ways, correct. "Local culture and tradition" favors abuse and non-payment.
In how many countries can you be married and divorced before you are twelve-years-old?! Well, it isn't official. The divorce. Yet. The child-bride seeking a divorce now has to testify before a court that she does not want to be married to an 80-year-oldpedophile geezer. Wonder why? Gee. What little girl wouldn't be happy marrying a man some sixty-eight years her senior who has already been married three times? Sounds fairytaledreamcometrue and theylivedhappilyeverafter. Umm hmm.
A Saudi man was beheaded on Sunday for drug trafficking. No idea how many that makes, so far this year. The year is still young...
Hmmph. Just six or so short months ago the Sandbox was welcoming maids from Vietnam and issued lots and lots of visas to recruit women [and men - for other positions] from there with flattering statements of how the "Vietnamese are peace loving [as opposed to?] and generally averse to committing crimes [like what other nationality?]." Guess that didn't work out as well as everyone thought it would. Imagine that. My take on that? I suggested that workers from other countries were catching on and that new markets were needed. Those workers from Vietnam? They are problems. They complain about being abused and not being paid. The nerve! Of course, the "official" spin is completely different. "The main reason for considering such a ban is that the labor recruiters in those countries are not qualified enough to supply housemaids that suit the local culture and tradition." Yeah. Probably not. How many recruiters in other countries are prepared to send their workers to countries that abuse and don't pay? The enticement that would provide: "You will have employment in a foreign country where you will be beaten and go without remuneration." If you want to think that it is because of "local culture and tradition," you are, in some ways, correct. "Local culture and tradition" favors abuse and non-payment.
In how many countries can you be married and divorced before you are twelve-years-old?! Well, it isn't official. The divorce. Yet. The child-bride seeking a divorce now has to testify before a court that she does not want to be married to an 80-year-old
A Saudi man was beheaded on Sunday for drug trafficking. No idea how many that makes, so far this year. The year is still young...
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lonely Parking Meter and Lulu
From a quick trip downtown, yesterday. The lonely parking meter I reported on last week. Did not see a single person use this to park the whole time we were in the gold souks area. Not one. Bet this process is going to work out real well. Revenue generating. [Try ticketing drivers who run red lights, speeders, etc. You'd see a tremendous jump in revenue. Just a thought.]
Trash. There is trash everywhere. Why is that? I'll tell you why. Because people here know that some little imported guy making 300 riyals [$80.42] a month will be coming along with his broom and push cart to clean up the mess. If people were sentenced to community service for petty crimes and had to clean up the streets and litter, Khobar wouldn't look like this. No one has to be responsible for their own actions. So they aren't.
Imported workers getting ready to open shops. No self-respecting shop owner lowers himself to such a standard as doing the preparation [clean-up] work! Phhffft.
Lulu.
Interesting "decorative" lights in the parking lot.
See? All the nice things that are inside.
The entrance to Lulu. It is a two-story hypermarket. Upstairs has everything non-food [electronics, clothing, household, sports equipment and probably a lot of other stuff I didn't see - I needed a couple of polartec fleece blankets to make new pillow covers for The Boy's crate] and downstairs has everything foodie [including housewares like pots and pans and dishes and small appliances].
Nice new carts. Interesting choice of colors.
[Note where they are parked. In the ONE single parking place reserved for handicapped parking.]
I've said before that "sweets" are a big thing here. Our own Commissary has an entire aisle of nothing but candy and cookies. The "sweets" section is larger than the produce section. That speaks volumes, if you ask me. I only got one side of this aisle and some manager came and told me that "photos are not allowed." I politely said I would not take any more pictures and put my camera away. No doubt he was afraid that I was taking pictures of people instead of "things." I understand, though. Everyone here is so paranoid that they will be depicted and show in an unbecoming manner that it is better to say no photos. Up until a couple of years ago, camera phones were illegal because they were going to be used in just such a manner. Look how those camera phones have been used. How many "blackmailers" have been posted here? A lot. No matter. Anyway, ONE QUARTER of the candy/cookies/sweets aisle. One quarter - actually one half of one quarter.
This one, though. Saved for last. Deceptive, isn't it? One might actually think that the store sells something that it doesn't. [I took it before being asked to stop taking pictures.] I find it amusing.
I'll try to post a few other random pictures of downtown tomorrow. Maybe I'll put together a post on the lashings of that young girl who assaulted her school principal and got caught with her mobile at school compared to lashings of men who do much worse, here, and try to find some more information on the Filipino woman that is being lashed and jailed for being raped. Who knew that being the VICTIM of a crime was actually a crime itself?!! Yes, it certainly is like stepping back in time here...
Trash. There is trash everywhere. Why is that? I'll tell you why. Because people here know that some little imported guy making 300 riyals [$80.42] a month will be coming along with his broom and push cart to clean up the mess. If people were sentenced to community service for petty crimes and had to clean up the streets and litter, Khobar wouldn't look like this. No one has to be responsible for their own actions. So they aren't.
Imported workers getting ready to open shops. No self-respecting shop owner lowers himself to such a standard as doing the preparation [clean-up] work! Phhffft.
Lulu.Interesting "decorative" lights in the parking lot.
See? All the nice things that are inside.
The entrance to Lulu. It is a two-story hypermarket. Upstairs has everything non-food [electronics, clothing, household, sports equipment and probably a lot of other stuff I didn't see - I needed a couple of polartec fleece blankets to make new pillow covers for The Boy's crate] and downstairs has everything foodie [including housewares like pots and pans and dishes and small appliances].
Nice new carts. Interesting choice of colors.
[Note where they are parked. In the ONE single parking place reserved for handicapped parking.]I've said before that "sweets" are a big thing here. Our own Commissary has an entire aisle of nothing but candy and cookies. The "sweets" section is larger than the produce section. That speaks volumes, if you ask me. I only got one side of this aisle and some manager came and told me that "photos are not allowed." I politely said I would not take any more pictures and put my camera away. No doubt he was afraid that I was taking pictures of people instead of "things." I understand, though. Everyone here is so paranoid that they will be depicted and show in an unbecoming manner that it is better to say no photos. Up until a couple of years ago, camera phones were illegal because they were going to be used in just such a manner. Look how those camera phones have been used. How many "blackmailers" have been posted here? A lot. No matter. Anyway, ONE QUARTER of the candy/cookies/sweets aisle. One quarter - actually one half of one quarter.
This one, though. Saved for last. Deceptive, isn't it? One might actually think that the store sells something that it doesn't. [I took it before being asked to stop taking pictures.] I find it amusing.
I'll try to post a few other random pictures of downtown tomorrow. Maybe I'll put together a post on the lashings of that young girl who assaulted her school principal and got caught with her mobile at school compared to lashings of men who do much worse, here, and try to find some more information on the Filipino woman that is being lashed and jailed for being raped. Who knew that being the VICTIM of a crime was actually a crime itself?!! Yes, it certainly is like stepping back in time here...Saturday, January 23, 2010
Lulu
New "hypermarket." Lulu. Never heard of it until a week ago. I'm not sure when it opened. Still pretty new. They have everything! Except Cascade dishwasher soap and Shout. Two items that are nowhere to be found in the Sandbox. Actually I don't care about the brand of dishwasher soap - I care about the kind. Has to be liquid. That new dishwasher that was installed a year ago? It sucks. It is a Frigidaire. If I use powered liquid - the soap container lid doesn't open. The dishwasher takes forever - the cycle is an hour and twenty minutes long. And, it doesn't dry the dishes. Sucks. Only decent thing about it is that it is quiet. I'd rather have a noisy dishwasher that doesn't care about what kind of soap it needs and one that dries dishes. Shout? Who knows why we don't have that right now. Found Comet though, and I haven't been able to find that in months, now.
The produce department was incredible. Incredible! Fruits and vegetables I have never even heard of. Well organized. Clean. Very clean. Decent bakery section. I didn't check out the deli section. Forgot to see if they have U.S. beef. Good frozen food section, too. Found some things that I haven't been able to get elsewhere - Morning Star Veggie burgers. Popsicles! Safeway/Tamimi is going to have to do better if it is going to compete with Lulu.
Anyway. Took a few photos in the store. Can I get them posted here, right now? Nope. Computer has chosen tonight to act up. Again. I just don't have the patience to wrestle with it so I'll try again in the morning.
Oh, and I got the picture of the lonely parking meter this morning, also. Along with a few other random shots of downtown... I know. The excitement on this side of the world just doesn't stop!
The produce department was incredible. Incredible! Fruits and vegetables I have never even heard of. Well organized. Clean. Very clean. Decent bakery section. I didn't check out the deli section. Forgot to see if they have U.S. beef. Good frozen food section, too. Found some things that I haven't been able to get elsewhere - Morning Star Veggie burgers. Popsicles! Safeway/Tamimi is going to have to do better if it is going to compete with Lulu.
Anyway. Took a few photos in the store. Can I get them posted here, right now? Nope. Computer has chosen tonight to act up. Again. I just don't have the patience to wrestle with it so I'll try again in the morning.
Oh, and I got the picture of the lonely parking meter this morning, also. Along with a few other random shots of downtown... I know. The excitement on this side of the world just doesn't stop!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
13-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to 90 Lashes+
Say what? A 13-year-old girl has been sentenced to 90 lashes and two months of prison? For what?! Bringing her cell phone to school!!! This is insane. I mean, what else can you call it?
This - a punishment like that - in a country where every single person is glued to their mobile phone 24/7/365?! Go to a bank - men are talking on their mobiles. Go to a shop - men are talking on their mobiles. Go to the Commissary - girls are talking on their mobiles. My gosh, if you took mobiles away from everyone over here there would be such withdrawal that this place would come to a standstill! No. I am not kidding. You can't do anything here and have the full attention of the other person you are dealing with without the interruption of that person's mobile. Why do I say that person's mobile? Because I rarely - almost never - use my mobile.
So now, a 13-year-old girl is going to go to prison for two months and receive 90 lashes for taking her mobile phone to school. Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. Something about how mobiles are banned from girls' schools - of course we all know the reasons behind that [and even if you don't know the reasons, just nod your head and mutter, "umm hmm"] and her assaulting the school principal which apparently took place prior to her mobile phone being discovered. There has got to be more to the story than we are being told. Did she take photos of her classmates? In the bathroom, or something? Or, is this punishment being given for her assault of her prinicpal? [Do you have any idea how common that is over here? Assaulting the principal, or a teacher? Google it.]
I know Saudi Arabia is strict and that its judicial system is swift but I cannot recall a 13-year-old - certainly never a 13-year-old GIRL - receiving such a punishment for something as innocuous as taking her mobile to school in the entire seven years that we've been here. Heck, grown men have committed much more serious crimes and even they are not punished as severely.
Saw it at JammieWearingFool's place, first. He said almost the same thing I did, "The punishment is harsher than that dished out ot some robbers and looters." Yeah. No kidding.
This - a punishment like that - in a country where every single person is glued to their mobile phone 24/7/365?! Go to a bank - men are talking on their mobiles. Go to a shop - men are talking on their mobiles. Go to the Commissary - girls are talking on their mobiles. My gosh, if you took mobiles away from everyone over here there would be such withdrawal that this place would come to a standstill! No. I am not kidding. You can't do anything here and have the full attention of the other person you are dealing with without the interruption of that person's mobile. Why do I say that person's mobile? Because I rarely - almost never - use my mobile.
So now, a 13-year-old girl is going to go to prison for two months and receive 90 lashes for taking her mobile phone to school. Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. Something about how mobiles are banned from girls' schools - of course we all know the reasons behind that [and even if you don't know the reasons, just nod your head and mutter, "umm hmm"] and her assaulting the school principal which apparently took place prior to her mobile phone being discovered. There has got to be more to the story than we are being told. Did she take photos of her classmates? In the bathroom, or something? Or, is this punishment being given for her assault of her prinicpal? [Do you have any idea how common that is over here? Assaulting the principal, or a teacher? Google it.]
I know Saudi Arabia is strict and that its judicial system is swift but I cannot recall a 13-year-old - certainly never a 13-year-old GIRL - receiving such a punishment for something as innocuous as taking her mobile to school in the entire seven years that we've been here. Heck, grown men have committed much more serious crimes and even they are not punished as severely.
Saw it at JammieWearingFool's place, first. He said almost the same thing I did, "The punishment is harsher than that dished out ot some robbers and looters." Yeah. No kidding.
Parking Meter and Miscellany
Singular. Meter. There are no parking meters. Well, technically, that probably isn't true. There may well be meters. Plural. We have only encountered one. A single meter that you go to and get a ticket and then you place the ticket in your car on the dashboard so that the meter reader can see it through the windshield. Yeah. Good luck with that. Let us know how it works out.
Twice we have tried to use the machine. Both times it has been out of order. The poor meter reader has been standing at the machine, manning it, either taking money from men who want to park and jotting down on a slip of paper what vehicle he has taken money from - or - when he finds out you just want to run into one store, he asks which vehicle is yours and motions you to go on about your business without taking money. It will be interesting to see how this paid parking downtown is going to work.
Oh, and what about all the vehicles that don't bother to park in actual parking places? What is going to be done about them? Havoc. You start towing those cars and there is going to be chaos [like there isn't already!].
I'm going downtown later this week. I'll get a picture of the lonely meter. And of the lonely meter man. And of the line of men who are trying to pay for parking but can't. Oh, and of the cars that aren't parked in parking places - but instead - randomly parked on the street.
Just too funny. Of course it is nothing new. It was implemented almost a year ago. Thing is... The meter was never installed until just recently.
Other smart news, here. A woman's fitness center has been closed. Man oh man oh man. Sometimes blogging is work. [I've got to search posts that have pictures of cars parked in the middle of the streets for the parking meter paragraphs, above, and now,I have to search for the post I did on why women are not allowed to go to the gym, here. Same reason they aren't allowed to use toilet paper...] Think about this. Women, outside of the confines of their own homes, with the exception of some ex-pats, must be fully covered from head-to-toe at all times. In black. Usually polyester. The average temperature for six months of the years is 120°. [But it's a dry heat...] How many women, in those conditions, do you think are going to be exercising outside? Very, very, very few. So, where are they going to go? The gym. Nope. Not here. Women's fitness centers are not allowed. "Anyone who violates regulations governing the running of health facilities" is going to "be punished severely because this involves people's health." Of course, this is one of the reasons that young women are forced to go to clinics in the U.K. and Canada. Yeah. Okay. Sure. "Health" reasons [wink wink].
How many of these women have visited the U.K. or Canada, I wonder? The man is getting what he deserves! Thankfully the prosecution prevailed in its appeal. Ten years in jail and 1,000 lashes is hardly just punishment for raping over 100 women. He has been sentenced to death. On the bright side, as I have said often on this blog, Saudi Arabia doesn't screw around when it comes to meting out punishments. None of the namby pamby stuff that takes place in the States with defendants lingering [at significant taxpayer expense] in jails. Ut-uh. Here? It is swift. And to the point [pun intended]. Like this. The defendant is not identified anywhere in the article. Nor is his nationality. Anyone care to venture a guess? By all means, do click and read the ten short paragraphs. The guy had quite the racket going and somehow, with the blackmailing, ended up with almost a million dollars in his bank account. You did this in the wrong country, dumbass. Anywhere else and you probably could have been a reality television p0rnstar.
Little blue pi!!s for when you're eighty and have a young wife or for when you're thirty and have four wives. It has to be tough trying to keep up. [Umm hmm. Another pun intended.] Of course they're illegal and you probably do not want to be caught smuggling them into the country.
Twice we have tried to use the machine. Both times it has been out of order. The poor meter reader has been standing at the machine, manning it, either taking money from men who want to park and jotting down on a slip of paper what vehicle he has taken money from - or - when he finds out you just want to run into one store, he asks which vehicle is yours and motions you to go on about your business without taking money. It will be interesting to see how this paid parking downtown is going to work.
Oh, and what about all the vehicles that don't bother to park in actual parking places? What is going to be done about them? Havoc. You start towing those cars and there is going to be chaos [like there isn't already!].
I'm going downtown later this week. I'll get a picture of the lonely meter. And of the lonely meter man. And of the line of men who are trying to pay for parking but can't. Oh, and of the cars that aren't parked in parking places - but instead - randomly parked on the street.
Just too funny. Of course it is nothing new. It was implemented almost a year ago. Thing is... The meter was never installed until just recently.
Other smart news, here. A woman's fitness center has been closed. Man oh man oh man. Sometimes blogging is work. [I've got to search posts that have pictures of cars parked in the middle of the streets for the parking meter paragraphs, above, and now,I have to search for the post I did on why women are not allowed to go to the gym, here. Same reason they aren't allowed to use toilet paper...] Think about this. Women, outside of the confines of their own homes, with the exception of some ex-pats, must be fully covered from head-to-toe at all times. In black. Usually polyester. The average temperature for six months of the years is 120°. [But it's a dry heat...] How many women, in those conditions, do you think are going to be exercising outside? Very, very, very few. So, where are they going to go? The gym. Nope. Not here. Women's fitness centers are not allowed. "Anyone who violates regulations governing the running of health facilities" is going to "be punished severely because this involves people's health." Of course, this is one of the reasons that young women are forced to go to clinics in the U.K. and Canada. Yeah. Okay. Sure. "Health" reasons [wink wink].
How many of these women have visited the U.K. or Canada, I wonder? The man is getting what he deserves! Thankfully the prosecution prevailed in its appeal. Ten years in jail and 1,000 lashes is hardly just punishment for raping over 100 women. He has been sentenced to death. On the bright side, as I have said often on this blog, Saudi Arabia doesn't screw around when it comes to meting out punishments. None of the namby pamby stuff that takes place in the States with defendants lingering [at significant taxpayer expense] in jails. Ut-uh. Here? It is swift. And to the point [pun intended]. Like this. The defendant is not identified anywhere in the article. Nor is his nationality. Anyone care to venture a guess? By all means, do click and read the ten short paragraphs. The guy had quite the racket going and somehow, with the blackmailing, ended up with almost a million dollars in his bank account. You did this in the wrong country, dumbass. Anywhere else and you probably could have been a reality television p0rnstar.
Little blue pi!!s for when you're eighty and have a young wife or for when you're thirty and have four wives. It has to be tough trying to keep up. [Umm hmm. Another pun intended.] Of course they're illegal and you probably do not want to be caught smuggling them into the country.
His Truck Raced to First Place! With Update.
Yeah Scott! Congratulations Senator Brown!!! Money well spent. Absolutely thrilled that we were a part of Senator Brown's victory.
Martha Coakley's concession speech was gracious. [Of course she didn't go down without a fight. Her gaffes the last couple of weeks were noteworthy. None as good as last night's though, when she accused Senator Brown's campaign of fraud with a press release dated January 18th. Whether it was a typo or not, we will never know. I rather doubt it. The party she is affiliated with has all sorts of tricks up its sleeves and thinks it is just so slick... If it was a typo, whoever has been doing Martha's typing for her campaign is now looking for a job. Remember, Massachusetts was spelled "Massachusettes" in one of her ads?]
No matter. Massachusetts has spoken. Washington would be doing itself a huge disservice if it doesn't listen.
We all know, though, that the jugearedjackass won't listen and it will be interesting to see what happens next. Karl Rove said that it would be beneficial for the jeja to perhaps get up with Bill Clinton* and learn from the lessons Bill had to learn early on in his first term. Won't happen. The machocistic narcissist in chief is far to brilliant in his own mind to stoop to the level of learning from someone else, regardless of who it is. Just my opinion.
I got no sleep last night. None at all. Clicked on Legal Insurrection in the early evening and followed Professor Jacobson's "live blogging" all night. Could not pull myself away from it. After three or four Diet Cokes, there was no going to bed. Impossible.
*lying sack 'o crap: I knew when he said last week that he and Hillary had gone to Haiti on a late wedding trip and that the island was special that he was spewing nothing but lies. Earlier this week he said he used someone's frequent flyer miles. 1975. Umm hmm. Frequent flyer miles were as yet unheard of then, Bill.
Oh my gosh! How could I?! Here's the "update." The jeja is four for four! He went to Copenhagen to bring the Olympics home to Chicago. He failed. He went to Virginia to campaign for Creigh Deeds. He failed. He went to New Jersey to campaign for Jon Corzine. He failed. And this past Sunday he went to Massachusetts to campaign for Martha Coakley. He failed. Again. The man is Epic Fail Personified! [Anyone else up for special election? Who's up in November? Who you gonna call? Oh, do. Please, please, please. Do.]
Martha Coakley's concession speech was gracious. [Of course she didn't go down without a fight. Her gaffes the last couple of weeks were noteworthy. None as good as last night's though, when she accused Senator Brown's campaign of fraud with a press release dated January 18th. Whether it was a typo or not, we will never know. I rather doubt it. The party she is affiliated with has all sorts of tricks up its sleeves and thinks it is just so slick... If it was a typo, whoever has been doing Martha's typing for her campaign is now looking for a job. Remember, Massachusetts was spelled "Massachusettes" in one of her ads?]
No matter. Massachusetts has spoken. Washington would be doing itself a huge disservice if it doesn't listen.
We all know, though, that the jugearedjackass won't listen and it will be interesting to see what happens next. Karl Rove said that it would be beneficial for the jeja to perhaps get up with Bill Clinton* and learn from the lessons Bill had to learn early on in his first term. Won't happen. The machocistic narcissist in chief is far to brilliant in his own mind to stoop to the level of learning from someone else, regardless of who it is. Just my opinion.
I got no sleep last night. None at all. Clicked on Legal Insurrection in the early evening and followed Professor Jacobson's "live blogging" all night. Could not pull myself away from it. After three or four Diet Cokes, there was no going to bed. Impossible.
*lying sack 'o crap: I knew when he said last week that he and Hillary had gone to Haiti on a late wedding trip and that the island was special that he was spewing nothing but lies. Earlier this week he said he used someone's frequent flyer miles. 1975. Umm hmm. Frequent flyer miles were as yet unheard of then, Bill.
Oh my gosh! How could I?! Here's the "update." The jeja is four for four! He went to Copenhagen to bring the Olympics home to Chicago. He failed. He went to Virginia to campaign for Creigh Deeds. He failed. He went to New Jersey to campaign for Jon Corzine. He failed. And this past Sunday he went to Massachusetts to campaign for Martha Coakley. He failed. Again. The man is Epic Fail Personified! [Anyone else up for special election? Who's up in November? Who you gonna call? Oh, do. Please, please, please. Do.]
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Walk With Me.
Every time someone moves out of a house on our compound the house gets refurbished. New coat of paint inside and out. Minor repairs made, new appliances installed if necessary, new carpet installed. It is made all nice and pretty for the next family. I didn't take "before" pictures of this house. I should have. It isn't really the house, itself, though.
The gates. One for the side door into the kitchen and one for the front door into the living room. Gates that open up, beckoning and welcoming you up the little walkway. I am amused by them. If there was a fence or a wall around the house, I could see the point of these gates. There isn't a fence or a wall. I don't see the point of the gates. Decorative? Maybe. The gates were in rough shape until a day or so ago. Now, they've been scraped and painted. All fixed and new looking! [The Boy used to be afraid of them and wouldn't walk by them. Something about the gates just spooked him. Come on. Admit it. They are a little odd, don't you think?]
The front gate:
The side gate:
Walk back down through the gates. Out the front:
Out the side:
One thing the family will have a view of is directly across the street where there is the most incredible color Bougainvillea I have ever seen in the Sandbox. [The deep purple Bougainvillea we saw in Greece will be my all time favorite, forever!] But this. Here. Wow. I did not do this Bougainvillea justice. It is brilliant. Brilliantly colored. Fiery magenta red orange. Absolutely brilliant! I want this color for our yard. I will get some. And, now, is the perfect time to plant it. I don't want pink. I don't want pale orange. And, I don't want the violet magenta color. I want this color:
The sun was just too bright - I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow - one that shows the TRUE color of this Bougainvillea. It looks "light," and it isn't. It is dark and bright. Oh. Did I say brilliant?
Little nekked kid is moving. Hmmph. Wonder why. Did his Mom get tired of the neighbor across the street calling Security on her for not taking care of him? Did someone at that household read my blog and get worried that I was going to be on the watch for little nekked kid's big brother to make sure that his bruises cleared up and went away? I don't know where little nekked kid and his brother and parents have moved. Hopefully, wherever they've gone, someone else will be observant and notice excessive black and blues. Doubtful a teacher, here, would report it. First of all the boy has to wear his long white dress to class - no one could see his legs. And, second of all, it would not be unheard of for a teacher at a boys' school to be the cause of the bruising. "Memorize that book, or else!" Yesterday on our walk past little nekked kid's house we saw a few boxes outside. Today? A pile of furniture and old toys. Also, the curtains are no longer covering the windows. The entire two years we've walked by that house the curtains were never once drawn. Not a single time. Not even when little nekked kid was hanging out one of the windows!
The gates. One for the side door into the kitchen and one for the front door into the living room. Gates that open up, beckoning and welcoming you up the little walkway. I am amused by them. If there was a fence or a wall around the house, I could see the point of these gates. There isn't a fence or a wall. I don't see the point of the gates. Decorative? Maybe. The gates were in rough shape until a day or so ago. Now, they've been scraped and painted. All fixed and new looking! [The Boy used to be afraid of them and wouldn't walk by them. Something about the gates just spooked him. Come on. Admit it. They are a little odd, don't you think?]
The front gate:
The side gate:
Walk back down through the gates. Out the front:
Out the side:
One thing the family will have a view of is directly across the street where there is the most incredible color Bougainvillea I have ever seen in the Sandbox. [The deep purple Bougainvillea we saw in Greece will be my all time favorite, forever!] But this. Here. Wow. I did not do this Bougainvillea justice. It is brilliant. Brilliantly colored. Fiery magenta red orange. Absolutely brilliant! I want this color for our yard. I will get some. And, now, is the perfect time to plant it. I don't want pink. I don't want pale orange. And, I don't want the violet magenta color. I want this color:
The sun was just too bright - I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow - one that shows the TRUE color of this Bougainvillea. It looks "light," and it isn't. It is dark and bright. Oh. Did I say brilliant?
Little nekked kid is moving. Hmmph. Wonder why. Did his Mom get tired of the neighbor across the street calling Security on her for not taking care of him? Did someone at that household read my blog and get worried that I was going to be on the watch for little nekked kid's big brother to make sure that his bruises cleared up and went away? I don't know where little nekked kid and his brother and parents have moved. Hopefully, wherever they've gone, someone else will be observant and notice excessive black and blues. Doubtful a teacher, here, would report it. First of all the boy has to wear his long white dress to class - no one could see his legs. And, second of all, it would not be unheard of for a teacher at a boys' school to be the cause of the bruising. "Memorize that book, or else!" Yesterday on our walk past little nekked kid's house we saw a few boxes outside. Today? A pile of furniture and old toys. Also, the curtains are no longer covering the windows. The entire two years we've walked by that house the curtains were never once drawn. Not a single time. Not even when little nekked kid was hanging out one of the windows!
Big Day in Massachusetts
Go Scott Brown!!! Won't know the results until tomorrow morning, here. And it is an election that will be, no doubt, fraught with fraud. Read at WZ's place that there are 600,000 voters on the rolls there that have moved or are dead. Expect the SEIU thugs and their Black Panther counter-parts to be out in full force today, making sure that each of those 600,000 votes gets counted.
Rush reported on Friday that "Voting Democrat Causes Cancer." Randall Hoven's article on that was in American Thinker, yesterday. Hmmph. Who would have thought that such a cloud would have a silver lining? The people that vote for the health care bill are the ones that are going to get cancer first. Let us know how the new coverage the government is going to provide works out for you. A pill. All you'll need to do is just take a pill.
Rush reported on Friday that "Voting Democrat Causes Cancer." Randall Hoven's article on that was in American Thinker, yesterday. Hmmph. Who would have thought that such a cloud would have a silver lining? The people that vote for the health care bill are the ones that are going to get cancer first. Let us know how the new coverage the government is going to provide works out for you. A pill. All you'll need to do is just take a pill.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Locally...
Stupidity. Never a shortage of it. Anywhere in the world. A Saudi man cut off one of his appendages. It was not one of his arms or one of the legs he uses for walking on. Why? Because his father refused to give him permission to marry. The appendage was surgically reattached "amid scepticism [sic] about the chances of success." This is one man that probably shouldn't be contributing... to the gene pool.
Maids. There is a shortage. Devastation in Haiti, but a maid shortage, here. Equally horrendous situations. [Oh, and still no word on whether or not Saudi Arabia will contribute to Haiti. Personally, I say don't bother. As awful and as sad as it is there, with the billions that have been given to that country in the last couple of decades I just don't see the point. I digress.] My goodness, how will this country continue if there is a maid shortage! The saga of two maids that have been abused is finally over. I'm pretty sure I've posted on their plight and that it is somewhere in my archives. The first maid left a month ago "after her sponsor returned her passport and gave her immigration clearance." The other maid didn't get to leave when the first maid left because of some snafu with her sponsorship being transferred, "without her knowledge." Something I suspect happens all the time. She finally left last Wednesday. Both "maids had been ill-treated in Riyadh since their arrival from India several months ago. Sultana was starved for an entire month, and both were sent to the labor agency to work in different households without pay." [Without pay? What a surprise! Emphasis, mine.] One of the maids was almost forced into the xes trade! Like that would ever happen, here. Phffft.
That "fake" pilot? He is back in the Sandbox. Of course he was beaten by officials in the Manila before being returned. Umm hmmm. We expected nothing less. Pretty ballsy of him to go to another country to learn English and to learn to fly. My gosh. What did he expect? His dreams have now been shattered. Awww. Unbelievable, really. He "went to the Philippines to learn English and then join one of the flying schools... After selecting the schools in the Philippines, [he] called his father asking him to visit... to complete the enrollment procedure." Then he "put on a pilot's uniform before going to the airport to meet his father to show him or brag to his dad that he was interested in a career in the aviation industry." It was after he "mistakenly" entered "the departure area of the airport... by unknowingly crossing over to the arrival terminal through a restricted area" that he got caught which "led to his arrest" and a severe beating by "Filipino security officials." The young man, Hany Abdulelah Burkhari, has "apologized to his parents who expressed deep regret about his arrest." And he aplogized "to the public for the inconvenience." Dumbass deserved his beating. Actually, he deserves to be removed from the gene pool... [Two of 'em in one post?!]
$8,042.89 for placenta injections to lighten skin. [What was MJ using?] Interesting that those that are dark skinned want to be light skinned and those of us that are very light skinned have to work hard to get adarker look tan. What some women won't do for beauty. I'm not knocking it. I'm willing to pay for it, too. I'm just saying...
This is why so many little blue pills are needed in the Sandbox. An 80-year-old has taken a 12-year-old for a bride. They lived happily ever after. Not. Regardless that some act has just been signed that gives a minimum age of 18 for marriage - of which much has been published in our papers, of late, that I am not able to find, right now - marriages of young girls are, apparently, still taking place.
It is a beautiful "winter" day in the Sandbox. A perfect blue sky and 77°. What more could you possibly ask for!
Maids. There is a shortage. Devastation in Haiti, but a maid shortage, here. Equally horrendous situations. [Oh, and still no word on whether or not Saudi Arabia will contribute to Haiti. Personally, I say don't bother. As awful and as sad as it is there, with the billions that have been given to that country in the last couple of decades I just don't see the point. I digress.] My goodness, how will this country continue if there is a maid shortage! The saga of two maids that have been abused is finally over. I'm pretty sure I've posted on their plight and that it is somewhere in my archives. The first maid left a month ago "after her sponsor returned her passport and gave her immigration clearance." The other maid didn't get to leave when the first maid left because of some snafu with her sponsorship being transferred, "without her knowledge." Something I suspect happens all the time. She finally left last Wednesday. Both "maids had been ill-treated in Riyadh since their arrival from India several months ago. Sultana was starved for an entire month, and both were sent to the labor agency to work in different households without pay." [Without pay? What a surprise! Emphasis, mine.] One of the maids was almost forced into the xes trade! Like that would ever happen, here. Phffft.
That "fake" pilot? He is back in the Sandbox. Of course he was beaten by officials in the Manila before being returned. Umm hmmm. We expected nothing less. Pretty ballsy of him to go to another country to learn English and to learn to fly. My gosh. What did he expect? His dreams have now been shattered. Awww. Unbelievable, really. He "went to the Philippines to learn English and then join one of the flying schools... After selecting the schools in the Philippines, [he] called his father asking him to visit... to complete the enrollment procedure." Then he "put on a pilot's uniform before going to the airport to meet his father to show him or brag to his dad that he was interested in a career in the aviation industry." It was after he "mistakenly" entered "the departure area of the airport... by unknowingly crossing over to the arrival terminal through a restricted area" that he got caught which "led to his arrest" and a severe beating by "Filipino security officials." The young man, Hany Abdulelah Burkhari, has "apologized to his parents who expressed deep regret about his arrest." And he aplogized "to the public for the inconvenience." Dumbass deserved his beating. Actually, he deserves to be removed from the gene pool... [Two of 'em in one post?!]
$8,042.89 for placenta injections to lighten skin. [What was MJ using?] Interesting that those that are dark skinned want to be light skinned and those of us that are very light skinned have to work hard to get a
This is why so many little blue pills are needed in the Sandbox. An 80-year-old has taken a 12-year-old for a bride. They lived happily ever after. Not. Regardless that some act has just been signed that gives a minimum age of 18 for marriage - of which much has been published in our papers, of late, that I am not able to find, right now - marriages of young girls are, apparently, still taking place.
It is a beautiful "winter" day in the Sandbox. A perfect blue sky and 77°. What more could you possibly ask for!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Done for our amusement.
From a quick trip downtown last week.
A friend of mine and I took a cab down. Did our errands and as we were headed home... Sitting at a light a blue car pulled up right next to us. Music blaring - local music - not rap music with a vibrating bass or anything like that. Windows of the blue car were down. Everyone could hear the music. Everyone within a five mile radius!
So, the car is at the light, stopped and waiting like everyone else, and the driver gets out of the car and starts dancing. Yes. He really did. Passenger in the front seat gets out of the car to take pictures of the guy dancing. Aww. Did you do that just for our amusement? [It is probably on YouTube somewhere. I tried to find it. Couldn't. But that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows how "technically challenged" I am.] I had my camera with me! But couldn't get it out and on fast enough to get the guy dancing. Of course, it isn't like that little stunt has never been done before.
I did, however, get a picture of the guys. Notice anything about this picture?
While I was taking their picture, one of the guys was taking ours...
A friend of mine and I took a cab down. Did our errands and as we were headed home... Sitting at a light a blue car pulled up right next to us. Music blaring - local music - not rap music with a vibrating bass or anything like that. Windows of the blue car were down. Everyone could hear the music. Everyone within a five mile radius!
So, the car is at the light, stopped and waiting like everyone else, and the driver gets out of the car and starts dancing. Yes. He really did. Passenger in the front seat gets out of the car to take pictures of the guy dancing. Aww. Did you do that just for our amusement? [It is probably on YouTube somewhere. I tried to find it. Couldn't. But that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows how "technically challenged" I am.] I had my camera with me! But couldn't get it out and on fast enough to get the guy dancing. Of course, it isn't like that little stunt has never been done before.
I did, however, get a picture of the guys. Notice anything about this picture?
While I was taking their picture, one of the guys was taking ours...
In trouble? Just play the "mentally ill" card.
When the race card just isn't good enough.
Read the newspapers from this side of the world. When people get in trouble, here, they cannot play the race card like they can elsewhere so they play the mentally ill card. I'm pretty sure that I've commented before on this. Something about how there are a lot of mentally ill people...
A Saudi student who got in a lot of trouble in the States is being deported. The 21-year-old was arrested "on charges of assault, stealing and smashing two cars and assaulting arresting officers." Don't bother taking responsibility for your actions. Just claim to be mentally ill.
Here is another example. Actually its a twofer. The "mentally ill" card is played along with the "guess the nationality" game. Someone pushed an old man into the street and laughed about it. Yep. Funny. Very funny.
There must be an awful lot of it going around... Meet Dumbass. Geez. I bet this guy's mother is sooo proud of him.
Wonder what his excuse is going to be. He can't get away with the race card. And the mentally ill card would be too obvious. Saw it at JammieWearingFool's place, first.
Something is terribly wrong with this picture. The fact that a "green card" is only a click away and that it is free. Sure. It is just an advertisement. Still...
Read the newspapers from this side of the world. When people get in trouble, here, they cannot play the race card like they can elsewhere so they play the mentally ill card. I'm pretty sure that I've commented before on this. Something about how there are a lot of mentally ill people...
A Saudi student who got in a lot of trouble in the States is being deported. The 21-year-old was arrested "on charges of assault, stealing and smashing two cars and assaulting arresting officers." Don't bother taking responsibility for your actions. Just claim to be mentally ill.
Here is another example. Actually its a twofer. The "mentally ill" card is played along with the "guess the nationality" game. Someone pushed an old man into the street and laughed about it. Yep. Funny. Very funny.
There must be an awful lot of it going around... Meet Dumbass. Geez. I bet this guy's mother is sooo proud of him.
Wonder what his excuse is going to be. He can't get away with the race card. And the mentally ill card would be too obvious. Saw it at JammieWearingFool's place, first.Something is terribly wrong with this picture. The fact that a "green card" is only a click away and that it is free. Sure. It is just an advertisement. Still...
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I dismiss thee I dismiss thee I dismiss thee
[That is how divorce takes place in the Sandbox. The man simply utters, three times, "I divorce thee I divorce thee I divorce thee." And, bam, you are divorced. Simple as that. The man doesn't even have to utter it. He can simply send a text message... No lawyers, no courts, no alimony or child support. Nada. Zilch. Over and done with.]
Phffftt. You are all done. I haven't actually dismissed him yet. Part of me wants to. The other part of me says, "Give it a break. It isn't a big deal." It is though. Someone is lying to me. And that, is what really pisses me off. What happened is not a big deal. A light either got broken or it was stolen. It is a cheap little $10.00 light from Walmart that I put in our last shipment - so we haven't had it all that long. Four months. So, okay, sure. We got our $10.00 out of it. Again, that isn't the point, and that isn't what bothers me.
What bothers me is that someone isn't telling the truth. It pretty much comes down to a single and particular "someone." [Unless someone scaled the wall and took it out of the back yard. I find that scenario pretty unlikely. No one comes into the back yard without us knowing about it. When you have two very alert barking Kids... Heck, no one even walks by the front of the house on the sidewalk without us knowing!]
Appuk is the only one who could be responsible. The pool guy - who, by the way, is another new guy, Nuge - like as in Ted Nugent without the "nt" - he comes on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. He has a key to the back gate - so I guess that he is a possibility. Doubtful. The Kids let me know when Nuge is out there. The Kids let me know when Nuge puts the key into the lock on the back gate! The light was in the back yard on Wednesday so Nuge had to come in on Thursday and I was home all day... The Kids, for sure, would have let me know if Nuge was here on Thursday.
Appuk comes six days a week. He was here on Thursday. It was Thursday that I knew that the light was gone. I spotted that it was missing right away. DH went to play golf Thursday morning and when he got home I asked him if he put the light in the garage - or something. "Nope." Hmmm. Someone is not telling me the truth about the light. I suspect what happened is that it probably got knocked with a rake or the broom - or something - perhaps it was broken. No biggie. I can replace a cheap light. But don't lie to me.
This morning I questioned Appuk about the light. "Oh, no, Madam. I dunno." Got the usual "lights are on no one is home" look from Appuk. Well, Appuk, since you are the only one who was here on Thursday and since the light went missing on Thursday it only makes sense that you doo-no. Just tell me, "Yes, Madam. Light is broken." But don't tell me "I dunno." Appuk has been our gardener since we moved into this house. I would hate to get rid of him over a stupid little light. On the other hand, I cannot - no - I will not - tolerate someone not telling me the truth. Ridiculous. I know. Over something so trivial. With all the other problems in the world, I'm concerned with a $10.00 light from Walmart.
So...
Phffftt. You are all done. I haven't actually dismissed him yet. Part of me wants to. The other part of me says, "Give it a break. It isn't a big deal." It is though. Someone is lying to me. And that, is what really pisses me off. What happened is not a big deal. A light either got broken or it was stolen. It is a cheap little $10.00 light from Walmart that I put in our last shipment - so we haven't had it all that long. Four months. So, okay, sure. We got our $10.00 out of it. Again, that isn't the point, and that isn't what bothers me.
What bothers me is that someone isn't telling the truth. It pretty much comes down to a single and particular "someone." [Unless someone scaled the wall and took it out of the back yard. I find that scenario pretty unlikely. No one comes into the back yard without us knowing about it. When you have two very alert barking Kids... Heck, no one even walks by the front of the house on the sidewalk without us knowing!]
Appuk is the only one who could be responsible. The pool guy - who, by the way, is another new guy, Nuge - like as in Ted Nugent without the "nt" - he comes on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. He has a key to the back gate - so I guess that he is a possibility. Doubtful. The Kids let me know when Nuge is out there. The Kids let me know when Nuge puts the key into the lock on the back gate! The light was in the back yard on Wednesday so Nuge had to come in on Thursday and I was home all day... The Kids, for sure, would have let me know if Nuge was here on Thursday.
Appuk comes six days a week. He was here on Thursday. It was Thursday that I knew that the light was gone. I spotted that it was missing right away. DH went to play golf Thursday morning and when he got home I asked him if he put the light in the garage - or something. "Nope." Hmmm. Someone is not telling me the truth about the light. I suspect what happened is that it probably got knocked with a rake or the broom - or something - perhaps it was broken. No biggie. I can replace a cheap light. But don't lie to me.
This morning I questioned Appuk about the light. "Oh, no, Madam. I dunno." Got the usual "lights are on no one is home" look from Appuk. Well, Appuk, since you are the only one who was here on Thursday and since the light went missing on Thursday it only makes sense that you doo-no. Just tell me, "Yes, Madam. Light is broken." But don't tell me "I dunno." Appuk has been our gardener since we moved into this house. I would hate to get rid of him over a stupid little light. On the other hand, I cannot - no - I will not - tolerate someone not telling me the truth. Ridiculous. I know. Over something so trivial. With all the other problems in the world, I'm concerned with a $10.00 light from Walmart.
So...
Friday, January 15, 2010
He's Got Blue Lips [A Short Political Rant]
Because sometimes I just have to get things off of my - for right now - unimplanted chest... [Yes. Along with a tummy tuck, I am having my breasts done, too. Lifted and "pluffed" out to look like they used to look. Plastic surgery? I will be happy to say that I have gone under the knife, when I do so. Pictures. Before and after. Maybe even during. They'll be posted, here.]
I'm not the only one who has noticed. The jugearedjackass has blue lips. Could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps he has some sort of life-threatening disease [please!], but we'll never know because he has never had to release any records from his past, including health records. No matter. His time will be up soon enough. There will be a revolt. I can feel it. American people are getting ready. They will not put up with the shitola he's shoveling for much longer. We are going to see people descending on the White House with pitchforks. Hopenchange. Oh, yeah. That is working out just swimmingly, isn't it?
How many people are going to be okay with the fact that the unions are going to get some special deal and that their health-care coverage, if they have a "cadillac plan" will not be taxed but everyone else's will be? I read it at someone's blog [which I would link to if I could remember where I saw it] that they will never buy another product that has been made by a union. Me either. I will only buy products made in China if that makes it through. Not that I have gone out of my way to buy "American" made, but you can bet your sweet bippy I will go out of my way from hereon out to not buy American made if unions get that sweet-heart deal.
Someone on a previous post thinks I've been listening to a little too much Rush. I don't think that that is even possible. Too much Rush. Although I will say that it is the best $49.95 I have ever spent. A membership so I can listen to Rush any time I want. Two days ago Rush said, that the jeja was going to be "post racial, post partisan, post achievement" and that "none of that has happened." It sure hasn't. Rush thinks that the jugearedjackass is doing what he is doing "by design on purpose." I, for one believe him - Rush - that is. Nothing pleases me more than to know that many, many voters are now having "buyer's remorse." Ha! Told you so. No, McCain was not a great choice, but he certainly was the better of the two choices. And he had Sarah on his team. Go, Sarah!
...let's see... Also heard on Rush that the jeja was asking people to donate to Haiti. The jeja is asking "citizens who have lost their jobs because of his policies to donate to the relief effort." Before I could even get my next thought out, Rush took a call from Carol who said, "Has he donated his Nobel Peace Prize money yet? He [the jeja] should donate it to Haiti." I agree, Carol.
Oh, and back to Haiti. Bill O'Reilly said that we've given THREE BILLION DOLLARS in assistance to Haiti, since the Clinton years and no one can account for how that money has been spent. Haiti is worse off now, in 2010, than it was in 1992. Hillary is now promising that there will be some accountability for the ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS that the jeja has just pledged that country. Umm hmm. Sure there will be. Take a good look at Haiti, everyone. What you see is what America is going to look like soon. Even Bill O'Reilly doesn't believe that this new influx of cash will get to "the folks." It will line the pockets of the thugery dictators. But then, the same thing is happening in the States. I do not believe that with all the special deals going on to get the debacle known as health care passed that pockets are not being lined.
Speaking of lining pockets. Senator Mike Johanns, you are a pussy. Greta tried nine or ten different ways to get you to call a spade a spade and you couldn't. He refused to call what Ben Nelson got for the state of Nebraska a bribe.
Today I learned that one of osama bin laden's buddies, riduan isamuddin [better known as hambali] could be tried only steps away from the White House in D.C. Gretchen, you said that like it is a bad thing? I don't think so. That they want to bring terr0rists to D.C. makes all the sense in the world to me. They will feel right at home. Some terr0rists just want to kill us with kaboomy things and all that - the ones sitting at the White House just want to kill us with taxes and socialism. All I know is that it my own dreamy little world... Oh, never mind. I can't "say" things like that aloud.
It has gotten so that I cannot even watch morning television [nighttime television to anyone living in the "real" world] in peace any more. Have to sit there on the edge of the couch poised with my pen in hand to make notes... Ditto for listening to Rush on the computer.
Sick. Just sick of what is happening there in the States. According to Steve Doocy today on Fox & Friends over three hundred million dollars has now been donated to Haiti. I should care more about Haiti. I just don't...
I'm not the only one who has noticed. The jugearedjackass has blue lips. Could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps he has some sort of life-threatening disease [please!], but we'll never know because he has never had to release any records from his past, including health records. No matter. His time will be up soon enough. There will be a revolt. I can feel it. American people are getting ready. They will not put up with the shitola he's shoveling for much longer. We are going to see people descending on the White House with pitchforks. Hopenchange. Oh, yeah. That is working out just swimmingly, isn't it?
How many people are going to be okay with the fact that the unions are going to get some special deal and that their health-care coverage, if they have a "cadillac plan" will not be taxed but everyone else's will be? I read it at someone's blog [which I would link to if I could remember where I saw it] that they will never buy another product that has been made by a union. Me either. I will only buy products made in China if that makes it through. Not that I have gone out of my way to buy "American" made, but you can bet your sweet bippy I will go out of my way from hereon out to not buy American made if unions get that sweet-heart deal.
Someone on a previous post thinks I've been listening to a little too much Rush. I don't think that that is even possible. Too much Rush. Although I will say that it is the best $49.95 I have ever spent. A membership so I can listen to Rush any time I want. Two days ago Rush said, that the jeja was going to be "post racial, post partisan, post achievement" and that "none of that has happened." It sure hasn't. Rush thinks that the jugearedjackass is doing what he is doing "by design on purpose." I, for one believe him - Rush - that is. Nothing pleases me more than to know that many, many voters are now having "buyer's remorse." Ha! Told you so. No, McCain was not a great choice, but he certainly was the better of the two choices. And he had Sarah on his team. Go, Sarah!
...let's see... Also heard on Rush that the jeja was asking people to donate to Haiti. The jeja is asking "citizens who have lost their jobs because of his policies to donate to the relief effort." Before I could even get my next thought out, Rush took a call from Carol who said, "Has he donated his Nobel Peace Prize money yet? He [the jeja] should donate it to Haiti." I agree, Carol.
Oh, and back to Haiti. Bill O'Reilly said that we've given THREE BILLION DOLLARS in assistance to Haiti, since the Clinton years and no one can account for how that money has been spent. Haiti is worse off now, in 2010, than it was in 1992. Hillary is now promising that there will be some accountability for the ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS that the jeja has just pledged that country. Umm hmm. Sure there will be. Take a good look at Haiti, everyone. What you see is what America is going to look like soon. Even Bill O'Reilly doesn't believe that this new influx of cash will get to "the folks." It will line the pockets of the thugery dictators. But then, the same thing is happening in the States. I do not believe that with all the special deals going on to get the debacle known as health care passed that pockets are not being lined.
Speaking of lining pockets. Senator Mike Johanns, you are a pussy. Greta tried nine or ten different ways to get you to call a spade a spade and you couldn't. He refused to call what Ben Nelson got for the state of Nebraska a bribe.
Today I learned that one of osama bin laden's buddies, riduan isamuddin [better known as hambali] could be tried only steps away from the White House in D.C. Gretchen, you said that like it is a bad thing? I don't think so. That they want to bring terr0rists to D.C. makes all the sense in the world to me. They will feel right at home. Some terr0rists just want to kill us with kaboomy things and all that - the ones sitting at the White House just want to kill us with taxes and socialism. All I know is that it my own dreamy little world... Oh, never mind. I can't "say" things like that aloud.
It has gotten so that I cannot even watch morning television [nighttime television to anyone living in the "real" world] in peace any more. Have to sit there on the edge of the couch poised with my pen in hand to make notes... Ditto for listening to Rush on the computer.
Sick. Just sick of what is happening there in the States. According to Steve Doocy today on Fox & Friends over three hundred million dollars has now been donated to Haiti. I should care more about Haiti. I just don't...
Humongous!!!
Slugs? Half-snake, half-something! I came within inches - mere inches! - of stepping on this thing, yesterday:
No idea what it is. Do not need to know. Do, however, need to know that there are no more in my back yard!
We had the camel foot sprayed for bugs in the morning. I cannot count the times that outdoor pest control has been here in the three years we've been at this house. I think when we were at the townhouse the entire four years they came for some "pest" [insects] can be counted on one hand. Less than five. Not here. Ut-uh. They come regularly. If it isn't mealy bugs then it is something else.
A few days ago Appuk said, "Madam. Bugs. See?" He and I have difficulty communicating. [I truly believe he understands more than he lets on, but if he let on that he understood what I was saying then somehow it might mean more work for him. Or something.] Anyway, he pointed out the "bugs." Kind of sort of. He pointed out that the "bugs" were eating the camel foot and that there were a gazillion eggs from the "bugs," but he didn't actually point out the bugs.
Bugs? You and I have a completely different idea of what "bugs" are, Appuk. These are not bugs!
I shudder to think of the mess I would have had to clean out of my shoe if I would have stepped on this "bug." Thankfully DH was home. "Honey, Get It!" And he did.
A couple of dead ones, outside the back gate, where the camel foot hangs down over the privacy wall. Ruler for size reference.
This one - not dead when I took the picture - still wiggling. Yuck!
Sadly, pest control killed murdered one of our little friends. Each time they come I make them beat the bushes with a big spoon to scare the lizards out. They missed one. Rest in peace, little guy.
No idea what it is. Do not need to know. Do, however, need to know that there are no more in my back yard!We had the camel foot sprayed for bugs in the morning. I cannot count the times that outdoor pest control has been here in the three years we've been at this house. I think when we were at the townhouse the entire four years they came for some "pest" [insects] can be counted on one hand. Less than five. Not here. Ut-uh. They come regularly. If it isn't mealy bugs then it is something else.
A few days ago Appuk said, "Madam. Bugs. See?" He and I have difficulty communicating. [I truly believe he understands more than he lets on, but if he let on that he understood what I was saying then somehow it might mean more work for him. Or something.] Anyway, he pointed out the "bugs." Kind of sort of. He pointed out that the "bugs" were eating the camel foot and that there were a gazillion eggs from the "bugs," but he didn't actually point out the bugs.
Bugs? You and I have a completely different idea of what "bugs" are, Appuk. These are not bugs!
I shudder to think of the mess I would have had to clean out of my shoe if I would have stepped on this "bug." Thankfully DH was home. "Honey, Get It!" And he did.
A couple of dead ones, outside the back gate, where the camel foot hangs down over the privacy wall. Ruler for size reference.
This one - not dead when I took the picture - still wiggling. Yuck!
Sadly, pest control 
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