TRADITIONAL VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!
MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'
Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome. Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.
Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, John Kerry & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer! The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.
Hillary Clinton gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in adefamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of
single-parent welfare recipients.
The ant loses the case.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.
The ant has disappeared in the snow.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Be very careful how you vote in 2008
PS...wish I could say that I was clever enough to come up with the above story myself, but I am not. Kudos to "Joe Schmo" who so brilliantly makes what goes on in America so simple. I like simple these days...
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Simplify
Everyday on the way home from the gym I pass this car with a bumper sticker that simply says "Simplify". I never look for it, but I always see it. Every time I read it I feel that it is screaming at me. I have to admit, I have cut a lot of the garbage out of my life and started focusing on what is really important (hence going to the gym), but I often wonder if I could simplify even more. There are days when it's just non-stop. Having four kids is bound to make days hectic, but what more can I truly cut out to make my life more simple? After pondering this question for weeks and weeks now, I have come to a conclusion... Simplifying doesn't necessarily mean cutting back on things. It means good time management. It means saying NO and not feeling guilty about it. It means to take things as they come an realize that's life and not stress about it. I don't need to cut anything out of my life. Why does that bumper sticker call to me? I don't know but my life is simple...as simple as it can get with four kids.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Bittersweet Milestones
No more toothless grins in this household...Miss Carly got her first tooth yesterday. Guess she's gonna do everything at once. It's sweet because she's growing up and doing/getting all these new things...Bitter because we won't experience another Durling child roll over for the first time or get his/her first tooth...unless there's an accident of some sorts...Let's just hope the doctors tied Patrick correctly :-)
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen....
We have a roller...about 4 months late, but she's done it! I'm sure she'll be crawling pretty soon. GO CARLY!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
What a Difference 8 Months Make...
This is Carly taking a bath when she was a few days old...
She obviously didn't like it...
This is Carly taking a bath a few days ago...
and then this happened...
Am I back to square one??? Nope, because what you didn't see is that prior to this fall in the bath, she was splashing sooo much that she inhaled some water and stopped breathing for a bit (long enough to scare me) and then started crying...I picked her up to get her out of the bath and she wanted back in...Last night I gave her another bath, when I took her out, she cried and wanted back in. I think I've made some water progress with her. The one child I have that didn't like water is slowly coming around...What a difference 8 months make!
She obviously didn't like it...
This is Carly taking a bath a few days ago...
and then this happened...
Am I back to square one??? Nope, because what you didn't see is that prior to this fall in the bath, she was splashing sooo much that she inhaled some water and stopped breathing for a bit (long enough to scare me) and then started crying...I picked her up to get her out of the bath and she wanted back in...Last night I gave her another bath, when I took her out, she cried and wanted back in. I think I've made some water progress with her. The one child I have that didn't like water is slowly coming around...What a difference 8 months make!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
My New Tell All...
This is my neighbor's butt.
His name is Steve. I am only showing you this particular picture because it's the only one I have of Steve that he knew I took. What Steve doesn't know is that I have a whole bunch more of him that I am planning on publishing in my new tell all book titled "Amerigo Ave and the Dude...errrr...I mean Guy next door"... It's sure to be a hit....right Steve? :-)
His name is Steve. I am only showing you this particular picture because it's the only one I have of Steve that he knew I took. What Steve doesn't know is that I have a whole bunch more of him that I am planning on publishing in my new tell all book titled "Amerigo Ave and the Dude...errrr...I mean Guy next door"... It's sure to be a hit....right Steve? :-)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tuesday Rant...
*WARNING* Some not so good language ahead...
I am not going to go into details on my beliefs when it comes to gay marriage or heterosexual marriage for that matter. Truth is, I will piss off the gays AND most likely piss off the people in my religion, but this is where I draw the line.
I was watching "Yo Gabba Gabba" with Ethan on Nick Jr. today. Let me just clarify the last part... "JUNIOR". Nick Jr. has shows like Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Wonder Pets and freakin' Blues Clues. All these shows are great for children under five years old, some of them my older girls will still watch. Cut to commercial...usually we see commercials for the latest and greatest toy or the next awesome upcoming show, but today was different. The commercial that came on was a lady getting ready for her wedding day. She is getting ready to walk down the aisle only to be faced with different obstacles. The last obstacle is of an older woman who puts her cane out as the bride is walking down the aisle and trips her. She then looks up at her groom who wants to come and rescue her only to be held back by his groomsmen. Perhaps you've seen this commercial. I must say, it's pretty clever. There are no words, only music and at the end it asks the question that says something to the matter of "What if you couldn't marry the person you loved?"...
I know that California just passed a law that states that in California men can marry men and women can marry women. Of course the right winged Conservatives quickly came up with another bill to change it. I know these types of bills have been going back and forth and back and forth. There is no neutural position between the two "types" of people who write these bills. Perhaps this is why that commercial can be seen on TV...during the upcoming voting process. To help gain support and vote NO on prop 8. I get it. I got the purpose of the commercial BUT WHAT I DON'T GET IS WHY THE FREAK WAS IT ON NICK JR??????? People please!!! My 3 year old CAN'T vote nor can most of the people who watch that station. I am sooo pissed off about this. When I was 19 years old, I worked at Albertsons in the "Lobby" The lobby sold and rented movies, sold candy and cigarettes. The candy was located in front of the register and the cigarettes were located behind the counter, visible to anyone standing in front of the candy but not in arms reach. On more than one occasion some dude would come up to me and say "Why are your cigarettes in front of the candy? Anything to get an extra buck hah?" At the time I was really annoyed. Like I had any control of where the cigarettes were. He should have complained to the manager...But now that I am a parent, I completely understand and yes, AGREE with the annoying man who always had something to say to me about selling candy and cigarettes. You may be wondering what my point is about this rant. To make this long blog a tad shorter...here goes...
I am allowed to think and feel the way I want. When it comes to my children, I have the right to teach them what I feel is best WHEN I WANT AND HOW I WANT. Even though that commercial was "subtle" and probably overlooked my most 3 year olds as something they don't understand or possibly boring, I don't need anyone to put beliefs in my children's heads especially on such a sensitive subject. My feeling's fall in between the Ultra Liberals and the Right Winged Conservatives when it comes to gay marriage. Please don't comment on my blog and tell me I am a racist bigget or whatever because I am allowed to feel the way I feel and express it the way I want. This is my blog, not yours. Let people choose for themselves who and what they want to be, BUT DON'T FORCE ME TO TEACH THEIR BELIEFS TO MY CHILDREN AS BEING RIGHT or even ACCEPTABLE. Candy in front of the cigarettes for young children to see, may be a little far fetched from gay marriage, but kids learn and grow from all sorts of exposure. I am not ignorant. I know my children are going to be exposed to all sorts of things in this world, some good and some bad. I just want my kids to be kind to everyone and accept everyone even if they don't believe what they are doing is right. That is how I feel...that is how I live, and I think I am a pretty rounded person. I know this blog is lengthy and I guess my language wasn't as bad as it was in my head. Since it is lengthy I won't go into details about an email I received today after watching this commercial, but real quick, the email was about a bill trying to be passed marking May 22 as Harvey Milk day and for it to be celebrated in schools including elementary school. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay official elected in SF. The email was worded a little crazy as if schools were required to celebrate this day as a gay/lesbian/bi/ and transgender day, but when I looked at the actual bill, it wasn't all the hoopla the email said, however, it is endorsed by the gays/lesbians/bi's and trans genders. We don't need ANY of this crap in our schools just as much as we don't need a freakin' heterosexual day to celebrate freakin' straight people. Our kids can't read, write, do arithmetic or run a mile anymore, the last thing we need in our schools is to have any type of celebrations...Freak!...Teach my kids English for crying out loud and leave adult related politics out of the school...
I am not going to go into details on my beliefs when it comes to gay marriage or heterosexual marriage for that matter. Truth is, I will piss off the gays AND most likely piss off the people in my religion, but this is where I draw the line.
I was watching "Yo Gabba Gabba" with Ethan on Nick Jr. today. Let me just clarify the last part... "JUNIOR". Nick Jr. has shows like Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Wonder Pets and freakin' Blues Clues. All these shows are great for children under five years old, some of them my older girls will still watch. Cut to commercial...usually we see commercials for the latest and greatest toy or the next awesome upcoming show, but today was different. The commercial that came on was a lady getting ready for her wedding day. She is getting ready to walk down the aisle only to be faced with different obstacles. The last obstacle is of an older woman who puts her cane out as the bride is walking down the aisle and trips her. She then looks up at her groom who wants to come and rescue her only to be held back by his groomsmen. Perhaps you've seen this commercial. I must say, it's pretty clever. There are no words, only music and at the end it asks the question that says something to the matter of "What if you couldn't marry the person you loved?"...
I know that California just passed a law that states that in California men can marry men and women can marry women. Of course the right winged Conservatives quickly came up with another bill to change it. I know these types of bills have been going back and forth and back and forth. There is no neutural position between the two "types" of people who write these bills. Perhaps this is why that commercial can be seen on TV...during the upcoming voting process. To help gain support and vote NO on prop 8. I get it. I got the purpose of the commercial BUT WHAT I DON'T GET IS WHY THE FREAK WAS IT ON NICK JR??????? People please!!! My 3 year old CAN'T vote nor can most of the people who watch that station. I am sooo pissed off about this. When I was 19 years old, I worked at Albertsons in the "Lobby" The lobby sold and rented movies, sold candy and cigarettes. The candy was located in front of the register and the cigarettes were located behind the counter, visible to anyone standing in front of the candy but not in arms reach. On more than one occasion some dude would come up to me and say "Why are your cigarettes in front of the candy? Anything to get an extra buck hah?" At the time I was really annoyed. Like I had any control of where the cigarettes were. He should have complained to the manager...But now that I am a parent, I completely understand and yes, AGREE with the annoying man who always had something to say to me about selling candy and cigarettes. You may be wondering what my point is about this rant. To make this long blog a tad shorter...here goes...
I am allowed to think and feel the way I want. When it comes to my children, I have the right to teach them what I feel is best WHEN I WANT AND HOW I WANT. Even though that commercial was "subtle" and probably overlooked my most 3 year olds as something they don't understand or possibly boring, I don't need anyone to put beliefs in my children's heads especially on such a sensitive subject. My feeling's fall in between the Ultra Liberals and the Right Winged Conservatives when it comes to gay marriage. Please don't comment on my blog and tell me I am a racist bigget or whatever because I am allowed to feel the way I feel and express it the way I want. This is my blog, not yours. Let people choose for themselves who and what they want to be, BUT DON'T FORCE ME TO TEACH THEIR BELIEFS TO MY CHILDREN AS BEING RIGHT or even ACCEPTABLE. Candy in front of the cigarettes for young children to see, may be a little far fetched from gay marriage, but kids learn and grow from all sorts of exposure. I am not ignorant. I know my children are going to be exposed to all sorts of things in this world, some good and some bad. I just want my kids to be kind to everyone and accept everyone even if they don't believe what they are doing is right. That is how I feel...that is how I live, and I think I am a pretty rounded person. I know this blog is lengthy and I guess my language wasn't as bad as it was in my head. Since it is lengthy I won't go into details about an email I received today after watching this commercial, but real quick, the email was about a bill trying to be passed marking May 22 as Harvey Milk day and for it to be celebrated in schools including elementary school. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay official elected in SF. The email was worded a little crazy as if schools were required to celebrate this day as a gay/lesbian/bi/ and transgender day, but when I looked at the actual bill, it wasn't all the hoopla the email said, however, it is endorsed by the gays/lesbians/bi's and trans genders. We don't need ANY of this crap in our schools just as much as we don't need a freakin' heterosexual day to celebrate freakin' straight people. Our kids can't read, write, do arithmetic or run a mile anymore, the last thing we need in our schools is to have any type of celebrations...Freak!...Teach my kids English for crying out loud and leave adult related politics out of the school...
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