Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men….
Posted
November 27, 2006 at
2:16 am by
Cristina
That is, unless you happen to be part of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association.
According to the Associated Press, the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs, Colorado is taking a zero tolerance approach when it comes to peace-loving holiday decor this year.
A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.
No, I am not making this up for good blog fodder. This is actually true.
Hard to believe though? I’d say so.
How anyone could take offense to the peace symbol is beyond me. I mean, I know that homeowners associations have the right to their rules -?? no matter how inane those rules may be -?? but let’s get real here for a second. This is a holiday garland in the form of a peace symbol. What are people going to take offense to next? Frosty the Snowman decorations?
Now, granted, there were only a few homeowners who complained. But the thought that anyone would complain completely befuddles me. And furthermore, the idea that a homeowner would be fined close to $1000 for?? hanging up a?? peace sign wreath because it’s “divisive”?? is just plain sad.
The article states that some of?? those who complained have children serving in Iraq and were offended by the peace symbol because they viewed it as an anti-war protest. Again, this befuddles me. Regardless of our stance on the war or whether or not we have relatives serving in Iraq, who doesn’t want peace? Besides,?? if my child were serving in Iraq, wouldn’t that make peace on Earth, and particularly in the Middle East, even more important? (On a side note, the woman facing charges has said that the peace sign was not politically motivated.)
I guess the whole thing is just another reminder to me of why I want to avoid homeowners associations. You may not have to worry about your neighbor painting his house purple, but you might?? have to start worrying a lot more about your Christmas decor. Because let’s face it, nothing says Satan like a peace-sign garland, right???
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This Democrat Wouldn’t Get My Vote
Posted
November 20, 2006 at
2:40 am by
Cristina
Although I tend to be liberal on most issues, that doesn’t mean that I agree with every Democrat all the time. Case in point: House Democrat Rep. Charles Rangel has just announced that he will be proposing a measure in the next few months to reinstate the draft.?? One of his reasons for making this proposal is to “deter politicians from launching wars.”
“There’s no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm’s way,” Rangel said.
Um, is it just me or is that a really bad reason to reinstate the draft? What kind of crazy reverse psychology game is he trying to play??? I’m pretty sure that I don’t want the draft used as a way to double dog dare the administration to go to war. Because newsflash, Rangel, they may decide to go to war anyway. Are you ready to?? allow your children or grandchildren to be drafted into a war they may not even believe in? Because I’m not. And I’m pretty sure most Americans aren’t either.
The good news is that there is almost no chance in hell that this will pass through Congress given that Rangel has already failed twice to pass?? similar legislation. Maybe he should take the hint and figure out a better way to deter politicians from going to war.
Hmmmmm…?? Might I suggest the upcoming Global Orgasm for Peace Rally?
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I Thought this was a Democracy
Posted
November 7, 2006 at
2:11 am by
Cristina
Considering that we’ve made it our mission here in America to spread “democracy” far and wide throughout the world, you’d think that our country’s electoral process - arguably the most fundamental of all democratic processes - would be running smoothly. You’d think that there wouldn’t be any “funny business” going on that might, say, cast some doubt as to whether our elections are conducted fairly.
At least that’s what I’d like to think. Unfortunately, I have been hearing more and more about the underhanded, and?? seemingly illegal, practices that are conducted to suppress voters.
There are so many shocking examples, I don’t even know where to start. Here are a few:
- In California, Tan Nguyen, a Republican candidate running for Congress, has admitted that one of his staff members sent out up to 14,000 letters to newly registered Latino voters, telling them that it is illegal to vote if they are an immigrant. Not an illegal immigrant. An immigrant. I guess Governor Schwarzenegger better stay out of the voting booth this year then, eh?
??
- In Florida, early voting has revealed a “small little glitch” with the electronic voting machines. Apparently, after some voters selected a Democratic candidate, the computer registers that they voted for the Republican candidate. I know you think I’m joking, but I’m totally serious. This was reported in the?? New York Times today. Apparently, the elections officials in that county don’t really see it as a problem because as long as voters complain, an elections official can come into their voting booth (forget the violation of privacy here) and fix the computer for them. That’s if the voter realizes what has happened. And that’s a big if as far as I’m concerned.
??
- Around the country, Republican campaigns have been “robocalling” voter households with pre-recorded anti-Democratic messages that have made many voters believe that the call is being made by a Democratic candidate. (i obsess linked to several good articles on this in her post today.) Because the calls are made to the same voters repeatedly and because voters often hang up before it becomes clear that the call is not actually from the Democratic candidate, many annoyed voters have called Democratic headquarters offices to complain and, in some cases, voters have even threatened not to vote for the Democratic candidate who they believe is making the calls.
Want more examples that will piss you off??? Read the transcript from Amy Goodman’s interview with New York Times columnist Adam Cohen who was interviewed today on Democracy Now!. Learn about how often electronic voting machines break down and how they often contain no paper trails or learn how in Georgia, a now defunct law required?? voters to buy an ID card?? if they didn’t have a driver’s license - too bad those ID cards weren’t made readily available for purchase.
So, tomorrow is election day, and I have already sent in my absentee ballot. I’m just crossing my fingers that it doesn’t get returned to me for using the wrong color ink. Somehow, that doesn’t sound as preposterous as it did yesterday.
Mind Your Own Business, Mommy?
Posted
October 31, 2006 at
1:00 am by
Cristina
When it comes to?? relating?? to other moms, I realize that there’s a big difference between being?? nosy and?? judgmental?? and being a caring, concerned friend. For example, while the?? judgemental mom might make her mommy friend feel guilty for not?? properly bundling up her child on an outing to the park in cold weather, the concerned but caring mom would simply offer an extra blanket if she had one to spare.
However,?? I often find that the line between being judgmental?? and being?? concerned is not always so?? easy to judge. For example, a few months ago, during one of my son’s playgroup dates, the topic of sports came up among the moms present. One of the new moms, who had just joined the group recently, mentioned that she and her husband love to play tennis and basketball.
“Wow”, I said. “You have time to play tennis and basketball with an infant??? That’s great. I haven’t exercised?? at all since my son was born. Who watches?? your baby while you guys play?”
“Oh,” she said, “no one has to watch the baby?? for us because we play with the baby.”
“You play with the baby? What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
“Oh, it’s easy,” she explained. “I just strap my daughter into the Baby Bjorn and play with her. She loves it. In fact, she usually just falls asleep while we play.”
As I looked around the room at the handful of other moms?? listening in to the conversation, I noticed that almost all of their mouths were hanging open. As was mine.
This girl was playing tennis and basketball with her baby strapped into her Baby Bjorn? Was she serious? Hadn’t she ever heard of shaken baby syndrome?
Immediately, I thought to myself, “Could this explain her baby’s listlessness? Could this baby, who was?? always very quiet and almost always asleep?? during the few outings she had attended with the mom’s group, actually have brain damage because her?? mother bounced her around several hours a week playing sports?”
By the time I had wrapped my mind around it, she had changed the subject. But for the rest of that day and for weeks later, it bothered me. Should I say something to her? Warn her about the dangers of bouncing her little bitty 14-pound baby around on the tennis court? Tell her that the bones of?? her child’s skull had yet to?? completely grow together? Was it possible that she really didn’t know this? I felt compelled to say something.
And yet, something stopped me.?? Part of me felt like?? it wasn’t my place to say anything. And after all, she is the mother of the baby not me. Plus, I hadn’t seen them playing tennis or basketball. Maybe, somehow, she could play without really moving. Maybe the image of her jostling that baby up and down for an hour three times a week was just me over-reacting and not understanding the situation.
So, I never did say anything.?? And in retrospect, I feel a little guilty about it. I mean, if that had been me, and I had been putting my baby at risk without realizing it, I would have wanted another mother to say something to me. It might have hurt my pride at the time, but I would have appreciated it.??
So, now I am just left wondering if her baby is OK. I saw her again recently and was relieved to see that her daughter, now a one-year-old,?? appeared normal. But if I had to do it over again, I would have said something. Only I would approached it delicately, and rather than?? blurting out, “Are you crazy?!”, which is what I was thinking,?? I would have simply suggested the following: “Perhaps you might want to consider taking up a hobby like Scrabble instead.”
Halloween Just Got a Little Scarier
Posted
October 21, 2006 at
3:00 am by
Cristina
Lead. If you’re into chemistry, you might know it as Pb or atomic number 82 on the periodic table. When ingested in high levels by humans, it can cause neurological problems, gastrointestinal problems, kidney problems, and even reproductive problems. In extreme cases, it can even cause death and is particularly dangerous to children.
According to Wilkipedia, lead is commonly found in things like?? car batteries, coolant, paint (prior to 1978), high voltage power cables, and roofing material. Not really things that your child will be playing with, right? So I guess we can all heave a huge old sigh of relief and move on, right?
Wrong.
It seems like every time I turn around,?? I’m hearing about yet another?? seemingly innocuous?? item that contains lead. Your artificial christmas tree? Full of it.?? ?? The plastic?? Halloween costumes?? for sale at stores nationwide??? Lead, baby.?? The candy that our neighbors could be handing out for Halloween? Mmmm, yummy lead. The lunch bags we’ve been using for the past five years…uh, lead sandwiches anyone??? The toy jewelry that your child got from a vending machine and that cute little?? bracelet you bought your daughter at the Disney?? Store??? Yep, you guessed it - lead and more lead.
I could go on, but I won’t. You get the picture.
What I want to know is: what the heck is going on? You’d think that since we know that lead is poisonous, that at the very least, we wouldn’t find it our children’s toys.
I guess we can find some solace in the fact that in some states, like California, business are required to provide warnings when a product is known to contain toxic chemicals. That is, unless there is no such law in your state. In which case, some people apparently feel free to ignore the public health risk just so they can sell their products, as reported in this news story:
California law requires businesses to provide warnings when they expose the public to hazardous chemicals, like lead. But that’s not the case everywhere. Some costumes found in California are being sold in other states with the warning labels blacked out.
Blacked out, people. The?? labels warning us that?? our children’s Halloween costumes contain toxic levels of lead are being blacked out.
What is this world coming to?
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What’s the Rush?
Posted
October 13, 2006 at
12:40 am by
Cristina
As?? the cashier began scanning my items at Trader Joe’s the other day, I heard a woman behind me say in a loud, impatient whisper, “That’s not 15 items.”
I felt my face go hot. I knew she was talking about me. I turned to look at her. She was holding a single bottle of wine and looking very annoyed.
I looked up at the sign hanging above my head, which read “15 items more or less.” I quickly scanned my items and counted exactly 15. OK, so what the heck was her problem? Was she counting my 4-pack of muffins as four items or something?
Now, to be fair, I’ve been her. I’ve stood in line behind the elderly guy at Rite Aid and actually felt ire for him as he insisted on paying his entire bill in change, counting out every. single. excruciating penny. I get the frustration. But, at the same time, it pisses me off. The uptightness of it all. I mean, we seem to be a people with our panties constantly in a bunch. Why is that?
Is it all the time we spend in traffic every day, combined with all the time we spend at work, combined with all the time we spend hauling our kids here and there to activities? Are we just so busy doing so many things that we really, seriously don’t have time to wait as someone in a wheelchair crosses the street in front of us? Is it really necessary to honk at them impatiently? (I kid you not, I’ve seen this happen.)
I know it’s not like this everywhere in the world. When I lived in Italy, I remember being shocked when I would find a business closed during its operating hours. I soon came to find out that just because the store was supposed to be open from 8am to 7pm, didn’t mean it would be. Sometimes store owners had family emergencies and had to open late or leave early. Imagine that! There’d usually be a note on the door that said something like, “Be back in an hour.” No one complained or stomped their feet or took it out on old ladies by honking at them to “move it along” as they hobbled across the crosswalk. No,?? people just accepted it and went on their way. Because they were laid back like that.
Why aren’t we laid back like that? Why do I have to deal with snide remarks at the checkout aisle by a too-young-to-look-that-tired thirty-something in line behind me? And for that matter, why do I have circles under my eyes already? Maybe we should give ourselves a break, do a little less and relax a little more.?? Maybe then we could get rid of our collective wedgies. Cuz damn, wedgies are really uncomfortable.
Help Fight Breast Cancer - Buy these M&M’s?
Posted
October 5, 2006 at
2:17 am by
Cristina
I’m all for supporting important causes. I regularly donate to my local food bank and I try to give to other charities or causes when I can. But I have to say that it makes me uncomfortable when I see people raising money for a good cause by selling something questionable.
Take, for example, soda sales in schools.?? Historically, elementary, middle, and high?? schools have commonly used?? soda and junk food sales to help boost school revenues. Most people would probably agree?? that boosting school revenues is a worthy endeavor, but do we really want to?? raise funds by selling?? our children?? sugary, high-calorie sodas??? Are we?? that desperate that we’ll push poor?? eating habits on our kids?? just to raise a few bucks?
Here’s another example. I stopped into a local convenience store over the weekend and was greeted by this display on the counter. It was a hot pink box of specially-wrapped “Breast Cancer Awareness” M&Ms. Proceeds from the sales of these artifically-colored, artificially-flavored, (and, dare I say, potentially cancer-causing?) M&Ms go to support fighting breast cancer.
OK, so there’s no proven link between M&M’s and breast cancer, but there is evidence that obesity and high-fat diets are risk factors for breast cancer. So if that’s true, then?? why are we pushing high-fat, high-calorie foods on people in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness? Maybe it’s because?? apples and bananas just wouldn’t sell as well as M&Ms? Still, something doesn’t feel right about it to me.
Yet, I?? find this to be a tough issue. On the one hand, the proceeds of the sale of these candies will go to a great cause, but on the other hand, selling junk food to fight breast cancer seems to be a conflict of interest.
So, I’m interested in what you all think.?? Would you buy M&Ms in the name of breast cancer awareness?
Design-a-Baby? No, thanks.
Posted
September 28, 2006 at
1:35 am by
Cristina
Now that we???¬??re trying for Baby #2, I???¬??ve been asked more than once whether I???¬??m hoping for a boy or a girl.
Here???¬??s my politically correct answer: I don???¬??t care either way, just as long as the baby is healthy.
Here???¬??s my honest answer: I reeeeeeealy want a girl.
Of course, having a healthy baby is my priority, and I will love him or her the exact?? same way?? no matter what, but I would be lying if I said that I don???¬??t have a preference. Since we may only have two children, and since we already have a son, I can???¬??t help but hope for a girl this time. We may even go so far as to try a few of Dr. Shettle???¬??s tricks for conceiving a girl.??
While we’re on the topic,?? today I read this article and it got me wondering: How far is too far to go in determining the sex of a baby? Should we use advances in science to help us select the gender of our babies for non-medical reasons? Because now we can.
Through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) scientists can perform tests on embryos to determine gender prior to implantation in the uterus. In most cases, PGD is used to detect serious genetic disorders prior to implantation, but a growing number of fertility clinics?? are now offering PGD?? as a way for couples to determine the sex of their child for non-medical reasons.?? ?? In fact,?? a recent survey of 190 fertility clinics found that ???¬?a whopping 42 percent of clinics that offer PGD said they had done so for non-medically related sex selection.???¬??
Uh, is it just me, or does this raise some major moral and ethical issues? I hate to use the overused?? ???¬?slippery slope???¬?? metaphor, but this is a slippery slope don???¬??t you think? I mean, first we???¬??re determining the gender of our babies and next we???¬??ll be determining their hair color, skin color, eye color, height???¬?¦.where will it end? Can you say eugenics anyone?
There have been many concerns raised regarding these so-called ???¬?designer babies???¬??. There is the fear of creating a ???¬?super-race???¬?? of people who will discriminate against those who are ???¬?genetically inferior???¬??. There is the moral concern of creating and killing healthy embryos in search for the ???¬?perfect???¬?? baby. There is fear that playing around with gene structures could negatively affect the gene pool. Frankly, the whole thing scares the bejeesus out of me.
So design-a-baby? No, thanks. I think I???¬??ll stick with?? Dr. Shettle???¬??s Method for now. The only downside is that having a female?? orgasm during procreation apparently?? reduces the chances of conceiving a girl. So, hmmmm, maybe trying for another boy wouldn???¬??t be so bad after all.
I’m Sorry, I Can’t Talk Right Now….I’m “Breastfeeding.”
Posted
September 21, 2006 at
1:08 am by
Cristina
Who would have thought that breastfeeding would have so many advantages? And I???¬??m not talking about the whole brain development thing. Yeah, that???¬??s important, but everyone knows that breastfeeding is good for babies???¬?? development. I???¬??m talking about the lesser-known but equally wonderful advantages of breastfeeding. Like take this one for instance:
Breastfeeding will fend off a phone solicitor faster than you can say ???¬?booby milk.???¬??
Let me explain. I can???¬??t tell you how many times I sit down to dinner only to hear the phone ring. Yeah, I should ignore it, but I don???¬??t. And then I regret it because it???¬??s usually a phone solicitor trying to sell me a new mortgage or a fancy set of golf clubs or something else I completely don’t need. Now my problem is that I find it excrutiatingly painful to cut them off and just hang up. So I try any polite excuse to get them off the phone first - like I???¬??m eating dinner right now, I can???¬??t afford it, I don???¬??t golf, etc. However, these excuses rarely work, and five minutes later my dinner is cold.
Well, no longer! I have finally found the solution to ward off these pesky solicitors. Just tell ???¬??em you???¬??re breastfeeding! You won???¬??t believe how well it works. You???¬??ll be amazed that they have no scripted retort, like ???¬?Well, you???¬??re breasts will be there in 5 minutes, let me just tell you about this great time share deal???¬?¦???¬?? But no! They???¬??re actually speechless and can???¬??t hang up the phone fast enough.
Now, some of you may be thinking: But I don???¬??t breastfeed! Well, the beauty of this tactic is that they can???¬??t see you so it doesn???¬??t matter. In fact, I???¬??m rarely breastfeeding when I use the excuse! And if you???¬??re a man, you can use a variation on it. Just say, ???¬?My wife is breastfeeding. I???¬??m sorry we can???¬??t talk right now.???¬?? You might think this won???¬??t work because hey, why would your wife breastfeeding prevent you from talking on the phone. But my theory is that the mere mention of the word ???¬?breast???¬?? will throw them so off guard that they???¬??ll have no choice but to hang up.
This works equally well with door-to-door solicitors. I know because my husband has used it more than once. If there???¬??s someone at the door that he doesn???¬??t want to talk to he just says, ???¬?My wife is breastfeeding. Please respect our privacy.???¬?? Works like a charm! And again, the beauty of this is that you don???¬??t really need a wife who???¬??s breastfeeding. Heck, you don???¬??t even need a wife! And if you???¬??re a little older, just say that your daughter is breastfeeding. Feel free to try it sometime. I guarantee you it will work.
Eyes Wide Open
Posted
September 14, 2006 at
2:36 am by
Cristina
During hour thirteen of my 24-hour quasi-medicated labor, I remember having one distinct thought: There is no way in hell I will EVER do this again.
While I was pregnant, I would often ask women to tell me what labor was like, what a contraction was like. Mostly, they all said the same thing???¬???that it was hard to describe what a contraction felt like (you???¬??d just know when you had one) and that labor wasn???¬??t really that bad.
They were right about one thing. When I had my first contraction, I sure as heck knew what it was. But they were lying when they said that labor wasn???¬??t that bad. Or if they weren???¬??t lying, then they all had some?? pretty high pain tolerances compared to my wimpy self. Because for me, labor hurt. A lot.
But more than that,?? it?? was a dark place. A scary place. A place where I felt helpless, confused, and alone.
Not to say that my labor was uniquely difficult. I had a failed epidural, lots of Pitocin, and contractions that were ineffectual and unusually long, lasting up to 7 minutes. Yet, I know that there are women out there who have had it worse. Much worse. And my intention here is not to compare labors. It is just to say that labor was hard.?? And I expect that it is hard for many. So if that???¬??s the case, then why do women tend to?? sugarcoat it?? it when they???¬??re talking to moms-to-be? I think I’d rather have known the worst-case scenario, not the best case.
At one point, the pain was so bad that I remember looking at my husband and pleading for him to do something to help me. I was literally writhing in pain and felt like I was going to completely lose my mind. He was the only one there with me. The only who could possibly help me. And yet, he felt helpless too.
???¬?I don???¬??t know what to do???¬??, he said.
The thing was it wasn???¬??t his fault; he really didn???¬??t know what to do.?? But in that moment, I felt completely, utterly alone. Just me and the pain. It would be 12 more hours until the baby was born.
In hindsight, I realize that my own fear, my own helplessness in the situation was making my pain worse. What it came down to was that I was not prepared. Not in the slightest. I hadn???¬??t read any books on labor techniques. I hadn???¬??t hired a Doula or practiced my breathing exercises. I hadn???¬??t demanded that my mother be present during the labor to help us. I had gone through one day of Lamaze class and that was it. I didn???¬??t fully realize what I was headed?? for or really respect the process I was about to undertake.
Now that 14 months have passed since the birth of our son, I???¬??ve finally reached the point where I feel that I can do it again, and?? recently?? we???¬??ve decided to start trying for our second baby.
And I have no problem admitting that I???¬??m scared as hell. But we???¬??re going for it anyway. Only this time we???¬??ll be more prepared. We have to be.
Reflections, Post 9/11
Posted
September 11, 2006 at
12:29 am by
Cristina
While watching the Jim Lehrer Report the other night, I was a bit surprised by an interview I heard with New York Times columnist David Brooks. Mr. Brooks was asked to reflect upon what he personally felt?? September 11th?? did to our country and where we are five years later as a result. He answered by saying that prior to 9/11 he shared a sense that despite cultural differences, human beings were fundamentally the same and wanted the same things, but that since 9/11, he had come to the realization that human beings have different moral orders that sometimes conflict and that humans form ???¬?tribes???¬?? that are solidified by hating other people. He finished by saying that he now finds human beings to be much more unalike than he once thought them to be.
I was surprised by his answer because I guess I don???¬??t agree that people are?? essentially that different. Sure, our cultures are quite diverse, but when it comes to?? our fundamental natures, I have always felt that human beings are really very similar. The events of September 11th haven’t changed that for me. I?? still believe that people the world over do want the same things. And here, I’m not talking about extremists who resort to violence against innocent civilians. I don’t believe that those people represent the majority. No, here I am speaking of the average person. And particularly, the average mother.
Moreover, I?? believe that if you polled mothers from?? America, Iraq, Europe, Israel, Palestine and other countries throughout the world and asked them what is most important to them, you would find?? many similarities. I believe they would say things like:
health care for themselves and, especially, for their children
safe and peaceful places to live
potable water
clean environments
access to affordable, healthy?? food
sewage systems that work
jobs that pay a living wage
freedom to worship their religion of choice
access to quality education
Maybe I’m wrong, but these are the things that I think would make the list.
So, I guess if I were asked how my perspective has changed since September 11th, my answer would be somewhat different. I would have said that I have learned that we are not cocooned. That we are living in a global society and that the decisions?? made by?? our world leaders?? will affect?? all people. And that we, as a human race, will face the consequences of the type of world we create together–whether good or bad.
And that maybe, just maybe, our world would be different if our leaders?? based their decisions?? on what the average mother wants.
Perhaps they should start?? by taking a poll.
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