Happy Friday Everyone!!!
Randomly found this on line and it made me smile. It also made me that much more appreciative of the men and women who are putting their lives on the line each and everyday so that I may rest easy at night.
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." - Winston Churchill
Jan 30, 3:47 PM EST
Boy's wrapped birthday gift is dad back from Iraq
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DAYTON, Nev. (AP) -- Gabriel Hurles' sixth birthday party wasn't a surprise, but his present sure was. The kindergartner was so engrossed in the cupcakes his mother brought to his class on Wednesday that he didn't notice the enormous wrapped box off to the side.
"That's one big, giant present," a 6-year-old classmate told him. "See what you got, Gabriel."
Gabriel peeled back the wrapping paper to find the surprise of his young life - his father, an Army mechanic back in Nevada on leave from his second tour in Iraq.
"It's my dad!" he announced to his classmates at Sutro Elementary School in Dayton, a few miles northeast of Carson City. "Hi, Daddy."
Army Spc. Casey Hurles, 23, hadn't seen his son since he left in June. When he learned his leave would coincide with his son's birthday, he hatched a plan to hide out in the 4-foot-tall box.
"It was such a rush of emotion," said Hurles, who said he got butterflies in his stomach while waiting in the box.
After Hurles sat down and ate a cupcake with the birthday boy, teacher Dawn VanSickle presented him with a banner from the class that read, "Welcome Home. Thank you for your service."
VanSickle said she was happy to arrange the reunion in her classroom.
"One of the first things (Gabriel) shared about himself was that his dad was in Iraq and that he was waiting for his dad to come home," she said. "He talks about his dad all the time."
Hurles, who joined the Army four years ago, is a mechanic in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He completed one tour in Iraq and is seven months into his second tour. He expects to finish sometime this summer.
Gabriel said he looks forward to playing with his dad over the next two weeks but understands why he has to leave again.
"He has to work," Gabriel said. "He works in the war."
---
Information from: Nevada Appeal, http://www.nevadaappeal.com
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The "Black People" Conundrum
As I watched everything unfold yesterday and in the days leading up to the inauguration I began to really think about the significance of the election of Obama. He is the first African American/Black/Coloured/Non White person to be elected to the highest office in the land. For many people in this country and around the world this is something that they did not think would ever happen in their life time if at all. The November election saw some of the biggest turn outs ever recorded in some areas and major participation in the voting process by the youth of the country. For all of the achievements and barriers that have been broken in this electoral season I cannot help but realise that President Obama faces serious challenges and hindrances to his presidency, namely black people. Yes you read correctly. In my opinion the biggest obstacle facing President Obama right now is black people.
Sidebar
During the course of the election and also during the inauguration yesterday and its ensuing celebrations, I saw a lot of people crying, and really the only question that came to my mind was "what you crying for?". Now as I was telling one of my older sisters yesterday, if Coretta was alive and she shed a tear, I would have no problem with that, or if it was Rosa, but to see these young people all teary eyed and what not... Well call me cynical, call me cold, call me whatever you like (cause it is not what you call me but what I answer to) but I just cannot understand the tears. It made me question if they really understood the significance of it or if it was the bandwagon mentality.
End Sidebar
Now I know that statement will probably annoy at lot of people but I happen not to care. In my opinion black people will be his biggest obstacle, stumbling block, or what have you because to far too many of them his election is seen as a free pass.
Before anyone gets too up in arms let me clarify just what I mean by "black people". I am not talking about people who expressed sentiments like Beyonce did in her post serenade interview at the Neighbourhood Ball where she stated (I am paraphrasing) that seeing what has been accomplished made her want to be a better person, a more socially involved person, and a smarter person. I am not talking about those who truly understand that "of the people, by the people, and for the people" means getting involved not sitting back and complaining. I am not talking about the people who are actively involved in their communities and cities. I am not talking about those people.
I am talking about the ignorant people who cannot see beyond the colour of his skin. This is not common only to white people but something that exists in the black community as well. There are those black people to whom Obama is just a black man so because a black man is in office "things gonna go different now cause we got a brotha runnin da show". If that is all you think when you see the President then you are not a help but a handicap. There are many black people out there who are spouting nonsense about how "the man is gone now so we gonna be able to come up". Really? Really? So the only thing that was holding you back was one man? So all the other black people that have made a way and made something of themselves and are on the path to and reaching their goals, what they just got lucky?
I look forward to the next four years. I look forward to seeing what someone who is not so jaded by politics as usual can do for this country. I look forward to seeing the black community reaching towards the dreams of Martin and Malcolm and making them more of a reality. And (yes I know I should not start a sentence with "and") it is my dearest and sincerest hope that when the real black people who truly understand the magnitude of what has been accomplished hear the nonsense being spouted, they will rise up... and throat punch the idiots that said it.
Sidebar
During the course of the election and also during the inauguration yesterday and its ensuing celebrations, I saw a lot of people crying, and really the only question that came to my mind was "what you crying for?". Now as I was telling one of my older sisters yesterday, if Coretta was alive and she shed a tear, I would have no problem with that, or if it was Rosa, but to see these young people all teary eyed and what not... Well call me cynical, call me cold, call me whatever you like (cause it is not what you call me but what I answer to) but I just cannot understand the tears. It made me question if they really understood the significance of it or if it was the bandwagon mentality.
End Sidebar
Now I know that statement will probably annoy at lot of people but I happen not to care. In my opinion black people will be his biggest obstacle, stumbling block, or what have you because to far too many of them his election is seen as a free pass.
Before anyone gets too up in arms let me clarify just what I mean by "black people". I am not talking about people who expressed sentiments like Beyonce did in her post serenade interview at the Neighbourhood Ball where she stated (I am paraphrasing) that seeing what has been accomplished made her want to be a better person, a more socially involved person, and a smarter person. I am not talking about those who truly understand that "of the people, by the people, and for the people" means getting involved not sitting back and complaining. I am not talking about the people who are actively involved in their communities and cities. I am not talking about those people.
I am talking about the ignorant people who cannot see beyond the colour of his skin. This is not common only to white people but something that exists in the black community as well. There are those black people to whom Obama is just a black man so because a black man is in office "things gonna go different now cause we got a brotha runnin da show". If that is all you think when you see the President then you are not a help but a handicap. There are many black people out there who are spouting nonsense about how "the man is gone now so we gonna be able to come up". Really? Really? So the only thing that was holding you back was one man? So all the other black people that have made a way and made something of themselves and are on the path to and reaching their goals, what they just got lucky?
I look forward to the next four years. I look forward to seeing what someone who is not so jaded by politics as usual can do for this country. I look forward to seeing the black community reaching towards the dreams of Martin and Malcolm and making them more of a reality. And (yes I know I should not start a sentence with "and") it is my dearest and sincerest hope that when the real black people who truly understand the magnitude of what has been accomplished hear the nonsense being spouted, they will rise up... and throat punch the idiots that said it.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Salutations
So I am walking home from the train station this evening and I hear this, "you almost got smacked on the ass".
Say what????
Yep, no lie, a guy said this to me. His explanation, after I gave him the "I will make it so you never have children nor ever again enjoy the act of creating them" side eye, was that I looked like someone he knew and apparently his way of saying hello would have been to smack them on the ass.
Whatever happened to a simple "Hello"?
Say what????
Yep, no lie, a guy said this to me. His explanation, after I gave him the "I will make it so you never have children nor ever again enjoy the act of creating them" side eye, was that I looked like someone he knew and apparently his way of saying hello would have been to smack them on the ass.
Whatever happened to a simple "Hello"?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
When it's no longer a gardening tool
At what point does a person, male or female, cross the line from being one who enjoys the pleasures of life to being a ho?
This debate has been raging (well I don't know if it is really raging per say but a lot of people are talking about it) for the past week on various sites and blogs that I frequent and it is really intriguing to me.
What makes someone a ho?
Sidebar: Now there are many that would automatically start the answer with something along the lines of "well a woman is considered a ho if..." and I would have to stop them right in their tracks. In my opinion there are far more manwhores than hoes out there in the world but ladies get a bad rap. Granted it is wrong no matter what gender you are, but men seem to get away with it more that women do. Why is it that if a guy sleeps with every female within a 5o mile radius he is just sowing his wild oats, but if a woman sleeps with every male within 50 mile radius she is looser than your bowels after mistaking the bar of ex-lax for a bar of chocolate?
Is it the quantity of people slept with that indicates hoedom or is it the quality of the game spit to get into the respective undies? Is a man a manwhore because he has slept with 30 women, or is he a manwhore because he pretended to want real relationships with 30 women to get them into bed? Is a woman a ho because she slept with 30 men, or because she slept with 30 men to get them to buy her stuff?
I am of the opinion (see disclaimer) that it is not so much about how many people you sleep with, trick with, mess around with, or whatever, but more so how you go about doing it. If you are up front and make it known from the get go that all you are looking for is a one night stand, jump off, quick fling, or what have you, and both parties are in agreement and accordance, well then suit up and have at it. However if lies and deceptions are used, and one party is mislead, or used in some way then that denotes hoedom.
So again the question, what makes someone a ho?
DISCLAIMER** the views expressed in this post in no way indicate the acceptance of sleeping around. just so you know, the Ranting Auntie is not down with that, but hey inquiring minds do wonder about things from time to time **
This debate has been raging (well I don't know if it is really raging per say but a lot of people are talking about it) for the past week on various sites and blogs that I frequent and it is really intriguing to me.
What makes someone a ho?
Sidebar: Now there are many that would automatically start the answer with something along the lines of "well a woman is considered a ho if..." and I would have to stop them right in their tracks. In my opinion there are far more manwhores than hoes out there in the world but ladies get a bad rap. Granted it is wrong no matter what gender you are, but men seem to get away with it more that women do. Why is it that if a guy sleeps with every female within a 5o mile radius he is just sowing his wild oats, but if a woman sleeps with every male within 50 mile radius she is looser than your bowels after mistaking the bar of ex-lax for a bar of chocolate?
Is it the quantity of people slept with that indicates hoedom or is it the quality of the game spit to get into the respective undies? Is a man a manwhore because he has slept with 30 women, or is he a manwhore because he pretended to want real relationships with 30 women to get them into bed? Is a woman a ho because she slept with 30 men, or because she slept with 30 men to get them to buy her stuff?
I am of the opinion (see disclaimer) that it is not so much about how many people you sleep with, trick with, mess around with, or whatever, but more so how you go about doing it. If you are up front and make it known from the get go that all you are looking for is a one night stand, jump off, quick fling, or what have you, and both parties are in agreement and accordance, well then suit up and have at it. However if lies and deceptions are used, and one party is mislead, or used in some way then that denotes hoedom.
So again the question, what makes someone a ho?
DISCLAIMER** the views expressed in this post in no way indicate the acceptance of sleeping around. just so you know, the Ranting Auntie is not down with that, but hey inquiring minds do wonder about things from time to time **
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Kids Today
Too often kids today are at the mercy of stupid parents which then, in my opinion, leads to situations like this.
Once again I have many questions:
1. why is the 6 year old up by themselves?
2. why does the 6 year old know where the keys to the car are?
3. why is the 6 year old playing Grand Theft Auto?
4. why does the 6 year old not want to miss breakfast at school?
5. how as the parent are you asleep while your child is getting ready for school?
Now if this were a teenager, then I would lay some blame at the foot of the teen because they would be of an age to know better. They would be of an age to be held accountable for their own actions, and be of an age to reason for themselves and know right from wrong. This however was not a teen, this was a 6 year old child.
Maybe I am being too harsh, but if you have a small child then no matter how tired you are, you make sure they GET ON THE BUS, before you go to your bed. At 6 years old there would be no way my child was roaming my house alone or waiting for a bus alone. Sorry, not going to happen. Until I see them safely on the bus then I should be up with them. If for some reason the bus is missed or does not come then it is my responsibility as the parent to get them to school.
Granted this is all hypothetical because I do not have children, but I have watched my niece and nephews and when they got up, I got up. I made breakfast, saw that everyone was dressed and ready, then waited for each bus, and walked them to the bus when it came. Only after each one was off to school did I go back and lie down for a bit. To me that is just common sense.
Once again I have many questions:
1. why is the 6 year old up by themselves?
2. why does the 6 year old know where the keys to the car are?
3. why is the 6 year old playing Grand Theft Auto?
4. why does the 6 year old not want to miss breakfast at school?
5. how as the parent are you asleep while your child is getting ready for school?
Now if this were a teenager, then I would lay some blame at the foot of the teen because they would be of an age to know better. They would be of an age to be held accountable for their own actions, and be of an age to reason for themselves and know right from wrong. This however was not a teen, this was a 6 year old child.
Maybe I am being too harsh, but if you have a small child then no matter how tired you are, you make sure they GET ON THE BUS, before you go to your bed. At 6 years old there would be no way my child was roaming my house alone or waiting for a bus alone. Sorry, not going to happen. Until I see them safely on the bus then I should be up with them. If for some reason the bus is missed or does not come then it is my responsibility as the parent to get them to school.
Granted this is all hypothetical because I do not have children, but I have watched my niece and nephews and when they got up, I got up. I made breakfast, saw that everyone was dressed and ready, then waited for each bus, and walked them to the bus when it came. Only after each one was off to school did I go back and lie down for a bit. To me that is just common sense.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
For real though?
Part of me really does not want to believe that this is true.
The skeptic in me wonders how a four year old "knew" how to fire a gun. I desperately want to believe that maybe the teens were fooling around and one of them accidentally shot the teen and they are just trying to cover it up. However as far as lies go this one would rank towards the top as being really bad.
I personally would have said that the child got a hold of the gun and in my efforts to get it away from them so they would not harm themselves it accidentally went off. That sounds more plausible and would then leave me to blame the parents for leaving it somewhere that was easily accessible.
So if this story is real and charges are brought, who will they charge? The four year old? What would the charge be, furthermore how would punishment be assessed? What responsibility will the parents of the toddler have for leaving a gun where the child could get at it?
What is this world coming to?
Happy New Year indeed.... kind of makes you wonder what the rest of the year will bring...
The skeptic in me wonders how a four year old "knew" how to fire a gun. I desperately want to believe that maybe the teens were fooling around and one of them accidentally shot the teen and they are just trying to cover it up. However as far as lies go this one would rank towards the top as being really bad.
I personally would have said that the child got a hold of the gun and in my efforts to get it away from them so they would not harm themselves it accidentally went off. That sounds more plausible and would then leave me to blame the parents for leaving it somewhere that was easily accessible.
So if this story is real and charges are brought, who will they charge? The four year old? What would the charge be, furthermore how would punishment be assessed? What responsibility will the parents of the toddler have for leaving a gun where the child could get at it?
What is this world coming to?
Happy New Year indeed.... kind of makes you wonder what the rest of the year will bring...
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