I did it again yesterday. I turned on am talk radio and there is good and bad news. The good news is that Rush Limbaugh wasn't on his own show, so I didn't have to endure him. The bad news is that the show was still on with a replacement. Of course, the topic was the limit that President Obama wants to put on Executives pay for companies taking bailout monies. And, of course, that was leading to socialism (isn't everything in their opinion lately). What I don't understand is how they keep changing their opinions to make it seem like they agree with everyone that calls in, regardless of what side they are on. The prevailing opinion yesterday is that we cannot dictate what the private sector does and how they run their companies. That will be the complete decline of our country. What they keep forgetting to say (so that their avid listeners will stay on their side) is that the proposal is ONLY for companies requesting government aide... NOT every private sector company. How does that make government involved in all private sector companies and make it a complete government run country.
To the talk shows credit, they actually did allow one caller through that was trying desperately to make this point. But... a "good" talk show radio host knows when this is coming. And since they never want their listeners to actually hear that they are missing the point, he quickly said "sorry, we have to go to break". Click. Ahh. Free speech at it's greatest.
If these companies have been run so poorly that they go to the government for help, they SHOULD have to accept the governments terms for the money. However, if they don't want to accept those terms, run your companies better and you won't need their help in the first place. Having said that, I know there are ligitimate companies that are in trouble now just due to the economy. But I'll go out on a limb here and guess that those are not the companies that will complain about following the rules if they want the help. Maybe these talk show hosts are just afraid they will get their multi-million dollar contracts taken away in this bad economy. If that were to happen, all hell would break loose. People would actually have to form their own opinions rather than just regurgitate what Rush tells them to think. Heavens... we can't have that.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Things that make you go hmmm...
Here is insight to why it is that the rich people weren't really the ones that were complaining when the then Presidential Nominee Obama talked of raising taxes on those making more than $250K a year. I didn't hear much complaining from the rich Hollywood types or the huge business earners. The complaining was from all the politicians that said it was socialism. Well, this article proves that some of those people would actually still go for paying more taxes on what they make. Having said that, it does sound like this particular executive may be way more selfless than others. But, I like the idea anyway.
What he said...
While I don't agree with all the spending items listed in the proposed Stimulus Bill, I do agree we need to get moving, and quickly. So no further editorializing necessary on this article. Stop getting in the way and start doing something about the economy. Enough said...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Twilight view (from the mom perspective)
The following is a comment I made to another blog article on Twilight. The original blog was questioning why (or what) the evangelical crowd thinks of the new Twilight book series... since they had such issues with Harry Potter. As a Christian, I don't have a problem with either series from that perspective, as I realize it's all fiction and don't believe my kids think otherwise. However, I also find it interesting that I haven't heard much from them about this. Here was my response to the other blog.
.....
It's taken me a while to respond to this, mostly because I wanted to see if I could find out anything about the evangelical point of view. I tried looking on line and haven't found much either except for the fact that some of them are trying to say it's good because it somehow teaches good points of Christianity and how they feel about demons, etc. I don't see that at all. But those are the same ones that claimed Lord of the Rings had great Christian sub-stories at the same time as Harry Potter was just pure evil.
I asked my oldest if she'd heard anything in church or anything from other kids her age and nope... she hasn't. She also doesn't understand why HP was so bad... but also has refused to read or watch that series, mostly because of the hype at this point.
Having said all that, I don't have any trouble with the books based on any Christian beliefs because I'm quite capable of differentiating something that is just entertainment from thinking my kids will start studying witchcraft (in the HP sense) or determining that there are real vampires or wearwolfs (in the Twilight sense). However, I have had conversations about this new series of books with my girls for different reasons.
As a mother of girls, I have real issues with the way that Bella is portrayed with her "obsession" with Edward. It's not a healthy relationship from the perspective of Bella at all for teenage girls. She is so completely obsessed that she spirals into the deepest depression ever when he leaves (for her own safety). While in that deep depression, she then clings to Jacob as a friend, but just as hard as she did to Edward. All the time she's obsessed with either of these boys, she has no other life at all. She does nothing with other friends, etc. When with Edward all she's thinking of is how to get him to have sex with her or when it is she can end her life to be with him (her first boyfriend) for all eternity as a vampire. Blah Blah. The whole storyline is about what she'll do to have him, what she'll give up to have him, how she'd die if he weren't around, how much trouble and near death experience she puts up with just to be near him. And all of that stems from how poor a view she has of herself and how she never feels worthy to even be in his presence. What is that all about for young girls to hear. Crazy.
They are entertaining and quick easy reading like HP, but the sub-context of "he is all that will ever matter in my life and I'd die without him and die to be with him" is NOT a good lesson for the age girls that are reading these books. As I said to my ex-husband when he had issues with the HP books... "it's a parents job to understand what they are reading and talk to them about your own views if you think they're not smart enough to realize this is fiction". I hope more parents, of girls especially, are talking to their girls about these books as well. Not a healthy look at a first relationship at all... in my opinion. Hopefully parents are paying attention and speaking to their girls. I know I am.
And... yes... I'm on the 4th book myself and only started reading them about 3 weeks ago. After reading the first one, knowing my girls had read them all (or in the process of doing so) I really need to know how far it all goes. But, we've already spoken about my view of how Bella is portrayed in the relationship department.
.....
It's taken me a while to respond to this, mostly because I wanted to see if I could find out anything about the evangelical point of view. I tried looking on line and haven't found much either except for the fact that some of them are trying to say it's good because it somehow teaches good points of Christianity and how they feel about demons, etc. I don't see that at all. But those are the same ones that claimed Lord of the Rings had great Christian sub-stories at the same time as Harry Potter was just pure evil.
I asked my oldest if she'd heard anything in church or anything from other kids her age and nope... she hasn't. She also doesn't understand why HP was so bad... but also has refused to read or watch that series, mostly because of the hype at this point.
Having said all that, I don't have any trouble with the books based on any Christian beliefs because I'm quite capable of differentiating something that is just entertainment from thinking my kids will start studying witchcraft (in the HP sense) or determining that there are real vampires or wearwolfs (in the Twilight sense). However, I have had conversations about this new series of books with my girls for different reasons.
As a mother of girls, I have real issues with the way that Bella is portrayed with her "obsession" with Edward. It's not a healthy relationship from the perspective of Bella at all for teenage girls. She is so completely obsessed that she spirals into the deepest depression ever when he leaves (for her own safety). While in that deep depression, she then clings to Jacob as a friend, but just as hard as she did to Edward. All the time she's obsessed with either of these boys, she has no other life at all. She does nothing with other friends, etc. When with Edward all she's thinking of is how to get him to have sex with her or when it is she can end her life to be with him (her first boyfriend) for all eternity as a vampire. Blah Blah. The whole storyline is about what she'll do to have him, what she'll give up to have him, how she'd die if he weren't around, how much trouble and near death experience she puts up with just to be near him. And all of that stems from how poor a view she has of herself and how she never feels worthy to even be in his presence. What is that all about for young girls to hear. Crazy.
They are entertaining and quick easy reading like HP, but the sub-context of "he is all that will ever matter in my life and I'd die without him and die to be with him" is NOT a good lesson for the age girls that are reading these books. As I said to my ex-husband when he had issues with the HP books... "it's a parents job to understand what they are reading and talk to them about your own views if you think they're not smart enough to realize this is fiction". I hope more parents, of girls especially, are talking to their girls about these books as well. Not a healthy look at a first relationship at all... in my opinion. Hopefully parents are paying attention and speaking to their girls. I know I am.
And... yes... I'm on the 4th book myself and only started reading them about 3 weeks ago. After reading the first one, knowing my girls had read them all (or in the process of doing so) I really need to know how far it all goes. But, we've already spoken about my view of how Bella is portrayed in the relationship department.
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