Thursday, August 20, 2009

First Amendment Protection

I did a paper on Pornography and the First Amendment when I was in political theory in another life. I was thinking even then, that I could not absolutely put pornography as something that should not be protected even if I found it offensive. Though also in many situations there is proof that certain porn can cause further harm to women from men who are desensitized by hard core porn. It can bring out everything horrible about human nature and now it is all over the internet. There are also many people who dedicate their life against porn and those who spend their life working for it. The entire thing really did disgust me in the end, and I decided that I could not find anything criminal in the actions. True, if there are actual criminal actions taken place in filming then that is one thing, but that actual creation is in a sense creative thought which some enjoy and others hate. It is an expression, it is something that is to be protected.

That is something beautiful about this country which many do not follow in others, that all speech is protected. You can yell about how horrible our leader is and have no arrest record. You can express your belief that all people should live on a commune and worship the earth... Basically it doesn't matter, the speech is allowed. With this what confuses me is the mention of "hate speech". I believe that is speech aimed hurtfully at certain groups. I know that some countries do outlaw such speech and I know there are some that wish to do that here.

To me with speech and expression there will always be those offended and those who will not be. I notice that in day to day life. Where as I may be offended by attacks on the Catholic Church, others may find those supporting the Catholic Church offensive because of their stances on many issues that are not popular today. So initially, doesn't it come down to what is popular? Now I know that many views that I have are unpopular, though I am a rational person. I think I can be more rational than most I meet I have to admit. So when I speak things through in full explanation sometimes I don't really get a great response. Explaining political beliefs and religious beliefs tends to leave people on one side or another, when will you know that what is popular ends up being against what you believe? Now things can be offensive, and I wish not everyone did express those things openly. But who do you trust to decide what is offensive and what is not? Would you trust the government at this point? I can tell you that with mess that we have made, I would not. I wouldn't trust most of them to watch my house and I can't believe they are watching over our constitution.

Just look at the people that are in charge of our country before you give them more power. Read over their past and read over their views. You are not giving authority to your local priest and it is not made by you and your friends. Power is given to the people we elect into office. Plus if you find them offensive, write back, speak back or do something. There is nothing in our constitution that doesn't say that you can't overpower ignorance with reason. What I don't want to see if taking the approach of trying to shut down a medium or a show for its political views. If you think it is wrong, then voice your opinions! We are in a free country! Don't support our government shutting down any medium due to speech!

I was just reading about cutting off of advertisers to Glenn Beck. I was thinking of what cowards the people are who took action to shut down the show through a "back door approach". The show still has plenty of viewers and it is popular. If you wish to attack it then do what you can to pursue the viewers in swaying views of the people. Don't try to take away through bullying of force. It really is cowardly.

Well, didn't really mean to write about that. I just saw nothing posted and then read something on the Huffington Post. Yep, I read everything:)

Good Night.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Considering International Adoption

I was looking at international adoption for the first time. Since my infertility problems I am not giving up, but being realistic. It may be years before I even have one baby, if I have one at all. I am in the later part of my twenties and fertility does decline once you reach your thirties... That cannot be good for me one way or another. There is a possibility of me getting pregnant. I am loosing weight and actively trying still, but again, reality sets in at some point... It was three years for me.

I was watching a news story about orphans in South Africa. I can't seem to find it at this time. But I was thinking of the situation these other children are in, in orphanages overseas. Then I think of the situation of my own upbringing and just having the opportunity of being an American opens many more doors than they would not have in their country of origin. Think of those in Haiti. No matter what, they will never even have the opportunity that the poor here have in the US. This is a country close to our shores and they go on little boats risking their life to make it to our shores all the time. I see this on the news here in South Florida. They wouldn't do that if their country had so much for them there.

So what you could give to these children is so much. So, that is what I am basing where I adopt. I want to be able to have a family, and give another an opportunity of a good life. Though I have to say it is hard to find programs for South Africa, and Haiti has a restriction of being 30 years old. So, I am not sure where to go.

On almost all you tube videos and new stories about these international adoptions I see criticism of "why would you not want to adopt American children?", "There are plenty of babies here that need homes." Well, I don't know others' reasons, but I can provide my own. I am afraid of open adoptions and even with closed adoptions, the courts influence on families here in the US. I fear of gaining the love of a child and having it ripped from me because some natural relative of the child felt that the child should be theirs. I know that I couldn't take that, and so have closed off to the idea of domestic adoption. Also, the costs equal out if you end up having to pay for all medical costs and everything involved in supporting a mother here in the US.

Well, seeing the "Door of Hope" or whatever the door was called in the South Africa orphanage is what made me think of it. So now I'm in the process of searching out different agencies. My mother is a social worker that has worked with the different agencies before and is familiar with home studies, so I am using her as well right now. Any information left on international adoption would be much appreciated. I know if I do go forward with this it will still be a year or so off, but it is as good of a time as any to learn about it.

I am really ready to have a family. I have been for awhile. I realized that was what was more important. The baby doesn't necessarily have to come from my husband and I.

Monday, August 10, 2009

What do I get from watching the news?

Remember when you would go to the 24 hr news channels and they would all be showing the same thing? Well, I can say for once, I did not have that happen. I'm not a huge fan of daytime TV, so flipped between Fox News and CNN today because I was working at home. One was 24/7 on the town hall meetings and the other was all Obama's trip to Mexico. I flipped to CNN knowing they wouldn't be showing anything similar to Fox, which I realized that is probably the first time I expected the news agencies to be showing completely different news.

Is this a good thing? I am not sure. It is definitely interesting. I think of myself as being a realist when it comes to the world situations. I prefer to think that one way or another things will stay in this kind of status quo, because primarily people for the most part do not want to get involved. I spend most of my life focused on running my business, taking care of the dog, making sure the house is okay, and then if I have time I pay attention to the outside world. I assume, unless you have a ton of time on your hands, a majority of Americans are about the same. I mean, most protesters in the past have been liberal college students from what I've seen. And why? Because they have time. Now for this reason you usually have the few protesters or causing disruptions and most other politics is just for those who have real direct connection to politics.

So here is what we have. It is reported we are having many interruptions in town hall meetings across the country from people asking questions in town hall meetings across the country about our health care system. At least, that is what is reported on Fox News. On other news, still stuff on Micheal Jackson, on other news evidently there are problems with women having too many babies. Now what I see is a major gap between the types of stories. I have been tempted to think that Fox is still the most fair and balanced, but I also know that Fox News carries all of the star conservatives on their show. Not that I complain, Glenn Beck is one of my favorite shows. I just have trouble with the drastic difference of what I am hearing and I do know there is a bias there as well. My parents were upset when I was watching Glenn Beck when they were here. They looked at me and told me, "this isn't news!" My response is, I know, its opinion, but what is wrong with that? They watch John Stewart. I don't think that guy is funny at all.

So where do we get the news? Where is what is actually happening? Is that even possible to achieve? That, I do not know. I got out of journalism awhile back because I didn't see it being achieved. Journalists, a majority of them, have a bias one way or another and they pick their story lines that way. I read a story this morning on how these kids were getting married so young, and they were 22 and having kids. I thought to myself, when did that become a young age to be married? I was married at 23 and wanted children... oh, about at the same time. I didn't think I was young for that. People get married at 18 all the time. I was a college graduate even! Well, to that author, it was a notion that seemed foreign to her. So, she felt compelled to report it. So, I guess it is a lost cause.

I just really wish it wasn't. Because to me it appears many people are upset and the government are ignoring them. Oh, and I have to put this in because of a recent notice from the White House blog. If you do not wish to go to single player policy then why are you introducing a government option? There is no such thing as having a government option health care and keeping open competition at the same time. For one, the tax payers will have to pay for this option WHILE paying for their own insurance. So one will be constantly subsidized while the others remain in open competition. Which one do you think will win then? I know as I small business owner that I want health insurance as soon as I can provide. I mean, it is intensive which most employees expect, especially in the sector that I'm in. But if you mandate this, it can be a major burden for those who cannot afford it. Lets say that there are further taxes on the employer while using private insurance? Well, the more that is taxed, the less I have for payroll, and that is that. Economics is really rather simple when you pay attention to it. And to me it does appear that there is a bias towards a single payer system, but politicians are lying about it because of the upset right now from many on what this means. If you only have one to choose from, there's no escape to another insurance policy. If something isn't covered, that is that.

Enough, goodnight.

Monday, August 03, 2009

Writing

"Armon said one boy, and here are two."

Guess what I'm watching? Give you a clue, they are moving a Comodo Dragon.

I've spent the night reading through past entries. This seems to cover mostly the time since I met Arthur. I was really into blogging pretty quickly after I started. I picked it up from a friend from College Station and then convinced others to pick it up as well along the way. Though it seems everyone else has dropped blogging. I have to admit it takes a little more writing skills than regular social network sites that have taken over.

I stopped giving this out to people along time ago. I've only given this web address to one friend that I hadn't spoken with since middle school, to give her an idea of what to do with her ideas. What she could use as an outlet to write. That seems to be important. To have an outlet.

That was something very important in certain times in my life. I have a very addictive personality and I grew up in a home that did not shy away from alcohol to say the least. My family is extremely liberal; I mean almost to the communist extreme. That fact still seems odd to me the further I learn in the running of societies. From my upbringing, I had some bad experiences. The further I go along, I blame myself for putting myself in those situations. I also blame a society that puts women on the same level of men in that they can take care of themselves, and move out on their own at a young age. I dealt with all problem that a naive little girl comes across in dealing with the real world, and I came out a realist I guess.

Through all of this though, it was important to have something there to put my thoughts. I don't know how many times I found myself in tears writing or on the verge of a breakdown. Strangely enough though... No, not strangely enough, I haven't had to deal with those in the past few years. God guides me away from those now, thankfully. If you don't put yourself in horrible situations, then life is easier. Also, its not boring. I may not have a new topic to write on every day, but mainly its because not everything of your personal life is to be published to the public every day.

I am aware that my readership dropped awhile back and I haven't done much to bring it back up. I dropped this for about six months. All the people that I commented on their blogs stopped, and I didn't seek out new blogs. Not much time really. I still love this though. No plan to drop it. Every thought of deleting this disappears when I see the posts in April 2005 when I met Arthur. I smile reading them; its almost as if a different person wrote them. I know it was me. That person seemed a little bit more amusing though.

Well, till next time.

Post on nothing, because I'm a little disoriented

Why would I do this optionally? I've been working for the past 5 days straight. I think I made it home around nine last night to finish working around eleven. Then made it into work about eight AM this morning, finally finished at 3 PM. Before this I had a proposal for my own business. It was in production at the time I started working on the second. I had just finished pricing the day before.

You know what, its great! I love the adrenaline and the people I worked with. I was in a better mood the past few days than I had been in awhile, and I haven't even felt that great physically. I swear I'm a masochist with my work habits, but I've always worked that way... Everything rushed at one time. I'm horrible at procrastination and it would force me to rush last minute.

Well, I guess it is good I enjoy it. Once I win contracts on my own I will be running this stuff continuously. Now I am just in a waiting pattern. I went to help my husband at work because I could and he asked. I use to work there and I enjoyed it when I was there. I have no ill will towards the company at all. In fact I could see doing it, but I would be sad abandoning what I have.

Well, I'm completely out of it now. I need to walk. I got home to late to do it yesterday. My husband in passed out on the couch. I should go.... Just quick update. With all I've written I'm not sure if I actually said anything.

Till next time.