I am usually apolitical and pretty liberal in my thinking. But there is an issue that does concern me and more importantly concerns Grin. She is a vegetarian tree hugging, animal saving, extreme liberal. So when Grin finds something that incites her "Occupy-ish" passion, I try to support. This time it comes in the form of Kony 2012.
Joseph Kony is the Ugandan war lord leader of the LRA. What this crazed Rebel leader has done is horrifying. Some of the people say he has mystical powers and he has been elevated to almost cult like status. Almost an African pied piper mixed with Jim Jones. Kidnapping children and forcing them to kill is a heinous thing!
Invisible Children is an organization dedicated to bringing Joseph Kony to justice through the international high court. This group is working really hard to get international awareness to the plight of these poor children in Africa. But what amazes me is the drive and dedication of this group to get this crazed despot brought to justice. In just one day, the Kony 2012 campaign has generated an amazing flow of web traffic. Watch the video here http://youtu.be/Y4MnpzG5Sqc Be warned it is a bit long.
While I do I agree with the problem, I do wish the group had more of an action plan. If the plan is to make the world aware, I think a video with over 9 million hits is pretty good, but what happens next? The US has sent military advisers to Uganda to equip and train the Ugandan Army to be able to track and arrest Kony, but that is a short term solution. Were it me, I would hatch an elaborate plan that could rival any Hollywood movie plot with a great Bruce Willis like hero to bring him down.
While I do kid about the movie plot, the issue is real. Please watch the video!
If you agree with the cause, here is the link to support:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony_5.html
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
You aint never had a friend like me!
My lovely daughters are still children at heart. They love their Disney movies and toys and still act like 4 year olds even though they dont look like it anymore. Below is a picture of Smirk who was dancing in he rnew hat and dress while listening to Robin Williams sing You Aint Never Had A Friend Like Me, from the Aladdin movie. 
Silly girl child!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Old...
Since I only have one reader, I will use this post to tell him about the oldest member of our family. Poor Granny! She fell yesterday and has a broken nose, broken shoulder/arm, neither of which the doctor can do anything about because of their locations and 9 stiches in her lip! She is bruised and battered. And poor Auntie is tired! She tripped over the sidewalk and faceplanted in the side of the car.
The only good thing is she probably cant remember how she fell! Poor, poor Granny!
The only good thing is she probably cant remember how she fell! Poor, poor Granny!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The end of youth!
Today Smirk has moved from a student in her prime of her youth to a burgeoning working stiff like the rest of the grown ups! She got a job! A real job!!!
Finally after applying everywhere, someone finally hired her! We have filled out more applications on company websites than there are birds in the sky! Every store in the mall, all of the big box stores, restaurants, warehouses, security companies. Everything that we could find, she filled out an application! This was the first time she even got a call back.
Not only did she get a call back, she got an interview. Then yesterday she got the call for a second interview. Today she had the interview and they said they would call next week. She got home and about an hour later, she had an email stating she had been hired. There was an offer letter and a link to start paperwork!
So on Wednesday at 11am, Smirk will be starting at one of my favorite stores...
Finally after applying everywhere, someone finally hired her! We have filled out more applications on company websites than there are birds in the sky! Every store in the mall, all of the big box stores, restaurants, warehouses, security companies. Everything that we could find, she filled out an application! This was the first time she even got a call back.
Not only did she get a call back, she got an interview. Then yesterday she got the call for a second interview. Today she had the interview and they said they would call next week. She got home and about an hour later, she had an email stating she had been hired. There was an offer letter and a link to start paperwork!
So on Wednesday at 11am, Smirk will be starting at one of my favorite stores...
Employee discount here we come!!!!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Ennui
Hello all,
Today as with the past weekend we at the amused house are feeling a bit melancholic. Friday marked the end of an era for us and many around the world. I refer to the Harry Potter Phenomenon.
When these fantastic books came out, Grin and Smirk were 5 & 8. We did not start reading them until 1999 when they were 7 & 10. But wow are we glad we did. Ever since then they have been immersed in the wizarding world. I would read the books out loud to them and their friends using different accents for each voice. Before the movies we would frantically wait up for the book release parties at local Barnes and Nobles, then when the movies started coming we would wait and see them at the midnight showings. This final one was no different! Grin and Prince Ali camped out on Wed night as the line had been set up since SUNDAY! They stayed in a tent and Smirk and I joined them in the wait on Thursday afternoon. The line was crazy, people were dressed in costumes, but they were good natured and most were having an amazing time.
When the movie finally started, we were left breathless and most in the theater were crying. At one point Grin waved for a tissue, as did Grin's friend. Smirk had them on her lap and she kept handing them to me. And all of a sudden, someone tapped me on the shoulder and reached their hand down in the traditional wave and asked for a tissue... Total stranger, but did we say anything, nope... Just handed them up!
There is one thing to be said for this young generation... We have had Gen X, Gen Y, Baby Boomers and all have their trademark. This generation has got to be named Gen I. If there is one thing they all have in common is imagination. What other group of people could bond so adeptly with a book. These are fiercely loyal kids. They have embraced JK Rowlings vision of a fantasy world with vigor and complete abandon. Groups have started Quidditch as a sport in colleges and schools. People write fan fiction (actual website.. pretty amazing too... fanfiction.net) where these ingenious people write their own alternative stories to popular tv shows, books, etc. They do this because the either don't like the ending or have so much talent that they think of things that should have happened but did not get included in the book.
There is a new book, it wont have the same impact as Harry Potter, but it is very highly regarded. I have read it and it is very good. It is called the Hunger Games. It is a trilogy that will be made into a movie. It is about a girl who is reaped into the Hunger Games, a murderous sport that takes place in North America after it has crumbled. She prevails and shows the authority that the people are not going to go easy and just kill for their personal sport. It is a great message and fantastically written book. But yet again, the creative talent of Gen I have expanded on that. There is a web game, that is the Hunger Games. Those wishing to play put their names in to a random number generator. If they are chosen, they are give a district, then a mentor, then troll for sponsors, just like the books. Grin has been chosen and last night she had to make her first decision... Does she kill one person or two? Does she form an alliance and she should choose carefully...
While this does personify violence, so many things in our world to do, this also teaches them to show loyalty, and work for a common goal. Grin has formed an alliance with several people and they are working together to win... In short, teamwork and strategy...
I am very sad that Harry Potter has ended and thus symbolizing that my own brood are now entering adulthood, but at the same time, I cannot wait to see what the future can hold for these talented, creative and amazing people of the Generation Imagination.
Today as with the past weekend we at the amused house are feeling a bit melancholic. Friday marked the end of an era for us and many around the world. I refer to the Harry Potter Phenomenon.
When these fantastic books came out, Grin and Smirk were 5 & 8. We did not start reading them until 1999 when they were 7 & 10. But wow are we glad we did. Ever since then they have been immersed in the wizarding world. I would read the books out loud to them and their friends using different accents for each voice. Before the movies we would frantically wait up for the book release parties at local Barnes and Nobles, then when the movies started coming we would wait and see them at the midnight showings. This final one was no different! Grin and Prince Ali camped out on Wed night as the line had been set up since SUNDAY! They stayed in a tent and Smirk and I joined them in the wait on Thursday afternoon. The line was crazy, people were dressed in costumes, but they were good natured and most were having an amazing time.
When the movie finally started, we were left breathless and most in the theater were crying. At one point Grin waved for a tissue, as did Grin's friend. Smirk had them on her lap and she kept handing them to me. And all of a sudden, someone tapped me on the shoulder and reached their hand down in the traditional wave and asked for a tissue... Total stranger, but did we say anything, nope... Just handed them up!
There is one thing to be said for this young generation... We have had Gen X, Gen Y, Baby Boomers and all have their trademark. This generation has got to be named Gen I. If there is one thing they all have in common is imagination. What other group of people could bond so adeptly with a book. These are fiercely loyal kids. They have embraced JK Rowlings vision of a fantasy world with vigor and complete abandon. Groups have started Quidditch as a sport in colleges and schools. People write fan fiction (actual website.. pretty amazing too... fanfiction.net) where these ingenious people write their own alternative stories to popular tv shows, books, etc. They do this because the either don't like the ending or have so much talent that they think of things that should have happened but did not get included in the book.
There is a new book, it wont have the same impact as Harry Potter, but it is very highly regarded. I have read it and it is very good. It is called the Hunger Games. It is a trilogy that will be made into a movie. It is about a girl who is reaped into the Hunger Games, a murderous sport that takes place in North America after it has crumbled. She prevails and shows the authority that the people are not going to go easy and just kill for their personal sport. It is a great message and fantastically written book. But yet again, the creative talent of Gen I have expanded on that. There is a web game, that is the Hunger Games. Those wishing to play put their names in to a random number generator. If they are chosen, they are give a district, then a mentor, then troll for sponsors, just like the books. Grin has been chosen and last night she had to make her first decision... Does she kill one person or two? Does she form an alliance and she should choose carefully...
While this does personify violence, so many things in our world to do, this also teaches them to show loyalty, and work for a common goal. Grin has formed an alliance with several people and they are working together to win... In short, teamwork and strategy...
I am very sad that Harry Potter has ended and thus symbolizing that my own brood are now entering adulthood, but at the same time, I cannot wait to see what the future can hold for these talented, creative and amazing people of the Generation Imagination.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Today in history....
Did you know that July 12 is a that will go down in history?? It is already historically amazing...
In 1389 Geoffrey Chaucer became chief clerk of the Court of Richard II.
Grin Got Her Driver's License!!!
Amazing isn't it!!!! She passed first time out!! She got 9 marks off, mainly not being able to back up in a straight line and not sufficiently looking while doing said backing up, but she PASSED!!! We are all so very happy!!!
In 1389 Geoffrey Chaucer became chief clerk of the Court of Richard II.
1861 saw Wild Bill Hickock in his first shoot out, he shot 3 men in a duel in Nebraska.
In 1957 Eisenhower became the first president to ride in a helicopter.Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman vice presidential candidate in 1984.
Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins in 2008.Grin Got Her Driver's License!!!
Amazing isn't it!!!! She passed first time out!! She got 9 marks off, mainly not being able to back up in a straight line and not sufficiently looking while doing said backing up, but she PASSED!!! We are all so very happy!!!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
All things considered...
As I sit here in my office, bored out of my skull, I think back to the All Things considered story I heard on the way home the other day. Side rant.... Yes, I listen to NPR and I watch PBS. But I am not old and I also listen to Rap, Pop, Country, Classic Rock and Classical music... This does not make me old but it makes me well informed and cultured.... Side rant over...
I was listening to NPR's All Things Considered. Interesting tidbits on the news topics of the day. This particular interview was with Tom Hanks, who was speaking about his new movie, Larry Crown. This upcoming release if you haven't heard anything about it, is about a man who gets fired for not going to college. So Larry goes back to college. It looks to be a rom com. And it could be funny, Mr. Hanks is funny! Julia Roberts is a great actress.... Not sure I am running out and paying $12 to see it, but could be a good video rent eventually.
Anyway Tom was asked the question "If you hadn't made it into the movies, what would you be doing?" He told this very sweet story of the Circle Line in New York City. The Circle Line is a sightseeing cruise that goes around the NY harbor. The story was of an old tour guide who told the story to the passengers of days in the past when the Maxwell House coffee factory was in production on the Jersey side of the river and the winds would blow making most of lower Manhattan smell of coffee. Tom said that just for a moment, this man's story was so consuming you could almost smell that coffee right there on the river. That would be the kind of job Tom Hanks would be doing if he wasn't a world famous actor. He thought he would like to be a docent in a museum or a operator on a sightseeing boat.
This story got me to thinking... If I could just ditch it all right now, what would I want to do? The options are limitless. I know I would love to work in a museum, like the Met or Le Louvre. Or a gardener at Versaille. Or maybe a tour guide on a bus tour of Italy, Greece or France. How about a winemaker in a chateau in Burgandy. Ski patrol in the Alps? Lifeguard on a beach in Positano? Blackjack dealer in Monaco? Snorkel washer at a resort in Vanuatu? Nature photographer who gets to travel the world to take pictures of well, everything?
What would you do, if you had no limitations, no worries and no responsibilities?
I was listening to NPR's All Things Considered. Interesting tidbits on the news topics of the day. This particular interview was with Tom Hanks, who was speaking about his new movie, Larry Crown. This upcoming release if you haven't heard anything about it, is about a man who gets fired for not going to college. So Larry goes back to college. It looks to be a rom com. And it could be funny, Mr. Hanks is funny! Julia Roberts is a great actress.... Not sure I am running out and paying $12 to see it, but could be a good video rent eventually.
Anyway Tom was asked the question "If you hadn't made it into the movies, what would you be doing?" He told this very sweet story of the Circle Line in New York City. The Circle Line is a sightseeing cruise that goes around the NY harbor. The story was of an old tour guide who told the story to the passengers of days in the past when the Maxwell House coffee factory was in production on the Jersey side of the river and the winds would blow making most of lower Manhattan smell of coffee. Tom said that just for a moment, this man's story was so consuming you could almost smell that coffee right there on the river. That would be the kind of job Tom Hanks would be doing if he wasn't a world famous actor. He thought he would like to be a docent in a museum or a operator on a sightseeing boat.
This story got me to thinking... If I could just ditch it all right now, what would I want to do? The options are limitless. I know I would love to work in a museum, like the Met or Le Louvre. Or a gardener at Versaille. Or maybe a tour guide on a bus tour of Italy, Greece or France. How about a winemaker in a chateau in Burgandy. Ski patrol in the Alps? Lifeguard on a beach in Positano? Blackjack dealer in Monaco? Snorkel washer at a resort in Vanuatu? Nature photographer who gets to travel the world to take pictures of well, everything?
What would you do, if you had no limitations, no worries and no responsibilities?
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