COVID is a B!+¢#

 Covid is a b!+¢# to deal with. I was lucky to get one of the milder cases. As far as congestion goes, I've had worse chest colds. However, it's your body's inability to take in the needed oxygen is what makes covid so insidious. The days I was feeling light-headed or wiped out was when my resting oximeter reading was 86% or below. The lowest it got was 82%, and I was not that far away from cyanosis ... you know, when your skin starts to turn a little twinge of blue?  

How about waking up and feeling tingly on your face and arms, or perhaps your whole body? That's oxygen deprivation!  Sometimes it's stronger than tingles, it's more like pins and needles.  Those of us with sleep apnea are familiar with those sensations.  Sometimes we're experiencing those sensations in our dreams and continue dreaming instead of waking up and getting air.  Maybe people with asthma or COPD have similar syptoms, but I cannot comment as I don't have those ailments.

The point I'm wanting to make is that Covid is nothing to play with.  It's your choice whether you want to get vaccinated or not. It's your choice whether you want to wear a mask or not. However, we need to act like a community and not like a bunch of selfish self-entitled blowhards under the guise of exercising personal freedom.  We need to respect each other and not browbeat others just because you're inconvenienced by their rules or restrictions. Medical personnel are burning out and leaving in droves. People are refusing to work due to less pay or abusive customers or both.  I'm tired of the bad press and the bad news and the toxic posts and the selfish toxic people who know how to suck the nice right out of you to the point you want to spend five minutes locked in a room with a baseball bat and tell them how you really feel.

I'm one of the lucky ones. Many were not.  My heart grieves for their families and friends.

There's a covid symptom that is not being described enough (in my opinion).  The tingling sensation is a huge warning of oxygen deprivation; prolonged exposure to oxygen deprivation will lead to organ damage and organ failure.  It would be a worthy investment to get a blood oxymeter, easily found at Walmart, Kroger, Target, Amazon, etc. I've seen them priced between $10 and $37 US. I'm not joking about the oxygen deprivation symptoms and damages that can result.

This is why Covid scares the hell out of me

 This is my follow up post to this one I made two years ago.

From the time I was in the ICU in Waycross until I was transferred to Kindred Medical Center, I had been developing what seemed like pneumonia. It only kept worsening as time went on. By the time I was transferred to Kindred after two weeks, I was extremely short of breath and required a CPAP type machine with a BiPAP mask to ensure I continued to breathe. I was originally moved to a regular room.

Later that night I was moved to the ICU at Kindred.  In order to do that, they deflated my bed (with me on it) and rolled it to the ICU wing. They then positioned it and reinflated the bed.  After about an hour, I felt like the mattress was too hard. I felt okay at that moment and decided to do it myself.  I flattened the bed, repositioned myself to reach the controls at the foot of the bed, adjusted the mattress from level 10 to level 8, then moved back to lay down on the bed and adjust the head and foot for comfort. I was tired from the brief excursion, but it felt good to stretch those muscles and feel tingly. And then ...

Oh $#!+ !!!

That's when I became extremely short of breath; it felt like my skin was tingling then burning with increasing intensity.  My chest started to burn as well.  I felt like I wasn't getting any air and was freaking out. I called out for help as best as I could. The nursing staff came to my aid. They made adjustments to my oxygen machine and kept checking my  blood oxygen levels. Despite their assurances including showing me my oxygen stats at 94%, I was still short of breath. I was unable to take in a normal breath due to the pneumonia. This went on for 90 minutes. At one point, the nurse told me that I was going to exhaust myself if I didn't slow down my breathing. That's just it! I couldn't slow down!

By some miracle the nurse realized that I might have been overheating.  She asked if she could open the windows to cool the room down. I asked with a sense of hope only a savior could instill, "You can do that?" She said yes then proceeded to open all three panes. Granted, it was 45°F outside, but I welcomed the cold air.  Within five minutes my breathing had slowed to normal.  I felt relief for the first time since the panic attack began.  Let me tell you about that head nurse in charge of the ICU that night: she was a compassionate bad@$$. She stayed with me until my breathing normalized.

For the rest of my stay at Kindred, they made sure I had my own room with the thermostat set at 67°F. I was also allowed a fan within reach so I could turn it on and off as I needed. The ICU at the Waycross hospital would not allow a fan, so there were many moments I was miserably hot.
This experience is why Covid scares the hell out of me. In addition, Covid killed my Uncle Billy.  After some time passes, and I see that the immunization shots are working, I'll go out and get immunized. Until then, I'm not going anywhere nor am I accepting any visitors.

To clarify:  This was not the time I almost died.  The time I almost died was between my arrival to the ER and two days later in the ICU.  I have no recall of those two days. One of the nurses mentioned that I almost died but didn't go into more detail. My throat was sore; I could barely talk. Sending text messages was impossible due to the shakiness of my hands.

I also want to acknowledge Rhonda Proctor, who checked on me and was willing to listen to me whine about my fears and complaints. Thank you, Rhonda. BTW, the headphones were a Godsend, so thank you for those as well.

 Today would have been Uncle Billy's 90th birthday.

My memories of him go all the way back to when I was a baby.  I've always remembered him to be this giant lovable teddy bear who always had a smile for me.  He was a giant as he was over six-foot tall with giant hands and giant feet.  I remember getting inside one of his shoes as if it were a streamlined race car like in the cartoon Speed Racer.  

I didn't get to see him very often, so it was always a treat when my family traveled to see him in Texas or he'd travel to California to see us.  After we moved to Georgia in 1975, we still didn't get to see him very much until he moved to Jesup, Georgia, to be closer to family.  

He always had a formidable work ethic and was not afraid to get his hands dirty.  His resourcefulness in his abilities to build, repair, or resolve things was appreciated by Aunt Mavis (his sister) and my dad. Uncle Billy would be in town frequently and would always be ready to give either one a hand.

My bff Lisa and I were extremely grateful for his help in moving our stuff to Atlanta in 1987.  No, that's not accurate.  Uncle Billy brought our furniture and belongings to our new two-story townhouse apartment and unloaded everything to its proper rooms BY HIMSELF!!  GRATEFUL doesn't begin to cover it.  HELP doesn't begin to cover it.  The man was in his late 50s for crying out loud!  

Uncle Billy has, to my honest recollection, always been a strong and robust man.  He very rarely had to be hospitalized for anything.  The two exceptions I can immediately recall was in 1988 in Augusta, Georgia, and in the early 2000s in Jesup, Georgia, when he contracted West Nile Virus.  He was actually interviewed by Bill O'Reilly of Fox News a couple of months later.  I guess a man in his 70s kicking West Nile's butt was newsworthy. 

Many family members fondly recall all the times he carried those long balloons in his pocket.  He's happily pull one out, blow it up, and make a balloon animal to give it to a child just to make that child smile.  You could see the grin on his face, too.  He enjoyed making people smile.

Speaking of enjoyment, this man loved to square dance.  He'd frequently travel on the road to many different states to various gatherings of square dance enthusiasts and participate.  At his 75th birthday party, I got to see him in action.  Wow!  His moves looked effortless on the floor!  I was in awe.  With his robust presence and his zeal to enjoy life, it was easy to forget just how old he was.  

He was my last living uncle, and the only other person besides my sister who has known me my entire life.  The last time I saw him was when I was hospitalized in Jacksonville last year.  That was the last time I got a hug from him, or as I call it, "my Uncle Billy fix.".  He was one hell of a man and a loving father figure.  Rest in peace, Uncle Billy.

Rest In Peace, Uncle Billy

Today would have been Uncle Billy's 90th birthday.

My memories of him go all the way back to when I was a baby.  I've always remembered him to be this giant lovable teddy bear who always had a smile for me.  He was a giant as he was over six-foot tall with giant hands and giant feet.  I remember getting inside one of his shoes as if it were a streamlined race car like in the cartoon Speed Racer.  

I didn't get to see him very often, so it was always a treat when my family traveled to see him in Texas or he'd travel to California to see us.  After we moved to Georgia in 1975, we still didn't get to see him very much until he moved to Jesup, Georgia, to be closer to family.  

He always had a formidable work ethic and was not afraid to get his hands dirty.  His resourcefulness in his abilities to build, repair, or resolve things was appreciated by Aunt Mavis (his sister) and my dad. Uncle Billy would be in town frequently and would always be ready to give either one a hand.

My bff Lisa and I were extremely grateful for his help in moving our stuff to Atlanta in 1987.  No, that's not accurate.  Uncle Billy brought our furniture and belongings to our new two-story townhouse apartment and unloaded everything to its proper rooms BY HIMSELF!!  GRATEFUL doesn't begin to cover it.  HELP doesn't begin to cover it.  The man was in his late 50s for crying out loud!  

Uncle Billy has, to my honest recollection, always been a strong and robust man.  He very rarely had to be hospitalized for anything.  The two exceptions I can immediately recall was in 1988 in Augusta, Georgia, and in the early 2000s in Jesup, Georgia, when he contracted West Nile Virus.  He was actually interviewed by Bill O'Reilly of Fox News a couple of months later.  I guess a man in his 70s kicking West Nile's butt was newsworthy. 

Many family members fondly recall all the times he carried those long balloons in his pocket.  He's happily pull one out, blow it up, and make a balloon animal to give it to a child just to make that child smile.  You could see the grin on his face, too.  He enjoyed making people smile.

Speaking of enjoyment, this man loved to square dance.  He'd frequently travel on the road to many different states to various gatherings of square dance enthusiasts and participate.  At his 75th birthday party, I got to see him in action.  Wow!  His moves looked effortless on the floor!  I was in awe.  With his robust presence and his zeal to enjoy life, it was easy to forget just how old he was.

He was my last living uncle, and the only other person besides my sister who has known me my entire life.  The last time I saw him was when I was hospitalized in Jacksonville last year.  That was the last time I got a hug from him, or as I call it, "my Uncle Billy fix.".  He was one hell of a man and a loving father figure.  Rest in peace, Uncle Billy.

Been Staying Off Social Media

 Laptop is running hot (again), so I've had to shut it off until my makeshift cooling pad is frozen enough to put under it.  The laptop is on its last legs. Considering it's been running daily since September 2010, I think I got my money's worth out of it.  Then again, I maxxed the MFH out if it when I placed my order with Dell nearly 8 years ago.  Grateful to have my cell phone in the meantime, but typing on it is a huge pain in the butt.  

Right now, I'm going through my friends list and weeding out the nosy-butt people who pretend to be caring but just want to get in your business just so they can have something to talk about.  I do not have time for gossipy people, especially the ones who, as I put it, can stir up the grits and come out with oatmeal.  My tolerance for OPB (other people's bull$h!t) has greatly declined.  Part of the reason I've withdrawn from social media (mainly FB).  

Now, my true friends will know I'm NOT referring to them in the least.  I am very grateful for them and feel really bad that my absence has worried them to the point of wondering if I'm in danger.  Please relax; I'm not in danger.  I have been going through a serious bout of depression since October of last year, complicated by having to come off Hydrocodone after 9 straight years of use and the hellish days of going through physical withdrawal during the Christmas holidays. I thought I going to be okay doing it myself because of an episode of House MD in which Gregory House seemed to get over his addiction after 24 - 48 hours at home with his boss/friend.  Oh hell, was I foolish and ignorant. THE EPISODE IS A LIE!  A LIE I TELL YOU!! 😛

Then there's having to cope with the pain of my arthritis post Hydrocodone, with the worst of it being in my knees. When you have to acknowledge that there are things you can't do anymore or ever again because your body won't let you, it's a very depressing, demoralizing existence.  I've seen what arthritis did to my late parents and how debilitating it got ... and it scares the hell out of me.  Well, let's be blunt.  Arthritis is usually glossed over as joint discomfort by a lot of people, and there are different types of arthritis. In my case, what my parents suffered from is more accurately described as Degenerative Joint Disease.  It runs on both sides of my family.  My sister Pamela and I are dealing with this same affliction. You can treat the symptoms and the pain.  However, there is no cure and it's only going to get worse. 

I'll post more later today when my laptop is back up and running. I've got to recharge my phone as it's down to 12% battery.

Just Trying To Live My Life

 Sometimes, i really despise our media, both electronic and print.  

Thanks to their alarmist rhetoric about the "prescription opioid epidemic," my doctor is now too afraid to treat my arthritis with what he has been prescribing me for the last couple of years.  i'm being referred to a pain specialist.  I am genuinely concerned how expensive the visits and the medication is going to be.  I can barely afford what I have now, and I have insurance.

I'd gladly choose winter over summer here in south Georgia, but the cold weather seems to have brought in barometric pressure changes that leave me wracked with painful joints that even Hydrocodone is having trouble dulling.  My friends Pam, Linda, Lisa, and Korey have seen me at my worst when just sitting hurts.  Physical pain will suck the life right out of you, and I've been too sore to enjoy my usual social outlets.  Yeah, I've pretty much crawled under a rock the last few weeks.  I'm beginning to understand my late mother's sour disposition ... and that frightens me.

The accident I was involved in 6 years ago changed my life forever, and I'm still dealing with medical issues even today (do not disillusion yourself into underinsuring yourself and your family when it comes to vehicle insurance).  Yesterday was my 30-year anniversary of my employment with the Georgia Department of Corrections.  People keep wondering why I don't retire.  it's because I can't afford to live on 60 percent of what I'm making now.  I still have bills to pay.  File for disability?  That will take around 3 years, and even then, that's not a guarantee.  How will I make ends meet in the meantime?  Nope, I'm not going anywhere.  Now, I am lucky in this area:  I love my job, I'm good at what I do, and i get the satisfaction of helping my coworkers and making their tasks easier to do.  There are days it takes all my strength to make it in to work, but I'm grateful to have a job in this day and age.

So if anyone has experience in dealing with a pain specialist and can help me understand what to expect and what's reasonable, I'd love to hear/read your input.  I know arthritis pain is inevitable, but i just want to live my life and be a productive person without being penalized because a few people weren't responsible enough to use prescription pain killers.  Is that too much to ask?

Okay, rant over.  I'm crawling back under my rock ...

The McChicken Video

Okay, curiosity got the best of me and I watched the 17 - second McChicken video everyone has been freaking out about. It was originally uploaded and shared on Twitter, which was a dumbass thing to do.

Yes, it was very offensive.

Anyone who has seen a XXX movie in the past will not be weirded out by it. I think a majority of the people "reacting" to the video are overacting.

Upon closer inspection of the blurry video, all you really see are two hamburger buns sandwiching a male appendage. There was no chicken, no lettuce, and no cheese to be seen. For all intents and purposes, he could have lied about it being an actual McDonalds  sandwich.

If McDonalds' sales of the sandwich decrease starting at the time the video was made public, they should sue the guy who made the video and uploaded it. This would make other people think twice before trying to copy the actions of this moron. By the way, his Twitter account has been suspended.

Yes, there is a thing called Freedom of Speech. However, with this right comes responsibility.

Uploading a video like that on a very public forum like Twitter was very  irresponsible. Now, if he uploaded it to a site that hosts videos of that kind like Pornhub or Redtube, it would have been a different story because those sites are age restricted and you have to give your approval before you can watch videos of this nature. I do not believe it would have gone viral or create this social media nightmare for a company that had nothing to do with the video whatsoever.

Of course, this is just my opinion, mind you. I've seen a lot of weird, tasteless, shocking things in my young adult years.  To be honest, when the video finished, my honest reaction was, "Is that it?"  I was not impressed.

The Love of Cats

While I was growing up, my parents felt pity toward a solid black stray, starving kitten that showed up on our doorstep. We started to leave food and water out for her, and I named her Miss Kitty. 

A year later, she disappeared for a few days. When she came back, she had an injured paw and several bad scratches where it looked like she got into a vicious fight with another cat.  Dad took her to the vet to get treated for her injuries. Miss Kitty would need to rest up for a few days in a safe environment.  Reluctantly, Mom allowed Miss Kitty to become an indoor cat. 

Knowing what I know now about cats, Miss Kitty was just showing love and acceptance, but Mom saw her actions as mean-spirited and defiant. We ended up giving Miss Kitty to someone else.

Now when I look at my cats, all I see are creatures of love. I know all cats have different personalities, which is why I'm grateful for my three felines. When I wake up in the middle of the night and all three are curled up on me or next to me, I take comfort in knowing that it's because they love me and want to be near me.

Avoid The Riots!

 To the people in and around the Baltimore area, I am BEGGING you to stay home during these riots.  Please DO NOT try to go to work (unless you're in law enforcement or medical practice), to school, to participate, or to camp out and watch.  People get injured and killed during riots.  You can always rebuild your business.  You can always make up missed school work.  You can always get another job. All of that is easier than rebuilding a broken body. These are not valid enough reasons to risk your life by going through or near the riot zones.

I know what I'm talking about from personal experience.  I was caught dead in the middle of the riots in Atlanta back in 1992 during the Rodney King Verdict riots.  Both days that the riots were in progress, we had to evacuate the government buildings due to the encroaching violence.  I remember having to walk 2 blocks to the van pool parking lot and sit there defenseless while cars were being overturned, buildings vandalized and/or looted, and angry people running around attacking any thing and any one.  I witnessed some of these with my own eyes.  I had to drive past the worst-hit areas while driving around picking up members of my van pool so we could get out of there.  Some of my coworkers brought guns with them to a government building (a huge no-no) because they were THAT afraid.  Knowing what I know now, I would have stayed home.

Please, I am begging you ... STAY HOME!!

And to the rioters ... stop claiming injustice as a reason to riot.  If you can't tell the difference between a protest and a riot, then you're a part of the fucking problem!

Embarrassed in the Name of the Lord

Has anyone ever been interrupted in the middle of a silent prayer to The Lord before eating, and the interruption snowballed into an attention-getting fiasco?

True story:  When my parents were alive, the three of us would periodically visit one of my cousin's homes for a family get-together.  On this particular day, we were celebrating my uncle's birthday.  Numerous family members were there; I estimated 30 people total.  It was like a mini-family reunion of sorts.

When we sat down at our various tables with our plates filled with delicious food, I noticed that two more cousins sitting nearby had bowed their heads in silent prayer.  I started thinking about how I should thank God more often for all the good that had been blessed upon me.  I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and started to pray.

Mom was the type of person that if she noticed something out of the ordinary or an unusual behavioral change, she'd immediately inquire as to why and would not let go until she got a full explanation.  My mother noticed what I had done and started asking me if I was all right.  "I'm fine, Mom."  I responded quietly.

"Michelle, what's wrong?" She asked again.

Trying to keep my actions from becoming an issue, I said, "Mom, I was praying, okay?"  I was hoping she'd realize that her habit of pressing the issue was about to embarrass me in front of our family members.

Dad (who was hard of hearing) noticed the concern and urgency in Mom's voice pattern and inquired, "What's going on?"

By then, I quickly looked around and other family members were starting to turn their heads in my direction to see what was going on.   "Nothing, Dad."

"Everything's fine, Lin."    Mom answered in her authoritative voice that she used when she wanted to send the message that the subject should be dropped.

Unfazed by my and Mom's responses, he insisted on knowing what was going on.  "No, really, what's going on?" he asked in a louder voice.

I don't know what was worse:  his insistence on being in the know of the situation or Mom's response.  She loudly hissed, "It's private!!"  More people were staring at us, wondering what was going on.

I wanted to crawl under the table.

My cousin is a fantasic cook and does a lot of entertaining, but I almost lost my appetite just from the sheer embarrassment of my parents making an issue of my head bowed and my eyes closed.  Truth be told, Mom was probably worried that I might have had a silent heart attack and died because she FREQUENTLY badgered me about my weight.

Needless to say, I learned to pray around them with my eyes open.

Military Hater Leaves Toxic Note with Threat of Vandalism

Let me make this perfectly clear:

It's not so much that the author of this hateful note had a different opinion about our military personnel; it's that his note was dripping with vile contempt for people who were keeping us safe.  The fact that he ended the note with the threat of vandalism just because the recipient openly supported our troops nullified any credibility he had.

The hateful note that was placed on the vehicle window was written antagonistically toward all military families, not just the vehicle owner's family.  The writer may have the right to freedom of speech, but he does not have the right to be free from the consequences of his speech.  I grew up in a military family, so I am highly offended by this wretched, toxic dose of haterade.

I've said this before, and I'm going to say this again.  Any politician who does not support our troops and their families will not get my vote.  Any person who takes a stand against or picks on or bullies our military personnel and their families will not get my support.  

I LOVE AND SUPPORT OUR MILITARY TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES!  GOD BLESS THEM ALL AND KEEP THEM SAFE!

https://m.facebook.com/197232756969016/photos/a.668251696533784/917935811565370/?type=3&sfnsn=mo

What Are You Going To Do?

 Just finished watching the "TS-19" episode of The Walking Dead.  When you think about what was learned and what transpired in the episode, you have to come to the brutal conclusion that we are WAAAAYYYY too dependent on the government and public entities.  What are you going to do when there is no more law enforcement, no more medical establishments, no more military, no power grid, no electronic communication, no manufacturing, no refrigeration, no heat or air conditioning?  What you have is all you're going to have.  Your neighbors will be busy tending to their own families; they won't have the time or resources to bail you out.

Why is The Walking Dead so popular?  Maybe because it makes people think about how people like us would deal with the total collapse of society as we know it.  It's something we never want to deal with, but we want to know what would happen and how the human psychology would change and evolve to cope.  Your beliefs and your morals will be tested and painfully shredded; yet through all this, you still try to find hope.

Stop The Fear Mongering

 I am only one person, but I've got something to get off my chest.

The Boston Marathon bombing.  The West, TX fertilizer plant explosion.  People were injured.  People died.  

Senseless tragedies.  

Tensions are running high.  Industry and political know-it-alls are pointing fingers at various organizations (political, financial, or other) when the investigations have just barely started.

Enough already!

This is not the time to accuse your perceived enemies when you have no direct evidence to back up those accusations.

This is not the time to try to further your agenda by using these tragedies as your "proof of argument."

Only selfish, low-life, snake-in-the-grass opportunists would take advantage of people's fear and frustration for their own benefit.  This applies to everyone from the homeless man, to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, to the housewife or stay-at-home dad, to the President of the United States.  EVERYONE!

We need to put aside our differences and find out the ones who truly committed these murders.

We need to put aside our differences and help those who have been victimized by these tragedies.

We need to put aside our differences and learn from what has happened so that we may be ableR to become a stronger and more resiliant group of citizens.

Generating fear and/or taking advantage of what it does to people serves no one but the person doing it.  So to all those "experts" out there who have been speculating, theorizing, or finger-pointing toward those who the experts claim are the cause or contributing factors of these two events, I have only one thing to say to you:

SHUT UP AND BACK OFF!!!

Thank you for your time; I'll get off my soapbox now.

The Chick-Fil-A Controversy

 Here's what I believe about the Chick-fil-A controversy:

The owner expressed an opinion about his religious beliefs.  He has broken no laws, donates to charity, and helps feed volunteers who help people in need.  

Since then, he has been vilified as a hater and has been the target of harassment and other bullying tactics.  The people participating in the backlash against him claim to be exercising free speech, but the manner in which they do so is questionable at best.  American citizens have the right to assembly and peaceful protest.  However, when the participants start yelling and getting in the face of restaurant patrons, the participants are breaking the law.  To physically prevent people from entering the restaurant is illegal.  The political representatives elected to office are violating the trust of the voters by making statements and performing actions to bar a legitimate business from building and establishing itself in the community.  In short, these are bullying tactics taken against someone for simply stating what he believes in, a first amendment right.  These bullies are not helping the cause they are trying to promote.  They are, in fact, hurting themselves and their message.  They are doing the very things that they claim other people have done to them because they were gay.  Two wrongs don't make a right.

Haven't they learned by now that these protests and bans don't work?  The backlash bullies need to find another tactic because judging from the photos posted since the backlash began, they're only making Chick-fil-A more popular as business has nearly tripled.  Remember when gay people protested Basic Instinct (the movie) because they claimed gay people were being portrayed unfaily as psychologically unbalanced?  Sales increased.  Remember when the movie The Last Temptation of Christ was protested because Jesus was portrayed to have sex with Mary Magdalene?  The movie would have bombed at the box office, but because of the protests, they turned it into a hit.  Remember when a housewife started a protest against the television show Married with Children?  The show lost a few sponsors, but other companies took their place and the show became even more popular than ever with increased ratings.

Now, before anyone starts in on me about being anti-gay or a gay basher, here are some facts to chew on: (1) I purchased my last two vehicles from a dealership whos president is openly gay; (2) I frequently recommend a restaurant that is owned and operated by an openly gay person to people looking for a restaurant that serves good food.  I would eat there more often if his hours were expanded; I purchased discount coupons for this restaurant one time, but I never got a chance to use them.  I also consider this person a friend of mine; (3) I have written in my blog my belief that gay couples should be allowed to have the same relationship rights and priviledges on a civil union level as heterosexual couples.   My parents had a civil union, not a marriage because they were married by the justice of the peace at the courthouse.  It was not a religious ceremony  ... but that's just how I see things.  Even though I am 100 percent heterosexual and a zionist christian, I have gay friends and I respect their feelings and their beliefs and do not hold it against them.  

Having said all this, when I go to Chick-fil-A to pick up dinner for myself, it will be because I enjoy their food or to show support for dealing with the bullying they're receiving right now.

The Chick-Fil-A Controversy: What I Think

Here's what I believe about the Chick-fil-A controversy:

The owner expressed an opinion about his religious beliefs. He has broken no laws, donates to charity, and helps feed volunteers who help people in need.

Since then, he has been vilified as a hater and has been the target of harassment and other bullying tactics. The people participating in the backlash against him claim to be exercising free speech, but the manner in which they do so is questionable at best. American citizens have the right to assembly and peaceful protest. However, when the participants start yelling and getting in the face of restaurant patrons, the participants are breaking the law. To physically prevent people from entering the restaurant is illegal. The political representatives elected to office are violating the trust of the voters by making statements and performing actions to bar a legitimate business from building and establishing itself in the community. In short, these are bullying tactics taken against someone for simply stating what he believes in, a first amendment right. These bullies are not helping the cause they are trying to promote. They are, in fact, hurting themselves and their message. They are doing the very things that they claim other people have done to them because they were gay. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Haven't they learned by now that these protests and bans don't work? The backlash bullies need to find another tactic because judging from the photos posted since the backlash began, they're only making Chick-fil-A more popular as business has nearly tripled. Remember when gay people protested Basic Instinct (the movie) because they claimed gay people were being portrayed unfairly as psychologically unbalanced? Sales increased. Remember when the movie The Last Temptation of Christ was protested because Jesus was portrayed to have sex with Mary Magdalene? The movie would have bombed at the box office, but because of the protests, they turned it into a hit. Remember when a housewife started a protest against the television show Married with Children? The show lost a few sponsors, but other companies took their place and the show became even more popular than ever with increased ratings.

Now, before anyone starts in on me about being anti-gay or a gay basher, here are some facts to chew on: (1) I purchased my last two vehicles from a dealership whose president is openly gay; (2) I frequently recommend a restaurant that is owned and operated by an openly gay person to people looking for a restaurant that serves good food. I would eat there more often if his hours were expanded; I purchased discount coupons for this restaurant one time, but I never got a chance to use them. I also consider this person a friend of mine; (3) I have written in my blog my belief that gay couples should be allowed to have the same relationship rights and privileges on a civil union level as heterosexual couples. My parents had a civil union, not a marriage because they were married by the justice of the peace at the courthouse. It was not a religious ceremony ... but that's just how I see things. Even though I am 100 percent heterosexual and a zionist christian, I have gay friends and I respect their feelings and their beliefs and do not hold it against them.

Having said all this, when I go to Chick-fil-A to pick up dinner for myself, it will be because I enjoy their food or to show support for dealing with the bullying they're receiving right now.

AVON Reports Loss as Sales Slide

Clicking on the link above will take you to the actual article. The comment I left on the site is below:

I was a representative twice: the first time during the mid 90s and the other time was 2006 -2008. Schools have banned representatives using students to sell their product on school property or during school hours. Most companies have policies against their employees working a second job (including selling items from a catalog) while on the clock. I have bought nearly 700 catalogs (yes, we have to pay for them) and drove by each house as I left them in their newspaper boxes or on their driveways. I maybe got a total of 4 customers out of that 700 with an average sale of $20.00 for each customer. Do we need to figure in gasoline costs and wear and tear on my truck to show just how much money I lost?

As for their products, they need to stop creating all these new colonges face treatments, and home/kitchen products that won't be around after a year. No incentive to try and like a product that will be discontinued after a few months. Also, stop selling overpriced junk items that don't work i.e. coin counter bank, video cameras, body-cleansing foot pads ... quality, NOT quantity. Avon stood for quality at one time. Now it seems they want to sell EVERYTHING or jack the price up and call it exclusive. The public is not that stupid, and representatives are fed up and/or become disenchanted.

My Opinion on the Casey Anthony Case

The court in Florida rendered their "not guilty" verdict yesterday, and the backlash was loud and clear on the Internet. On Facebook, there were overwhelming posts of outrage and disbelief. On Twitter, celebrities and other tweeters voiced their opinions on the trial, overwhelmingly negative toward the verdict. Many critics called into question the intelligence and judgment of the jury.

Look, our justice system is not perfect, but the safeguards are there to keep an innocent person from going to jail, even if it means a guilty person is legally found "not guilty." The jury did what they were supposed to do. The followed the law and the instructions given to them by their no-nonsence judge.

I am sad that Caylee Anthony lost her life way too soon and that we will never "officially" know what happened to her. Having said that, I have a few opinions to express about this whole media circus that has been the Casey Anthony investigation / trial / verdict.

(1) The investigation of Caylee's disappearance and eventually her death should not have been as greatly publicized as it was. There is a difference between reporting the news and sensationalizing it. Speaking theoretically, I feel the sensationalizing of investigators following up on leads and findings (false or fruitful) will affect any potential jury pool, making it nearly impossible for a defendant to get a fair trial. That is a precedent we don't need to perpetuate. This has been a thorn in my side with the media in general for years now, but again, just my humble opinion.

(2) During the broadcasts of the trial, I witnessed a couple of anchors from TruTv speaking of her as if she was already found guilty. Legally, you cannot do that. Now that Casey Anthony has legally been declared "not guilty" by the court of law, coudln't she acquire those videos and sue the station for slander?

(3) Though the "court of law" has found her not guilty, the "court of public opinion" is not through with Casey Anthony. People think she's planning to go out and party to celebrate her freedom? She's going to need to go into hiding! I honestly believe that any public place she goes to will give her a very chilly reception at best. She's going to have trouble finding work; who's going to risk hiring her and losing customers because of it? I seriously doubt she's going to be able to get a book or movie deal, at least not right now. It's like when OJ Simpson tried to get his book "If I Did It" published. The public backlash made the publisher think twice and eventually backed out of distributing his book. I think most studios and publishers know that there will be little positive reception because of Casey's notoriety. Maybe after a few years, but not right now.

(4) I've seen the outpouring of love toward a child explode on line, and it speaks volumes of our humanity. My concern is that we're putting so much energy to mourning (what we perceive to be) the lack of justice toward this child, but what about the children still alive who need love and guidance? What about all the other missing children ... the ones of different races, religions, or ethnic groups? Why aren't their stories being told? What about the other children who are being ignored, neglected and/or abused? I'm not trying to diminish what happened to Caylee; what happened to her was heartbreaking. However, she's already gone. Why don't we try to learn something from her case and try to prevent this from happening to another child?

Remember, I'm just expressing my opinion. Y'all may now commence to tearing my post apart. Bon appetit'

Yeah, It's Been A Long Time

Blogger.com complicated things for me by disabling FTP transfers to my site, so I'm using their blogspot.com domain until I can figure out what to do next. I'm in the process of creating a main page for visitors to go to until I can either figure out Wordpress or find something that will allow me to write and publish online.

I'll probably create a "what's new" page as the main page to show all the updates people can click on for now.

It's Time To Revisit Where You Stand

I've been reading from various sources about current political topics from the media, the bloggers, and people expressing opinions. I am noticing, especially in the political arena, that the ones who are harping the loudest about a potential legislation are the ones who WILL NOT be affected by the decision. It's not just Congress members voting as they wish while ignoring the needs of their constituents. It could be people from one state traveling to another state to protest something going on that has nothing to do with them. It could be people from other countries who feel the need to criticize what is going on in our country.

Now, I'm all for people having a right to voice their opinion. However, I draw the line when they become so vocal, so intrusive, so blindsided by their own beliefs and politics that what they say drowns out the voices of those affected. I draw the line when these people, who do not have a dog in the fight, interfere with legal events and lawful assembly.

To the mainstream media (this includes the left, the right, the libertarian, the green, and whoever else the media leans toward at one time or another): stop spinning the news and just report the facts. All you're doing is confusing people or making them wary of any news you have to report. Revisit your journalistic ethics and knock off twisting the news for ratings.

To the legislators who are ignoring constituents and avoiding the town hall participants: this is not what you were elected to do. If you can't stand the heat, it's time to get out of the kitchen. Nobody said this job was going to be easy.

As for our foreign critics: unless you or your family live in this country, unless you or your family are going to be affected by any legislative bill being voted on, unless you or your family will be adversely affected by something going on in this country ... back off and leave it to our citizens to sort out their own battles.

Finally, I am neither "right-wing" nor "left-wing." I am neither "conservative" nor "liberal." It depends on the issue as to where I stand. Stop trying to label me. I am an American, born and raised, and a registered voter. That should be enough.

PeTA Can Kiss My Big Fat Whale Butt

I had finished playing FarmVille in my FaceBook account while listening to the news on WJXT. I heard a news segment about a new billboard up in Jacksonville from PeTA. The billboard said "Save the Whales" and "Lose the blubber ... go vegan." It had a picture of a bikini-wearing obese woman in the foreground and a beach scene in the background.

Any respect I had for PeTA went out the window.

One of the reporters spoke with Ashley Byrne, a representative of the organization. She agreed that it was provocative, but it was to encourage women to lose the weight by becoming vegans.

Encourage? Outrage would be a more appropriate word.

An entry in Deceiver.com shows that I'm not the only one who was upset by this billboard. What is this, open season on fat people because it's now politically incorrect to make fun of and discriminate against anybody else? Deceiver.com went a step further and compiled a list of 'vegetarian' items from PeTA's web site that would not help anyone with losing weight.

According to Kim Hayes from the Orlando Sentinel, "I know the truth hurts, but this isn't the truth. And it all seems a bit harsh for an organization advocating the "ethical" treatment of living things, doesn't it?" This is from a health and fitness reporter. She certainly nailed it on the head.

Seems to me PeTA is more interested in being provocative in their message with their "in your face" tactics than actually having people digest their message in a non-threatening manner. PeTA's tactics have been called into question before. Two examples that immediately come to mind are (1) the alleged funding to defend those who have been accused of arson, and (2) the taking in people's pets who have to give them up, promising to find new homes for the animals, then euthanizing the animals and dumping the bodies in dumpsters. Links to other sites with this information are at the bottom of this blog entry.

People who know me know that I am an animal rights supporter. I support the Best Friends Society, ASPCA, and the Humane Society of the United States. I've also lent support to our local animal shelter and made various donations to animal shelters at other locations. There are way too many other animal welfare organizations out there who, in my honest opinion, do more good than anything PeTA has done that could counteract the proverbial face-slapping they've done to human beings over the years.

So like I said ... PeTA can kiss my big fat whale butt. With PeTA's big mouth, they can do it in one smooch!!

PeTA Workers Charged With Animal Cruelty
PeTA workers 'dumped 80 dead animals in skip'
PeTA Employees Charged With Animal Cruelty
PeTA and Terrorism: The Real Deal
PeTA's Dirty Secret