Guest Photographer: Bob Gambrell

Photos: Gosport, Alabama
Photographer: Robert (Bob) Gambrell, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Be Careful What You Want, or you will surely get it

Sharing The Strip by Brian McFadden of New York Times Sunday Review, February 12, 2012

In Politics, Do Facts Trump Emotion?

The very fact that I collect charts probably says a lot about me and may very well be why I have so few regular followers. Pro bloggers advise us to blog about what we are passionate about!

My first two charts were developed by Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) in response to Newt Gingrich frequently referring to President Obama as the food stamp president. I feel fairly certain Gingrich does not care about the facts of food stamps because he is going after something more emotional, a dog whistle to the base. These were reprinted on the The Maddow Blog with a challenge to match the chart with the president. Answers below.

Answers:  Chart 1 - President George H. W. Bush

            Chart 2 - President George W. Bush

This is my favorite chart for several reasons. Everybody should be happy about this,

unless one is running against President Obama. (Original source unknown, seen on Obama re-election website but do not believe it originated there.)

This chart would suggest it isn't so much the Catholics but white evangelicals (probably males) against contraception coverage being required, despite it preventing pregnancy and potential abortions.

Today, we have the world at our fingertips. Yet, we find ourselves living more and more in our own bubble with our own media and our own facts, surrounding ourselves with only those who agree with us. I'm not saying I'm not guilty, although I am surrounded everyday by people who disagree with my beliefs here in Alabama. 

Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, discussed this recent phenomenon of divisiveness and his book, The Righteous Mind, on Moyers & Company. This is the best explanation I've heard on how liberals and conservatives see the world based on their moral values. It is an hour program but well worth the time. 

Test your morals with Haidt's assessment surveys related to Moral Foundations and Criminal Justice.

Do you think your moral values drive your political affiliation? If not, on what do you base your vote?

February Assessment: 2012 Goals

Much Ado About Structure

2012 Goals

Structure?

So far, I'm on track. I've had to tweak my "rules" as I've put my plan into practice. For example, I changed cleaning one room a day to one major cleaning task per day. Why pull the vacuum cleaner out five days a week, right? Time spent outside can include running errands. You get the picture.

Goals?

1) Do something that frightens me? Done. Blind date. With a judge. This was a double whammy in that everything about blind dating and every variation of the word judge frightens me, but he turned out to be Old South, sincerely charming.

2) Continuing education? I have 19 hours so far and, to my delight, the Alabama Dietetic Association annual convention is in Birmingham this year!

3) Re-elect Obama? I'm still in snarky-mode, but I have my car flag to announce my allegiance and influence others and I am one of his low-dollar donors.

4) 52 book/per year challenge? I am into my seventh book so far! I love my Kindle app.

5) I have unpacked or opened everything ordered and received in a box except the mixer - did I mention what a teeny, tiny kitchen I have - and all my stacked-up mail (thanks for the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards and all that other stuff).

6-10) Planned but not executed. Four potential jobs found as well!

Accomplishment is really good for what ails you - physically, emotionally, mentally. I am so happy right now, but not in a manic, crazy kind of way.

Did you set goals for this year? How's it going? What are your obstacles and/or motivators?

Weekend Cat Blogging #349 and Pet Blog Hop

Vincent Vega

There was absolutely no cooperation for photographs from Jules and Vincent, so I had to reach back in the archives.

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by iMeowza.

Vincent will be our entry for The Saturday Pet Blog Hop.

Feel Good Friday

The War on Women: 2012 Edition

Update, 12:25 p.m.: Nation's Largest Catholic University: We Offer 'A Prescription Contraceptive Benefit'

Men, this is about you, too, so stand up and speak out.

From 1914 to 1921, Margaret Sanger fought for women's health and subsequently opened the first birth control clinic and started the American Birth Control League, the precursor to Planned Parenthood. Between then and 1957, research and development of a birth control pill was made available - but, only for women with severe menstrual disorders; in 1960, it was released to all women. In 1964, the Catholic Church got involved. (timeline source)

Today, the Catholic Church is still involved, along with their evangelical buddies. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services mandated that insurance companies provide coverage for women's preventative health services without co-pay effective on January 1, 2013. These include: domestic violence counseling, check-ups for gestational diabetes, lactation support, STD/HIV counseling and, yes, birth control. OMG! It's the end of the world as we know it!

Let's get real.
1) Isn't this really a back-door (insert joke here) argument about abortion? BIRTH CONTROL PREVENTS PREGNANCY, THUS REDUCING ABORTION. That problem solved.
2) If an insurance company - member of the revered private-sector - decided to provide this in the privacy of their boardroom, I seriously doubt we'd hear a rumble. In most cases, I imagine people would praise their insurance company for their excellent coverage despite the expensive rates.
3) Pissed that the government is forcing this pro-woman insurance coverage on you? Don't use it, political party supporters of individual choice.
4) Has anyone checked to see if insurance covers erectile dysfunction drugs?
5) Birth control helps more than preventing pregnancy. I was instructed to take birth control pills for one month to dissolve a painful cyst. It worked and life went on. Many parents of developmentally disabled girls, who are unable to understand sex or rape, have the option of choosing pills rather than surgical intervention. If you've ever had painful menstrual cramps, birth control pills will resolve that. Menstruation so severe that you become anemic? Prescription: birth control pills.

With the recent outrage about the withdrawal of funds by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to Planned Parenthood, one would think that there is support for women's health and health providers. Even the very, very red state of Mississippi this year rejected the Personhood Amendment. Yet, they fight on. Which is why I believe this is also a war on women.

I sincerely hope the White House will hold firm and not cave to religious pressure. If religious organizations are in the business of providing insurance for their employees then they are in the insuring business and should follow those guidelines. Or, if they choose to whine and opt out, then - in my best Soup Nazi voice - NO MORE TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR YOU. NEXT!

George Carlin, RIP, summed this up in just over a minute (NSFW, language):

Celebrating Black History Month 2012

The speech, Ain't I A Woman?, was given by Sojourner Truth in 1851 at a Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio. Actor Alfre Woodard gives a powerful interpretative reading in the above video.

Events and resources celebrating Black History Month 2012 in the Birmingham, AL:

Birmingham Public Library Sites and Resources

Civil Rights Museum - February Events

University of Alabama-Birmingham - Events

Birmingham-Southern College - Events

Photo from MLK Day Breakfast and Unity Walk in January at Birmingham's new and beautiful urban park, Railroad Park

Weekend Cat Blogging #348 and Pet Blog Hop

CAPTION THIS!

I captured this shot of Jules and put out a call on Facebook for caption suggestions. Here are a few ideas:

That's the biggest rat I've ever seen, but I've got the biggest mouth he's ever seen. I win!

I'm one tired kitty.

Yikes!! Is that what's for dinner??

Stranger!

I think I'm gonna spew!

LMAO!

STELLAAA!!!!

VINCENT!!!!!! You are supposed to cover THAT up with the litter!!!

Ack! Ack! Incoming!

Does that look like gingivitis way in the back?

Jules is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Pam & Cats at sidewalk shoes.

This will also be our entry for The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop.

Feel Good Friday

 Rest in love, peace and soul Don Cornelius.

Stuck in the Middle

Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you,

And I'm wondering what it is I should do.

It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,

Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place.

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, Here I am stuck in the middle with you.
~ Stealers Wheel

Remember those years between 10 and 12 and how hard they were for kids? As exciting as puberty sounded, it was an extremely confusing time physically and emotionally. I don't know about you, but I was an emotional roller coaster. The worst part for me was being stuck in the middle - too old for dolls, too young for boys. Or, at least, my parents thought I was too young for boys. Those were also joyful years full of wonder and discovery, as well.

To this day, I dislike the hours between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. It is that transitional time, after work but before the evening starts. These are times I feel stuck between two very different scenarios. 

As a 1950's baby boomer, a middle boomer, I find myself dealing with that feeling of transition or of being "stuck" in between. I'm too old for many young people I find interesting and want to learn from, but too young to be around the retired bunch. Pause. Maybe I should say I'm too old for the computer-literate bunch and too young for the less computer-literate people. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I found myself in a situation recently where this came to light. I even saw myself in the person, years back before my iPhone became a necessity to me. When someone asked me if I was leaving my phone in the car, I thought I had misheard them. When I glanced at my phone casually, the person thought I had received a phone call. Explaining everything - well, it seemed like a lot of work!  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I am the only one who can push myself over. I am the one who can stop over-analyzing every uncomfortable feeling. Some days, I'm good at this. Some days, I'm not. It is being stuck in the middle that feels so weird, a turtle without her sea legs. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Is this a privileged white girl problem? The middle is better than extremes, right?

February 2 is Alabama Gives Day

Beginning at midnight on February 2 and for the next 24 hours, Alabamians will begin their campaign of individual charitable donations to hundreds of Alabama nonprofit organizations. Don't miss the opportunity to participate in this inaugural event.

According to the press release:

The History of the Gives Day Movement: The Gives Day movement began three years ago in Minnesota as a means to increase philanthropy and help grow the individual donor base of nonprofits. In 2011, Minnesota’s Give to the Max day saw 47,538 donations totaling $13.4 million. Colorado Gives Day recently had 52,000 donations totaling $12 million. Residents in other communities that have organized a Gives Day have overwhelmingly shown their support through donations, and while the immediate benefit is huge, the ripple effects of giving have helped spur other philanthropic endeavors in those communities. According to organizers in Minnesota, Colorado, North Texas, Pittsburgh, Seattle and other communities with a Gives Day, a key ingredient to their success has been through the support of the local media. “Rarely do local TV, Radio and Newspaper groups have an opportunity to make such a large impact on behalf of dozens of nonprofits in their local communities in just one day,” said Russell A. Jackson, Gives Day Manager for Alabama. “Gives Day certainly makes for an interesting news story but it’s more than that. This is a day to help fuel the nonprofits that make our state such a great place to live and to help jumpstart their 2012.”

 How does Alabama Gives Day work? On February 2^nd, from midnight to 11:59pm, Alabamians will be driven to a dedicated online giving portal at www.alabamagivesday.org where they will choose to make a gift to one or more of the hundreds of participating nonprofits. “Donors will choose the nonprofit(s) they want to support from a list of 12 areas of interest, i.e. Children and Youth, Animals, Health, Environment, etc.,” said Jackson. “It’s all about connecting them to the missions they are most passionate about, and hopefully to a nonprofit they’ve never supported.”

 “Connecting individual donors to nonprofits, while also promoting the safety and ease of online giving, is critical to helping our nonprofits be sustainable,” said John Stone, President and CEO for the Alabama Association of Nonprofits. “Never before has an event of this magnitude taken place in our state. This will be a defining moment for Alabama nonprofits participating in the event and the impact will be felt far and wide. We’ve seen what Minnesota, Colorado and other Gives Days have done, and with Alabama’s strong tradition of giving we believe that history can be made on February 2^nd.”

 To learn more visit www.alabamagivesday.org

Much Ado About Structure

(source)

Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill. ~ Christopher Parker

The first month without a job was great! The second month was good. By the end of the third month, I'm struggling to get off the sofa to feed myself. Without daily structure, I procrastinated my way right into a funk. This was not depression, but it could have quickly spiraled into that without an action. 

There is nothing more exhausting than a task(s) hanging over your head. That was what I determined was the cause of my said funk.

The action? My niece has carried a "to do" list in her back pocket for the last two decades. She told me, "if it's not on the list, it's not getting done". So, I adapted this idea and made it a "if it is on the list, it has to be done" list, but with rules:

1. I have to be off the computer by noon and can't get back on again until I have accomplished the tasks on my list (exception: access a recipe)

2. Clean one to two rooms thoroughly per day.

3. A designated amount of time spent outside, for reading, and for spider solitaire. When that time is over, it is over. Being outside and reading get more time than spider solitaire!

4. It is okay to accomplish more than is on the list in a day, but not less.

5. Work on one computer project per day, including job search.

If all the tasks for the day are accomplished then I have "free time" for more reading, spider solitaire, television, and free time. 

Yes, this is elementary and practically a given for an adult, right? Yet, I'm back to structuring my day. So far, so good, much happier.

Do you need structure? Or, do you work better with spontaneity? How do you structure your day?

Weekend Cat Blogging #347 and Saturday Pet Blogger Hop

Jules shines in black and white.

Vincent gave me gifts two times this week. I am loved...this week.

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Kashim, Othello and Salome at Paulchens Foodblog?!

Jules will be my entry for this week's Saturday Pet Blogger Hop.