Black Friday, Karma, and Random Fluff

When Did it Start?

I mean the whole referring to the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday come from? In the 80's there was a black Monday when the stock market slid like a 500 points or something and markets around the world did the same--not really a good thing. I know some retailers have acted as though the day after Thanksgiving is the most important day for their whole year. But the day after Thanksgiving has also lost it's own magic. It used to have meaning but now it's, I guess just about money. When I was growing up, yes the day after Thanksgiving we'd all pack into the car and head Union Square in San Francisco, where cops would be there directing traffic. However, we were not there to shop, we were there to see all the Christmas decorations. I specifically was there to see Santa. My favorite place was Emporium Capwell's winter wonderland display. To me it represented Christmas with the nut crackers, trains and of course Santa in his own holiday shoppe.

Later when the shopping malls took over, the day after Thanksgiving still held the same meaning, as it was still a time to get your first injection of Christmas. Not to clean up on some good sales, and yes while there were sales, the main focus was going with the family. Not mom or dad, waiting in line all night long trying to score a big screen TV. Maybe I'm just sounding cynical, old and jaded but I don't care for this shift.

Is Black Friday So Important?

75% of people could have gone to the mall the day before Thanksgiving and stayed home on Friday, at least that's what surveys say that most people just look for a bottom bargain and will actually leave the store if they don't find one they wanted, empty handed. However, the weekend before Christmas is the BIG shopping weekend in fact it's the biggest of the season and that is the real crunch time for retailers.

That's the one where you can smell the desperation on people and they no longer care about price, they just want something to put under the tree. Which could explain how I ended up one year with artichoke plates. Or the other year I ended up with fluorescent green hat, scarf, and glove set that were horribly itchy and basically unusable. I won't continue to bore you through the past 24 years of bad holiday gifts. Though, last year my husband did come through with an iPod Nano, but with that said, he does hit the target occasionally. But, you'll just have to trust me that I do know something about the weekend before Christmas; I've got a closet full of bad gifts to prove it. Well that sounded ungrateful, and even a bad gift can be nice, right? The artichoke plates might be used one day.

Karma

Rainbird spent most of the time before Thanksgiving bitching about it, and believe me, I tried using the word complaining but it's just not strong enough. He bitched, everyday, to anyone that would listen to him. He had to deal with his parents, make the stuffing (his family recipe), make the brine (which I could have just as easily did but he figures that's *his* job). And with each task no matter how far in advance he made them, he bitched and moaned.

Then after those tasks were done he started whining and complaining about actual day, making the turkey and planning everything else. I politely reminded him with the exception of putting the bird into and taking the bird out of the oven, his work was done and the rest of the day is mine to deal with. I peeled the potatoes, cooked and whipped them, cleaned and halved the Brussels sprouts then baked, make sure the bread was cut and on the table with butter, cook the stuffing....I also had to set the table, and make the gravy. Now it also needs to be said that since we have just one oven, all those things were done after the turkey was out of the oven.

Ah, but what about that turkey? Firstly it needs to be said that cayenne pepper is NOT the same as paprika. And though he was told several times I was afraid the temperature probe was on the fritz, and he repeatedly informed me I was wrong about that. End result...The turkey was dry. I mean....DRY. Of course it was the probes fault and had nothing to do with his Freudian slips. Though seeing that dry bird placed a lot of pressure on me NOT to screw up the rest of the meal. Which came out darn good.

Friday came with me cleaning the kitchen, a fridge full of left-overs and then annual impending doom of decking the halls. I arranged for Pissboy to drag the box out of the loft area, the big box labeled, Holiday Crap and I dove in. There is something of an art to decorating for the holidays, anyone can just throw more stuff out but I'm a firm believer not doing that because for me, I start feeling claustrophobic. So, I have to decide what stuff gets put away, what stays and where everything else goes. It's a process that takes roughly a whole day, combined with other wifey tasks that need completing, like laundry, general cleaning, menu planning and the like. By Saturday I was left with just cleaning up and moving newly filled boxes back into the garage, but on Saturday I was feeling lazy, so those things were put off until Sunday. Sunday also included the rest of laundry, changing of sheets, washing of towels, folding and putting away and watching the customary chick flick on TV while doing said tasks. It's a time saver for me because it keeps the men away.

Name That Tune

I haven't done one of these for a while so I figured it was time.

What song by the Beatles was the very first that featured George Harrison playing the sitar?

First to answer correctly wins bragging rights and maybe a prize.


© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

I Just Realized

Okay Maybe I didn't just realize this but Thanksgiving is this Thursday and what have I done, aside from buying the Turkey? I still must do the following

• Make all the grocery lists, of things we need for the holiday and beyond that (it's regular shopping time too).
• Clean the whole house including the washing of all the bedding in the guest room.
  
• Bring down all the Christmas dishes (and put them into the china cabinet) to use on Thanksgiving because (gasp) I don't have a table cloth suitable for the big table and I don't have enough regular silverware to go around.
  
• Figure out what we're going to have for dessert.
  

I think that's everything that must be accomplished before Thursday oh and I have a "team" meeting for Fredo at 8 in the morning on Wednesday (Its one of those teacher work days, without students).

I've really got to not sleep in so late on weekends.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Oh Yeah I Remember

Silly Me

I guess each year I go through this and after it's over I seem to promptly forget about it again until the next year. Yes people we're talking about the holidays. Thanksgiving is less than a week away, which ushers in the holiday buy me that season and ends the year. Wait! Ends the year? Oh wow, I'm digging myself deeper, while I'm sure some can't wait for the New Year, I keep thinking can't we put off another month. I need more time with this year. I've barely gotten used to writing 2008 on checks, and now I have to start writing 2009?

Maybe it's something buried deep in my subconscious that doesn't want this year to end. I mean normally a year is a year long and by the time it's over it feels like it should be over. This year feels somehow unfinished and maybe it's the economy that is causing those feelings, which is the exact opposite feeling I had back in 2001, when I, and I think most people, just wanted the year over.

I spent a little time looking back over my blogs for the year, lots of political stuffs because this was a big political year for everyone. A lame duck president leaving office, two completely different choices for the future. It was, in retrospect, fun to watch it all unfold, but the aftermath is starting to annoy me just a little bit. I mean when the Democrats lost in 2004 everyone here walked around like they had just seen the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Yeah, I was kinda bummed, even though I didn't like Kerry, at the prospect of facing another four years but that lasted about an hour or so.

I hear now the other side whining about the loss, why they lost, how they can win next time...blah blah blah...and yes they should be discussing this but I don't need to know about it. I don't care. Of course blaming Obama for this recession is really reaching, I mean really really reaching. The die for this recession was cast long before he even announced his intention to run for President. People don't have to worry about an increase in their capital gains tax because quite frankly no one this year has a capital gain. In fact they'll be writing off their losses for the next several years (because they can carry over).

What I believe has happened is a massive rationalization that the economy is worse off than people first wanted to believe. People are getting out of the market simply because they don't want to lose any more money. More people are counting their pennies and rightfully so. In a few years we'll hopefully see as a result, the average person carrying a much lower credit card debt and a larger savings account. Of course they'll complain about that too. This problem wasn't caused by deregulation alone, plain and simple old greed played a huge role in our economic demise. Let's make money today and worry about tomorrow....well tomorrow. People were duped by greed, led to believe that if they could get something for nothing. They weren't told they were gambling, they were told not to worry about it. People like to believe what they are told, because it takes the pressure off them. They told me the housing market would continue to rise and they believed them, they said there was NO housing bubble that could burst and even if it did, the money they save would be enough. The fly in that ointment was they didn't pocket the difference into their savings, instead they lived as though they could afford it. They took the family to Hawaii, bought the SUV that looked so nice in the driveway, paid for their daughters wedding and sent their son to a college they couldn't afford, telling him not to bother with financial aid. The very notion of saying no wasn't in their vocabulary. They would charge on their credit cards things they couldn't live without as well as the things they needed, because they earned points. When the bill came they didn't want to spend all their "extra" money on paying it all off, so instead carried a balance and not a small balance of maybe a couple thousand dollars (that they could easily pay off if they wanted to) but a HUGE balance in the fifteen thousand range.

Okay, I'll say it...maybe instead bailing out the lending industry, they should have given each of us a piece of that action and bailed out the American People. Instead of throwing us a bone of a measly thousand bucks, they could have given us a 100K each (tax free of course). Of course I'm not so sure we could have been trusted to spend it wisely either.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Bailing Out The Big Three

$2 5, 0 0 0, 0 0 0, 0 0 0.00

That's really a lot of lettuce and that's what the big three are asking for, of course they showed up for their second senate hearing day in separate private jets. I know it seems picky but the senators asked them point blank, if they were willing to give up their jets to help save the companies. None of them said yes. They released a statement saying that the CEO's travel by private plane for "security reasons." I'm surprised they're allowed to sit next to each other during the senate hearings. Perhaps the cited "security reasons," have nothing to do with each other, but instead have to do with other competitors. Of course everyone knows that first class on commercial airlines is just a breeding ground for espionage; is there a fear of them being kidnapped and tortured until they give up secrets for failing? Is someone that works for Toyota or Honda, going to beat the crap out of one them, asking repeatedly, "I want your secret for making cars that don't sell!"

Maybe not.

Here I go Again

I'm getting all nostalgic and reminiscent with not so warm and fuzzy memories of the 1970's, specifically the gas shortage. Some of you might remember only being able to buy gas on certain days based on your license plate, even or odd numbers indicated the days you could buy gas, if there was any to buy. You might recall long lines while waiting to buy gas. People screamed for more fuel efficient cars then, which is why Toyota saw America ripe for the picking. Of course Ford answered the call by giving us the Pinto, which had this nasty tendency to explode when rear-ended. Then people screamed they wanted economical and safe cars to drive however by the time that happened, the gas crisis was over and Americans being a fickle bunch forgot. I still recall hearing Walter Cronkite saying that by the early 1980's American made cars will be getting 20 miles to the gallon. He was being clearly optimistic because not only did that not happen, we're still struggling with it today. The average car (I won't use the term American made), built by the big three gets around 13 MPG and there it stayed until 2004, when the average started to rise to around 20 MPG. However during that same time foreign companies (Toyota, Honda, etc) were getting on average 18 MPG, and now hover somewhere around 25 for their larger cars and trucks. Smaller cars do better.

The Big Three want people to believe that the credit crisis has brought them down but it's not the only reason. The main reason is their resistance to change, they believed if they could make a big SUV and sell it for less (a few thousand) than say Honda, Joe consumer would just buy theirs because it was cheaper. But somewhere along the way, Joe consumer got smarter and realized that he would spend a little more on buying a competitor and save money at the pump, maintenance and everything else that goes along with car ownership. Joe the consumer could also keep the vehicle longer. Joe consumer demanded that cars be reliable, economical, and safe. The Big Three answered with cars that were cheaper than their foreign competitors but also lagged behind in safety, and mileage. They continued with brands that wouldn't sell, like the Impala, hoping their SUV sales would make up the difference. It worked for a while. During the mid part of this decade, when everyone wanted an SUV to feel important--okay that's not exactly true...

The SUV Boom

For a while it seemed dealers couldn't keep SUV's in stock and it didn't matter who was making them, it was about a self serving self importance that drove the sales, I also believe it was the fact people were tired little cars with nothing around them but other cars on the road. Now in some mountainous regions an SUV or other four wheel drive vehicle makes sense. But lets also admit for a moment they looked darn nice parked in front of the new house. It seemed to go along with the new lifestyle people were being told they had. The Big Three will tell you that people can afford their cars because repossessions aren't climbing to the levels that the banks are seeing with homes. Home foreclosures are HUGE in most areas around the country but lets be honest, most people realize that if they can't afford to make their mortgage payment to the tune of $5000 a month, not making their car $400 payment isn't going to help. Generally car payments are MUCH smaller, therefore people are more likely to continue making those payments because they NEED a car, they didn't need that 6 bedroom 6 bath house, with the gourmet kitchen and media room in the suburbs. People wrongly blamed the SUV drivers in the increase in gas consumption, but that's just not the whole story, blame also falls on the Big Three for not making those SUVs more fuel officiant when they had the chance.

The REAL IMPORTANT PART

When Clinton was president the Japanese Government gave their auto makers money to develop what we would call now hybrids. Our government answered in 1993 with the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles or PNGV for short, the government gave the Big Three somewhere around 1.5 billion dollars to invest and develop hybrid technology. Each of them actually produced a hybrid car but did little else. In 2001 the Big Three appeared before the republican congress asking them to repeal the act because it was too difficult. Naturally with an Oil president, vice president, and congress deep in the pockets of the oil industry it easily passed. A huge opportunity was missed, and the Japanese got more than a decade head start on hybrid technology and making it useful.

Too Big To Fail or Just Too Big?

I know, but what about the jobs? I don't want to see anyone lose their job. Especially in this economy. But that said something needs to be done. Maybe it's time for the Big Three to merge, and restructure, to rebuild themselves and remake their reputation. Its hard to let that dream die, especially since we're the ones that invented the auto. However we have to be pragmatic, today cars are lasting longer, people when times are good are more likely to replace their car because they've grown tired of seeing it, than to replace it because it stopped running. The Big Three cannot continue the way they have, jobs will be lost, dealerships will close or merge with others, things MUST change. I doubt 25 Billion will be enough. If the money is given, more money will likely follow and I seriously doubt it will change the outcome.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Toxic Waste

So, here I am laying bed all snugly and warm, my head swirling with images of George Clooney about to ravage my body, when I start to sniff, both in the dream and in reality. You know, those brief moments while you're still asleep but at the same vaguely awake. I hear a toilet flush, moments later I feel the bed bounce a little, George Clooney is banished from my consciousness, as I become more aware of a stench filling the room.

I cover my head and think to myself, George Clooney come back, I tightly shut my eyes, and continue albeit vainly trying to get the dream back, but unless George has a violent case of the diarrhea, it isn't happening. Frankly that's just not that appealing to me anyway. A short while later the alarm was going off where the My Dick song could be heard and I slam the alarm, fall back asleep, and again George has returned and all I can think is, NOT NOW....there isn't enough time.

I wake again to a different song and shut off the alarm and ramble out of bed. Thus begins the day.

The My Dick Song Explained

It was 1974, and my mom was very much into pop music and AM Radio, and in our area, KFRC was the station everyone listened to. Dr Don Rose was the AM jock and a powerhouse, telling silly one-liners, talking over the music, singing along, everything a morning jock was supposed to be before shock took over. He'd blow horns, and woke people up with smile. I know it seems silly and pedestrian now but back then radio was supposed to be fun. His wake-up, drive-time slot was number one for a decade; long after I had stopped listening in favor of better music. Music in the 70's was different, especially before Disco and the Bee Gees, but still upbeat, however misheard lyrics are a universal thing especially in the days before lyrics displayed on liner notes, the internet, and closed captioning (for the TV crowd). Hence the My Dick song. A vaguely recalled group called Pilot penned a hit with Magic in 1974. I guess they were Scottish, which could be why I always believed the song was about some guy singing about his dick. Here's the Youtube of the song and you can decide for yourself, is he not clearly singing MY DICK, instead of Magic?




So, for however long it remained on the charts and popular that particular song was played every morning at 7:35, just after the news break on KFRC, has been forever known, if only to me, the My Dick song. Over the years I'm sure I've misheard other lyrics but none have stuck with me the way that song has.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Just Another Monday

Not Ready For Prime Time or Prime Rib

As I mentioned Saturday the family went out to lunch, though the location was a surprise, the reason wasn't, it was to celebrate this Ranter's birthday (which is actually today). The place we went to was fairly upscale, and the food was very good but I have to say my family has the WORST table manners. Think about an early Simpson episode showing the family gathered around the table when Lisa still ate meat and you'll get the idea. If you don't watch the show just imagine people shoveling food into their mouths.

Looks like I need to plan a fancy dinner at home to teach my family some lessons on table manners. Now that being said, the kids are well behaved in most situations and eating establishments, they just lack the refinement. There was sleeve to nose action, ignoring the cloth napkin in lieu of pants or shirt, little nitpiky things that would make a mom crazy. Like Fredo, who ordered a hamburger but decided he didn't like the bun, so picked the meat up and ate that with his fingers. Even dipped it in ketchup. Pissboy was no better in his table manners shoveling large..too large forkfuls of salad into his mouth and chewing like a cow. Rainbird did maintain himself, and kicked children when appropriate but that led to usual loud voice..."why did you kick me?"

Yeah it was a proud moment for me, but thankfully it was just lunch and not dinner and I'm equally thankful we ate early before the place was crowded. Now that I know what needs to be done I can work on it at home. Table manners 101.

Now, I will have to say Fredo did surprise me this morning, first thing he said when he came downstairs this morning was "Happy Birthday Mom." I was kinda blown away because normally in the hustle and bustle of the mornings, I'm lucky to get a hello out of either kid. Fredo gets up very early to catch the 7:20 bus, so that was the best gift. I'm serious, I'm getting teary eyed just writing about it. Pissboy got up, told me that I have to wash his hoodie because he got something weird on it, his bird is running low on food, and he needs more toothpaste. He did say his usual, "by mom, love ya see ya later," as he walked out the door. I'll just pretend he said happy birthday.

I'll admit it I have a love/hate thing about birthdays and I'm surprised at myself for spending so much time on this, because really I don't care that much. It's nice to have my birthday acknowledged, but I dunno. Okay, I'm pissed. I'm pissed off that Pissboy asked me last night what I wanted for my birthday, I'm pissed off that his father said NOTHING. I just told him it was a little late to be asking that--I mean for fucks sake my birthday is today.

If I waited until the day before to plan what to give any of them....Ohmyfuckingod, they'd feel so unloved and would be so pissy about it...but it's okay when it's just 'Mom's' birthday. I know everyone is just focused on the great turkey dinner I'm going to prepare next week but still.

Pissboy is very artistic, he could have made me a card, though he is totally old enough to say to his father, I want to get mom something for her birthday, can you drive me to the mall. Might have given his father the much needed kick in the ass he deserves too. I'm sorry going to the store and buying a card on the day of someone's birthday isn't a great thing either unless it is an office buddy...it's an afterthought.

I know we/I let men off easy when it comes to that kind of stuff, like waiting until the last minute and we've all seen florist shops packed to the gills with men picking out just about anything on Valentines Day so they don't go home empty handed. Or the joke about men going to shop for the wives/mothers/girlfriends on Christmas Eve and that's because for a lot of men it's true. But don't they understand what they are really saying is, "I don't really give a crap but will do it to get her off my back for another year." Heavy emphasis on the I really don't give a crap part.

Anyway, today I'm going out for lunch again, this time with my mother in law, who has gifts for me. We're going to a Mexican place where all the money is put into the food and none is spent on atmosphere. I have no idea what I'm going to cook for dinner tonight. I

I can't believe I actually care....but then again...Fredo did wish me a Happy Birthday.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Houston We have a Desk Chair

The Happiest Place on Earth Meets the Grinch

Yes, I broke my own rule and took Rainbird (aka Mr. Ranter) to Tarjay to look for a desk chair our Tarjay's remodel has been completed and it's absolutely gorgeous inside. It's a pleasure shopping there but bringing Rainbird was a huge mistake, all he did was complain, and whine and make me crazy. We found a chair he approved of, like I wasn't capable of getting it myself and stuck it in the cart then we walked around the store. I was looking for some large pillow like things the boys can use for when they sit on the floor watching TV or playing video games. They have some fancy ones that are specific for gaming but I'm not spending that kind of cash on it. I'm thinking with the way they are on things somewhere around 20 bucks is reasonable. I'm not spending no 70 bucks for something like this ....Especially when all they need is something like this...Which ironically I just ordered.


I'm not thrilled with the color but it will do.



Of course the main reason for going and enduring his whining was to get a new desk chair and they had a few to choose from, but we settled quickly on this one...Eh, it will work and it was fairly simple to put together.




We also have a working washer again, I guess a wire or two was loose and that was causing the door not to open when the cycle was finished. Let's hope it continues to work without incident, because I have tons of laundry to catch up on. We're talking a lot.

Today Rainbird is taking me out to lunch with the kids...not sure why but he's made a big point of telling me nearly every day about it. Not even sure where we're going. Time will tell I guess.





© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Call Me Slacker

Slacker Slacker

Yes, I've been slacking off lately on the whole blog thing, between gearing up for Thanksgiving and the impending doom that is Christmas. I've just been busy. Monday, I cleaned and shampooed 14 year old Pissboy's room, then kinda tried the same in Fredo's room without the same success, but it looks a whole lot better. I also discovered after doing a load of white clothes my front-load washer wouldn't unlock, yes with the clothes trapped inside. Tuesday, I spent much of the holiday stuck in a stylist's chair getting the dark brown stripe removed from the top of my head, then I came home and spent 40 minutes on the phone with the maker of my washer trying to figure out who to call for service--stupid outsorsing. I want my washer fixed not the weather in India though I will try that recipe for Tikka Masala.

I hung up and called Sears they're coming Friday and I hope they fix it. Wednesday, was a field trip with Fredo's class to the mountain by the Ranter Homestead, I didn't ride the school bus with the other parents but instead, just met the class there. Okay, I walked down the street. Did I mention it was pouring rain? Did I mention the wind? Yes, plenty of both but despite the weather I did learn some things I didn't know before. But later I had to memorize my shopping list, so all that new information was promtly forgotten. My brain can only handle so much stuff in it at one time, so when something new is learned something else is pushed out, which might explain why I forgot where I put the shopping list to begin with.

Thursday was quiet, with no clothes wash--I wouldn't take a chance, but I had to watch Mr. Ranter sulk because I told him I couldn't go out to lunch with him because my only pair of pants were dirty from the hike on the mountain. Just puttered and cleaned out the laundry room. Watched a little of the news but got annoyed and shut off the TV. I did watch a little of Survivor last night and I only have one thing to say after however many seasons of that show, how can you NOT know how to make fire using a flint? Fire is a mainstay of the show and everyone that goes on it should know and have practiced before they even auditioned, and certain after they did how to make a fire using a flint.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Like the Fat Orange Cat Garfield

I Really, Really Hate Mondays

Especially when Monday is followed by a holiday, I mean what is that all about? I think with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, 4th of July, shouldn't have a date attached to them, they should just be 2nd Monday in November, or whatever month they happen to be in. Actually we can remove Thanksgiving really from that list since it's always on Thursday--there is no date attached to it. But I do feel most holidays should be on a Monday. Even back in the day when we used to get both Washington and Lincoln's birthdays off, they were celebrated on a Monday, and yes it made sense to combine them into Presidents day. Because I don't want a day off celebrating Ronald Regan or Roosevelt or JFK or any other....MLK day moves around too, as it should.

So now we come to Veterans day, and yes it's an important day to remember all veterans of any war, but it's a date that can be easily moved to a Monday in November. Woodrow Wilson signed the original bill into law in 1919. Armistice Day as it was called then, was to celebrate the men that fought in the first world war, the idea was that WW1 was the war to end all wars (how optimistic was that?). It was later changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by Eisenhower. This date isn't attached to any significance past or present, aside from it being for VETERANS. I would also think for travel purposes having it on a Monday would be more convenient rather than in middle of the week.

Train Kept A-Rolling

As long as I'm ranting, I might as well continue and I hate sounding like an old fart but....what is it with parents? I'm not talking about parents of little kids, I'm talking about parents of children in the 25-30 year range that are not in school. At first I thought it was a little strange that a parent would continue to let a child live at home, and we've all heard the jokes about the 30 year old, living in his parents basement, playing video games. Never had a date, etc., but it's really not a joke anymore, now it's like cool to be that guy, or girl. It used to be, hence the joking, something to really be ashamed of but now it's not. It's cool if you have a job, earn money, don't pay rent, have meals prepared for you, laundry done, don't have to clean, budget for household expenses, save for "wants", pay for car insurance, car registration....I can go on. I personally know and have heard of LOTS of parents that are enabling (let's call it what it is) their children to not grow up, and why should they when they have everything done for them? Is this helping them to learn any kind of responsibility or is it just prolonging childhood when we had no worries? I don't know if the parents are afraid of an empty nest (another rite of passage) or if they're afraid their children can't make it without them.

Is this fallout from the 1980's when children's self esteem was all consuming and included letting children win at games so they wouldn't feel bad about losing. No one was picked last, teams were decided by the teacher. Parent/Teacher conferences were attended by the parents only, without the children, because the teacher didn't want the child to hear bad things being said about them (in some areas that's still the norm). Or is it because parents want to be their children's best friend rather than a parent? When my 14 year old son comes to talk with me about something sometimes the mom hat is on, sometimes it's just the adult hat, or no hat, depending on the conversation. I will say though the "friend" hat is never on. I'm not a peer of his, I'm his mom.

I've heard stories that just curl my toes, like the daughter that told her parents to pay for her lavish wedding, and then demanded they give money for a downpayment for a house. Which for some reason the parents did, then the housing market dropped, the house ended up being foreclosed because the "children" coudn't afford the payment on the adjustable mortgage. It gets better...Then these parents said they'd buy these children (I use the term children lightly) another house, because their daughter was having a baby. These so-called children said they would accept the house ONLY if they could pick it out themselves. WTF? These "parents" aren't wealthy, their own house is mortgaged to the hilt, but took the money out of their retirement savings to purchase this house for the daughter.

I know another family, two sons grown in their early 30's, one still lives at home, the other "lives" in a house down the street, the parents inherited. This son that "lives on his own" pays none of the utilities, and eats ever meal at home, showers at home, and does just about everything at home and by home I mean MOM and DAD's HOME, not his own. He's supposed to be paying rent but doesn't because he just bought a new truck and needs to pay for that, this is in addition to the new Honda he bought last year. He works 4 hours a day as an plummer. He could work more hours but doesn't want to.

I know more but just can't go on....I feel my blood pressure rising.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

A Bargain for you

Lego Batman Arkham Asylum In Original box

Never used, Includes all the pieces (the box to my knowledge was never opened). You pay for shipping.

Let me know.

Best offer plus shipping.

I Must Be Missing Something

Flashbacks of the Great Potato-Potatoe Debate



Yesterday I settled down to watch TV, I saw a blurb about McCain's people saying that Sarah Palin, who I am no real fan of to begin with, was more than just a little problematic. Aside from refusing to sit down with staff before the Katie Couric, she also had no idea that Africa is continent, if South Africa is it's own country or a state in the United States of Africa. She went way over budget on her wardrobe (I giggled at that one--it sucks to be a woman) She yelled and screamed, throwing stuff at staffers, had no idea about NAFTA or what countries were involved. NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGGREMENT, might have provided a clue but I guess not.

Like I said, I'm not a fan of her, but damn. Since so much fuss was made about Obama and the people that he aligned himself with, tenuous or real, what the hell was the McCain campaign thinking by picking her? Didn't she go through a vetting process, or was taking her at her word that she could see Russia enough? Or was she there to be a typical woman and keep her mouth shut, look pretty and smile for the cameras? Suddenly I like Sarah Palin a little bit more--these attacks on her are not only unfair but incredibly stupid of the McCain camp to put them out. It doesn't make them appear too swift in the brain department or were they pandering to people that already said they didn't care for her like me? Either way I'm not buying it. Yes a 150K on clothes to the average person does sound outragous, but you can't wear the same thing all the time. Men can get away with wearing black or a navy blue suit, they change the tie and it's a totally different outfit, if a woman does that she's a slob. You must have more than one outfit. Plus outfits for different times of the month, when she felt fat. Not to mention if you appear in one area, then go to another in the same day....come on...it's like going to multiple parties during the holiday season, you can't keep wearing the same thing. Of course on the other hand, the money spent on her wardrobe might have been put to better use in the McCain camp, like paying for more people to get his message out. Or to put Joe the Plummer on his payrole.

My God I'm Defending Her!

Just like when people would get on Dubya's case for things he had no control over, or no part in, I would find myself defending him. There's enough that he did wrong without having to invent things. The same is true for Palin, who obviously made some errors notably the Katie Couric interview and if she didn't prepare for that, it was a huge mistake. Now, I have lunatic right wing people sending me emails about impeaching Obama because he's not a real US citizen, their claim being he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii and his birth certificate was forged. It just makes my head hurt. He's not even president yet. Yes, his mother commited this fraud way back in the 1960's just on the off chance he would one day become president and just for fun, lets all agree it was because aliens (the kind from outer space), told her so. I like that story better anyway...it's got that whole Wesley Crusher wonder boy thing going on.

Make it so, Number One.


© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

And I Thought the Election Would Be Close

Without reservation, Barack Obama is elected the 44th President.

I will say I'm thrilled that the people spoke LOUD and CLEAR to what they wanted. I listened to McCain's speech, and heard the crowd booing when Obama's name was mentioned and I couldn't help but to think that was why they lost. McCain in the end understood it, and that is why he stopped them. The country has spoken, opted for unknown change and maybe the majority is right. Time will tell.

It's no mistake our country for the past 8 years has been clearly divided, and I believe it's one of the reasons our economy has gone so sour.

I wish the President-Elect all the luck in the world. I hope he can put an end to the red verses blue states, I hope he can unify this country in a way that it hasn't felt since 1980.

Myself, I believe it can be done, but it's not going to be an easy road.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

It's Already Tuesday

And I Thought this Time Change would be Different

I woke up waaaaay too early for a Sunday morning, 7AM to be exact. I know for some that might be sleeping in, but for me it's clearly not, especially after staying up to physically see the time change. At least on the computer.

Friday was Halloween and our house finally had that Halloween put together look about it. The kids had a blast, Piss-boy scaring people by hiding by the front door. Fredo by going out and shaking down neighbors for candy. Fredo this year said he wanted to be Dracula, so his costume though easy for him to put on, and fit him well, required that copious amounts of black hair spray-like stuff to be applied. I should be glad it wasn't raining because it would have dripped all over himself. That said, he did look sufficiently scary enough. Their bathtub after he showered was another story and I'm still cleaning off the now gray hair stuff left behind (insert numerous grumbles here). Image courtesy of Mr. Ranter. That was hanging in Pissboy's bedroom window.

Saturday was spent doing Autumn prep, trimming of plants, pruning of trees, and dodging the usual landmines of dog poop.

Monday Madness

Sunday evening the kids were at each other throats and I just had a feeling about Monday. I had warned Fredo before school but I just had a feeling. He came home, got off the bus, waived to the bus driver and looked at me. He said I could punish him. Naturally I asked why and he actually told me what happened. And as much as I hate him using bad words at school I was kind of proud that he told me about it. Normally, he'd come off the bus, ask about his snack, and act as though nothing had happened, then an hour or so later the principal would call and inform me of what he had done. This time when the principal called I was able to tell him what Fredo told me had happened and those stories matched. He was surprised too and explained that he spent time talking with Fredo again about consequences, and on Tuesday he'd have to eat his lunch in the office and stay in during recess. While he was a little whimpy about that, he also accepted it even when I reminded him of what the principal had said. His punishment is the one he picked out, absolutely NO TV for tonight and he has to do extra chores around the house. He helped me with emptying the dishwasher, picked up his dirty clothes and separated them, then he emptied all the waste baskets (I didn't tell him to do that last one he did it on his own).

All bad words now are officially banned from this house. I'm not sure how we'll all communicate with each other but we'll get by somehow.

Now...Get out and Vote!


© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved