All Things Pink

I live in a pink-free zone.  I'm the only female in  a household of men, and am restricted in my use of pink out of courtesy for the men in my life.  But even if that were not so, I don't think I would allow pink anywhere near me.

You see, the color has been completely co-opted by people with nefarious purposes.  Let me give a few examples:

1. The Susan J. Khomen Foundation started it all with pink ribbons that have now infested every conceivable product offered to women.  Pink is the color of breast cancer.  It is the most visible sign of the money poured into Planned Parenthood by those who still think they provide mammograms.  For me, the pink ribbon on a product  signifies the death of yet another child through abortion.
2. When teaching, I see many young women walking around campus with 'pink' written across their breasts and bottoms as they travel to class.  These young women look brazen and unkempt and seem to want to proclaim it to the world.  It is a fashion statement without style.
3. Pink Legos have been produced to encourage young girls to play with the little bricks.  Is it just possible that girls might want to play with yellow or blue?
4. Code Pink is a nasty organization of women who protest just about anything.  I've never seen an attractive woman as part of a Code Pink protest.  They are angry, disruptive and rude.
5. Pink slime is the new name given to the fat that is ground up with meat.  Sure, by itself it would be completely unhealthy, but fat adds flavor.  Just as the various facets of the women's movement seem to have turned to pink exclusively for their banners, turning to pink slime exclusively is gross.  A little goes a long way.
6. Rick Santorum ran afoul of the pink promoters when he told a young boy with whom he was bowling that friends don't let friends use pink balls.  Feminists took this as a sign of the so-called war on women.  I took it as a sign that the boy was probably not named Laverne or Shirley.

 All of these examples lead me to believe we should start a boycott of the color pink until it has returned to its proper place as just another color in the spectrum.  When a color has become so completely associated with political and cultural causes,  wearing the color can seem like a statement. 

Just say no pink.

Romney's Wife, The Economy, and the President

Alright, I'm done ranting about how I will hate voting for Romney.  He's been given a gift in this attack on his wife that that can generate some real followers, if he's willing to use it.  As  a stay-at-home-mom, Ann Romney can speak with some authority about micro-economics.  I offer these suggestions from my own experience as a part-time adjunct instructor at a local university, as a home-schooling mom, as a care-giver for a disabled adult, as a wife, as a mother...  As what Simcha Fischer today calls an a-typical mom.

Because I only work part-time, I need child care for my son about 4 hours, one day a week.  Rather pay for him to go to a daycare where he would be surrounded by children much younger than he, he goes to the home of another home-school family.  She teaches him art, and I make them dinner that day.  Her side job is making home spun and died yarns, and the knitted items that come from them, as well as home made jewelry.  She has home-schooled her five children for years.    Ann Romney could talk about how this woman is clearly not lazy.

Ann Romney could talk about the effect of inflation on women and mothers in the last 3 years.  In the good old days of 2008, I could find a fair variety of meats on sale at the grocery store for under $2 a pound.  Now I'm lucky if I can find ground beef under $3.  In the salad days of '08, I could buy romaine lettuce or collard greens for under $1 a bunch.  Now it's closer to $2.  Butter, milk, cheese, flour, yeast, (yeah, I bake my own bread) have seen similar rises.  Canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, even dried beans and rice have almost doubled in price.  Mrs. Obama says we need to eat fresh and buy local, organic...  at the current prices, my family can't afford it.  Mrs. Romney could talk about Mrs. Obama's unrealistic expectations for us.

Filling our tank cost about $35 in '08.  This week it cost about $65.  In '08 I could buy two pairs of work jeans on sale for my husband for under $30.  Yesterday I paid $65 for the same style of jeans after the multiple discounts Kohls provides.

From a micro-economic perspective, inflation has gone up at an alarming rate.  Our basic necessities have about doubled in price.  But national inflation rates appear static. I don't know enough to be sure, but I think someone's playing with the way inflation is calculated in order to make stats look a lot better than my grocery bill.

I'm no economist, although I play one in the grocery store, but should Ann Romney talk about her experiences, and those of other stay-at-home-moms trying to manage a home?  Maybe her husband made enough money that she wouldn't feel the same about the economic pinch as I do.

But even among the wealthy, choices have been made.  Clean your house yourself, rather than provide employment to someone.  Drop the club membership, and someone else loses a job.  Eat at home more frequently, and restaurants close.  So while the wealthy lose some cushion, those they employ get hit hard.  These are real trickle-down consequences to inflation.  Ann and Mitt Romney could both talk about that.

The point is, everyone feels the pinch in a different way.  But moms, who stay home and manage the home, can see the real effects.  Everyday.  Economist can lie to themselves.  They can't lie to us.

Romney??? Really???

Simcha Fischer has a few laughs about the apparent GOP presidential nominee.

I would laugh if I could.  I'm not happy, and I can't believe we are being fed this milk-toast pseudo-republican rich guy who can laugh about his father closing a factory.  If the RINOs are in charge, then they are every bit as out of touch as they have been accused of being.  This is the dumbest choice for a candidate in a  time of crisis as I can imagine. And given republican candidates, that's saying something. 

Have another single-malt scotch and go hang out with Arlan Specter in the hot tub for a while, guys.  Maybe he can convince you he's the real face of the republican party.  Only after praising you for your lanky good looks of course.  And don't cut in line at the massage tables.

What is Romney promising that has donors flocking to him like dirty downtown pigeons on a stale hot-dog bun?  He lacks conviction, depth, sincerity,  and charisma.  He has a family history that reads like one of those prepaid entries in a Who's Who book. 

I can't believe that he is going against the anointed son-of-a-jackal that currently holds the office.  Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews could blow Mitt away with two questions about cars and income.  And of course, I chose them as the questioners because they are the dimmest bulbs on T.V.  Oh wait, I forgot about The View.  Well it could be a toss-up.

Will I vote for Romney if he gets the nomination?  Yes, but I'll need  long shower after.

What is wrong with politics in our country that this is our choice:  The deceptive, traitorous, race-bating lunatic who is spending us into oblivion, or the white guy who promises different, but on every cultural issue has a similar record?

Maybe I'm stupid and I just don't see it.  Maybe the real movers and shakers just think I am.  Maybe they think we all are.

I'm Torn...

Part of me wants to talk about Rick Santorum leaving the race for POTUS.  He was my choice, after several others who were less worthy.  I never thought Santorum would make it this far.  I thought his endorsements would ruin him.  In the end, maybe they did.  But the main thing is, while we are not electing a Pope, as Pat Archbold said, we were trying to elect the best man.  I'm sorry Rick won't be that man.

I will grit my teeth and vote for Romney if I have to.  Yuck.  But I will.

Now George Zimmerman has been charged with 2nd degree murder.  Given the time line, I think this is a path to exoneration.  Here's how it works:

G.Z.'s story has not changed.  He went into hiding because his life was threatened.  He called his attorneys to fire them, then called the prosecutor. He went in to custody, voluntarily, shortly after the charge.

His attorneys were probably trying to plead a deal.  Knowing he did nothing wrong, he refused.  He dumps his lawyers and calls the prosecutor.  He then makes a deal for the prosecutor to charge him with a crime that he did not commit.  The prosecutor, knowing he committed no crime, says let's get this over with, then the media will be satisfied.  You did nothing wrong, but we need to prove that in a court.

G.Z. will be held in a private cell until his trial.  His name will be cleared.  The media will move on to another crisis.  The POTUS will find another poster-boy.

But George Zimmerman will have to watch his back for the rest of his life.

Happy Catholic Mom Reports on Easter Weekend

Usually I rant, but today, I am sincerely happy.   Here's how the Easter weekend played out for my family:

Holy Thursday we spent preparing for our big family gathering on Easter.  When we arrived at the Celebration of the Last Supper, I was prepared for the girls and kids on the altar for the washing of the feet.  I'm used to it now.  It didn't distract from the celebration.  I hope our Archbishop will stop this practice, but as long as altar girls out-number boys, we git what we git and we won't have a fit.  The Mass was beautiful, if marred, and I can't complain about the fact that the church was full to capacity.

Stations at noon were full to capacity as well, and the lines for confession afterward were so long we waited hours before making our way into it.  Six priests, long lines.  Got to love that.

Saturday was our prep day for 34 family members coming to our home for Easter dinner.  We cleaned, we cooked, we sang. My son's choir is a model for all other choirs for children. My brother-in-law joined the church on Saturday evening, but since our son was singing at Mass the next morning, we didn't go.  Not only did Mikey join the church, his uncle came back after many years.  This was a watershed moment in our family.  I made sure everyone planned to give Mike gifts for his First Communion and Confirmation.  He got a night-light, a St. Joseph Plate, Nebraska football tickets, a great single malt scotch, a tee-shirt and hat that say 'Catholic', CD's....  All to let him know he's Catholic now.

We had an egg hunt of epic proportions, food, family, fun....  The highlight for us was when our niece who has been a bit sickly lately busted a move to Earth, Wind and Fire's song September.

We laughed.  We loved.  Easter is a part of us.  And did I mention that my nephew was wearing his black clerics for the first time?  He said they felt like a second skin.  The video is proof that big families, and Catholics, have the most fun.  Rock on!!!

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