I can no longer ignore it, I have a problem! Hello, my name is Lauren, and I hate the View!
When I have said this before, people ask, "Why, because they are opinionated women?" HA!! Opinionated my butt! Oprah is opinionated... these ladies fight the entire hour between 10-11AM because they all have an opinion, each of them totally different, and they are all experts on the topic of debate. BOO.
I am a huge supporter of people admitting immediately that they are not masters of the subject at hand! I do it all the time! There are arguments I will not get into with people because I just dont know enough about it to accurately defend my weak position- which could probably be easily changed if I was educated about it.
Religion is one of those topics- I have my fundamental beliefs, but I do not have the background to explain to you how we arrived on this earth. I have a personal belief in creation, not evolution, but I wont get into a debate with a scientific professional about it... they have years of research to support the opposite opinion! Not to mention the fact that maybe I dont want my mind changed, and I just want to rely on a little blind faith!
Politics is another! I find that I am instinctively conservative, but that I am not up to date on a good deal of the political activities that happened within the last 24 hours (who does?). I have several issues that I am still developing an opinion, and sometimes it is okay to say, "you know what, I don't have an opinion about [blank]." Another problem I have with this is believing the information that does make it to my television, and how corrupt the political system is, has been, and will likely always be! So, I try to believe about half of what I hear, keep my opinions to myself, and pray to GOD that things end up okay!
Change Scene: Back to the View. These women refuse to take a soft stance on much, which makes me want to go crazy! It sounds like a cat fight on national television! Not to mention the lack of standards they have for any of their guests! Yesterday, Spencer and Heidi from the Hills were on the show! I am sure they were able to offer some stimulating conversation about plastic surgery and living in hollywood with no job. Thanks for the contribution to our lives, ladies! (vomit). DISCLAIMER: I have not actually watched anything more than blurbs of this show, so I cannot elaborate further! It comes on our television at work, so the moment I hear these women cackling, I change the station!!
I do think the View is a poor representation of women around the country. We are not all that difficult to discuss anything with... I can just imagine Elisabeth Hasselbeck arguing with her husband about the way the toilet paper roll goes, or Barb proclaiming her stance on world issues in her living room to her cats! Please just spare us!
No more View! No more View! No more View! Watch Oprah! :)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Angels of the Sea Must be Free
Yes, I am an active Sea World Protestor... as long as active means that I never go there and any time any of my friends go there, I try to talk them out of it. I do not, however, post up in front of Sea World with signs... but I probably would if there was a rally :)
So, one summer, my family and I innocently went on a dolphin tour in Corpus Christi called the Dolphin Encounter. It is given by two University of North Texas marine biologists who have followed the same pod of dolphins for over ten years (probably twenty by now.) Anyway, they happily informed me of all of the horrors of Sea World, and they didnt have great things to say about the Texas State Aquarium either. They sold me a T-shirt that said Angels of the Sea Must be Free, and it stuck!
Dolphins, apparently, are one of the few animals that do not breathe involuntarily. They have to actually cut off one side of their brain at a time to "sleep" so that they will still breathe. They are also very social, and live thier whole lives in these pods of dolphins and stay with the same family. When they get separated from their pods and placed into captivity, they actually become depressed. This is why the first thing Sea World teaches them to do is to lift their tails to receive antidepressant injections! The unfortunate thing is, it doesn't actually make them not depressed, it just keeps them from shutting off both sides of their brain. Essentially, this keeps them from committing dolphin suicide. Instead, they will do things like try to beach themselves, or run into the concrete walls.
There is also the issue of the chlorine that keeps the salt water clear, is an irritant to the natural lining of the dolphins' skin. It also deteriorates the mucus lining that covers their eyes.
There are interesting studies on the lack of reproduction of dolphins in captivity. The very few that do breed (because they are depressed), the babies die because they have no exposure to natural bacteria and have a weakened immune system. So, I am sure you can infer that all dolphins that are in captivity have been CAPTURED from the wild. All of them. Most of them are captured in the Pacific near the Asian coast, because it is highly illegal in the U.S. (to capture, not to buy), so Sea World pays thousands of dollars for each dolphin, and when one dies, an order is placed for another one. How sweet.
So, PLEASE reconsider before going to Sea World! I know that it is a fun experience to see the marine life, but at what cost are you willing to see them? If you want to see a killer whale, or a family of dolphins, go take a tour on a boat and see them in the wild! They are much more beautiful in their natural habitat!
So, one summer, my family and I innocently went on a dolphin tour in Corpus Christi called the Dolphin Encounter. It is given by two University of North Texas marine biologists who have followed the same pod of dolphins for over ten years (probably twenty by now.) Anyway, they happily informed me of all of the horrors of Sea World, and they didnt have great things to say about the Texas State Aquarium either. They sold me a T-shirt that said Angels of the Sea Must be Free, and it stuck!
Dolphins, apparently, are one of the few animals that do not breathe involuntarily. They have to actually cut off one side of their brain at a time to "sleep" so that they will still breathe. They are also very social, and live thier whole lives in these pods of dolphins and stay with the same family. When they get separated from their pods and placed into captivity, they actually become depressed. This is why the first thing Sea World teaches them to do is to lift their tails to receive antidepressant injections! The unfortunate thing is, it doesn't actually make them not depressed, it just keeps them from shutting off both sides of their brain. Essentially, this keeps them from committing dolphin suicide. Instead, they will do things like try to beach themselves, or run into the concrete walls.
There is also the issue of the chlorine that keeps the salt water clear, is an irritant to the natural lining of the dolphins' skin. It also deteriorates the mucus lining that covers their eyes.
There are interesting studies on the lack of reproduction of dolphins in captivity. The very few that do breed (because they are depressed), the babies die because they have no exposure to natural bacteria and have a weakened immune system. So, I am sure you can infer that all dolphins that are in captivity have been CAPTURED from the wild. All of them. Most of them are captured in the Pacific near the Asian coast, because it is highly illegal in the U.S. (to capture, not to buy), so Sea World pays thousands of dollars for each dolphin, and when one dies, an order is placed for another one. How sweet.
So, PLEASE reconsider before going to Sea World! I know that it is a fun experience to see the marine life, but at what cost are you willing to see them? If you want to see a killer whale, or a family of dolphins, go take a tour on a boat and see them in the wild! They are much more beautiful in their natural habitat!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Fancy Things
Okay, so someone brought this up today, and I really want to expand a little on it... What is it with the obsession with material things? Especially with the way the economy is, you would think that people would be able to pull back a little bit- eat more at home, don't go shopping, cancel the memberships, etc.
So, when things started getting a little tighter in my budget (gas was getting more expensive, groceries, utilities) we did little things to cut back: canceled the tanning membership (for my health too), started dying my own hair (saving $100 every 3 months), we planned one date night every week and committed to spending less than $30 each meal. I didn't shop much to begin with, but a small closet will also cramp your shopping style. We just tried to cut back our lifestyle so that we were saving SOMETHING.
During all of my efforts to save money, I have run into several people who refuse to cut back on their spending! (my exposure is greater because I work at a bank). I dont understand why we feel sorry for people who are losing their homes because they had to go to Olive Garden and take the whole family. You can't make your house payment, but you have a Coach purse, or a Louis Vuitton (I probably didn't even spell that correctly).
The American obsession with material things is sad and it really repulses me. You don't have to have expensive cars to survive (I prove that), you dont need armani shoes, gucci bags, a thousand accessories, and $100 jeans. We have become accustomed to this lifestyle of immediate gratification, and we want for nothing (except our homes :) ) I am personally satisfied when the balance of my bank account rises, not when I see another girl envy me for the clothes I am wearing- trust me, NO ONE does that! :) No one envies my old navy tee and my aeropostale jeans, with my seven year old flip flops! But you know what, I am saving for a house, paying off my loans, I don't owe much more on my car, and I am perfectly okay with all of that. I even wish I was okay with less...
I think it is admirable for people to be minimalists, and our elders were forced into lives of minimalism when the economy was bad in the past... now, people refuse to give up the lifestyle, so the government feels like they need to get involved- which is never a good idea in my opinion, but that is another story altogether! People should be saving for their kids' college, investing their retirement, living frugally, or at least more frugally than they currently are!
Anyway, my whole point, is to get rid of the Fancy Things. Seriously, they are not adding value to your life, or your bank account!
So, when things started getting a little tighter in my budget (gas was getting more expensive, groceries, utilities) we did little things to cut back: canceled the tanning membership (for my health too), started dying my own hair (saving $100 every 3 months), we planned one date night every week and committed to spending less than $30 each meal. I didn't shop much to begin with, but a small closet will also cramp your shopping style. We just tried to cut back our lifestyle so that we were saving SOMETHING.
During all of my efforts to save money, I have run into several people who refuse to cut back on their spending! (my exposure is greater because I work at a bank). I dont understand why we feel sorry for people who are losing their homes because they had to go to Olive Garden and take the whole family. You can't make your house payment, but you have a Coach purse, or a Louis Vuitton (I probably didn't even spell that correctly).
The American obsession with material things is sad and it really repulses me. You don't have to have expensive cars to survive (I prove that), you dont need armani shoes, gucci bags, a thousand accessories, and $100 jeans. We have become accustomed to this lifestyle of immediate gratification, and we want for nothing (except our homes :) ) I am personally satisfied when the balance of my bank account rises, not when I see another girl envy me for the clothes I am wearing- trust me, NO ONE does that! :) No one envies my old navy tee and my aeropostale jeans, with my seven year old flip flops! But you know what, I am saving for a house, paying off my loans, I don't owe much more on my car, and I am perfectly okay with all of that. I even wish I was okay with less...
I think it is admirable for people to be minimalists, and our elders were forced into lives of minimalism when the economy was bad in the past... now, people refuse to give up the lifestyle, so the government feels like they need to get involved- which is never a good idea in my opinion, but that is another story altogether! People should be saving for their kids' college, investing their retirement, living frugally, or at least more frugally than they currently are!
Anyway, my whole point, is to get rid of the Fancy Things. Seriously, they are not adding value to your life, or your bank account!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Love Affair with the Dollar Store
I recently re-discovered the dollar store, and I could not be more head over heels!!
First of all, I want to recommend this place to EVERYONE who needs to save a few bucks! I went on a shopping trip for work, but I had to go back for myself afterwards so I could fill up my basket with all of the bargains!!
The scary part, is that I am quoting the obscene prices that I pay for all of this stuff at WALMART (who I thought was saving me money, my butt!)
Here is what I made off with for $20!
**by the way, Chewie has left me in peace throughout this whole post because he is playing with his new toys- he doesn't know which to play with first!**
First of all, I want to recommend this place to EVERYONE who needs to save a few bucks! I went on a shopping trip for work, but I had to go back for myself afterwards so I could fill up my basket with all of the bargains!!
The scary part, is that I am quoting the obscene prices that I pay for all of this stuff at WALMART (who I thought was saving me money, my butt!)
Here is what I made off with for $20!
- 27 ft of aluminum foil (large)
- 35 ft of aluminum foil (small)
- four bars of Irish Spring soap
- six medium bristle toothbrushes
- plastic strainer (which I have desperately needed)
- 200 straws
- eight dog toys/ treats (These were the BIGGEST bargain- and the main reason I went back!)
- iPod earbuds
- a candle lighter
- chip clips (nice ones!!)
Total, this was 20 items! I could not believe it :) Chewie thought it was his birthday! (and my little baybay deserves it!!)
While I do acknowledge its inferior goods, items near expiration, discontinued merchandise, and off-brand products, I have decided I am not above them! That is where I will be buying my q-tips, cotton balls, kitchen utensil replacements, and dog toys! (There are also some killer hair extension-headbands in awesome colors in their party department!) They even have a wedding aisle, OMIGOD hilarious!
I do recommend it for stocking stuffers, and easter basket fillers! I am going to get Ty his next few presents from there! They have some pretty neat stuff! The whole trick is to determine which are a bargain and which are not (like the flower seed packets-those are 33 cents at Lowe's) but the picture frames are a steal! They even have a whole cleaning aisle that is unbelievable-mops and brooms for $1!! laundry and dishwasher detergent too!
I will let you know how my adventures at the dollar tree turn out in the future- there is also some dang good people watching going on there, if you know what I mean!
**by the way, Chewie has left me in peace throughout this whole post because he is playing with his new toys- he doesn't know which to play with first!**
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