Author Archives: Matt
Oh Arizona!
I keep seeing headlines like these:
Arizona now has toughest immigration law state
Bill McCollum (R) Defends Change In Stance On AZ Law
and now I see this:
Arizona gov. signs bill targeting ethnic studies in an AP News story.
Well, I can’t just not say anything can I? You know me better than that.
Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill that Tom Horne (Az State School Head) has been pushing for for years. Horne has said, well… let me quote the AP article:
Horne, a Republican running for attorney general, said the program promotes “ethnic chauvinism” and racial resentment toward whites while segregating students by race.
Tom Horne is sacred that ethnic studies classes will educate minorities and make life harder for whites? Holy Shit! Where is his clan robe? Look, I live in Mississippi, I know a racist when I see or hear one. Tom Horne…you qualify! Can this man really advocate for the removal of the classes that teach the TRUE history of 56% of the Tuscon SD students’ ancestry? By the way, that’s 31,000 students in the Tuscon School Dist alone. Staggering.
Now I will give you something I found that will blow your mind:
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| As a Golden Rule state, I am pleased to present a program that positively recognizes those who “treat others the way you would like to be treated” and who make a difference in Arizona. By using the form below, you can nominate an Arizona resident as an Arizona Golden Rule Citizen! Please nominate people who practice the Golden Rule and my office will mail you an Arizona Golden Rule Citizen Certificate that you can present to the person whom you nominated.
Click here to read the Golden Rule Senate Concurrent Resolution Feel free to contact my office for more information. JANICE K. BREWER |
I found this hypocrisy on the Governor’s own website! I can safely assume ole Jan and Tom will not be getting a nomination anytime soon! If this theory of the golden rule is carried out they way it should be and she is treating people the way she wants to be treated then European History should be shut down. They both look vaguely European. Maybe they need to show some papers. WAIT WAIT WAIT…they are white. OBVIOUSLY AMERICAN!
That sounds ludicrous dosen’t it. Well, you gonna play hard ball…then play hard ball. I can’t believe I live in this country sometimes. I am ashamed of it on, what seems like, a growing number of fronts.
I never thought Mississippi would be more tolerant than another state esp. a western state. UNREAL!
Well Well Well…Tea baggers take note
..and this is the thanks they get on your tea bag websites...
Before you read this article please note WHO proposed the amendments and what how the vote turned out to pass these amendments…I think a lot of people in this country need to look behind the curtain.
Senate Ends Taxpayer-Funded Bank Bailouts
by: Patricia Murphy
The Senate made two significant changes to the Wall Street reform bill Wednesday, including a ban on using taxpayer money to salvage failing financial institutions.
The amendments followed a breakthrough in negotiations between Democratic and Republican leaders.
The first amendment came from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who proposed banning federal funds from being used to bail out large financial institutions. Boxer called her amendment “an ironclad assurance that if a failing Wall Street firm is liquidated, the cost of that liquidation must come either from selling off the firm’s assets or from assessments of big Wall Street firms.” The Senate passed it 96 to 1, with Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) objecting.
Next up was a joint amendment from Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) prescribing an orderly disposal of firms deemed “too big to fail.” Their measure would give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) the power to seize and liquidate large financial firms if their failure would pose a risk to the U.S. economy.
The last-minute compromise hammered out between Dodd and Shelby came after Republicans refused for days to go along with Dodd’s original idea. He proposed creating a $50 billion bailout fund, paid for by banks, to use in case liquidation of large firms becomes necessary. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a “permanent bailout fund,” while Maine Republican Susan Collins warned that institutions engaged in risky behavior would have a government safety net.
The Senate passed the Shelby-Dodd measure, 93 to 5.
The near-unanimous votes came after weeks of partisan bickering by senators in both parties, with each side accusing the other of working to help Wall Street at the expense of small businesses and taxpayers.
Republicans argued that under the Dodd plan, any business that extends credit to its customers could be subject to the measure’s regulations. On Tuesday, McConnell warned it would give the federal government regulatory authority over businesses that are not financial institutions. “It has an extraordinarily broad reach at the moment, that could go right down to an orthodontist in middle America providing credit for a family having their child’s teeth straightened,” McConnell said.
But Democrats maintained that it would apply only to firms that make extending credit a core business.
At a press conference Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid alleged that any Republican objection to the overall reform bill is meant to protect Wall Street.
“Republicans are having difficulty determining how they’re going to continue making love to Wall Street,” Reid said. “It’s obvious they don’t want to put any decent restrictions on what Wall Street has done or is doing.”
With two roll call votes down, and more than 90 amendments still pending, Dodd predicted Wednesday that debate on financial reform will last at least through the end of next week.
Fear and Clothing in Parenthood
OK, OK, OK, I will admit it. I am HORRIFIED about being a parent. Well, not really ABOUT being a parent, but about me being a parent. There are a few areas of parenting that are making my tummy grumble. My “later than usual” age is a concern, my apparent inability to maintain commitments, and my complete mental disconnect on the sizing of baby clothes are concerns that make my supper haunt me in the night.
Commitment
“Parenting is a life long commitment.” Those words are in every “NEW PARENT” book I have read. I think the parenting illuminati want that fact to sink in real good so you don’t forget it. MESSAGE RECEIVED! Since I have realized that this child will be a permanent facet of my life, some things have began to resurface. Notably my past failures at honoring commitments. Those that know me, or those that will openly admit in public to knowing me, would know that commitments are something that I have not been the best at keeping. Let me elaborate a touch. I can’t keep two socks together for more than a week. I have to leave myself notes to feed my fish. In 1992, I told my mom that I would help her weed a flower bed. Hasn’t happened…I hope she forgot. I signed up for inter mural ultimate frisbee so my friends could actually field 11 players (I was #11)…I completely forgot, never went to one practice and have always wondered why those guys were suck dickheads that semester.
Now I will have a child. I can’t forget to feed her. I can’t forget to bathe her. I can’t forget where she is. I can’t forget that she can’t tell me what is wrong (at least for a while). I can’t forget that this commitment is not something that I can casually forget when a motorcycle rides by and my brain has a mini-I WANT THAT-seizure. FINANCIAL ADVICE OF THE DAY *** BUY POST-IT NOTE STOCK *** I am going to need a lot of those little yellow pads.
Age Fears
This is what I am REALLY afraid of. This hypothetical example of a picture of my daughter and I in the upcoming years. I am currently 34 years old. Macy and I will have a LARGE generation gap between us. You think I am blowing it out of proportion? For those mathematically challenged here is a cheat sheet for ya. Lets look at exactly how bad its gonna be.
Macy’s Age My Age My Situation
o 34 All is under control
10 44 1st knee replacement
20 54 3rd knee replacement
30 64 Looking for my teeth
40 74 Yelling at “kids” on the lawn
50 84 (I can’t think this far ahead)
Ya get it now? I am going to be an out of touch codger when she is 18-30. OMG I need to hire a large orangutan to follow her around and assault anyone who approaches her during my declining years.
ANYONE KNOW A GOOD PRIMATE ADOPTION AGENCY?
Understanding Baby Clothes
FYI future dads: Children’s clothes are not sized like everything else. S, M, L, XL, and XXL do not apply to children’s clothes. You need to take a class on this. I am not even kidding! For starters memorize this:
| Age/Size | Weight | Length | Bootie/Shoe Size | Sock Size |
| Newborn | Up to 7 lbs | Up to 17″ | N/A | N/A |
| Up to 3 Months | 7-12 lbs | 17-23″ | 3 | Up to 6 Months |
| 3-6 Months | 12-17 lbs | 23-27″ | 4 | Up to 6 Months |
| 6-12 Months | 17-22 lbs | 27-29″ | 5 | 6-12 Months |
| 12-18 Months | 22-27 lbs | 29-31″ | 6 | 12-24 Months |
| 18-24 Months | 27-30 lbs | 31-33″ | 7 | 12-24 Months |
That chart will get you through the start but the Toddler Years have a system all to themselves. Here are some lines from other websites that are supposed to help decode this mess:
“Up until the age of 24 months, if an item
is labeled “12 months” or “18 months” without an age range, translate it to mean “9-12” or “12–18” months. A size chart is
always more accurate than an
age range in determining the best fit for your child, but when there is no size chart, or even an age range, always select one size up from your child’s current age.”
Did you get that tip? Easy to understand huh? Here is another nugget of wisdom (* I DID NOT MAKE THIS UP):
The overlap between Toddler (2T, 3T, 4T, 5T) and Child (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Does this fit?
sizes is a little confusing, particularly because different brands have different criteria for distinguishing between the two size types:
– Some Toddler sizes are roomier in the bottom to accommodate diapers
– Some Child sizes are narrower and longer (Size charts will indicate this by showing a similar weight range but larger height range than the corresponding Toddler size)
– Some Child sizes are the exact same size as their Toddler counterparts, but have a different cut and style
SEE!! There is no consistent measure for baby’s clothes. OMG, I am sooo screwed!
If you don’t believe me by now…Here is one last thought taken from a well respected parenting website.
“Buying baby clothes is a lot like playing the lottery; you hedge your bets on a number, and hope it’s the right one.”
Thank god my wife is smart.
Some light reading for Monday
“Religion” is a personal and largely subjective topic for any debate, even for rational people. The raw emotion that comes out is sometimes painful to experience first hand and very difficult watch when it comes from another person whose deep rooted emotions and beliefs are pressed and questioned-even in a non-judgmental manner.
We all have seen friendships tarnished as the result of some religious line of questioning. So, as you might imagine, I refrain from religious debates, discussions, or religious meetings with people I know as a general rule. I think it is better to leave religion to the faithful and, as long as their religion does not interfere with my family or me, live and let live.
That being said, I completely believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs-EVEN if I completely disagree or can’t possible understand that belief. I also think that it is your responsibility to validate your OWN opinion regarding your chosen religion by looking at the history, foundations, and tenants of your chosen religion and evaluating those criteria versus your emotional attachment to that religion.
As I typed that last sentence, I realized that if every single person of every religion actually did that, the religions would change almost overnight. If every person really sat down and looked at what their church, denomination, synagogue, strip mall Christian life center, mega church really stood for, donated money to, campaigned for, socially supported, and politically backed I think many sets of eyes would be opened.
Growing up I was reared in a southern baptist church. It was small and traditionally styled. I remember my family in uncomfortable pews, old gospel hymns, mini-saltine crackers, and grape juice in shot glasses for communion on special occasions. Those things make me smile when I remember them. However, There was something else there every Sunday morning. A reminder that if I did not walk the walk and talk the talk like a good Christian should – I was going to Hell. It was made clear to me that this was not a debatable issue. In my young sponge like brain I KNEW that the man quasi-yelling at me in a fervent tone truly believed that I was a damned soul- If I didn’t change my 5 year old ways.
I admit that back then I was too young to understand his point or motivation for scaring people or what was really going on but, I did know some very definite, real things in those early days. Some were:
1) I had the chance to go to Hell or Heaven and God will judge me when I die.
2) If I, a 5 year old, didn’t change my ways, Hell awaited.
3) This man is scaring me.
4) What this man is saying MUST be true because my grandmother, grandfather, parents, aunts, cousins and 50 other people are nodding their heads in agreement with everything this man says.
From early on, I was being shown, by those that feed me and care for me, that what was going on in this church is “right” and “the way it is” because the loud scary man is telling the truth. As I have aged, I believe exposure to different things is vital to become truly intelligent and forming your OWN opinions. Sadly, the opposite is also true and an easier row to hoe. To avoid things because you don’t know anything about them, demonizing opposite schools of thought, or simply doing what you are told and following along limits your ability to grow as a person. I truly believe that. I once heard an intelligent, college educated man say, “I am a Republican because my dad was a Republican.” (NO POLITICAL COMMENT HERE) I think the same thinking goes for religion. Not researching YOUR own beliefs and weighing them against how you feel about the world around you is denying your ability to reason and preventing self determination and that, in my humble opinion, is a waste of a life.
I am not advocating going out and attempting to disprove every religion in the world. I am not saying that there is no truth in organized religion. I am not saying that there aren’t good people doing good work in the name of religions around the world. I am not claiming that religions are corrupt or misleading people.
I am saying that you, as an intelligent person, need to be open to all information and facts and constantly reevaluate your positions and beliefs on EVERYTHING, even religion. If you do not open yourself up to new information and different points of view you will become sedate and stagnant in your intellectual development in regard to whatever issue you choose to put your head in the sand about.
If you are a Christian, know why YOU are a Christian. If you are a Buddhist, know why YOU are a Buddhist. If you are Jewish, know why YOU are Jewish. If you are an atheist, know WHY you are an atheist. YOU are all that matters in the arena of your life. It is your responsibility to learn from those around you, take information from everywhere, research the writings of people you agree with and disagree with, but in the end decide for yourself what you believe and believe in.
It is truly the most important decision YOU can make for yourself.
Obtuse View Store Now Open!
Now you can show your support for Obtuse View.
Wanna be famous?
Wanna be seen by thousands of people?
Here’s how:
1) Navigate to Obtuse View Swag Shop
2) Purchase the item(s) of your choice
3) Take a photo of yourself using /wearing your kickin’ item (be creative!)
4) Email it to obtuse.view@yahoo.com and I will post it on the site
5) Contact an entertainment lawyer/agent to handle your upcoming appearances
It’s that easy…do it.
Fame Awaits.
Unreal…flippin unreal
If I were able to write more I would. I’m mobile and now upset. If this dosen’t convince you that the Republican party DOES NOT have your best interest at heart as a middle class citizen. Then you get what this crappy Congressional divide yields. People are dumb. Read and learn.
A Parenting Quiz Yields Unintended Answers
In my ongoing quest to learn everything there is to know about becoming a parent (I know it is a futile gesture, but it makes me THINK I am being productive.) I decided to take a parenting quiz.
I figured that testing my newly acquired parenting knowledge could give me some feedback as to my “readiness” for this part of my life. As I read the some of the questions and the answer choices I noticed something…one or more of the answers is complete child abuse – either mental or physical or both. You don’t believe me? Look at this question:
| 5. It’s a Saturday and you’re going out with your little boy. You watch from a bench as he runs up and down the slide and plays with his friends. Then you watch him walk up to a man sitting on the bench across from you. |
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| *Run after him and give your son a re-run of the “Don’t talk to strangers” lecture. |
| *Watch cautiously and wait until your son has stopped talking to him and continues playing. There are many people around. He wouldn’t do anything right? |
| *Walk casually up to your son and ask him a question or divert his attention (tell him that you are going to take him out for icecream or challenge him to go on the big slide, etc.) so that he would walk away from the stranger and sit down and talk to him about the safety rules that come into play whenever we go out. |
| *Walk up to him quickly and hold him by the ear as you drag him away, then yell at him, take him home, and promise never to take him anywhere ever again because he is stupid and he never listens. |
Please note answer #4. Here is the summary: Drag him by the ear while yelling ,because you just reduced his ability to hear by 1/2 by destroying the ear you are pulling on, at him about how stupid he is.
Does this really happen so much that it is a viable answer choice? This pattern was repeated over and over in the quiz allowing you to resort to violence and child abuse OR suffer a mental breakdown for yourself. Want an example? Here ya go…
| 13. Today, after school, you went to your child’s school to pick him up. You showed up a bit early, so you are just watching the class as they are packing up their things and getting ready to go home. On the side, you can see your son and two of his friends playing with one of the class toys, a green dinosaur, and then you see that your son has pushed one of the other boys to the ground and took the toy from him. What would you do? |
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| *Hold him by the ear and yell at him until you reach the car. |
| *Ask him why he did it, and explain that there is no good reason to hit anyone. Then make him apologize. |
| *Make him apologize and tell him that he is grounded and he cannot play any of his games for a week. |
| *Hit your head against the wall and cry because the world is ending. |
This question dosen’t LIMIT you to auditory canal child abuse (#1) it allows you to have the choice of a mental breakdown(#4). How thoughtful. I am sure that the kid in question appreciates that consideration.
I WANT to believe that these horrible choices are meant to be so SHOCKING that the quiz taker will never pick them and maybe remember this quiz when the impulse to destroy the child ear leaps into their mind when the “good china” gets broken. However, I can’t help believe there are parents who resort to violence when a child disobeys, smarts off, or commits any infraction what so ever.
OK, I admit I know some parents that do leap to physical punishment over a more communicative and less painful method of compliance assurance. Admit it, you know them to, maybe not the same people, but the same type of people. I think they are lazy parents and need to be more concerned with the development of the child rather than the 10 minutes of silence the physical abuse yields them or they want to be OBEYED that they will make sure that happens at any cost.
I have never SAID anything to any of them when they “disciplined” their child in front of me because:
1) I had no kids of my own.
2) I don’t know what’s led up to this instance.
None the less, I knew that exchange between parent and child was wrong and I am positive my face reflected that. Yet, I have never said anything. So, I apologize to all the kids who have been disciplined in front of me in an inappropriate manner. My silence is inexcusable. I am typing this apology because I know you couldn’t hear me…due to the ear pulling and yelling.
I am going to try to not ever do anything to my child that hinders trust, fosters fear, or causes them physical pain in any way. I know that people’s definition of abuse, discipline, corporal punishment differ. However, I think that most impartial observers can tell when it goes too far.
Parenting is going to be hard but not hard on my kid.
Anyone got any bows, glitter, or pink tutus?
For the Record: I would not have picked this outfit.
The doctor has confirmed it. We are having a girl. I will pause now for your applause. (((PAUSE)))
Thank you.
My wife would like to make her official statement regarding this news:
“PHEW!!! I am glad it is a girl, but a healthy boy would be ok too. WOO HOO…ITS A GIRL!” Read the rest of this entry
sometimes right - sometimes not - always correct 
