50 Billion More

GWB wants 50 billion more dollars to fund the "surge" in Iraq. Fifty Billion. Fifty Billion. Fifty Billion more! I don't even know how much we have spent in Iraq, but this site can tell me to the second. Are we any safer here at home because of this? I don't think so. I wonder how much better things could be here at home if this money was spent here. During the past few years national school test scores have gone down, more Americans are without healthcare than ever before, people still without homes two years after Katrina. Anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

Lottery Fever

Holy Moly - Mega Millions is estimated to be at about 325 Million Dollars on Saturday. Nobody won last night, so big money on Saturday. The odds of winning? Not really very good, but that does not stop anyone from buying at least a ticket or two. I will admit to buying some, I will admit to wanting to win, I will admit to day-dreaming about what would happen if I won. Well, if WE won - that would be my beloved and I. How life could change for us and everyone we care about. So I'll buy some tickets and I'll dream the dream. I will participate in the tax on the stupid, you just never know.

580 Thoughts

Since I spend so much time on 580, I thought I would just share some of my wonderings while driving. Yes, I probably should be paying way more attention while driving, but my mind seems to have a mind of its own. Today I will talk about trash. If you spend enough time on the highways you will see just about anything on the side of the road, in the middle of the road and sometimes right in front of you. Over the past few days I have seen:

One shoe. How does one lose one shoe on the highway?
Two big trash cans. Sitting on the side of the road, like someone had taken the trash out and just left them sitting there.
Three hubcaps - very shiney.

OK, this is starting to sound like a song, so I will stop with the list and just ask these questions. Do you not notice the mattress that just flew off the top of your car? Or did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe you should tie down those big plastic kid toys in the back of your truck before you get on the highway? Hey, maybe it was not such a bright idea to put the gas grill in the back of the pickup. When you get to the other end of your journey, do you get out of the car and wonder where the mattress went? Do you feel stupid when the kids are crying cause you lost their play structures on the way to grandmas? Do you wonder what you are going to have for dinner cause you lost the grill on the way to the party?

Hmmm....

The ride home

I followed Jesus home last night. While on my way home a big white van came onto the highway and all over it was written Jesus is coming. And there he was right in my rear view mirror! How about that. The van also had things like:

Save yourself - Find Jesus
Do not spend eternity in Hell, it is unbearable, it is uncomfortable, it is too strong!
Stop the sin - Praise Jesus

Then the van passed me and I thought - Well, there goes Jesus.

Hmm...

I wonder about people sometimes. You read every day of a child disappearing, never to be seen again. I read all the time of things you need to do to protect your children. I was behind a car yesterday that made me think about how easy some people make it to know too much about them.

The car had those little family stickers on the rear window, you know the dad, the mom and then a little stick figure for each child. This one had a dad named Tim, a mom named Kelly, one boy named Eli and a baby named Brian. How do I know this? Their names were written under their sticks. On the rear window was also a sticker in memory of the worlds best mom, her name was on there as well, but I don't remember it. The license plate said missnu

It crossed my mind that if I was a predator, I could follow this woman for probably not too long and find out where she lived, where her children went to school or child care, where or if she worked. At this point I know enough about her schedule and her life to approach one of her children call them by name, tell them I knew your grandmother or I'm a friend of your dad, Tim or any number of combinations to get close enough to snatch them.

I am very sad about this post. I am not sure what makes me sadder, the fact that I actually thought about this or the fact that parents have to worry so much about stuff like this or the fact that some people don't seem to think enough about it.

Healthcare in America

Now this is a sad story. Why is it that in the "richest" country in the world healthcare is not available to everyone. I know I have blogged on this subject before, but it just really amazes me that people are making choices like this, here in America! It may very well be that there is a lot more behind this story than first meets the eye, but if this what things come down too....

Inspiration comes from strange places

Inspired by a blog - what kind of blog can it be? Check out my new friend Ryan, he is very inspiring. Those that read this blog that actually know me, know that I have struggled with my weight for my entire life. I was a skinny kid, a chubby teenager and I just kept getting bigger until I hit my late 30's. Then I became 40, fit and fabulous. Three hour a day work outs, giving up food and just general nuts got me to less than a size 0. At that point in my life, my self esteem was a little too low to be less than a zero, so I did come back up to a size 4. I maintained that for a few years. Well, I have stopped exercising, let food back into my life and now my size is well, we won't mention that. But Ryan has given me the desire to commit myself to losing weight. I have decided to commit to 1-2 pounds a week for the next year and to exercise at least 30 minutes a day three times a week. I may not post my measurements or weight on my blog, but I will let you know how it is going from time to time. I am saying this out loud so that perhaps I may inspire others to join me.