Blogging is for Boyz?

Earthquake?!?!?!?!

2006-12-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

So sometime between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m., our house shook, as if a car had crashed into it or something. So The Hippy and I stepped outside, and all of our neighbors were out, having felt the same thing. Being near an air force base and within fairly close proximity of the airport, we were immediately concerned that perhaps a plane had crashed. But we didn't really see anything that would indicate a plane crash.

I personally was a little freaked out, because that's how everyone describes the feeling they had the morning of the Oklahoma City bombing - a feeling of an impact.

However, now the Oklahoma Geological Survey is telling us that it was an earthquake: 2.6 magnitude. While I know Oklahoma is on a fault line, earthquakes are very rare here.

I must say, it wasn't at all what I expected an earthquake to feel like. I thought that earthquakes rolled or rumbled. This lasted less than a second and felt like an impact.

So my nerdy friends and I are still holding out hope that it might have been a UFO crash!!! LOL

~The Hippy's Wife 8-0

My New Job

2006-10-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, first off, I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted... but I've been busy. Election season and all. Plus I changed jobs and that has made things just that much more hectic. Now that things have calmed down A BIT (won't be really calm until after Nov. 7, but then the holidays come... so it won't ever be REALLY calm LOL), I wanted to share about my new job.

I LOVE MY NEW JOB!!!! My boss is awesome, my co-workers are easy to work with (if a bit on the churchy side), and I still get to do everything I love.

I thank God (or Goddess or the universe or whatever's out there) that I have this awesome opportunity. Not many people get to do something that truly makes them happy in an environment that is pleasant. On top of that, the pay is good and I have benefits. I can't think of a better situation for me.

Things have been so fantastic this year!!! I can only hope that life continues to be good to me and The Hippy.

I hope everyone else is having a good year!

~The Hippy's Wife

Minimum wage

2006-06-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the Senate has rejected the bill to raise minimum wage. Read the (short) story here.

Here's MY proposal for minimum wage:

All Senators' and Representatives' should be indexed to minimum wage. Clearly they need to make more than minimum wage, but it should be in some way directly proportionate to minimum wage. And if the minimum wage isn't increased... then THEIR pay isn't increased.

Ted Kennedy is right. The Republicans just don't get it. I'd like to see the Congressmen (and women) who voted against this work minimum wage for 30 Days. They wouldn't last... I'm sure of it.

GET OFF YOUR ELITIST HIGH HORSES AND UUNDERSTAND THE PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN WORKER!!!!

Sure, they cite France and Germany for examples of countries with high minimum wages but also high unemployment, but Democrats seem to get their heads taken off when we say "Look at Europe, look at Canada, they all have universal health care!!" That's one of the huge problems with minimum wage jobs - they don't offer health insurance or if it IS offered, it takes too much of their paycheck. Now, really, if you're making around $10,000 a year, can you REALLY afford to spend $1,200 or more (very likely more) per year for health insurance? Probably NOT! So then when you get sick or injured you have to go the emergency room. And can you afford that bill? Hell no. So your cost gets passed on in the form of higher insurance premiums (guaranteeing that even more won't be able to afford it), higher emergency room costs and high hospital costs. So tell me, is this system REALLY sustainable? Maybe for the rich and upper class... but the (quickly shrinking) middle class and lower class are suffering. Of course, the fuckin' elitist bastards don't care though!!

So here's my other proposal:

If you REFUSE to raise the minimum wage, institute UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. As I demonstrated above, we're paying for the health care of the poor already. So why not just provide a BETTER and CHEAPER alternative?!

I'm getting REALLY fucking sick of these elitist assholes in Congress. LET'S VOTE THEM OUT IN NOVEMBER!!!!!!

~The Hippy's Wife :)

P.S. Check out this story by Lou Dobbs... not often that I agree with the man, but he's absolutely right on this one!

Get over it...

2006-05-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

People need to calm down and realize that The Da Vinci Code is FICTION!!!!! No one ever claimed it was truth, and no one ever asked for anyone to truly believe any of its premises.

Instead, in this era of moral outrage over the STUPIDEST of things, we have people losing their fricking minds because this novel-turned-movie isn't TRUE!!

Shock and horror!! Surely movies that have religious settings can't be completely made up, right? I mean, good Lord, did everyone who saw Michael flip their wigs over a smoking, cursing, philandering angel? Do religious people who watch any of the Indian Jones movies freak out over the depictions of the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail? NO!!! Because they realize that these movies are FICTIONS!!!!!

Just because a movie uses foundational principles lifted from the Bible, doesn't mean it is fact. And VERY FEW people are stupid enough to believe whatever they see in movies. These people who are afraid of this movie's effect on people's faith, must not have very much faith in their message itself. If the message of Christianity is SOOOO compelling, there should be NO WORRIES whatsoever over someone losing their faith from a ridiculous MOVIE!!!

So get over it... Let's get some popcorn and watch!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Net Neutrality

2006-05-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't yet been informed about the issues of Network Neutrality, check out these FAQs.

Do you trust your Internet Service Provider to make decisions for you regarding the content of the webpages you view? Do you trust that they will allow for a free market of ideas?

If given the opportunity, ISPs will clearly act in their own financial interests, not in the interests of free speech or free choice.

Please support net neutrality today!!

(Also, check out the "Ask a Ninja" clip on Net Neutrality. Very funny!)

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Ambien blackouts

2006-05-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Perhaps Rep. Patrick Kennedy should wait before saying he has a problem. If he truly has a problem that's one thing. But if he truly doesn't remember anything as he says, it's possible he may be experiencing Ambien blackouts. There is a lot of debate right now about exactly what Ambien users are able to do while they sleep. But it seems that they can perform some very complex and sometimes dangerous tasks without even realizing it.

So, Rep. Kennedy might have been jumping the gun and blaming himself, when the sleep aide may be the problem.

- The Hippy's Wife :)

Goodbye kitty....

2006-05-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

We had to put our cat, Noam Chomsky (The Hippy picked his name, go figure!), to sleep today. He got a urinary tract infection that shut down his kidneys.

We're very sad.

- The Hippy's Wife :(

So long and thanks for all the fish...

2006-05-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I wonder if this is a warning?!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Unluckiest guy at least of the week...

2006-04-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Goddamn, it must have sucked to be this guy.

He just can't seem to catch a break. My condolences to the family; it's just sad.

-The Hippy's Wife

The great shining example of America...

2006-04-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

After reading this, I'm completely flabbergasted.

How can you encourage the leader of another country to support human rights and allow for dissent and then turn around and PROSECUTE a dissenter?

Clearly, this "man of faith" has never read Matthew 7:4-5 - How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

I'm not one for religion, but I think that most of what Jesus had to teach is pretty important. And Christ's contempt for hypocrisy ranked pretty high on his list of issues. We should NOT be criminally charging this woman!

Hell, Bush shouldn't have even apologized for the heckler?

After all, this is a country where we are supposed to have a marketplace of ideas. Freedom of speech means dealing with hecklers. And China's atrocious human rights record is deserving of heckling. I think this president has been inside a bubble where he is insulated from criticism for FAR TOO LONG!! "Free speech zones" and cherry-picked audiences have given him an expectation that neither he nor the Chinese president should be forced to "deal" with dissent.

Mr. President, I'd like to remind you that it is the FREEDOM to heckle that makes America great. So don't apologize for a heckler; instead celebrate the wonderful freedom the citizens of this country should be able to enjoy! And if the Chinese president has a problem with that, well that's too bad.

- The Hippy's Wife :)

My birthday!

2006-04-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Michelle!

Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a fairly good day. Nothing really extraordinary, but a generally nice day.

The Hippy got me a new digital camera; one that's small and portable. Our other camera is a really great camera and takes VERY high quality digital shots, but it's kind of bulky and hard to carry around. This new one is small enough to go in my purse or pocket, so that's cool.

Looking forward to the weekend now. We have lots of plans, and I hope they all work out well.

-The Hippy's Wife :D

The Flaming Lips again...

2006-04-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Okay... so I don't keep up with what new albums are coming out. Most of the time I just notice that something new is out, and I pick it up (or these days download it from Yahoo! Music Unlimited). But the Hippy does keep up with those kinds of things, and so he knew that the Flaming Lips were coming out with a new album today, and he went and picked it up.

I'm listening to it as I blog this, and I have to say ... it's AMAZING!!! If you're a Flaming Lips fan or liked their last couple of albums at all, you're going to LOVE this album. I was especially excited to hear it when I read this story.

I'm SOOOO pissed I didn't talk to Wayne Coyne when I saw him in the mall the other day (see March 27 post). But now, if I see him again, I'm going to immediately run up and compliment him on being a sick, mad genius when it comes to creating music. He's not the best singer in the world, but his music is AMAZING!!!! I'm so happy that we saw them in concert, I think it was three years ago. And we are DEFINITELY seeing them next time they're in town.

So Wayne Coyne... you rock my world!!!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

What's up with the hats?

2006-03-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

What's up with Abramoff and the hats?

Look at the pictures with the story. This time it's a baseball cap ... with what appears to be the name of a casino embroidered on it (at least that's what I've read on a couple of other blogs). Now isn't that fantastic courtroom attire?

Dude, WTF?

-The Hippy's Wife :)

For any fans of The Flaming Lips

2006-03-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

So the Hippy and I were in Penn Square mall on Saturday, and we stopped into Hot Topic, which some people might say isn't very punk rock.

But while we were there, we noticed that Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips was there, which we thought was VERY punk rock.

It was cool to see him there, and we wished we had one of their CDs with us for him to sign. However, since we didn't, we decided not to be one of "those people," and we didn't pester him. I'm tempted to keep one of their CDs with me at all times, just in case we see him out and about again!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

That's just wrong....

2006-03-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know that I'm probably going to hell for this, but I just couldn't help but chuckle when I read this.

Now, I'm not laughing at the death itself, just the twisted, ironic way it happened. Does anyone else see the humor, or am I just evil?

-The Hippy's Wife

From the Mixed-up Files of George W. Bush...

2006-02-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

Can't quite keep their story straight on energy reform, can they?

It certainly doesn't surprise me.

You mean Geroge W. Bush, slave to the Oil Co. special interests, might not REALLY want to seek out energy alternatives? He might actually have lied in the State of the Union? No, surely not!!! Shock and horror! Something new and different for this administration!

-The Hippy's Wife :p

Let's not be confused...

2006-02-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

There are war protesters and then there's THIS ASSHOLE!

Reverend Fred Phelps has long been associated with his protests at the funerals of gays and lesbians and AIDS victims. Of late, he has turned his sights on U.S. soldiers, saying they deserved to die because they are fighting for a country that harbors homosexuals.

Now if ANYONE hates America, it's these ASSHOLES. And let's not be confused here. MOST war protesters, including myself, stand behind our troops ABSOLUTELY. We believe our reasons for going to war were wrong, and we'd like to bring our young men home and out of harms way. People like me find Phelps and his bunch JUST as distasteful as the "Support Our Troops" crowds. I fully support the counter-protesters from the story and think they are doing something truly worthy. I'm glad someone is there to let these families know that their loved ones are supported. I actually support restrictions of protests within a certain radius and time from a funeral, as valid time, place and manner restrictions. NO ONE, be they a member of a soldier's family or someone like Matthew Shepherd's family, should have to go to the funeral of their loved one and put up with the distasteful shit from Phelps' crowd in their moment of grief.

SO PLEASE STOP LUMPING US TOGETHER!!! Most of us think Fred Phelps is one sick puppy, and we ARE NOT the same crowd. In fact, these are the religious fucking nut-balls FROM THE RIGHT that I'm always complaining about! They just won't stop trying to spill their religion on everyone else!

To those of you on the right: I LOVE America, so much so that I don't want to see our young men continue to die in Iraq. I want us to find a reasonable way OUT of Iraq. It's THOSE ASSHOLES that hate America... if anyone does (I hate to make that accusation, because I can't know their hearts, even if the evidence seems clear.)

-The Hippy's Wife :)

NBC needs to grow a spine...

2006-02-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

NBC has caved once again to the pressures of right-wing Christian advocacy group.

This is the same advocacy group that got "The Book of Daniel" cancelled.

NBC really just needs to tell these people to shove it up their asses. If you don't like the content of a particular show, DON'T FUCKING WATCH IT!!! There's no need to boycott a whole network or try and get a show pulled that the rest of the viewers might enjoy watching. Just don't watch.

Here, I'll give you an example of how to do this:

Recently, I've been more and more disturbed about the glorification of EXTREMELY violent crimes on shows such as CSI, Law & Order (especially SVU), and other crime dramas. I mean personally, I don't think the brutal rape and murder of someone (particularly a child) is really great fodder for primetime entertainment. I understand that it's about catching the perpetrator of the act, but I still don't like seeing the details of such crimes. (As a side note, some prosecutors have complained that these shows are hurting their trials of actual criminals because many jury members now have an expectation of airtight cases or definitive evidence like they see on TV, and unfortunately, most cases aren't that cut and dry.) Now, do I call for a boycott of these networks? NO!!! Do I call for the cancelling of the show? No! I realize there are some people who enjoy them. I simply DON'T WATCH!!! Instead of threatening a boycott of the entire network, I don't watch a particular show, and if enough people agree with me, the ratings will go down and the show will be cancelled for that reason. If not, LIFE GOES ON!!!!

And this latest thing is just a ridiculous overreaction! First of all, it's on Will & Grace, and if these people are in the mold of most right-wing religious nuts, I doubt they watch the show to begin with because it has *sarcastic gasp* gay characters. Second, they're reacting to what NBC officials now say is not even accurate information. I mean, if you're going to freak out about something that's supposedly on an up-coming episode of a show, one would hope you'd be right about that something. Finally, even if it WERE true, people need a better sense of humor. Excuse me, but I think God is big enough to withstand a few playful jibes. Otherwise, what kind of God is he/she/it?

-The Hippy's Wife:)

State of the Union

2006-01-31T18:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I think The Shrub reverted to his college days in parts of the State of the Union - when all else fails, cheat off the smart kid (in this case the Dems!!!).

How often have we said that we need health care that's available for ALL Americans and that we're too dependent on oil and need to find other energy sources? I mean, damn, is it that hard to come up with your own good ideas?

But like most cheaters, he doesn't really get it, so the general concept is right, but he bastardizes most of the real meat of the idea.

Other than the few things that seemed right off the Dem page, to me, the rest of the speech was more of the same: fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here (like fighting in Iraq stops 10 guys from strapping on bombs somewhere here), NUKE-U-LAR (God, I wish he'd learn to say that word correctly!), culture of life (this from the guy who has NO concerns over innocent people on death row or poor people in New Orleans), blah, blah, blah!

Also, is it just the size of our TV and being used to HD programming or was the camera out of focus on most of the wide shots?

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Two Weeks

2006-01-30T10:31:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm beginning my third week at this job, I'm more confident than ever that I will like this job.

The great thing is, so far things have pretty much been as I expected. Unlike some new lawyers, I didn't come into this thinking it would be like "The Practice" or a John Grisham novel (nor did I want it to be). I had an interest in property, estate planning, and probate law because they were the furthest thing from those courtroom dramas. They are very transactional in nature, requiring very little court time.

Now of course, I'll go to court from time to time. But most of the time, it will be to file probate or something relatively easy. But in general, I won't be arguing cases much. It's just not the nature of this area of law.

I guess I'd do okay if I had gotten a job that required a lot of court time, but I'm really happy that this worked out!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

TGIF

2006-01-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

So after my first week of work, I just have to say... Whew!!! I am drained. But I have to say, everything about my first week is promising. I like the people and the office and, so far, I'm really enjoying the work. I'm getting to see a lot of variety in my work and I feel like I'm doing real work... stuff that's important and is teaching me how to really be an attorney.

I'm also pretty excited because my boss is being really encouraging about my idea for bringing in clients - doing life planning for the GLBT community. Stories like this or this (just in case the other link doesn't work, but it's the same story), it really shows what can happen to a GLBT couple without the proper planning. My boss thinks it's a great area of law that isn't tapped into very often in this community and thinks I should really try to help with some of the estate planning and health care directive type issues. This is something I think is important, and I'm really glad he's supportive of the idea.

Anyway, first week went well!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

First Day

2006-01-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of my new job! Right now, I'm sitting in my office, killing a little time until the computer guy gets here to set up my software. I'm pretty excited about all of this. I think this is going to be a great job and a great place to work.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

WOO HOOO!!!!!

2006-01-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

I am now officially employed. The second interview went really well! We went over more specifically what the job would entail, and he asked if that sounded like something I'd want to do. I, of course, said yes. Then, we went over salary and benefits, and he asked if that sounded good. I said it sounded very reasonable. Then, he told me to take the weekend to talk about it with my husband, and I said I didn't need the weekend and that if he was offering the job to me, the answer was yes. So he took me around the office and showed me where I would be working and gave me a starting date. So I now can relax because I'm not going to have to go into bankruptcy (ha ha!).

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Second Interview

2006-01-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

I have a second interview with the firm from my December 27 post! It's tomorrow afternoon. He has also asked for references. I can only think that this is a good sign. I want this job SOOOO MUCH! It's doing exactly what I want to do, I like the guy I would be working for, and the salary is pretty good. I can't imagine a better opportunity!

-The Hippy's Wife :D

Happy New Year!

2006-01-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

With 2005 being the year of horrible natural disasters, an on-going war in Iraq, terrorist attacks and threats, and frightening government scandals, I have to hope that 2006 will be better.

Life was full of ups and downs for us last year. From me graduating law school and passing the bar to The Hippy being downsized and me being unable to find a job, we felt a bit like we were on a roller coaster ride.

But enough "Debbie Downer" talk! I'm very enthusiastic about 2006! I'm pretty sure I should be able to get a law job relatively soon. The Hippy is enjoying his new job (which he got three weeks ago). If we both have jobs, we're hoping to join the YMCA and start slimming down. And if we can reach a financial plateau and our weight goals, we may very well start trying to have a baby by the end of the year. This year holds great promise for us!

I hope all my readers (all 4 of you, ha ha!) have a wonderful new year!

- The Hippy's Wife :)

Text messaging is killing English!

2006-01-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

It's frightening what's happening to the English language. I had kids in the class in which I was subbing that were writing in the most appalling fashion. Instead of "because," these kids would write "cuz." And even when I asked them to spell it out, they would write "cause," 'cause they didn't even realize that "cause" and "because" are two completely separate words.

They would also use 2 and 4 in place of to, too, two, for, and four. They ended plural words with z instead of s. And they spelled "they" T-H-A-Y. At some level, you have to wonder what's wrong with these kids.

I asked at one point I said, "Okay guys, review: what's a verb?" To which they responded, "Person, place, or thing?" I wanted to say, "Jeez, you guys clearly don't even pay attention when you watch TV." I mean, how can they have missed the whole "Verb - It's what you do!" ad campaign. I mean, WTF? These are seventh- and eighth-graders. The eighth-grade students have to take exams at the end of the year, and I can't imagine how half my students will pass the English portion. They have to do a written test as well. Some of them can't even string a few words into a complete sentence, and then a few sentences into a paragraph.

I know a lot of people want to blame teachers, but I don't think that's the whole enchilada. Of course, teachers have some responsibilities, but as I've outlined in a previous post, some parents can really screw up their children's opportunities. The kids themselves also hold some responsibility, because they are reaching an age when they should be starting to take charge of their own educations. Of course, most of them are too immature and their parents expect nothing more out of them. Children will rise to the level of our expectations. Expect better and they'll do better.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Interview

2005-12-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

I'm interviewing with an estate planning and real estate firm on Friday. I'm REALLY excited. I want this job SOOOOO bad. It's exactly what I want to do. I feel like I've been holding out for just this type of job. I hope I can communicate this effectively in the interview without looking desperate. If he offers me the job, I will likely take it, no matter what the salary!

- The Hippy's Wife :)

More thoughts on subbing...

2005-12-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Parents can either make or break a child's education in so many ways. There is a whole spectrum of parental involvement in the school system, and in my short time as a substitute teacher, I got to see the results of them all.

1. The completely uncaring parent: This is the parent who is not involved at all in their child's educational process. The children of these parents don't have to worry about a parent yelling at them for bad grades, because their parents just don't care what their doing in school, as long as they're not getting calls from the school. These parents seem annoyed when you call them about child behavior problems. The kids never do any better because they are not expected to do so.

2. The overly-concerned parent: This is the parent who e-mails or calls their child's teachers every week to check up on their kid and make sure s/he is doing everything they're supposed to do and remembering to turn things in. Now, an involved parent is important, but this type of parent creates two problems: 1 - they drive their kid's teachers completely insane with mundane CRAP and 2 - they do their children a GRAVE disservice by not allowing them to learn to remember their responsibilities on their own.

3. The undermining parent: This parent seems to want to crap all over the teacher, particularly in front the child, severely undermining the teacher's ability to have ANY authority over their child. They question the teachers and principals at every turn, for every reason. They have no idea how hard teachers work and treat them as babysitters. These parents communicate to their children that teachers do not need or deserve respect and thus take away any control a teacher may have over them in class. Teachers deserve respect and need to be able to command authority over their class in order to maintain a good learning environment for all the students.

4. The nightmare parent: This parent takes being undermining to new heights. They threaten lawsuits at every turn, stick up for their kid's inappropriate (and sometimes violent) behavior, teach their children that retribution is the best way to handle a conflict, and allow their children to be holy terrors. I cannot express how frustrating it is to have this type of parent taking up time and effort from actual instruction.

5. The overly-strict parent: This is the parent who is not satisfied with any of their children's efforts. They put so much pressure on their children that their children can't help but feel completely suffocated. High expectations can be important, but sometimes it can get out of hand. I don't like to get the feeling that if I'm calling about a discipline or grade problem that there may be a chance (even slight) that the child will be beaten upon arriving home that night. I never quite got that impression while subbing, but I could see how you might get that feeling one day.

6. The perfect parent: You never really see or hear from this parent, but you know which kids belong to them. They're the ones that diligently turn in their homework, always give the teacher respect in and out of class, and know what's expected of them at all times (and meet that expectation, too). You wish every parent were this parent.

This may be an oversimplification, and I may be leaving some categories out. But these are the ones I can clearly categorize off the top of my head. I hope I can be the perfect parent, but I guess we'll have to see.

- The Hippy's Wife

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

Screw all the people in the media saying there's a war on Christmas. From Thanksgiving (hell, even from Halloween) on, this country can focus on NOTHING BUT Christmas. Christmas isn't going ANYWHERE!!

No one is trying to take the Christ out of Christmas by saying "Happy Holidays." Almost everyone is celebrating at least two holidays this time of year. The first, be it Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan (some years), or the Winter Solstice, depends on your family's background. The second, New Years' Eve/Day, is celebrated almost universally. Therefore, even when speaking to a Christian, "Happy Holidays" can be appropriate because there are TWO holidays - hence the plural nature of the greeting.

Now, I'm not one for being overly politically correct. I don't spell "women" with a y, I say "chairman" (or Congressman, policeman, etc.) most of the time (unless I'm actually taking about a woman), etc. But sometimes I say "Happy Holidays," NOT because it's the politically correct thing to do, but because saying "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" can become a mouthful.

But then again, I'm just as likely to say "Merry Christmas," because I think most people understand that it's the wish for happiness, not necessarily the specificity of the holiday. I think all this "war on Christmas" crap is just completely made up by certain segments of the media so that they can feel outraged about something.

The Hippy and I are pretty secular Christians, but we have a nice big Christmas tree and a VERY special nativity scene, and we say "Merry Christmas" half the time. So to Bill O'Reilly and the other "warriors" for Christmas: Shut up and enjoy the Holiday... um, I mean Christmas ... spirit! Christmas isn't going ANYWHERE.

To all my readers:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKAH, HAPPY KWANZAA, OR MERRY (INSERT YOUR HOLIDAY HERE) AND I WISH YOU A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

How I got into a long-term sub position...

2005-12-24T16:57:00.000-08:00

As I said in my previous post, I've been substituting in a 7th and 8th grade English class for several weeks. First, let me explain how I got into the position in the first place.

A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, I was called to substitute for another substitute, who was covering for a teacher out on maternity leave. The assignment was just for a week and two days. The substitute I was taking the place of was a certified substitute, so she is able to sub for more than 20 days in the same assignment. Supposedly, a certified sub is more qualified to be a teacher, so they get called first for long-term positions.

Well, I am not certified, but I must say, from what I saw, I am 20 times more qualified to be teaching than the person I replaced. She had absolutely NO classroom control and wasn't really able to teach the concepts well. Apparently, her typical response to students' questions was "Well, that's what we're asking you to know; figure it out yourself." She also lost their papers and then gave them zeroes. Also, about half the students were flunking. In some respects, that has to be a teaching issue, not a learning issue.

So, I discussed my concerns with the administrators of the school. They ended up deciding that a change needed to be made and asked if I was free to take the job. Well, it turned out that I didn't get the job I wanted with a particular firm, so I was free. So after Thanksgiving Break, I taught the class. In the next couple of weeks, I'm going to tell about what I learned from my experience as a teacher. I can't begin to say here everything I learned.

- The Hippy's Wife :)

Long Absence

2005-12-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been really bad about posting recently. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about my blog in over a month. I've been substitute teaching in a 7th and 8th grade English class for a few weeks. At first, it kind of made me want to be a teacher, but by the end of the 9 weeks (on Wed. Dec. 21), I was so ready to be done. But I'll blog more about that in a separate posting. Anyway, I don't suppose anyone missed me, I have so few readers. But for those of you who do read my blog, sorry for the long absence. Hopefully I'll do a better job at staying current.

- Th Hippy's Wife :)

Terrorism

2005-11-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

I'm hearing a lot in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Jordan, and there are a few things that I have to get off my chest:

"We're fighting them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here." I think this is the most ridiculous statement ever made. It may have worked in WWII, when we were fighting an identifiable, national force on specific battle grounds. But in this "war on terror," the enemy doesn't play by the "rules." They won't be contained to this area. And it's not like there's going to be an invading force. We have to be worried about another 20 guys coming in and pulling off something unexpected.

"How do we stop these types of attacks?" I've heard this question on almost every news program, but no one yet has given the answer I think is true - you can't. Now we can do a lot to beef up our security and try to prevent attacks, but I honestly don't think there's much we can do to stop a couple of guys walking into a crowded area and blowing themselves up. It's frightening, but true. I wish we lived in a world where you didn't have to worry about these issues from time to time, but as I've said on other issues... we have to deal with the world as it is, not as we wish it were.

"Al-Queda network." This phrase is starting to get to me. Along with references to hierarchy, organization, and membership in the network, I think it's misleading to make references like this. To me, Al-Queda is like E.L.F. (the Earth Liberation Front) - it has membership by declaration. Anyone can go out, commit some TERRIBLE act, and then claim it in the name of Al-Queda. Talking about a network, hierarchy, etc. implies more structure than I believe this group has for the most part.

An interesting view on these issues can be found in "Isaac and Ishmael," the first episode of the 3rd season of The West Wing. It's sort of a one act play, that doesn't require ANY knowledge of the plot or even of the characters. They talk about terrorism, its roots, and ideas on how to move on in this new world. No matter what your political bent, you should check it out!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Job offer

2005-11-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

So I got a job offer yesterday. And I got the info on the salary today. I'm honestly torn. I think it's a very low starting salary, and it's really not what I want to do. But I feel like I shouldn't turn down a job that's in front of me. The book I read about finding a law job says I should look for the job I want to do, not just any job. But I feel like I'm being irresponsible by turning down a position that's offered to me.

I think that our society does some seemingly advantaged people a disservice. All my life, everything I've wanted has just fallen in my lap, because I was an intelligent, highly-achieving person. Now, when things require more work, I honestly have no idea how to go about doing some of this stuff, because I've never had to before.

Hopefully the correct path for me will become clear.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

In the meantime...

2005-11-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

As I continue my search for employment in the legal field, I am now substitute teaching. On Tuesday, I substituted for a Kindergarten class. I must say, ANYONE who doesn't think teachers don't deserve a pay raise (or like former Oklahoma State House Rep. Forrest Claunch said, need a pay cut) should be FORCED to substitute in a Kindergarten class for a week. It was the most exhausting experience of my life, and it was just one day! I've learned that secondary students are more comfortable with substitute teachers and don't lose their minds as much. I think I'll be sticking with 6th grade and above from now on!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Frustration

2005-10-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Job hunting is becoming the most frustrating thing in the world! There seems to be lots of jobs out there for those with experience. How am I supposed to get experience, if all people want is experience? I apply for almost all of the positions anyway (unless they're looking for 5 or more years of experience), but not surprisingly I haven't received many responses. I've probably sent out more than 100 resumes, and I've only had 2 interviews. And one of those interviews made me not want the job because it requires a move to the middle of nowhere for very little pay.

I'm getting so stressed out about all of this. I need to get a job so I can start paying off our mountain of debt. I mean I know it's okay for this country to run a HUGE deficit and still give tax credits to Paris Hilton and Co. (at least according to "W"), but our creditors are gonna start hounding us soon if we don't get something lined up.

Any suggestions?

-The Hippy's Wife

SWEET!

2005-10-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Bar Exam Results!

2005-09-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!

-The Hippy's Wife :D

A Few Thoughts

2005-09-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Bush has promised to lead an investigation of the failings in New Orleans.

Excuse me, Mr. President, but don't you have more important things to be doing right now than investigating your own government's failings? And on that note, can we really expect you to investigate YOURSELF fairly? I think not! Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate these tragic events.

McClellan said that Bush won't fire FEMA director Brown because he wasn't going to get involved in the blame game.

Well, Mr. President, it appears clear that you've already started your political machine on the blame game, but you're shifting the blame to state and local officials. Surely there will be plenty of blame to go around, but it's clear that Governor Blanco tried to get the resources she knew would be needed in the wake of this disaster in a letter dated Aug. 28. It's time you, Mr. President, hold your administration accountable for their failings. But you've made it clear that you value loyalty over competency. Do what's right! FIRE DIRECTOR BROWN!

The administration keeps saying, let's not ask these questions now... that there will be a time and place for placing blame.

I say NO, Mr. President, the time is NOW. You told us not to question after 9/11, that we just needed to rebuild and that we could question later. But when serious questions were brought up by the 9/11 commission, your response was that we shouldn't be dwelling in the past! You told us that we shouldn't question things while the Iraq war was going on, that we would have time to answer our questions later. But now, when we bring up these questions, we are told that we should be focused on building a democracy in Iraq and not getting muddled in the past. So I say again, Mr. President, the time for questions is NOW. We want to know why your administration, which has been assuring us that ONLY they could protect us against various threats, has failed us so miserably. We want to know why you continued to vacation for three days, when our fellow citizens in New Orleans were starving, dehydrating, and dying. We want to know why every expert in the world predicted the levies breaking, but for you it was just unforeseen. We want to know why you and your administration are so FUCKING incompetent.

I am just sick over what I've seen the last two weeks in New Orleans, and I'm scared of what is in store for our nation over the next few weeks and months. Few understand what far-reaching consequences this tragedy may have. If things aren't handled just right, we could be facing one of the most bleak economic periods in our nations history. And the incompetency of this administration scares the living shit out of me.

All I can do is pray that we will weather this storm together as a nation.

-The Hippy's Wife

Dept. of Labor is here to help!

2005-09-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

According to the 2000 Census, over 400,000 people resided in New Orleans alone. Estimates range from 1.3 to 1.5 million total people displaced by the hurricane. For this reason, I'm not exactly optimistic when the Secretary of Labor, appearing on Scarborough today, said that they would be creating 25,000 temporary jobs. Once again, our government severely underestimates the needs during this catastrophe and provides only superficial remedies.

Thank you Secretary Chao!

-The Hippy's Wife

Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies

2005-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Every news station is now reporting that Chief Justice William Rehnquist succumbed to thyroid cancer at age 80. While I won't claim extreme admiration for the man, he presided honorably over the court for 19 years. His passing merits respect and honor. May he rest in peace.

-The Hippy's Wife

Money Changers in the Temple...

2005-09-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

I got this in my e-mail today, and it just pissed me off.

I'm a Christian, but using Christ to pimp your business just smacks of money changers in the temple. I'm all for Christians owning businesses, I'm for everyone owning businesses if they so choose. But how the hell does your faith in Christ make you a better car salesperson, lawn mower repair-person, or lender? It's just irrelevant. The only purpose it serves, as far as I can see, is to allow Christians to identify other Christians and let them stay within their own little sheltered world. Because God forbid you might have to do business with someone who doesn't believe the same way you believe.

People will continue to do this, and I'm sure my rant will not solve anything. However, I really am disgusted that people are using Jesus Christ to promote home loans. If He were here, I get the feeling he might go down to their offices and overturn their tables!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

I know that many are sick of the hurricane coverage, but I feel compelled to create this post. In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, over 1 million have lost pretty much everything. Experts estimate that it could be years (even decades) before New Orleans is back to normal. The needs of the people from all areas affected by the hurricane are great and immediate. If you are able to help in anyway, I'd like to provide you with the following links for disaster relief efforts:

If you can provide a spare room, bed, or even just a couch for someone left homeless by the storm, go here.

Many organizations are accepting donations of food and water throughout the U.S. If you would like to make a donation to one of these local drives, I'm sure your local news has information. A quick word of warning though: monetary donations can be much more effectively used for two reasons. 1) With the rising prices of gas, it isn't practically feasible to ship the donations to where they need to be. 2) Organizations, like the Red Cross, can take small donations from many people and combine them to buy in bulk, utilizing your money as needed at the time far more efficiently. Needs will change and by the time some of the shipments reach their destinations, water may not be what's needed anymore.

To make a donation with the Red Cross, go here.

For Habitat for Humanity, go here.

For the Salvation Army, go here.

Finally, for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, go here.

I have always been proud of the way Americans take care of each other. I pray for the those affected by this disaster, and God bless those of you who help during their time of need.

- The Hippy's Wife :)

I Need a Job...

2005-08-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

If anyone out there reading this knows of an attorney position in the Oklahoma City area, I'd be greatful to know. I just graduated from OU Law with my J.D. I also have a certificate in American Indian Law, and I'm particularly interested in estate planning, taxation, and real estate development. I have an excellent work ethic, am self motivated, and learn very quickly. I really need a job!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

The Half-Blood Prince

2005-07-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

I finished the most recent Harry Potter book today. Not bad for only having started it on Thursday. I didn't allow myself to buy it before the bar exam because I knew I would be way too tempted to read it and not study. But my mom got it for me to celebrate my being finished with the bar.

I'll try not to give any spoilers to those of you who haven't finished it yet and are planning to read it. But I have to say that I was very surprised by the ending. I actually cried (my poor hubby woke up to me crying in bed and couldn't figure out what was going on). I very curious about how this will end. The next book would be the seventh year at Hogwarts, and I hope we'll be able to tie up all the loose ends in that time. Or maybe [with hope] there will be more!

-The Hippy's Wife

YEAH!

2005-07-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

The bar exam is finally over!!! I probably should have blogged that on Wednesday evening, but we were too busy preparing to go to my family reunion.

Anyway, I think the test was easier than I had anticipated. There were a couple of hard essay questions, but it was balanced out by the fact that I practically quoted the model answer on another. Just Monday, the day before the essay portion of the test, I had been going over some questions and model answers from prior years in the most tested topics. Then, on Tuesday afternoon, one of the questions was almost exactly the same as one I had read on Monday. They only changed the names of the people and a couple of facts, but otherwise the questions were basically the same. So, I was able to write down almost exactly what I had read the night before. What luck!

I won't know if I passed until September 9, but I think I did okay. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though. Until then, my life is now consumed with finding a job!

-The Hippy's Wife

Sick and tired of the law!

2005-07-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm starting to think that maybe the bar exam is designed to serve as a deterrent to some people wanting to be lawyers. Because honestly, by the time this is over, I'm not sure if I'm going to want to even think about the law for the next few days. And for someone who's not dedicated to becoming a lawyer, I'm sure it's even worse. Honestly, if I wasn't looking forward to the actual practice of law, I think I would have flaked out long ago.

I'm sure I will really enjoy being a lawyer and everything that goes with that, but for now, I'm so sick and tired of the law!

See a great post on this over at Daily Kos.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

The Backstroke of the West

2005-07-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our best friends for this link.

Star Wars fans or not, it's damn funny.

Apparently, Gollum was involved in the project as well. Watch out for "dreamses" and "troopseses."

Damn hobbitses, they must have the one light-saber of power!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Pre-marital Sex

2005-07-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know this is going to ruffle some Christian conservative feathers out there, but hey, what can you do? I think I am in favor of pre-marital sex.

There, I said it. Now to those of you FREAKING out right now, let me explain.

I'm not in favor of casual, anonymous sex. Although if that's "your bag, baby," then go with it - whatever floats your boat. I certainly wouldn't want to teach my children that you should just have sex whenever the urge strikes with whomever happens to be around. I do feel that sex is a very special thing that should only be engaged in once you're absolutely ready and with someone you love and trust. (Again, not a judgment on anyone who believes differently, just what I value and would like to teach my children.)

What I'm advocating here is that sex within committed relationships is not only okay prior to marriage, but in my line of thinking, almost necessary. How many marriages today fail because of adultery and infidelity? Why do stereotypes persist about wives who always have a "headache" or husbands who just want it all the time? I think that sexual compatibility may be one of the biggest hurdles a marriage can face. Additionally, I think sometimes it's impossible to fix incompatibility. I realize that all marriage problems can seem daunting and many are difficult to work through. But often, sex drives and desires are physiological, and it's difficult, if not impossible, to alter your physiology.

Some people are able to deal with differing sex drives by having an open marriage. Others can deal with different sexual interests by a give and take arrangement in which sometimes one partner gets to pick the activity and sometimes the other does. But many people are unable (or unwilling, justifiably so in some cases) to overcome their differences.

I understand that many people fervently believe that pre-marital sex is evil or sinful, and they are certainly entitled to that opinion. I just don't think it's very practical in today's society. I mean, it was easy to remain abstinent when your hormones kicked in between 14 and 16, but then you got married between 18 and 20. But today, people are getting married at 25, 30, or even later, and our hormones are still kicking in at 14 or so. It's just unrealistic in my mind to expect everyone to resist these urges for 10 or more years. And it's obviously not happening in reality either.

This is also my reasoning for teaching sex education with birth control and STD prevention methods. It's nice to think kids shouldn't be having sex, but the facts show that they do. Not arming them with the knowledge of how to prevent STDs and pregnancy is only adding to the problems our teens face. And the misinformation that's out there is staggering: Diet Coke douche will prevent pregnancy, a guy who's just been in a hot tub or hot bath can't get a girl pregnant, you can't get pregnant on your first time, etc. ALL of these things are just ridiculous, yet because we don't educate our youth, they hold these beliefs and then find themselves in a world of trouble!

I think it's time to stop living in a world of what should be, and start living in the world of what is.

Just something I'd been thinking about.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Dairy Queen ads are freaking me out...

2005-07-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Maybe I just have a lot of white guilt or something, but I'm honestly a little bothered by the recent Dairy Queen ads. It shows one Indian (from India, not American Indian) scientist raving about a drink from Dairy Queen. Then he asks what the other scientist (also Indian) is doing. Scientist two responds that he has learned to speak bee, and scientist one asks "what possible scientific purpose could that have?" Then scientist two speaks bee and the bee goes and stings scientist one.

It took me awhile to get really bothered by it, and for awhile I couldn't figure out why I was so bothered by it. Then I figured it out: most bees die after stinging something. So essentially this vaguely middle-eastern looking guy was ordering a suicide attack on his colleague. This really pisses me off. I think the stereotype is just awful, and honestly I think we should be more sensitive of our protrayals of other races. It just seems so bigoted and AWFUL!

And you know what, by this I'm not saying we should be aiding or comforting the terrorists in any way. I just think we need to be more careful, because there are plenty of middle-eastern people who have nothing to do with terrorism and could be harmed by a generation believing this things about people that look a certain way.

And just a reminder that most of the terrorist acts on American soil (OKC, abortion clinic bombings, gay night club bombings, and even a strong argument for Ruby Ridge, Waco and school shootings) were all perpetrated by wacko right-wing, anti-government nutjobs!

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Censorship

2005-07-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

So, I guess my hubby's been too busy tracking down stuff on Karl Rove to blog about the shit that's been happening at his work lately, but I think it's so outrageous and funny at the same time that I just have to post it!

My husband works for a major cellular phone company as a quality assurance rep. at their call center. Basically, he listens to tech support calls all day and scores them according to various criteria. Because it's a very casual work environment, he has taken to wearing his political T-shirts to work. Anyone who reads his blog, can probably just imagine. Their sentiments range from the fairly innocuous, like "Support Our Troops Bring Them Home" and "Peace is Patriotic," to the mildly [maybe even more depending on who you are] offensive, like "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" and "I Still Hate George Bush." He also decorated his cubicle with various political messages and posters. My favorite poster, though, was in no way political. It's just a "Not listening" Happy Bunny poster like this, which I find very appropriate for someone who listens to calls all day.

Anyway, so he wore a shirt with a drawing of W with "liar" on his forehead two days ago, and apparently someone complained to their HR department. It's unclear whether that shirt is the one that caused the complaint, but it's what he was wearing when all this occurred. Apparently, the head of their HR and their call center director got together and determined that to fix the situation, they should just tell him to take down his signs in his cubicle and stop wearing the politically oriented T-shirts. They even made him take down his Happy Bunny sign, which to me has nothing to do with the political stuff, but whatever.

So, he goes back to his cubicle and prints up a sign that reads "Non-offensive piece of paper," and they make him take that down! The next day, he wore his shirt that simply says "Free Speech." Luckily, he got compliments on that!

Since this company is not a state actor, there is no 1st Amendment claim to be made, but it seems pretty clear that there are some major issues with discrimination going on. Now, I may not be completely up to speed on employment law, since that isn't one of the subjects on the bar exam here, but if you make a policy, doesn't it have to apply across the board? As far as I know, requiring him to follow a dress code that hasn't been promulgated to anyone else seems extremely discriminatory. Especially if the company allows people to wear or post pro-war or pro-Bush messages. And honestly, he'd been wearing these things and posting these signs for several months. Whoever doesn't like it should just "fight back" by wearing their own shirts and posting their own signs.

Something tells me that if their corporate lawyers ever get wind of this shit, they are going to FREAK out. This could be a major liability for them.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Karl Rove

2005-07-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

I hate to confess, but the thought of Karl Rove being frog-marched out of the White House and this whole thing blowing up in the faces of the Rethugs gives me a certain amount of schadenfreude.

People wonder why Kerry "flip-flopped." Well, perhaps it was to avoid sticking his foot straight down his throat when something he said definitively turned out not to be true.

I think Scott McClellan is getting a heaping dose of foot right now. After definitively stating in September 2003 that Karl Rove was not the leak, the recent circumstances must really be pushing that foot further and further in.

Since I'm studying for the bar exam, I really don't have time to compile info. on all this stuff. If you want to read more, check out my husband's blog.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

The Dentist

2005-07-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Hippy and I are both very uncomfortable about the dentist. I think his fear springs from having a dentist who wanted to perform unnecessary procedures and was a little too rough on him. Mine isn't really fear, but I had braces for 3 years, and after that ordeal, I just don't like people touching my mouth.

Consequently, neither of us have been to the dentist in quite awhile. But I'm starting to get concerned and I think we should go soon. I mean, I'd hate to have all the money my parents spent on my braces go to waste by not taking care of my teeth.

The problem: I have no idea what dentist to go to, and I have no idea how to get my husband to go at all. He's told me that he won't go unless I find someone who will give him Valium or something, even before routine teeth cleanings. Anyone got any recommendations for dentists in OKC?

-The Hippy's Wife

Curves

2005-07-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

While I study for the bar exam, I have been working (and working out) at my local Curves fitness center, and I just have to say that it's been a godsend for me. Any women out there who are looking for a way to lose weight, firm and tone, or just feel more fit should really look into finding a Curves in your area. The program is so easy and almost anyone can do it. Also, it provides a complete workout in just 30 minutes. I've been exercising there since January and I've lost 13 pounds and 24 inches. It's the longest I've ever been able to stick to a workout plan. I know I sound like a commercial, but I really am enthusiastic about it. Check it out here to see if there's one in your area.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Tie-Dye

2005-07-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

In true hippie fashion, my husband and I tie-dyed over the weekend. They turned out fairly well.

We got our inspiration from the "How to be a Hippie Handbook." It's a fantastic book if you are needing to know how to make a skirt out of a pair of jeans or how to hitchhike.

I don't think I could be a true hippie though... I like showering and sleeping in my own bed too much.

-The Hippy's Wife :)

Few and Far Between

2005-07-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

I wish I had the dedication to this pursuit that my husband has. I get the feeling though that my posts will be rather few and far between. I'm actually way more likely to post a comment on his blog than to post on my own blog, but I'll try to do a little more on here.

Somehow though, I don't think I have a huge audience.

Hello? [echo] Hello... Hello...

-The Hippy's Wife :)

All about me...

2005-06-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

I guess this is my first official post on my own blog. I thought I'd start with a brief post about me.

First, I chose the name for my blog because it seems like most of the bloggers out there are guys...

My husband, The Oklahoma Hippy, over at Phish Fan in Jeezus Land kept trying to get me to start my own blog, so I decided to do it.

I don't really know what this will be about or how often I'll even have a chance to post. As anyone can see from my profile, my life right now is consumed with preparing for the bar exam. I doubt I'll be as political as my husband, but don't be surprised if my liberal tendencies come out from time to time.

Also, anyone looking at my profile may be thinking "what the fuck?" because of the wide variety of my favorites. Honestly, it's hard to pick favorites, I like so many things. Half the time, my favorite movie or book or music, depends on what I've been watching, reading, or listening to recently. But I do like a wide variety of things.

I hope I can post fairly often, but if not... no one will ever know. :)

-The Hippy's Wife