"We Should Ban Knives, Too"

Oh my goodness...This guy is extreme, even for a gun control advocate (fanatic). Whether or not you are 'pro-gun,' this is amusing. 

I don't have the skills (or time) to embed this video (the YouTube embed link wasn't working), but believe me when I tell you this 5 minute 50 second interview is worth your time.

It does also serve to remind us of the sad state America is in, to have so many of its citizens so entirely blinded... I could go on and on about why I support limited gun control, but I'll just say this: The Second Amendment was written for a reason. 

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Actually, I decided to add something I wrote last May on a group blog, which was in response to a question one of the members asked regarding background checks and gun legislation...This is a bit old, so here's hoping I had my facts right. :)

As American citizens, we shouldn’t add any new legislation, but rather enforce the 300 some major state and federal laws already in existence. Criminal background checks are nice, so criminals aren’t receiving firearms, but for law abiding citizens to have to register their guns is simply not right. With the way our government is heading, they will likely try to take all of our guns away. Full gun registration is a step in that direction. Knowing who has what will make it easier for the government to take our firearms and disarm us.  It’s clearly an infringement on America’s right to “keep and bear arms.” Our 2^nd Amendment right must not be infringed upon, and full gun registration appears to be one of the steps of an aggressive agenda to disarm America.

Fantastic Sibling Moments Post#6: Mini-man Vs. Microwave

The other day Mini-man (7) was unloading the dishwasher while I was making some tea. I put my cup in the microwave (which is right across from the dishwasher) to heat the water, and Mini-man jumped back, declaring very seriously, “Don’t stand near the microwave while it’s going, or else you’ll get hypothermia.” 

He was referring to the fact that we try not to stand too near the microwave to avoid the radiation, but got his terms a bit confused. 

Or, for those "alternate ending" people out there, our microwave delivers extreme doses of ice and freezing air, so much so that our home becomes a sub-zero arctic ice storm until Superman comes in and vaporizes the microwave with his laser vision.

Of Arachnophobia

As I was scrolling through writing assignments from my writing class last year, I came across a research paper about arachnophobia. I shall spare you the first two points, which consist of definitions, statistics, and facts, and leave you with the third point, which, I hope, will provide some amusement and also enlighten you as to why I despise spiders.

 

…Finally, now that you have been informed as to what arachnophobia is and have been given an idea of how many people have it, be prepared to hear a personal example, confirming that arachnophobia is a very real thing. Personally, I have experienced three reactions when meeting an eight legged horror, each including an accelerated heart rate. Reactions are either frozen fear, the more ninja-like reaction which often includes shrieks of terror and a very prompt exit of the room, or, in the case of bravery or self sacrifice, a speedy execution of the spider. 

First and foremost, allow me to share an instance of my heroic valor. A while back, my sister and I were organizing our room. On the floor lay an innocent looking bag of clothes. In the next second, a hairy, beady-eyed spider leapt out of the bag and started racing about the room. Horrified, yet aware that this evil creature would hide away in a corner and have children, I leapt into action and grabbed the nearest shoe with a shaking hand and brought it down as hard as I could on Sir Creepy. Yes, I felt rather courageous.

As for instances of the first reaction mentioned, which was extreme fear, I particularly remember a day about two years ago. As I was diligently cleaning our downstairs bathroom, shaking out the throw rug, my heart stopped as I spotted a Hobo spider who had managed to camouflage himself into our rug. Leaping onto the toilet, I let out a weak cry for help. No answer. As I was assessing what I had for a means of escape, Hobo’s hairy twin crept out from another corner. Petrified, I jumped onto the bathtub and held the toilet bowl scrubber, shrieking in utter terror. They began to close in. As my terror grew, my legs turned to jelly and my screams turned into hysteric sobs. In between gasps for breath, I could hear my sisters doing the dishes upstairs. Every minute felt like an eternity. Finally, after the longest ten minutes of my life, Mother came home and, strangely, everyone began to notice the hysterical voice emanating up the stairs. As my mother opened the bathroom door with a look of worry on her face, I motioned to Hobo and his brother. Mother managed to kill one of the offenders, but the other got away.  It took two months for me to even step into that bathroom again. Today, I still closely examine the throw rugs and corners upon entry. In addition to that anecdote, there are many other stories I could share, a few of which include spiders in my clothes, under the toilet seat, in my hair, on my ceiling, and sunning themselves on my leg. Arachnophobia is very real.

...With the above stories in mind (which, I might add, are more than slightly embarrassing), I hope you will sympathize with those close to you who may have a phobia of arachnids.

Voice of Democracy Essay: Why I'm Optimistic About Our Nation's Future

Last November, I had the opportunity to compete in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary's audio-essay competition, Voice of Democracy.

Although my essay did not make it past District Level, I had an incredible time writing and presenting it to the local VFW post.

The writing prompt this year was, "Why I'm Optimistic About Our Nation's Future," and the essays could be no less than three minutes and no more than five. I will admit it was a daunting subject, and I spent quite a bit of time formulating my thoughts. I had to dig pretty deep to find where my optimism stood, aside from the fact that God is sovereign over all things and His perfect will always comes about in the end. Finally, though, after months of prewrites, drafts, and rewriting, I submitted my essay (if I had more time before the deadline I probably would have tweaked it a bit more).  Hope you find it informative and encouraging!

                                          Why I’m Optimistic about Our Nation’s Future

             “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of  Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” These great words were not penned by accident; they are one reason our nation stands today.  Although many Americans dread the direction our country is headed, optimism is possible. While our nation is not in a perfect state of affairs, true optimism about our future may be found by reflecting on our heritage, the foundation upon which we are built.                     

            Indeed, optimism is a reasonable response to the fact that our founding fathers wove a pattern of faith, determination, and readiness to sacrifice. Two hundred and twenty-six years ago, 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence.  During its signing, William Ellery, one of the signers, declared, “I was determined to see how they all looked as they signed what might be their death warrants...Undaunted resolution was displayed on every countenance.” (As qtd in Boyer 57) From the time of the colonists to the present, thousands of courageous men and women continue to lay down their lives with this same resolution. Major General Joseph Warren, who chose to fight as a private at the Battle of Bunker Hill, informed his friend Elbridge Gerry on June 17^th 1775, the morning of that fateful day, “It is glorious to lay down one’s life for one’s country” (Boyer 40). This tremendous sacrifice came from true optimism and strong ideals. These men and women were willing to die for the hope affirmed in our Declaration and the honorable ideals penned in our Constitution. Relying on God, they set their eyes on the goal of a free nation, in which all men are created equal. Without hesitation, the same code of conduct lived out by our forefathers must be embraced today in order to revive optimism and overcome current challenges.

            Unfortunately, our country has wandered from some of its founding principles. Our first Amendment states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” Science teacher, Caroline Crocker was fired because she mentioned the possibility of Intelligent Design, a potentially religious idea (Crocker). In addition, being fired for mentioning the possibility of Intelligent Design is an infringement on our freedom of speech.  Another, more controversial breach of our morals exists in the premature termination of the lives of our unborn. If all men are truly created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, why aren’t we giving these children a chance?

            Although there are breaches in the foundation our forefathers set, we can see that if we stood firm during the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and even more recently, 9/11,  we can overcome today’s issues as well. Though some who claim to be optimists may believe that everything will turn out fine, no matter what action is taken, true optimism stands firm and diligently fights, regardless of obstacles; it believes that in the end, truth and goodness will prevail.  Many today carry the same resolve as our forefathers. Daily, our brave soldiers put their lives in jeopardy for our freedom. These are not the only heroes of today; think of the politicians, freedom associations, and voting citizens. I am optimistic about our nation’s future because I have seen what has been done in the past, and know, by the grace of God, it can be done again.

            In closing, I am optimistic about our nation’s future not because I see a perfect union, a flawless justice system, or nationwide peace; rather, I observe the wisdom and strength of our Constitution and the power of our Declaration. I remember the determination and sacrifice of our forefathers and realize there are men and women just as patriotic today. I am confident that the freedom we have fought to obtain, we will fight to retain.

Works Cited

Boyer, Marilyn, and Linda Linder. "Massachusetts — Elbridge Gerry." For You They Signed: The Spiritual Heritage of Those Who Shaped Our Nation. Green Forest, AR: Master, 2010. 40. Print.

Boyer, Marilyn, and Linda Linder. "Rhode Island — William Ellery." For You They Signed: The Spiritual Heritage of Those Who Shaped Our Nation. Green Forest, AR: Master, 2010. 57. Print.

Crocker, Caroline I. Free to Think. N.p.: Leafcutter, 2010. Print.

If you made it through the whole thing, I am impressed. If you are merely skipping down to  the end of this post, I have denounced you and shall not reveal to you the location my secret chocolate stash. 

I lied. The truth is, I don't think there is anything on this earth that could make me reveal my stash. Even a kind essay reader.   

Fantastic Sibling Moments Post#5: Proverbs 31 Woman

After reading about the Proverbs 31 Woman yesterday morning, Mom asked Gubby (9) what he noticed about her. 

Gubby: Well, she wears nice clothes and has strong arms. 

Today, we continued our study, and Mozzarella (14) observed that she made belts for the merchants.

Mozzarella: She made belts so their pants wouldn't fall down :snickering:

Me: Well, they actually didn't wear pants...

Sweet Pea (12): Yeah, they wore dresses!

Me: No, they wore tunics

Pollywog (16):  "It's not a dress, it's a tunic!" :Picking up on the movie reference: (Night At The Museum 2)

 

 

 

Fantastic Sibling Moments Post#4: Inspiration?

I am a Campus Advocate at the school I am attending, and our assignment over Winter Break was to practice our presentations once a day. I practiced it in front of Mini-man (7) today, and after I completed my presentation, we had the following conversation:

Me: So, was it good? Did I inspire you?

Mini-man (in a fairly serious voice): Well, I don’t even know what “inspiring” means, soo…

Maybe it’s just me, but I found it highly adorable and amusing.

Oh, and Happy New Year's Eve! Hope it is full of blessings and delish snacks!

Of scArves, Busyness, and Christmas

First off, the weird capitalization of my title was intentional. :P

Okay, so my life has been crazy, if my far between posts haven't indicated anything...

Winter Break started yesterday (yay!), so I have a few minutes to write something. 

Just a few days ago, I decided I wanted to knit a scarf for someone for Christmas, and it's still a work in progress...I started it yesterday and am a bit skeptical I will have it done in time...

 

Of course, with these pictures, I'm hoping the person I'm giving this to won't discover my blog until after Christmas...You are special, Friend for whom I am making this!

Busyness: I am so glad to have two weeks off of school and almost that much off work...Not that I don't love those things, it's just that a break is nice. I'm hoping to catch up on some school at home during Winter Break, but we'll see how that goes. So far, things just keep coming up. Which is fine with me, for the most part. ;)

Christmas! Preparing for Christmas has taken a lot of time, and emptied my wallet.
Really, though, the real Reason for the season is Jesus Christ, and we tend to forget that in the rush of last-minute shopping and baking.

 "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

"In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Luke 2:8-20 (NASB)

 Merry Christmas!

~Sonia