What if My Daughter Grows Up to be a Republican ?

Cindy:  Oh, I love it.  Three democratic daughters.  Well, even though she IS a right wing Repub, she must have done something right... in raising the three of you.

Have you ever written a post about you and your sisters... with a photo of all three of you... either together or separately ?  Perhaps you should.

Puzzles.  I used to do the crossword puzzle in the Dallas Morning News every single day.  And, of course, I would do it in INK. It was more fun that way.  Never say True Blood, and the ONLY episode of American Idol I have ever seen... was I think in the first year... when that curly-haired kid came in first or second.

I just followed your link to the JigSaw Puzzles site.  Now that would really drive me crazy.  Cannot do them.  Never did.  Talk about instant frustration.  Funny... but I have the patience to do a major big crossword puzzle, but not one of those jigsaw thingies.  To each her own source of escape.

Andrea:  Question.  Is Army Wives the show with that woman who used to play sidekick to whats'his'face... David James Elliott on Jag ?  Catherine something.  Yeah, Catherine Bell.  I like her.  Loved her on Jag, too.

I can sort of understand you watching that.  Maybe to see how other women get through what you have to live though.  Never saw the Amazing Race... but my TV tastes are pretty different from others... especially where some of the popular shows are concerned. 

Like Seinfeld.  I must have tried maybe six or seven times to sit through an entire episode... but could not.  I just did not find it funny.  There are some shows I just don't DO well with.  That's one of them.

And actually... occasionally I will try and see how much I can read of some of the French newspapers.  Le Monde, for one.  I don't do badly.  I would love to do better... and yes, practice makes perfect... I know.  Distractions are a good thing.

<ps... so sorry if I took up too much space on your "benefits" post.  just reach out and slap me when I get out of hand.  please do>

Lauren:  How thoughtful of your husband.  Perhaps you could also try and distract him into staying at home.  I bet you could do a whale of a job of that... <impish grin>

Facebook... I don't "not like" it.  It just doesn't "fit" me.  I have given in... and DO have a Facebook page... just out of self-defense to quiet those who have been pestering me.  But... I have about 28 "friends"... but they are people I could actually go have lunch with, and "know." 

I have a list of perhaps sixty who have tried to "friend" me... but I am a very private person as far as that kind of stuff is concerned.  I am the type that feels badly for not... friending them back.  I mean... really guilty... because most of them are very nice people... who I would enjoy chatting with on a post.

What is Flipping Out ?  I will have to Google it.  And, back to FB... for me there is a major difference between not "liking" it... and "disliking" it.  I don't dislike Facebook... I just don't... ummm... errr... I just don't "like" it.  Does that make any sense whatsoever ?

Charles:  I have not heard of TED.com... but will check it out.  Also... never heard of Andy Borowitz... but will give him a look, as well.  But... no female writers or bloggers ?

Irreverence and levity are good.  I'd prolly rather read Rachel Maddow's blog.  Or Salon.  Or Think Progress.  But I will take a look at your two ideas.

NOTE:  Charles, I just made a quick visit to TED... and saw lots of folks I did not know, which for me means an opportunity to learn, but also saw Eve Ensler... whom I like very much.  It looks like she has some stuff there that I'd like to watch.

Also... Andy Borowitz... current column is entitled "Predator Drone Seen Hovering over Standard & Poor Headquarters."  I scanned the first few paragraphs, and will read it all later.  It looked good as well.  Thanks for the heads up.

Rosalie:  Those "mixed families" can at times be brutal, I am sure.  But... sounds like you solved that problem.  Make sure you hug your daughter often... and help her be brave... so those other "righties" don't scare her into tending right-ward.

Yes... that is a good word to end that thought on.  Sigh !

I will go and see what your kids ruined.  Also... I watch stuff on YouTube... but mostly when I am searching for music.  Lot's of oldies stuff... my oldies, and also the music my parents used to listen to when they were teen agers and young adults.  Doing that both makes me smile, and makes me bawl my eyes out.

EVERYONE:  One of the really cool things that often happens when I write my posts... is that I usually LEARN something.  Well... it happened again tonight.  I learded lot from the stuff that all of you shared.  But tonight, I also "un-covered" or dis-covered something.

I found it through the comment that Charles Buell made.  Charles commented in #27, and I responded in #32.

I went to a site he suggested... TED.com.  And... to my surprise, and pleasantly so, I found some "pretty deep and interesting stuff."

If any of you remember Eve Ensler... she is the woman who wrote, and then toured as a performance artist, and then had an HBO special, I think... doing her "The Vagina Monologues."  I watched it a few years ago... two or three times. 

So, when I went to TED.com, and saw her name as one of the participants... golly... it actually woke me up.

So much so that I just wrote another post just now about what I found.  A video entitlled Eve Ensler: Embrace your Inner Girl . 

The title of my post is Embrace your Inner Girl - Eve Ensler... for Women Only... and A Few Brave Men... . 

I watched the video.  Twice.  And then wrote the post.

I invite you to watch the video as well.  I warn you.  It's deep stuff.  One could easily say it is "feminist" stuff... but more really, it is "woman'ist" stuff.  Thoughtful guys should watch it, too. 

Twenty minutes long.  Most of you will not be surprised to hear that I was "glued" to the screen while watching it.

If you can handle the twenty minutes... and really, you need to watch the entire video to "get" it... I would really love to hear your comments.  Thanks so much.  Take care...  And... thanks Charles.

Navona:  I just went over to your blog and read your post.  For the most part, I agree with you.  But... really, it all depends on each person, their situation, and what their goals are.

As far as what YOUR political beliefs are... I see nothing whatsoever in what I have read of your posts that would not cause me to give you the absolute highest recommendation as a Realtor, and as a person.  Differing beliefs are just fine.  And, I feel I can have a discussion with someone regarding their political beliefs, and somehow find some common ground... something we can agree on.

My problem arises when I am dealing, or talking with someone whose beliefs are SO incredibly blatant, that they totally close themselves off from even considering anything that might change them.  And even more of a problem for me is when that person wants to take their political beliefs... and I am talking mostly social issues here... my problem is when they want to legislate those beliefs and turn them into laws... with the intent of controlling others and their behaviour.

A basic tenet of my political beliefs is in equality and free choice.  People are free to believe whatever they want.  That is why they call it "beliefs."  They are not free to force those beliefs on others, nor are they free to control the actions of others... on things like marriage equality, and other things.  Or at least they shouldn't be.  Equal means equal.  Choice means choice.  (Obviously, I am talking within reason, here.)

I live in what I jokingly refer to as The People's Republic of Texas.  It is a very "red" state... although there are pockets of purple and blue.  (Whew !)  IF... I had bumper stickers on my car (which I do not) I would not be surprised to find that my tires had been slashed, or the paint on my car damaged by someone grinding their key in the paint on my car.

And, Navona, I am not so sure that our beliefs... yours and mine... are so different.  Could we be "friends ?"  Umm... I thought we already were.  And just the fact that you subscribe to 25 different magazines shows me that you have a thinking, discerning mind... and on purpose seek out other viewpoints... and that you are anxious to learn and explore the beliefs of others.

Just one more thing.  I am in very much of a "slow-down" mode as far as my real estate business is concerned.  I have been a real estate agent since 1973.  I am much, much more of a "pick and choose'er" at this time of my life.  There are some folks on Active Rain whose political and religious beliefs have turned them into absolute "flame-throwers."  Do I "hate" them ?  Absolutely not.  Would I work with them... the flame-throwers ?  Also, absolutely not.  Do I care if I lose business over it ?  Not at all.  Now, again, that is perhaps 2 percent of the folks I read on AR.  I just stay away from them... more or less.

I think I have told you before... that I find you just delightful, and also that I wish we lived closer.  I just know we'd get along very nicely.  <smile> 

ps... there are quite a few folks on Active Rain that I wish I lived closer to.  I am much more of a one-on-one kinda girl... rather than one who goes to these RainCamp thingies were there are hundreds of Active Rainers present.  Just the thought of that makes me want to go back to bed, get under the covers... and suck my little wrinkled thumb... LOL.