Today is my birthday!!! Happy Birthday To Me :) I'm 37 years old and I'm so happy about that. Because I actually forgot how old I was and thought I was going to be 38 today and then remembered that I'm only 37 and now I feel like a spring chicken. :)
I'm sort of taking the day off but I thought I'd share my favorite links of the week today. There's not that many cause I haven't really been on the net that much this week (I've been slacking by doing the laundry and weeding the yard.)
Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
1. Kids say the darnedest things. Apparently, they write the darnedest things on their test papers too. Here are some hilariously awesome incorrect test answers from kids.
2. Photorealism is a style of art (painting) wherein the artist attempts to create an image that is strikingly similar to real life. These photos by Robert Bernardi are nothing short of amazing. No, these aren't digital pictures, they are paintings that will make your jaw drop!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Is A Billion Dollar House Over Indulgent?
I don't know about you but I'm thinking that 400,000 square feet just isn't enough. I mean, clearly they restrained themselves from reaching half a million square feet which shows some restraint. And where are they going to put their knick knacks in such a restricted space?
Hey, when your estimated worth is 29 Billion dollars, plunking down a cool billion to buy your own private island in downtown Mumbai sounds like a bargain, amiright? It's extravagant to say the least and one might be inclined to be amazed or even jealous of such exorbitance except for one tiny thing: the building is surrounded by millions of people living in the Indian slums. It's opulence casts a shadow on those people living on $2 a day.
It's really easy to look at that house, shake your head and say, "that is so over the top." It is. Who needs a 6 level parking lot because you have so many vehicles that anything less would be considered unrealistic?
I have this image of the homeowners standing around a table with their architect and saying, 3 stories worth of garage just so isn't going to cut it. What would we do with our second fleet of Bentley's?
How could this family be so selfish when they are surrounded by heart-wrenching poverty? Can you imagine how that billion dollars could change the lives of the poor who scurry at their feet? It could provide housing, food, medical treatment, clothing. The Ambanis could literally save their lives.
Nobody needs a billion dollar house. The name "Ambani" could be a new term in the dictionary.
Ambani, noun, : "a flagrant over-indulgence at the expense of the needy."
It's easy to judge yet so often I indulge in so many luxuries when I too am surrounded by people in need. Is not a McMansion in the suburbs equivalently un-necessary?
Here's the perfect example: I want to buy new office furniture. I want to drive to IKEA so badly and pick out a trendy new desk, a few accessories, a rug, etc... and fix up our office space.
I don't really need to. I just want to. Because I can afford it and if the Ambani's can have their second home (oh yes it is) be a skyscraper, I can have my measly office. Sure, I could buy 10 shares of a well that brings water to 28,000 people or send 30 kids to school for entire year or provide $12,000 worth of life saving medication with that $1000 I want to spend on my office but I REALLY WANT A NEW DESK! It would be so pretty and I could sit there once a week and go through my mail and pay bills and that's more important, right? Right?
Most of us do this kind of thing every day. We buy clothes, cars and houses we don't need. We over-spend on vacations, we spoil ourselves. Sure, it might not be a billion dollar house with 3 helo pads and an entire floor dedicated to fitness equipment but it's still selfish indulgence.
I'm not saying that we should never buy anything for ourselves or spend a little from time to time. It's dangerous to go to any extremes but its really important to take note when our "wants" cross over into "needs."
When you start really believing and justifying that you "need" a new car when your so called old one is paid off or you "need" to take your kids to Disney every year, you "need" to get new floors put in when yours are still in pretty good shape, and you do this at the expense of generously giving to those in desperate need, it might be time to ask yourself: Am I pulling an Ambani?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Can Cheating Kill You?
We all know that an affair can have devastating effects on a
marriage. It breaks the trust between spouses, causes damage to the
self esteem of the non-cheating spouse, creates a sense of instability
in the relationship and causes a ripple effect of problems that can
permeate a marriage for years.
But now, researchers have found that having an affair can cause a heart attack and kill you!
New warnings reported by The Daily Mail ,come from a team of researchers from the University of Florence who came upon some interesting statistics while studying men. Using terms like 'unfaithfulness', 'extramarital affair', 'infidelity' and 'men', they analyzed the frequency and conditions associated with heart attacks in men and found that both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks were rare when a man was having sex with his wife but were significantly more likely if he was with a mistress.
While the causes were unclear, it's believed that the stresses of carrying on an affair with an often younger woman were to blame along with the strain of keeping the affair a secret. Guilt also played a part. Scientist found that men often feel more guilty when they cheat which can cause an increase in blood pressure.
Blocked arteries were responsible for more than a third of the deaths and researchers noted that sexual demands and extra-marital activities often caused the fatty plaque built up in the arteries to rupture.
A German study concluded that most men who died of a heart attack while having sex were cheating and meeting away from the home. We've all heard the jokes about the older man who is cheating with a young woman and dies in the act but it's clear that there is some truth to the story. A 67 year old man from El Paso, Texas recently had a heart attack and died while receiving a lap dance at a strip club.
"Extramarital sex may be hazardous and stressful because the lover is often younger than the primary partner and probably sex occurs more often following excessive drinking and/or eating," Researcher Dr. Alessandra Fisher said in the study.
This news is likely to cause eyebrows to raise and smirks to spread across the faces of scorned women. Studies show that during the course of a man's life, he has a 50-50 chance of straying. This new data may cause many men to take pause when considering an affair.
Losing a wife is terrible but now men must now consider whether an affair is worth losing their lives too.
But now, researchers have found that having an affair can cause a heart attack and kill you!
New warnings reported by The Daily Mail ,come from a team of researchers from the University of Florence who came upon some interesting statistics while studying men. Using terms like 'unfaithfulness', 'extramarital affair', 'infidelity' and 'men', they analyzed the frequency and conditions associated with heart attacks in men and found that both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks were rare when a man was having sex with his wife but were significantly more likely if he was with a mistress.
While the causes were unclear, it's believed that the stresses of carrying on an affair with an often younger woman were to blame along with the strain of keeping the affair a secret. Guilt also played a part. Scientist found that men often feel more guilty when they cheat which can cause an increase in blood pressure.
Blocked arteries were responsible for more than a third of the deaths and researchers noted that sexual demands and extra-marital activities often caused the fatty plaque built up in the arteries to rupture.
A German study concluded that most men who died of a heart attack while having sex were cheating and meeting away from the home. We've all heard the jokes about the older man who is cheating with a young woman and dies in the act but it's clear that there is some truth to the story. A 67 year old man from El Paso, Texas recently had a heart attack and died while receiving a lap dance at a strip club.
"Extramarital sex may be hazardous and stressful because the lover is often younger than the primary partner and probably sex occurs more often following excessive drinking and/or eating," Researcher Dr. Alessandra Fisher said in the study.
This news is likely to cause eyebrows to raise and smirks to spread across the faces of scorned women. Studies show that during the course of a man's life, he has a 50-50 chance of straying. This new data may cause many men to take pause when considering an affair.
Losing a wife is terrible but now men must now consider whether an affair is worth losing their lives too.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
When The Toothfairy Drops The Ball
We went to the Memorial Day parade this past weekend. We
enjoyed the sights and sounds, especially the Shriners. For a group of
older gentlemen, they sure have a lot of spunk! My girls got buckets
full of candy while my son and husband marched with the scouts.
After the parade, the girls and I drove to the Town Hall, our designated meetings spot. As we waited for the men of the family, the girls went through their candy. My oldest started chewing on a pixie stick.
"There's something stuck between my teeth," she said.
She reached into her mouth and started feeling around. I expected her to pull out a piece of wadded paper, chewed and wedged between her teeth in her desperate attempt to get to the powdery pixie goodness within.
"I got it," she said. "Here." She handed me something that I assumed would be trash. But no, it was one of her teeth; a lower canine that once had a cavity and was wrapped in silver. She plucked it out without pomp or circumstance.
This was a dramatic difference from her previous experiences that required tugging, yanking, crying and hours of her begging us to please pull it out but no, don't actually touch it, take it out with your mind powers!!
This morning she came downstairs with her face contorted in displeasure.
"I'm going to put my tooth under my pillow again because the tooth fairy must not have found it the first time."
Ruh roh. The tooth fairy totally dropped the ball and forgot to leave the cold, hard cash in the designated space under the pillow.
"Do you want me to give it to you Mom," she asked, one eyebrow raises and her voice laced with suspicion.
"Me? Why would you give it to me? Nah. The tooth fairy was probably out of town for the Memorial Day weekend. Maybe she went to the beach with her family for a barbeque and to work on her tan. Yeah, I'm sure that's it. Plus, you know...our last name starts with the letter "Y" which means that when she gets her working orders, we are at the bottom of her list so you have to be patient."
She stared at me and blinked because she is ten years old and totally on the brink of not believing in such things. I could almost hear the thoughts in her head; a mix of confusion, hope and maybe even a little fear that if the story is not true after all, this mother she loves so much might need to be committed to a state mental institution.
I was talking to some friends and apparently I'm not the only one to make tooth fairy excuses. I heard some great ones.
1. Your money is late because girls get their money first.
2. You lost your tooth after 5pm which means you won't get your cash until the following business day.
3. The tooth fairy vacations for the whole month of March. Everyone knows that.
Do your kids believe in the tooth fairy? Have you ever had to make excuses for the tooth fairy's failure to deliver? What's the best excuse you've ever made?
After the parade, the girls and I drove to the Town Hall, our designated meetings spot. As we waited for the men of the family, the girls went through their candy. My oldest started chewing on a pixie stick.
"There's something stuck between my teeth," she said.
She reached into her mouth and started feeling around. I expected her to pull out a piece of wadded paper, chewed and wedged between her teeth in her desperate attempt to get to the powdery pixie goodness within.
"I got it," she said. "Here." She handed me something that I assumed would be trash. But no, it was one of her teeth; a lower canine that once had a cavity and was wrapped in silver. She plucked it out without pomp or circumstance.
This was a dramatic difference from her previous experiences that required tugging, yanking, crying and hours of her begging us to please pull it out but no, don't actually touch it, take it out with your mind powers!!
This morning she came downstairs with her face contorted in displeasure.
"I'm going to put my tooth under my pillow again because the tooth fairy must not have found it the first time."
Ruh roh. The tooth fairy totally dropped the ball and forgot to leave the cold, hard cash in the designated space under the pillow.
"Do you want me to give it to you Mom," she asked, one eyebrow raises and her voice laced with suspicion.
"Me? Why would you give it to me? Nah. The tooth fairy was probably out of town for the Memorial Day weekend. Maybe she went to the beach with her family for a barbeque and to work on her tan. Yeah, I'm sure that's it. Plus, you know...our last name starts with the letter "Y" which means that when she gets her working orders, we are at the bottom of her list so you have to be patient."
She stared at me and blinked because she is ten years old and totally on the brink of not believing in such things. I could almost hear the thoughts in her head; a mix of confusion, hope and maybe even a little fear that if the story is not true after all, this mother she loves so much might need to be committed to a state mental institution.
I was talking to some friends and apparently I'm not the only one to make tooth fairy excuses. I heard some great ones.
1. Your money is late because girls get their money first.
2. You lost your tooth after 5pm which means you won't get your cash until the following business day.
3. The tooth fairy vacations for the whole month of March. Everyone knows that.
Do your kids believe in the tooth fairy? Have you ever had to make excuses for the tooth fairy's failure to deliver? What's the best excuse you've ever made?
Monday, May 28, 2012
I Need Some Help
My son gets easily frustrated. I'm sure part of this has to do with his being seven years old. Being in the world at seven years old is like being in a candy store of possibility and being told that you can't have any. It's undoubtedly infuriating.
His autism also plays a part. He doesn't always know how to cope or self-motivate so when his pants won't come unbuttoned fast enough when he has to pee or he can't find a toy, his go-to response is pure frustration.
He'll grunt and frown, sometimes he'll scream. The other day when he was in the shower, some water had the audacity to touch his body. He screamed like he was being eaten alive by a gang of hungry crocodiles.
He is getting better. He's learning to ask for help. "What do we say", I remind him when I hear the screams.
"I need some help, please!" He'll shout. He's got a 50-50 record of doing the right thing and asking for some assistance before he melts.
Sometimes I get frustrated at his frustration. "Why can't he just ask for help and stop trying to do it by himself", I think. But here's a depressing bit of truth. I am often the exact same way.
I know in my mind and heart that if I shout, God will come running from whatever room he's in and he'll kneel down and pat my back and help me get through anything. He would do the same thing I do for my son. But just like Carter, I try to do it myself and end up kicking and screaming in a fit of rage.
It's hard for me to ask for help. I want to do it all on my own. I don't want to bother God, he's got plenty going on, what with all the earthquakes and hurricanes. Surely he doesn't have time to worry about silly ol' me. I try to think of him through my eyes. I'm busy cooking dinner and mopping the floor so yes, I sometimes do get annoyed when the kids can't find their shoes or can't buckle their pants.
But that's me; flawed, selfish, misguided me. That's not God. God is the opposite of me. He's perfect, selfless and full of wisdom and will be there even when I don't call for him. He will stand over me, watching me try to stuff my square peg into a round hole and shake his head at my ridiculousness. Sometimes he'll even remind me, "what do we say, Licha?" But I ignore him. He'll help me even when I don't ask for the help and if I don't try to swat his hands away, he'll even fix my problems.
If only I would stop shouting in frustration and say, "I need some help, please!"
His autism also plays a part. He doesn't always know how to cope or self-motivate so when his pants won't come unbuttoned fast enough when he has to pee or he can't find a toy, his go-to response is pure frustration.
He'll grunt and frown, sometimes he'll scream. The other day when he was in the shower, some water had the audacity to touch his body. He screamed like he was being eaten alive by a gang of hungry crocodiles.
He is getting better. He's learning to ask for help. "What do we say", I remind him when I hear the screams.
"I need some help, please!" He'll shout. He's got a 50-50 record of doing the right thing and asking for some assistance before he melts.
Sometimes I get frustrated at his frustration. "Why can't he just ask for help and stop trying to do it by himself", I think. But here's a depressing bit of truth. I am often the exact same way.
I know in my mind and heart that if I shout, God will come running from whatever room he's in and he'll kneel down and pat my back and help me get through anything. He would do the same thing I do for my son. But just like Carter, I try to do it myself and end up kicking and screaming in a fit of rage.
It's hard for me to ask for help. I want to do it all on my own. I don't want to bother God, he's got plenty going on, what with all the earthquakes and hurricanes. Surely he doesn't have time to worry about silly ol' me. I try to think of him through my eyes. I'm busy cooking dinner and mopping the floor so yes, I sometimes do get annoyed when the kids can't find their shoes or can't buckle their pants.
But that's me; flawed, selfish, misguided me. That's not God. God is the opposite of me. He's perfect, selfless and full of wisdom and will be there even when I don't call for him. He will stand over me, watching me try to stuff my square peg into a round hole and shake his head at my ridiculousness. Sometimes he'll even remind me, "what do we say, Licha?" But I ignore him. He'll help me even when I don't ask for the help and if I don't try to swat his hands away, he'll even fix my problems.
If only I would stop shouting in frustration and say, "I need some help, please!"
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