I just finished reading an article about the girl that was killed in the high school hostage situation in Bailey, CO (full article here). Now that my children are in school, after reading that article, I feel sick. I truly want to vomit. These things upset me before, but now that sudden rush of fear for my own children's safety just made me sick.

See that counter???

When it reaches 6,000 I'm going to post a nudie shot...of SOMETHING...I don't know what...

Once again, it's a blame-everyone-else society...

McDonald's and other fast food places have been receiving a lot of flack for serving fatty unhealthy food. Okay, it's fast food alright? Anyway, McDonald's has now donated $2 million dollars to fund research on childhood obesity. Terrif. You may read the full article here.

While you may find the entire article of interest, I zeroed in on one particular quote, "It's good that they are funding useful medical research, but that doesn't absolve them of their responsibility to serve nutritious food to children," said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a Chicago-based charity watchdog group.

Personally, I've always believed that it was the PARENT'S responsibility to serve nutritious food to THEIR children. After all, no one is FORCING them to drive through any fast food chain and purchase greasy burgers, deep fried chicken or potatoes to their children. And of course, no one is twisting their arms to purchase soda or milk shakes for their children to wash that greasy, fattening, calorie ridden food down either. These places do offer salads with low-fat dressing, fruit cups, yogurt, milk, juice, grilled chicken and bottle water as well. It isn't the fault of the chains that too many parent's out there are too wishy washy to say "NO" to their child or just plain don't give a rat's ass about their child's health.

I'm not going to throw stones at anyone for taking their kids out for an occassional jaunt for a burger...stress on the word OCCASSIONAL. But it isn't McDonald's fault that there are kids out there being raised on grease and fat. That responsibility falls square on the parents who continually purchase this food for consumption by their children and call it dinner. NO ONE ELSE IS TO BLAME. That is just called poor parenting.

Of course, I'd like to know when these people are going to start going after the breakfast and lunch programs in our public schools. With such offereings as children Pop Tarts, sugar coated cereals, greasy sausage pizza, chocolate and strawberry milk for breakfast and corn dogs, fries, cookie, chocolate and strawberry milk for lunch, is it really wonder our children are obese???!!! These kids get this same type of food FIVE DAYS A WEEK at school. How often do they really get McDonald's? It seems to me that if people want to start casting blame they should start at the public school food programs because they are absolutely greasy, fattening, calorie ridden and UNHEALTHY! Even salads are made with iceburg lettuce, which has NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE at all, cheese made from grease (because it's cheap) and salad dressing that is loaded with saturated fat. All heaven forbid serving these kids fat free low calorie dressing, right?

In the end is still comes down to the parents though. Until the PARENTS take responsibility and start demanding truly healthy food for breakfast and lunch at school (or take the time to pack healthy nutritious food for their children like I do) and stop driving through McDonald's, all of the research isn't going to do a damned thing.

But that's just my opinion.

So many things to tell you...

Let's see, we had our first EGG!!! Fresh from our hen's backside! Isn't it PUR-DY?!
Yesterday I actually watched an egg fall out of Gordy's butt. For some reason, this excites me.

After the egg laying decided to lay out in the sun for a while. It was in the high 70's, but with the sun right on me it felt warmer. I laid out totally nekkid because WHO'S GONNA SEE ME???? Yeah, I walked around nekkid as a jay-bird for a while too because WHO'S GONNA SEE ME???? I love my country life.

I've been up since 4:00 a.m. You see, last night Bear said he was thinking about me and then he thought about tornados. Being the superstitious person I am, when it began storming terribly outside at 4:00 this morning (I swear we had lightning that shook the house), I just KNEW that we were going to have a tornado. So I didn't sleep.

That's why it makes sense that I ate chili at 8:00 this morning because I'd already been up for four hours.

I like chili.

Second post of the day...

You go, WILLIE!!!

Willie Nelson Cited for Drug Possession

LAFAYETTE, La. (Sept. 18) - Willie Nelson and four others were issued misdemeanor citations for possession of narcotic mushrooms and marijuana after a traffic stop Monday morning on a Louisiana highway, state police said.

The citations were issued after a commercial vehicle inspection of the country music star's tour bus, state police said in a news release.

"When the door was opened and the trooper began to speak to the driver, he smelled the strong odor of marijuana," the news release said. A search of the bus produced 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana and 0.2 pounds of narcotic mushrooms, according to state police.

Nelson's publicist, Elaine Shock, declined immediate comment.

Also cited were Tony Sizemore, 59, of St. Cloud, Fla.; Bobbie Nelson, 75, of Briarcliff, Texas; Gates Moore, 54, of Austin, Texas; and David Anderson, 50, of Dallas.

Each was released after being issued a citation.

Nelson, 73, has recorded songs including "On the Road Again" and "City of New Orleans."

Fuck.
Fuck, fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Yup, still shitty...

I had a shitty first half of the day. Anyone else?

My Father's Last Dance

It was November '03. My in-laws and my parents were at our house in Florida. My father-in-law was playing the piano and my parents were singing. My Dad's voice grew tired and he just listened to my Mom and father-in-law. I asked him to dance. I helped him out of his wheelchair and supported him while we danced. I don't remember the song. I remember him getting tears in his eyes because he hadn't danced since his stroke December 2000. He never thought he would dance again.

Dance With my Father Again

Back when I was a child
Before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high
And dance with my mother and me and then
Spend me around till I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved

If I could get another chance
Another walk, another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
How I'd love love love to dance with my father again

When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way I would run from her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me(yeah, yeah)
Then finally make me do just what my momma said
Later that night, when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me

If I could steal
One final glance
One final step
One final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
Cause I'd love love love to dance with my father again