Outrageous Violence Against Women

The recent story of a Muslim family convicted of killing their three teenage daughters is simply outrageous! This crap happens in other countries and now it happens in Canada and the USA too.

I may be "just an infidel to the radical Muslims, but I will go on record as saying that if you can kill your own daughter and blame it on your 2000-year-old set of religious beliefs, it is time to get a new religion!

My Ojibwe friend Joe says, we don't own our children, they are on loan to us from the Creator.

I can't believe how some cultures and religions still devalue women with backward ideas that restrict their freedoms. Such things include, making them cover their faces, not allowing them to drive or go out in public without a male relative escort, or charging money to a prospective husband to buy their daughter for marriage. The idea of killing a woman just because she wants to live a normal life, or because somebody else's warped perception is that the woman was too "immoral," is just insane!

It is sad when men are so afraid of being "shown-up" by a woman that they create rules to keep women from succeeding. It is even sadder when older women help to perpetuate these idiotic customs.

I am outraged that these (above mentioned) idiots killed their daughters (and sisters) and claim that God (Allah) wanted it that way! I hope these guys end up with a cell mate in prison who teaches them what it is like to be an abused woman.

KJC

Churches Won't Baptize Non-Members

My mom wanted us to baptize our son and neither my wife nor I have any objections. In fact, I was raised Christian and my wife who is from another culture agrees that our son will learn that he is multicultural.

Imagine my surprise to find out that baptisms are political and churches won't baptize a baby unless the parents are members! I should have researched this better before making my request to my local church. I had assumed that a baptism was about the soul of the baby.

Why was it that I grew weary of church politics in the first place???

Oh yes... I remember in Sunday school when the "teacher" grabbed a kid by the throat (granted he was a goof-off). This was just one of the contradictions I saw as I was being schooled in religion.

This doesn't necessarily mean that I am a non-believer. I just don't like the hypocrisy in organized religion!

KJC

Parenthood

My wife and I left our baby son with grandma and grandpa so we could go out to lunch together. It was really nice to have a chance to talk to each other and not have the baby cry while we were eating. But of course we were already missing him when we were backing out of the driveway to leave for the restaurant...

Let "Two and a Half Men" Die...

CBS Producers say that when Charlie Sheen was removed from the TV show, Two and a Half Men, that the show was saved by Ashton Kutcher. REALLY??? (Michael) Kelso??? Because I think the show was already getting too raunchy as it was, and now Kutcher, who only seems to be able to play one type of character (i.e. Kelso)-- just like Tommy Chong can only play a stoner has brought the show to a new low. Let this show die.

KJC

"Thanks" Tea Party

In the United States, the Republican Party has sprouted a faction that calls itself the Tea Party. With notable members such as Sarah Palin and her "twin" Michelle Bachman, The tea Party has taken the name of an important event out of America history, called The Boston Tea Party and defiled it by using it to define their political strategy to keep President Barack Obama from getting anything passed or making any progress. The idea is to never agree and never compromise on any issue that the Democratic Party wants. What the issue is or whether or not the idea is good or bad has taken a backseat to stubbornly rejecting anything that is not insanely conservative. For this, I want to say "Thanks a whole lot."

Time Well Spent

I haven't been making many entries lately, as I have been otherwise occupied. Most of my time is taken up working in the data warehouse. Then I get to be dad and husband.

Recently I learned about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. I was just finishing my latest novel, "Lapse of Humanity," and I had to do a hurry-up edit and get it entered.

I'm trying to figure out how to get more time, as time seems to move faster... all the time!

Snow this Morning!

Most Annoying Car

I saw the most annoying car ever tonight. The poor woman was driving a Buick down the road behind me with the alarm going off! You know... that stupid alarm that goes off on some car everyday--somewhere close enough for you to hear it.

When I hear that sound, I always say to myself, "Oh no! Somebody is stealing a car!!!"
Ha! ha! No I don't! I was just foolin' you!

After I got onto the freeway, the Buick with the honking horn and lights flashing on and off went past me. "Man," I thought. "That car is sure annoying!"

A Thousand Years

I quite like the song, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.

Is it Time to Move my Money from TCF?

Yesterday on my bank statement there was a charge I had never seen before. It was a check image charge. After calling TCF Bank and going through their horrid computer phone system I finally got a live person. She told me that the pictures of my checks that I've gotten on my monthly statement for the last nine or ten years now costs $1.95 per month. I had that removed, as I know what my check looks like and can take a picture of it myself if I need to. So apparently I could be charged a $10 maintenance fee if I didn't use my debit card enough or if my balance was too low.

That settled it. My son's new bank account will not be at TCF! I may have to follow the Un-occupy Big Banks movement.

How Satire Works

"Just relax, this will only hurt a little..."

The Power of Words

On my way home from work yesterday I decided to stop by the dollar store to get a couple of things. Now I don't expect to be entering a "high class" establishment when I go there, but the two women who were very loudly using language that would put the Sopranos to shame made me think of my time working in the alternative high school and the chemical health division of the county. What is it that people like this are trying to achieve by using the "F" word in every sentence?

Now please don't insult me by trying to turn this into a racial thing (like when I was working at the county). I don't care what color your skin is; I just don't want to hear you spew obscenities at high volume in a public place. On the "flip-side," I would venture to guess that these same two women would go into a (near) homicidal rage if someone with a light complexion uttered the "N" word.

So the power of words is strong, and ignorant people are creating a hostile environment for our children. Yes, our children. I am a dad now and I don’t want my son to think it is alright to speak that way.

Republican Primary Questions

1. Who names their kid, "Mitt?" OK, his parents are sort of off-the-hook--since that is his middle name and his first name is actually, Willard.

2. If Michelle Bachman drops out of the race, does that mean you have to actually know something in order to run for President?

Separation Anxiety

So if you happen to follow my blog (believe it or not one or two people do), you may have noticed that I've been fairly "quiet" for awhile. It seems that I became a father just before Christmas in the wee hours of the morning. I awoke that morning to my wife saying, "oh crap, I think my water just broke!"

We are both tired, happy, overwhelmed at times and just so grateful that we finally have the baby (boy) we were trying for for so long.

I'm going back to my new, new job that I started late in November--and I'm experiencing separation anxiety! I don't want to be away from my wife and son right now. But, responsibilities, wages--these things also take up time and are important.

How has my life changed some people have asked? How has it not? My priorities have, I think, rightfully shifted to my wife and our tiny son.

Among the more humorous notes, could be all of the nicknames I've given my son depending on if he is being "Mr. Fussy Pants" or maybe simply "Boo-Boo." I've also taken to "checking his mudflaps" as my own father would have almost assuredly called my diapers when I was that age. In fact, I'm under the impression at this moment that I may have cleaned my baby boy's back end more than my own!

I miss them...