Sunday, April 30, 2006

The Hollisters

As the offical local music maven of Houston, Texas I can honestly report the few bands who are talented and have a shot at success on a national level. I'm not going to sugar coat it and lie about what a great scene we have here, that's what The Houston Press is for! I honestly believe their music guy gets groupie cast offs to report favorably on so many amateur bands. That must be it. I know many of them and they either shack up with girlfriends or live with their parents so they're not paying him in cash!

Any band with potential moves from Houston to Austin. Naturally, the Hollisters are now based in Austin.The best band from Houston is by far The Hollisters. I've been an avid fan since 1995. Mike Barfield has a distinctive voice that will haunt you. I've taken tons of people to see them. The standard question I ALWAYS hear after the show is, "Why aren't these guys famous yet?"

I would say more but you really have to experience this band live to understand their unique talents. If you make it out to the show, tell 'em Lisa sent you.

The original members are playing a show at the Continental Club on Main. Check out the schedule at: www.continentalclub.com.

Visit the Hollisters website: www.hollisters.com. You can buy their CD's on the site as well. I can also inform you that Mike Barfield's Solo CD is a keeper.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Cool Fuels on the Science Channel

It's not easy trying to live green in Houston, TX. I've always been into recycling and environmental issues which has sometimes been a great irritant to my minion. Earth Day is always a reminder of how much change this behemoth of a city needs to make. Anything's possible, right?

I was delighted to find the show Cool Fuels on the science channel today. An Aussie travels across the USA using different kinds of fuel WITHOUT USING GASOLINE! It was realistic and possible and I was glad to watch it with my child. The fuels used were biodiesel, solar, wind, electricity and micro hydro.

The RV they traveled cross country in was powered by biodiesel, solar and electricity. They also had a motorcycle which was electric, a convertible car and an electric bike.

Now I wish I had taken notes because it had some great information in it. I'll try to catch it again and post more accurate information.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Calgon Moments

Calgon Moments

Let me know what triggers a Calgon Moment for you and how you deal with it! Inquiring minds want to know!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Letting Yourself GO

The last couple of years have been HORRIBLE! "Jacob's Ladder" variety horrible. The kind that makes you wonder who you screwed over in a past life to deserve this kind of misery. Misery does indeed love company so read on my Lovelies!

My odyssey of suffering began back in 2000 when some hillbilly at work began harassing me. I have come to ignore a lot of stupidity being an attractive female trying to support my son but this inbreeder was off the charts! He was the physical equivalent to the rapist in Deliverance. I want to take a shower just thinking of him. It literally makes me cringe. After months of polite refusals, this guy decided to show me the money! Yuk! I had no choice but to call HR who promptly fired him then turned around and fired me. I couldn't find a job ANYWHERE for over three long years. Independence was a great source of pride for me.

I learned about myself and the world around me during that time. The one good thing that came out of it was being able to spend more time with my child. I learned that money didn't make me happy but I had problems providing the basics at times. It was either feast for famine.

I'm the middle child so naturally in my family I became the glue to held the group together. Any time someone needed advice I was the go to girl. I was the only one who had it together when everything and everyone was falling apart. The problem was that I was taken for granted. When I needed help there were only tumbleweeds to keep me happy in the ghost town of my realm.

I was the one who took everyone to the hospital and stayed with them no matter the cost to me for 4 long months. I stayed in the hospital with my brother when he nearly died from Osteomyelitis. This involved hours on end of screaming on his part and my reminding nurses to bring his medication on time. I had more than my share of Aurora Greenway moments (Give my Brother the shot!). He was only 41 at the time and they were asking me to choose a Hospice so you can imagine the toll that takes on your psyche. His "wife" refused to visit him and only called him on the phone to inform him she would put him in a nursing home if he survived. Then she tried to attack me in the hospital and ripped his IV out of his arm! Dr.s told me it was a miracle he's alive and able to walk. He went back home to the succubus. Now he's not allowed to talk to me.

While he was in the hospital, my younger brother fell off a skateboard and fractured his skull. My son called me and told me that I needed to come over because he had blood shooting out of his head and ear. I called 911 and watched the EMT's panic because they couldn't stop the bleeding. I insisted the call a chopper to take him to a trauma unit since sitting in rush hour traffic would have meant his death. He's permanently deaf in one ear, can't smell or taste and can't remember much or learn new information. He refused my help to get him SSI so that my Mother wouldn't have to support him indefinitely.

After these and more mindbending events, I find myself obese! I never had a problem before. In December 2005, I fell in a friend's driveway and broke my right arm, including my elbow because she neglected to shovel snow from her driveway. She's an RN and refused to take me to the hospital. Two days later her boyfriend drove me to the airport and they pretended nothing happened! She refused to give me her homeowner's information! I couldn't drive myself home from the airport. Now her boyfriend, my best friend for 10 years doesn't speak to me. He doesn't understand why I'm upset. Whatever! I couldn't do anything for myself for 4 months! I was stuck at home with no help. Evidently that caused a major weight gain.

Every waking moment is a Calgon Moment! It's a waking nightmare. Don't get me wrong, I've got a great sense of humor and I have to laugh or I'll cry but enough is enough. I've come to the point where I've just told everyone to leave me alone and take on their own problems but is that enough?

Monday, April 10, 2006

A Matter of Perception

I came across this. Read it in addition, my post is at the end.

"Real World" Training
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Tuesday we took a break and had lunch in the park. It was a quiet afternoon. Most of the younger children were down for their naps and the "school age' children were, well, in school. We had the park to ourselves. It was fun to just sit and eat our Jimmy John's and play catch.

As we were sitting there on a bench a car pulled up with two teenage kids inside. My husband remarked that it was time to go since the local high school had just let out and this park typically fills with rowdy teens looking for something to do.

The young gal lifted a baby out of the back seat and for a moment we both thought they might be young couple taking their newborn out for a little fresh air. Before too long, it became obvious that the baby wasn't real. I realized this was probably part of the mommy training the high school provides to show teenage girls the reality of mothering. They wandered over to the fountain where my two teenage boys were standing with their little baby sister, Elaina. After a few moments the "mommy" set the "baby" on the ledge near the fountain. She then started talking to her boyfriend, ignoring the doll. My son, on the other hand, had a a tight grip on his little "baby doll" making sure that she didn't fall into the fountain or fall off the ledge.

Now, I ask you, which student was getting the experience and training necessary to prepare them for parenting in the real world? Before you answer my son, think about it. It really depends on your worldview.

If you believe that children are a blessing from God then you would proabably answer my son. If you believe that children are a burden meant to be cast aside when they become inconvenient then you would say the high school girl. Each adolescent is being trained to believe something about children according to the truth that accompanies the training.

My sons are being trained to become fathers who will one day parent their children with the truth that children are a blessing from God. After chatting briefly with the young lady it became obvious that she viewed children as a pain and that the whole idea of become a mother was undesirable. Sadly, that's the prevailing attitude in the "real world" and this young lady is being trained to fit right in.

My Response: I was public school educated and had to carry an egg. I homeschool my son. I didn't think the school was teaching me that children were a burden. My family taught me that. There were 5 children in my family and my parents had a volatile marriage for over 35 years before divorcing. My Mother is a devout christian and forced us to go to church several times a week. Going to church does not a christian make.

Carrying around an egg just reminded me of the responsibility of parenthood. Not that I needed to be reminded. I have a brother 9 years younger than me who I had to help take care of since the day he was born. He's 27 now and I'm still taking care of him.

While I never envisioned having children of my own, my child has been the greatest blessing in my life. I make sure he is raised in a loving and stable environment. My family was a cautionary example for me. Going through that experience taught me what not to do as a parent.

I think the public school system is just trying to show potential teenage mothers that the prospect of singleparenthood will alter their future.

I became a singleparent at age 27. I doubt I'll ever get married. While some parts of society place a stigma on singleparents which is just another form of prejudice, I think how much I would have lost if I conformed to societal expectations because I wasn't married.

I had married parents and an unhappy childhood. My child has one devoted parent who makes him the first priority. I'm teaching him the value of self-reliance while my parents just warehoused me for 18 years.

I do agree that public schools are a large factory with their own agenda but children are still profoundly influenced by their parent's attitude toward parenting.

When a child grows up in a loving environment they have a different take on parenthood.
Lisa | Homepage | 04.10.06 - 5:37 am | #

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Calgon Moments

Do you ever have those Calgon Moments? Calgon, take me away... We all have them. Unfortunately lately I seem to be stuck in a persistent vegetative state and I don't mean Texas. Although many parts could pass. People here seem to be getting more ignert, the ones that actually speak English.

Perhaps it's simply a rut or early midlife crisis manifesting itself. I've already traded in all the BS and yet still haven't found my bliss. At some point in life we all wake up, look around and wonder WTF is going on and how did it all come to this? Lately I can't seem to find the humor in it.

I feel like Elvis before that last tour - fat, bloated and sick. Certainly there are people in a worse funk but who cares, I'm worried about me. I realize it's ADD but that makes me special, right? I don't ride the short bus but lately I feel I'm pushing it!

It's already at least 85 here everyday. Can't wait for the mosquitos and hurricanes to let me know it's summer.

I need a good laugh, maybe I'll check out the comedy clubs on amateur night.


Check out my other blogs: www.homeschoolblogger.com/Dalaimama, http://360.yahoo.com/chinadolll2, http://spaces.msn.com/RantingRequired

Benzene in colas! Yes, BENZENE!

I'm SO thrilled to learn that there is Benzene in all colas/sodas (depending on your vernacular) from a news website. I knew the good people at coca-cola had me hooked from age 8. I've been dealing with the loss of tooth enamel, calcium leached from my bones, addiction to caffeine and obestiy but BENZENE! I guess I can get on that class action suit and pray for $20 when I develop AML! You Bastards! You won't see this on the news but google it before Herr President censors it. That's tasty.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Amnesty for Illegals Again?

There are so many wonderful and horrible things going on the world now that it's difficult to pinpoint a starting point. I suppose that was the purpose for naming this particular blog, Calgon Moments. Because there are so many of them now.

My life is as busy and hectic as anyone else's. I know what's going on in the world is not reflected on TV in the news or represented in movies and television shows. The world can't handle the truth!

If I'm Not bitching, check my pulse! I can't believe I had to endure illegal aliens marching for their rights on TV. Come on, that was the perfect opportunity to deport them! I live in a border state so I'm constantly bombarded with Spanish speaking illegals trying to communicate with me in Spanish. The local school doesn't even print out forms or letters in English anymore. I have no problem with LEGAL IMMIGRANTS who come here and learn the language and assimilate into our society. When I walk out my front door and see an Illegal peddling his little sno-cone/taco stand down my street while he screams in Spanish, I get pissed. Then I flip over to the job section of the newspaper and see that now I can't get a job if I don't speak Spanish!

Before you go spouting off that we're all immigrants, save it. I'm of Native American Ancestry so you killed my ancestors and stole our country, NOT FROM MEXICANS BUT FROM NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS.

Amnesty didn't work in 1986 and it's not going to work now. Between the corporate whoredom of our socalled representatives and the illegal aliens, American Citizens are screwed, blued and tattooed.

The law that allowed Illegal Alien children to get a FREE education should be repealed. The law that allows illegals to have a child here and stay here should be changed.

Check out how New Zealand and other countries have changed their citizenship status. In fact, check out how Mexico deals with Illegal Aliens. Talk about hypocrites!







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