Check out my cousins' new business! I will definitely be purchasing one of these as soon as Kristiana is big enough. This so creative and beautiful. Prices and ordering details are toward the bottom of the page on this blog.
1. Facebook Fast? Check out this article in the Wall Street Journal. (Click Here)
This is sad and painfully true for many Facebook users. I don’t know if I want to do this. But, I could probably benefit from it.
2. Canned seafood is delicious, is good for your wallet, good for your waistline and has a multitude of health benefits. My favorites are smoked oysters, smoked kippered herring, tuna, salmon (in that order).
3. I have recently taken up drinking a glass of wine with dinner as often as possible. Weird that’s like an uber adult, or European thing, to do.
4. Coffee is my beverage of choice lately. I have recently taken up making and drinking coffee every morning. I never understood why my mom drank so much coffee. I thought her habit of drinking almost a pot a day was disgusting. Now that I have two kids, I totally understand. If it were at all sane to drink coffee all day, I would. I usually try to keep it to one cup of coffee and one cup of tea since I am breastfeeding. I totally feel bad about giving all that caffeine to Kristiana. And no, I will not be giving up coffee for Lent. It’s just not a vice for me, yet. We’ll see what the effect on me is when there are a couple more kids in my house.
5. Poor Alexander – cool moist, moldy weather = asthma = up all night coughing = parents up all night and breathing treatments = icky, runny, burning, frequent diapers = sad Alexander. BUT, we’re all used to the drill by now.
6. Kristiana is the classic trooper of a second child. She’s so strong and intelligent, she amazes me. She has a smile that can brighten any day. Alexander also amazes me. On Tuesday morning Andrew and I went get ready for work and left Alexander to his trains. As we were both standing at the sink Andrew’s phone began to ring. “Who is that?” Andrew asked.
I replied, “Oh, I am calling you apparently. Alexander must have my cell phone somehow.” An endearing moment ensued.
“Hello? Alexander?”
“Hello? Mummy? (pause) Mummy! Trains, mummy. [blah, blah, blah, baby talk].”
“Alexander, give the phone to Daddy.” Andrew ran downstairs to get the phone and Alexander gave it to him. Awe, so cute.
7. Strange to say but, YAY Lent starts next week! There is something about suffering, self-denial, good works, and attentiveness to one’s soul that is cathartic and uplifting.
Happy Mardi Gras to all.
And P.S. I plan to begin reading Atlas Shrugged. Wish me luck.
It's been a while. I am just trying to find the balance. I haven't even kept up on my favorite blogs.
Anyway, I thought y'all would be interested in this, because it's a chance to google yourself, so it should be fun for you.
Here's how this works: Google *your name* needs, and write down 10 of the search results.
1. They were all along the lines of "Renee needs to gain weight" and "Renee needs a man."
2. Her advice: Renee needs to get back to the joy of "just being."
3. You know if Renee Zellweger needs a couple of bucks, I'm happy to lend it to her.
4. Renee needs a break. (Ain’t it the truth? We all do.)
5. Renee needs a home. She squats in a shack down on Gardner street. In the shadow of wealth and the town's elite. Wondering each day what she'll have to eat.
6. Renee needs to tell a very important reality-altering story –
7. Renee Zellweger Needs a Makeover.
8. RENEE NEEDS TO MIND HER BUSINESS AND STOP TAKING ALL OF STRESS AND PUTTING ON OTHER PEOPLE YOU ALL NEED TO GET RID HER
9. At her work, if Renee is late more than six times, she's in danger of losing her job.
10. Garlington Center needs your voice, Renee
Eleven loads of laundry later, Alexander is still tossing his cookies, etc., and I have still not begun our family's regular laundry.
It all started late Saturday night, which was really early Sunday morning around midnight. I heard acry and went to Alexander's room to check on him. It was not quite his normal middle of the night cry. I opened the door and smelled it (I will spare you the detail of the odor, but it wasn't roses). I immediately knew something was wrong and flipped on the light--vomit everywhere--poor kid. That was load of laundry number one. Andrew helped me bathe Alexander and remove bedding. At that point Alexander was a bit traumatized and wanted to sleep with mom and dad and vomit on mom and all of mom and dad's bedding. We should have known better (load of laundry 2-3, plus pillows 4-5)--we did know better and ignored it, because we were tired. Then we all had a camp out in the living room--auxiliary blankets and pillows vomited on a couple more times (loads of laundry 6-11, I threw in all the blankets he used for good measure, and towels used to cleanup). Whew. All day Sunday he was tired but stopped vomiting and kept food down; Monday he was feeling fine, but had fevers; Tuesday, today, I woke him up and he immediately had diarrhea and a little bit of vomiting. Woohoo! and more laundry to do.
A lesson for all parents of little ones with an upset tummy: have a plan for vomiting. We were so tired we didn't think about letting him vomit all over the blankets would create so much laundry. We did have a bucket for him, but it's not easy to get a little one to warn you they are going to throw-up. In the past we have handled it better putting Alexander on towels and getting him to do it there. It created a lot less laundry. I think Andrew and I were both too sleep deprived to think and just wanted to cozy up and get some sleep. It was a bit of a cold night. C'est la vie-back to it
1. I am going back to work February 9th. Though I will miss the children terribly and will probably have to work even harder than before in every area of my life, I am grateful to have a job when so many in our nation do not have jobs. On the news this morning they announced that 90 workers at Mrs. Baird's bread bakery in Waco would lose their jobs. These are trying times.
2. O This week we endure, Thy name is colic. Kristiana has developed a little colic and it sounds like she wants to die when it comes upon her. All day long every day--I am not able to get too much done, because she is terribly unhappy. She could also be having a growth spurt. She can't seem to stop eating.
3. Flat Belly "Bam Ba lam" - Andrew and I started the Flat Belly Diet (as found in Prevention magazine February '09 issue) on Tuesday. It's pretty simple and easy to follow and in just four days we have both lost four pounds. We are coming down from our rich holiday food high. You should check it out. But, the fact that I am losing weight while nursing a 6 week old baby may be contributing to her colic. I don't feel bad. I was eating really poorly and now I am eating nothing but vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, some fruits and most importantly on this diet MUFAs. You'll have to read the diet to figure that one out. This diet is pretty much like all the other healthy diets--south beach, zone, insulin resistance--except I have found it easier than the others.
4. Help, I am drowning in clutter. Is it just me, or does everyone struggle with clutter as much as I do? Seems like there are always piles I have to deal with. I like to think I am good with organizing, but maybe I am not good at letting go, because you always need something a day after you get rid of it. Besides what do you do with it all?
5. Insurance companies are evil bastards--I got a bill for $305 this week for a lab that should have been 100% covered. I called a million people (okay, three - the three companies involved, my doctor's office, the lab billing and the insurance company). After a couple of hours and no answers later I was ready to have a meltdown. The only conclusion that came from all three was that the lab was not in my network. But, how did it happen that it was sent to an out of network lab...After several days and more calls the conclusion is that either the insurance will pay or the dr.'s office will, but I do not have to pay. Whew! I'll admit in my half starved, over-tired state I shed a few tears, while no one was watching. I don't know why this particular incident seemed like the end of the world to me. Maybe it had to do with the five loads of laundry piled around my living room I was attempting to conquer at the same time.
6. How do all you mommies and grand mommies keep a two year entertained (short attention span) while getting stuff done around the house and also juggling a newborn. Alexander always wants all eyes on him, or playing with him, or he must watch T.V. I don't want him to watch so much T.V., but every time I have to leave the room or breastfeed he starts breaking stuff, or has to follow me, or sit next to me, or hit the baby. Eeek, what to do with the dethroned first child?
7. Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, for all the blessings he gives us even in these troubled times. He is with us and He shows us signs everyday. Do not forget to thank him today.
BAPTISM (see video), CHRISMATION, HOLY COMMUNION
I received this hat yesterday from an awesome mommy blogger (flightygirl). She graciously shared her crafty knitting talent with me, and Alexander. This is probably the first hat he has been really excited about. It will come in handy when when go to Washington in January. Of course, we can use it right now here in Texas since it is very cold now. Three cheers for Kelly. Yay, Kelly, Yay, Kelly, Yay, Kelly.
To start: Here’s a shout out to Sarah in Afghanistan. Give’em hell! I hope your living arrangements get to be better. Your movies will be on their way shortly.
Stop reading here if you don’t like complaining…
I am feeling a little miserable. She’s all cramped and kicking hard for more space. I have had lots of contractions, which are not painful, but uncomfortable. My motility is really bad, i.e. it’s hard to get up and my waddle is profound. :-( It feels like my bladder is perpetually full. I promised myself I would never get swelling, because despite what people say that is not normal. Yesterday when I left work, my shoes were tight!—more water and walking, please.
It’s awful to say, but at this point in pregnancy, when pleading for it to be over, I know why people say they only want to have two/three children (or when they are up all night puking, or when you realize how expensive they are, or that you can invest more time in their care and upbringing the less of them you have). I will conveniently forget these feelings in a year, or so, because as far as I can tell, “the more the merrier,” despite all the trouble to rear them.
And despite my misery, I firmly do NOT want this baby to come now. First, the midwife leaves town tomorrow for five days. I went through all the stages of grief about her possibly not being here for the birth. I thought I was over it, but the more miserable I become the more I wish she were here. Second, I now have four days off work and I plan on spending a majority of that time resting. And I really want that rest, because I know I will enter the land of the living dead as soon as this little one is born. Then, I think I will be far more miserable.
I did not sleep well last night. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. cold and my sinuses hurt quite a bit, so I did not fall back asleep. It was time to get up to start the daily routine about the time I felt like I could go back to sleep. I took a long, hot shower, cleared out those sinuses and sore muscles and got on with it (though still miserable).
Alexander was pretty sweet and well-behaved this morning. He sang the hot dog song…you’d have to be there to know how cute that is. I hated to have to take him to daycare. It would have been nice to go back to sleep for a couple of hours and wake up to sweet husband and son playing. But, I had some work to finish up before I go on leave.
I do not plan to be at work next week. I think the baby is no more than a week away and depending how I feel, I may not go to work next week. However, chances are that after a few days rest, I will not have the baby and will feel much more up to going to work. I still stick by that all signs point birth happening in no more than a week.
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| From Alexander 2nd Birthday |
I saw my midwife today. Everything is normal for this point (we have some progress toward birth) and the expectation is to make it to somewhere near the due date.
HOWEVER, thanks to our wonderful holiday next week (don't get me wrong, I LOVE Thanksgiving), I will not have another appointment for 13 days AND my midwife is leaving town from Thanksgiving to the following Tuesday. PANIC. I was really looking forward to having a midwife for this birth and now it is a real possibility that she may not be there.
She said that she was fairly confident that she would be there for this birth. But her leaving town does give me a little anxiety. We can make though, I can put me feet up and cross my legs and think good thoughts. :-) This is no time for me to be impatient, even though every other thought I have is about this pregnancy and baby. It's time to take it easy.
Say a little prayer that I have a midwife for this birth. I was feeling SO confident about everything, because I knew she would be there. I am losing my confidence a little...a lot.
At Br. Gabriel's request:
So our dear friend called Sunday evening and he put into my head that Andrew and I should go "Russian" and spell our daughter's name with a "K," since we are such Slavophiles. I have been hearing this echo in my head for a couple of days now. Today, I mentioned it to Andrew and without hesitation he said, "Okay." Somehow, this has solved his discomfort of spelling it without an "h." We had consider it before, but for some reason it made more sense when Br. Gabriel said it.
Kristiana Noelle - I think...next week we will be back to Walburga.
"AWESOME. I have never been more proud to be an AMERICAN Catholic. I'm always proud to be a Catholic. Love, AC"
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/religion/chi-081111bishops,0,615284.story
I wanted to post the text as well, because someday this link will cease, but my blog will keep record.
Catholic bishops plan to forcefully confront Obama
By Manya Brachear Tribune staff reporter
8:38 PM CST, November 11, 2008
BALTIMORE - In a direct challenge to President-elect Barack Obama, America's Roman Catholic bishops vowed on Tuesday to accept no compromise for the sake of national unity until there is legal protection for the unborn.About 300 bishops, gathered in Baltimore for their national meeting, adopted a formal blessing for a child in the womb and advised Chicago's Cardinal Francis George, president of the conference, as he began drafting a statement from the bishops to the incoming Obama administration. That document will call on the administration and Catholics who supported Obama to work to outlaw abortion."This is not a matter of political compromise or a matter of finding some way of common ground," said Bishop Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio. "It's a matter of absolutes."The bishops, long one of the leading political forces against abortion, spent the first part of Tuesday behind closed doors reportedly debating the merits of "Faithful Citizenship," a nuanced guide for Catholic voters issued last November.
Though the document made clear that "the direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life is always wrong and is not just one issue among many," it also advised Catholics to weigh issues like poverty, war, the environment and human rights when choosing candidates.But some bishops said they were surprised to see Catholics cite the document as justification for selecting candidates--like Obama--who support abortion rights. A slim majority of the nation's Catholics voted for the Democratic candidate.Several bishops said that Catholics could not in good conscience vote for a candidate who favored abortion rights after Obama pledged to pass legislation that would overturn state's restrictions on abortion such as late-term abortion bans and requirements of parental consent."Any one of us here would consider it a privilege to die tomorrow--die tomorrow!--to bring about the end of abortion," said Auxiliary Bishop Robert Hermann of St. Louis.Bishops Thomas Paprocki of Chicago said such legislation could threaten laws that allow health-care workers to refrain from carrying out procedures that violate their conscience, putting Catholic health care institutions in jeopardy."There are grave consequences," Paprocki said in an interview. "If Catholic hospitals were required by federal law to perform abortions, we'd have to close our hospitals.""I don't think I'm being alarmist," Paprocki told the bishops.George agreed that losing federal funds would put Catholic health care facilities, which make up a third of the nation's hospitals, out of business. Closing Catholic hospitals would put many patients seeking charitable care from those facilities at risk, he added.In crafting the statement to Obama, the bishops urged the cardinal to indicate a desire to work with the administration in areas of economic justice, immigration reform, health care for the poor and religious freedom. But they stressed the church's "intent on opposing evil" and "defense of the unborn child."They vowed to oppose any law or executive order that might loosen restrictions on abortion.They emphasized that efforts to advance abortion rights would "permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans and would be interpreted by many Catholics as an attack on the Church." They also urged Catholics in public life to be committed to the teachings of the church.Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa., vice president-elect Joe Biden's home town, called on his brother bishops to be more punitive against Catholic officials who are "stridently anti-life.""I cannot have the vice president coming to Scranton and saying he learned his values there when those values are utterly against those of the Catholic Church," Martino said.Sister Jamie Phelps, a theologian at Xavier University in Louisiana, also served on Obama's National Catholic Advisory Board. She applauds the bishops for issuing the statement. But she said the Faithful Citizenship document made it clear that while the rights of an unborn child are a priority voters should consider a whole range of issues regarding the preservation and quality of life."That child has no voice if it's not the voice of the bishops and the voice of Catholics," she said. "But you can not pick and choose an intrinsic evil."George said the Faithful Citizenship document remains the guiding principle for Catholic voters. But he said future versions should be tweaked so portions are not "misused and misinterpreted." He said Catholics seemed to overlook the "whole question of proportionate reason."George has attributed Obama's victory to the economy, insisting that it was not a referendum on moral issues such as abortion rights.The bishops also approved a blessing on Tuesday devoted to a child in the womb, intended to support parents, unite parishes and foster respect for human life within society."Obviously it's a very tangible way for us to witness pastorally and sacramentally to the life of an unborn child," said Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville. "It's very consistent with the priorities we've raised."
We survived the weekend. Alexander is doing much better and eating well. He ate a nice little serving of green beans at lunch yesterday. Woohoo for vegetables! He likes them well cooked and buttery. He's down to two breathing treatments a day.
I took it extremely easy for a few hours on Sunday and I feel much better too--at least in terms of birthing. I did not do the laundry; oh well. I no longer feel like birth is near, which is great.
Andrew will be home late tonight--every garbage can is full and the litter box has not been touched in five days and Alexander is in desperate need of some rough housing. Among a million other reasons he is missed, it will be great to have him home again.
I know I said no blogs, but I just feel the need to get it all out—I need a little cathartic blogging. We have been having a little bit of suffering around our home. By all rights, nothing major, but a moderate discomfort just the same.
At this very moment, as I write this blog, I think this baby in utero is trying escape. It feels like she is trying to climb out. Fortunately there are no contractions, so she can’t get out. But, I think she’s dropped already! What does that mean? It could mean we could see each other very soon, or more likely it just means I get to have a bowling bowl against my pelvis for the next month. (Yuck, yuck, yuck, you didn’t want to know that.)
And now for the days of our lives…
We began this unpleasant week Sunday evening with Alexander having a fever. I had trouble sleeping that night—I think it was the time change. The next day Alex was completely unwell. Andrew and I shared caring for Alexander that day. I went into work and then came home in the afternoon. Alex went to the doctor late in the afternoon with a high fever. His throat was badly infected. We were hoping it was strep throat or an ear infection since both of those can be treated with antibiotics. It was not. We proceeded to have several more days of fevers, finishing out the week with asthma complications. More on that later.
What makes things more complicated is that Andrew had a paper to deliver at a conference this weekend. He had not completed the paper and now was caring for an ill child and stressed out wife. Andrew always leaves these things for the final moments. It’s not that he has not been working on it. He just seems to work better under the pressure of the final hours. I always stress out when he leaves these things to the last minute. He tries to tell me it’s not my problem, but it is. He is my other half and he is under pressure, so I am under pressure. Further, if he had completed the paper earlier, he could have cared for Alexander himself and I would not have to miss so much work.
My work is busy and I feel like I am behind, because I will be on leave soon and I need to tie up loose ends. When I was at work at the beginning to the week I felt stressed, because I had to leave a bunch of times to take care of Alexander. I felt stressed because I knew Alexander was at home feeling crumby. And I was tired and unfocused due to not sleeping well—worrying about work, Alex and Andrew.
To be honest, the result of the presidential election did not surprise me, nor stress me out. I said to Andrew after the Republican convention that I did not think McCain could pull it off, because ever since the results of the primaries way back in February and March, not once has McCain been ahead of Obama in the polls. That indicated to me that voters’ minds were not likely to change. I CAN be realistic despite my idealism. But, I wasn’t going to give up hope until the fat lady sung (her name is Oprah…slam). I am very happy his little girls can have a dog now. Having a pet is one of those childhood rights of passage.
I am disappointed, but things are going to be fine for now and hopefully I can get some awesome government freebies that I will now be “entitled” to under the Obama administration. ;-) I mean, if I plan to have eight or so children some free healthcare would be great. (Ha, ha, I crack myself up. Yeah, I know I am the only one laughing.)
Tuesday Alexander was pretty much well, a little tired, but no fevers. Wednesday he woke up with a fever and the sinister asthma cough. Andrew was also leaving that day for his conference, which meant I could not go to work. I went into work for a couple of hours before Andrew left and brought home a little work hoping I could catch up when Alex went down for a nap. Did I mention I was exhausted! I could hardly keep my eyes open. I should have taken a nap myself, but instead I went for the computer to get work done. I quickly found that my plan to do work was dashed. Our computer had a Trojan that I could not remove. (I am currently using an antiquated laptop…it scares me. It’s so slow.) So, I called Andrew and began to blast him for procrastinating and not taking care of things like this, since he knew about it and had plans to reformat the computer weeks ago, and I dumped everything else on him that I had been keeping it all bottled up. He listened to me sob about everything in my tired, delirious, pregnant mental breakdown. He was patient, kind, loving and understanding and promised to fix the things he could. That helped. I feel better now.
Pregnancy
I went to the dentist Thursday and the dental hygienist looked at me and said I was not going to make it to the due date. She said the baby had dropped and she was giving it two weeks, or very soon. Of course, I was more than happy to hear this since I am very uncomfortable. Now I am holding out hope that she is right. She has always seemed extremely perceptive to me—like she is clairvoyant. I don’t know why I am so eager to give birth again—immanent pain, months of little sleep. I should just be happy with the nice little life and routine I have now. Maybe it’s things like I went walking today and I could barely tie my shoes and clumsily lost my balance stepping off a curb, fell and skinned my knee like a little kid—it’s little things like that make birth sound appealing. Maybe I am just weary of going to work—although, the work of caring for a newborn is far greater. Maybe I am just eager to meet her and see her.
Alexander’s asthma is currently threat level yellow to orange. It’s more like an orange at night and yellow during the day. He has kept me awake for a couple of nights. He woke up with another fever on Thursday, but the doctor said the day before it was probably due to the asthma since the infection has cleared up. He is not getting enough oxygen at night. I took him to daycare with a fever yesterday morning knowing that it would probably go away as soon as he got moving and cleared his lungs of some phlegm. He did and he had a good day playing with his friends. He was quite exhausted from the breathing troubles. He is having his nebulizer treatments at daycare. This morning he packed up his things early and waited by the door impatiently this morning. I asked him if he wanted to go and he said yes, so I rushed around turning off lights and packing my things. He is tired of being cooped up in the house.
So tired—I am going to bed early. My glands are swollen now too. I hope I don’t get as sick as Alexander.
I assume if you read this far you cared to know. Like I said before this was my great catharsis of the past week (Did I mention I can be a bit of a complainer? It makes me feel better and then I can get on with it). I hope now to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although, I am currently listening to Alexander cough on the baby monitor. I put him in bed an hour ago and he is still coughing. He wanted to go to bed. I hope he can settle down soon. Say a prayer for the little guy and that I don’t have a baby before Andrew comes home (it’s unlikely, but who knows).
P.S. Sorry there are no pictures illustrating this wonderful post this old computer is just to frustrating to wait for it to do fancy stuff like graphics.
Catholics you cannot support a candidate who enforces the right to abortion and still call yourself Catholic. I am very weary of so-called Catholics telling me that all things considered, if they ignore that part of the candidate, he is the best candidate. It is not true on so many levels, but most of all, Obama is not the best candidate because of his position on abortion.
Do not vote Obama because you think you can reconcile your beliefs with his. You can’t justify this one.
DON’T VOTE OBAMA.
Alexander's first time trick-or-treating and he took to it like a duck to water. The moment he saw a Tootsie pop enter his bucket, it is all he could think about and talk about. It was the prize of the evening. He had so much fun that when he fell and skinned his knee (pretty badly) he did not even cry until another parent noticed how bad it was later, and mommy gasped at the sight and then the tears fell. The kids were all perfectly adorable. They ingested far too much candy post trick-or-treating, I began to fear for their teeth (and now I know I AM A MOM!).
Mommy's Homemade Elmo; The trick-or-treaters; The Loot; The Prize!; The Cristiana Pumpkin; Mommy at 35 weeks
Luke 11:29-33 - When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but on a stand, that those who enter may see the light."
Our Sign is the Cross – He will not grant you another sign, so that he may give holy things to dogs or throw pearls before swine….
He said only the sign of Jonah will be given to them. This means the Passion on the Cross and the Resurrection from the dead. (St. Cyril of Alexandria)
http://www.byzcath.org/
It’s that time of year again. It has been for the past month. I have been trying to pretend that it is not, but I cannot avoid it anymore. It’s my work's convention prep time and holiday time and baby time. I have been and will be far too busy to blog.
I hope to fit in a blog here or there, but, they will be few and far between.
I must admit that I am no scholar of Marx, but here we go in my attempt to simplify Marxist notions in reference to U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama. My goal here is that my mother-in-law will understand and finish reading this without her eyes glazing over (It’s okay if it happens; I already want to check out on this matter). I must admit Marxism is a bit complex to explain, or to put in a nutshell. But, here it is in a nutshell:
Marxism is not a type of political regime as one might think, but HOW a government reforms society to become a socialist governance. I emphasize here the metamorphosis of the society and the beliefs stemming the change. A Marxist Society attempts to overthrow *capitalism (*=our current state, in which we live and have a competitive free market), and in its place the government would control all major institutions and institute new, major, social programs, excepting religion.
Marxism in two nutshells—another emphasis of Marxism is the redistribution of wealth to even the division of different classes. The overall sentiment is that everyone is an equally important cog in the machine, and therefore, we as a society must take care of every cog equally. 
Are you screwing up your face yet? I feel a bit dizzy already. It’s not really possible to put Marxism in a nutshell. Further, lots of people know that it has not worked out well for those nations who implemented Marxist ideals and therefore, it has a taboo nature attached to it. However, the above nutshell is the working knowledge that I am working with here in this post. If it makes you feel better, substitute the word Marxism with Socialist Democracy (which is an acceptable substitution, I looked it up).
I had heard knowledgeable and notable political analysts call Obama a Marxist for various reasons. I asked myself whether I thought the claims were unwarranted. They were not. Obama is a strict socialist. Here are a few of questions to ask when considering whether Obama is a Marxist (a.k.a. strong supporter of socialism).
1. Does he think there is a class struggle in America? Clearly, yes
2. Does he think that because there is a class struggle the government should step in with government funded social programs? Yes
3. Does he think that more of the private sector needs to be regulated by government? Yes
O’Reilly accused Obama of being Robin Hood Obama—taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Except that when Robin Hood stole from the rich he was taking from tyrannical land lords who unjustly taxed the land tenants. Obama just wants to tax the riche for simply being richer.
Further, Obama claimed that, “if I am sitting pretty, and you have got a waitress who is making minimum wage plus tips, and I can afford it and she can't, what's the big deal for me to say ‘I am going to pay a little bit more?’” That is not the free market, democratic, capitalist America we have come to know and love. It’s socialism.
Also in this interview,
O'REILLY: You are taking money away from the big earners, and you are giving it to people who don't. That's called "income redistribution." It's a socialist tenet.
BARACK OBAMA: What I believe is, is that there are certain things we have got to do. And we have got to help people who have a tough time affording college, so they can benefit like we have benefited from this great country. People who are having a tough time, they don't have health care, people who are trying to figure out how they are going to pay the bills. And there are certain things we have got to do.
Guess what? I have learned that a college education is not worth as much as one would think. It’s been greatly devalued by the fact that many American workers have college educations; and that the quality of education is different now on many levels. Now, when I look at job advertisements, they all require a master’s degree or equivalent experience. I have found that those who chose to complete associates degrees have also faired much better in income earnings. One, A.A. degrees are more practical and career oriented. Two, people I know who received an associate degree spent two more years in the job market earning wages and gaining experience. Three, they did not spend between $20,000-$40,000 a year on a 4 year post-secondary education. Further, it is because of government education loans that universities have been able to increase enrollment, increase demand, and therefore increase their overall tuition, but not necessarily increase overall quality.
Okay. I’ll concede something major here. Do I think Barack Obama is a staunch Marxist? Heck no! It is clear that man loves capitalism. Sen. Obama could not be the self-made man that he is without it. He could not be the well-funded campaigner he is without capitalism. Barack Obama wants this nation to be a successful, capitalist nation full of hope and opportunity. He wants it to be the kind of nation that gave him all the opportunity he was afforded. BUT, he wants to do it by having the U.S. government take over some of America’s tested and true capitalist institutions. That part of his plan does not make sense to me.
Does he believe in socialism? His plans for America indicate yes. Let’s put this in the Marxist terminology used previously. Obama wants to TRANSFORM THE American governance so that the GOVERNMENT HAS MORE POWER TO CREATE socioeconomic EQUALITY BETWEEN THE CLASSES. You do not need me to rehash his plans. They are on his website. Now, you know where I am coming from, if you found my previous posting cryptic or inflammatory.
What I want for America is better quality Americans. In my plan for America, we do not simply bestow what is desired. It has to be earned. I hate to see Americans forget that this nation was humbly built by hard work and a competitive spirit. Our quality of living is already vastly better than what could have been dreamed 30 years ago. Lets not lose our competitive edge by relinquishing all control to government. Some government e is good, too much is bad.
Well, it only took 5 weeks of Alexander’s napping or bedtime, and two seasons of NCIS on DVD to finish, but here it is—My Homemade Baby Sweater. It’s a nice relaxing activity for a pregnant mommy.
I learned a lot about gauge while making this sweater. It turns out that it was okay I knitted it too long, because the gauge of yarn and needle size I used made the sleeves longer too. I also learned some new techniques. It’s super soft and probably more a 12 month old size sweater. I still have to get some mauve color buttons.
Next up, a cable knit scarf. I have the supplies now for cable knitting. We’ll see how I do. There are always mistakes when learning to do something new.
