thursday's ten: the newsworthy edition

wanna know what's NOT news?
anything to do with someone who's famous for being famous
pictures of a kiss
someone's clumsiness or accident while performing.


sometimes we get a little too caught up in that stuff.  i have a tendency to care a bit too much about surface stuff like that. but people...it's not news.


wanna know what IS news?







1. people are doing good things.  like this guy in pennsylvania who handed $100 bills to poor people in his city and insisted on being annonymous.  (story)
that's news.
2. AIDS is declining, and it 20% lower in outbreaks from it's peak in 2005.  there are so many great organizations out there giving help and information...that's news.
(story)
3.  if you have a local food bank, chances are they could use a little extra in donations.  (story)
4,  a small "victory" -- a rape victim who was jailed for adultery was released.  because she promised to marry her attacker.  not sure which is the better fate there... (story)
5.  there are really, really good organizations out there that are really really helping people.  like Safe Haven, here in nashville (story)
6.  teenagers are doing great things...like rescuing people from fires (story)
7.  sometimes irony hits: a dog shot his owner while they were hunting.  oops. (story)
8.  too little too late?  but at least it will do good in the future...Penn State is giving 1.5 million to sex crimes groups (story)
9.  random acts of kindness DO still happen.  in iowa, a woman paid over $1000 to make sure people had running water for thanksgiving.  (story)
*i find it incredibly sad that this is characterized as "odd" news.  what if we made things like this the normal news?!
10.  if wer must talk about celebrities as "news" let's actually talk about what they are doing to contribute to healing and help in the world.  yes, entertainment is it's own form of help...but people like bono who are continually using their fame to bring awareness to needs around the world...that's news. (one.org)  or even rachael ray and her organization that has teamed up with former president bill clinton (yum-o.org) to fight childhood obesity.  come on people.  that's news.


so you'll pardon me if i don't get too excited about which kardashian is pregnant and which one says she'll probably never have kids.  or worry too much about who j lo is kissing.  or do more than say a prayer for and cheer on the celebrity who just entered rehab.  all that is gossip, and while it may hold a fleeting interest for a few of us (and we shouldn't feel guilty about being *interested*) ...it's not news.  just wanted to draw that line today.


i know we can't all afford (monetarily or with time) to do some of these things.  but find something you care about...some good thing...and just donate what you can.  you'll be amazed at what a tiny bit can do.


next week we'll be doing a favorite top ten list of mine -- Christmas/holiday movies that you love!  please join me :-)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .6

hey, it's ok

... to have a giant snowball fight.  in a park.  with some great friends...and a whole lot of strangers :)

... to have wiped out while running a charge in said snowball fight.  and to find out that a whole lot of people may have got it on film.  including 1, 2 or 3 news crews.

... to have slept in approximately every day of break.  hey, when you've got to be at work shortly after 6 am sleeping past 7 is "in"!

... to be contemplating whether or not to chance babysitting tonight...clients live a little out there on a bit of a country road.  could get interesting :)
... to kind of want to take emi outside to get snow pictures.  except that emi HATES snow...

(pics from snowball fight)

(and a video where you'll see me wiping out.  trust me.  you'll see it)

http://www.flipshare.com/ViewFbReshare.aspx?i=fc5d756e-2e63-487e-bc23-8867ca5c8655

Fitness Friday: an obesity FORECAST?!

i know

i read that and went "really?"

and the article is here, should you want to read what sparked this post.

i think the line that got me the most in this was the following:

The lifespan of an obese person is up to 8-10 years shorter than that of a normal-weight person, the OECD said, the same loss of lifespan incurred by smoking.

um, wow?

but truly, it's good that studies are being done

i live in tennessee, which is (according to recent calculations) the 2nd fattest state in the nation.

yikes.

that's not ok

thankfully, our governor sees this as the huge problem it is, and has unveiled a plan to make some pretty major changes

more sidewalks, taxes on soft drinks, more frequent PE classes

among other things

hear me say:

i'm not at an ideal weight

but i am working toward it

i got a little out of control

and i can certainly see how that happens

but seriously

to be the fattest nation on earth

when we have the access to amazing, local produce

(or at least fresh-ish produce for those of you not near great farmers markets and groceries)

and we have the whole world literally at our fingertips

to research how to eat healthful and real food meals

exercise plans for every level of ability and need

what's our excuse?

really.

what will it take for us to take the doritos off our regular buying list

and replace them with (for the same price) a week's worth of crunchy vegetables and hummus?

when will we put down the expensive packaged cookies

and for a fraction of the cost, make a better and more healthful version?
(ahem -- it kind of drives me crazy when people complain about the cost of healthy food
when junk food is incredibly expensive!)

it's not about deprivation

it's about making smart choices

and yes.

i occasionally buy a bag of doritos

but it's not even once a month!

and i bought oreos for the first time in about 2 months yesterday

but i'm sure the cashier was a bit surprised by that addition to an otherwise healthy basket.  ha!

i guess the real question here

is when will we get off our (literal) butts

and start making our health a priority?

(i'm asking myself too)

for me...i need to learn that happy medium.  after struggling with eating disorders for years upon years

i started eating what i wanted 

i embraced recovery

and as i stated above, i got a bit out of control!

but now that i'm learning more about what my body actually needs

how it was designed to function

and how i can eat really good food

and still be healthy?

why would i NOT prefer that over a drive-thru?

all things in balance

all things in moderation

it's not about never eating anything unhealthy

-- unless you're a stronger person than i!

it's about learning to make that the exception rather than the rule.

(and for me...a cheeseburger tastes SO MUCH better when it's been weeks since i've ordered one!)

i'm still working away at my weight loss challenge

(which reminds me...must make an update post about that next week)

my goal is to be at a weight that i'm happy with

and want to maintain

by the time i'm shopping for wedding dresses.

that's my clear and eventual goal

to be thrilled with my body on my wedding day

and beyond

it's a tangible goal

beyond that, i want to raise children

who never have the same body image issues i did

who learn how to have that balance and healthful attitude

that i'm currently striving for

what about you?

you know...we could prove that forecast wrong.
i'm just sayin'

and then there was the time that nashville nearly drowned...

(titans stadium)

we're officially in a state of emergency here.
and while there are bad things happening
(anthony's parents had a flooded basement yesterday
his granny's house has 3 ft--at least--of water sitting in it)
i'm choosing to focus on the positive

(the walmart a mile from my place--saturday mid-day)

i don't have any firsthand sensational pictures to post
like many of my friends do
and at first i was kinda bummed about that
then i quickly realized how silly that is

(on the other side of me, less than a mile away)

the fact that i don't have any awesome storm pics
no waves going through my backyard
no rivers down the street

(another major intersection--this one about 3 miles away perhaps)

it means that i'm safe
secure
and dry

many that i love aren't so lucky

(downtown street)

i will say that i don't know the status of the storage unit just yet
(and am oh-so-thankful i secured renter's insurance on the contents of it just friday!)
but the things there are just that--things.
emi is safe
i am safe
anthony and his family are safe

we're good
:)

i'll leave you with a couple of more humorous things from the storm
(because as you can see above there is much in the way of seriousness
but i--we--need to laugh)



facebook status from a friend:
K, now we know it is bad. Naomi Judd just called the TV station to report that her fence has been knocked down and that her buffalo are now roaming wild! Flooded house, yes, but wild buffalo, lookout!!

and further proof that nashville not only doesn't stop the music for water--it also doesn't stop creativity!
"Tennessee's Not Landlocked Anymore"


this one's not funny...just poignant. i love this photographic proof that you can't stop the music here, no matter what.
i think there's a whole blog post just in that statement

...i'll work on it...

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 10

remember bank robber Santa?
well
he came back
as bank robber leprechaun

so the mystery is solved
but the guy in the suit(s) is dead
big-time police shootout
killed the driver of the getaway car eventually
and the actual robber killed himself as he fled on foot
thankfully, the only casualty on the law enforcement side was the police car that got shot up

(news story here)

nashville always makes the news for odd things...
(this time we made *international* news!)
i wonder what's next?

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 9

A nudist church.

I really have no words...just...let the video speak for itself.

article and video here

Can of Worms: Explode!

I know they say never to talk about religion or politics over dinner.

So no snacking as you read this, ok? And certainly don't dig into a big meal. This is gonna go south pretty quickly if you do, because I'm talking about BOTH.

I often avoid standing on soapboxes on this blog, especially political ones. Because I'm very aware that there are so many sides to every issue...and selfishly because I'm afraid I'll lose followers.

But dangit, it's MY blog and I can soapbox if I want to. I will still try to not offend anyone. :)

I'm sure if you've read closely you realize that I lean more toward the liberal side politically. In most parts of the country I'm fairly certain I'd be considered more middle of the road, slightly leaning left...but here in this red, red state I am WAY out there in most people's eyes. Like, so far left of the line I can't even SEE the line anymore. The line is a dot to me.
(bonus points for you if you get the reference!)

It's ok. I've always marched to my own beat, and I've gotten used to being the different one. (someday I'll tell you about my childhood...)

And please don't read this to mean that I'm ALWAYS liberal. That I ALWAYS vote for one party over another. I don't. I don't believe in straight ticket voting. I believe in researching the candidates and selecting the one that I truly think will do the best job, regardless if they line up on my little check box chart of things I look for in a candidate. This means I also don't choose one issue and vote based on it. A variety of issues and views are considered. Thankfully, I like politics enough to do the research...I know a lot of you are yawning right now...

Also, I think it's important to note that my close friends and loved ones are all over the political spectrum. I prefer it that way--when we discuss politics (which we do) I get a much more well-rounded discussion, and am able to truly think about what I believe and hold to be truths...and they are too. We learn, grow, and change our minds once in awhile.

Anyway...a couple of things that are bothering me.

Remember all those email groups and other wonderful (and I truly mean it) avenues that were all over the place when President Bush was in office? You know, the people who committed to pray daily, weekly, whatever...together or alone...and followed through.

I was never a part of them, and it had nothing to do with my political leanings...I just choose to pray for our nation and leaders in my own way, on my own time.

However, I never see groups like that now.
Have they disbanded now that the Presidency has changed hands?
Do they still meet and pray as fervently for our current President?
And if not, why?

I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that question...

I wrote all of the above before google searching it.
Thankfully, there seems to still be an active presidential prayer site.
And thank goodness for Max Lucado.
However, not all may have the best intentions in their prayers...
and this article was frightening.

All of that aside...the real reason for this blog rant is this article from Fox News. If you don't want to read the whole thing (it's rather...odd, actually. Kind of a conglomeration of a conversation between senators. i think. i'm not familiar with the guy who wrote it, so this may be his normal article style...but it's odd to me.) the basic story is this: in a joking manner--I think--, a Senator has publicly stated that Al Gore has a free place to stay in DC now...courtesy of global warming!

Ha.
Ha.
Ha.

And while I've heard people joke like that quite a bit, and it's sorta funny...it's also misguided.

I'm tired of people who refuse to do environmentally responsible things because it's "liberal". It's not liberal. It's responsible. I truly, TRULY believe that we as Christians have a calling to take care of our planet. And recycling, doing other green things...those are all a part of it. I don't care if you're a Libertarian, Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Polkafish. It's just what you DO.

And I'm also tired of people who refuse to believe in global warming because a Democrat who was in an administration that a lot of conservatives would like to forget ever happened is at the forefront of the awareness campaign.

Please do me a favor, blogland. If you're going to choose to believe that global warming doesn't exist, or isn't a bad thing, or isn't as severe as "they" are telling us (whoever they are)...at least research it.

I'm going to be completely honest here. I haven't researched it enough to come up with my own thoughts on how severe I really think it is. *I* need to do my research too. I'm not blindly following anything because Al Gore tells me to. I actually think he'd be the first to tell us to research it on our own anyway! But please don't blindly ignore things because you don't agree with the person on a political level either.

Here's a well-written article, in which the author freely admits her biases, from a "eh, I don't know if it's really an issue" perspective.
PBS article explaining global warning in bare-bones form (because if you're like me you get a little overwhelmed with facts and figures)

Here's the thing though, regarding the senator who invited Mr. Gore to the igloo his family fashioned "for him". IF we are to believe that global warming exists then we have to accept that certain aspects of it will lead to the crazy snowfalls we've seen in most areas of the country this winter. The term "global warming" leads people to believe that we should have hot summers and mild winters. I used to think that too...but the simple fact is that global warming doesn't really mean that at all. It means the temperature and humidity rise. And what do we need for snowfall? Temperatures under freezing (which easily happen in most of the areas of the country affected) and...um...humidity. Moisture already in the air. Which IF we believe in global warming means...we've got plenty of the humidity.

(we certainly have enough humidity to spare here in TN. year round. global warming or not.)

So, Mr Senator-who-I-will-not-name-you'll-just-have-to-read-the-article:

If you're going to flippantly say things like this? At least check the premise of the thing you're attacking. It just might make you look a bit foolish to those who know anything about the issue at all.

That is all.

Oh, but one other thing? Just to make you smile. Since I've put it all out there anyway:

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 8

A friend of mine (who co-writes this fairly awesome blog) said it best when she termed it "the Department of Weird Things Spilled on our Interstate"

cucumbers.
all over I-40
just about 30 minutes outside of Nashville, and about 15 minutes from my house

News story here...but there's not much there.

Other random things spilled on TN highways recently:
chicken nuggets
fuel (not odd, but it seems to happen a lot--most recently in January)
adhesive

and there's more, but honestly I'm a bit too lazy to search the articles.
:0)

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 7

I've heard about a lot of things being smuggled in underwear lately...most notably the attempted airline attack...

But 44 lizards?

A German man was arrested in New Zealand for attempting to get out of the country with 44 lizards in his underwear.

Let's just stop and think about that for a minute, shall we?

At what point did that seem like a good plan?! And the article seems to imply that he may have actually succeeded in this before...

Wow. Just...wow.

article here

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 5

This crazy news story brought to you NOT from Nashville...

...or is he?

This British dude escaped from prison in September and is now taunting police from his facebook page. You'd think Scotland Yard would have found him by now, eh?


story at dailymail.co.uk.

C razy News in Nashville (You Can't Make This Stuff Up, Volume 4)

A bank down the road from me was robbed yesterday. By Santa. He claimed to need the money so he could pay his elves.

I wish I were kidding.
In other news, looks like a wet Christmas here, but not a white one. Par for the course!

Dear Tennessee,

When you go and decide to make the news, could it not be for something like this?

MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery fist-bumped the Dalai Lama as he arrived in Memphis for the National Civil Rights Museum’s “Freedom Awards.”

The Dalai Lama was greeted at Tom Lee Park by Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Tuesday afternoon, September 22, 2009. Mayor Lowery shook hands with the Dalai Lama and then grabbed his hand and showed him how to fist-bump. Lowery then told the Dalai Lama that he, “always wanted to say ‘hello Dalai.’” Both laughed at the gesture and joke.

Later, the Dalai Lama explained – laughingly – that smacking fists is considered a sign of violence. The Dalai Lama seemed to be amused by the greeting.

The Dalai Lama is in Memphis to receive the National Civil Rights Museum’s International Freedom Award at the Peabody Hotel, Wednesday, September 23. The award is given to an individual who has had a global impact or has impacted the state of human and civil rights abroad.

Which begs the question: is the mayor of Memphis 12 years old?

Of course, politics out of Memphis usually leave the rest of the state shaking it's head.

I suppose it's better than being reminded that for the umpteenth year in a row Tennessee has made the nation's fattest list by having one of the highest populations of obese citizens...

But really? Could we try a little positive press next time? Or a slightly more normal view of our state?

Thanks much,
Lora