I’LL HAVE A BLOODY MARY, A STEAK SANDWICH AAAND A STEAK SANDWICH
Easier than writing lots of individual emailsArchive for October, 2008
SOME ACTIVISTS ARE SWEET FOR TRYING
My friend recently drove by a street corner filled with ‘No on Prop 8′ supporters.
Before I tell you what she saw, let me just say this…Regardless of which side of the issue you’re on…stupid is as stupid does….and here is an example of it… as advertised on a poster, held by a ‘no on 8′ woman. In painstakingly colored rainbow lettering, “If the fetus you are protecting turned out to be gay, would you still want to abort it?”
What?
Ok, this ‘No on Prop 8′ activist seems to not know her political issues or how to effectively stick it to the opposition. I’m sure she has other strengths. In the meantime, she might want to brush up on relevant terminology…AND, while she’s at it, might want to brush up on the actual issue. Cuz, yeeeah, this pithy counterproductive ‘zinger’ did not land…well, it landed, but it landed in the ’stupid is as stupid does’ bin.
KIDS ASK THE DARNDEST THINGS
SO, today I “taught” 8th grade math at Placerita junior high.
In compliance with my class policy “when I ask ‘does anyone have any questions about anything at all?’, you can ask me anything you want…that’s appropriate for the classroom of course”, I fielded lots of questions from 5 classes…here are a few highlights…and it gives you an insight as to how many different levels of maturity that a teacher is dealing with in a classroom…everyday. (as an example: I had one boy run into class about 20 minutes late…he thought it was Thursday, all day, and had been sitting in the wrong class for the 1st 20 minutes of class. he has other strengths.)
-Who are you voting for?
-What will you dress up as for Halloween?
-Do you like pop tarts?
-What does religion have to do with politics?
-What’s your favorite candy?
-What’s your favorite amusement park ride?
-What do you fear the most?
-Chocolate of vanilla ice cream?
-Are you voting yes or no on Prop 8?
You can imagine which questions generated better class discussions than others. 
MARK OF THE BEAST; FACEBOOK STYLE
I just happened to notice that i currently have 666 friends on Facebook.
I hope someone wants to add me as a friend soon (though, I guess I could respond to those ‘friend suggestions’ that are in my box).
Why write a post about it? The same reason that I put a picture of my car odometer at 100,000. It’s just numerically momentous.
A SABBATH REST…
Hello www readers….
Today was a great day….here are some highlights
BACKGROUND
Our Worship Team only gets a few Sundays off every year…today was one of those days. Sooo, some of our Worship Team members: Jeff, Adam, Jennene and myself (accompanied by Jessi Gates and my roommate, Andrea) ventured our on the following field trip…
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Breakfast & Coffee at Noah’s Bagels….ie. meeting place for our excursion
2. 10am church service at Hollywood Church, pastored by Chris Barksdale (husband of mine & Jennene’s college roommate, Sarah), and attended by my great friends, the Ikegamis (well, they don’t just attend, they’re actually really involved too). It’s rare that I get to visit other churches and it was awesome for lots of reasons…but more later (maybe).
3. Lunch at Roscoes Chicken and Waffles (see pics on Sikegami’s blog).
4. Was incredibly pleasantly surprised at the movie we saw at the Arclight ….fantastic… Changeling.
5. Hollywood activist and I discussing prop 8…more later (maybe)
6. Drive home debrief of the day…
7. Dinner, dessert…now watching 30Rock
A great Sabbath…
AN ANEMIC UPDATE
Don’t have much time…some things on my mind…want to share before I forget
-Four New Blogs
http://apostrophecatastrophes.blogspot.com/
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/ !!!!!!!!! The commentary alone is FANTASTIC!
http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/
http://horriblelicenseplates.blogspot.com/
-You know you might have too much on your mind when you do as I did today.
As I was blow drying my hair, it felt stringy & greasy which is not normal and since i had JUST gotten out of the shower wherein I had shampooed my hair. I shockedly realized that I think I did not rinse my hair whilst in the shower. huh. I think the last time I did that was in the 1st grade.
-I have been cleaning out boxes, filing cabinets, closets and drawers in the inbetween moments…I LOVE getting rid of stuff!
I just dropped off a box of books for our fundraiser book drive for ICU. If you have any books that you want to get rid of..let me know.
-I want to travel…am getting the bug…and I want to go diving soon…would like to find a way to combine them soon…and for free….I can dream.
-Finally got my car washed…
REALLY, REAL ESTATE? REALLY?
Soooo, if anyone knows how tough the real estate market is these days, it’s me. Because, well, i AM a real estate agent. Thankfully, my business has been steady this last year (praise the LORD).
However, even in a ‘great’ market, agents are routinely up against a negative public perception…I oft feel like agents are likened to used car salesmen. Like used car salesman, people don’t trust most agents. Now, some agents have certainly earned it, but those of us who are legit and trustworthy, well, we do not appreciate when the media or TV shows or gossips run us down. But, let’s be honest, when your own industry publications have this on the cover…. “Step Into the Limelight. Media training and acting techniques will give you an edge in the field.”…
you just have to shake your head and say ‘Really, real estate?
Does this help the public’s perception? Acting? Really?’
Let me set MY record straight… a good agent is one who is ethical, who knows contracts, knows people, knows the local market and knows how to communicate (which includes communicating with the client, with the affiliates, and with anyone that crosses the path of a transaction). A good agent does not need acting classes to get an edge in the field.
A good agent, or shall I say a GREAT agent, does his/her job with truth, knowledge and excellence.
Yes, I’m an agent who has not taken acting classes. I’ve gotten my ‘edge in the field’ by hard work & honesty. The testimonial page on my website will attest.
So, again, with comic disdain, I say ‘Really, Real Estate? Really?’.
CARVE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!
The Flowers JUST posted the announcement of the 5th annual PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST!!!!
Check it out, read the rule modifications (becasue of Jessi Gates’s shenanigans last year), go sit on a mountain top with Confuscious and your sketch pads and let the inspiration flow!…then carve it like you mean it!
OR
if you like to vote, but not touch, put 10/31, 11/1 & 11/2 on your calendar as the ‘TRUE’ voting days…
Obama? McCain? who? …. no people, we need to cast our votes for the ”Most Original”, “Most Hallo-weenie”, “Artistry Award”, “Best Self-Portrait” and “Best All Around”!
If presidential voting had these kinds of categories, it would be Sooooo much easier to pick a president.
Flowers. Blog. Now.
POSTED BY MY POLICE OFFICER FRIEND
Sooo, in addition to paying your mortgage and other bills, being a nice person to the car that just cut you off as you’re coming home from a long day of fielding humanity, giving of your time and energy to help innocent people who are being oppressed, and engaging in life’s other ‘necessities’, you also have to be a mastermind to sift through all these propositions to know what they’re really about… Here’s some Prop 5 info … I found it incredibly helpful since I have very little time to be a political detective and wisely rock the vote, in between hunting down escrow paperwork for my clients, telling kids to not make out in class, and paying my mortgage…
It was posted by my police officer friend with whom I went to college… here’s the link http://patrickhamblin.blogspot.com/2008/10/california-proposition-5.html
OR, if you just don’t have time for that one click of the mouse cuz you’re busy trying to maintain that interested smile as your co-worker is blathering on and on, here’s the copy/pasted full post below.
Keep up the good work as you keep all the plates spinning!
Thanx Patrick!
__________________________________________________________
“OK its been awhile. Let me get back into the election mode here with some interesting information on California’s Proposition 5. Please read this letter from the former police chief at San Clemente and see what this proposition would do for criminals in California. Its also interesting who is backing it.
Proposition 5 – Please Read Before You Vote
This was forwarded from Al Ehlow, who is a former Police Chief of San Clemente.
I recently attended a meeting in downtown Los Angeles with District Attorney Steve Cooley, and other area police union representatives. Cooley called this meeting to introduce us to the people behind the ´No on 5′ campaign. At the conclusion of the meeting, I was very disturbed (some would say I was disturbed before ever going to the meeting, but I digress).
Before I get into the ´No on 5′ campaign information, allow me to give you some background. Frighteningly, Proposition 5 is flying below the radar (which is exactly where the proponents of this potential catastrophe want it), so many do not know much about it. Simply put, Proposition 5 (billed as the ´Non-Violent Offender Rehabilitation Act¡ [NORA] by proponents) is a massive expansion of Proposition 36.
Defendants who commit non-violent crimes, due to some type of substance abuse problem, will be eligible for diversion and treatment instead of punishment and incarceration. Supporters of Proposition 5 are claiming that they can help drug addicts break their habit, end prison overcrowding, and subsequently save the State billions of dollars now spent in the correctional system.
Sounds nice, huh? Well, let me tell you why Proposition 5 scares me so much. Steve Cooley had his staff review the 36 page ´NORA’ proposal. In these pages, they found what appears to not only be the decriminalization of drugs, but the decriminalization of crime itself. Here is a partial list of crimes (b oth misdemeanor and FELONY) which would be eligible for diversion and treatment under this proposition:
Arson of a non-inhabited structure
Commercial burglary
Drug sales (Yes, sales! They would be eligible for diversion)
Auto theft
Possession or traffic in child pornography
Driving under the influence
Residential burglary, if the structure is not occupied at the time of the crime
A defendant can be eligible for treatment instead of incarceration simply by claiming to have a substance abuse problem, which led to their committing these acts. By the way, it is not incumbent upon the defendant to prove this assertion; it is the District Attorney’s responsibility to prove that a substance abuse problem does not exist.
While a defendant is under ´Prop 5′, he or she would not be incarcerated or kicked off the program, even if they continue to use drugs, or commit other non-violent misdemeanor offenses. Additionally, almost all defendants20would be eligible to participate, even those with prior, violent offenses.
Now, are you ready for the scariest part of the information I learned at this meeting? The ´Yes on 5¡ campaign is very well financed, mostly by billionaire George Soros. He is a fervent believer in rehabilitating drug addicts, and puts his money where his mouth is. Due to the seemingly disingenuous way that ´Yes on 5′ is being billed, it is currently polling at a 60% favorable rating! That means that if the election were held today, it would pass by a respectable margin!
Now, no matter your belief on drug laws; whether or not you believe addicts are only hurting themselves and should receive treatment for their drug addiction; whether you ignore a recent UCLA study which demonstrated that almost 80% of Proposition 36 defendants fail and re-offend; I cannot believe that a majority of Californians believe we should allow self-proclaimed addicts to commit crimes against others without repercussion.
I believe that if word gets out as to what Prop 5 really does, the majority who support it now will rapidly evaporate. The ´No on 5′ campaign is just getting ramped up, and needs significant donations in order to get the message out.
Please make sure to speak about this to your family, your friends, at your place of worship, or softball game. The more people know about this proposition, the less likely it will become law, and a huge headache for us all.
After reading that, how can anyone who seriously takes crime seriously consider voting yes on this proposition?”
GRANDMA’S SECRET..THE TRUTH
Sooo, yesterday I posted this pic
of what I thought was my grandmother AND my grandfather… I did some research and now have the full story… (thanx Colleen)
The woman is, in fact, my grandmother, Pattycake.
The man is her dive instructor…who is NOT my grandfather (though incredibly similiar looking to Frank).
Per my aunt’s recall, Pattycake actually did not care much to be in the water. However, she was a prolific write and illustrator and at the time of the picture she was writing/illustrating a children’s story about an octopus (called ‘Octavius the Octopus’). She concluded that ‘it required having some experience with the flora and fauna in the water and it required that she knew that the water was like way down (deep). She did this with courage, bravery and yes, her usual enthusiasm even though she thought water was best enjoyed in a bath or on the rocks! I remember her telling me that she had to walk backwards into the water because of
the fins she wore. ‘ So turns out that, regardless of her fears, Pattycake was doing underwater research for the children’s book that she was writing. Seriously? Seriously. Pattycake was such a stud.
So, what I’ve learned from this photo
1. My grandmother…she was always so willing… 11 kids, writing, speaking, non-profits, stand up comedy, managing, teaching, supporting, broadcasting, photography, creating, etc. She continues to inspire, even after being gone for 11+ years now!
2. In general, I want the full story (as much as is possible)
3. You might want to think about asking YOUR family members for the stories behind some of YOUR family pics… it’s a very intriguing journey..hearing about who/what you come from.
GRANDMA’S SECRET!!!
So, I am working on a project that requires going through old photos…of my grandparents.
I have a new favorite photo….my grandparents as SCUBA DIVERS?!?!?!?!?!?!
in the 50’s?!?!?!
what!?!??!?!?
look at how cute they are!
See? it’s in the blood!
And, my how times and equipment have changed…
YOU KNOW YOU’RE MEANT TO LIVE WHEN…
check out this video called ‘Lucky Moments’
A Todd Bolen recommendation!
CHERISH IS THE WORD…
SO, my life had been swirling by lately and I’ve had little time to post (though I have several topics percolating in my noggin’).
It’s Saturday morning, I got a solid night of sleep ( waking up only 1 time instead of the usual 3-5 times). I had some time to check FB, read the blogs on my google reader and get ready for the day… and one blog that I read regularly prompted this post.
BACKGROUND: Themes that have been amongst the books that I’m reading, the sermons I’ve been listening to, the conversations I’ve been having, the music I’ve been singing, the class discussions I’ve been having have been broad: God’s majesty, the value of life, politics, the marks of true friendship, the battle with sin, living in a worthy manner, sorrow, eternity, provision…. etc. As I reflect, one thing that is obvious is that I have people in my life (either close by or far away; easy to love or hard to love; a refreshment or a drain). My life/my activities/my ponderings, regardless of where/when, have always been replete with people. This post is about one person, in particular (for those of you who need the punch line in order to stick with this). I don’t usually like to narrow my public posts to honoring just one person because it seems to communicate that everyone else is somehow regarded less. While that’s not true, I can understand. I’ve written many mental posts about people I love and appreciate or have been immensely encouraged or challenged by…it just never seems to make it to type (sorry Kristin, Jennene, Mom, Brad, Trevor, Burns, Vinson, and so many others that I think about and thank God for).
When I was an RA in ‘97 there was a girl who lived on my wing who was a spitfire. She had zeal, glee, heart, determination, moxy, a little snippy edge, a sincerity, an infectious laugh, a penvise depth to her eyes when she really wanted to know something. She overwhelmed me and drew me in all at the same time. Little did I know that she would become one of the most cherished friendships that I have ever had/have. Even typing that makes me feel like a fraud because we rarely talk now (well, we have blogs and comments), but I know the history and the foundation on which our friendship was built and therefore I know that if either of us picked up the phone or flew on a plane, our eventual meeting would show that love in Christ melts all time and space between true friends. Our college friendship included laughter, tears, service, fears, truth, confrontation, joy, irritation, depth, sin, wonder, family, hope, conversation, homework, errands, safety…
When I was an RD in ‘99 and she was an RA in another dorm, we rarely saw each other. Every once in a while we got the chance to hang out and in one of our rare special times, she told me something that I’ve never forgotten. She was telling me that she had been telling her dad how frustrated she was that she and I never had any time anymore and how lame it is that we can only get an hour or so every few months. He responded with (paraphrased, cuz I can’t remember what he said 9 minute ago let alone 9 years ago), ‘As life moves on, you will have fewer and fewer friends that are the way you and Sam are. Instead of complaining about the time you don’t have, cherish the time you do have.’ At the time, I was flattered and dismissed it with an ‘awwww’, but I have thought of his comment hundreds of times throughout the years because he was right. That one comment shaped gratitude in me and a deep respect for the truth that God gives and takes…and that I just need to be thankful.
CURRENT:
She got married (I stood up in her wedding as a witness, testifying my support of their union). She now has 2 kids (I’ve met one of them). She lives in Kentucky. She has a blog. Her blog is written exactly the way I would expect it to be… full of authenticity…authenticity in Christ…the authenticity on which our friendship was founded.
She writes, I’m encouraged, I comment, I sometimes pray, she writes, I’m encouraged, I comment, I sometimes pray… that’s the format of our friendship for this season of life. And, I love it. I am so thankful for it. And, by ‘it’, I guess I mean technology. And, our friendship.
I really have always respected her desires to love God and be totally exposed in the process. She has always been a source of wisdom, depth, consideration, truth, joy, perseverance…she rejoices with those who rejoice and mourns with those who mourn. She’s affected deeply by God, life, temporal/eternal.
I read her blog and am so thankful that she’s willing to document all the new phases of wifehood and motherhood…it’s like getting to be in her head…and in the process getting to learn about God’s deep deep love for us.
She recently posted on something that she’s been involved in for the last couple Christmass (how do you write Christmas in the plural sense?) and I have loved the concept (well, I was down with the ‘concept’ because of my IC work..and the conviction of the Spirit in my life). But, I wanted to share it with you guys.
I could’ve just added a link to her blog and by-passed the ‘fan club’ post, but I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you that I respect her and respect her choices and her direction and her mission with her husband and kids…and how she knows they are her mission field…and how she is finding ways to teach her heart and her kid’s hearts about loving Christ in this world and showing others the love of Christ in this world.
Click on the pic below and it will take you to the Advent Conspiracy website…check it out…there’s a cool video in the upper corner that wil give a 3 minute snapshot of the whole concept.
Oh, and you should add her blog to your google reader…seriously, you will be encouraged in your faith.
I really do cherish her and her friendship.
Natalie Hendrix Godshall
