Daddy Longlegs

A father watched his five-year-old daughter playing in the garden. He smiled as he reflected on how sweet and innocent his little girl was. Suddenly she just stopped and stared at the ground. He went over to her and noticed she was looking at two spiders mating. Daddy, what are those two spiders doing?" she asked. "They’re mating," her father replied. "That’s a Daddy Longlegs." Her father answered. "So, the other one is Mommy Longlegs?" the little girl asked. "No," her father replied. "Both of them are Daddy Longlegs." The little girl thought for a moment, then took her foot and stomped them flat. "Well, daddy, that might be accepted in California and Massachusetts but we’re not having any of that shit in Wisconsin!!

This message was in an email forward.

Post your own art for free!

This website looks really cool and I'm throwing it out here for everyone. It is for students and anyone, I believe, to post a free unlimited amount of original artwork.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/stuart/

Enjoy!

LastManOut

Success

"The key to success is for you to make a habit throughout your life of doing things you fear."

-Vincent Van Gogh

christmas in the shade

my Tree
is above me
tiny little branches
this is what photosynthesis made
tiny little ornaments
artificial light bulbs hanging all over
stars remind us and guide us
love is everywhere
my tree
is still alive
like the spirit
soil must be moist
likes shade
can’t kill it till Christmas
don’t think I can ever toss it
to the curb…what savages
who toss their trees of life
lent sucks then we have no trees
i’d rather be stuck below
my tree…than…
please don’t die
YOU mean so much to me

By, Josh Steger

Just wear it….

I at one time owned a bumper sticker that had a black background and a simple white image on it of an unrolled condom that stated, “Just wear it.” I have always been very impressed with that message because it stated very simply and plainly with out confusion exactly what this item is for. It has come to my surprise that there are those people who do not know that using a condom is controversial from a moral standpoint, or banned by the Catholic Church. In all of their sexual morays, the Catholic Church has forbid its followers to use …condoms. Why? It is believed that sexual promiscuity outside of marriage as well as sex for non-reproductive purposes is gravely sinful. That leaves sex for married people who are either trying or open to getting pregnant. That’s it. No sex for anyone else ever.

The Church’s current position on Condom’s excludes them from use by anyone. This black and white, all encompassing, policy could not possibly take into the many situations in which condom use is completely appropriate from a medical and social standpoint. When should you wear a condom? You should wear one whenever you have any doubt about a partner’s STD status, when you are in no place or situation in which you could care for a child, when you simply don’t want to get pregnant, and any other time that you are not trying to get pregnant. It’s really quite simple. The condom lets you enjoy sex and gives you piece of mind. The condom is not fail safe and relies on its user knowing how to wear it properly. When used effectively it can help prevent pregnancy and STD’s. Plus, the use of a condom keeps your partner from being filled with semen, which some people find unpleasant. Wear a condom. As Martha would say, “It’s a good thing.”

So sex for enjoyment purposes is very controversial for Roman Catholics. That is why the Pope has a problem with what gay people do in bed. We enjoy sex. I also resent the statements by the Catholic Church and its clergy that homosexuals are preoccupied with sex. I am not preoccupied with sex nor are most gay people. I am not a nymphomaniac (Nymphomania is technically defined as excessive sexual desire by a female, from nymphae, the inner lips of the vulva, but to be fair, guys are way more guilty than girls in this area.) The difference between the Pope and I is that I have actually have sex and also have a healthy attitude towards it. When you consider the health effects of simply having sex, one wonders why exactly it is not encouraged more. It is widely known that sex is a natural anti-depressant, adds years to your life, and just plain makes you feel better. It’s crazy to think that people should only use it for reproductive purposes. And if you’re going to play the game, very practically, you need the right equipment. The condom should be the first thing you consider.

This article was sparked by an article I recently read and is feature in a link below. The article addresses the topic that the Vatican has recently commissioned a study on condom use. What the study will find we will probably never know because the Church is refusing to release its contents. Why should we be concerned? Well one of the world’s major religious institutions is going to use a private document to possibly make decisions about how to tell people to have sex and they aren’t even going to open it up for discussion. It’s appalling. So, no matter what the Church spouts off on with regard to a piece of rubber, please just remember for your own good, just wear it.

Yours truly,

LastManOut

More information at:
http://news.yahoo.com/

Running out with their tails between their legs!

The political radar lately has picked up on a number of stories regarding what is now known as “the lame duck congress.” For those not educated in civics, when a political body or person such as president lags in their workload essentially accomplishing nothing, this is called “lame duck.” Let me tell you how lame this congress is. The currently Republican controlled Congress has decided to ditch their massive spending bills that they had planned of passing, assuming they had won, which would have spent trillions of money on every pork barrel pet project you could probably dream of. Now that they lost, they are leaving all of the budget issues for Democrats to pass hoping it will slow down their momentum to affect real change.

The number one reason these Republican “Big Spenders” have decided to stave things off is because they did not want their last legacy to be a spending spree. The problem with this is, all they have done for the last 6 six years that G.W. Bush has been President is send in spending bill, after spending bill, each larger than the next. Truly, if there is anything we have learned from recent history, pork barrel spending has no party preference.

So now we have it, in the face of defeat our strong militaristic GOP leaders have decided that they are not even going to spend other people’s money for the last month of office or so. Republicans apathetical attitude towards the public’s outcry for smart spending, scaling down the Iraq war, and really focusing in on health care has been the truth all along. Now, we have direct evidence of this because their behavior surely supports it.

The truth is they are going to leave a legacy of failure, abuse, and in some cases malfeasance. Who will ever forget Tom Delay & Jack Abramoff and all the other members caught up in the campaign finance scandal or the Mark Foley scandal where he had sexually explicit conversations with a minor? Scandal, Failure, and mismanagement are their legacy.

I think it is inconceivable that we could have elected these people to lead our country in the first place.

LastManOut

View more information at:
http://news.yahoo.com/

Loose ends…

Lately, there has been a lot to talk about, but not an abundance to write about. I have all sorts of news and things that have happened, so here’s the latest.

Today was a mile stone in many ways because I finally finished a scarf that I started knitting four years ago. I know I picked up the yarn sometime while I was dating my ex back in 2002. It’s like I have more closure rather than accomplishment. I’ve finally got a few more loose ends tied up and now there is one more thing that is complete. Not only am I finished with this scarf, but it will always have a lot of personal meaning for me because I almost never make anything for myself. I worked on this scarf through so many different times in my life in the recent past. It really is a lot of memories packed into one thing. This scarf has traveled many, many places already just trying to get made, and it has many more to go yet! Oh, and I forgot to mention, it turned out absolutely fabulous, if I do say so myself.

I’ve not gotten a lot done around the house lately because I haven’t really felt like it. Jerad left me a list of things to do while he is gone the next couple days transforming the world into a Christmas wonderland. With Christmas on the horizon and Thanksgiving knocking on the door there are quite a few things that need to take place in a short amount of time, and of coarse, then it’s all over. It think there is a lot of weight to the fact that Christmas really is about the children. It’s pretty inconceivable that we would pick a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday and invent a bunch of fictional characters if we didn’t intend to use it to brain wash our kids. I mean it’s one really good reason for them to behave themselves all year long; well at least my mother stretched it out that far, hehe. Anyway, I have quite a few projects going for the holidays. I have hand-made gifts to finish, cookies to bake, the annual holiday party to plan, and much, much more!!! I hope everyone has as crazy of a Christmas as I do, because if you don’t you’re just not having fun!

Speaking of Jerad, He has been so dedicated to his job lately. I’m really impressed with him. He’s working like 12 hour days just to keep up with all the interior/exterior holiday decorating that he is doing. I know that he wants all the lights possible on for the day after thanksgiving, positively not later than Dec 1. So we’ve been spending a lot of time together shopping till I drop. He still keeps going like a battery operated Christmas toy from hell!!! Hehe. Hohoho.

I’ll leave you with this wise saying I read on the wall at Jimmy John’s today at lunch: Not everyday is perfect. Some days you’re the pigeon. Some days you’re the statue.

Yours Truly,

LastManOut

Post Election Trauma (PET)

I have PET, Post Election Trauma. I suffer from PET because Mexico City’s legislature just voted to recognize gay civil unions. It is not marriage but still, it affords them more benefits than I am entitled to in Wisconsin. The trauma is that on Nov. 7th Wisconsin voted about 60/40 to ban gay marriage and civil unions in their state constitution. What part of "vote no" did people not understand this last election. Let me sum this up. Mexico, which by some evaluations has been deemed a developing country, is now offering civil union’s in its capitol city. Let’s see that happen in Madison, or even Washington for that matter. It’s a sad day when the people that we don’t want to let into our country have better ruling sense than we do. I apologize to my Mexican friends if any of this seems ungracious, I am very happy for you and I know what a struggle it must have been to reach this point. It’s just that now I have PET!!!

Traumatized,

LastManOut

The corresponding news release referred to in this blog can be reached at: http://news.yahoo.com/

Relationship Road Blocks

What do you do when you hit a stumble along your mutual journey? So many things when not dealt with effectively have the ability to become obstacles in the road before you. Is your journey currently in the express lane or are you on a rocky mountain climb to the top of a never ending mountain? So we ask ourselves, how do we get down from the mountain top onto the highway?

People are often at a loss for practical steps to solving common relationship issues relating to commitment, co-habiting, shared property, children, and romance to include affection, love, and sex. While there are other problem areas, these in my experience have been the most common and often most difficult. The majority of relationship problems listed above are solved by effectively evaluating the communication methods that are being employed. Dissatisfaction is almost entirely the result of miscommunication. We come down off the mountain by asking questions to get the directions. Directions have to be communicated clearly by the other party.

We become better communicators to others by first becoming better listeners ourselves. Good listening techniques include allowing the other person to say what they have to say completely without interrupting, having the ability to repeat what was said, and asking related questions to clarify information. When you have completed this it is appropriate to use an empathetic or acknowledgment statement such as, “I see where you are coming from.” Or “I understand how you feel.” Do not follow this statement with “But or However.” ***Remember*** you want to have a conversation, not an argument.

After we have listened to the other person and helped them communicate their feelings, problems, or issues we then expect the same in return. If they do not ask, volunteer how you feel about the problem but without blaming them or minimizing their issue. Transitioning to a resolution is the next step. Make sure you both have said everything that needs to be said. Emphasize your willingness to work this problem out and your willingness to help. Make sure you continue to validate each other with positive statements. Mutually outline steps for action to correct the problem and then make sure you honor what you have agreed upon. If one person completely falls through on the actions agreed upon then you either need to repeat this process until it works out or you might reconsider your reasons for being in a relationship with the other person. Effective communication takes practice and does not happen overnight or all at once; recognizing this is an important first step to improvement.

Getting down off your mountain and back to civilization can be a long process. However, consider that it took quite a hike to get up their in the first place. Realize that your decisions that you have made through this process have been guiding it to where it is up to this point. If you find yourself walking in circles; doing the same thing over and over again, try a different direction. Break the cycle. If you always do what you’ve always done; you’ll always get what you’ve always got. While it is perhaps the hardest thing to do you need to look inside and determine what effect your actions have had on the situation. Have you been completely honest? Do you have a clear idea of what your needs are? Do you expect the other person to “make you happy?” The path to the highway will probably be covered in brush until you clear it off.

There is also a flip side to all this which is quite different than being on a mountain, or ledge, and that is being stuck in a valley. When you or your partner is seemingly in a state where there is nothing “bad” happening, and yet still not a lot of good happening, you are both stuck in the valley. And instead of climbing off the mountain you have to climb out of the valley to the highland. (Yes, the highway is located on the highland.) The “valley effect” is a common problem for people who have often grown very used to the way things are. They have developed habits that reinforce the same status-quo. Old habits die hard. Again, you have to make a decision about the communication level. Is it enough? Are you talking about important topics? Do you feel like your conversation is always about the same things? The best advice is to try to bring up some new topics of discussion and then employ effective listening and communication techniques.

There are times in which you are going to have to sell the idea in order to get where you need to go. Think of this as setting up a popcorn stand along the path to the highway. You need to attract your customer and make the sale in order to stay in business. This is a great technique/skill to employ when trying to work out logistical issues. I’ll give you “x” if you give me “y.” You have to take the initiative to negotiate your future or you’ll be left behind. Allowing a pattern in which you are not making your own decisions will create a cycle of dependence on the other person. You will either willingly or unwillingly invite in controlling behavior if you do not manage issue. It would be the same as having your popcorn stolen from your stand over and over again because you did not lock it up at night.

There is no such thing as a simple solution to your problem but there are the above techniques to try if you find yourself in these situations. The most important thing to remember when you are trying to reach resolution to a problem is to STAY CALM! You will have your best wits about you and the most opportunity to understand yourself and the other person when you consciously step aside, put yourself together, do your homework, and remain a calm adult. You simply have to believe that you can do it and the answers to your relationships woes will become clear, biding it’s fixable.

Remember to keep the road clear and the popcorn flowing!

LastManOut