Who is One Blunt Mom? Here ya go.

At one point or another I've pretty much covered all of this on Facebook or on the blog. But we've got lots of new people, so here's a synopsis.....


- I make no apologies for who I am. I will be the first to apologize when I am wrong about something.

- I live in Texas. Rick Perry is an ass, Ted Cruz is worse, and I could go on and on listing the problems with the "good ole' boy" network prevalent in this state. Wendy Davis is going to change that, though. <3

- I was born in California, raised in Texas, and did a 7 year stint living in Massachusetts until last year. Kind of gave me a new perspective on lots of things.

- I'm mom to two beautiful girls, ages 8 and 3. The oldest is in third grade and the youngest is in preschool. I usually refer to them as D1 and D2. Although, I might change that to Thing 1 and Thing 2, considering they're both tiny tornadoes in my house. They are the lights of my life, sometimes the bane of my existence, and they make me crazy a lot of the time. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

- My husband is amazing. No, he's not perfect by any means, but he provides well for his family, he loves me, and his two little girls have him wrapped around their little fingers.

- I'm 42 years old. I tell you that so that you get a perspective of where I am in life. I'm not just starting out, I have plenty of life experiences, etc.

- I've worked with children since I was 12. I have a background in early childhood education, I worked in preschool, and I taught elementary school. My degree (which I paid for, working full time while going to school full time) includes a double minor in math and reading. I stopped teaching when D1 was born to stay home and raise her, and then her sister arrived. :) With regards to teaching, I have some pretty strong opinions. The No Child Left Behind Act was the worst thing to ever happen to the education system in this country. It assumes all children learn the same way at the same rate. They don't. I also despise standardized testing. I think it should be done away with. Here's my solution to the problems with the education system: pay teachers a livable wage, reward good teachers, get rid of the bad or ineffective teachers, and then let the teachers do their jobs. It's not that hard.

- The hubs and I met when I was teaching. I had my own apartment, I was paying my own bills, living independently. On a teacher's salary, that was tough a lot of the time, so when I met him I was working a second job in retail to make ends meet.

- I volunteer in my community, I'm involved in local politics, we give to charities, and we are involved in our children's schools and in our neighborhood.

- I believe in manners, courtesy, politeness, and kindness, but I also believe in not letting anyone walk all over you. Use your voice, but use it well. That being said, if you come on here and the first thing you do to argue is insult me, it's on. Try "I don't agree, and here's why....".

- The hubs and I are agnostic. We were both raised in "Christian" households (his more than mine). He says that he was disillusioned because there seemed to be so many hypocrites, and his family seemed to pick a church based on how pretty it was more than anything else.  My parents were divorced when I was nine.....a nasty, hate-filled debacle. My mother remarried, a man she didn't love, and they were miserable for 26 years. I watched people profess to follow the Bible while living completely differently. I have family who are true, Southern, Bible Belt Baptists, and some of them are the most ignorant, intolerant, hateful people I've ever known.

- I respect other religions. I really do. I've said that I envy people with strong faith. I have NEVER, EVER harbored the attitude that just because someone else believes differently than I do, that makes them wrong. For all we know, they could be right. What I do have a problem with is people who think the lives of others should be governed by their own beliefs. If you believe the teachings of the Bible, good for you. You do not get to tell others how to live their lives because of it. If you come on my page and start telling me or anyone else that we're all going to hell because of what the bible says, you're going to be banned. If that's what you believe, fine. Your faith should be between YOU, your GOD, your family, and your church.

- We teach our girls to be respectful of everyone. I don't care what color you are, where you are from, what you look like, what you wear, or anything else. If you are a good person, you are kind, and you treat people with respect unless you are given a reason not to......then you will get the same from us. Children are not born bigoted, racist, or intolerant.

-  I completely, unequivocally believe in equal rights for all. If you don't agree with that, I am sorry for you. Who are any of us to deny anyone else the chance to be happy? Life is too short for that.

- I also believe in some form of gun control. No, I do not advocate repealing the 2nd Amendment. But the founding fathers never imagined the level of weaponry we have readily available to the general public today. Just this morning there was another story of a toddler finding a loaded gun and killing herself. What is it going to take for that kind of insanity to stop?

- I am a HUGE, GINORMOUS advocate of common sense. That means thinking for yourself, researching what you don't know, admitting when you're wrong, and knowing what's right and wrong, and what's fact and fiction.

So that's it. That's pretty much me. If you have a question about something that I didn't cover, please just ask.

And THANK YOU for reading and following.

XOXOXOX

One Blunt Mom

Don't get spun by Internet rumors. (From www.factcheck.org)

Words cannot express how tired I am of the drama. Watching and listening to these politicians is worse than nails on a chalkboard. I am amazed that these right wing nutjobs claim to be pro-life, and yet many of the victims of this shutdown are children. The propaganda being spewed by those against the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT is mind-boggling. What's even worse is the number of people who actually believe most of it. And the birthers.....holy crap. Obama is not Kenyan, his ancestry is from Kenya. And unless you are 100% Native American, your ancestors weren't from here either. He is also not Muslim. And even if he were, that would not preclude him from being the President of the United States.

Seriously, people......the Koolaid is BEYOND tainted and you shouldn't be drinking it. And you look pretty silly in those tin foil hats.

Just sayin'.

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From www.factcheck.org:

Don’t get spun by Internet rumors.

Just because you read it on somebody’s blog or in an email from a friend or relative doesn’t mean it’s true. It’s probably not, as we advised in our special report “Is this chain e-mail true?” on March 18, 2008. On this page we feature a list of the false or misleading viral rumors we’re asked about most often, and a brief summary of the facts. But click on the links to read the full articles. There is a lot more detail in each answer. If you’re looking for articles about other viral claims, please use our search function.

Will doctors be required to ask patients questions about their sexual history under the Affordable Care Act?
No. A program created by the stimulus law – not Obamacare — encourages health professionals to use electronic records. But there is no requirement in the program to ask anything about sexual history.
Oct. 1, 2013

Does the health care law contain a “hidden” tax on hunting and fishing equipment?
No. There is a 2.3 percent excise tax on certain medical devices. Cabela’s, a Nebraska sporting goods company, applied the tax to some of its customers’ purchases by mistake.
Sep. 18, 2013

Will there be forced home inspections under the Affordable Care Act?
No. The law provides grants for state home-visiting programs for expectant and new parents. The programs are voluntary and participants can opt out any time.
Aug. 26, 2013

Is it true that there are bills in Congress that would exempt members and their staffs and families from buying into “Obamacare”?
No. Congress members and staffers will be required to buy insurance through the exchanges on Jan. 1.
May 3, 2013; Updated on Aug. 7, 2013

Do 11 states now have more people on welfare than they have employed?
A viral email making this claim is off base. It distorts a Forbes article that compares private-sector workers with those “dependent on the government,” including government workers and pensioners, and Medicaid recipients — not just “people on welfare.”
Jan. 11, 2013

Is President Obama honoring Jane Fonda as one of the women of the century?
No. That was done 11 years ago by Barbara Walters of ABC News.
Nov. 22, 2010

Did Muslim terrorists stage a “dry run” on AirTran flight 297?
The airline and an eyewitness say this e-mailed claim is “an urban legend” spread by persons who “live in a fantasy world.”
Dec. 14, 2009

Are Obama’s early records “sealed”?
No. Many records that presidential candidates don’t ordinarily release do remain confidential, but they are not “sealed” by a court. The 16 claims in a widely distributed graphic are mostly false or distorted.
July 31, 2012

Does the Obama administration intend to “force gun control and a complete ban on all weapons for U.S. citizens” through a United Nations treaty?
No. The administration plans to negotiate a treaty to regulate the international export and import of weapons. It says that it won’t support any treaty that regulates the domestic transfer or ownership of weapons, or that infringes on the Second Amendment.
June 27, 2012

Did Barack and Michelle Obama “surrender” their law licenses to avoid ethics charges?
No. A court official confirms that no public disciplinary proceeding has ever been brought against either of them, contrary to a false Internet rumor. By voluntarily inactivating their licenses, they avoid a requirement to take continuing education classes and pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees. Both could practice law again if they chose to do so.
June 14, 2012

Is it true that members of Congress, their staffers and their family members do not have to pay back their student loans?
Not true. Some congressional employees are eligible to have up to $60,000 of student loans repaid after several years — just like other federal workers. But that’s not the case for members of Congress or their families.
Jan. 6, 2011

Is there any truth in the e-mail claiming to give “a few highlights from the first 500 pages of the Healthcare bill”?
Barely. We examined all 48 claims, finding 26 of them to be false and 18 to be misleading, only partly true or half true. Only four are accurate.
Aug. 28, 2009

Will Muslim Americans be exempt from the mandate to have health insurance? 
The Muslim faith does not forbid purchasing health insurance, and no Muslim group has ever been considered exempt under the definitions used in the health care law.
May 20, 2010

What about the “Congressional Reform Act of 2011″?
A viral e-mail calls for fixing some abuses and excesses that don’t exist, repeating misinformed claims that we’ve addressed before.
March 18, 2011

Does Illinois pay a grandmother $1,500 per month per child to be the foster parent to her eight grandchildren?
No. State officials have no record of such a case, and state law would not allow it. This second-hand story spread by a Danville urologist isn’t true.
Dec. 10, 2010

Has President Obama canceled the May 6 National Day of Prayer?
No. This widely circulated falsehood echoes similar claims made last year when the president issued a pro-prayer-day proclamation but didn’t hold White House services as President Bush had done.
April 29, 2010

Is the ACLU suing to have cross-shaped headstones removed from military cemeteries?
The ACLU has filed no such suit, and it hasn’t sued to “end prayer from the military” either.
July 5, 2009

Has a “smoking gun” been found to prove Obama was not born a U.S. citizen? Did he attend Occidental College on a scholarship for foreign students?
This chain e-mail is a transparent April Fools’ Day hoax. It fabricates an AP news story about an nonexistent group, and makes false claims about Obama and the Fulbright program.
May 7, 2009

Is Congress about to give Social Security to illegal immigrants?
No. Congress hasn’t voted on any measure to pay benefits to illegal immigrants, and has no plans for any such vote.
March 1, 2009
(This long-standing falsehood was bandied about back in 2006 and again during the 2008 presidential election.)

Was Obama born in the U.S.A.?
Yes. We give you the truth about Obama’s birth certificate.
Aug. 21, 2008
Updated Nov. 1, 2008

Is there a connection between FactCheck.org and Barack Obama or Bill Ayers?
None, aside from benefiting at different times from the charity of the late publisher Walter Annenberg. We are a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania and get funding from the Annenberg Foundation, created by Walter Annenberg in 1989. Ayers was one of three Chicago educators who applied for a grant from the Annenberg Foundation in 1995, which was one of 5,200 grants the foundation made during its first 15 years. That $49 million grant, plus additional funds raised locally, funded the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, which sought to improve Chicago public schools. Obama was selected by Chicago officials (not Ayers) to chair the board set up to administer Annenberg Challenge funds, and he headed it until 1999. FactCheck.org came into being in late 2003. For other details see our Oct. 10, 2008, article about Obama and Ayers, which includes a sidebar: “FactCheck.org and the ‘Annenberg Challenge.’ “

Today We Mourn the Passing of COMMON SENSE

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: 
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; 
Why the early bird gets the worm; 
Life isn't always fair; 
and
Maybe it was my fault. 

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). 

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 -year- old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. 

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Tylenol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. 

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. 

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. 

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. 

He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim. 

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.