I don’t want to add much commentary to this video by John Green about a massive pig at a State Fair and health insurance reform.
If you’re interested, here it is: [Update 9/5/09 - ThoughtBubble made it even better. Here's the revised version with cool graphics.]
Hey, even my kids enjoyed it.
I’m sure John could have made this video much longer than his standard less-than-four-minutes-in-length, but for a brief rant about the current health care debatediscussionshostilitiesfiasco reform effort, it’s worth a look.
The nexus between boars and health didn’t initially resonate for me*, but ultimately I had to admit…the ridiculous (made up) notion of “death panels” is just as smelly as a barn full of boars.
Yeeeah.
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*This coming from a former senior health policy advisor, mind you…
I find myself getting so frustrated with cranky, gossipy, negative, dramatic, whiny adults. Particularly those who take no responsibility for their choices. Or make the choices without apparent awareness of the consequences of their actions.
As we grow older, I believe we have two broad paths to walk down. One is full of virtues — honesty, integrity, kindness, love, joy, calm, peace, healthfulness, tolerance, consideration, compassion. The other is dark and filled with bitterness, hostility, rage, anger, jealousy, envy, ego, gossip, revenge, and so on.
Our choices determine the path on which we travel.
I’m not saying that once you step on the dark path, you’re destined to be a grumpy old man (or woman). We all have bad days or cranky moments. We all make choices we regret. No one is perfect but God. We all lash out in anger once in a while. And we might meander along the path, coming close to the dark side, then wander back. Or we might even spend a little time actually on that darker path but we can make other choices that bring us back to a softer, more compassionate zone.
But for now, for today, the people who frustrate (or actually sadden) me are the kind of people who repeatedly look for (and find) dark clouds on a beautiful, bright, (otherwise) sun-filled day.
For example, a few years ago, a female stranger left a very angry message on my voicemail complaining that my outgoing message was too chipper, too happy. Interesting choice she made. She dialed the wrong number but, instead of just hanging up the phone, she chose to leave a nasty message saying that my message was dripping in happy and should be changed. Hmmm…oookaaayyy.
Was I going to let that message ruin my day?
My husband often says to me and our kids, “There are no bad days. Only bad moments.” Sure, we sometimes find that days are filled with heaps of bad moments. So, at the ends of those days, we can say, “That was a bad day.” But as the moments happen, we continually have the option of beginning again and looking at the next moment as just that – the next moment.
So, you know what? Rather than choose to allow those negative people to bring me down, I’m going to make the choice to begin anew. To first forgive (not to excuse, mind you) their seemingly unconscious hurtful choice to attempt to ruin an otherwise perfectly lovely day and look to the next moment as a new one. That slight is already in the past. It’s meaningless now.
This moment, right here, right now, is the one I’m in.
A good friend of mine recently confided that her middle school daughter wants to start wearing eyeliner. I’m happy for her that her daughter asked her permission (rather than sneaking it behind her back and secretly applying it on the bus ride to school). Shortly after our conversation, several other parents told me similar stories. Middle school girls want to wear eyeliner. Just eyeliner.
Do you have a girl in middle school? Chances are good that she (or her friends) has considered wearing eyeliner.
My bottom line advice? Don’t let her wear eyeliner.
Many years ago, I spent some time in the world of fashion and beauty where we learned voice and diction as well as make up application. We were never taught to only wear eyeliner. I have never only worn eyeliner. I wouldnever wear only eyeliner on a bare face.
Here’s my advice:
Makeup is about enhancing features. For everyday looks, it’s intended to make someone more beautiful without attempting to create a mask or simply color the face. Drawing lines around the eyes doesn’t enhance them. It brings attention to them, sure, but that’s about it. And I mean it brings attention to the lines, not the eyes. Imagine a large canvas with a black frame. Would your eyes be drawn to the canvas or the frame?
Some BlogHer attendees were a tad uncomfortable with items being placed in our rooms, but I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed these fresh flowers (which lasted for the duration of my stay).
I know that I’m a bit late to this party, but this video made me smile so much that I felt compelled to share it with my readers.
A fun-loving, passionate couple from Minnesota (gosh, I love the midwest!) chose to dance up their wedding aisle. Actually, the entire wedding party danced up the aisle. Take a little time to share in their fun:
