Crabby Blogging Lady

Saw this photo today.

Now isn’t that weird? Is this a photo from Libya?

They read English on sign in Libya?

OK, well, MAYBE they do (although I doubt it).

But… they have a poster that mimics Obama’s campaign poster, with “Hopeless” on it?

Hey wait a minute— just who is being marketed here? Is this for Libyans… or Americans?

Anyway, all the civil unrest in the Middle East is very sad. I’m really looking forward to the day when the lion will rest next to the lamb…..

Not that I voted for our current president. Not that I really believed he would REALLY give any of that hopey changey stuff. Nope. But still, one thing I was *kinda* hoping for was a reversal of the Patriot Act, our country pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and maybe some final consensus and regulation about diet pills that work. So far, none of that.

I just found out that the Pres extended certain portions of the Patriot Act. Privacy rights activists are unhappy. The extensions include law enforcement to continue wiretapping communication devices (uh, cell phones), a “special court” to access business and library records of “suspected” terrorists, and surveillance of non-American “lone wolf” suspects (which is not a bad provision).

By the way, who wouldn’t be a privacy rights person? Is there anyone who is anti-privacy (besides Eric Schmidt, I mean)?? How can we use the phrase “privacy rights groups.” It’s like saying “anti-family” with “pro-family” or “anti-life” with “pro-life.” Whatever. Just seems weird.

The article I saw (Wash Post) didn’t say when these provisions are set to expire. Huh.

Wooohooo this looks like fun! I’ll have to try it sometime! :D

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Ah yes, the Oscarzzzzzzz. Perfect timing. The world is going bananas with earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, and Hollywood dances to the golden idol. Well, I need a good sleep, anyway. I’ll skip the sleeping aid and adapexin p and take a good long snooze and skip the chips, too.

I haven’t watched the Oscars in… must be close to 25 years now. Wow. Back then, I was a star-struck kid. I honestly don’t like watching movies anymore. I’ll watch some documentaries (I recently saw an old Francis Schaeffer one called How Should We Then Live that was fantastic), and I love Drive Thru History with Dave Stotts. Which reminds me, why don’t they get Oscars? Those are GREAT features. To me, the Oscars are a waste of time. They honor themselves and pass over very many worthy features. It’s a crying shame.

I don’t understand why there is always conflict in the Middle East. Why is this? I understand the history of the area, the territorial boundaries, the disputes, the oil, etc… but why is everyone so unhappy there? Why can’t the folks just be happy with what they have and not bicker over everything?

Oh well, such is humankind, I guess. Here in the United States, it’s parking space. There in the Middle East, it’s wadis. Here in the United States, it’s Windows vs. Mac, Coke vs. Pepsi, McDonald’s vs. Burger King. Did you ever notice that it’s always a “vs”? I mean, even when there doesn’t HAVE to be contentions, there are! What’s the primo best weight loss supplement, what’s the best ballpoint pen, etc etc. Marketing at its best.

Or, as in the words of a Middle Easterner: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. :-p

Mr. Crabby and I have been searching for a new family vehicle FOR MONTHS and so far our efforts have been fruitless. FRUITLESS!!! We even have the money in hand, ready to slap down on the dealer’s table, but we can find nothing appropriate for our family of 6.

Yes. SIX. We have FOUR offspring. And I would *kinda* like to have seats in the vehicle for every one of them, plus the two adults. I guess a couple of the runts can be strapped to the roof rack, but during our rugged winters, that might be considered a little mean….

But we go into a car dealership and the people look at us like we are a rerun from The Waltons. SIX. They can’t believe it. They count us, several times. One, two, three, four… OMG HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE?!

If we lived in California, I’d be called a “breeder.” But here in New York State, they like big families. Because when they look at us, they see walking tax dollars and “surcharges” and “fees” and “tariffs.” They cackle and gleefully rub their hands together, tabulating the millions of dollars in taxes we’ll reap in for them and all the expensive utilities we will consume for them.

Yeah, it’s just SO. GREAT. to be wanted.

Anyway. We cant find a vehicle big enough for all of us. Except a minivan. And I DO NOT WANT another minivan!!! If I have to endure the bloated elephant on wheels for another two decades, I’ll scream. Those things drop transmissions like rabbits drop pellets. Holy cow. I have had to replace a transmission on EVERY SINGLE minivan, and some more than once! Ya can’t just run to the local convenience store and grab one, you know. They *only* cost $2000 to $3000. And then you’re without a car for a week or two. Which brings us back to the original problem of finding a car that seats SIX!

Can we just move to the Netherlands, maybe, and ride bikes together?

Someone please tell me WHY even the hugest SUV only seats 5? Oh, unless you get a gas-guzzling Suburban that will need to be refilled every 2 miles. And with gas here in Upstate NY at $4 a gallon, I might as WELL move to the Netherlands. There, everyone is so skinny you’d think they’ve got slimming tablets in the drinking water, and they whizwhizwhiz around so effortlessly on the bikes. Here in America, we’ve got cars the size of army tanks with FIVE piddly seat belts. Something just ain’t right.

Maybe the Amish are having a sale on buggys?