This is a good story for the kids before bedtime when no books are immediately available...
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Sunday, October 25, 2009
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Saturday, July 18, 2009
Jocelyn's Baby Crawl Contest
Today was Kla Ha Ya Days in Snohomish, and they had their annual Baby Crawl Contest. This year it was Jocelyn's turn to race. I realize the most boring thing in the world is watching somebody else's kid compete in a crawling contest so don't feel obligated to click below, but for those of you with OCD and you just have to watch every video on every person's blog you know, I hope you enjoy =)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Budget Cuts
In April, 2009 Obama told his cabinet members to cut a combined $100 million dollars from their budgets. This sounds like a lot of money, but when compared to the rest of federal spending it isn't quite as much as it might seem. Here is a video that illustrates this point very well:
Obama's policy has been one of deceit from the beginning. He has continually masked over his irresponsible actions by releasing a positive story to the press right away. Remember the Airforce "photo-op" incident? The next day the news coverage was of Obama's First Hundred Days in office and how great he's been doing.
And now people are considering his policy of government run healthcare as a good idea? Has nobody been to the DMV? Hello people! The government can't run businesses efficiently in any country. Study history to see how bad of an idea this is.
OK, I'm done my rant for now...but I'm sure something will come in the news again tomorrow that will be just as equally disturbing.
Obama's policy has been one of deceit from the beginning. He has continually masked over his irresponsible actions by releasing a positive story to the press right away. Remember the Airforce "photo-op" incident? The next day the news coverage was of Obama's First Hundred Days in office and how great he's been doing.
And now people are considering his policy of government run healthcare as a good idea? Has nobody been to the DMV? Hello people! The government can't run businesses efficiently in any country. Study history to see how bad of an idea this is.
OK, I'm done my rant for now...but I'm sure something will come in the news again tomorrow that will be just as equally disturbing.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Lemonade
This morning Bridget and Jovana left for Alabama for a week so I am home alone with all of the kids. I wanted to get some yard work done today so I tried to think of something that would keep the kids occupied, and since today there is a neighborhood-wide yard sale and the weather was beautiful we went with a lemonade stand. Elliott and Jett were more interested in eating the chips and drinking the lemonade so after they finished with that they took off to play. Graeden, however, was very into it. He stayed out there for four hours. He made $10 (Not bad for a five year old's first business venture), of which he spent $2 on a hot dog from the neighbor who was selling BBQ'd food and $.50 on another neighbor's lemonade stand. According to Graeden that kid's lemonade was better.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Day at the Races
Today was a beautiful day. For the first time in awhile (or at least I think...I've been pretty busy at work) it didn't rain. Because of the good weather we were able to fulfill our plans of taking Graeden to the race track near our house for some racing fun. The kids have to be at least 4 1/2 to race the Quarter Midgets so only Graeden got to drive, but the other boys had fun at the track anyway.
Before the race started they played at the park nearby and did the bean bag toss game.
Elliott went around collecting all the balls, but he was more than willing to share with the other kids.
Waiting in line for Graeden to get suited up.
They even let Elliott try on some gear with Graeden.
Here's Elliott doing his Marvin the Martian impersonation.
Graeden getting prepped for the drive.
And he's off...
Good job Graeden! He kept his turns very smooth and responded perfectly to the flagger the entire time. He did excellent.
Before the race started they played at the park nearby and did the bean bag toss game.
Elliott went around collecting all the balls, but he was more than willing to share with the other kids.
Waiting in line for Graeden to get suited up.
They even let Elliott try on some gear with Graeden.
Here's Elliott doing his Marvin the Martian impersonation.
Graeden getting prepped for the drive.
And he's off...
Good job Graeden! He kept his turns very smooth and responded perfectly to the flagger the entire time. He did excellent.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Everett Tea Party
Last week I took a day off work to go to the Everett Tea Party with the family to protest wasteful government spending and the rediculously large tax rates that we pay. Here's a short video I made of what we saw.
What surprised me the most is how extremely biased the media was about the whole thing. I mean, I know they are biased, but I don't remember it ever being just so obvious. And I just couldn't understand why anybody would have an issue with the protests. I mean, are there really that many people out there that think the government is doing a good job with our money? And that we're just fine paying the amount of taxes that we do? I really have a tough time understanding that logic.
Anyway, to go along with the video, I thought I'd add in some words from Tim Eyman who testified against the Washington tax increase proposals on April 17th:
"You're fooling no one.
It's become the oldest trick in the book - fund non-essential programs with existing taxes, then hold essential programs hostage, demanding a voter-approved ransom to get them back. You regularly put emergency medical services on the ballot and tell voters "approve this tax increase or you're all gonna die."
It is pure manipulation - it is transparent, obvious, and despicable.
You are fooling no one.
You say these are 'temporary' taxes. No taxes are ever temporary - you always find a way to keep 'em going. You say these are 'dedicated' taxes. There's no such thing - taxes can't be dedicated - once you get the money, you can spend them on anything you want.
In 2002, the voters approved a tobacco tax increase dedicated for one thing, but then the Legislature took the money and spent it on something else.
In 2005, the voters dedicated a revenue stream for performance audits, and right now the Legislature is taking half its money and spending it someplace else.
Saying these taxes will be temporary doesn't pass the straight face test - saying they are dedicated is simply untrue.
Even the newspapers are fed up. Last week the News Tribune wrote: "This . reeks. Voters will see right through (this) ploy to make the state's neediest the poster children for new taxes. Failure of the ballot measure . will be lawmakers' fault, not the electorate's."
Representative DeBolt hit the nail on the head: "This whole thing is gamesmanship - you cut the most vulnerable, you cut the most atrocious things you can, you send it to the voters, you show them pictures of people in basic states of panic, you tell them they have to give you more money . and then you take that money and give it to the Arts Commission."
You are fooling no one.
Democrats claim they're on the side of the poor and middle class - and now you turn around and jack up sales taxes that disproportionately hurts them. Democrats say they don't like to raise taxes on the poor and middle class - but then you jack up cigarette taxes, utility taxes, and liquor taxes that disproportionately hammers them.
The best thing you can do for the poor and middle class is to stop taxing and fee'ing them to death.
Dante's Inferno describes the seven circles of hell. There needs to be an 8th circle added and reserved for politicians who are willing to throw the elderly and the disabled under the bus, defund their programs, and then exploit them, using them as props and pawns in their never-ending pursuit of higher taxes. Have you no shame?
You are fooling no one."
What surprised me the most is how extremely biased the media was about the whole thing. I mean, I know they are biased, but I don't remember it ever being just so obvious. And I just couldn't understand why anybody would have an issue with the protests. I mean, are there really that many people out there that think the government is doing a good job with our money? And that we're just fine paying the amount of taxes that we do? I really have a tough time understanding that logic.
Anyway, to go along with the video, I thought I'd add in some words from Tim Eyman who testified against the Washington tax increase proposals on April 17th:
"You're fooling no one.
It's become the oldest trick in the book - fund non-essential programs with existing taxes, then hold essential programs hostage, demanding a voter-approved ransom to get them back. You regularly put emergency medical services on the ballot and tell voters "approve this tax increase or you're all gonna die."
It is pure manipulation - it is transparent, obvious, and despicable.
You are fooling no one.
You say these are 'temporary' taxes. No taxes are ever temporary - you always find a way to keep 'em going. You say these are 'dedicated' taxes. There's no such thing - taxes can't be dedicated - once you get the money, you can spend them on anything you want.
In 2002, the voters approved a tobacco tax increase dedicated for one thing, but then the Legislature took the money and spent it on something else.
In 2005, the voters dedicated a revenue stream for performance audits, and right now the Legislature is taking half its money and spending it someplace else.
Saying these taxes will be temporary doesn't pass the straight face test - saying they are dedicated is simply untrue.
Even the newspapers are fed up. Last week the News Tribune wrote: "This . reeks. Voters will see right through (this) ploy to make the state's neediest the poster children for new taxes. Failure of the ballot measure . will be lawmakers' fault, not the electorate's."
Representative DeBolt hit the nail on the head: "This whole thing is gamesmanship - you cut the most vulnerable, you cut the most atrocious things you can, you send it to the voters, you show them pictures of people in basic states of panic, you tell them they have to give you more money . and then you take that money and give it to the Arts Commission."
You are fooling no one.
Democrats claim they're on the side of the poor and middle class - and now you turn around and jack up sales taxes that disproportionately hurts them. Democrats say they don't like to raise taxes on the poor and middle class - but then you jack up cigarette taxes, utility taxes, and liquor taxes that disproportionately hammers them.
The best thing you can do for the poor and middle class is to stop taxing and fee'ing them to death.
Dante's Inferno describes the seven circles of hell. There needs to be an 8th circle added and reserved for politicians who are willing to throw the elderly and the disabled under the bus, defund their programs, and then exploit them, using them as props and pawns in their never-ending pursuit of higher taxes. Have you no shame?
You are fooling no one."
Saturday, March 28, 2009
How Big is the Earth?
So the other day Graeden and I got on the topic of how big the Earth is. Generally he thinks in terms of feet so I asked him to guess how many feet the world is all the way around. His first guess was 100 feet. I told him that is the size of our hose in the back yard. This helped him put things into a bit better perspective for his next guess. Before I tell you what that was...what do you think? What's the circumference of the Earth in feet (at the equator)?
His next guess was 1 million feet. I really had no idea so I guessed 500,000 feet. He was closer. The Earth is 24,901.55 miles around at the equator, and there are 5,280 feet in a mile, for a total of 131,480,184 feet. Now the next time you're on Jeopardy, and you get that question, you'll have no trouble spouting out the answer.
His next guess was 1 million feet. I really had no idea so I guessed 500,000 feet. He was closer. The Earth is 24,901.55 miles around at the equator, and there are 5,280 feet in a mile, for a total of 131,480,184 feet. Now the next time you're on Jeopardy, and you get that question, you'll have no trouble spouting out the answer.
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