Gun Control

First I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families affected by the senseless act committed last Friday. I am truly sorry that our nation can't just mourn with you, instead people are using your loss as a platform for their political views.

Alas, gun control laws have been brought up, so we must discuss and decide where we stand. I will start by saying I am against gun control and here are my reasons:

1) Banning anything Americans have wanted hasn't worked. Banning alcohol was a huge failure, the war on drugs doesn't appear to be a huge success either (by the way, I'm not bashing the men and women who fight drugs on a daily basis, I'm just pointing out that Americans will get what they want illegal or not). The future I see, if guns are banned, is one where criminals are still accessing weapons and their potential victims are even more at risk then they were when they could at least defend their home and self. Have you ever heard the term don't bring a knife to a gun fight? There's a reason it's around.

2) People have been killing each other since the dawn of time, way before guns were invented, and humans will continue to kill each other if guns are banned. Here's the secret, it's not the guns killing, it's the humans using whatever tool they can get their hands on. Mexicans are using chain saws to kill, shall we ban those as well?

3) I've heard the argument that guns allow criminals to kill at greater number of people at one time. So do bombs, which are illegal but still used.

4) Then there's the idea of a "test" for gun ownership. What questions would be on a test to determine if someone should own a gun or not? Honestly think about that, what mass produced test could determine if someone is going to use their gun illegally? Mass produced tests allow people to drive that get in wrecks daily, or drug tests that criminals cheat.

5) A branch of the above thought is the recent gunmen used stolen guns, either from family or friends families, whose to say the person  that owned the stolen gun wouldn't have passed the test and still been allowed to own the gun legally?

6) I don't claim to be a historian but haven't other countries banned guns to the detriment of the unarmed citizens?

I agree something needs to change, but I'm not on the gun control bandwagon. What has recently changed in society that may have led to this increase in mass killings? Could it have been the breakdown of the family unit? Lack of accountability for oneself (we've all seen the cartoon depicting a student 20 years ago catching hell from the teacher and parents next to the same picture of a current student where the teacher is getting blamed for the student's behavior)? Maybe lack of discipline in households today? The increase in single parent homes? I don't know the answer but I don't think gun are the culprit.

Honey Boo Boo

Ok I've seen a total of 5 episodes and I just couldn't make myself watch anymore. How do people think that lifestyle is acceptable? I'm not talking about the farting and funny stuff they do in their home that we are all guilty of. I would venture a guess that most families would be a little embarrassed if some of the things we did in our homes were taped and shown to the world. I'm talking about the cheese puff dinners or noodle/butter/ketchup spaghetti. No wonder they're all overweight, and shame on her for not being the mom of the family and making better quality meals for her children.

I understand money is hard to come by, I'm still trying to find my money tree, but I think I remember seeing a vegetable garden in their yard. Here's an idea, plant some tomatoes, stew them, and make your own spaghetti sauce out of fresh ingredients. I haven't actually seen her go to a job in any episode so between her and her 2 daughters that are old enough to help, a spaghetti dinner with real tomato sauce should not be difficult. That's even if they can't afford a jar of Ragu. While we're on the topic of money, if I couldn't afford more than to feed my children butter and ketchup, you better believe I wouldn't drive a newer Dodge truck, enter my kid in beauty pageants, buy her new pageant dresses, buy her a pig/chicken/duck/hamster or whatever animal it is this week they're giving her knowing they're going to take it away in a week.

Oh that's a whole new can of worms, what responsible adult buys their daughter a pig without fully researching them to make sure that animal is a good fit fir their family? I was sad but not surprised when the pig had to "go back to the breeders" (did anyone actually confirm that's where the pig went?), but I was appalled when I learned they decided to replace the pig with a chicken. Yeah cause those are great in the house and don't make noise or poop at all. Why not a fish first or maybe a cat like most people? Or here's another idea don't buy an animal at all when you can't afford your own family...and get a JOB.

Notice I'm leaving the pregnant daughter completely alone, I'm not even going to tackle that one right now. This show should be called "What's Wrong with America Today" or "101 Ways not to be a Good Parent" and I just hope it gets kicked off the networks sometime soon.

Lets just sum up last week

I made it to Thursday without touching any of the chocolate in my bowl at work....then I did a nose dive off the wagon and gladly let it run over me as I unwrapped chocolate after chocolate. I ended up consuming 2 Dove dark chocolate pieces, a Reeses mini peanut butter cup, and 3 York patties.

I decided I needed a few days to recover from that tramatic experience and would start fresh on Monday. Sunday, I ate 4 chocolate covered strawberries and 4 chocolate dipped Oreos. I don't even like Oreos (smack head).

Ok, time to get serious about this addiction thing. I can't quit all chocolate so I need to set my limits.

Monday Review

Well, I made it through another work day without eating any chocolate (does a cookies n cream shake count?), home was another story. I devoured 6 Hershey kisses and enjoyed a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
I put cranberries in the ice cream, surely that's a wash right? Like -1 for the ice cream and +1 for the cranberries. That's my story anyway.

Intro

After downing a bag of Dove dark chocolate, I realized I have a problem. I'm addicted to chocolate. I'm even an elitist chocoholic, I prefer the finer dark chocolates though I will stoop to a Hershey milk chocolate bar if I need a hit.

I decided to quit cold turkey. Last Friday was my first day of no chocolate. I worked for 8 hours with York, Hershey's, and Dove at my desk and managed to keep them out of my mouth. I did pick one up a few times and had to put it back. So I celebrated with Extreme Chocolate ice cream.

Saturday, I found a package of Hershey's kisses with caramel in the living room (someone was obviously trying to sabotage me) but I was stronger than the chocolate....or so I thought. I blinked and had 3 wrappers in my hand. Oh crap, I just had a chocolate blackout. I didn't even know you could have such a thing, but now realized this wasn't as easy as I had thought.

Sunday would be my day, I was going to be chocolate free for a day. I kept myself busy, had no chocolate in the house, and did a good job until I was sitting on the couch unwinding before going to bed. I remembered I had chocolate ice cream. Dang, yeah I had some.

So Monday is my day. Here we go, no chocolate for 24 hours, I can do it.