A Misunderstood Lot

I've taken this afternoon to catch up on some web reading that I didn't do over the holidays and I came across this bit.ly/6x8cKn.

A bit of back story: I began watching John Stossel's new show on Fox News Business. There have been two episodes so far, one on climate change the other on health care. I was introduced to Stossel by Dr. Bob Lawson, the same man who introduced me and many other Econ 100 students to libertarianism. Libertarianism is most concisely put as liberal on social issues and conservative on fiscal issues. John Stossel had many news specials that aired on ABC which became part of a "Stossel in the Classroom" series.

The new Stossel show the first real news/politics show on TV that expresses libertariant viewpoints. I used to get so angry watching shows like The Factor with Bill O'Reilly and Hardball with Chris Matthews. They were either right or left, both of which had it wrong. Glenn Beck has been more libertarian leaning recently, but Stossel is the real deal.

John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods was a guest on Stossel. Mackey had written an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal (bit.ly/12Dlpb) that was against government run healthcare and against many of the reforms that are currently in both the House and Senate bills. For the record, he did not refer to "Obamacare," that title was given to the op-ed by the WSJ, not Mackey himself. Now Mackey resigned as chairman of Whole Foods; the reason given is some sort of thing about CEOs and chairmen being separate. The real reason I feel is that Whole Foods does not like his outspokenness. I feel that if he were speaking out with democratic views, there would be no problem at all.

Now Mackey is speaking out against climate change and the role human's play in it. He agrees with the book "Heaven and Earth: Global Warming--the Missing Science," saying that there is no consensus on climate change. He also fears that fear over climate change will raise taxes, call for more government regulation, and lower our standard of living.

Personally, I do not take a stand one way or the other on climate change. Is it real? Probably. Did humans cause it? To some extent. These things are unimportant and moot at this point, and this is where much misunderstanding of libertarianism comes in. It's not that I don't care about the earth. I care very deeply about God's wonderful creation for us. I just don't think government is the best way to help the situation. Scientists are unsure if we can reverse the warming or even stop it. Why spend taxpayer money, force people to buy more expensive goods, subsidize programs, etc. if it won't even work. I'm all for private enterprise solutions like the Pickens Plan. I'm also for pricing fossil fuels to account for damage to the environment. I'm also for increasing wealth the world over so that we may adapt to a change in our climate. We don't need the government outlawing lightbulbs; my father was using CFLs before they were trendy because the economic incentive was there. We don't need to use our taxpayer money to subsidize energy sources that just aren't feasible; wind energy is only useful when the wind is blowing, solar energy only in very sunny locations, etc. If they were economical and worked efficiently, we wouldn't need to subsidize them. I care about the earth, I care about my carbon footprint, I use reusable bags at the grocery store, I try to do my part. I just don't want my government (and my tax money) going to unrealistic, inefficeint programs.

My view on healthcare is the same. It's not that I don't want people to have healthcare, I just don't want to pay for it. It will only make the quality of care on the whole worse. I am all for deregulating insurance so that one might shop across state lines and the elimination of coverage mandates so that my plan only covers what I want it to cover. I am all for Mackey's plan of having a health savings program, so that I need to choose where my first X amount of money is spent. I'm also for helping elderly, disabled, and children--maybe thorugh govenment programs, maybe through private philanthropic organizations.

Libertarians are a misunderstood lot. We don't just say "Fuck you all! I don't care about you!" We do care. I care. I just think the way of dealing with issues should be different. I'm all for markets. I'm all for private philanthropic organizations. I'm all for efficiency and accountability. I like giving my money to my church to help people. I hate giving my money to the government to help people. I like organizations like Operation Christmas Child, Feeding America, The Red Cross, and the Salvation Army. I hate government run organizations that award waste and mismanage money.

People who aren't libertarian have a hard time seeing the line between "what should we do" and "what should GOVERNMENT do," and that line is paramount in the libertarian platform. There has been a shift of attitude in this country. At one time people relied on themselves and their communities for the things they needed. Certain things were provided by the government, starting with local, then state, then federal. Now, we rely on the government to do too much. We also let the federal government do things that state and local governments could do better. Libertarians want to go back to the attitude of our founding fathers. It's not that we don't want to do good, caring things. We just don't want the government to do them for us.

Right leanings are a dirty thing in today's world. You are branded ignorant, uncaring, and selfish on college campuses, workplaces, and even churches. The media has a liberal bias that would make one think that everyone is a democrat. There are few friends my age that I can have a true political discussion with. Most only want to hear people express views that are the same as their own. Others will just quit talking to you all together once they know you didn't vote for Obama. Still others feel like you are attacking them personally because you challenge their views. My views are challenged on a daily basis. If I took it personally every day, I would think the world hated me and thought I was stupid. I'm confident enough in myself and my views to not take it personally. I'm also confident enough to discuss them. I find that a lot of people my age do not want to enter into a discussion because they just aren't strong enough in their own beliefs to accept a challenge and then form a rebuttal. They don't want to talk to me, because I make them take off their blinders. There are some friends that I can go back and forth with, and I welcome it! I like hearing their points. I like it when they hear mine.

In closing, John Mackey is a libertarian. He's a libertarian in a very far left world-the world that is Whole Foods. He's been branded as uncaring about people's health and now the environment, and I think it's cost him his position of chariman of the company he founded. I feel for John Mackey. I know what it's like to have your politics dictate what others think of you. I'm often misunderstood, and I think John Mackey is as well.

December is here!

I'm so happy that the holidays are here! I wasn't really eagerly anticipating them because they actually snuck up on me this year, but I'm happy they're here nonetheless. I love the holidays-- friends, family, great food, Chirstmas decoratations, shopping, gift giving. It's all so much fun. Here's a quick run down of what I'm doing and how I'm preparing.

• Our tree is up and we have lights on the house. This year I have our traditional tree, which is a hand me down tree from my mom. My aunt Joyce bought it end of season from a specialty shop years ago. It's a five foot tree that looks supre full and realistic. Since I'm allergic to pine, this forever green tree is the closest I'll get to the real thing. We've also put up a small three foot table top tree with all my Wizard of Oz ornaments. I've amassed quite the collection of Dorothies, Scarecrows, Tinmen, Lions, Totos, and witches. They took over our tree last year, so this year they get their own, be it sparsely covered, tree. More Wizard of Oz ornaments welcome *hint-hint* We've took our normal decor off the ledge above the front door and replaced it with seasonal items, and we've bought garland to do up there, we just need to borrow a ladder to place it up there properly. We hung icicle lights outside on the porch and got a little light up penguin that is sitting on the porch pot. We put bows on the porch columns and one on the EVANS solar light spindell thing. In all, the house if very festive and pretty. It's amazing how much Christmas decor can make a home feel that much more "homey."
• I'm mulling around what holiday baking I'd like to do. I'll do the usual fantasy fudge and almond shortbread thumbprints. Last year I did spritz cookies, but they weren't such a hit on the tray I brought to work. I think they're good, especially with coffee or a glass of milk, plus the recipe makes a ton so they're good filler as it were. So maybe I'll do them, maybe I won't. Kroger has the same large rolls of Pillsbury dough for $2.50 again this year. I hate shortcutting like that, but at that price you can't beat the convenience. I'll buy the gingerbread and make gingersnaps again and probably the peanut butter to make kiss cookies. Justin will want chocolate chip cookies, so I'll make some of those, but keep them at home. Every year I plan to make buckeyes, but I never do. Maybe this year will be the year I finally do it. Mom gave me a quick and dirty buckeye recipe that I might do to simplify.
• Grandma and I did a little craft project while I was home a few weeks ago. I'd love to share what I did, but I'm afraid some of the recipients will read this and it will spoil the gift. I had fun beading with Grandma and the final product turned out probably better than I thought. I plan on giving them to my small group and people at the office.
• Justin and I are almost done with our shopping. We have a few gifts here and there to buy and we need to nail down what we're getting a few people, but for the most part shopping is done.
• I've brought my Christmas cards to work to get them signed. I will address them over the next few days and hope to get to the post office for stamps so I can get them mailed this weekend.
• Also this weekend, my mom and dad are coming down to celebrate my birthday. See, my birthday is part of the holiday season as well, so I get an extra special bonus! Justin's company has a large surplus store with restaurant equipment and smallwares. We get a discount normally, but this weekend we get an extra discount as a holiday gift. I love kitchen things as does my mom, so that's how we plan to spend Saturday. I have things to pick up in preparation for:
• Hosting Christmas Eve dinner! I'm all about starting new traditions now that I'm married, so this year I had the idea of doing a meal with Justin's family and it was decided that Chrstimas Eve was the best time. Justin's family is very into the opening of presents on Christmas morning, so we'll keep that tradition the same, but on Christmas Eve, they usually just watch a movie and eat cheese, crackers, and summer sausage. This year, they will come to our house and dine on prime rib (one of Justin's favorite things) and LOTS of side dishes. It's not a meal unless you have more side dishes than the number of guests. That's the Hickey/Cowley rule. I guess it might be the Ray Hickey Method of holiday meals LOL! I've never done a prime rib before, but I've done some reading and I'm confident that I can make a good one.
• I also want to persuade everyone to go to our church's late night Christmas Eve service. I loved going to church on Christmas Eve as a kid and lighting the candles and singing Silent Night. Plus, it puts the holiday back into perpective at least temporarily. Chirstmas after all is about the birth of Christ and God's gift to us. Even if I go by myself, I'm going. And when we have kids, I will take them.
• We currently have no plans for New Year, and I'm okay with that. If we get invited to a party, we'll go. If we go to a friends' house, we'll go. If we go over to my in-laws we'll go. I'm not hosting anything and I don't mind if what I do is small.

That's my December in a nut shell. We've been invited to some holiday parties that I'd like to attend if it fits into our schedule. And I'm sure invitations to this that and the other will crop up throughout the month. This time if year is one that I don't mind being busy!

I'm Thankful For

I'd be super thankful if my boss would let me leave right now, but it doesn't look like he's going to. I'm currently done with everything I needed to do today and am answering the phones. That is, if they were actually ringing, which they aren't. Oh well, I will kill time with this.

This year I am thankful for:

My Loving Husband
He's just as sweet and lovable as he ever was, maybe more. We've been married for a couple days shy of two and half years now, and I can't imagine life without him. It's amazing how nicely we've fallen into our roles as husband and wife. I love him and everything he does for me.

Our House
We've been in our house a year and half, and it's really truely become our home. Milo and Maggie, dinners around the table, new drapes, wicker chairs on the porch, evenings spent watching TV, all of this is home to me. I love it!

Our Church
This year, we finally buckled down and found a church home. We began attending Peace United Methodist during Lent, and it has been a great fit. We've been getting involved, meeting new people, and worshipping God ever since. Those who don't go to church, just don't get the feeling that church can give you; it's just one more thing that has made this year great.

Family
My family has been through a lot this year. My Grandma Hickey passed away in January, which was extremely hard, but it has made me realize just that much more how important family is to me. I've been able to visit with family during our vacation to North Carolina and get to know some of "the cousins" better. I've also started chatting more with my dad and Uncle Darryl on Skype. I was also able to meet more of Justin's family this year as well. He also lost a grandparent, and although the circumstances were not great, we got to visit with his family. I finally met his cousin and her little boy when we hosted them for a few days. I love how marriage has helped my family grow!

Tiffany and Jonas
I am so thankful for these great friends that they get a specail entry in this blog. I visited them in Chicago in March and was able to see their new home. I was also priviledged enough to be a part of their wedding in August. It was such a wonderful day, especially since two people that mean so much to me were married. Tiffany is a great friend, and although our relationship is different now that she is in Chicago, we are still close. I'm proud to be her "economist friend, " and I love talking about "my friends in Chicago."

Friends
I am also thankful for all my friends in general. Sarah J., Erin, James, Sarah P., Catey, Angel, Jaime, Jen, and Derek. You are all super great to me and super fun to have around. God has put some really great people in my life.

My Job
I am thankful for my job, not only because of this economy, but because of what it allows me to do. I am able to be home every evening and weekend with my husband. I was also introduced to accounting as it's applied to a business which has gotten me interesting in being a CPA. It's funny how you think you're killing time, but it leads you to the path that God has set out for you. " 'For I know tha plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' " Jeremiah 29:11

I know I'm forgetting a ton of great things. My life right now is just wonderful. Of course there are tough things that I endure, but the good makes them bearable. Happy Thanksgiving!

Asstastic Weekend

I had one of the best weekends I've had in a long time! After a hella creazy week (see previous posts) I was ready for some fun and some relaxation.

I'd been planning an outing to see Vince Vaughn's newest movie, Couples Retreat, for months. I'd been following the film on discussion borads and internet since its infancy, and I couldn't wait for it to come out. It was sort of my dream movie: original idea by Vince and Jon Favreau, orginal script by Favs, fined tuned by Vince and Dana Fox, directed by Peter Billingsley, and starring Vince, Favs, Faizon Love (Big Worm!), Jason Bateman, and miss Vmars herself, Kristin Bell. I wanted to do something akin to the night out I had for opening night of Wedding Crashers in '05, so I created a Facebook event and invited a bunch of friends. Approaching the date, it looked like the group wasn't going to be very big, but we had at least one couple, Sarah and Nathan, that were a definite to join us. The night of, we ended up with 8 people out for dinner at BDs Mongolian BBQ, then another two joined us for the movie.

The movie was great. I was worried that my friends would hate it since it got terrible reviews, but they enjoyed it as well. Yes, it was cheesey and a bit predictable. The editing seemed a bit sloppy in parts, but it delivered on the laughs and the story was heartfelt. One of the funniest parts is a scene in which Jon Favreau's character sets himself up for a little self-love. As the scene goes on, it becomes more apparent what he's up to, first looking at a bikini-clad girl on a brochure, then eyeing some complementary lotions, and finally grabbing some tissues and pulling his shirt over his head. Vince has his fair share of funny lines of course, and the banter between him and Favs is just great. Throw Bateman into the mix a few times, and you've got a funny movie. Oh, there is also a cameo by none other than Vernon Vaughn, Vince's dad, making his fifth appearance in Vince's films.

After the movie, we headed out with one of the couples, Catey and Ryan, to Butter's Bar in Gahanna. This used to be OUR bar. It is in Vista Plaza, near the Vistas, where Justin lived when we met and where we lived when we were first married. There have been many a night spend there and many a walk back to the apartment. It was fun for nostalgia's sake, but also fun to hang out with a couple our age and do things people our age do. We talked about work, about their wedding plans, about baseball. It was good times.

After staying out until after 2 am, we slept in on Saturday. Our plan was to do nothing on Saturday, and I'm proud to say that we accomplished our goals and then some. I made a big breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and grits for the two of us, then I decided to go back to bed and take a nap. Justin ran an errand or two, but I never left the house. I did shower, but wore warm-up pants and a sweatshirt all day. We watched the Buckeye's kick some Badger ass, ordered a pizza, and then rooted for the Hawkeyes as they defeated Michigan.

Justin left for San Antonio, Texas early Sunday morning. I went to church where I gave blood on the blood mobile for the first time since, I believe, high school. I had a couple bad experiences giving blood, and I kind of shied away from it for a bit. I tend to give quickly, and the last two times I gave in under five minutes, causing me to get light headed and feel sick. Remembering this, I told the girl as she hooked me up that I tend to give quickly and I think she slowed whatever machine they use. I didn't feel "wierd" or light headed at all. Perhaps I will give again on a more regular basis. I have a relatively rare blood type, b-, so the Red Cross used to call me often. We shall see if they begin to do so again.

Sunday night was the first official youth small groups. We decided to cover the topic of gossip. I had typed out a little worksheet of sorts to help steer the girls into discussion and try to keep them on topic. It went really well. They had a lot to stay and we talked about some really key issues like, even if it's true it's still gossip, and helping a friend by telling a trusted adult about a situation is not gossip. The girls really want to do an overnight, so we are planning on that for November and we are going to use it as a time to do a service project, putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

So that was my weekend. Justin returns from San Antonio on Tuesday afternoon. His grandpa is supposed to be moved to a rehabilitation nursing home today. I haven't had an update in the last few days, so I'm not really sure where we're at with that. I think it's still touch and go. But hoepfully, our week will the a little less stressed than last.

Are YOU in this blog?

A few years back a friend posted a blog like this, and I always thought it was a good idea. I've been very introspective lately, especially when it comes to the people in my life. So I thought I'd do this so all the things I want to say will be said.
1. You're probably the truest friend I have. We've known eachother for so long and been through so much together. There have been times when we aren't as close, but we always find our way back to one another. You make the effort to maintain our friendship even when it's hard, and for that I love you.
2. I never thought I'd drift away from you like I have. You were such a big part of my life for a while and I asssumed you'd stay that way. You are probably the only one who saw me at my very worst and I thank you for your support. It took a lot to get past some of the secrets you kept, but I know you had your reasons. I hope you understand my reaction to them. Hopefully we can drift back together over time when life is less hectic.
3. I'm so glad to be back in touch with you. I didn't remember how easy it was to talk to you. I can tell you just about everything. After all this time, it's amazing that we are still on the same wavelength.
4. You are my best friend. You are my partner in crime. You are just as dorky and silly as I am. Love you!
5. I didn't want to be your friend. I wanted to hate you. But I can't. If I think about it long enough I get creeped out, but I try not to do that because you are such a great person. I love you and your family very much. I am glad to have you as a friend.
6. You are the greatest addition to my life. I am very glad to have met you, and I'm glad we've grown so close. You continue to support and inspire me.
7. I wish you didn't let others get in our way, but you do. I feel bad for you, I feel that you've made the wrong decisions, and I wonder how you let things happen like that. I will keep tyring to made our relationship right, but it will never be the same and we both know it.
8. I am so sad that you're not around anymore. I am so happy for you, and I know you are doing what is the very best for you. I love that you make effort in our friendship and I hope I am doing my part. Our lives are changing so fast, but our friendship and bond is still there after all that we've been through. I think that is the test of true friendship.
9. I am so happy that you were brought into my life. You're truely a good person. I hope we continue to be friends.
10. I've come to realize that you are selfish and self-centered. You search for the things and people to make you happy, but nothing ever works for you, and I think that nothing ever will. For a while I made you happy and you were eager to have me around. But for whatever reason, I stopped making you happy and you moved on to others. I spent so much time, energy, emotions, and money trying to keep you happy and get back on your good side. But I have decided to stop. It kills me because for whatever reason, I still want your acceptance. But as of now, I have no more to give you.
11. You are doing so well in your life, and I am proud of you. I am glad to be back in touch. We can always have a great time remembering the past and how crazy we were back then. So nice to have old friends back.
12. I apologize for anything I did to hurt you. If I could go back to that time, I would take it all back. I am happy that you are able to be my friend despite what happened. I hope we grow closer.
13. I'm not sure how we went from being the super close duo we were to not even speaking. I know you went through some tough stuff, and I wish you would have let me help. I am glad to still have your friendship back again. It is stronger now, and I hope it gets back to what it was.
14. Your friendship surprises me. From the beginning I felt unworthy of you. But here we are still friends, and I am very happy for that.
15. You are a great friend, but you wear me out. At times you are so needy that I tire of you. Other times, you are MIA. I wish you didn't let men affect your life like that. I will always be your friend despite everything.
16. We've never been super close, but I want to be and think we can. I feel for you, and I think we have more in common than you know. I am going to make an effort to be a good friend to you.

It's almost Chirstmas

December is already half over. Amazing how it seems to fly by every year. I have one more weekend to Chirstmas shop, and I still have no idea what Justin and I are going to buy when we do go shopping. It really frustrates me that they are his parents, yet he hasn't even thought about what to get them. Instead, it's up to me to stress about it. I may be working on Saturday since we're super busy at work and that only makes it harder to get everything done. I also agreed to babysit on Friday. Oh well, it will get done and Christmas will be wonderful.
This year, I purposefully did not make my birthday public on Myspace and Facebook. The last few years, I got bombarded by birthday wishes--more than I've ever gotten in my life, but it's all very fake. My birthday often gets ignored since it's sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm often disappointed by the effort my friends put into my birthday. I have thrown parties, bought gifts, made cakes, and received nothing in return time and time again. The one major exception to this rule is James who has lovingly shared his birthday with me for years. All through high school he included me in whatever celebration or party he had and last year, he came to Columbus and we celebrated together.
So this year, I didn't make my birthday known to anyone who wouldn't remember on their own. I got texts from James and Tiffany. A card from Sarah Jewell. Myspace comments from Ashton and Lauren and again from Sarah. Brian was sweet enough to find belated comments for me. And Erin even said happy birthday on her status. So six friends. That's it. It just reenforced what I already knew; that I'm a better friend to some of them than they are to me. Jonas would call them "Clearance Friends" and I agree. However, I have a hard time letting them go. I have met some really good new friends lately and reconnected with others. I should just foster these relationships and appreciate the friends who appreciate me. But it's hard to just write people off you know? But thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday and took the time to say something.
Other than that revelation, my birthday was great. My parents visited with my grandma. They met the dog and we had lunch. It's so nice to have them visit. I really enjoy that Grandma lives with them now. I get to see her when I come home and she's able to travel down with them when they come. I tell my family and friends that there's an open invitation to my house and I love visitors.
Well, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. We'll be hosting our casual New Year's thing again this year, so feel free to come by. Like always, it's laid back and not that fancy. But we always seem to have a house full of people.