Good morning…

I have to say that it was fun to read the comments this morning. I enjoyed that we got off of politics and got  personal, whether it was purging or sharing stories from the past.  A friend said to me the other day, that at some point when everything is going down, you need to find the humor in the havoc and have a good laugh. And I thought about it. After all, if you are doing as much as you can, and still things aren’t coming together, life can feel quite ridiculous. And when it does, if you allow it, humor drops in and gives you a tickle.  I have had some moments with humor these days. 

Hi Lori:  First of all, no man is perfect, but my man is better than most husbands out there that I have come across. I am grateful for and appreciate his good qualities. Now, your man…I know it must’ve been an upsetting time for you, but hey, in the end I really think you did him a favor.  What better way to leave this world than to go out with a bang? I hope that you don’t mind that I added some humor to your story today.  And like you said, ‘If the roles were reversed….’  I think he got just what he deserved. :)

Zen Lill:  Again, my apologies for being insensitive. I have been in my own little world lately…

Hi Creg:  You are right..men aren’t the only ‘aholes’.  Still, pardon me for laughing a bit at the fact that your young daughter was mimicking your wife’s love-making noises. Again, I know it must’ve been a difficult time for you but looking back, does it not make you laugh a little? I hope that you have moved past the bitterness and you have a fresher look at things. 

Which speaking of…I don’t blame you for leaving your wife but also not speaking to your daughter feels a bit harsh to me. I think you are missing out by not having a relationship with her. I don’t think that your daughter was conspiring with your cheating wife.  I think your cheating wife acted very unfairly to her young daughter by putting her in that position. I think she is innocent in this. After all, it sounds like your daughter wanted to tell you but was probably told by her mother to keep silent all of those years. 

What a horrible thing for a young girl to have to hide from her father. And how it must affect her as a woman today. It seems she finally got the courage at age eighteen to tell you and you write her off. I hope you don’t mind me saying that I think you should call her up and try to salvage your relationship with her. It’s never too late. 

Jodi, Susan, Loni, Sandra, Michelle:  All of your stories were so much fun to read. These past few weeks I have gotten together with some of my girls from high school and we have been laughing so much at all of the funny stories that happened to us ions ago. And Sandra, thank you for saying that you found Colette’s story hilarious; I did too. 

I’ll share one that happened to me when I was young that I find pretty funny.

I was meeting this guy that I had a total crush on, at a party, and we were kind of  ‘going out’…nothing official but we were definitely into each other. We decided to take a walk to a nearby park to make-out. Well, things got pretty hot and heavy with the kissing. About an hour or so later I needed to leave. So, we walked back to the party and my friend’s parents picked us up and dropped me off at home. 

I walked in the door and my mother asked me how the party was. I went on and on about how much fun it was. She asked me if I went anywhere else. And I lied and said no. She said, “Michelle, where were you? Your sweater is on inside out and you have grass all over you.” I was so embarrassed then, and she was a bit ticked.  But of course we both laugh about it now. 

I hope that 20 years from now I will be laughing at the times today. Enjoy your Saturday and make it something worth laughing about…now or later. 

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

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Hello fellow Earthlings….

I just got a brief thought for you to consider.  Google the satellite that was recently launched by the United States government to investigate Earth-link planets out there in the galaxy. I think you’ll find it interesting. You bet I am.  And when you find something…care to share? Blog me. 

~~~~~~~~

Hey Meleea D:  If you didnt get catch my typo yesterday…so sorry, I meant to say your anonymity is safe NOT your animosity!  Just where did that come from? Ugh, I guess it was a bit early when I was writing, and my mind was not awake enough. :)

Hello Zen Lill: I can honestly say that I am not attached to my tech products, nor do I feel entitlement towards them. I have never been the one who has to own the latest and greatest. Maybe that’s good….maybe not. I’ll check out your video though; I could use a good laugh. 

However, I will say, I do appreciate them. I am grateful that when I need to make a call my c-phone is there to assist me. I am grateful that when I need information, my good friend Mac, is always reliable. But…there are so many days when I wish I didn’t have to tap on Mac, or turn my c-phone on. When I do feel tied to them, it is almost the same feeling I get when I ask the question, ‘Do I own my house or does my house own me?’ So I ask, ‘Am I in control of my tech products or do they run my life?’ I believe many people are slaves to their little machines. Who is really in control? Ohh the satisfaction I get when I hit the ‘off’ button!…..Something I am going to get pleasure doing right now :)

Peace out peeps.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Ah…we all get a little lazy when we drive. I’ve rolled through a few stop signs in my time…in a rush of course…what do they call that? Oh yeah, ‘The California Stop’.  Thankfully…knock on wood…I have not had a moving violation in years. In fact, this year I was lucky enough to renew my driver’s license by mail.

Then I saw the below article and the story made me want to just be a little bit more careful when driving. These days, moving violations are a heavy ticket. Talk about how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, on the city level. Check this out.  I know exactly where this took place, as I drive this street every so often. 

Like a lot of California drivers, Dave Soss just got a $490 lesson on how the state budget really works.

It all began when Soss, who lives in the East Bay, was ticketed Feb. 1 for rolling through a red light while making a right turn in Emeryville – and was hit with what he called a “mind-blowing” penalty.

For starters, there was the $100 base fine. Most of that goes to Emeryville, and the leftovers go to Alameda County.

Then comes the real hit:

– A $100 state penalty – $70 of which is divvied up among a dozen programs, including crime-victim restitution, witness protection, a Department of Fish and Game preservation fund and even a fund for victims of traumatic brain injuries. The other $30 goes to the county’s general fund.

– A $70 county penalty that goes for automated fingerprint identification, court and jail construction and other programs.

– A $20 penalty for a state DNA crime evidence collection program.

– A $55 fee for more court construction.

– A $20 assessment for the county’s emergency medical system.

– A $20 court security fee to pay for all those deputies and screening devices at the county’s courthouses.

– And a $20 surcharge that goes straight into the state’s general fund.

But wait – there’s more, including:

– A brand new, $35 assessment that the Legislature approved last fall to help cover $5 billion in revenue bonds for even more courthouse construction – a program pushed by then-state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

– A $1 night court fee.

– And finally, a $49 fee for the privilege of signing up for traffic school. (More than half that fee was just added – again, to pay for Perata’s pet courthouse renovations.)

Add it all up, and our red-light runner – whose infraction was caught on camera – is out $490.

Sticker-shocked Soss pondered community service to help pay it off. But he was told that would make him ineligible for traffic school – a course costing him another $15 online – which he needs to keep his record clean and his auto insurance from going up.

Of course, with ever-increasing numbers caught in the ticketing squeeze, courts now have an option to collect from errant motorists on the installment plan. Or allow them to defer payment.

With a $30 penalty fee, of course.

Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross SF Chronicle, Monday, March 2, 2009

So, did I save you $490 bucks? Let me tell you, there are plenty of things I would rather spend money on than a stupid mistake from being a lazy driver. Roll a red, fork over the green. The last thing I want to do is fork over green…especially that much green and to the city no less. No thanks. 

This story also reminds me of a time that I had my car stolen about 15 years ago. I called the police department to report it and of course they went looking for it. When they found it, (it just so happens that the car was found about two blocks away) they towed it to the nearest station. And guess what? I had to pay for the towing and storage which was over $250.00. Couldn’t they have just called me and let me know where it was? I could’ve walked to it and drove it off myself. No, they had it towed and I had to go through the hassle of taking a cab to the station and forking over the green.  I was pissed. Once again…’absolute power…’ 

The funny thing is, I had the same car stolen again a few years later. And instead of calling the police I decided to look for it myself first, and avoid the hassle, as well as the added green expense. I remember thinking, ‘The last time this car got stolen, it was around the corner. Maybe this time it will be around the corner too.’ To my delighted surprise, it was. And, perfect timing, it was parked in front of two driveways and the owner of one of them was just about to call to have it towed. I apologized, jumped in my car and left. 

And since were on the subject of ‘absolute power on the city level’, maybe I can save you 50 bucks too.  Let me warn you that city meters are not timed correctly either. I tested it more than once to see if my ‘watch minutes’ were the same as the ‘meter minutes’. Ha! They weren’t. The ‘meter minutes’ ran fast and depending how much time you put on the meter, could be the difference between you getting back to your car before the time runs out and you getting a ticket. The city is ripping us off. Test it yourself in your area. Forwarned is forearmed. My suggestion? Put the power and the green back into your own pocket. ALWAYS add on more time than you need. $0.25 cents for 5 more minutes could save you 50 bucks!

Happy Monday everyone – It is a beauty today. 

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Hellooo…did you all remember to change your clocks this morning?  I’m so delighted that spring is here and the days will get longer. Anyway enough about that.

I have been receiving emails from some readers that they are intimidated to comment on my blog. I have also had some friends share that they too are intimidated. Some have even said they are shy and don’t know what to say because they are afraid that they will not articulate well.

I say, ‘Who cares how well you articulate. Just say what you feel. Honesty always articulates well. :) Everyone has an opinion and all opinions are welcome.’

My suggestion to those of you out there that so want to comment but haven’t done so yet, because of whatever reason:  Pick a name…any name, and be that person on my blog. No one says that you have to use your real name. In fact, most people probably use a pseudonym instead of their real name. Pick a name that you’ve always liked.  Pick your best friend’s name, or a name of a person you admire. Nothing wrong with that. I certainly like it better than all of the anonymouses out there. But hey, all anons are welcome too.  

My point being, don’t let shyness or intimidation keep you from sharing your valuable viewpoint. No one needs to know who you really are.  You can be anonymous and say what you will.  At least you can be anonymous.  

There were times in the very beginning, when I first started this blog that I wish that I could be anonymous. Was I shy? No, shyness is not really a part of me. But was I intimidated? Hell yes. My readers are quite savvy and quite current.  When readers, ( Yes, you all out there) started to venture into waters unknown to me, I knew that I had to stay abreast of more than I was used to in order to keep up. It is very challenging sometimes. But I love it.

So…to all of you shy and intimidated readers: Don’t be. We want to hear from all of you. What you have to say is important so don’t let your name hold you back.

And to all of my personal friends: You never need tell me if you are writing under a pseudonym. And if you ever do reveal your pseudo self to me,  you have my word that I will not reveal you unless you give me the okay. Okay? 

Good. I look forward to hearing from all of you.  

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Helloo…

I have some very important things to handle this morning that are priority over anything else so I am going to chime in briefly, give my two where I want to,  and let you all carry on if you so desire. 

ZL: Oh, yes it can be..scary thought. I would love to chat with you via phone today and I might be able to later, but this morning I am crazy busy. 

Gloria: If you want to stand behind your man, I don’t have an issue with that. That is your choice. I made that comment to Suz because she is a racist and called me a lesbian, which hey, there is nothing wrong with being a lesbian, but no…I am not a lesbian. But calling me one, because I support women and stand beside my man as an equal, refusing to stand behind my man, is not the definition of a lesbian, but the definition of a strong woman; a ‘real’ woman. 

Tell me, are you racist too? Or do you offer pro bono work too, when you see the OTW’s losing their rights to your ‘beloved’ whites?  I didn’t think so. 

In addition Gloria, and I’ll address anon #11 also:  Look at what happens when serial killers are finally caught. His friends and family are always so surprised when they find out he has been killing for years. They say such things as:  ”Oh, he was such a nice church going man, gave and supported the homeless, paid his rent on time, quiet, never gave anyone trouble – a perfect citizen…etc. etc.” 

No matter how many wonderful things that this man did in his daily life, no matter how wonderful he was on the outside….still does not take away the simple fact that he is a serial killer. How a person shows him or herself publicly is not necessarily who they are privately. 

Anon#7:  I like Anon # 9′s answer but I will add. I don’t know about James Madison or Thomas Jefferson, nor would I venture to speak for them, but I have a feeling that our *Alexander Hamilton would agree with Obama, and if you have been reading my blog and reading the comments from *AH, you might think so too. I don’t want to speak for AH; maybe he will have a chance to tell you himself.

Have a beautiful day!

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"