GZ Tai-Tai

Hunting Accident

We just got back from our holiday and while in and out of the earshot of the television while getting things in order, and fixing Birthday Dinner and Dessert for hubby's birthday yesterday I did not hear to much except, something about Dick Cheney??

So this morning while in the shower I am watching the news, not sure which rag it was on the CNN (Commie News Network) or the BBC ( Boring Brood of Commies). One of the the talking heads was talking to someone, I have no clue as to who as the shampoo was in my face at the time. But the question put forth was that doesn't this latest make Dick Cheney a political problem for George Bush?Then there is this article... on CNN that almost accuses Cheney of doing it intentionally?Like he was out for blood.....

During Tuesday's White House news conference, spokesman Scott McClellan was asked if waiting 14 hours after the shooting before Cheney spoke with police was appropriate, and whether an average citizen would have been afforded the same amount of time.

"That was what was arranged with the local law enforcement authorities," McClellan said. "You ought to ask them that question."

EXCUSE ME!!!   Hello!!!!    Dick Cheney was out hunting with a buddy and he accidentally shot the guy!    How does this have anything to do with politics.

IT IS A HUNTING ACCIDENT!!!!

Hunting accidents happen sometimes and they are something every hunter hopes will never happen!

Growing up in a household where my parents enjoyed the outdoors, fishing ,camping and shooting,and hunting. We all of us learned how to use firearms and the rules that go with it. Not to mention the respect you have of those firearms and yes hunter and gun safety. We all learned to love the outdoors as well.

Granted when I was fifteen, I was not thrilled about, not having a shower for a week during hunting season, no flush toilets, and not being able to take my curling iron and blow dryer with me and all the makeup too. But I survived and learned to love the outdoors and I appreciate that now as a parent.

It is unfortunate that this happened to Dick Cheney and his hunting buddy, but it is not Political at all in my eyes and any right minded person knows this is not political.Meanwhile Dick Cheney is beside himself and hoping that his friend will recover. I can only imagine.

This is just another attempt for the media to drag Cheney and Bush through the ringer again. Perhaps the media should be dragging the real corrupt people at the UN through the ringer instead. I really get sick of the media trying to twist things to make a story.

The other night we watched the OO7 movie Tomorrow Never Dies and I can really see parallels in that movie with the stories that happen on the news. Maybe not to the extreme of starting wars... but perhaps....

Wouldn't it figure

I have been pretty good at writing on this blog the last week or so, and I cannot even view it.  I am able to post but, I am not seeing it or hubbies. I don't think it has anything to do with the powers that be here in China though.

A message was sent out to Type Pad customers that they are doing a few things. Sounds to technical to me so I lost interest in the message.

If you commented on  the blogs, I just read them and appreciate the input, Stevo.

So What Do Princes Do Anyway

So I guess Prince Charles is trying to find something to do either to justify his title or perhaps the honeymoon with his new/old bride is over.  This subject Prince Charles, Camilla is a touchy subject for me . It is a subject that my loving husband likes to bring up, just to wind me up. He also says I am too easy. Well maybe I am.....

When I was in High School working at the local drug store in my town. Myself and all the other girls and older women watched the fairy tale romance in the news and the magazines. We talked about it in the break room and during the slow times of our work hours.  I was especially impressed as Diana was only a few years older than I was at the time, and she had captured the heart of the Prince of England. A real Prince. Yes he had big ears, and was a little, well, geeky looking but one could over look these traits to be a Princess, I thought at the age of 17.  We all watched the romance unfold, and then the wedding on TV. I could not miss it and did not miss it.  Truly a story out of one of the fairy tale books I loved to have read to me as a small child. What the world and I thought would be the happy ending. Well we all know it was not a happy ending.  That is what upsets me the most.

She was young and innocent. He was older, more worldly,and urbane. He had run with the fast crowd and, she was being checked to make sure she was still a virgin.

The man was a total insensitive boob. Keeping his relationship with his mistress over the years and even ruining her marriage as well as his. I am not saying that Charles is to blame for all of it. Camilla did her part too.

This is where husband always pipes in " Well Diana was a Psycho" Being an anorexic etc.... Well I truly think that Diana would not have had those problems, if she did not feel that she had to try and win her husband back. She was suffering from lack of self esteem, because of the situation she had been put in, in her marriage. Who made her feel that way? The Prince and his mistress. Bloody Sod!

Well Prince Charles is now married to his mistress and he seems to be judging the Americans and how they treat Islam.

A year earlier Prince Charles made a speech, acclaimed throughout the Arab world, on relations between Islam and the West. He urged the West to overcome its "unthinkable prejudices" about Islam and its customs and laws.

Excuse me prejudices?  Seems like the prejudices are coming from Islam and not the West "Your Highness"  Who just this summer terrorized the London Tube not to mention 9/11?

I know that the people to blame for those atrocious events are a small majority of the Muslim people. "Just like there are always a few bad apples in every bunch". I believe that most Westerners and that includes the American people know this and understand it too.

A year earlier Prince Charles made a speech, acclaimed throughout the Arab world, on relations between Islam and the West. He urged the West to overcome its "unthinkable prejudices" about Islam and its customs and laws.

I think maybe the Prince should be reversing this question.

The whole article is here....

My two cents is..... I think the Queen should skip Charles, and abdicate the throne to William. He has shown more maturity and sense in his short life, than his father has his entire life.

Charles should go back to fishing or golfing in his kilt, and shagging Camilla (don't forget the bag EWW!) 

When Charles opens his mouth he just comes off as a real tosser.

Holidays

Last week I was doing my daily workout on the treadmill. I decided to listen to a radio station from Portland, Oregon. Guess I just wanted to hear a traffic report and the weather report along with some music to get me through the work out. Husband is there for meetings too, so I was kind of interested to see if the rain is falling, or if he is experiencing a nice day or not. Usually in Oregon it rains.

While listening I hear an ad for Christmas. Wow I think this is early for a Christmas advert. Usually we heard ads at the earliest in November and not in October.  I had to think back a bit and yes I remember seeing the employees at  the local Target store cleaning up the Halloween, after Halloween was over, and starting to put up the Christmas decor merchandise.  So now it Happens in October before Halloween is even come and gone.

I read an article this morning and it seems it has come to this..

  Rebecca LaChanse of Fairfax Station this week bought holiday-scented soaps at the Tysons Corner Center Bath & Body Works store, which was decorated with twinkling lights, fake snow and snowflake-covered gift boxes.
    Mrs. LaChanse bought the items because she had a coupon. But she said the holly, garlands and bows do not promote holiday cheer in October.
    "I feel pressure when they're up," Mrs. LaChanse said. "Every year it's earlier and earlier."
    "Pretty soon we're going to skip Halloween and go straight from the Fourth of July to Christmas," she said.

Skipping Halloween would not break my heart that much, to me it just seems to be a holiday based on greed more than anything else. Especially when I was in the states and adults were Trick or Treating, and these were adults that were my age and older. Give me a break! Of course they got told a thing or two as I can't keep my big mouth shut.  It seemed like Halloween was not for little children anymore.

The holidays I enjoy the most are Christmas and Easter. I actually think I enjoy Easter more than Christmas, because, sometimes I think people lose sight of the real reason of Christmas, and get too wound up in the presents. Which I am sure the retailers would hate to hear me say, but well I have.

Here is the article... read it for yourself.

Yes, I have started my Christmas shopping for the kids. It is a bit difficult to find quality items here in China for gifts, but I have picked up a few Lego items for son and one item for daughter. The bulk of our Christmas shopping will be done in Hong Kong, and will fit in a medium size suit case. Those will be gifts for four people. So the mountain that fills half the room does not exist in our household. The important part of Christmas will be remembered Christ's birth and sharing the holiday with our little family and a few friends that will be here in China with us. Our  families and friends at home will be in our thoughts too. But most importantly we will not have lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas.

A Smile is the Universal Language

A smile is the universal language. It means the same thing in every culture. I have learned this in the years that I have been over seas. It says Friendship, Happiness and Thank You. It breaks the barrier of not knowing another person's language.

We told them to form a line, and I was assigned to hand out the Styrofoam "clamshells" containing the meal. I asked whether they wanted one or two; most asked, shyly, for two. I had to fight back my tears; I had never seen people crying for food and water. Most did not speak English, but a smile is a smile in any language.

The woman in this article experienced this without leaving her own country. Many others like her will have experienced the same type of situations in dealing with the disasters that have happened across the world this year.

Then there will be many who are helping in their small communities, with Food Baskets for the needy, habitat for humanity, volunteering in a local hospital, and other community projects, they will also have this wonderful thing happen to them.

The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" . I really think that the phrase should be " A smile is worth a thousand words"

It only takes a smile to tell someone you are reaching out to them, to aid them. It only takes a smile to say Thank You.

Failing to Grasp the scale of disaster

Reading the news about the Earthquake Relief in Pakistan " World Failed to Grasp Scale of South Asian Quake disaster : UN Official"  read it for yourself.

I may be being a bit pessimistic with what I read and perhaps off the mark. But.... Here I go.....

As I see it the funds apparently just aren't rolling in as fast as the UN would like to see. Fine..... The disasters we have seen this year have been many and going back as they do in the article to the Tsunami in Asia and saying that people are just not giving for this disaster like they have been for that particular disaster is ridiculous.

There have been several other disasters in between and quite frankly in the US in several states many of those who probably gave and would have given are dealing with some of the worst disasters that they have seen in their lives.Some of those people are wondering where they will sleep tonight.

Another interesting comment at the end of the article......

"All the tents available in the world are being eyed for this relief operation," he said.

Why aren't they buying them or asking the business for the donation of x amount of tents. If they really need them they would not be EYING them. They would be getting them!

Then the Name Of Koffi appears I get rather cynical/ skeptical whenever I see that man and he opens his mouth. I think only his interests are at hand and he would like to see more money not to help with any disaster but to line his pockets and put in his coffers. The man is such a crook!!

Is it really the World that did not Grasp the Magnitude of this Disaster.... I Wonder..

The UN does a good job of delivering aid for Disasters and that is the job they should do.. They should stay out of the politics. Get rid of the Crooks!

Tolerance

Well I have seen it all now.... How come those of us who are Christians, or White, have to turn the other cheek all the time, or look the other way when we don't like something. But if a Muslim or a Black person or a Mexican or  well you get the idea...  feels uncomfortable about something they can make a big stink and get their way?  I mean really don't these people understand about living in a free society, a multi-cultural society. Why should I, if I enjoy my morning tea or coffee in a "piglet mug" not be able to drink out of a "piglet mug". I have no problem if my neighbor were to drink his tea out of a mug with Allah on it..... If these people don't want to live in a free society why did they leave the home that they came from? Perhaps they should go back to their repressed homeland and stop repressing the rest of us..

I have so many times heard the whining in the media from a black politician or for a black cause that we the white people in America need to apologize for slavery. Excuse me I did not own a slave. None of my relatives owned a slave. Why should I apologize?  My great Grandmother came on a boat in 1911 to the states from Poland, she left her seven year old sister behind because they would not let her on the boat because she had "pink eye". She never saw her sister again.  The other Grand parents came from Sweden. All of these Immigrants came in the early 1900's by then slavery had been abolished. Not to mention the fact that they emigrated to Pennsylvania, Ohio area when they finally did settle down. Not the South!

Those "African Americans" and Jessie Jackson and his likes if they have so many problems with the way things are in the states for the "African Americans" maybe they should go to Africa and live there for a while. I bet they would come back with a bit of a different out look on things in America. Besides that most of those so called "African Americans" Aren't from Africa they were born in America! So give me abreak Jessie and go Pay for your love child. Oh ... and have a nice warm glass of shut the hell up!

These immigrants of my Great Grandparents era did not emigrate to make the other people in the new country change their ways to the ways of the country they left. They became good upstanding people in the new country. The new home, they were proud to be apart of that country and to abide by its rules and regulations.They were proud to live in a neighborhood that was multicultural. A Polish family living next to an Italian family, an Italian family living next to a German family, a German family living next to a Jewish family, a Black family living across the street from the Polish family and so on. All those families saw each other everyday they helped one another if someone needed help, they celebrated life together, their children played together and walked to school together. All of these people were proud to be together in the new country, that they could have a better life, than the life they had in their homeland.

So Why do the immigrants that come not only to the USA but to England, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Etc. want to oppress the citizens of those countries by complaining that Winnie the pooh or piglet is offensive to them? I truly believe these people are trying to oppress us and take over the free world with there oppressive beliefs and they are pushing them on us with the so called "political correctness" attitudes that we are now dealing with. Political Correctness is not correct.   

This is my feeling because I am a bit fed up with you lot... If you don't like what you see or hear in the free world, Then leave, go back to your own oppressive country, and stop oppressing the rest of the free world. There are some of us that are tired of giving free hand outs and paying the bill and then having the hand that is giving, bitten in return.

A bit callous.. yes, but honest!

Their are many people that emigrate to the free world that have the feelings of those who emigrated in the 1900's . They are proud to be making a new home in the free world. They know what it is like to be oppressed and will not forget. They are happy that they can live in a free society and have religious freedom and speak what is on their minds. It is for these people and those of us who have always lived in a free society to protect those freedoms that we have, and not let those who would oppress us, try to oppress us by taking away our freedom of speech, religion, individuality, not taking away our right to collect tigers, dragons, roosters, cows, or even pigs or piglet mugs.

So protect our freedoms do not bow to the oppressors!

My take on the News

Well I will try again,,,, I got half way through the first version and lost all of my blog. Frustrating for me since this always takes me longer than it should anyway.

Today I am giving you my opinion on the Katrina fiasco.

First of all Mayor Big Mouth needs to shut the hell up! He needs to look in the mirror and start being a man. The only person he should be pointing the finger at is himself. He should have put his citizens on bus, train or car out of town. Instead he decided to let them hang out in the stadium. What was he doing a few days before Katrina hit? What kind of plan did he have. NONE! Instead his plan is to point the finger and blame anyone but himself. He also has the gall to start playing the race card.

The other one playing the race card is the honorable Jessie Jackson. I am sooooo... Tired of Jessie and his ranting and raving of how white people are so racist towards blacks. Excuse me reverend Jessie why don't you have a peak in the mirror.
While you are at it, pay for your love child and try to keep your dick in your pants too if you can. Would one of you looters down there in NOLA just put Jessie out of his misery!

Then we have the rapper Kayne West that has to put his, two cents worth in. Fine but don't do it while you are trying to raise money for the people that you say you want to help!
I truly felt sorry for Mike Myers who had to stand their and look embarrassed and try to plug along . Frankly I would have punched the guy in the mouth had I been the one standing there with him. Kayne West alienated, I am sure thousands or more of our nations contributors.

The first comments out of Mayor Big Mouths, mouth, made me ask Husband if we could rescind the donation we made the day that Katrina blew in. We did not rescind it though, because we know the money will be used for a family who is in need regardless of there color or race, I am sure that they will be thankful. I can only imagine the phone calls the Red Cross had to deal with after Kayne West's appearance.

I also keep hearing people try to compare this with the Tsunami. IT is not the same. There was NO WARNING with the Tsunami! However there was plenty of Warning for people to get out of town and for the Mayor of NOLA to make arrangements to get his people out of town. He Chose Not To!

Through all of the News coverage we see. We see all negative out here in China because we get CNN and BBC, the coverage on BBC at least does not give the Airtime to the likes of Jessie Jackson and his ranting and raving about racism that CNN gives him.

>>We know who is really the racist in all of this Jessie.

>I noticed that when a report is seen from Mississippi the people are trying to get on with life and pick up, clean up and move forward. There are not the negative and angry terms thrown about at people who have no control over the hurricane. There are people helping each other out and not waiting around for someone to help them. In NOLA it has been negative and people have been whining about how come someone has not picked them up. In my parents and grandparents generation people tried to help themselves and their neighbor and did not depend on others to get them out of a mess. Has it really come to this that people are that dependent on the government that they cannot think for themselves and cannot help themselves in a time of crisis. Are these people so dependent on the welfare system that they expect a car to come pick them up. Hello!!! Ever heard the phrase God helps those who help themselves!

There are good people helping in this effort. Our good friends and my childhood neighbors George and Linda are Red Cross Volunteers and site coordinators in Oregon, they are dealing with 1000 of the refugees of Katrina right now. They may have to serve up to three tours on this disaster alone. One tour is 21 days and they won't go home during that time but will be on sight. It is people like this who help voluntarily that we should be commending, I know there are many others that are helping too.

So people in NOLA and others spouting the race card... before you speak, shut your mouth, try to help a neighbor if you are capable, and remember this.... If you love your neighbors as you love yourself there would be no race card to play.
Perhaps the Mayor of NOLA and The Rapper Kayne West and Jessie Jackson need to have a good look at the ten commandments and really study them and then live them.

That is my opinion.. take it or leave it.

Breast Feeding

Here are two links to look at that Expat husband said, Oh... Tai-Tai will have a thing or two to say about this... and this too...and yes I do have a few things to say.

Number one Barbara Walters for a famous person that at 74 years old still cannot pronounce her R's and L's  (Baba WaWa) needs to stop being such an opinionated, prude. So.. it is not her lifestyle to breast feed. Too bad, other people do and it is their right to offer the best and most nutritious and nurturing thing a mother can do for their baby.

I as a mother bottle fed my daughter and she survived, yes, but we had to endure a gassy cranky baby that frequently had projectile pukes that would hit the wall on the other side of the room. This was when we lived in the states and had the best formula and the best water also the best medical care.

When I found out I was pregnant with baby number two (expat son) it was 9 years later, I was in my early thirties and we were living in China. I could not find Jar baby food, the formula on the market in China was bad and we would hear of babies dying of malnutrition or being poisoned to death because the powder was not formula. We still hear these stories now here in China, and it is 9 years later.  Then there was the issue of clean water. Even the bottled water would be contaminated at times and someone would end up with a nasty parasite. 

So I picked up books in Hong Kong about breast feeding it seemed to be the logical thing for me to do.  It is clean, safe, nutritious and on top of that the most loving thing you can do for your child.  When I went home to the states to have my baby, my mother made me a cape that I could put on while breast feeding. This was great, very nice for about a month. Then my lovely son would manage to flip it up. He was quite an active baby, and liked to see what was going on around him. Very social.

At the time my husbands job required that we had to go to a lot of dinners with people from the company , and baby and daughter were always invited. I would excuse myself and find a quiet corner away from other diners in the restaurant, to feed my son. Usually I was told by the people we were with to stay and feed the baby there at the table. It did not bother them. This was very kind and very accepting of them.

Many times the men and women from my  husbands company would compliment me on breastfeeding saying it was a wonderful and beautiful thing  that I was doing.  I was never ashamed of feeding my son, it is a natural thing to do.  It steams me to know that other people make it difficult for mothers to do the most natural and loving thing they can for their children. Making it out to be dirty and nasty. It just is not either of those things.

I breast fed my son until he was a year old,at eleven months I started to wean him off the breast. He went from breast to cup. No need for a bottle. Living in China we did a lot of air travel, when we were on flights and were ready to "take off" I would begin to breast feed.  When we would descend, I would breast feed again. My son never cried on long flights from Asia to the States or the short trips in Asia. We have been on flights where babies were crying constantly ,my son never did cry on any flight long or short. The other passengers around us always commented on how good he was on the flights.

It is a wonderful thing when your baby is cradled in your arms, and feeding he looks into your eyes and you are connected. It is the most touching moments you will have in your life, that brief time that you are giving life and sustenance to your baby. It truly is a beautiful thing.

Why if it were an ugly thing did God give us breasts to feed our children? Why would God have Mary feed Jesus from her breast if it were dirty or nasty?

If it is an ugly dirty thing why are there so many works of art of the Madonna with the Christ child suckling at her breast?

It is people like Barbara Walters that are the sick and twisted, trying to make people think it is ugly.

So my advice to Barbara Walters and others like her is, if you are uncomfortable and don't like what you see when a mother is feeding her baby...Close your eyes, look the other way and shut the hell up.

I also find it a bit interesting that Barbara Walters who was born in September of 1931 is now nearly 74 years old can feel this way, her mother probably breast fed her when she was born. It wasn't until around the 1930's that people started to bottle feed. It was a new concept at the time. I would imagine it was expensive too, and probably only the wealthy could afford to do it.

I will always remember those that came to me to tell me what a wonderful and beautiful thing I was doing by breast feeding my child. Because those people were right.

It was the most loving and wonderful experiences of my life. When I held my infant son in my arms and fed him, our eyes would connect, he would put his hand around my finger. We were connected our hearts beating the same rhythm.  Saying I love you more than anything in the universe, without speaking the words. A mothers love for her infant, giving him life and love. An infant receiving that love from his mother. A precious gift.

It is the most beautiful thing you can ever do for your child. Cherish the moment it is short and absolutely beautiful. Cherish those moments and hold them in your heart forever.