Rob's Halfway House #11

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Tornado
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by Tornado »

Morning all!

Little Man spent the evening with his grandparents last night, so Hubby and I went to see Skyfall. We really enjoyed it. I don't mind a bit of Daniel Craig! :D

There's been heaps on over here about the shooting in America. I think the press is glad of it, actually. It would have been a slow news day without something so sensational to talk about. :roll:

Re: America's gun laws. While I certainly think you need to have more restrictions, Hubby and I were talking last night and we think that no matter are made to the laws nothing will change until the attitude to guns changes first. Having said that, there will also always be times when someone who shouldn't have one will get their hands on a gun. But I don't think shooting back is necessarily the answer. It's not going to do any good unless you're sure you'll kill them before they kill you.

Anyway, today we're taking our dog over to the house of a friend of my son's from school (the one who may be shifting to a new school). They've offered to look after Harry when we go away, provided he gets on with their dog. I'm hoping it will all be fine!
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Chernaudi
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by Chernaudi »

Hi everyone.

Amanda and everyone: The big problem I have with this whole deal is the same problem I had with Columbine and Aurora aside from the random, indiscriminant killing sprees they were--the fact that some people think about this as something "cool" and something to glamorize and emulate. The media does that enough--more than enough IMO. All you hear on the news is violence, rape, murder and killings and war. All the good things that people do--which I feel does and should out weight the bad--never gets reported.

The media feeds this perverse interest in horrific "scare" stories to these people, like we all live on the dark side of the moon, so to speak. Well, we all don't live on the dark side of the moon. They're appealing to a very small. yet very loud, group of the populace. I have nothing against violent movies and violent video games--I may abhor violence, but it's not my place to preach censorship under our First Amendment. But what I abhor more than anything is the glorification and glamorization that happens at times with violence, that makes a very small sect of people lose their sense of reality with the stuff and it does create a culture--usually figuratively and sometimes literally--of "shoot now and ask questions later" as far as a default setting with some people having a "violence first" default setting. Not every has this. most people don't in fact, but I feel that sometimes the media plays things like this up, unintentionally or not.

I feel that sometimes that the media need to practice some self-censorship and have better ways with dealing with and presenting violence to the world. We can't remain ignorant of such things, because we'd be in for quite the culture shock. But dealing with this stuff with bit more tact and the media not glorifying and glamorizing violence on one end and showing why violence should always be the last resort and not being so negative in general and reporting so much on scare stories and at least balancing it out with some good news would be helpful. That's why I never watch the news, or read a newspaper, because you don't have to go far to find negative crap in them, and that's why, among other reasons, I have a negative opinion of the media.

I don't want this to turn into a gun control debate--I have my opinions, and you all have yours. But what I'm on my soap box about is how the media handles this stuff, and above all, why some people think that it's "OK" and "cool" to emulate such acts. I believe that people like that need a lesson on why World War II happened and the atrocities that the Nazis and the Soviets were responsible for before and during the war. There's nothing glamorous about that, and such crap certainly doesn't need to be glorified. That's my big problem with these school shootings and even stuff about the Nazis and Soviets from those eras, that people glorify and glamorize the stuff, and people think that such stuff is "cool" to emulate. That's my problem, and the copycat element is what scares me about all of this.
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TwilightFan87
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by TwilightFan87 »

Lynne-hope all goes well with Harry! I'd dog sit for ya if I could! James Bond has never been my thing but Daniel Craig has me intrigued :)

Spent the day hanging out with my family, which we rarely get to do and played a little with my niece :) she's such a cutie! I also went on an unsuccessful hunt for a muppet Christmas carol DVD, but Jason said we can look tomorrow after I'm off before the Survivor finale :)

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Tornado
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by Tornado »

It is now set that Harry will go to the family of Little Man's friend while we are on holidays. He went okay with their dog and they're such an easy-going family I think they'll manage without too many problems. Hooray!
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Chernaudi
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by Chernaudi »

Hi everyone.

I've had kinda a really blah day. I woke up not feeling well and not in a particularly good mood. I'm a bit better now, but I'm still tired and "out of it". I guess that I'm a bit bored and just drained from holiday stuff and the shooting and having had a long work week and it's caught up with me today.

Other than that, I don't have much so say right now. I'll probably take a nap later on and I'll be possibly trying to work on fan fic, and try and use that to relax and get rid of what's bugging me.

I'll be back later :)
Audi, Twilight, Cher, Pink Floyd, symphonic/progressive rock, KStew, RP, Bio-Booster Armor Guyver-what's not to like

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Susie
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by Susie »

Hello, my friends –

My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. It’s been hard to concentrate on anything else this weekend.

Yet, we go on. We go on to our Christmas concerts and parties even though we feel somewhat guilty.

Hubs and I went to a Christmas concert Saturday night and tonight and to a party tonight as well. Yesterday afternoon, I took Hubs to the live simulcast performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s Aida here at our VIP theatre. It was fabulous! It was one of his Christmas presents.


Songbird
– Mr. Man’s first play date! I’m so glad it went well. You will now have options for getting some time to yourself! Getting lost – I can just picture the streets and the changing signs – I’ve been in Holland. How frustrating for us Americans who are used to some sort of grid format for addresses. I hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed a little time without your kids.

Sarah
– It sounds like your mom loved her surprise party! She is so young! :lol: ! I used to watch the Muppet Christmas Carol with my kids, but somehow, they moved on to more grown-up films –like Love Actually that has partially nude humping scenes! Only a little awkward to watch that part together!

Desiree – I can see why you’d really miss a big family at Christmas time. As far as your kids are concerned, they don’t have that frame of reference. All they’ve known is your little family, so they aren’t disappointed. That being said, it is more fun with more people, so perhaps think out of the box on this one – get together with another family that is in a similar position to yours (no family in town) and share Christmas. Your kids will then have happy memories of Christmases with the X family. Adopt an elderly person who is alone to be with you too. I’ve heard of people having all sorts of fun with this sort of thing. Do you belong to a church? That’s a good place to meet people of all ages and somewhat easy to find out if they are also alone. Regarding your son – if you’d like to talk to me via PM about it, I may have some real life experience I could share with you.

Jaclyn
– I’m still laughing about your comment that you wanted to be Mrs. Culkin when you were little! Favorite Christmas films: It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Love Actually, Elf, Meet me in St. Louis – you need to see that last one, if you haven’t. It’s a corny musical with Judy Garland, but so fun! Sad to give up the tradition at your parents’ house (they will be sad too), but what tradition will you start with your hubs?

Lynne
– I’m so glad your doctor has reassured you that you have nothing to worry about. Also glad that Harry has a home while you are away. Looks like everything is working out. Kudos on getting a night out with your hubs to see Skyfall.

Sean – I’m glad you’re starting to feel back to normal again since your grandmother's death.

Amanda Beth – You’re right about the soapboxes. It makes me want to stay away. I only want to see things that I agree with – don’t we all?

Marielle – Your brother is so lucky to have such a loving family! He appreciates you all, doesn’t he? I’m sure he had a great time and probably kicked back more than a few beers. Congrats on the news that you’re getting your key on Tuesday!

Austin
– I like your candle idea.


Well, it’s back to another work week, but after this week, I’ll be on break for two weeks! Whoo hoo!

Bye bye!
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TwilightFan87
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by TwilightFan87 »

Hi all! I am watching the Survivor finale with Jason. We're doing our Christmas cards because we're really behind but I like multitasking :) Jason surprised me by finding A Muppet Christmas Carol for me while I was working and it's been a good quiet night. There's a threat of a snow storm which makes me nervous because I'd be one of the only ones that would be able to make it into work and I'm quite looking forward to having a day or two to bake and clean my house!

Lynne- so glad you figured out the dog situation. Where are you going on holiday?

Song- I'm so happy mister man had a play date, sounds like they had fun! Hope your weekend was fun. I understand about your issues with your mom- mine has/had a hard time with seeing the good, not just the flaws. But I'm sure it's harder not being able to confront her :( I absolutely love my new car and ordered a 'Be Safe' sticker for the back! I love TW things that apply to real life!

Susie-I'm half her age ;) I don't think of her as 50 either! We still hang out regularly, shopping or what not. Your weekend sounds fun as well!

Who else is amazed with how quickly this month has flown by? I seriously can't believe it! It's been a blur, seriously. I'm hoping to finish our shopping tomorrow and mail out our cards soon as well. I'm also excited to wrap Jason's presents tomorrow too!

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Tornado
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by Tornado »

Hello everybody!

It's the first real day of school holidays today and it has been another warm one today. Little Man and I took a couple of gifts in to put under the K-mart Wishing Tree and then we stayed in the cool of the air conditioning for a while. Little Man has been off colour the past couple of days so he had quite a decent nap this afternoon, then I put some water in his little wading pool and he sat in it to cool off. The weather is looking like it will be warm for our holidays, which is good, because we will be right next to the beach!

Sean
- I hope you feel better. Keep going with the fan fic!

Susie - yes, I'm feeling more relaxed now than I have in a while. I'm glad you enjoyed Aida.

Sarah - we're going to a place called Alexandra Headlands on the Sunshine Coast. It's a popular holiday destination for us.
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older_twilight_fan
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by older_twilight_fan »

Hello everyone~

As Susie said, it has been so difficult to concentrate on much of anything else this weekend, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends, and townspeople in Connecticut who have suffered such an unspeakable tragedy. Our chuch service was very moving this morning. Our pastor delivered a wonderful and heartfelt sermon where she spoke about, but didn't focus completely on the tragedy. The particular anthems sung by our choirs and the womens a capella quartet in which I sing had been chosen a couple of weeks ago, but thankfully were beautiful and somewhat introspective pieces and couldn't have been more appropriate for this day. Many people mentioned how touched they were by the music during the service today. I kept my face glued to our director, or gazed at the far back walls of the sanctuary instead of people's faces while we were singing, to keep from losing it, myself. One of our childrens' choirs also sang at the late service, as they had been scheduled to do for several weeks. Watching their bright, smiling faces and hearing the enthusiastic voices of these kindergarten, first, and second grade children singing about the coming birth of Jesus just about broke your heart, when you realized they were the same age as the victims. :( But it also gave us hope for the future and helped us remember that the light will eventually conquer the darkness, and all is not lost.

On a lighter note, we finally have our minivan back from the body shop and it looks as good as new, or as new as a two year old car can look. ;) We were able to pick out our Christmas tree and decorate it Saturday afternoon, and most of our presents are wrapped and sitting underneath it. Now it's time for....a little baking to provide for teachers' gifts this week, my daughter's basketball parents' meeting and a b'ball tournament Monday and Tuesday evening, my son's school Christmas chorus concert Tuesday evening, squeezing in a rehearsal for our quartet, and whatever else I need to do this week to hang on for dear life to the speeding, runaway freight train that is Christmas. :shock:

Susie~ I'm glad you and hubs enjoyed yourselves with all the festivities this weekend, and they probably provided you with much needed and well deserved distraction. Yay to you for having two weeks off work! Another thing we have in common I can't recall if we've mentioned previously....our Moms are both breast cancer survivors. My Mom was in her fifties and actually perimenopausal ( think?) and has been cancer-free for twenty years.

Sarah~ I have been so amazed at the stories of love and ultimate sacrifice offered by numerous adults at Sandy Hook, as these stories gradually come to light. There most definitely is a special place in heaven for these persons. I hope your Mom had a wonderful birthday and am sure she enjoyed her surprise party. I also love Charlie Brown's Christmas, as well as Rudolph, and The Grinch. Are the Santa Clause movies you mentioned the ones with the younger, red-haired Kris Kringle? How are you enjoying your new car? The "Be Safe" sticker sounds appropriate....maybe I need one too, with my recent history of automobile incidents. :roll:

Marielle~ Congrats to you and your bf for receiving the new house keys Tuesday. Will you have any time to paint before your move furniture in the new place? Are you sure your toe wasn't broken? (not that there's too much you can do for it, if it was). I hope your brother enjoyed his birthday and I always think it's neat that you two are so close. My brother and I are about eighteen months apart and fairly close, as well. We usually talk briefly on the phone every other day or so, just to check in with one another. He lives about thirty minutes away and is very busy as a full-time attorney with a wife and two young children, so we're sort of in different stages of our lives, as my kids are older (eleven and twelve years old). Both he and I have the same sense of humor, and sometimes his wife and my husband will just shake their heads when listening to us and our stories. We also like to watch the same TV shows and movies, and read many of the same books (although he'd never touch Twilight with a ten foot pole, as he can be kind of a book snob. :roll: ) My kids adore his kids and vice versa, and I imagine my daughter will be able to babysit his kids in a couple of years.

Sean~ Hope you feel better soon and regain some of your energy. I think it's natural that the news of the tragedy can be emotionally and mentally draining, particularly if you watch the coverage all day, which is possible to do with all the 24 hour news outlets. Will you have some days off work around the holidays?

Lynne~ I'm so glad you found a temporary "home" for Harry while you're away for the holidays, and know that must be such a relief for you. Harry will enjoy his new playmate as much as you enjoy your time away with family. :D I thought you and your hubs would probably like Skyfall, and I think they set it up well to continue with the series with some intriguing new actors. Daniel Craig is certainly easy on the eyes, isn't he? And the scene where his face and neck were carefully shaved with the straight razor..... :swoon: That's great news that your GP isn't concerned about your recent medical issues.

Desiree~ I'm sorry you're having some issues with your son. Is he enjoying his karate class? Please know that we're here for you, whenever you need a shoulder to lean on, or a listening ear. I think several people here gave you some excellent ideas about involving friends as "extended family" for the holidays. I'm sure your kids appreciate how much effort you put into making the holdays special for them, or they certainly will when they're a bit older.

Songbird~ I'm glad that your son's first playdate was such a success. You certainly have a busy weekend planned, and we'll leave the light on for you. ;) I'd love to see your recipe for the orange poppyseed cake. What a wonderful and fitting tribute to your Mom--to share her recipes with friends and family who had inquired about them over the years.

Jaclyn~ It's great to see you around here. I'm sad that your busy work schedule keeps you from posting as frequently, and I'm always so glad to hear from you when you have a chance to check in with us. Some of my favorite Christmas shows/movies are Rudolph, Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, and The Grinch. I always found Frosty the Snowman sort of creepy, for whatever reason. :blush: I laughed at your sweet stories of early Christmas morning, and your Dad pretending as if Santa had not come to your house. I know you'll miss being at your parents' home now that you're an "old married lady", but as you said....you'll make new traditions with your hubs that you can carry on with your own kids someday. I think I've already asked you this....do you watch the TV show Fringe? Hubs and I started watching it the second season and caught up with it via DVD and DVR. It's in the final season with only three or four episodes left, and it's one of those shows that seems to have more of a cult following....smallish fanbase, but very loyal.

Austin~ I, too liked your idea of lighting a candle in memory of the victims, and in tribute to their families. I don't think any act is too small, and I know that being with our friends and family at church today--and knowing that at the same time, families and friends in churches all over the country (and world) were probably thinking about and praying for that little town in Connecticut too--helped me feel a sense of connection and solidarity to those families.

Amanda Beth~ I'm just not ready to even think about the political ramifications of last weekend's events either, as I think there will be plenty of time for that in upcoming days and weeks. I believe the first funeral for one of the children will be held Monday, and I can't begin to imagine what those family members and that community are going through at this time. Christmas will never be the same for them, and will be a holiday difficult to celebrate for years to come.
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marielle
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Re: Rob's Halfway House #11

Post by marielle »

Hello everybody!!!

I have found some time today to post, finally...
today my bf and I have been scouting for paint and floors... just to see where we get can the cheapest and what colors...
I wanted to add a dark red into the grey and white we have. however my bf didn't want red, he wanted to keep the grecian blue.
I like that color but I wanted a change... so I'm hoping that we can go for a darker blue... something new...

now posts,

Tracy, we will start moving stuff in immediately but the big furniture will be moved shortly for the new year. I'm hoping that by then we will have most things done.
my brother and I are close like that as well... sadly with his job we rarely speak when he is away. He manage to call rarely. Now he is home I'll see him a lot more...

Susie, my brother was totally overwhelmed with everything we have arranged for him... his friends even had a little toast for him which was really nice... my brother was slightly emotional with it all... the evening party was fun... everybody had a great time... sadly everybody was visited by mr. Hangover the next morning...

On the Gun law topic, in Holland owning a weapon is illegal. you are only allowed to own one if you have been through a massive set of testing and approving by a doctor. also you have to be a member of a approved shooting range... I know in the US it's completely different but I think Obama and other people there have a point to start banning military style riffles.You don't need full or semi automatic gun to protect yourself or to hunt. A standard hunting riffle and a hand gun is enough for that. I think that on full or semi automatic should be an approval system like we have...
The people nagging about the right to own a gun should be confronted with the loss of the people in Newtown.

Alright, I'm off.... I'll try to post some pics of my new home tomorrow...
These violent delights, have violent endings...Like fire and gunpowder, they consume what they kiss

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