As mentioned in the post below, my retiring coworker's daughter flew with the Blue Angels for a news segment as she is a daytime anchor and report for a Miami TV news station, but what I also learned is that she flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds in an F/16 Falcon, for which the video is still available (below).
Look at THAT ladies and gentlemen - she hit 9 Gs - and she did NOT pass out!
(Her momma said SHE almost did though 😂)
She is one of very few civilians to ride and not pass out!
You can see her doing her breathing exercises, which are super important to practice and then do for the ride before you go up.
Many an aspiring pilot and/or astronaut has been ruled out because they can't handle the Gs or don't practice the breathing exercises regularly first.
(I forgot to ask her momma for permission during her retirement party yesterday, but she's so proud of her I doubt she'd care (she can tell me if she does) and she's a public figures, but since I forgot to ask for express permission, I won't put names myself in the actual post.
Regardless, here is my now-retired coworker's daughter taking flight with the AF Thunderbirds - so cool! 😍
And THAT that is how you get noticed as a TV journalist, especially female journalists!
Doing so may put her national someday, wait and see!
_________________________
PS - My husband, who originally wanted to be a fighter pilot until his broke his neck dirt-bike racing at 18 - but after cervical fusion, he received a medical waiver and was still able to impressively pass the rigorous Army Ranger test to become an Army Ranger nonetheless - is super jealous and super impressed.
And this also came out of his mouth, just now ...
"I don't just think women are as good as men at piloting, I actually think women are better suited than men to pilot."
"Your heart rates and breathing are naturally slower, likely so you can withstand labor. Labor in and of itself is a tremendous force on the body, so you can take it."
"This also is likely why women tend to be more precise target-shooters than men with both archery and riflery. Precision in both archery and riflery is more about breathing and heart rate than people realize. Ancient-civilization militaries realized that, like the Greeks and Romans - it's why they often had female archers in their militaries."
"And women are used to multitasking and making decisions quickly on their feet, whereas we tend to get laser focused on one task. Maybe when it was just one "joystick" to fly, but it's not anymore, you have several systems to watch while navigating flight. I"m a terrible multitasker, I was even before my stroke, but it's definitely worse now and as I get older. But you, you can like... make dinner, type a report for work, text a friend about a meet-up, keep Ziggy entertained, while diffusing a bomb if you had to LOL. "
See? This is why we love my husband. 🥰
Not THIS woman as a pilot, of course, I'd never make it 😂
And I can multitask and think, but if too many irons are on the fire at once, they will NOT get done equally well at the same time!
I did learn that I'm a freakishly good shot - or at least I used to be - with archery OR riflery, during gym classes in high school and college (I was actually asked to try out for our college archery team, but I couldn't afford the equipment to actually be on the team) - but I'd definitely pass out or have a panic attack in flight!
But some DO have the right stuff 😊
Too bad it has taken took the military way too long to figure that out!
I have a coworker retiring today, and we've had a running Teams chat joke about the small group of 6 of us in our department being Top Gun pilots - only we changed it to the Blue Angels because it's Florida.
We communicate primarily by Teams chat, and one day I said it feels like walkie-talkies or air com to me, and since there are 6 of us,I decided we should all have pilot call names, because that's me, being me 😂
(The doctors at our hospital already tried it and hated it and stated emphatically they needed human transcriptionists - go BFSH!)
We chose our own call names then - mine is "Cornbread"- because I'm in Kentucky 😂
So our hospital is in Miami, but the retiring coworker's daughter got to fly with the Blue Angels for a news segment (she's an anchor at a Miami news station)!
The Blue Angels are very special to me, after living in Pensacola during the 2004/2005 Hurricane season - they played their song on the radio every day to boost morale and the Blue Angels actually flew over the city after the 1st hurricane that hit us that year, Ivan, and tipped their wings at us!
And I learned something new today, while looking up this video. So I knew that they had actual female pilots on the team now, as carrier pilots since 2015 - but what I didn't know is that in 2022, the first femaleBlue Angel came aboard the main demonstration fighter-pilot squadron of 6 as #4, flying an F/18 - Amanda Lee.
Her nickname is "Stalin" because of her leadership approach. (Yikes? Maybe that's what it takes to be a female pilot, but not helping our reputation, ladies!)
She had the typical two-year stint with the Blue Angels and moved on to Navy leadership, which is typical for a BA, but you can see her in their latest video for the song, walking in formation with the fighter squadron for the air show.
Needless to say, they did not have female fighter pilots 20 years ago, when I lived there ... we've come a long way, baby.
I love the lyrics of this song, not only because of hurricane memories, but my life/first marriage was essentially my 4th hurricane at the time. 😂
I often play this song when big change is happening, to remind me to stay strong and keep going - and to remind me of how far I've come, since then - I've come a long way, baby 🥲
So without further ado, I give you the latest official song of the Navy's Pensacola Blue Angels - Van Halen's "Dreams" - now featuring #4, Amanda Lee 😍
World turns black and white Pictures in an empty room Your love starts fallin' down Better change your tune Yeah, you reach for the golden ring Reach for the sky Baby, just spread your wings ...
And get higher and higher Straight up we'll climb We'll get higher and higher Leave it all behind
Run, run, run away Like a train runnin' off the track Got the truth bein' left behind Fall between the cracks
Standin' on broken dreams Never losin' sight, ah Well, just spread your wings ...
We'll get higher and higher Straight up we'll climb We'll get higher and higher Leave it all behind
So baby, dry your eyes Save all the tears you've cried Oh, that's what dreams are made of
'Cause we belong In a world that must be strong Oh, that's what dreams are made of Yeah, we'll get higher and higher Straight up we'll climb Higher and higher Leave it all behind Oh, we'll get higher and higher Who knows what we'll find?
So baby, dry your eyes Save all the tears you've cried Oh, that's what dreams are made of Oh baby, we belong In a world that must be strong Oh, that's what dreams are made of
And in the end On dreams we will depend 'Cause that's what love is made of ...
... mind you, written before Iran attacked our largest military base in Qatar?
I said that $400 million jet Qatar gave Trump (that came with expectations) is a factor and there is more going on with Trump's decisions than just Israel - because there is a difference between Middle Eastern Muslim governments by country, SunniorShia (Shiite) - and these differences keep them from being an allied Palestinian alliance front against Israel, as both branches want control over the other first.
For the differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims and which countries' governments are which, read the post below.
But as quick reference, Iran is Shia - Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are Sunni.
It's not that I'm psychic, or particularly smart - it's just that we, as a people, MUST stop drinking all the political propaganda Kool-Aid and understand for ourselves the cultural, religious, linguistic, and socioeconomic differences between groups of people, because politicians aren't going to help us with that.
They're just going to continue to fear-monger and blanket-generalize along racial, religious, or political lines to further their own political agendas - the political right especially using this tactic.
This, despite the fact that it has never been more clear than now that they, themselves, DO actually differentiate between Muslim groups, actually favoring Sunni Muslims over Shia Muslims.
Then despite what JD Vance and Pete Hegseth said - that this was NOT an attempt at regime change - Trump opened his big fat mouth and said that it actually was (preferably to a more Sunni-friendly leadership or actual Sunni control, hmm, Trump?)
Though Iran's response was weak, it was meant to be - more like a display, a message: "We see you, Sunnis. We know wassup with that obligation-gift jet. We know you're pissed over Syria and want Sunni control, and you have more money and might, but are you really going to choose Israel over us?"
Then considering Iran announced a cease-fire today, the Sunni governments said "Yeah, um ... so we're not going to choose between you, you're on your own. We could ... but we will not."
So if it helps, imagine it's like this.
Imagine that US Protestants said"We're going to attack Washington DC. They want us to share control with other faiths or even no faith! That means we'd have to give up some control! They're favoring non-Christians and persecuting us! So we're going to attack to gain control back!. Crusader Catholics, are you with us?
And then the US Catholics said "Erm - no, not like this. We think we'll sit this one out, thanks. But have fun storming the Capitol!" 😂
That's completely oversimplifying everything and not an exact analogy, a rather lame one actually - because the persecution isn't imaginary in Israel, on BOTH sides - so I DO apologize, it just the closest American analogy I could think of quickly!
Now, Iran does have the choice of running to Russia or China or North Korea for help, because it has loose military alliances with them, but those countries are likely too smart to get involved in this regional conflict, at least at this juncture.
They do need oil in the region, of course, but again, that is largely controlled by Sunni countries.
Since WWI, people don't like being dragged into wars that start over regional political conflict, especially now that nuclear weapons are involved.
But ya know, never say never.
If Russia did, they don't do sh*t for free and they like territory control, so Putin would likely say "Okay - but your people are mine, now, MY soldiers, and they're going to the Ukraine next" - which I doubt Iran would ever agree to.
Of course, I have no crystal ball and I can't predict what will happen next.
Cease-fires may happen ... and yet Middle Eastern governments do not forget.
They have the reputation for holding grudges for long periods of time and being especially patient with acting on those grudges, sometimes even years later.
(Edited - only to add 1 paragraph about the Shah of Iran vs. Ayatollah leadership.)
So most Americans - or at least those who drank all the political Kool-Aid without question or research - think of all Muslims as alike. Thus, they must be especially confused as to why Trump would accept a $400 million jet from Qatar, but then insert ourselves into the Iran-Israeli war against Iran, am I right?
And therein lies the problem with the political right fearmongering all Muslims into the same bucket - because even the Muslim-fear-mongering political right does not, themselves.
Now, in discussing the below, understand that I do not think there are just 2 buckets of Muslims, either - I'm talking about the 2 main Muslim camps under which Middle Eastern governments lie, which have also been the main source of internal Muslim conflict.
So the 2 main differences between leadership in Muslim countries - which keeps them from uniting as a Palestinian front and the cause of much infighting - is based on whether they are Sunni Muslim or Shia (Shiite) Muslim.
What's the difference?
ShiaMuslims believe the religious leadership should be a genetic heir to Mohammed, that this was a divine choice.
Sunni Muslims believe the leaders can be chosen, elected.
It's much like the age-old fight between monarchies and Republics, only religious-based - HOWEVER - some Sunni countries do still have governmental monarchies, like Saudi Arabia.
That sounds a bit counterintuitive for Sunnis, and it is somewhat, but remember still that the monarchy was still chosen, rather than being a direct descendent of Mohammed, long ago, and is inherited still today, as well as they are not looked to as religious, clerical leadership.
In contrast, Iran has clerical government leadership under an Ayatollah, after famously ousting the Shah of Iran (who was also Shiite, but more open to Western ideas - but before you get to thinking he wa s a good guy, think again - he was just as brutal as the Shia clergy that took over.)
Note that though it's an extremely important distinction that partially explains why some Muslim countries get a free pass, you will never hear Trump or his administration make this distinction - despite every other president being either totally transparent or semi-transparent about the distinction.
IMO, this because it better suits the overall MAGA and Christian nationalist agenda to continue to make no distinction between Muslims.
Also IMO, not making this distinction is not only an insult to Muslim people, but an insult to OUR intelligence.
Thus, we must never forget, despite political propaganda, there is a difference between a country's government and their people do, whether it's Palestinian countries, Israel, or even the U.S.
Also, there are regional and individual differences, too, just like here in the U.S.
For example, the Bedouins are almost exclusively Sunni, with some even being Christian in Jordan.
Either way, the Bedouins also have local tribal customs, and they heavily adhere to more peaceful verses in the Qu'ran, unless threatened.
That is because they don't cherry-pick the Qu'ran and stretch the rules of Holy War like their actual governments do.
(Not unlike how our own US government, right now, cherry-picks scripture in favor of their own agendas, ignoring the more peaceful and compassionate verses of Christ - but that's another blog post - in fact, one of many I've already written ad nauseum on 😂 )
Now - did you even notice that not all Middle Eastern Muslim countries were on the travel ban list OR that not all Palestinian protestors were detained or deported?
If you didn't, you should.
Because the only Muslim Middle-Eastern countries that are travel-banned - or had Palestinian protestors detained or deported in/from the U.S - have majority populations that are Shia Muslims - Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Libya etc.
The only Muslim Middle-Eastern countries NOT on the travel-ban list - or have detained/deported Palestinian protestors - have majority populations which are Sunni Muslims - Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, etc.
Historically, the US has almost exclusively always supported Sunni Muslims in these conflicts with each other - not only because they present themselves as more Republic-minded (but not really) and open-minded to Westerners, but because they have the most oil and the most money.
HOWEVER, the enemy of our enemy isn't necessarily our friend - because as we know, as the result of the 2002 9/11 commission report, much of the financial backing for 9/11 was wired from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but no one did anything about it.
It is unclear whether that wired 9/11 money came from people in the minority Shia population of Saudi Arabia and the UAE or not, because like I said, we never followed up on the money trai;/
Sunni countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE have had an on-again/off-gain relationship with Shia countries depending on the objective, but most recently, they fell out with Iran over control of Syria, so Iran is on Saudi Arabia's sh*t list, right now.
As I've said many times, these are centuries-old religious wars between Middle-Eastern people that we should NOT involve ourselves in, or suffer the consequences, and instead mediate or negotiate for peace.
For now, Sunni-majority countries are likely okay with Trump's bombing because it helps them with their own objective against Shia-majority countries, at keeping them subdued and unable to use nuclear take control over Sunni countries.
What it also has the potential to do, of course, is let Sunnis take control instead of Shia countries, in their quest to unify a Palestinian State again Israel - but that is speculative and remains to be seen.
What also remains to be seen is how Putin and Russia will react - Putin has loose ties with Iran and other Shiite countries/governments.
So while watching a YouTube video about a similar event, I was reminded of our school's experiment, when I was only in 1st grade.
So my 1st grade teacher's name was Mrs. Apple, if you can believe that!
On the minus side, Mrs. Apple was a very stern lady with cat-eye glasses and a teased, frozen hairstyle, who would pinch you on the chest, on the thin skin of the sternum - with glee - if you misbehaved, or she'd paddle you if you were really bad.
She looked very much like this lady, except much older, her hair was a bit longer and flipped up on each end - fully plastered that way to the point of immobile, after hairspray - and she wore tweed jackets and skirts or a cardigan with that ruffled shirt.
I never got pinched or paddled, mind you, but it was memorable when other students did!
Because there's virtually no muscle at your sternum, just skin, nerves and bone - so it hurts like a b---ch!
(In fact, a "sternal rub" is used by physicians in attempt to rouse people from unconsciousness for this reason. Also, ask anyone who's ever had open-heart surgery, where they crack your sternum open to get to the heart - the most painful part for months afterwards is the sternum area.)
Whoever got pinched immediately cried out and dropped to the floor - so I made up my mind I'd never say a freaking word in that class, sit up straight, do as I was told, and never talk to my friends unless she gave permission. Wouldn't you? 😂
(I also never told my parents, It was 1st grade and I just thought this was just how school was, and actually - it was, back then - plus my parents had enough going on at home.)
Come to think of it, I had a lot of very stern elementary/middle school teachers, many of whom were stereotypically German, growing up in suburban Cincinnati - Mrs. Keller, Mrs. Orndorff, Ms. Finkbeiner, Ms. Feinauer.
NOT that all Germans are stern - Ms. Orndorff wasn't so much, but she was younger and even laughed occasionally - but the others unfortunately did not help that German stereotype, let's put it that way.
Also my 4th-grade teacher, Ms. Feinhauer, though mostly stern, also at least laughed occasionally, and also read us Judy Blume's younger stuff like "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," and introduced me to "The Chronicles of Narnia," and let us play records and dance indoors on rainy days during recess to the "Grease" album 😂
But back to Ms.Apple ....
Now, on the plus side, if you did well, Ms. Apple made a big deal about it and rewarded you. There was no hugging, of course, but patted you on the back, smiled and told the class how well you'd done. Mind you, she smiled, but never really with her eyes, but at least it was a smile.
She also taught us our letters and how to eventually write in a very unique way - by having us mold them with modeling clay first, before later teaching us to write.
Not cutouts, but actually rolling and forming them with our hands, eventually making words ...
This was not only fun, but very effective - our class was way ahead in reading and writing before other students our age!
(Not that my handwriting today is any proof, but I at least learned this way.)
And no - you weren't allowed to actually play with the clay until after she approved your letter and moved on to another student, nor talk to others or sing little songs as you did it, or else you'd get "the pinch." 😂
I'm not sure if we were way ahead because of the unique modeling-clay way she taught us or our fear of being pinched in the sternum or both!
Anyway, our school as a whole decided to do a little experiment, which I believe was actually Ms. Apple's idea because she was in charge of the pins and got very excited about it, which was contagious.
I think they don't do this as much now, because if the materials ended up in the oceans, that would be a very bad thing for ocean wildlife.
Regardless, at the time, every student got a helium balloon, and we tied a laminated tag on it with our name and our school's address and phone number to contact when the balloon was found - and then we released them all on the playground, one day and watched them float away.
We had a giant map in the hallway of the school, so that when the school was contacted, a colored pin would be put in that location with the student's name attached. (The map was encased and locked in glass, of course, so nobody could mess with it. 😂)
My particular balloon was never found, but over 100 others were, as far north as Canada and as far south as Florida, and as far west as Nebraska. (I'm thinking they never made it over the Rockies 😂)
Super cool way to show us how big the world really is, as well as familiarize us with basic science principles, as well as weather patterns, right?
Not to mention, unify us as a school regardless of background.
It's a documentary about - as the character, Ellie, put it in The Last Of Us, this last season - Sally Effing Ride! 😂
The first American woman in space in 1983, whom although was everywhere, once upon a time, we actually knew very little about as she was a very private person.
I had read about this documentary which dropped on Hulu yesterday, and I wasn't disappointed.
In fact, my husband, who thought he'd heard every story the astronauts had to tell, really enjoyed it and was glad I put it on, because it gave a new perspective, a new take on the space story.
I wish those from a younger generation could realize how big of a deal it was when Sally Ride became that first American woman in space aboard the STS-7 Challenger in June of 1983.
"Mustang Sally" was playing everywhere, people wore "Ride, Sally, Ride" T-shirts - she was like a rock star to us.
I can't believe it took almost 20 years after a Russian woman went to space for us to do it, too, but we finally did.
When NASA finally opened up the astronaut program to women and other races, if it were today, one might say Sally was a DEI hire, as many even did at the time - apparently not knowing that she had to endure the same grueling tests the men did and pass,
If you cried, got mad, hyperventilated, panicked, or vomited, you were OUT - male OR female.
You also had to be in shape/athletic and cool under pressure, thinking your way out of tough situations, as well as athletic/physically fit to adjust quickly to pressure changes and muscle movement in 0 gravity.
Which means acceptance into the program was already competitive, but then you had to prove you had the right stuff - and that NASA astronaut class of 1978 now included 6 women, as well as men of color - certainly did.
(Sally Ride is 2nd from left, Judy Reznick is on the right at the end.)
And when it came down to who would be the first woman, it was between Sally Ride and Judy Reznick (who later died in the Challenger explosion), both being especially cool under pressure - Sally was chosen because even although she also had a sense of humor, Judy was a bit more jokey and bubbly than Sally, and they wanted someone with a bit more reserve in personality for that first mission.
Her story is told posthumously by friends, family, and most importantly, by her partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaughnessey.
There are very few pictures of them together, as Sally was very paranoid about it. Forget holding hands or hugging, they couldn't even stand close to each other for major life events 😢
That is until 10 days before Sally Ride died from pancreatic cancer in 2012, she finally gave Tam permission to reveal to the world the secret she had hidden from the public for 27 years that - yes, Sally Ride was gay - and that Tam had been her partner since 1985.
But if you're expecting some sappy, overly dramatic story - don't.
Sally wouldn't have liked that - she would've liked just the facts, but also an interesting story.
Because Dr. Sally Ride had that rare combination - for both men AND women - of being gifted in both her left and right brain, with degrees in both Physics and English from Stanford.
She also never talked about feelings, it just wasn't done in her family - not even revealing to her gay and out sister that she was gay (though Bear knew it).
However, she was also encouraged to be whatever she wanted to be, regardless of social norms.
She was afraid of nothing and no one - EXCEPT - people finding out she was gay - of which she was absolutely terrified.
In fact, the only time she admitted to being afraid of anything in her life was when she was asked if she was nervous the night before the mission.
She admitted she was because things could go wrong (and as we know, later did with Challenger in 1986), and her fellow male astronaut told her that he was nervous, too and said "If you're not at least a little afraid, then you don't know what you're in for, and you should."
Also, if you're expecting a "Sally was perfect" documentary - don't - she had flaws just like everyone else.
For example, wanting to be the 1st woman in space, she apparently sabotaged another female astronauts robot-arm operation test by shutting off the breakers.
Not such a flattering moment for Sally.
Women, again - let's just be happy that there's first woman at something -whether it's you or not?
Enough with the passive-aggressive sabotage stuff, it contributes to our bad reputation, which is difficult to overcome already.
She also famously handed back flowers from a fan after her mission without explaining that it was because the men didn't get flowers like that, instead of just accepting the fan gift graciously.
When asked if the men gave her a hard time or were respectful, she answered the press was worse 😂
And then we watched a series of ridiculous questions being asked of her by the press, back then, like:
"What do you do when something goes wrong - do you cry, break down?"
Sally laughed and turned to her colleague male astronaut and said "Why doesn't anybody ever ask YOU that question? But they could answer for me - no, I don't."
Or another press member, asking what's next after this mission, will she go on a shelf somewhere or start a family?
(The implication being that she didn't have the right stuff and that she was DEI fluff.)
Sally in fact flew 4 more missions for NASA until she resigned after the Challenger explosion!
(She resigned after being on the investigation panel and discovering that in their haste/excitement, nobody had double-checked the O rings, among other things, and she didn't feel it was currently safe to send anyone up again until they performed better equipment tests and checks.)
She handled the press with aplomb, though - she would give a very direct, curt answer, then smile after she said it.
For instance, when someone called her "Miss Ride," she said "So you can call me Dr. Ride or Sally, take your pick, but not Miss, okay?" and then warmly smiled.
Or when Jane Pauley - who was another personal hero of mine - unbelievably gaffed and said: "Maybe it's none of my business, but have you thought about having children someday?"
Sally said, "You're right, it's none of your business, but of course I have, as everyone does. But that's not what I'm here to talk about."
Oh, Jane - how I love thee, but you should know better yourself than to ask questions like that.
If we women don't stop putting women in boxes ourselves, we'll never get anywhere.
It's always a choice between brains and beauty, being a career woman or a mother, like nobody can be both.
As for whether or not those men gave her a hard time, just a few - and of course, NASA themselves was clueless.
When making personal-item kits for the astronauts - like shaving kits for the men, etc. - they actually made her a makeup kit for space. 😂
No, really.
Sally wasn't a huge makeup fan already, except when on camera, but who the hell would care about makeup in space?
And who cares what you look like to the men in space?
Worse, they asked her if 100 tampons would be enough for 7 days.
What the ???
Um ... exactly how much blood do you think we lose in a week IF we're even on our period then? 😂
And dang, we know there weren't women in those design departments then, but did they not have wives, mothers, or sisters to ask first?
You just know she wanted to say "Sure, 100 tampons for a 1-week mission. I'll use them to plug up the holes left by the heat panels if they fall off again, like the last mission, because you guys effed up." 😂
But she did NOT say that.
But you just know she wanted to.
The worst sexist pig among them, though, self-admittedly, was fellow astronaut, Mike Mullane.
He was a military vet who'd piloted missions in Vietnam and felt that women hadn't earned it without military experience.
(Well, had someone let women fly fighter jets for the military back then, maybe they would have? But they didn't then.)
But after her performance - and just before her death in 2012 - Mike wrote Sally a letter, apologizing for his prior behavior, commending her on just how well she did, as well as assuring her that he was encouraging his 4 granddaughters to be raised as Sally was - that they could do anything they wanted - because of Sally. 🙂
In typical Sally style, though, there are only 3 times you feel any emotion watching this other than pride and wonder.
1) Sally - with her partner, Tam, retelling the story - of what it was like viewing planet earth as an actual planet.
She told of being able to see Australian coral reefs and Himalayan mountains, yes - but most importantly, how she could see all of the countries and continents without borders, without the imaginary lines in the sand we've drawn - and it had a profound effect on her, going forward.
2) Sally's death and the private, hidden secret care Tam gave her.
3) When then-President Obama called Tam and asked her to accept the Medal of Freedom on behalf of Sally, posthumously.
So considering Mark just lost two of his babies within a month - Brookie, then Factor - I knew today would be an especially difficult one for him.
So I got him this card to make him laugh right off the bat - because the first line is TRUE! 😂
The last part isn't, of course, because Ziggy's fully housebroken and never does - but I wouldn't put it past himif Mark continues to blame him for his foghorn-rivalling farts! 😂
I had him open this card first and it worked - Mark laughed for like 10 minutes. 😂
Then he said "Where on earth did you find this card?"
I said, "Amazon, of course - apparently, you're not the only pet dad who does that!" 🤣
So both Mark and I were Midwest/Mid-South socially trained to never, ever say the word "Fart," because it was crass.
So it was "pass gas," if you HAD to say something, but mostly you didn't.
Also "Poop" or "Pee" - mostly, we just said "go to the bathroom," but if pressed, the most I could say was "#1" or "#2" growing up 🤣
However, motherhood cured me of that, #1 and #2 sounds ridiculous as an adult, so my little sister and I just began saying "poop" randomly as young adults.
Not only because it's slightly less crass than sh*t (and less weird and overly formal than "bowel movement" or "defecate," which are words that should be reserved for the doctor's office), but because in addition to just being a funny word, being able to say this word as an adult felt much like the privilege of staying up later.
This, of course, was much to the dismay of my mother, who still scrunches up her face when we say it 😂
Well, not as badly as she used to, now she just sort of says "Now, girls ..."
Hehehe.
Mark, on the other hand, being former military will drop the other F-word bomb at the drop of a hat, being former military, but still struggles to ever say "fart," just like I do, for some reason?
Don't get me wrong, he has no problem doing it - as I said, the sound rivals foghorns, and he just blames "Ziggy, why'd you do that?" without fail - he just won't say the word!
(He used to struggle with ever saying "poop," too, but me, my little sister, and my daughter cured him of that, so now he says it all the time, with gusto! 😂)
Of course, we never say either in polite company or formal situations, just around the house or with close family or friends - except the word "fart" continues to be a residual social-training hurdle we have to consciously jump over to ever say.
So let me just jump over that hurdle now, as an adult, in honor of Father's Day!?!
Fart, Fart, FART!
Hehehe - that felt liberating and satisfyingly rebellious! 😂
Anyway, Ziggy, being the superstar that he is, of course just autographed the card "Z" ...
I got Mark 3 gifts, one of which is THIS - because he loves his alma mater AND the absurd idea of Bigfoot ....
And this third gift was special-ordered and got delayed, but it looks like this (only it has a little stand to help it sit up on your mantel or dresser, etc.)
That's a picture of Mark and Factor for the first D, Mark and Ziggy for the A, and Mark and Brookie for the second D 🥰
I'll post a picture of it whenever it finally arrives.
Israel and Palestinians, particularly Iran - now at war.
India and Pakistan - now at war.
United States VS. protestors in LA, who were protesting the constitutionally unlawful, overly aggressive, inhumane tactics now being used by ICE - troops called in uninvited, justifying doing so by exaggerating isolated events, tear gassing even peaceful protestors immediately.
And then to top it all off, Trump - who was never served in the military a day in his life - makes the 250th anniversary of the Army's military parade about himself, selling MAGA merch at Ft. Bragg!?!
Bravo, Nero, playing the fiddle as Rome burns.
You haven't stopped any wars on "Day One" - you either start or inflame them.
(By the way, fellow Americans - his last name is pronounced "Pad-DEE-yah" - NOT "pah-DIL-la". Two L's in Spanish make a "Y" sound, like in the word "tortilla?!?")
I am literally crying, right now ... 😢
... because I never thought I'd see the day that a US Senator would be shoved to the ground and handcuffed over interrupting the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem - AKA "The Puppy Killer" - with the question, "Senator Noem, i want to know why you insist on exaggerating and embellishing ... I have a question for the secretary?!?" ...
What happened to freedom of speech, Trump Republicans - ya bunch of hypocritical, Nazi A-holes?
Drunk with power much?
If this is how they treat a US-born, Mexican heritage, democratically elected US Senator, imagine how they're treating immigrants!
How you gonna spin this now, Noem and Trumpers, hmm?
I cannot WAIT until somebody treats Trump this way, who actually deserves it over this terrorism in LA and other crimes!
______________
PS
Kristi Noem said she didn't know him or who he was.
Bitch, you're the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and responsible for creating the maximum amount of drama in California, but you don't know/recognize 1 of the total of 2 US senators from State of California that you've created this conflict in?
Plus didn't he have to pass clearance to even get in there>
So either you're stupid or lying - which is it?
Rhetorical - the answer is both!
BRAVO, SENATOR PADILLA!
Finally, a Senator who realizes he's a public servant and tries to do what we pay him to do, even at his own risk!
After the video played in the post below, Madonna's "Like a Prayer" played next for some reason - the video in which she speaks up for the oppressed and wrongfully accused along racial lines, as she believes this is what Christ would do.
Though never a huge Madonna fan, I DO like this song, it makes me smile, sing, and dance immediately. And I DO love a good gospel choir 😊
She wasn't exactly a social justice warrior, but I did admire her method of including marginalized groups and bringing issues to the forefront of her videos.
Yes, parts of the video are controversial and it's Madonna - but the overall message - Madonna was speaking out for social justice way back when, as she believes Jesus would.
(By the way, the burning crosses represent what the KKK does to people of color as a terrorist-act warning - which goes along with the wrongfully accused man of color in the video. Apparently, the Vatican didn't get the memo, condemning the video.)
Now, the actual song "Like A Prayer" is about feeling God's love through voice - not God speaking directly to you, but through the voices of the people you love and love you.
Well, some people claim God speaks directly to them, but in this instance, she doesn't mean literally, she means through the people you love.
But in the video, through things which are overly coincidental, like running into a church for guidance, and the statue of Jesus looking just like the falsely accused man.
Or like an old song you haven't heard in years, playing at just the right time.
Or a particular picture falls out of an old album.
Things that make you look up and go"Um ... was that you? Nah."
(The "you" in that sentence can mean God, a loved one who has passed on, or both - take your pick 🙂)
As for me, I have never heard God or Christ's actual voice speak to me, as many Christians claim they can.
Some might say it's lack of faith or not having the right kind of faith or I wasn't "chosen" - but even when I followed their charismatic way, growing up, I couldn't literally hear him, either out loud or "in my thoughts."
Plus the people that said they could often contradicted each other and fought over it?
Others might say that that's a good thing - it means I lack mental illness!
Well, at least in a hallucinatory way - God knows I have my anxiety and trauma issues, though lol.
Even those "psychic" moments I had, when younger, I didn't literally hear or see anything, it was internal - like in my dreams or upon just waking up. Or if awake, it was in my "mind's eye" like trying to remember a dream, but only if I tuned out everything else/tuned into it. Or sometimes if I had a fever lol.
So no, I was never Teresa Caputo, walking down the street and accosting people with messages from passed-away loved ones because these people were "breaking through" or anything 😂
This "ability" did lie along those lines, though - past loved one communication - never anything really useful like or solving crimes or finding lost items.
Well, I did have a hunch about the derby a few times and won, but the only lost items I ever found were a gas cap to the lawnmower and my daughter's soccer jersey. 😂
In fact, that day in particular, for some reason, it was super strong. I just knew I could tap in fairly easily versus other days, where it took more effort.
So I just got quiet and looked in my mind's eye. I "saw" (internally) the gas cap roll under a chest of drawers in the garage. I saw my grandmother folding and putting my daughter's soccer shirt in the 3rd drawer down in a chest of drawers at her house. Again, it's like remembering a dream.
Sure enough, when my now exhusband went to the garage and checked, the gas cap was exactly where I had "seen" it roll, and a quick call to my grandmother let us know my daughter had indeed left her soccer jersey there, and my grandma had indeed just folded it and put it in the 3rd drawer down in a chest of drawers.
All this happened to be Kentucky Derby Day, that year, so my exhusband got all excited and said:
"You're on fire today! Okay, who wins the derby?" 😂
Me:"Okay, I don't usually get stuff like that, you know that. I guess I could ask somebody (passed on) but it's almost rude because that's not why they're here. And remember, I can't literally hear anything. Tuning in is like remembering a dream, or like trying to read with bad vision and not wearing your glasses lol."
"They usually don't answer future questions or answer life-decision questions unless you're in danger - your life decisions are yours to make, the future could change based on choices, and the point of them being there is not as your personal fortune teller, they just want to let you know they're still near, especially when life gets hard or you're thinking of them or they are thinking of you."
"So usually if I ask stuff like that, they just sit there silent, smiling at me 😂. Even if they do, it's never a direct answer, it's playful, like in riddles for me to figure out and I still have to guess the riddle right."
"I think there are rules, like they're not supposed to give a direct answer to future stuff like that, especially regarding money, so it's really kind of rude to even ask."
"But today does appear to be strong for some reason, somebody appears to be nearby and wanting to communicate, so who do you want me to ask, your uncle? "Okay ... Hi, Uncle X. I'm assuming that's you helping us out today? Thank you! So ... this is stupid ... and I'm sorry about this rude question, because I know the rules, but ... J would like to know if you can tell us who wins the derby today somehow?"
"Okay, surprisingly, I think he's showing me the letter F, I think? I guess that could be an R he's showing me, but I really think it's an F. Yeah, he's nodding his head yes, VERY excitedly, and smiling when I say F, so yeah, some horse that starts with an F. Thank you, Uncle X! I know that's really bending the rules for us, so appreciate it!"
Ex-Hubby: "Okay, so there's no horses that start with R today and the only horse that starts with an F is Funny Cide at 50-1. Winning the derby as a long shot, with odds like that, is extremely rare, so it CAN'T be an F he's showing you. Yeah, either that's not an F or the fire is out now."
But it WAS Funny Cide - and had he bet on that long-shot, we would've won about $12,000 that year!
Regardless, I usually had to be asleep, just waking up, have a fever, or really tune in if awake.
I use the past tense because this is an ability which, by the way, seems to have almost completely disappeared after menopause. 😂
You lose a lot of good sh*t with menopause and loss of estrogen - your hair, your skin elasticity and moisture, your entire pelvic floor, your libido, your cardiovascular protection, your immune protection, your reproductive-cancer protection, and your ... psychic ability? 😂
But seriously, I've tried and it's just not there anymore. Sure, it's nice not having a period, cramps, and PMS anymore, but with all the good stuff above that you lose, I would gladly trade back for having a period again 😃
But back to the point (finally) - sometimes it does feel like God's love coming through the faces and voices of the people we love and who love us, though, doesn't it? 🥰
Now, also, as mentioned previously, I've been confused/struggling in my faith for a while, but especially the last 2 years, after my "spiritual mom" - my mom when my mom couldn't be, Marian - was killed by a drunk driver in 2023, on a Sunday, driving home from church.
Though a flawed human like everyone else, and we didn't agree on everything, there was no one I've ever known who more embodied the compassion of Christ or who was more devoted to Christ than Marian. She topped even my grandmother!
And yet she was mistreated by her husband, often underappreciated by her kids, and struggled financially, and just landed a good paying job doing what she's wanted to do again for years, as a music teacher and Director of Child Care at a local church - and then she's killed by a drunk driver just before starting that job, while he walks away without a scratch. 😢
All that devotion and dedication, all that compassion for others, all those prayers for protection, all that faith and hope - for what?
None of it mattered.
In fact, she was the last "psychic/spiritual moment" I had was 2 years ago, right after Marian died, and I went and got Ziggy. I was thinking of her and wishing she could see him.
Right at that moment, I looked down at my shoe - and this was stuck to it ...
In case you can't tell what it is, is a silver cross earring that had somehow stuck to my running shoe - and it wasn't mine.
God only knows how long it was stuck there, that day, but I didn't notice it until I sat down in the grass and said aloud, to the sky, to Marian, that I missed her and wished she was there to see Ziggy, how much she would've loved him.
When I saw it, I gasped, then looked up and said "Okay, that's weird timing. Is that you? Nah, that's ridiculous. Wait, was it?"
Then I was thinking in the off-chance it WAS her, rather than coincidence, that'd be exactly like her in life ... leave you some little inspirational gift or scripture verse in some random place, like your your bathroom, then giggle when you found it, figured out it was her, and said "Did you... leave some scented soap with a scripture verse on it in my bathroom for me?" 🥲
Regardless, that was the very last spiritual "moment" I've ever had.
I tried "tuning in" but she wasn't there - in fact, nobody was there anymore - not Marian, not my grandparents, not Mark's parents or grandparents or old Army buddies - no one was there anymore, or at least I couldn't sense them anymore.
Who knows why - I jokingly say menopause, or it maybe it's struggling in my faith, or maybe I abused it asking stuff like that, or maybe it's just we're okay now and need less hand-holding - or maybe it never was and I was just a really good guesser? 😂
I don't know, though, some people and stuff I couldn't have possibly known or known about.
Like my exhusband's uncle, the first time I tuned into him, his eyes were grayed out, and he was wearing a dark brown fedora with a feather. That usually means something was wrong with that part of the body, either they pantomime it or it's disfigured in some way.
J said he died of brain cancer but wasn't blind, at least he didn't think so.
J called his mom, who rushed right over. Turns out he DID go blind from metastacized brain tumors putting pressure on his optic nerves, 3 weeks before he died; in fact, they had to put one-month old J in his arms to hold him because he couldn't see him.
Then she opened up a plastic bag that she had brought with her, containing a hat that belonged his uncle, which she kept in her closet -a brown fedora with a feather.
Neither J nor I had ever seen that hat.
Let's put in this way - rummaging around in his mother's private closet would've been a very, very bad idea, and we wouldn't want to know about most of what was in there 😂
Regardless, this, like Marian, is gone - but yes, I DO still have that earring in a box 🥰
Regardless, I feel like I still know it in my conscience and soul when something is or isn't the right thing to do, despite what other Christians say.
And unfortunately, I think we all, as humans, Christians or not, at some point in our lives have stepped right over that right thing to do in favor of what we want to do at times, justifying it.
However, today's Christians step over both Christ's words AND societal or constitutional law so much, and justify it, that I sometimes wonder who their master actually is, but I guess they might wonder the same about me. 😂
So who is following the true "voice" of Good Shepherd and who is following the hired hand (see below scripture) ?
Them ... or me?
Well, I cannot judge who is actually following Christ or not, I don't know their soul.
However, Christ does say we will know them by the fruits of their labor and that fruit tastes spoiled, bitter, and just plain nasty!
And let me say this ...
I do not idolize or follow blindly any human without question, accepting every word out any leader's mouth, especially any politician, as gospel truth or as God's chosen, like other Christians do Trump.
In fact, they're starting to quote Trump more than Jesus!
No - the only Good Shepherd is Christ - Trump is the hired hand (though I certainly didn't hire him!)
I cannot hear my master's voice in a single word Trump says - in fact, his voice/message disturbs my soul.
So to me, his voice/message is worse than a hired hand - I hear a wolf in sheep's clothing instead.
Who but a wolf would deceive, falsely accuse, and arrest or order physical attack on the flock they lead and claim to care for, just because they disagree with him?
John 10:11-16
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
