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http://www.llewellyn.com/free/mpq.php?tab=intro

Your Primary Mythical Creature

Water Types
The main strength of the Water types is feeling. The second element indicates the most probable focus for this emotional expression.

Your Shadow Creature

Earth Types
All the Earth types have problems relating to productivity and stability. The weakest element indicates the main focus of these problems.

What D&D character would I be?
(Okay, this isn't totally accurate, because I was aiming for rogue a little bit.)

LOL, weird.

I'm so bitchy lately.
More info on that later.

I am so tired of people saying, "Don't judge me!"
"What right do you have to judge me?"
"I don't judge others."

Give me a break.  Everyone in the entire universe judges everyone else.
It's initially a SELF-DEFENSE mechanism, and also is what attracts you to your significant other.

As a self-defense mechanism, allow me to paint a picture.
You're walking to the gas station at night, and you pass a man in a business suit, who looks you in the eye, smiles, and says, "Good evening."  You smile back and return the comment.
The next person you walk by is an average-dressed woman, talking on her cellphone, completely oblivious to you.  Chances are, you glance at her once and continue on your way.
You then come upon a man wearing filthy, mismatched clothing.  He stares at you as you walk up, and you assume he's probably going to ask you for change.  As you get closer, he stands up.  Instinctively, you give him a lot more space as you step to the edge of the sidewalk.

Guess what?  You judged every single one of those people, and automatically did a mental threat assessment.  It is SELF-DEFENSE that people automatically judge others.

Now, to my second point, attraction.  I don't think this really needs much explanation, but you never know, so... in a club, if you're looking for someone to dance with, there will be people who look at and cringe, hoping NOT to catch their eye.  There will be people who are okay, but really hold no interest for you.  There will ALSO be people that you're intruiged by, and may make a POINT to catch their eye, ask them to dance, or send them a drink.

You judged every single one of those people as well, but for different reasons than the first.

When it comes to your children, judgment is necessary as well.
When looking for a daycare, if you decide to go with an at-home provider, you'll be inspecting their homes, and them, before you leave your children with them.
The first house you go to, there are broken, dirty toys out front, and a bike lying in the driveway.  When you meet the woman, she's holding a baby that reeks of poop, and the children running around aren't being well-supervised.  You notice that the snacks on the snack table are shared by ALL children, and consist of things like chips and candy.  The TV is on an old stand, and not bolted to the wall.  The woman smacks her gum while walking you through her house, stepping over toys everywhere, and almost tripping on an unattended infant who is crying.  The trashcan in the kitchen is overflowing, and there are plenty of dirty dishes in the sink.
The second house you go to is nicely taken care of in the front, and there are relatively new toys in the fenced-in front yard.  The woman answers the front door, smiling, and holding a bottle in an infant's mouth.  The children inside are at individual stations, for painting, coloring, blocks, etc.  The children painting have smocks on.  At snack time, the woman sets all the children down at a table and gives them each a small serving of fresh fruit and some yogurt, and rinses them off and puts them in the dishwasher.  The TV is behind glass, and the entertainment center is secured to the wall.  At the base of her stairs is a baby gate, which is secured.

Tell me, which daycare will you entrust your child to?  Anyone who would say the first one is lying.
You make an automatic judgment about how well these women will care for your child, how safe her house is, how sanitary she and her house is.  You assume in House #1 that your child will be neglected, dirty, fed crap, and possible get seriously injured by the woman's negligence.  In House #2, you assume the woman cares for and carefully monitors all the children in her care, engages them in safe, fun activities, that her snacks are healthy and nutritious, and that her house is a safe place for your child to play.

You judged their ability to care for your children, after only having met them for a matter of minutes and seeing the inside of their house.

So don't tell me that you don't judge anyone.  You are in a coma if you never judge anyone.  We ALWAYS judge people.  ALWAYS.  Judging others is not a BAD WORD either, like so many make it out to be.  You judge potential friends by similar views, common interests, and generally a similar life or parenting style.

Everyone has their own ideas about what is right and what is wrong.  Voicing those does NOT make you a bad person.  Voicing those is a completely normal and acceptable thing.  What the hell do you think all this election stuff right now is?  It's JUDGING each individual person by their beliefs that they've shared, and deciding which YOU think should run our country!  Judgment is NOT evil or bad!

The problem with judgment does NOT come in when people disagree.  It's when people are so set in their beliefs that they refuse to ever consider anyone elses' opinions, and merely yell at others who disagree, calling them immature, insulting names.
You CAN disagree respectfully.  Even moreso, you can disagree like an ADULT.  That means, if someone says something you don't like, or challanges your beliefs, rather than throwing a childish hissy fit of, "What right do YOU have to judge me?  I think YOU'RE a bad mom/person!  You have no right to tell me I'm wrong!"  You should take the opportunity to discuss your difference in beliefs with that person, or back off if you feel yourself getting heated.

It is FINE to have an opinion.  It is NATURAL to judge others.  The problem comes in when people ignore facts, and can't handle when people disagree with them.  Be a mature, responsible adult and accept that everyone judges everyone, but the way you HANDLE it is the real issue.  You can either take the opportunity to learn about an opposing belief, whether you agree or not... or you can throw a childish fit, set a bad example for children, and look like a complete idiot.  Your choice.

I think it's been a little while since I actually wrote something worth reading... not that I'm promising this'll be worth your time either, but hey.

We got our first tree.  It's fake, of course, but 6-1/2 feet tall, and I like it.  It makes me happy.  I found a really pretty light-up start for the top as well, which I think symbolically, is one of the best things I could have up there. 
We also let Rowan choose some ornaments, so I didn't just have a standard set.  He chose Pluto (Mickey Mouse's dog), Spiderman, Yoda and Darth Vader.  I chose a glitterly blue star, and then we have my old Claires bear ornament from when I collected Claires Bears.  I also have the normal round ornaments in various colors, a long bit of glitterly gold stuff wrapped around the tree, multicolored lights, and candy canes. 
Not bad for our first tree.  The tree skirt I bought is black with silver designs on it.  It's almost noir in style, I love it.
There's still no presents other it yet, but there will be whenever my mom's presents get here.

My maternal grandparents sent an X-mas card, and a $50 gift card for Rowan, and a $25 gift card for me to Wal-Mart,.  Nothing for Kyle. ;)
I've been wanting to get Rowan a kitchen playset for awhile now, but last year, Kyle insisted on getting him the tool bench.  As he doesn't see us often use more tools than screwdrivers and hammers, he doesn't quite know what to do with it.
At Izzy's birthday party, she got a kitchen set, and she and Rowan spent a few hours playing with it.
When I got on Wal-Mart.com, they had a NICE kitchen set, the best value, on sale from $120 to $80!  So in combining our gift cards to get $75, I ended up only paying $6 on my debit card for a really nice toy for Rowan.  I did Site-to-Store, so we don't have it yet, though.
He wants it in the kitchen, and that means I have to find a new place for Isis' food and water, but that's okay.  If Rowan plays with it he did Izzy's, that'll be great.  I hope he'll mimic my cooking on his stove as well.  Maybe it'll help him stay away from me while I'm cooking, heheh.

Yesterday was 5 years since my car accident.  It's kind of weird to realize that.  In a way, it's nice to know it's that far behind me... but at the same time, it means that everything I have now, from scars to pain, is 5 years old, and therefore, probably as good as permanent.  That's rather depressing.  And 5 years later, it still bothers me to not remember what happened. *sigh*  I realize that accident was a big turning point in my life, though, for the better, albeit, not in the physical department, so that's worth something, I guess.

It's amazing that when you become a mom, you enter the most vicious social realm there is.  I mean, outside of this, it takes a lot to be called a child molester, a mutilator, a Nazi, etc.  In the mom world, all you have to do to earn those names is support breastfeeding or circumcision, and suddenly you're a monster, and some super judgmental, confused bitch.  It also means that it's a lot harder to have friends, since people feel so strongly about the choices that they've made, that they usually find it difficult to be friends with someone who doesn't agree.
All I know is that if you say that formula is as good as breastmilk or better, I'm going to punch you in the face, because that's a LIE, and even the formula companies have to say that breastmilk is better, on their commericals, ads, and products.
And if you call me a child abuser because my son is circumcised, I'll be inclined to show you what abuse is.
My biggest pet peeve is the LACK of education, and the people who defend their point to the death... without even knowing what the hell they're talking about.

Anyway, I need to do laundry.  My clothes stink, and by extension, I do.  I've washed everyone's clothes but my own, go me.

I was looking up random pictures, and felt like sharing.

I'm almost equally guyish and girlish?
And since when is wearing socks to bed a guy thing?

So, randomly, we decided to get a little fish tank and a couple tetras.  They're simple, and Rowan likes them.

Stolen from RaiRai
- go to google images
- search up your answer
- pick one image from the first page
- and post

Two surveys, stolen from Jessie.

So, I feel like actually writing!

I've been trying to figure out for MONTHS what I wanted to do career-wise, and just going in circles with the same ideas, and removing the things that I know I honestly can't do, physically or mentally and whatnot.  I was trying to figure out what I could do that plays off of my strengths and interests.

I've had quite a few ideas, for awhile, but then Noel mentioned the medical field to me, specifically, Pediatrics.
I honestly had NEVER considered the medical field before, at all.   I'm actually not entirely sure why I hadn't, to be honest.
But the more and more I thought about it, and did research, the more I think I actually want to be a pediatrician.  General practice.
It's a great paying job, and it's essentially me doing what I do now... but getting grades in college for it, and paid for it in the future.
Also, pediatrics is not just about physical health, but mental health as well.  Thank god, because even if it WERE just about physical, I don't know if I'd ever be able to shut my mouth on the mental aspects.
It's 7-9 years of college, plus 2-3 years of residency.  If I get into college in the spring like I want to, that would put me finished with everything in my mid-30's.  Not too bad, honestly... that means I'd have at least 30-40 years of making a 6-figure salary... and then if you add in whatever Kyle's going to make, we could be making around $200k a year.  Not freakin' bad at ALL.

Now, onto a rant.
Don't act surprised!  Is it an LJ from me WITHOUT a rant now and then? ;)

I'm so tired of uneducated folk.  Not uneducated by exposure, but those who are uneducated by choice.
Seriously, learn humility.  If you find out that you're WRONG, then thank the person who corrected you, and LEARN from it!
Getting defensive and yelling at them about how they should mind their own business or shut the fuck up doesn't do anything but make YOU look stupid and crazy, not to mention ignorant.
If you're wrong, OWN UP TO IT.

Also... something I did backfired, but I'm not sorry it happened.  Sometimes when your intentions are taken wrong is when you see someone's true colors, and in this situation, as horrible as it was, it was MUCH better for it to be now than later.  But this adds into my last paragraph.  Just because you didn't believe me doesn't mean that I'M crazy and arrogant - it means that maybe YOU should listen to your OWN daughter, and actually drop your preconceived notions of who you THINK she is, based off of your failure step-daughters, and maybe actually take the time to learn who she REALLY is instead, and not insult the one person in her life who hasn't used her or abandoned her... like you did, and still want to.  Jackass.




By the way, I have a niece now, named Baili.
Chances are, I will never get to see her.
*sigh*

And yes, you can get this as a bumper sticker. xD

I laughed SO hard at this, that Rowan told me to shut up!

142,560 People

Free California Dating

Natural disasters in 1985

* Armero tragedy
* Hurricane Gloria
* 1985 Mendoza earthquake
* 1985 Mexico City earthquake
* Nevado del Ruiz
* Tropical Storm Isabel (1985)
* United States-Canadian Outbreak

People who died on March 15 (various years)

* 2007 - Charles Harrelson, American hitman and father of Woody Harrelson
* 2007 - Bowie Kuhn, American commissioner of baseball
* 2006 - Red Storey, Canadian football player and hockey referee
* 2006 - George Rallis, Prime Minister of Greece
* 2005 - Shoji Nishio, Japanese martial artist
* 2005 - Bob Bellear, Australian judge
* 2004 - John Pople, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
* 2004 - Sir William Pickering, New Zealand-born space scientist
* 2003 - Dame Thora Hird, British actress
* 2001 - Ann Sothern, American actress
* 1998 - Benjamin Spock, American pediatrician and writer
* 1997 - Victor Vasarely, Hungarian painter
* 1997 - Gail Davis, American actress
* 1994 - Mai Zetterling, Swedish actress and director
* 1991 - Bud Freeman, American jazz musician
* 1990 - Tom Harmon, American football player and broadcaster
* 1990 - Farzad Bazoft, Iranian-born journalist (hanged)
* 1989 - Muhammad Jameel Didi, Maldivian poet
* 1988 - Dmitri Polyakov, Soviet double-agent
* 1983 - Rebecca West, English writer
* 1981 - René Clair, French film director
* 1977 - Hubert Aquin, Quebec novelist, political activist and editor
* 1977 - Antonino Rocca, Argentine professional wrestler
* 1975 - Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate
* 1972 - Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter
* 1970 - Tarjei Vesaas, Norwegian writer
* 1966 - Abe Saperstein, American basketball executive
* 1962 - Arthur Compton, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
* 1959 - Lester Young, American musician
* 1957 - Ernst Nobs, Swiss Federal Councilor
* 1951 - John S. Paraskevopoulos, Greek-born astronomer
* 1941 - Alexej von Jawlensky, Russian painter
* 1937 - H. P. Lovecraft, American writer
* 1914 - Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha, Sufi master
* 1898 - Henry Bessemer, English metallurgist
* 1891 - Joseph Bazalgette, English civil engineer
* 1891 - Théodore de Banville, French writer
* 1849 - Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti, Italian cardinal and linguist
* 1842 - Luigi Cherubini, Italian composer
* 1820 - Clemens Maria Hofbauer, patron saint of Vienna (b. 1751
* 1711 - Eusebio Kino, Italian Catholic missionary
* 1701 - Jean Renaud de Segrais, French writer
* 1673 - Salvator Rosa, Italian painter and poet
* 1670 - John Davenport, Connecticut pioneer
* 1644 - Louise Juliana of Nassau, Regent of Bohemia (born 1576)
* 1575 - Annibale Padovano, Italian composer
* 1536 - Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, Grand Vizer under Suleiman the Magnificent
* 1416 - John, Duke of Berry, son of John II of France
* 1311 - Walter V of Brienne, Duke of Athens
* 1145 - Pope Lucius II
* 493 - Odoacer, King of Italy (murdered) (b. 435)
* 220 - Cao Cao, King of Wei (b. 155)
* 44 BC - Julius Caesar (b. 100 BC)

Man... Stouffer's and Hot Pockets are going to be hard.  Store brands?
And I guess I have to buy different brands of coffee creamer.

http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/products.html

Last updated: 16 May 2007 (Body Shop added as part-owned, Ashbourne water removed as Nestlé has closed it down. Some existing brands added). Internationally, Nestlé has recently acquired Jenny Craig, Uncle Tobys and Novartis Medical Nutrition.

Coffee - Nescafé including: Alta Rica Black Gold Blend 37 Cap Colombie Cappuccino Caro Decaff Expresso Fine Blend Gold Blend Kenjara Nescafé Ice Organic Partners Blend Dairy products Carnation Coffee-Mate Extreme Viennois Fussells Ideal LC1 Munch Bunch yoghurts Rowntree yoghurts and ice creams Simply Double Ski yogurts Sveltesse yogurts Tip-Top Confectionery & snacks Aero After Eights Animal Bar Baci Chocolate Black Magic Blue Riband Breakaway Caramac Chocolate Cuisine *Colgate Dental Gum Dairy Box Dairy Crunch Double Cream Drifter Fab Fruit Pastilles Heaven Henri Nestlé Collection Jellytots Kit Kat Kit Kat Chunky Lion Bar *Lyons Maid Ice Cream Matchmakers Maxibon Milky Bar Munchies *Nestlé Ice Cream Polo Quality Street Rolo Rowntrees Fruit Gums Smarties Toffee Crisp Toffo Tooty Frooties Walnut Whip Willy Wonka Yorkie Contact lens care Alcon

Mineral/bottled water Aqua Panna Aquarel Buxton Contrex Perrier Pow-wow San Pellegrino Santa Maria Valvert Vittel Other drinks Build-up Milo Nesquik Nestea Processed meals Buitoni pasta & canned foods Herta Maggi *Osem/Tivall *Rowntrees Jellies *Cereals Cheerios & Honey Nut Cheerios Cinnamon and Golden Grahams Clusters Cookie Crisp Shreddies Fibre 1 Fitnesse Force Flakes Fruitful Golden Nuggets Nesquik cereal Shredded Wheat including: Bitesize, Fruitful, Honey Nut Shreddies: Coco and frosted *Cosmetics Biotherm Body Shop Cosmence Garnier Helena Rubenstein Innéov La Roche-Posay Lancome L'Oreal Matrix Maybelline Metamorphosis Plénitude Redken Pet Foods Arthur's Bakers BETA Bonio Felix Friskies Go-Cat Go-dog Gourmet One Pro Plan Purina Spiller's Vital Balance Winalot

But Nestle will never get another penny from me, if I can help it.

Ruling in Belgium : deaths from contaminated formula are to be accepted

News arrives from Belgium that a family has lost its legal action against Nestlé and the hospital that put their new-born child onto infant formula that turned out to be contaminated with bacteria. The effect of the ruling is to suggest that deaths from intrinsic contamination of formula, which are rare, are to be expected and accepted.