Who needs to pay for a bad haircut when you can give one to yourself?
See for yourself... I got a little "scissor crazy."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
what can I say?
Who needs to pay for a bad haircut when you can give one to yourself?
See for yourself... I got a little "scissor crazy."
Oh what a night...
This is what I worked on last night from 10-1 and then today from 10-10:50... It is a stack of notecards or flashcards. A stack of 74 images with information on the back of the image (title of work, artist, and year) all of which I need to know or shall I say memorize. I will have to be able to recognize every single image with the information once it is placed before me. I had to cut the images out, glue them to the notecard and then write down all the pertinent imformation. IT WAS GREAT! Not really, but how do you suppose I memorize these images. I have a huge ziploc bag full of these. All from my many years of art history classes. Gotta love school.I thought you might like this
To Jenny: Becky brought this to my attention. So, In a way this is to Becky as well.
Monday, October 27, 2008
I thought it was a kilt
Was going through my blogs while watching Frasier and found this great post from
blackeiffel.
The work is by Jessica Williams.
Check her out, I love this image:
Just fantastic!
Somebody forgot to take their crazy pills
Breaking news...
While I was at Tina Turner with Suzy Sunday night, something happened... Hannah used the potty! Yep, she actually used the potty. And I missed it. Although, it was a great show, I still missed it.
Jamie and I are very proud. Suzy was pretty excited about it as well.
While I was at Tina Turner with Suzy Sunday night, something happened... Hannah used the potty! Yep, she actually used the potty. And I missed it. Although, it was a great show, I still missed it.
Jamie and I are very proud. Suzy was pretty excited about it as well.
Love this movie!
To Becky:
So, Friday night among one of the many things we did that evening, one of them was to watch Death Proof with Becky. Here is one of the best scenes of this movie. This made Becky proceed to want to rent a car like this and possibly try something similar. Why do I get the feeling that I would be the one on the hood of the car holding onto belts????
Another great scene, which just encouraged Becky to want to kick some ass! Needless to say, I felt like kicking some ass too!
So, Friday night among one of the many things we did that evening, one of them was to watch Death Proof with Becky. Here is one of the best scenes of this movie. This made Becky proceed to want to rent a car like this and possibly try something similar. Why do I get the feeling that I would be the one on the hood of the car holding onto belts????
Another great scene, which just encouraged Becky to want to kick some ass! Needless to say, I felt like kicking some ass too!
Friday, October 24, 2008
A funny
Jamie: Hannah, let's get ready for night-night.
Hannah: NO!
Jamie: We are going to get ready for night-night! I'm going to take off your dress and tights. Come here!
Hannah: Whine...
Jamie: Alright McCain lift up your arms!
Me: chuckle
Hannah: NO!
Jamie: We are going to get ready for night-night! I'm going to take off your dress and tights. Come here!
Hannah: Whine...
Jamie: Alright McCain lift up your arms!
Me: chuckle
Thursday, October 23, 2008
What is it?
There is something about this weather that makes me want to travel. Don't get me wrong, I still get the urge to travel during the summer, but there is something about the Fall that makes me want to jump on a plane and leave.
I miss New York. I love New York. New York at Thanksgiving specifically. I don't know if I will ever feel that New York is lame. It might happen, but not likely.
If asked which I would rather have all the newest gadgets/electronics for my living room or a chance to travel... Travel. No doubt. Who needs a huge television to watch Grey's Anatomy anyway?
Anybody know anybody with free airline tickets? ;-)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A new day is upon us
A break is good from this thing. But, I like keeping it only a few days, not months like before...
Here in Texas the weather has changed and it is GREAT! I had the windows open in the apartment all day.
With all of this great weather we are having it is making me think about the upcoming holidays. Stores are beginning to decorate early this year. Maybe it is like this every year and I just never noticed, but I get this warm feeling in my stomach whenever I think about the approaching holidays.
I love decorating for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just hate how fast it all happens. Between, shopping, decorating, parties, finals, traveling and baking/cooking it is over before I really had a chance to realize it was here. I miss the days of being young and the adults doing all of the "work." Jamie would just tell me, "To have a minimal Christmas and not worry about all of that shit and enjoy the moment." That seems difficult. But, maybe necessary. A minimal Christmas is in effect for us, trying to cut back on all of the, "frivolous spending" that we have done in the past years. We will set a more realistic spending amount for all family and friends. We are not even sure if we will be going to Corpus to visit the kids. It all just depends on the job situation and if we are moving or not. Blah! That right there is enough to make me feel down in the dumps about the holidays.
Although, we are in the Halloween spirit over here! We are looking forward to Hannah's school Fall Festival this Friday and then a trip to Austin, just the two of us on Saturday. Sunday brings a day of visiting Trader's Village for Halloween costume shenanigans and then to Flower Mound for a pumpkin patch. Trying to get my lovely friend Jenny to have a sort of lunch date with us while we are out in that area. It might work out, it might not.
Jamie received his passport in the mail today... The trip to Belgium is officially a reality to me. November 11th is the day. I haven't slept alone without Jamie in years! Yikes. I have a few friends that said that they would keep me company. Again, we'll see if that works out or not.
Okay, enough for today... I'm about to go to bed.
Trying to find a vegan restaurant in Austin, something different. Found one!
Here in Texas the weather has changed and it is GREAT! I had the windows open in the apartment all day.
With all of this great weather we are having it is making me think about the upcoming holidays. Stores are beginning to decorate early this year. Maybe it is like this every year and I just never noticed, but I get this warm feeling in my stomach whenever I think about the approaching holidays.
I love decorating for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just hate how fast it all happens. Between, shopping, decorating, parties, finals, traveling and baking/cooking it is over before I really had a chance to realize it was here. I miss the days of being young and the adults doing all of the "work." Jamie would just tell me, "To have a minimal Christmas and not worry about all of that shit and enjoy the moment." That seems difficult. But, maybe necessary. A minimal Christmas is in effect for us, trying to cut back on all of the, "frivolous spending" that we have done in the past years. We will set a more realistic spending amount for all family and friends. We are not even sure if we will be going to Corpus to visit the kids. It all just depends on the job situation and if we are moving or not. Blah! That right there is enough to make me feel down in the dumps about the holidays.
Although, we are in the Halloween spirit over here! We are looking forward to Hannah's school Fall Festival this Friday and then a trip to Austin, just the two of us on Saturday. Sunday brings a day of visiting Trader's Village for Halloween costume shenanigans and then to Flower Mound for a pumpkin patch. Trying to get my lovely friend Jenny to have a sort of lunch date with us while we are out in that area. It might work out, it might not.
Jamie received his passport in the mail today... The trip to Belgium is officially a reality to me. November 11th is the day. I haven't slept alone without Jamie in years! Yikes. I have a few friends that said that they would keep me company. Again, we'll see if that works out or not.
Okay, enough for today... I'm about to go to bed.
Trying to find a vegan restaurant in Austin, something different. Found one!
Friday, October 17, 2008
What are you saying?
That I think this is the first time EVER to write for five days in a row... Yay!
Did some updating on my blog, adding music, movies and some of the blogs that I like to check out everyday. Pretty boring.
What a great past couple of days these have been. It might just be because of the weather. Well, I'm pretty sure that is the reason why. I love this weather.
Things I'm grateful for:
-The smell of Fall
-The gorgeous weather
-Today is Friday
-The busy, yet fun upcoming weekend with the family
-Good friends
-Next weekend in Austin WITHOUT Hannah
-Not being sick for the second week in a row!
-That I have a husband that doesn't give a shit about sports
-Hannah counting to 10!
-My mom
-My great husband
Enjoy the weekend!
Did some updating on my blog, adding music, movies and some of the blogs that I like to check out everyday. Pretty boring.
What a great past couple of days these have been. It might just be because of the weather. Well, I'm pretty sure that is the reason why. I love this weather.
Things I'm grateful for:
-The smell of Fall
-The gorgeous weather
-Today is Friday
-The busy, yet fun upcoming weekend with the family
-Good friends
-Next weekend in Austin WITHOUT Hannah
-Not being sick for the second week in a row!
-That I have a husband that doesn't give a shit about sports
-Hannah counting to 10!
-My mom
-My great husband
Enjoy the weekend!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
I know. I know.
Jamie sent me this video and I totally was not interested because it is 47 minutes long! But, it is very good and YOU, yes, YOU should watch it.
Welcome to America
A friend posted this on a message board that Jamie frequents. Pretty fuckin' scary.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Health Care Plan
Jamie sent me this article, check it out here.
I'm going to post the actual article, but you can go and check out their website.
Is Sen. Barack Obama's health reform plan affordable, I asked one of the nation's most distinguished health care economists today.
"Yes," said Uwe Reinhardt, the James Madison professor of political economy at Princeton University, who spoke with me about the presidential candidates' health care proposals. But maybe the question should be phrased differently, he suggested.
"What we should be asking is, 'Can average American households afford not to have this plan?'" Reinhardt offered.
Please explain, I requested.
The professor began with the numbers. If you add up health care costs for an average family of four, including what an employee and his employer pay for health insurance and an employee's out-of-pocket costs for medical care, the total comes to $15,600 a year currently.
Next, he asked me to think of a lower middle-class working family, people who drive cabs or work in restaurants or retail shops and who make $20,000 to $55,000 a year.
Assuming their salaries grow 3 percent a year - the average over the last decade - a family making $50,000 today will be earning $68,000 in 10 years, by Reinhardt's calculations. (That assumption itself may be generous given the economy's current state.)
Then the professor applied medical cost inflation to that family's expenses. Medical expenses have been climbing 9 percent a year; in 10 years, that means an average family's total health care costs will have soared to $36,000 - more than half of their salary, he said.
"Americans will look to their government for relief and the government will have an extremely hard time saying no after having just bailed out the bankers," Reinhardt predicted.
"Someone has to pay, and the government has the money," he said.
(Reinhardt was referring here to government funds that could be redeployed from other uses or the government's ability to raise funds by taxing citizens.)
Of the two candidates, Obama is the one who would have the government play a larger role in the health care system.
The Illinois senator has proposed that all Americans will have access to health care and that all children be guaranteed coverage. Obama would establish a new, government-sponsored health plan as an option for consumers, in addition to the existing array of private insurance options. He'd ask all employers to insure workers or pay into a fund that would help finance insurance coverage. Low income workers would get subsidies, and public programs such as Medicaid would be expanded.
Reinhardt doesn't have illusions about how expensive Obama's proposal could prove to be. While the Democratic candidate claims his reform efforts will save an average family $2,500 a year, the economist thinks it's highly unlikely those savings will materialize for years to come.
Especially questionable, he says, are the projected cost savings from innovations such as expanded use of information technologies by medical providers. That will require an enormous investment in infrastructure and the returns might not accrue for as much as 10 years, Reinhardt says.
Obama's best bet would be to have the government refuse to pay excessive bills from doctors who act "as if money grew on trees," Reinhardt says.
If all doctors practiced medicine as they do at the Mayo Clinic - which is renowned for effective, efficient care - the health care system could save as much as $200 billion to $300 billion a year. But the government has, as yet, refused to penalize doctors who practice far less efficient, less effective care. "The problem is essentially political - no one has been willing to take on the providers," the professor said.
Turning to Sen. John McCain's plan, Reinhardt explained why he thinks it will leave consumers wanting and end up undermining the current system of employer-based insurance.
The Arizona senator would for the first time tax the value of health insurance that employees get in the workplace. The health benefits would be treated as income and taxed accordingly. (This is not the case currently). At the same time, he'd offer a $5,000 refundable tax credit to families ($2,500 to individuals) to help them afford health care coverage.
Both changes will give younger, healthier workers an incentive to stop receiving medical coverage through the employers, Reinhardt believes. Instead of paying the new taxes on benefits, these workers will tell companies "no thanks" and purchase coverage in the individual market, he predicted.
That would leave an older, sicker pool of employees in employer-based insurance, which will drive up the cost of insurance, putting an increasingly heavy burden on employers. Also, the cost increases will drive up the taxes workers would pay on the value of their health insurance, eating up more of their pay checks.
At first, the McCain tax credits would exceed the new taxes employees face when health benefits are treated as income. But the value of the credit will start eroding in short order, Reinhardt said.
That's because the tax credit is slated to rise in line with the Consumer Price Index, which increases 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent a year. Meanwhile, the value of employees' health insurance policies is likely to climb 8 to 9 percent a year, in line with medical inflation.
"Over time, the added taxes people will pay will in fact exceed the tax credit," Reinhardt says. "Five, six years from now, Americans will wake up and say I'm paying a lot of extra taxes and the tax credit no longer offsets it," he suggested.
Don't try to figure all this out from looking at McCain's Web site, the professor warned.
He directed me to the section titled "Straight Talk on Health System Reform" - the primary source of information about the Arizona senator's health reform proposal. There's no mention there that McCain plans to tax health insurance benefits for the first time, Reinhardt said.
Indeed, when I checked this afternoon, he was right.
You can find a few oblique references to the new tax on health benefits in a new section titled "Get the facts behind Barack Obama's untruthful attacks about health care."
One is a heading in a chart comparing "income tax liability" to "McCain-Palin tax credit." But there's no attempt to explain what that liability refers to.
Later, there's this statement: "In addition, payroll taxes will be protected from taxes under the McCain plan." That's an attempt to argue that the value of the tax credit will exceed the new taxes on health benefits, which aren't mentioned anywhere else.
"I have told his people, 'Guys, that's not honorable, that's not straight talk, that borders on insult,'" Reinhardt said.
I'm going to post the actual article, but you can go and check out their website.
Is Sen. Barack Obama's health reform plan affordable, I asked one of the nation's most distinguished health care economists today.
"Yes," said Uwe Reinhardt, the James Madison professor of political economy at Princeton University, who spoke with me about the presidential candidates' health care proposals. But maybe the question should be phrased differently, he suggested.
"What we should be asking is, 'Can average American households afford not to have this plan?'" Reinhardt offered.
Please explain, I requested.
The professor began with the numbers. If you add up health care costs for an average family of four, including what an employee and his employer pay for health insurance and an employee's out-of-pocket costs for medical care, the total comes to $15,600 a year currently.
Next, he asked me to think of a lower middle-class working family, people who drive cabs or work in restaurants or retail shops and who make $20,000 to $55,000 a year.
Assuming their salaries grow 3 percent a year - the average over the last decade - a family making $50,000 today will be earning $68,000 in 10 years, by Reinhardt's calculations. (That assumption itself may be generous given the economy's current state.)
Then the professor applied medical cost inflation to that family's expenses. Medical expenses have been climbing 9 percent a year; in 10 years, that means an average family's total health care costs will have soared to $36,000 - more than half of their salary, he said.
"Americans will look to their government for relief and the government will have an extremely hard time saying no after having just bailed out the bankers," Reinhardt predicted.
"Someone has to pay, and the government has the money," he said.
(Reinhardt was referring here to government funds that could be redeployed from other uses or the government's ability to raise funds by taxing citizens.)
Of the two candidates, Obama is the one who would have the government play a larger role in the health care system.
The Illinois senator has proposed that all Americans will have access to health care and that all children be guaranteed coverage. Obama would establish a new, government-sponsored health plan as an option for consumers, in addition to the existing array of private insurance options. He'd ask all employers to insure workers or pay into a fund that would help finance insurance coverage. Low income workers would get subsidies, and public programs such as Medicaid would be expanded.
Reinhardt doesn't have illusions about how expensive Obama's proposal could prove to be. While the Democratic candidate claims his reform efforts will save an average family $2,500 a year, the economist thinks it's highly unlikely those savings will materialize for years to come.
Especially questionable, he says, are the projected cost savings from innovations such as expanded use of information technologies by medical providers. That will require an enormous investment in infrastructure and the returns might not accrue for as much as 10 years, Reinhardt says.
Obama's best bet would be to have the government refuse to pay excessive bills from doctors who act "as if money grew on trees," Reinhardt says.
If all doctors practiced medicine as they do at the Mayo Clinic - which is renowned for effective, efficient care - the health care system could save as much as $200 billion to $300 billion a year. But the government has, as yet, refused to penalize doctors who practice far less efficient, less effective care. "The problem is essentially political - no one has been willing to take on the providers," the professor said.
Turning to Sen. John McCain's plan, Reinhardt explained why he thinks it will leave consumers wanting and end up undermining the current system of employer-based insurance.
The Arizona senator would for the first time tax the value of health insurance that employees get in the workplace. The health benefits would be treated as income and taxed accordingly. (This is not the case currently). At the same time, he'd offer a $5,000 refundable tax credit to families ($2,500 to individuals) to help them afford health care coverage.
Both changes will give younger, healthier workers an incentive to stop receiving medical coverage through the employers, Reinhardt believes. Instead of paying the new taxes on benefits, these workers will tell companies "no thanks" and purchase coverage in the individual market, he predicted.
That would leave an older, sicker pool of employees in employer-based insurance, which will drive up the cost of insurance, putting an increasingly heavy burden on employers. Also, the cost increases will drive up the taxes workers would pay on the value of their health insurance, eating up more of their pay checks.
At first, the McCain tax credits would exceed the new taxes employees face when health benefits are treated as income. But the value of the credit will start eroding in short order, Reinhardt said.
That's because the tax credit is slated to rise in line with the Consumer Price Index, which increases 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent a year. Meanwhile, the value of employees' health insurance policies is likely to climb 8 to 9 percent a year, in line with medical inflation.
"Over time, the added taxes people will pay will in fact exceed the tax credit," Reinhardt says. "Five, six years from now, Americans will wake up and say I'm paying a lot of extra taxes and the tax credit no longer offsets it," he suggested.
Don't try to figure all this out from looking at McCain's Web site, the professor warned.
He directed me to the section titled "Straight Talk on Health System Reform" - the primary source of information about the Arizona senator's health reform proposal. There's no mention there that McCain plans to tax health insurance benefits for the first time, Reinhardt said.
Indeed, when I checked this afternoon, he was right.
You can find a few oblique references to the new tax on health benefits in a new section titled "Get the facts behind Barack Obama's untruthful attacks about health care."
One is a heading in a chart comparing "income tax liability" to "McCain-Palin tax credit." But there's no attempt to explain what that liability refers to.
Later, there's this statement: "In addition, payroll taxes will be protected from taxes under the McCain plan." That's an attempt to argue that the value of the tax credit will exceed the new taxes on health benefits, which aren't mentioned anywhere else.
"I have told his people, 'Guys, that's not honorable, that's not straight talk, that borders on insult,'" Reinhardt said.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Can I get a poster?
I've been looking at all of these blogs that I have slowly been collecting and love this poster I found on this great website
Check it out:
Check it out:
Monday, October 13, 2008
I do believe it is October
It is now October. And I can not believe it! I realized that I have not posted since August 28th. I really have no excuses. Well, I could come up with a new, but they are worthless excuses.
So, I'll just say a few things about the past month and a half...
I"ll start with the most recent stuff and go back. Hannah's birthday party was yesterday. Her birthday was October 2nd and YES I know we had her party 10 days after her actual birthday! But, there was reason for that... Timing, money, a free day and on and on and on. It was a great day. We decided to have it at the apartment instead of at the park, it was just easier. It was lovely. We kept it pretty simple. Well, Jamie probably wouldn't agree, but it really was. We invited close friends and family and just wanted a more intimate gathering. I would talk about what was served, but who really cares about that? Well, the best part of it was that I made the vegan cupcakes myself. And they were pretty good, if I do say so.
Hannah made out like a bandit! It was like a small Christmas for her. She got so many books from us, my mom and Jenny. She also got tons of clothes and a few toys. She got some really great books, we have read like 8 of the new ones and haven't scratched the surface of what is on the shelf. She had a decent time. She is shy around new people, but in the end enjoyed playing with all of the kids. We also had an owl pinata, which was a total original piece that we had made for her. It came out really good. I haven't uploaded pics so that will come later. We had a good time catching up with people that we don't see that often. Richie, Miles, Suzy, Jenny and Josh stayed awhile. The kids played together nicely and we all chatted and caught up with one another. It was really nice.
That pretty much sums up that. It was a great party, I had a good time, Hannah was happy, we are grateful for the loving friends and family that came to celebrate this special day with her and us. And if anybody didn't have a good time, SCREW YOU! Ha!
Before Hannah's birthday party we took an unexpected trip to Austin. Which is the next big thing that has been going on around here... Jamie and I have applied for jobs with the IRS in Austin. We have each gone to a fingerprinting session and will be going back for a processing session, in a couple of weeks. We will more than likely be moving, if all goes well. Everything is still REALLY up in the air and it could all fall apart and we could go nowhere. But, not likely. Honestly, I don't know what is going to happen. We've had some time to spend in Austin since we've gone down a couple of times and we keep falling more and more in love with the city.
So, there is that...
School is going well. I'm pulling an A right now and we only have like two months left. Wish me luck. I also met with my graduation advisor on Thursday and everything is on schedule. I'll be graduating in December. A party will ensue. Details later.
I don't think we have watched any good movies lately. Been super busy lately. Our little family suffered from 3 straight weeks of sickness and it was difficult to even function with everybody recovering or going for round two of sickness. This past weekend was the first weekend that one of us wasn't sick. Thank goodness.
I would talk about politics, but nah! We did donate some money to Nader, which pretty much means that you know where we stand... Not on either one of those sides.
We are preparing for many Halloween events coming in the next couple of weeks. A couple of Harvest festivals, a pumpkin carving party/contest and finally Halloween!
Then Thanksgiving! A total vegan Thanksgiving at the Shipman household. We might try and invite a few friends over that might be interested in joining us. We'll see. This will be our first Thanksgiving without Christian and Sabrina and it will be VERY different without them here.
We miss them terribly and talk to them often. They are doing well and happy and that is the most important thing,right?
We are planning on taking a trip out to the Dallas Arboretum this weekend for some Fall pictures, which I'm really excited about. Then in early November we will be taking pictures for our Christmas cards. Yeah, I know... pretty boring. It is all family stuff. Well, that is my life.
Things are going great! We are happy. More later. If I can ever actually do it. Maybe I "broke the seal" and will write more often. No telling with me.
Till another time...
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