We should have waited

Critics Say Bush Undercut New Orleans Flood Control: "Is the National Guard 'depleted because so many Guard are in Iraq that we don't have the opportunity to activate civil control?' asked Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). 'That question has to be asked.' Almost one in three National Guardsmen in Louisiana is serving in Iraq or war-related efforts, according to the National Guard."

I will first say I was misled as anyone, that the need to go and get Sadaam was because he had weapons that could fall into the hands of terrorists. However, I want to know why we allowed that thinking to deplete our homeland security to the point where a Natural disaster is going to be much more devastating than it could have been. The sad part of all this is not that we were unprepared, but that Bush has been undermining protection at home for a war that is going to take years to end. We should have waited till we had backing from other nations, to carry the load. We should have waited till we were ABSOLUTELY certain the intelligence reports were valid. We should have waited till we could build up the military for this undertaking instead of sending the National Guard, which was not designed for this type of war. We should have waited till we had built up some resereves in oil and money. The history of this administration is one gaffe after another. People are dying in Iraq and in America because Bush wanted to please his Dad.

Recovery movie review

I watched 4 movies this weekend that were all relationship oriented. I would like to give a review of each and their recovery worthiness.

First - my guide to my ratings
= A must see movie for anyone in reovery - sure to make you learn and feel
= A very good movie for anyone in recovery, will help you feel, but not learn much
= A good movie for learning about recovery.
= A movie that might cover one or two recovery topics.
= A fairly worthless and inconsistent movie when it comes to recovery.


Alfie - Jude Law plays a narcissistic european, only interested in how many women he can shag with. Eventually his life comes to naught, and he discovers the need to be loved. I wont spoil ending. The only feelings I got were about how much a jerk he is in this movie (and real life).
if you want to see a person with NPD (narcissistic personality disorder) in action. However I should soon be able to post several movies that would be much better.

The Brooke Ellison Story - an 11 yr old girl becomes a paraplegic. She goes on to graduate from Harvard. Mother has to take care of her 24/7. Very real movie, not greatest acting (was made for TV, directed by Christopher Reeve), nor are they able to delve deeply into emotional problems of entire family.


Real Women Have Curves - a teenage hispanic girl struggles with her over-controlling mother, and her prospects of going to college. Got to see this one!


The Prince of Tides - Nick Nolte and Barbara Striesand fall in love in a most predictable and non-realistic manner. There are some very good recovery moments in this movie, but some very unbelievable parts as well. Should help anyone in recovery feel though.

Quote from a very smart friend of mine

"I want my opinions to be respected and my voice to be heard. So, I try to respect others opinions even if they differ from my own. I can agree to disagree and just accept that our opinions don't match and that my truth is different than others. That does not mean I have to argue with them about it or even discuss it unless I want to. It also does not mean I am right and they are wrong or vice versa. It just is what it is OPINION. Thats what detachment is to me. I have also found in my relationship with my husband that he tends to give advice when I am only looking for him to listen. When he does this I tell him I only wanted him to listen and was not looking for advice. I don't have to be nasty about it. But since I have been telling him I don't want advice unless I ask for it he does not try to give it as much. So it is obvious to me that sometimes people think I want advice when I really don't. Was I expecting him to read my mind? Do others think they can read my mind? Maybe. But I can more clearly communicate now. I can say I need to get this off my chest can you just listen? I can say I know your intentions are good but I really don't want/need advice"

God Moments

Some of my favorite God moments

1) Daughter being born on my ACOA anniversary
2) People God has put in my life that brought joy/pain and me to recovery
3) My Son saying "I love you dad"
4) The ocean
5) The stars
6) Writings of CS Lewis
7) Rainbow at 1997 PGA Championship (first major after my father's death)
8) Christian music, especially "He lives", and "Amazing Grace"
9) Mountains

I do not get angry very much anymore, but there is one thing that will get me going - when someone is being arrogant and won't see it as wrong. I know that I become arrogant when this happens! It reminds me of my father. I accept my father for who he was, but that does not mean I like all of his traits. One of which was arrogance. I have learned to be humble since figuring out deep down I was arrogant too! I have had to grow away from that. Starting a blog seems to me to be arrogant as well, which is why my first one is about humility. When someone else is acting in any way, it is arrogant of me to judge them. Even if I know it is wrong, I cannot really change them. I have to stick with what I do have control over, otherwise I will become more angry when they do not change because of what I do or say. Thinking I have anything to say that will help others is also arrogant. It is only through God that we truly grow. I am nothing before Him in comparison. I like to think of myself as a building. Look how tall I am! But then there is God, who is like the Universe - what am I compared to him. What is the tallest building in the world to the Universe? That knocks me back to reality. I know nothing He does not know. If I want to solve a problem where better to go than God. Knowing God better has helped immensely with dealing with the pain of my childhood. Knowing Dad was not all powerful, but rather as human as me, helps to diminish the power his actions hold over me. My dad is not the writer of my life. That job is up to my God. I will humbly remember that it is all before Him. I pray that He will help me along the way.

hokie62