<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Slightly Sarcastic &#187; Featured Articles</title>
	<atom:link href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/category/featured-articles/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net</link>
	<description>My Life, Sarcastically</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:22:59 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0</generator>
		<item>
		<title>More Exciting Than Having Kids?  Dropping Them Off On The First Day of the School Year</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/08/more-exciting-than-having-kids-dropping-them-off-on-the-first-day-of-the-school-year/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/08/more-exciting-than-having-kids-dropping-them-off-on-the-first-day-of-the-school-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:54:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1738</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In two weeks my vacation begins. Kids go back to school on Sept 7th. Hopefully I will then slowly recuperate from this idiocy disease which has stolen my mind and ability to function (of course I&#8217;m gonna blame the kids otherwise I&#8217;d have to actually admit that it was me and isn&#8217;t that the whole [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In two weeks my vacation begins.  Kids go back to school on Sept 7th.  Hopefully I will then slowly recuperate from this idiocy disease which has stolen my mind and ability to function (of course I&#8217;m gonna blame the kids otherwise I&#8217;d have to actually admit that it was me and isn&#8217;t that the whole reason you have kids?  Garbage duty and someone to blame everything on?).  Bur, at least I&#8217;m not this dumb:</p>
<blockquote><p>Faith-based bathroom break</p>
<p>A Miami (Ohio) University student confessed after he was caught in an alley urinating on holy ground.</p>
<p>When officers asked 19-year-old Jacob Pleban whether he realized he was whizzing on the Methodist church, Pleban replied, &#8220;I&#8217;m Catholic.&#8221;</p>
<p>Pleban was charged with public urination, disorderly conduct and underage intoxication.</p>
<p>Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Stupid-Crimes-603388-101612068.html#ixzz0xuFKwkYs</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MKUQFtR6sPM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MKUQFtR6sPM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>I&#8217;ll NEVER admit how long it took me to figure this out.  But, I&#8217;ll tell you this &#8211; I was still waiting for that first pot of coffee to brew and squinting my eyes to cut down the blur.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nO-GsDwYwtI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nO-GsDwYwtI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>If this video gets you excited you must either a) be a nun  or b)  have kids.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ELcT5tLVtN0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ELcT5tLVtN0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><img src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/signature.png" alt="" /></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993";
/* 468x15, created 2/13/10 */
google_ad_slot = "3906216116";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 15;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993";
/* 250x250, created 3/23/10 */
google_ad_slot = "0502526684";
google_ad_width = 250;
google_ad_height = 250;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p></blockquote>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/08/more-exciting-than-having-kids-dropping-them-off-on-the-first-day-of-the-school-year/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Back to School Bitchfest</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/08/a-back-to-school-bitchfest/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/08/a-back-to-school-bitchfest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1726</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was putting together a shopping list of back to school supplies and realized I really can&#8217;t afford my kids anymore.   I wonder if it&#8217;s too late to return them?  I guess I could start my own mini temp agency and  hire them out to neighbors for odd jobs. I used to love the back [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/?action=view&amp;current=blah.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/blah.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p>
<p>I was putting together a shopping list of back to school supplies and realized I really can&#8217;t afford my kids anymore.   I wonder if it&#8217;s too late to return them?  I guess I could start my own mini temp agency and  hire them out to neighbors for odd jobs.</p>
<p>I used to love the back to school shopping ritual when only one of the kids was in school and my husbands job wasn&#8217;t affected by the economy.  Now with 3 kids in school and an extreme lack of  jobs in my husbands field,  I&#8217;m afraid of it.</p>
<p>When did the grade school supply list start looking like the inventory of an office max store?  Back when my mom had to shop for six of us back packs were only used by major geeks and the only supplies we needed were paper, pens and pencils.  Look at my shopping list (and this doesn&#8217;t include new shoes and clothes and backpacks I HAVE to get for my kids that are growing like a bunch of crazy freaks).</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/?action=view&amp;current=bus.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/bus.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Kindergarten<br />
white glue or stick<br />
crayons<br />
pencils<br />
scissors<br />
pocket folders<br />
composition notebook      (hardback black and white)<br />
towel/rest mat<br />
tissues<br />
supply box<br />
dry erase markers</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">6th Grade<br />
· pencils (No. 2, mechanical)<br />
· pens (black and dark blue)<br />
· loose-leaf paper<br />
· scissors<br />
· 2 or 3 Composition books<br />
· Several 3-prong and 2-pocket folders<br />
· 3 or 4 Spiral notebooks<br />
· 2 or 3 3-ring binders (At least one &#8220;trapper keeper&#8221; style binder is suggested)<br />
· dividers for binders to separate classwork<br />
· ruler<br />
· hand sanitizer<br />
· hole puncher for binder<br />
· colored pencils<br />
· highlighters<br />
· index cards<br />
· glue stick (not neon or gel)<br />
·   personal pencil sharpener with top for shavings<br />
·   tissue</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">7th Grade<br />
½ inch 3-ring binders &#8211; 4<br />
2 inch binders with tabs &#8211; 2<br />
Composition books &#8211; 1<br />
Spiral notebook with 200 sheets &#8211; 3<br />
Notebook paper<br />
Pens (black and dark blue)<br />
Pencils (no. 2)<br />
Box of colored pencils<br />
Box of markers<br />
Highlighters<br />
Box of tissues<br />
Ruler with inches and centimeters<br />
Protractor<br />
Scissors (round tips only)<br />
Graph paper</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/08/a-back-to-school-bitchfest/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Calvins Pee Happy Ad Campaign &#8211; Totally TMI!!!</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/calvins-pee-happy-ad-campaign-totally-tmi/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/calvins-pee-happy-ad-campaign-totally-tmi/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:47:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[calvin klein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[x marks the spot]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1691</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Crazy old Calvin Klein has been known for pushing the sometimes creepy, always overt sexuality in most of their ad campaigns. There&#8217;s been young Brooke Sheilds. I remember my uptight mom talking about the commercial with one of her bible study buddies. Because of this commercial my mom wouldn&#8217;t let me wear Calvin Kleins, so [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Crazy old Calvin Klein has been known for pushing the sometimes creepy, always overt sexuality in most of their ad campaigns.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>There&#8217;s been young Brooke Sheilds.</strong></p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YK2VZgJ4AoM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YK2VZgJ4AoM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>I remember my uptight mom talking about the commercial with one of her bible study buddies.  Because of this commercial my mom wouldn&#8217;t let me wear Calvin Kleins, so I guess their methods don&#8217;t always work.  But they still keep coming &#8211; one crazier than the next.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>and BANNED ADS Aplenty:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>A racy Calvin Klein billboard ad depiciting a topless underage model engaged in a threesome with two and perhaps a<a href="http://wcbstv.com/local/racy.ck.billboard.2.1044421.html"> third man has a Soho neighborhood outraged</a>. The Calvin Klein label has a <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/01/video_calvin_kleins_revives_sc.html">history of provocative ads</a>.   The latest campaign and a series of scandalous hypersexual ads has   critics accusing the design label of making a desperate attempt to gain   attention and seem relevant. Calvin Klein has also produced a series of  <a href="http://cyanatrendland.com/2009/02/02/banned-calvin-klein-commercial/">banned commerials shot by famed photographer Steven Meisel</a> depicting an orgy with three women and two men. <a href="http://cyana.tv/2009/02/02/banned-calvin-klein-commercial/">See the NSFW banned Calvin Klein commercial video.</a>&#8220;</p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ck11.jpg"><br />
</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ck1.png"></a><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ck11.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1705 aligncenter" title="ck1" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ck11.jpg" alt="" width="529" height="385" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ck1.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-1706 aligncenter" title="ck" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ck1.png" alt="" width="497" height="339" /></a></p>
<p>One thing is sure, the controversy keeps the label in the news.  But, when is it going too far?  I was beginning to think that I had become totally desensitized to any risque media because of the overload that is shoved down our throats on a daily basis &#8211; but I was WRONG &#8211; this time old CK PEE has taken it too far even for me.  Old Pee Happy is running a new undie campaign for guys. You can see how men around the world mark their spot <a href="http://xmarkyourspot.com/#/mark/map">here.</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ckpee.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1696 aligncenter" title="ckpee" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ckpee.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="257" /></a></p>
<blockquote><p><em><strong>Calvin Klein X Underwear</strong> is taking X to a whole new level using webcams to show how men around the world are marking their spot with X. The<strong> &#8220;X Marks the World&#8221;</strong> project lets users look into webcams of guys from Europe, Africa, North  America, South America and Asia talking about how they mark their  spot.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>CKs PR department constantly pushes the envelope and now I see why.  For years I&#8217;ve enjoyed their sexy ads.  I like looking at hot guys in their drawers.  But, I never really discussed it and I certainly wouldn&#8217;t consider writing a post about it.  But now the ad guys can check me off their list &#8211; they got me &#8211; creeped me out.  Made me talk about them, write about them.  Now I have these gross images of guys standing around peeing and instead of appreciating the beautiful men in all their tidy whitey goodness all I can see is them peeing.  GROSS.  I tell you what they had better run an ad campaign with my favorite guy &#8211; NAKED &#8211; to burn the images that are stuck in my head.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/henry-cavill1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1698 aligncenter" title="henry-cavill" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/henry-cavill1.jpg" alt="" width="499" height="665" /></a></p>
<p>the Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon &#8211; from the Showtime series The Tudors his name is Henry Cavill &#8211; SOO HOT!!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/calvins-pee-happy-ad-campaign-totally-tmi/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8220;We Come Before You Come&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/we-come-before-you-come/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/we-come-before-you-come/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:51:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1682</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;re easily offended Go Away. The world has changed.  Sex is everywhere: NEW YORK (Wireless Flash &#8211; FlashNews) – In a moment of passion, fumbling through your nightstand for a condom can really make the heat fizzle.But now, the Zurich-based Swiss AIDS Federation is offering to deliver condoms to eager lovers by bicycle, with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;re easily offended Go Away.</p>
<p>The world has changed.  Sex is everywhere:</p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.flashnews.com/news/wfn02100716fn27913.html">NEW YORK (Wireless Flash &#8211; FlashNews)</a> – In a moment of passion, fumbling through your nightstand for a condom can really make the heat fizzle.But now, the Zurich-based Swiss AIDS Federation is offering to deliver condoms to eager lovers by bicycle, with a catchy slogan for their service: “We come before you come.”</p>
<p>A spokesman for the health agency tells <em>AOL News,</em> “The main purpose of this initiative is to create a buzz and help people remember safe sex rules and the need to carry condoms at all times, even in the most unforseen situations.”</p>
<p>The group apparently feels that when the petting gets hot and heavy, you might not run out to the store for a rubber, but you might make a call.</p>
<p>And their bikers will pedal like mad to deliver their package before that climactic moment passes you by.</p>
<p>The Swiss are eager to help lovers because according to the Federation, more than 25,000 people are HIV-positive in Switzerland.</p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PinUpGirlonPhone.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1686 aligncenter" title="PinUpGirlonPhone" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PinUpGirlonPhone.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>The Penis &#8211; an ever protruding member of society.  The only body appendage that can claim a brain of it&#8217;s own.  Overprotected but often abused the Penis provides us with laughter,  pain and confusion.  Society has come so far in breaking the bonds of sexual suppression which ruled generations before us.  But not everyone is happy with the world this has created.  You will still find groups who refuse to promote the penis.  For example, one of my favorite websites, Etsy.</p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.flashnews.com/news/wfn04100715fn443.html">ALTON, Ill. (Wireless Flash &#8211; FlashNews)</a> – Buying a handmade penis pendant or vagina-shaped pillow is not as easy as it used to be.Etsy.com – the online DIY shop where crafters can sell their handmade goods, no matter how kooky or naughty they may be – is currently under fire for its censorship of certain items.</p>
<p>Etsy shop owner Cappy Sue, who paints cartoonish versions of human genitalia and makes other adult crafts, says the once liberal website has been hiding her items and other artists’ risque work from certain searches – an act she likens to WWII-style “ghettoization.”</p>
<p>She explains, “It seems like they’re putting all the mature sellers in a ghetto. They filtered our listings so now people can’t see anything we post. It’s a huge censorship issue.”</p>
<p>Sue believes she and other offbeat sellers are in danger of losing</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>money and may even have to close down their online shops.</p></blockquote>
<p>I have to say, sex was a little more exciting when it was taboo.  Sex seemed naughty and fun.  You didn&#8217;t see it or hear it every time you turned on the TV and radio.  Now it&#8217;s about as common as a Republican without a brain.  My twelve year old was talking to me about a friend of his at school who has already had sex.  This is middle school.  While I think kids in middle school should understand their bodies and know the dangers of unprotected sex I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s fair that they are bombarded with sexual messages at every turn.  It&#8217;s a conundrum &#8211; I love the freedom we experience to dress, speak and write in ways that were controlled in the past.  But, has it gone too far?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/superboobjob.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1684 aligncenter" title="superboobjob" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/superboobjob.jpg" alt="" width="355" height="504" /></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/we-come-before-you-come/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Clusterf**k That Is The US Healthcare Industry</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/the-clusterfk-that-is-the-us-healthcare-industry/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/the-clusterfk-that-is-the-us-healthcare-industry/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:28:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1665</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is not going to be an educated in-depth look at the US Healthcare industry, but more a rant, a bitchfest of someone caught in the midst of the outrageous cost of health insurance and the ridiculous prices of medical care topped off with the sad state of the economy.  It&#8217;s an endless circle of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/us-healthcare-costs.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1668 aligncenter" title="us-healthcare-costs" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/us-healthcare-costs-300x195.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="195" /></a></p>
<p>This is not going to be an educated in-depth look at the US Healthcare industry, but more a rant, a bitchfest of someone caught in the midst of the outrageous cost of health insurance and the ridiculous prices of medical care topped off with the sad state of the economy.  It&#8217;s an endless circle of greed, incompetence and political malfunction, sprinkled with a dash of brains, invention and hard working Americans.</p>
<p><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ushealth-costs1-web.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1667 aligncenter" title="ushealth-costs1-web" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ushealth-costs1-web-300x232.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="232" /></a>Our family has been hit pretty hard by the recession.  My husband has had to figure out how to replace a $10,000 a month income in a field that is getting harder and harder to find work.  For a little background; He worked for the Va Natural Gas Company for the past 10 years.  Their company sold out to Atlanta Natural Gas who then got rid of all employees in VA and sent that work to Atlanta or India (that&#8217;s a whole other rant since the Gas Company services, where?, not Atlanta, GA, but Virginia)  Anyway, we didn&#8217;t really worry he&#8217;s always had more work than he could manage anyway.  Boy were we in for a surprise.  It&#8217;s been a year now.  He&#8217;s found lots of odds and ends and a couple of good size contracts but nothing steady which is really scary when you have kids to take care of.</p>
<p>I have been paying health insurance for 25 years straight.  For 10 years I worked for the Government and was able to get great coverage for $12 every two weeks.  Now I realize why people keep a job JUST for the health insurance coverage.  Once I didn&#8217;t work for the Government anymore health insurance premiums cost us a ton more.  We started papying $700 a month about 10 years ago and it has steadily increased.  A couple months ago we had to stop paying our $1,000 a month health insurance bill &#8211; we just couldn&#8217;t do it.  We have paid this for YEARS and have never had any major health bills so the insurance company really made out.  A couple days ago I had to take my 5 year old in for a physical and PPD shot (checks for tuberculosis) &#8211; all kids have to have this before starting kindergarten.  I knew going in that I would be paying cash but I didn&#8217;t really think much of it and was expecting a to pay a couple hundred bucks.  She ended up having to get the physical, ppd and 3 other shots to catch her up on all her shots.  I go to check out and the bill comes to, $131 for the office visit and $365 for the shots &#8211; and that&#8217;s with 25% off.  Are you F**CKING KIDDING ME????!!!!!!!!!!!    $496.00 for a school physical and 4 shots &#8211; for a five year old!!!!  I sure hope none of us gets really sick.</p>
<p>Is it just me or this too much?</p>
<p>So, how many people get caught up in this?  Can&#8217;t afford the outrageous health insurance premiums can hardly afford the ridiculous cost of healthcare without insurance.  To make it worse you just KNOW this is because the insurance companies are one of the greediest, richest industries in the US.  They are known for their brutal treatment of policy holders and for the lavish lifestyles of the people who run the companies. (This is a bitchfest I&#8217;m not going to get into anything positive about health insurance in this post, go find that somewhere else)</p>
<p>It&#8217;s sad when you start joking with your husband that you are going to divorce him so you can go on medicaid in order to cover your kids healthcare.  It&#8217;s even harder worrying 24/7 that something is going to happen before we can start paying health insurance again.  I wonder how many people fall into this category.  They don&#8217;t make enough to pay health insurance premiums and they make to much to get any help from the Government.</p>
<div id="attachment_1666" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 383px"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/God-Smiteth.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1666 " title="God-Smiteth" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/God-Smiteth.jpg" alt="" width="373" height="429" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">You Just Never Know When or Where</p></div>
<p>Here is an interesting report comparing US Health Care with other major countries:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Fund-Reports/2010/Jun/Mirror-Mirror-Update.aspx?page=all">Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: How the Performance of the U.S. Health  Care System Compares Internationally, 2010 Update</a></p>
<blockquote><p>Despite having the most costly health system in the world, the United  States consistently underperforms on most dimensions of performance,  relative to other countries. This report—an update to three earlier  editions—includes data from seven countries and incorporates patients&#8217;  and physicians&#8217; survey results on care experiences and ratings on  dimensions of care. Compared with six other nations—Australia, Canada,  Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom—the U.S.  health care system ranks last or next-to-last on five dimensions of a  high performance health system: quality, access, efficiency, equity, and  healthy lives. Newly enacted health reform legislation in the U.S. will  start to address these problems by extending coverage to those without  and helping to close gaps in coverage—leading to improved disease  management, care coordination, and better outcomes over time. <a href="http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Fund-Reports/2010/Jun/Mirror-Mirror-Update.aspx?page=all">(Read Full Report)</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/healthcare.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1670 aligncenter" title="healthcare" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/healthcare.jpg" alt="" width="319" height="513" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/the-clusterfk-that-is-the-us-healthcare-industry/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>22</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Concealed Weapons in Bars and Wine Tasting at Liquor Stores &#8211; Who the Hell Comes Up With This Shit?</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/concealed-weapons-in-bars-and-wine-tasting-at-liquor-stores-who-the-hell-comes-up-with-this-shit/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/concealed-weapons-in-bars-and-wine-tasting-at-liquor-stores-who-the-hell-comes-up-with-this-shit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:14:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1659</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[July 1, the day when new state laws take effect.  Lawmakers have the opportunity to make our communities safer, smarter, better places to live.  In this enlightened day and age you expect these brilliant minds to put together legislation that will help our states environment, budget and overall well-being.  Not in a million years would [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bowl-of-stupid.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1661 aligncenter" title="bowl-of-stupid" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bowl-of-stupid-204x300.jpg" alt="" width="204" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>July 1, the day when new state laws take effect.  Lawmakers have the opportunity to make our communities safer, smarter, better places to live.  In this enlightened day and age you expect these brilliant minds to put together legislation that will help our states environment, budget and overall well-being.  Not in a million years would I expect to see this:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Few new laws got as much scrutiny or partisan wrangling as the  guns-in-bars statute. It allows holders of concealed weapons permits to  take their firearms into places where alcohol is served, provided the  gun&#8217;s bearer doesn&#8217;t imbibe.</em></p>
<p>OR THIS</p>
<p><strong>Wine and Liquor Tastings</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong>ABC stores will now be able to offer wine and liquor tastings at   their stores.</p></blockquote>
<p>REALLY?!!  Concealed weapons in bars and wine tasting in liquor stores.  Just Brilliant!  Now I know why we pay these politicians the big bucks.  Who the hell is writing these laws anyway?  Let&#8217;s get everyone drunk with free wine tasting, send them over to the local watering whole with their concealed weapon and let them hang around a bunch of stupid drunk college kids &#8211; that&#8217;s safe!</p>
<p>I know where all the bums will be hanging out.  Maybe with this new law I&#8217;ll be able to go to the store without being hit up for some cash.  They can just head over to the local ABC store for a delightful wine tasting.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s our money at work.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/07/concealed-weapons-in-bars-and-wine-tasting-at-liquor-stores-who-the-hell-comes-up-with-this-shit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>BP Keeps Us Scratching Our Heads</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/bp-keeps-us-scratching-our-heads/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/bp-keeps-us-scratching-our-heads/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:06:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bp]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1625</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that you had a little giggle it&#8217;s time to really understand BP and how this oil spill will affect the company and the people working for the company.  This in itself is enough to frustrate the most jaded and cynical among us, but, when you add to that what is happening to the environment [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="../wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fatcatcigar-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="fatcatcigar-1" src="../wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fatcatcigar-1.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fatcatcigar-1.jpg"></a></p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="340" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2AAa0gd7ClM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2AAa0gd7ClM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><a></a></p>
<p><a><br />
<strong>Now that you had a little giggle it&#8217;s time to really understand BP and how this oil spill will affect the company and the people working for the company.  This in itself is enough to frustrate the most jaded and cynical among us, but, when you add to that what is happening to the environment and the livelihood of millions the negative effects are almost beyond comprehension.  I&#8217;m embarrassed to say that until recently I wasn&#8217;t aware of the magnitude of the overall devastation this will bring to so many, but the longer this has lasted and the more information that comes out I am finally realizing there are so many and so much that will be hurt by this completely preventable accident.</strong> <strong> </strong></a><strong>How can we help?</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/bp_plc/index.html"><strong>Overview (from NY Times)</strong></a><strong><br />
</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>BP is a London-based oil giant that branded itself as &#8220;Beyond  Petroleum,&#8221; an environmentally conscious energy company. But its image  and its financial prospects have been decisively revised by the mammoth  oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the April 2010 explosion of a  drilling rig BP was leasing.</p>
<p>A leak in a pipe a mile deep has spewed out oil at the rate of what  the company first said was 1,000 barrels a day and then 5,000 barrels a  day from a site only 50 miles from the fragile Louisiana coast. The  government&#8217;s <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/16/us/16spill.html?ref=gulf_of_mexico_2010">current  estimate </a>of the spillage rate is up to 60,000 barrels a day.</p>
<p>The April 20 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/us/22rig.html?scp=3&amp;sq=oil+rig+deepwater&amp;st=nyt">accident</a>,  which killed 11 workers, is the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, and  the most costly. On June, BP said that its costs of responding to the  spill had reached $2 billion. And regardless of the out-of-pocket costs,  the long-term damage to the company&#8217;s reputation — and possibly, its  future prospects for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico — is likely to be  far higher, according to industry analysts.</p>
<p>BP is the third largest oil company in the world, after ExxonMobil  and Royal Dutch Shell, with 80,000 employees worldwide as of December  2009, sales of $239 billion in 2009 and a market value &#8211; even after the  recent losses &#8211; of more than $100 billion.</p>
<p>BP&#8217;s shares have lost almost half of their value since the leak  began, and some analysts say the crisis could lead to a takeover or even  bankruptcy of one of Britain&#8217;s most valuable and iconic companies. BP  is a favorite of pension funds in Britain, and the stream of  condemnations from Washington has stirred a protective backlash.</p>
<p>Shareholders were dealt another blow on June 16 when BP announced  that it would suspend paying dividends for the rest of the year and  establish a $20 billion fund to pay claims arising from the spill. While  BP&#8217;s share price stabilized after that news, the developments did  little to ease the anxiety of investors.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most threatening development for BP was the June 1  announcement by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. that the Justice  Department had begun investigations into possible criminal or civil  charges related to the spill.</p>
<p>Tony Hayward, BP&#8217;s chief executive for the last three years, has  insisted that his giant will weather this storm. BP is indeed a money  machine: it turned a profit of nearly $17 billion in 2009. The accident,  however, threatens to undermine all the efforts Mr. Hayward has made to  burnish the tattered reputation of the company he took over.</p>
<p>On June 18, two days after Mr. Hayward angered lawmakers on Capitol  Hill with his refusal to provide details during testimony about the  spill, BP&#8217;s chairman, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/carlhenric_svanberg/index.html?scp=3&amp;sq=carl%20henric-svanberg&amp;st=cse">Carl-Henric  Svanberg</a>,  said Mr. Hayward would not be as involved in daily  operations in the Gulf of Mexico.</p>
<p>The following day, BP officials scrambled yet again to respond to  another public relations challenge when Mr. Hayward spent the day off  the coast of England watching his yacht compete in one of the world&#8217;s  largest races.</p>
<div id="moretxt">
<p><strong>Pressure Continues<br />
</strong></p>
<p>In his Oval Office speech on June 15, President Obama told Americans  that he planned to tell Mr. Svanberg &#8220;that he is to set aside whatever  resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who  have been harmed as a result of his company&#8217;s recklessness.&#8221;</p>
<p>The following day, BP executives went to the White House and agreed  to set up the $20 bilion fund to pay damage claims. Mr. Obama completed  the deal in a private session with Mr. Svanberg, who set off an uproar  when he told reporters that BP &#8220;cares about the small people.&#8221;</p>
<p>The escrow fund will be independently run by <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/f/kenneth_r_feinberg/index.html?scp=1-spot&amp;sq=kenneth%20feinberg&amp;st=cse">Kenneth  Feinberg</a>, the mediator who oversaw the 9/11 victims compensation  fund.</p>
<p>Mr. Hayward and other BP executives have faced harsh questioning from  Congress, and oil company executives speaking at a Congressional  hearing publicly blamed BP for mishandling the well that caused the  disaster.</p>
<p>The leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have cited  five areas in which the company made decisions that &#8220;increased the  danger of a catastrophic well,&#8221; including the choice for the design of  the well, preparations for and tests of the cement job and assurances  that the well was properly sealed on the top.</p>
<p>The committee leaders said that shortly before the blowout, BP  engineers chose a faster, less expensive design for the final string of  casing, which is the steel pipe lining the well. The design chosen,  which used a so-called tapered string, cost about $7 million to $10  million less than another method. But the tapered string afforded less  protection if the cementing job was poor and gas rose up the well, the  congressmen wrote.</p>
<p>Representative Edward J. Markey, the chairman of the House Energy and  Environment Subcommittee, released an internal BP document on June 20  showing that the company&#8217;s own analysis of damage to the well bore  resulted in a worst-case estimate of 100,000 barrels of oil  leaking  into the Gulf of Mexico each day. Mr. Markey said the document  provided  a sharp contrast to BP&#8217;s initial claim that the leak was just 1,000  barrels a day.</p>
<p><strong>Blame and Lawsuits</strong></p>
<p>Mr. Hayward has blamed the rig&#8217;s owner and operator, Transocean, for  the accident and the failure of the blowout preventer, a valve  supposedly able to cut off the flow of oil. But he has said BP took  responsibility for dealing with the immediate problem.</p>
<p>BP has said that drilling and operating relief wells to plug the  runaway well might cost as much as $300 million, but those same wells  will eventually be used to produce profitable oil.</p>
<p>After many failed efforts to staunch the oil flow, BP is collecting  crude oil with two containment systems that the company hopes will help  stem the thousands of barrels escaping from their damaged well.</p>
<p>Lawyers have already filed a flurry of lawsuits on behalf of  commercial fishermen, shrimpers and injured workers against BP;  Transocean; Cameron, the company that manufactured the blowout  preventer; and other companies involved in the drilling process. Cleanup  costs will be divided among BP, which has a 65 percent ownership of the  field, and minority partners Anadarko and Mitsui.</p>
<p>As BP watches its bill rise quickly for the oil spill, including the  fund it is setting aside for claims, it could find the tally growing  much faster if the United States Department of Justice files criminal  charges against the company.</p>
<p>Based on the latest estimates, for example, the daily civil fine for  the escaping oil alone could be $280 million. But criminal penalties, if  imposed, could cause the costs to balloon still further.</p>
<p>Beyond the financial costs, the multinational oil giant is facing a  growing number of risks that could jeopardize its future. The company is  almost certain to face tougher scrutiny from regulators. Opportunities  to drill wells may be limited as governments and partners shy away from  BP&#8217;s damaged reputation.</p>
<p>At the extreme, revenue could be sharply curtailed if the federal  government found that the accident was caused by gross negligence and  tried to revoke BP&#8217;s right to operate in the United States, which  accounts for one-third of the company&#8217;s business.</p>
<p><strong>BP&#8217;s History</strong></p>
<p>Under Mr. Hayward&#8217;s predecessor, John Browne, BP chose the new motto  of &#8220;Beyond Petroleum,&#8221; and an insignia of a blooming flower, an image  meant to portray the company as one that was responsive to growing  public concerns about climate change.</p>
<p>But BP, the nation&#8217;s biggest oil and gas producer, has a worse  health, environment and safety record than many other major oil  companies, according to RiskMetrics, a consulting group that assigns  scores to companies based on their performance in various categories,  including safety.</p>
<p>A 2005 explosion at a refinery in Texas City, Tex., killed 15 workers  and injured hundreds more. The Occupational Safety and Health  Administration fined BP a record $87 million for neglecting to correct  safety violations.</p>
<p>Only a year later, a leaky BP oil pipeline in Alaska forced the  shutdown of one of the nation&#8217;s biggest oil fields. BP was fined $20  million in criminal penalties after prosecutors said the company had  neglected corroding pipelines. Soon after the incident, Mr. Browne quit  amid tabloid headlines about his private life.</p>
<p>Mr. Hayward, a geologist who had been in charge of exploration and  production, took over and promised to refocus the company and change the  culture, emphasizing safety.</p>
<p>Mr. Hayward has expanded the company&#8217;s already aggressive exploratory  efforts in the deep waters of the gulf. In 2009, the same platform that  has now sunk to the sea floor drilled the deepest well in history,  opening one of the largest new fields in the world.</p>
<p>Despite the accident, BP says it remains committed to its gulf  drilling program, which contributes 11 percent of the company&#8217;s  worldwide production.</p>
</div>
<p>The faltering cleanup effort came at a time when the company&#8217;s  business was otherwise going well. Continuing the excellent performance  of recent years, BP in April 2010 announced earnings of $5.6 billion for  the first quarter, more than double the profit during the same quarter  in 2009. <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/bp_plc/index.html"> (Read More)</a></p></blockquote>
<p><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br />
<a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&amp;username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45"><img style="border: 0;" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" alt="Bookmark and Share" width="125" height="16" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
 <!-- AddThis Button END --></p>
<p><img src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/signature.png" alt="" /></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993";
/* 468x15, created 2/13/10 */
google_ad_slot = "3906216116";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 15;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993";
/* 250x250, created 3/23/10 */
google_ad_slot = "0502526684";
google_ad_width = 250;
google_ad_height = 250;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/bp-keeps-us-scratching-our-heads/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Where Has All The Humor Gone?</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/where-has-all-the-humor-gone/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/where-has-all-the-humor-gone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:32:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1605</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m depressed, in a humor funk.  I haven&#8217;t laughed uproarously in ages.  I&#8217;m in my early 40s &#8211; 29 for the 14th time to my kids. I was lucky enough to grow up in the era of Dan Akroyd, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murry, Gilda Radner, Gene Wilder and other comedic greats.  I remember forcing myself [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/?action=view&amp;current=KINGOFFARTS2-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/KINGOFFARTS2-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I&#8217;m depressed, in a humor funk.  I haven&#8217;t laughed uproarously in ages.  I&#8217;m in my early 40s &#8211; 29 for the 14th time to my kids.  I was lucky enough to grow up in the era of Dan Akroyd, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murry, Gilda Radner, Gene Wilder and other comedic greats.  I remember forcing myself to stay awake long enough to sneak downstairs and watch Saturday Night Live and if I was able to catch Eddie Murphy doing a Mr Robinsons neighborhood I was in hysterical laugh heaven for a week.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="512" height="288" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="src" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/kUDRVSGqt8EoiILpBIvF5g" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="288" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/kUDRVSGqt8EoiILpBIvF5g" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>These guys were able to take the lamest concepts and leave you rolling on the floor gasping for breath.  Do you remember &#8220;Deep Thoughts&#8221; ?<br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ax96iVmTCI&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ax96iVmTCI&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />
So I have to wonder why.  Why isn&#8217;t anything funny anymore.  Sure I&#8217;ll laugh when my kid runs into the wall or when my husband rips one while he&#8217;s praying &#8211; but, when someone who gets paid to make me laugh gives their best effort only to leave me shaking my head in sadness and despair I have to wonder is it me?  Am I too cynical and jaded?  Am I now relegated to laugh only over disaster and disgusting bodily functions?  Shoot, the people who used to crack me up are lame these days.  Eddie Murphy, doing the donkey on Shrek is the funniest he&#8217;s been in 20 years</p>
<p>Your mission &#8211; Make me laugh &#8211; I implore you!!</p>
<p><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br />
<a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&amp;username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45"><img style="border: 0;" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" alt="Bookmark and Share" width="125" height="16" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p><!-- AddThis Button END --> <img src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/signature.png" alt="" /> <script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
 google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993"; /* 468x15, created 2/13/10 */ google_ad_slot = "3906216116"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 15;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
 google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993"; /* 250x250, created 3/23/10 */ google_ad_slot = "0502526684"; google_ad_width = 250; google_ad_height = 250;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/where-has-all-the-humor-gone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Little Stud &#8211; Too Much For TV or A Sign of the Apocalypse?</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/little-stud-too-much-for-tv-or-a-sign-of-the-apocalypse/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/little-stud-too-much-for-tv-or-a-sign-of-the-apocalypse/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:54:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[huggies denim diapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[implant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mark of the beast]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1588</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So, I&#8217;m watching this cute little guy strutting his stuff in s hot little jeans diaper.  He&#8217;s got a swagger that&#8217;s got all the babes drooling.  But, of course you&#8217;ve got to get those crabby old hags that just have to find fault with EVERYTHING.  It&#8217;s just too much for those uptight grannies who sit [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/denimhuggies.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1593 aligncenter" title="denimhuggies" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/denimhuggies.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/denimhuggies.jpg"></a>So, I&#8217;m watching this cute little guy strutting his stuff in s hot little jeans diaper.  He&#8217;s got a swagger that&#8217;s got all the babes drooling.  But, of course you&#8217;ve got to get those crabby old hags that just have to find fault with EVERYTHING.  It&#8217;s just too much for those uptight grannies who sit home pouring over the tv and the internet searching for deviant causes to champion and sexual promiscuity to fight the complete loss of our societies degenerating morality &#8211; woo hoo!!  My recommendation to these holier than thou crazy old biddies?</p>
<p>Bend over and pull dat stick outta yer ass!</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t get your panties in a bunch.</p>
<p>Get Laid &#8211; Quick</p>
<p>Get Drunk (then get laid)</p>
<p>Chill out!</p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/business/media/25adco.html?src=busln"><em>The </em><em>New York Times</em> reports</a> that several networks, including  ABC, TNT, and E!, decided that the ad—titled &#8220;I&#8217;ve Got Chic in My  Pants&#8221; (seriously!)—was inappropriate for them. That makes it the latest  in a long line of commercials that, thanks to getting the corporate  boot, receive more free publicity than any paid spot could ever deliver.</p></blockquote>
<p>Now, everyone, check out this cute little stud and let me know what you think, too hot or just to f#@king cute?</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sQ0M9CBEkw0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;border=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sQ0M9CBEkw0&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Speaking of kids &#8211; Would you tag yours?  I&#8217;ve been hearing more and more about parents implanting their sweet little kiddies with micro chips so I decided to read up on the prospect.  My first thought is no way, I&#8217;d never do anything so invasive to my kid.  But, after I thought about it for a while and think of all the kids this could have saved from all the sickos out there I have to think, maybe it would be the smart thing to do &#8211; but I&#8217;m still a long way off from deciding for or against.  While reading up on this subject I came across some pretty funny accusations made by certain loony politicians concerning the right to implant people with this chip -</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>BEWARE &#8211; THE MARK OF THE BEAST</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/MarkOfTheBeast10.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1591 aligncenter" title="MarkOfTheBeast10" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/MarkOfTheBeast10.jpg" alt="" width="181" height="204" /></a></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.tldm.org/news4/markofthebeast.htm">Virginia   Delegates Pass a Bill Banning the Chip Implants as the ‘Mark of the  Beast’&#8230;</a></p>
<p>Concerns over  privacy have aligned with apocalyptic Biblical  prophecy in a proposed Virginia law that limits the use of microchip  implants on  humans because of a lawmaker&#8217;s concern that the chips will prove to be  the  Antichrist&#8217;s &#8220;mark of the beast.&#8221;</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Virginia&#8217;s House of Delegates passed a bill that forbids  companies  from forcing their employees to be implanted with tracking devices, a  move  likely to be applauded by civil libertarians.</p>
<p>But Virginia state Delegate Mark Cole&#8217;s reasons for proposing the law  have as  much to do with the Book of Revelation as they do with concerns over  privacy in  the digital age.</p>
<p>Cole says he is concerned that the implants will turn out to be the  &#8220;mark of the  beast&#8221; worn by Satan&#8217;s minions.</p>
<p>&#8220;My understanding &#8212; I&#8217;m not a theologian &#8212; but there&#8217;s a prophecy in  the Bible  that says you&#8217;ll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell  things  in end times,&#8221; Cole said, as quoted at the Washington Post. &#8220;Some people  think  these computer chips might be that mark.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br />
<a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&amp;username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45"><img style="border: 0;" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" alt="Bookmark and Share" width="125" height="16" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p><!-- AddThis Button END --> <img src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/signature.png" alt="" /> <script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
   google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993"; /* 250x250, created 3/23/10 */ google_ad_slot = "0502526684"; google_ad_width = 250; google_ad_height = 250;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/little-stud-too-much-for-tv-or-a-sign-of-the-apocalypse/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When You Feel a Little Whiny, Put Your Problems in Perspective</title>
		<link>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/when-you-feel-a-little-whiny-put-your-problems-in-perspective/</link>
		<comments>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/when-you-feel-a-little-whiny-put-your-problems-in-perspective/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:40:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheila</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Afghan child bride]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://slightlysarcastic.net/?p=1577</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No jokes or snarky coments here,  just the heartbreaking shitty deal that has been dealt to WAAAAAY too many young girls in the world. Afghan Child Brides Flogged After Fleeing Husbands from:  Rightjuris.com Two young teen girls fled the abusive and much older husbands they had been forced to marry. The brutality of their punishment [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/afgan150.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1581 aligncenter" title="afgan150" src="http://slightlysarcastic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/afgan150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="149" /></a></p>
<p>No jokes or snarky coments here,  just the heartbreaking shitty deal that has been dealt to WAAAAAY too many young girls in the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://law.rightpundits.com/?p=1711"><strong>Afghan Child Brides Flogged After  Fleeing Husbands</strong></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://law.rightpundits.com/?p=1711">from:  Rightjuris.com</a></p>
<blockquote><p>Two young teen girls fled the  abusive and much older husbands they had been forced to marry. The  brutality of their punishment can be seen in the video below.</p>
<p>Afghan Child Brides Flogged After Fleeing Husbands (Video)</p>
<p>Basgol, 14, and  Khadija, 13, dressed themselves as boys and made  their way onto a bus. When the bus was pulled over by police their  immediate thought was they had been saved, but that was not to be. The  police officers returned the young girls to their home village and  abusive husbands, knowing full well these children would be sadistically  flogged.</p>
<p>The flogging of both girls—Basgol and Khadija, was videotaped by a  handful of spectators and only released when the Afghanistan Independent  Human Rights Commission failed in their attempt to win government action to protect them.</p>
<p>For some reason, the Afghan government is not able or willing to  clamp down on the forced marriages of very young girls; often to men old  enough to be their grandfathers.</p>
<p>Marriage of girls under 16, as well as flogging is illegal in  Afghanistan, but that doesn’t stop the barbaric savagery that occurs on a  regular basis. Illegal is just another word to be ignored.</p>
<p>The public flogging and forced marriages of female children remain widespread, and sadly, help is  not on the horizon in spite of  what the Afghanistan government says.</p>
<p>Girls are often sold by their fathers to pay off debts and are sometimes killed by them if  they run away from their husbands.</p>
<p>These children are regularly beaten, fed poison and sometimes turned  into suicide bombers, according to human rights <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.newser.com');" href="http://www.newser.com/story/90650/child-brides-flogged-for-fleeing-illegal-marriages.html">activists.</a></p>
<blockquote><p>The case of Khadija Rasoul, 13, and Basgol Sakhi, 14, from the village  of Gardan-i-Top, in the Dulina district of Ghor Province, central  Afghanistan, was notable for the failure of the authorities to do  anything to protect the girls, despite opportunities  to do so.</p>
<p>Forced into a so-called marriage exchange, where each girl was given  to an elderly man in the other’s  family, Khadija and Basgol later complained that their husbands beat  them when they <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.nytimes.com');" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/world/asia/31flogging.html">tried  to resist</a> consummating the unions.</p></blockquote>
<p>While there are shelters for the runaway child brides, the police  willfully turned these two young girls over to Fazil Ahad Khan, the self  appointed morals enforcer in his district in Ghor Province. If not so  tragic, this would be laughable.</p>
<p>Khan punished the children on January 12, 2010 with 40 lashes each.</p>
<blockquote><p>In the video, the mullah, under Mr. Khan’s approving eye, administers  the punishment with a leather strap, which he appears to wield with as  much force as possible, striking each girl in turn on her legs and  buttocks with a loud crack each time. Their heavy red winter chadors are  pulled over their heads so only their skirts protect them from the<a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.nytimes.com');" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/world/asia/31flogging.html"> blows</a>.</p></blockquote>
<p>The video is extremely disturbing, the physical pain and public  humiliation is abundantly evident.</p>
<p>For all of you that wonder why we are involved in Afghanistan or  Iraq’s business, or what is it we’re fighting for, I urge you to watch  this.</p>
<p>How does anyone or any government justify the flogging, whipping,  beating of 2 young child brides that ran away from forced marriages? Are  these children not human? Are they less valuable than our own?</p>
<p>I wonder what those Code Pink cowards think when they see something  like this—are they truly ok with this situation? Why can’t they don  their pretty pink outfits and go screaming and pounding their chests  over the sadistic and savage flogging these children are forced to  endure? Why picket a Military base when you might actually be able to do  something worthwhile with your time? You have a voice—use it to stop  this the violence against children!</p>
<p>Do you think we’ll ever be able to stop the barbaric practice of  flogging, or forcing little girls to marry old men?</p>
<p>Please watch the video, but be warned it’s graphic. If you have any  thoughts on Afghan Child Brides Flogged After Fleeing Husbands, we’d  really like to ‘hear’ what you have to say.</p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="445" height="364" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gbo85j9x9kE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;border=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="445" height="364" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gbo85j9x9kE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br />
<a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&amp;username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45"><img style="border: 0;" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" alt="Bookmark and Share" width="125" height="16" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=xa-4bf894e47443ad45" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p><!-- AddThis Button END --> <img src="http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/sheilasultani/signature.png" alt="" /> <script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
 google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993"; /* 468x15, created 2/13/10 */ google_ad_slot = "3906216116"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 15;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
 google_ad_client = "pub-7957497011134993"; /* 250x250, created 3/23/10 */ google_ad_slot = "0502526684"; google_ad_width = 250; google_ad_height = 250;
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://slightlysarcastic.net/2010/06/when-you-feel-a-little-whiny-put-your-problems-in-perspective/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
