Beeker’s Words

Pete and I spent our weekend helping my sister and brother-in-law begin the process of renovating their newly purchased home. The house needs some work before they can move in, so we volunteered to clean, to paint, and to keep our two nieces and one nephew occupied when necessary. I am so excited for my sister and her family. They have sacrificed for the last five years to get to this point. Real estate in NJ is expensive…even in the current market.  They have saved and waited for the right opportunity. The view they have is amazing and the house is sitting on a lot of land that will allow them to add on to the house when they are ready. The house has a lot of potential but it needs a bit of work.

The house was built in 1953 and for the last 15 years was inhabited by people who were allergic to cleaning products, who smoked and who had no concept of how to care for an indoor cat and dog.  I just want 10 minutes with the previous owner. I want to know how could five people live in such absolute filth? I can’t begin to describe the cobwebs, the pet hair, the carpeting soaked with pet urine, empty beer and alcohol bottles, mold, dirt, and general grime we encountered. Five people lived in the house. One of which was a pregnant woman and her young child.  They were not renters. They owned the property. I can understand that a shortage of money would prevent them from doing some of the maintenance but cleaning your stove takes a rag, some water, soap, and elbow grease.  If you have a cat, then it is in the best interest of your health and your pet’s health to clean out their litter box daily.  These people could afford FIOS but not a tub of new litter?

Lucky for us, my sister and I grew up with a mother who is a germaphobe and a stepfather who really was a Sergeant in the US Army. We know what clean looks like and how it smells. I can’t wait to see how everything looks once the renovations are done!

Please read this article by Jeffrey A. Miron. He says everything I have been thinking.  This mess is because our government decided to guarantee money lent to individuals who had poor credit, an inability to budget, and had no understanding of the mortgages they had agreed to pay. Versus throwing money at the problem, the government needs to allow these companies to go bankrupt. Bankruptcy will keep those who made these poor decisions from benefiting from a taxpayer bailout and instead hold them accountable for their risky and ill advised money lending practices. There are those of you who say that the economy will collapse, but I think the reality is that as long as their is potential for profit somewhere, the economy will eventually rebound and maybe as a nation we will take responsibility for our own financial well being and start living within our means.

How many times did you hear this growing up?  I have met kids that could test a saint and I am amazed at how their parents keep their cool.  I think parents have the toughest job in the world but I was amazed when I read this news story out of Nebraska. Nebraska decided to expand their safe haven law to include any child. Safe Haven laws allow for people who do not want their newborns to drop the child off at hospitals and fire houses. Well Nebraska decided this should apply to any child. Even the big ones. Apparently parents have decided to take the state up on this offer. Read below…

Nine siblings are among 11 children as old as 17 who were left at Omaha hospitals Wednesday under Nebraska’s unique and new safe haven law, which allows caregivers to abandon babies and teenagers alike at hospitals without fear of prosecution.

The law, originally intended to protect infants, was expanded in a legislative compromise to protect any “child.” Some have interpreted that to mean anyone under 19.

Gov. Dave Heineman, who signed the law, and some other former supporters are among those now saying changes are needed.

“People are leaving them off just because they can’t control them,” state Sen. Arnie Stuthman, who introduced the original bill, said Thursday. “They’re probably in no real danger, so it’s an easy way out for the caretaker.”

The nine siblings — five boys and four girls ages 1 to 17 — were left by their father, who was not identified, at Creighton University Medical Center’s emergency room, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Unrelated boys ages 11 and 15 also were surrendered Wednesday at Immanuel Medical Center.

At least 16 children have been abandoned since the law took effect in July, the state agency said.”

Peta has written a letter to Ben & Jerry’s asking them to use breast milk versus cow’s milk to make their ice cream. I would not mind a soy based option but I don’t really think I could stomach breast milk ice cream. What do you think?

photo by: Coast Guard News

While living in Texas, I often found that Texans are not afraid to voice what most people are thinking. I really miss that.  Today I was reading a story about the Texas Open Beaches act which is going to prevent a number of people from rebuilding in Galveston. The storm eroded a lot of beach, which cannot be replaced. This has caused the tide lines to change and you cannot build within the tide lines because it is public property. In other words you can’t build a private home on public lands. You don’t want to have a conversation with me about people’s rights to rebuild in areas that flood and that are prone to storm damage. I think it is a crock that tax dollars are used to rebuild in an area that will only be hit again in a year or two, causing the same damage.  I don’t mind helping people but I think it is wasteful for the federal government to provide flood insurance to people in flood zones because they can’t get insurance from an insurance company.  Why not give them the money to rebuild elsewhere and use our taxes for other things such as our decaying infrastructure? Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It is a given that more storms are coming and yet they rebuild.  This is not just for the poor people in the flood zones but the rich as well. Your tax money goes to rebuilding the McMansions that are sucked into the sea every hurricane season. Well a former Texas state Senator who helped draft the Texas Open Beaches act said the following today:

“We’re talking about damn fools that have built houses on the edge of the sea for as long as man could remember and against every advice anyone has given,” A.R. “Babe” Schwartz said…”Every one of them was warned of that in their earnest money contract, in the deed they received, in the title policy they bought,” he said. “And whether you like it or not, neither the Constitution of the United States nor the state of Texas nor any law permits you to have a structure on state-owned property that’s subject to the flow of the tide.”

Amen. I so miss Texas.

Pete and I are currently renting. This means no painting the walls. Yahoo Shine highlighted a company called The Picture Wall Company. They create groups of picture frames that you and I can install without measuring or having to think about layout. If you have ever tried to hang a grouping of frames, while maintaining their spacing and keeping them level, you understand the challenge. I love photography and I especially love having pictures of the family around. I think this is a nifty way of not having to look at blank walls. What do you think?

photo by: Joshua Lott

Pete and I opened our Washington Mutual account two years ago when we relocated from Austin to NJ.  We needed a local checking account because no one in NJ seemed to want to accept an out of state check.  We selected WAMU because they offered free checking and they had a number of local branches.  We immediately had a couple problems with the bank. They insisted that a certified cashier’s check had to be held for 12 days to clear (this was after they told us 7 days maximum for any check to clear when we signed up for the account) and then they charged us for some membership service that we had not signed up for. Then it took two weeks for a wire transfer to be applied to our account.   After having the account for one month, I was ready to close it.  At this point we had already setup direct deposit and our own laziness kept us from looking around.  Fast forward to this month: You may have noticed that Washington Mutual has been in the news lately. Standard and Poor’s lowered their credit ranking of Washington Mutual to junk.  Apparently federal regulators are asking around to see if other banks will purchase WAMU. Pete and I decided today that we needed to open a new local checking account. I know that the money is insured and we have other accounts, but it would p*** me off if this bank failed and I had to wait to access the funds until the federal government cleared up their mess. I read a report today that Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is underfunded and if WAMU was to fail the FDIC would need a loan from the US Treasury.  Pete did some research and found a financially sound bank right down the street from our house. We are going in the morning to open the account.  I am disgusted with the fact that taxpayers are being hit up to bail out banks and other private companies and I for one don’t feel comfortable that our politicians know how to address the problems. Political interference in the market appears to be part of what created the sub-prime crisis. What do you think is the solution? What changes would you like to see? Is bigger government the answer?

I am a HUGE Sookie Stackhouse fan or more importantly I am a HUGE fan of Charlaine Harris who writes the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series. I just finished watching the first episode of True Blood on HBO which is based on the series of books. I am excited to say that Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) has created a new show that everyone can enjoy even if they have not read the books but does not disappoint those who are avid readers of the Vampire series.  Anna Paquin plays the Sookie character perfectly and I about died laughing at Rutina Wesley who plays her best friend Tara Thorton.  I sincerely hope that this series catches everyone’s attention because I would love to watch a few seasons of Charlaine Harris’ characters coming to life on television. Here is a synopsis of the show as released by HBO:

“Thanks to a Japanese scientist’s invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight. And while humans have been safely removed from the menu, many remain apprehensive about these creatures “coming out of the coffin.” Religious leaders and government officials around the world have chosen their sides, but in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the jury is still out.
Local waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), however, knows how it feels to be an outcast. “Cursed” with the ability to listen in on people’s thoughts, she’s also open-minded about the integration of vampires — particularly when it comes to Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a handsome 173-year-old living up the road. But as Sookie is drawn into a series of mysteries surrounding Bill’s arrival in Bon Temps, that tolerance will be put to the test.”

Is there anyone out there that does not think that Joshua Jackson is hot? I was so in love with him during my Dawson Creek days. I am horribly addicted to the show Lost and when I saw that J.J. Abrams had created a new series and that Pacey Witter was going to be one of the lead characters I knew I was going to be watching.  I felt like J.J. Abrams delivered last night as Fringe debuted on FOX. The opening scene on the plane has made me question my upcoming travel abroad. It horrified the hell out of me but I loved that the show appeals to those of us that love conspiracy, fringe science, horror, and hot lead characters. My only complaint is that I found their use of special effects in designating where the scene was located to be annoying. I will be watching and hoping that the show delivers!

Today, I was kid sitting for our friends and had the pleasure of spending the day with their 4 year old son.  I watched Finding Nemo twice today.  He just LOVES the movie Finding Nemo. Apparently he has watched it so much they have gone through at least one copy of the DVD.  Well as we are watching the beginning the following conversation occurs:

4 year old: “Miss Becky, look at that shark.”

33 year old:  “That is not a shark. That is a barracuda.”

4 year old: “Is a barracuda nice?”

33 year old: “Not really. When we snorkel, we stay away from the barracudas because they are predators with sharp teeth.”

4 year old: “What do they eat?”

33 year old: ” They eat other fish and items they find on reefs. Just like what happened in the movie.”

4 year old: (very disturbed) “Nemo’s mom and all the baby eggs got eaten? They are dead?”

This is where I want to find the nearest hole and fall in it.  In 25 years of watching Disney movies, I have never had this happen. Apparently all the other children in my life have a dark side and picked up on the death of Nemo’s mom without any prompting from moi.  I felt like I had told him there was no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and that chocolate milk has been linked to all forms of cancer and can no longer be consumed.  I hope he forgets everything I said.