Ryan & Desiree Introduce Mommy to "The Puppy Game"

“The Puppy Game”

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Saturday mornings I usually get up before the girls and make biscuits and eggs for breakfast. It is the only day of the week we have time for a homemade breakfast at home, so I try to make it special. After breakfast, as I was cleaning the kitchen and the Disney movie the girls were watching ended, I peeked out of the kitchen to see what the kids were up to and saw them kiss. It is so nice to see they love each other, then I got kisses and Ryan asked me if we could play “The Puppy Game.”


They really get into puppy stuff. They always ask me if they can be my puppies. It’s like I have puppies instead of little girls. They crawl around with their tongues hanging out and they lick each other. Oh dear, I know. They bark all the time. Ryan thinks I am allergic to dogs for some reason. I am not sure where she got this idea. That is why we do not have a real dog though apparently.


I joined them in the living room and as I lay down on the floor I asked, “How does this game go?” Ryan said, “We are the puppies.” And then they began to demonstrate.


“And I am the one that gets wallered all over?” I asked. Soon, we were in a full blown wrestling match! Two ferocious “puppies” attacking me. They stood side by side and growled at me before attacking and I said, “I’m scared.” And that wasn’t far from the truth! The girls know just where to jab and pounce to cut off all my circulation and air flow and they know right where my hernia is. Of course they do not hurt me intentionally.


My girls had such a good time! I’m not sure that I would have made it out alive had I not curled into a ball there at the end. I inhaled a bit of fresh air and realizing I was free, got up and said, “Oh good, I’m free.” Ryan said, “Yeah, I had to help you, I thought you were crying.” We all laughed.


I do not recall wrestling with my mom like that when I was a kid. I think maybe this is me doing the daddy part too. You hear of single parents taking on the role of both parents. I told Desiree she is my little Yorkie because she is so tiny and on the go all the time…oh and she will still potty in the house even though she is house broken. Ryan is my Golden Retriever because she is loving but likes to be free.

I may have an unusual idea of what is beautiful...

Abandoned, old, farm, dusk
Originally uploaded by Christina G. Grigg

One day in ’09 my daughters and I were going for a drive, exploring new parts of Bella Vista, Arkansas and beyond. Listening to music with the top down on the convertible, daydreaming and enjoying a lovely summer day when we came upon this building.

I suppose it may be the combination of my personal interests that make this scene special to me, as I love history and architecture.

Sometimes I have come across old structures that were clearly used for business purposes by design but since their days of glory having long ago expired, the owners have either let the buildings lay abandoned or they are used for other purposes.

Interestingly, many of these structures stand with their original signs intact, although somewhat off kilter and faded. As one might imagine, over the years weather has beaten these buildings often.

The buildings are positioned in such a way to accommodate what was likely used as the main street during that time.

As I stand amongst history, whether it be an abandoned town, the Smithsonian museum or a battlefield…my mind escapes to what life must have been like then. These are the moments I enter a state of calm.

When touring a museum where a war took place, looking at the type of currency they used, the types of guns they used the food the people ate, it is amazing how much more difficult life was then.

I walk the trail through the woods leading to the battlefield. Reading the names on the plaque that is displayed there and running my fingers across what are now only words but represent those who gave their lives here.

Then, looking up across the field…

Electronic Medical Records? Not if I have anything to do about it...

I was born in 1979. I can recall when the VCR first came out and when the microwave oven was introduced to society; two inventions impacting the family and making life more convenient for generations to come. I remember getting an electronic type writer for one of my birthdays and this was the most exciting thing ever! Prior to receiving the typewriter, I wrote all of my stories by pen and paper. Oh, and lets not forget when Nintendo was developed.




Society has only continued to progress in the electronic/technology industry over the years, adapting to popular culture. In my opinion, progress for the greater good in general is always in the best interest of society.



On the other hand, considering the “Health Information Technology” (HIT) aspect of the health care reform involving our personal medical records, I am opposed to implementing more technology. Claims for more effective transcription and documentation of information, safer record retrieval, scheduling, coordination of care, improved communication, reduced medical errors due to adverse events in prescriptions and medication instructions and reduced admin costs through electronic claims adjudication only translates to one thing to me: my personal medical information is going to be all over the internet and this violates my rights according to the U.S. Constitution.



Yes, technology has its benefits…but I won’t be brain washed into believing it’s better than human beings.

The Ten Commandments vs. Rule of Law

The Ten Commandments are the best Rule of Law to go by. Having said that, society as a whole has accomplished manipulation of the system in such a way that determining the Rule of Law is not a straight forward process.




When we speak of the “law” we are really talking about the combination of a sum total of the constitutions, statutes, ordinances, executive orders, treaties, regulations, and judicial decisions. The sum total of all these elements as they coexist at any point in time is therefore, extremely complex, somewhat uncertain, always dynamic, and sometimes self-contradictory. All of these matters are occurring all over the nation in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously and sometimes one judge may rule in favor of the plaintiff on a matter when another judge rules in favor of the defendant on a very similar matter by comparison.



Laws are re-visited and modified on a consistent basis due to new circumstances that arise in accordance with events never before seen.



In the first year of law school studies are based primarily on case law and debate. Case law is an effective way to research history and develop judgment for what the “Rule of Law” is. Researching “Authority” is part of developing a case brief before any trial and part of representing a client in general to gain an understanding for the case. There are several different types of Authority an attorney must research including, actual, apparent, constructive, express, general, implied, incidental, inherent, naked, special, supervisory, constituted, adverse, imperative, persuasive, primary and secondary. I won’t go into details about each, but each different type is relative to specific evidence/facts. This is why attorneys choose specialty area’s of business to work in, because it is hard work just doing the research portion on each matter. Additionally, this is an excellent way to AVOID basing justice on society’s belief system because we look at the facts set forth by decisions previously made establishing “case” law. The research of all points of Authority does not stop until all facts are pointing to the same core Rule of Law because along the way, one will find many facts contradicting their case.



Here is a case study in point to provide an example for what I mean:



Dennis is a 10-year-old boy who is always getting into trouble. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Dennis; they’ve actually nicknamed him “The Menace.” Mr. Wilson lives right next door to Dennis and has posted a large “No Trespassing” sign in his front yard to keep Dennis out. He also yells at Dennis to “Stay out!” whenever he sees Dennis walk by his house. All of the other neighbors have fences to keep Dennis out of their yards, but Mr. Wilson never put one up. Mr. Wilson decided to build a pool in his backyard. The pool builders, Pools R Us, came and dug a 20 foot long, 8 foot deep hole for the pool. After the workers went home, Dennis decided to investigate the new project. He walks over but then trips over a shovel one of the workers mistakenly left in the yard and falls into the hole. Mr. Wilson hears Dennis yell for help and puts a ladder in the hole so he can climb out. Dennis has a couple of bruises and minor cuts, but otherwise seems to be unharmed.



So, let’s look at this from a Ten Commandment perspective. Who is liable for damages? Is there anyone liable?



ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' – This doesn’t apply here.



TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' – This doesn’t apply here.



THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.' – This doesn’t apply here.



FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' – This doesn’t apply here.



FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.' – Mr. Wilson is not Dennis’ father or mother.



SIX: 'You shall not murder.' – This doesn’t apply here.



SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.' – This doesn’t apply here.



EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.' – Dennis didn’t steal anything.



NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' – Dennis was not witnessing to Mr. Wilson.



TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.' – This is the commandment that does apply. According to this, Dennis should not have trespassed to begin with. Sounds pretty simple, right?



What about the contributing factors though…should Dennis’s parents want to sue Mr. Wilson and Pools R Us for their son’s medical bills and emotional distress caused by the accident? Mr. Wilson didn’t have a fence up like all of the other neighbors do.



First, although Dennis was trespassing on private party, because he is a minor his parents DO have legal standing to sue Mr. Wilson.



Second, the court will need to determine if it was Mr. Wilson’s negligence or the construction company’s negligence that caused the injury. After all, had the shovel not been laying there for Dennis to trip over he may not have fell into that hole, right? According to common law doctrine (Contributory Negligence) providing a plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to the harm suffered by the plaintiff then the plaintiff cannot recover damages against the defendant for that harm."



Third, there are laws that can hold parents responsible for their irresponsible children - who generally have learned to be irresponsible due to irresponsible parenting. Those laws may come into play on these facts, but only if the jurisdiction has such laws. If those laws do come into play the court will need to establish whether or not the parents, child, neighbor, Construction Company, and possibly a neighborhood organization committee were acting in a manner a “reasonable person” would be expected to. I quote “reasonable person” because this is a legal standard for a hypothetical person. A person who exercises the degree of attention, knowledge, intelligence, and judgment that society requires of its members for the protection of their own and of others’ interests. The reasonable person acts sensibly, does things without serious delay, and takes proper but not excessive precautions.



Note, Mr. Wilson is adding a swimming pool and it is common to have a legal requirement to fence in a pool. The reason for such a law is to protect the general public from harm. This same reason - if not similar laws - cause construction sites to be roped, fenced, or otherwise guerdoned off so as to protect the pubic. Here, Mr. Wilson's yard was the construction site.



As you can see, Dennis should have stayed away, as told and in accordance with the Ten Commandments. But Mr. Wilson and Pools R Us may have been under a legal duty to secure the construction area where the pool was being installed. If under such a legal duty, then the breach of that duty would cause Mr. Wilson and/or Pools R Us to be liable for harms resulting from that breach of duty.



In summary, an Attractive Nuisance is property that is inherently dangerous and particularly enticing to children. The pool that Mr. Wilson was having built was attractive to Dennis. Children are very curious. Mr. Wilson should have taken the appropriate measures to prevent accidents. Whether it would have been Dennis or someone else that would have been on his property even with permission. He should have had a fence built around the pool area where he was building the pool.



Dennis parents can in fact sue for Damages. Damages is money awarded by the common law courts for civil wrongs. In both contract and tort law damages are the courts calculation of what it would cost to put the Plaintiff back into the position he/she would have been in but for the wrong. The Damages in this case would be the Medical bills that the family had to incur unrepentantly due to the physical injuries their son incurred.



The Tort involved here would be a civil claim for the wrongful act of Mr. Wilson, which constituted negligence that resulted in the harm of Dennis. Negligence would be the failure to do what a reasonably prudent person would ordinarily have done to prevent foreseeable harm to another under the circumstances.

The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch is of interest to me, particularly the procedure of electing Judges for life terms in some jurisdictions. It is my opinion this sets up the legal system for corruption and injustice. According to the mission statement of the American Bar Association, defending liberty and delivering justice is the national representative of the legal profession. The functions of law in society are to protect the rights of both the weak and the strong…this should be a protection extended to both parties, equally and unbiased therefore, based on facts. It is my experience (from the defense position) regardless of evidence and a good argument the judicial system rules in favor of the plaintiff. All of these lifer’s are liberal but because I represent a corporation that does not donate large sums of monetary donations to their judicial committee like the opposing party does, I believe those contributing factors result in corruption. Additionally, one of the best descriptor’s of law I have ever found is: “When we speak of the “law” we are really talking about the sum total of all these elements as they coexist at any point in time. As such, the law is extremely complex, somewhat uncertain, always dynamic, and sometimes self-contradictory.” The above statement is referring to the combination of a sum total of the constitutions, statutes, ordinances, executive orders, treaties, regulations, and judicial decisions. With regard to where all of this may fall under the umbrella of our Federal court system’s structure it is evident by Article III of the U.S. Constitution specifically, Section 2. Therefore, as you can see…all jurisdictions is a matter of Federal law. The law in and of itself is a circle that can be argued….whether or NOT the receiver is willing to listen to that argument is another question. The important thing about law is case study, good analysis of evidence and the judicial system. With those tools the power one has using the basis of law, changing the law is not necessary UNLESS there is no case study. At which time…off you go to my favorite, Supreme Court. Clearly, the Judiciary Branch of the Justice system is in a very favorable position of authority.

Not Religious just Christian

I marked all of the presents from Santa but after reading some more info about Assembly of God last night I learned that we shouldn't encourage our children to believe in fictitious characters at all, even for fun…

I am going to let it be this year but from now on I am going to make sure they know why presents are REALLY exchanged.

It is difficult to keep any secrets with kids anyway. They are SO smart!!... See More

I am glad I found those brochures at my church. Having a reference guide is great! I already knew I would believe the 16 Doctrines of AG just because the brothers and sisters who go there exhibit traits that are undeniably Christ-like but I still needed to know why they are this way so I can learn how to be more like them!

People have become so wrapped up in WHAT they get for Christmas; the beauty of spending time with loved ones has become just part of the “tradition” versus actually appreciating those who care for them.

I get sick listening to people talk about how they do gift exchanges…the boyfriend gives the girlfriend his credit card so she can buy herself something because she will be so pissed if he gets her the wrong thing.

People just need to be happy they have someone who cares enough for them to be thoughtful and give them a gift, period.... See More

I don’t consider myself “religious” per se. I just KNOW there is too much evidence in my life to deny God exists. After learning the hard way, following my own plan all of these years only to continue to find no satisfaction in my life…I have realized I am nothing but what can be compared to a weak, misguided teenager who just thinks she knows everything.

I discovered how helpless I really am and admitting for the first time in my life that I need someone to take care of me…and that person will NEVER be found here on earth, no matter how much or diligently I search.

Submitting my life to God was like taking a huge BURDEN off of me! Finally, I can relax and enjoy life because I know He has a plan for me and I can rest in the comfort of my faith, hope and His love.

I walked away from the church for a long time because I was looking at the people in the church as an example of who God is. I thought if that is the way so called followers of Christ live, I don’t want to have anything to do with that!

Now I know the TRUTH…we are all imperfect but God loves us anyway! We shouldn’t judge others walk in life and base our opinions on them but rather, have a personal relationship with God.

I still don’t pray much at all…but I am reading my bible some and learning at church, when I go.

It is SO relieving to take the pressure off of myself knowing that God already knows all of my sins. He doesn’t like my sins but He has unconditional love for me and all I have to do is ask for forgiveness. This doesn’t give me permission to live in a sinful way though. Because I truly am saved through Jesus Christ and embodied by the Holy Spirit the evidence of His unconditional love is present in my life…because I WANT to live for Him and receive the magnificent plan He has for me and most importantly for my kids!

One of the reason’s I like my church so much is because they are DIFFERENT! The people there don’t care about what each other are wearing or judge me. Because they know God loves each and everyone of us…and to be Christ-like are to do the best we can to learn how to have unconditional love too.

I don’t question my friends, relatives and co-workers in their own personal belief’s or lack thereof. I just know what works for me and it’s a pretty good thing!

I have studied Taoism, Buddhism and Catholicism. I agree that Taoism and Buddhism have some awesome insight for life and the Catholic Church has provided a wealth of excellent literature regarding practical application in our daily walk of the Faith.

Many of my favorite quotes are by Mohandas K. Gandhi and Dalai Lama. Gandhi practiced Hinduism his whole life and the Dalai Lama practiced Buddhism.... See More

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." Gandhi (Hinduism)

“Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.” Gandhi (Hinduism)

“If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm.” Gandhi (Hinduism)

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.” Dalai Lama (Buddhist)

“I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…” Dalai Lama (Buddhist)

“I am learning to understand rather than immediately judge or to be judged. I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach. I will not allow myself to indulge in the usual manipulating game of role creation. Fortunately for me, my self-knowledge has transcended that and I have come to understand that life is best to be lived and not to be conceptualized. I am happy because I am growing daily and I am honestly not knowing where the limit lies. To be certain, every day there can be a revelation or a new discovery. I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.” Bruce Lee (Taoist)

FOLLOWS IS THE QUOTE that expresses perfectly WHY I AM NOT RELIGIOUS, by Dalai Lama:

“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness ... the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.”

Payment Reform Act

I get so irritated with info like this!! So we understand from the President's statement that some new Act has been passed impacting Medicare...he is "gratified" and blah, blah, blah. But it doesn't explain what this Pay as you Go thing really is all about and doesn't provide any source for further research on the subject. Give me a break!

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 19, 2009
Statement from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on House Passage of the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act
“President Obama commends the House of Representatives for taking action to protect the care and physician choice that Medicare beneficiaries and TRICARE patients have earned. The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act includes key provisions to update the payment system – including eliminating the steep payment cut scheduled for 2010, consistent with the President's FY 2010 budget proposal. The bill also increases payments for evaluation and management services and encourages the formation of accountable care organizations.
President Obama is also gratified that the House included statutory Pay-as-You-Go legislation in this package. Statutory PAYGO is an important, commonsense tool to help re-establish fiscal discipline in Washington, a principle that the President has long supported – particularly with respect to health care reform.
This legislation is an important step forward, and the Administration will continue to work with Congress to achieve comprehensive reforms, ensure choice and high-quality care for beneficiaries, and restore fiscal discipline in our legislative process.”

Article III and Amendment XXII

Article III, The Judicial Branch and Amendment XXII, Presidential Term Limits
The United States Constitution is an agreement which America was founded upon. The U.S.Constitution is a contract among the states which includes general written procedures as a guideline to follow. This agreement is the principle doctrine referenced by the separate entities under the umbrella of justice and order. The U.S. Constitution includes Articles and Amendments to separate and clearly identify the issue addressed within the corresponding title.
Article III of the Constitution pertains to the Judicial Branch of the legal system. Section I indicates powers will be extended for life terms to those whom are given the honor of holding positions by appointment as long as the Judge serves on good behavior. The monetary compensation of said Judges is addressed within this section. Additionally, part one indicates the Supreme Court is the highest authority of any other court. Section two involves traveling individuals whom may be on trial and how jurisdiction could impact the case. This section also explains that criminal matters may all be heard by utilizing a jury during trial. Finally, section three of this Article involves treason which can best be described as “the offense of attempting to overthrow the government of the state to which one owes allegiance, either by making war against the state or by materially supporting its enemies (Garner, B.A).” As previously mentioned, the U.S. Constitution includes Amendments as well. Amendment twenty-two pertains to Presidential term limits and defines guidelines specific to office.
The Judicial branch was originally established to create uniformity among decisions thus impacting justice in the US positively by enforcing a system of reliability. Additionally, due to an increasing rise in hearings, the use of one Supreme Court alone became inadequate. Government granted authority to more inferior courts in jurisdictions across the nation called district courts. This eliminated the travel issues that were surfacing during the time of the Great Depression which also impacted income. Judges monetary compensation was addressed in Article III due to taxes impacting income in some areas of the country which was not fair across the nation considering all Judges were fulfilling the same role and should be compensated justly. One of the aspects relative to an Article III Judge is the election by appointment to office and held for a life term assuming the Judge maintains good behavior. This factor has negative aspects due to the possibility for negligence in performance of responsibilities and biased opinion. Similarly, Amendment twenty-two has advantages for the United States Government by enacting limitations on the Presidential term. Specifically, one individual may not be eligible for the Presidency more than two four year terms. As a benefit for the nation a new President may bring new hope for the people, different experience, and change. However, as a negative impact for the country, just when the President has some experience and education, now the individual is no longer eligible. Interestingly, “By its terms, the Twenty-Second Amendment bars only the election of two-term Presidents, and this prohibition would not prevent someone who had twice been elected President from succeeding to the office after having been elected or appointed Vice-President (Amendment 22—presidential tenure, 2002).”
It is evident the Judicial Branch of the Government, Article III of the US Constitution serves an important task in maintaining the legal system. Clearly, Amendment XXII is a corresponding agreement allocating a similar purpose. Given there is not perfection in any form whether it be with in the legal system, public school system, health care system or other wise, the procedures that have been established for this society are functioning appropriately. It is reasonable to anticipate improvement and challenge policy anytime. In fact, awareness needs improvement among society otherwise the Presidency would not be so heavily relied on. The people just find it easier to blame someone else than to take a stand and action themselves.

The Constitution of the United States of America

Welcome to my Blog

Hey there! Thanks for checking out my Blog...

Many times I find that websites do not offer the function to share information via the facebook application and I have come across so much stuff that I would like to share!!

So anyway...had to start a Blog.

Chris