Thursday, February 22, 2018

Things That Make You Go Boom

It's another sunny, albeit windy as always, day at Edwards AFB.  I'm inclined to write today because we have breaking news on base. Sonic Booms occur on Edwards AFB. I repeat - Sonic Booms occur on Edwards AFB.

Nobody cares that the Sonic Boom scared your dog or woke your baby or made you shit your pants. Because what you are hearing is the sound of the most elite modern aircraft preparing themselves for the day that they might actually have to fly into combat and protect this country. 

Here's the deal people.  We live on an Air Fore Base.  The Air Force is pretty synonymous with aircraft that can flight fast enough to break the sound barrier.  Believe it or not, the Navy does too. Gone are the days of dog fighting with the P-40.  When Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947, the first Sonic Boom was heard over Edwards AFB and the US military hasn't looked back since. Nor should they.   Billions of tax dollars go into developing the most sophisticated, elite fighting force the world has seen, with air craft that can fly higher and faster then our enemies who would do us harm.  Strike First, Strike Hard and get our Men and Women home safely.

Imagine the bitching if this had happened today

Welcome to the military, Sweetcheeks! Nobody on this base is concerned with your comforts, except maybe your fellow wives who are just as special as you are.  Nobody cares if you want a quiet environment for your baby to sleep in or that your dog gets the dry heaves and shakes like a crack addicted hula dancer's hips when he hears loud noises.  I would dare you to knock on the Brig. General's door to tell him that the loud planes overhead disturbed the peaceful refuge you tried to achieve and you would like to request quiet hours while your precious lil' cherub tries to nap. Be sure to come back to Facebook and let us all know how that goes.

I'm sure after he finishes clutching his sides from the stitch he gets from laughing at you, that he will then tell you that this base is a test facility, long before you ever got here. He will probably tell you that the base is about conducting and supporting research and development of flight and that infant sleep study does not fall into the realm of that research.

Those booms that you hear are the United States Military (and NASA too) doing all that they can to make tomorrow a safer place for all, even your screaming baby. 



Thursday, January 25, 2018

Clueless at Edwards

I've been sitting while buying my time. What to write about for that first Edwards targeted post?  I knew it would have to be good.  Writing about your dogs just wouldn't cut it. Then, I hit Facebook Gold with this little gem courteous of the Edwards Friends page.


Now, this little lady eventually claims to have been a military wife for 17 years. I want to know where the hell this chick's been stationed. Has she spent her entire 17 years as a spouse at Aviano? Because as much as I hate this base, I have to say that the houses here are much better than most of the other bases I have been at.  Hell, my first time around here at Edwards, before the "new" houses were built, the houses were almost as old as the damn base itself and it wouldn't have been a huge stretch of the imagination to believe Chuck Yeager or Neil Armstrong possibly screwed their wives in the same room that I was getting busy in.  You think these houses are dilapidated? Shit!  In the words of our current CinC, I've seen some real shitholes. As much as Edwards AFB itself would qualify as a shithole, the housing is far superior to other bases.  The Commissary is dilapidated.  Housing is not.  If you didn't like the housing, why bother living on the base in what you make sounds like a 3rd world mud hut. 

But that's neither here nor there, because the point of the post was not to bitch about the house itself
but to complain about ants, mice and a spider.   1 spider and this bitch is flipping her shit.  And she asks, how is she suppose to keep her kids from getting bit by said spider and ants in this desert.

NEWS FLASH: THE SAME WAY YOU KEEP THEM FROM BITING YOUR KIDS IN OTHER DAMN PLACES.

Where have you been living for the last 17 years that your kids have never been exposed to ants or spiders or that does not have mice that occasionally take up residence?  Shit, ever been in housing in the South? We're talking cockroaches that walk into your kitchen and pour themselves a cup of coffee and you're going to bitch about 1 spider? 

As dilapidated as the Commissary is, they sell this stuff made by a company called Raid. You may have heard of them. They create a line of sprays and baits to help keep the creepy crawlies at bay.  It works pretty well.  If your broke or don't feel you should have to spend your own money, you can pick up an equally effective spray from the housing office.  It's really a simple solution to a really basic problem.


But here's another news flash for you:  this base was established a LONG time before you got here and people here have dealt with ants and black widows ever since.  You are not the first. What the fuck are you going to do the first time you find a sun spider chasing your ass?  Don't tell me - you'll book a plane to wherever the fuck it is you came from that didn't have such dangerous creatures?  Can we say serious First World problem?

 I don't care where you get stationed.  With the exception of Antarctica, any place you get stationed will have ants, spiders and rodents.  These are not critters that are restricted only to this base.  Spray the ants, kill or relocate the spiders and get a damn cat for the mice.  But by all fucking means, stop acting like you are the only person in the world in the history of Edwards AFB that has been put out by these things.  Because some of us have dealt with them for a few years.  And a few of us (ME!) are dealing with them once again!  

Saturday, December 23, 2017

I'm Back Bitches!

Merry F'ing Christmas from the High Desert.  String those lights up on the Joshua Trees and sing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" because that's as close to a Winter Wonderland as your going to get.

Yes, it's true. I'm here. I have arrived.

Actually, I've been here for a few months now. And wouldn't you know it, the damn Starbucks was closed when I got here. However, true to form, Burger King still fucked up my order.  Some things change, some things don't.  Experiencing the joys of the TLF and the new privatized housing BS that is now Edward was a pleasure.  But eventually we got into a house, became Janga experts at fitting all our furniture back into what is still the most ass-backward floor plan known to man for a house, and got settled in.  Only now, most of the floor surface is "hardwood" which only means I now have to mop 5 times more than I did because the dust that accumulates on a daily basis will have this shiny new flood looking like a  necropolis a few millennium years old very quickly.

This base had very little to begin with when I left.  Coming back, I could not believe that it was possible to have even less then what was available when I left.   First, there are less buildings and much more open space.  It really helps to complete that desolated feeling of hopelessness while driving around. At least when I was here originally, there was the old Family Readiness building to break up the nothingness while driving down Bailey. Now, just the vast expanse of desert stretches out before you.

There are a few new additions that seem nice.  The new gas station, which without a doubt is a huge improvement over the old one that was over by the car wash and with an adequate number of pumps.  The new Community center is a nice addition as well but seems like a missed opportunity since there are no "community" activities held there.

But hey, this is Edwards.  Who needs community activities when you have the various Facebook groups.  The names may have changed since I left but the general idea stays the same.  Granted, the base population is pretty much the same no matter where you go. However, here at Edwards, you have to leave your brain at the gate, although I did question if I had to declare it at the border crossing to come into California as well.  I've said before, this place makes you crazy. Save your money people - don't bother heading to Vegas or Los Angeles -  anyone looking for entertainment need not look any further than the Facebook pages created for this base.  I've often wondered how the hell it is that Edwards doesn't make it on shame groups like Oversensitive Military Wives or Dear Dependapotamus but then I realize that all of ya are so damn crazy that it seems normal to ya.

We might not be on OSMW but sweeties, we have something a bit better and that is exclusive to Edwards AFB.  Let me fill in for those who weren't here when I was here last time. Everything posted on the groups is fair game and everything done on base is fair game. I will not ever write about the actual military or base activities but you, dear fellow spouses, are fair game.  I won't post your names nor will I post pictures of you like People of Walmart  (although "Bitches of Edwards" does have a nice ring to it, don't you think?) but your actions, your kid's actions, hell, even your dog's actions are fair game.  Why? Because if I'm stuck here in this God-forsaken desert with no entertainment then you can bet your ass I'll make my own entertainment and riping the stupidity that propagates on this base is a great form of entertainment.

Jane Doe is back and this time she's pissed.  So if I have to be here, let's have a bit of fun.  I'll be watching. And Morgan Freeman will be watching too.

Friday, May 5, 2017

FML

Three years ago, I thought that I hung up my Edwards days for good.  I pulled out onto the 58 heading east, with every intention of leaving Edwards AFB as a forgettable episode in life, never to be relived again.  I stopped at the "Welcome to Edwards" sign, collected the brain that I had left 4 years earlier and left the high winds, sand and isolation in the rear view mirror, never to be seen again.

Oh how the winds of fate are cruel.  We're heading back to California my husband tells me.  Imagine my eye roll.  My first thought was whether we were heading to Travis or Vandenberg.  Edwards didn't even cross my mind.  Nobody in the Air Force could be THAT cruel, right? Fuck me!

I've spent the last few years enjoying not being beadblasted everytime I walk outside the door. Granted, I have to brush 10 foot of snow off my car each and every day from mid autumn til late spring but I've had the enjoyment of at least three years that consisted of 4 seasons, green grass, real trees and summer temperatures that do not melt cosmetics off your face.  I've enjoyed having my hair look pretty close to the way I fixed it before leaving for work instead of looking like I've been doing a live remote for the Weather Channel during a southern hurricane. I've enjoyed not having to deal with the hazards of possible amputation of one of my limbs when exiting a vehicle.  Things to look forward to once again.

To my shock and amazement, years later I still remember my password to this blog, to my Facebook account and to the email associated with the writing of this blog.  Everything is exactly as I left it  years ago when I thought I was finally free of the black hole that is Edwards AFB.  It seems that destiny is that Jane Doe will once again return to the High Desert before the years end, ready to wreck havoc on all the new unsuspecting ladies who haven't the foggiest clue of the Legend.  I wonder how many who do remember this blog will still be around, ready to send me snippets and screenshots of the craziness that is.

I've been to enough bases and been around the military long enough to know that there are crazies at every base.  Our current base is no exception.  But it does seem that the craziness that is grown over at Edwards AFB is of a totally different caliper, at least it was before I left.  Has the craziness continued? Has it waned off or has it gotten worse? 

I can tell you this, I am not looking forward to the mandatory craniotomy that occurs before being allowed to permanently reside on base.  I went stir crazy for nearly four years, plastering a smile on my face for Bunco, military functions and volunteer gatherings, saying hello to people who felt just as trapped as I felt.  I drank my weight in wine and other adult beverages just to dull the everyday monotony that living at Edwards means. One would think I've put in my time.  All I can say is this fucking sucks.

I've gotten use to civility once again and I want to grab at it, kicking and screaming like a 3 year old who doesn't want to leave McDonald's Play Place. 

Once again, I'll plaster that same smile on my face, load up the car and hate every mile that brings me one step closer to the hell that is Edwards.  Ooooh, how I will hate it!!!    I will hate seeing the moving truck pulling up in front of the house, loading all my household goods  to head right back to where we came from- at least I already know how I will arrange everything before I get there since I already know the shitty floorplan of the houses. I'm seriously regretting buying the California King as it's going to be entertaining to see what Tetris mastery it will take to fit my bedroom suit into that worthless master bedroom layout. 

So, I guess this means I'm back. Well, at least I will be very soon.  You might even bump into me one day at the commissary.  I'll be the one with the massive chip on my shoulder, the empty look in my eyes and reeking of the fumes of some adult beverage.





Saturday, December 7, 2013

Your Dog Gets Around - And Around - And Around.

One of the great things about running an anonymous blog is that not only am I able to speak my mind freely without worrying that some crazy bitch I pissed off might come key my car but it also allows for people who read my blog to contribute anonymously knowing I won't put them at risk of said crazy bitch as well. Such was the case for this weeks topic – I was emailed a text document (btw – thank you for not sending screen shots when a thread is that long) of a recent thread on one of the Edwards facebook pages that really seems to upset a lot of people.

If there's anything in abundance at Edwards, it's drama. You would think a facebook page labeled “Edwards AFB Friends” might have slightly less drama then other pages but that isn't the case.



Here's the back story. It seems that there is a larger white dog of some sort of bully breed that has a habit of jumping over fences in Mesquite Meadows. It also seems as if this is a normal occurrence in the area as it happens several times a week. Now, this isn't the first dog that has repeatedly escaped its confines. I tend to recall a husky in Joshua Acres who was a habitual offender for quite a while as well. Shit, you can't really blame the dogs. If I had a chance to escape and get the fuck away from this base, I'd take my chances as well. Unfortunately, it seems as if this large white dog doesn't have much sense – rather than high tailing it out of here, he instead chooses to jump over his neighbors fences to see if the grass is indeed greener on the other side.

The dog seems to have caused a few problems while visiting his neighbors, at one point resulting in a toddler being knocked to the ground and injured by a family pet who charged the curious pooch. Other dogs are creating quite a ruckus and are driving their owners bat shit crazy.

During the 100 plus postings this dog's behavior resulted in, the owner of said mutt made an appearance. Basically, he told everyone that was upset to pretty much Go fuck themselves and shut the fuck up about things they didn't know about.

That's basically the back story for those who weren't privileged enough to have witnessed the debacle as it occurred.

Now, opinions are like assholes – we all have one and just about every last one of them stinks like shit. But, if you're reading this blog, that means you have some curiosity as to what my opinion on the subject is – even if it's for nothing more than a few shits and giggles. Do I always believe my opinion is correct? Well, fuck yeah, if I didn't, it wouldn't be my opinion, right? Kinda fucked up if you have an opinion about something and don't agree with it. Do I believe everyone is suppose to agree with me opinions? Fuck no! But then again, I honestly don't give a shit what anyone thinks so hey, it works out well. If you don't like what I have to say I have an easy solution – don't bother coming to my page. Pretty simple solution, right?



Which leads to where I'm going with this blog. My opinion since I figure someone wants to know it as they sent me the thread to read.

First off - to the owner of the dog – you are a Class A douche bag. You are responsible for a dog that has repeatedly entered other peoples secured property and your answer is to basically tell them to go fuck themselves? From what I can tell so far, none of your neighbors have yet to call Security Forces on you or your dog – however – I would be willing to bet with that callous attitude, rather than posting a photo of your mutt saying its out, they'll probably just go ahead and call. If I were your neighbors, next time your dog entered my property, I'd promptly take a photo for proof and turn your ass in. You are an irresponsible dog owner with a huge problem on your hands - one would think that instead of inciting a riot you might have enough sense to figure out you should play nice, apologize for the inconvenience your dog has causes and try to make amends rather than make enemies. But no, you want to be a fucking jackass, puff out your chest and waggle your dick like showing your a bad ass will make others run and hide and ignore the fact your dog just tried to hump their precious little bichon frise.

Yeah, I've used this before - but it's Morgan Freeman Dammit.


Since we know you're a dick head, we will address the issue with your dog.

Your neighbors don't want your dog in their yard. Your dog does not belong in their yard. People don't want to go out to their yard and allow their children to play, only to step in a steaming pile of dog shit that your dog decided to leave behind, nor do they want to clean up that pile of shit – especially if they do not own a dog of their own that they have to clean up after. They don't like knowing that the safety they feel in their bricked in yard is violated by the fact an aggressive looking dog that wasn't there moments before has suddenly jumped the fence. Those that own dogs do not like the fact that their pet is barking like crazy because a strange dog has just entered their space. It's bad enough that people have to worry about coyotes and bobcats jumping the fence, now we have to deal with your fucking dog doing the same?



You are very lucky your dog has not attacked a child or someone's pet. The woman who's child got hurt when her dog rushed your dog – you're lucky she didn't call SF's then and there. You're also lucky your dog has not come back in bloody ribbons after entering a yard with a dog who made it known your dog isn't wanted.

Wake up asshole. If your dog leaves the confines of your yard, do something about it. Put the damn dog on a leash before you take it out to piss for starters. If you or your spouse can't control the dog when on a leash and it gets away, then maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't own the dog in the first damn place, it's obviously too much dog for you. Maybe consider an “invisible fence” or spend the money to extend the top of your fence to higher than your dog can jump. Hell, go to the damn Dog Owners facebook page and hire one of the trainers who frequently post there. But for all fucks sake, DO SOMETHING. Stop making fucking excuses for your dog because when it comes down to it, it's your responsibility to contain your dog, not your dogs responsibility to have enough fucking sense to not go into other peoples yards. By allowing the behavior to continue, you do nothing but reinforce the behavior in the first damn place. Nine times out of ten, when it comes to unwanted dog behavior, the owner is at fault. Here's a website to help get you started on the right direction, as I'm sure you're too fucking lazy to research the topic yourself.   Reasons and Solutions for Fence Jumping

Someone pointed out the fact that approaching strange dogs is dangerous, after several people said they approached the dog and found it to be friendly. Well, at least someone has some fucking sense in this place. Dogs are dangerous – they can be unpredictable. You bitches are fucking stupid just approaching strange dogs you've never interacted with before. You see a strange dog that you do not know, approach it, pick it up and bring it to your home, with your fucking kids and allow it to stay there while you try to find it's owner on facebook? What in fucks sake are you thinking? Okay, so maybe your just so kind hearted that you don't want to see the dog get hurt. You're fucking lucky these dogs haven't hurt you or your family. Then, if the dog doesn't approach you, you chase after it in hopes to catch it? If its not coming to you, its probably fucking scared and here you are trying to grab it. If you do get bit, you fucking deserve it for being stupid as fuck. I've also taken the time to find a website with dog bite statistics – since many of you are too lazy to google the number for Starbucks, I'm sure you most likely wouldn't take the time to educate yourselves. 
Statistics on Dog Bites

So there you have it.. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

Oh – one other thing. To the asshat in Joshua Acres who's letting your fucking dog bark all fucking night, for all fucks sake, bring your damn dog inside. For one, its fucking cold as fuck outside and your dog is trying to tell you that you are an asshole for leaving it outside. And for two – here's a news flash – people are trying to fucking sleep. We're trying to get our kids to sleep. Kinda hard for people to sleep when your damn dog won't shut the fuck up.



Until next time..

Monday, November 25, 2013

Tell Me No Lies and Keep Your Shit To Yourself


It has definitely been a while since I have written anything here. That's not to say I haven't been lurking all the boards to see whats going on, banking things away for future reference. The problem is always finding what exactly to write about in the first place – you can only write about the same craziness so many times.

But there always seems to be one thing that pops up over and over that I haven't written about yet so we just might have to tackle that topic.

Simply put – people putting their noses where they don't belong.

If Morgan Freeman says it - it must be true.

Maybe it's all bases – maybe it's just here but it sure seems like people don't seem to know the concept of minding their own business. It never fails, someone always feels they have to put their 2 cents in on a topic, telling everyone else how superior they are, how they never have to deal with an issue someone else might be dealing with solely because they know how to do it better and their way is the only way. These people can pipe in for just about every topic available – your kids, your dog, your marriage, even how you donate to charity.

You know the type – its almost impossible to avoid them. Maybe you're having an issue with your kid ripping off their diaper at night so you decided to gasp duct tape the diaper tabs so they can't take it off at night. Well, she's going to pipe in and tell you that its child abuse and how her perfect angel learned at an early age not to take off their diaper so you must be doing something wrong. You didn't breastfeed your kid? Be prepared for the whole “Breast is best” rant telling you how your a terrible mother who obviously shouldn't procreate because you are too selfish to do what's best for your child. They are the ones who break into the evils of fast foods if you admit you let your kids eat a McDonald's happy meal, throwing statistics of childhood obesity or about tooth decay when you slip and say that you allow your child to drink a can of coke.

It's the type who tells you their dog is a well behaved member of their family, who would never do any common doggy behaviors like running out of the yard and if yours does, you shouldn't own pets. They are they ones who berate you for feeding your pet whatever food is on discount at the commissary – if you really loved your pet, you would be cooking a 4 course meal of grass fed beef or organic chickens every day – if you can only afford a 30lb bag of Purina kibbles for 15 bucks, then you shouldn't own a dog. God help you if your pet somehow gets pregnant and don't even think of trying to find homes for those animals without being prepared for a speech about why you didn't do the responsible thing and have your pet fixed in the first place. (I've covered these types of posts regarding pets in a previous post - if you missed it here ya go: Like Bob Barker Says: Please Remember to Have Your Pets Spayed or Neutered - Or Else)


They are always the superwoman. They are the first to tell you to pull up your big girl panties during a deployment and suck it up. Sure, you miss your husband and your kids are driving you nuts, the alternator went out on your car and the washer machine just flooded your house. Tough shit buttercup. Because she had it so much harder than you and she made it though perfectly fine - the house was always spotless, the children were always fed only wholesome organic foods (and they always ate their beets and chickpeas) at exactly 6pm, the dishes were washed by 6:45 and she of course used all her spare time while her husband was away working to find a cure for cancer. She always had excessive amounts of money in the savings account and is quick to tell you how your bad budgeting is the reason you don't. If your husband cheats on you, she's the first to point out it's your fault for not working out 5 hours a day, every day like she does.

You can find these women in many places – coming up to you at walmart to bitch at you for not having socks on your baby when its 100 degrees outside or approaching you at the commissary as you start to grab a box of caprisun. Visit any “military spouse” facebook group and you'll see herds of these women, usually arguing back and forth with each other because none of them can agree with each other on any topic.

To be honest, if you are one of these people, the simple fact is nobody wants or needs your advice. It's not helpful, its not wanted and all it really does is piss people off. The truth is, you come off as a major cunt with a superiority complex. You're the ones who's dog need Prozac because they're neurotic from you treating them like a child instead of a dog. You're the one who eventually ends up in the headlines because your kids rebel against your strict upbringing, turning to drugs and sometimes violence in order to escape the hell you've put them through. And lets be honest here – many times your kids aren't the angels you tell everyone they are. More times than not, they are the ones who bully their peers, much the same as you bully other women because they learn the behavior from you.

I saw another form of this type of behavior today while viewing the Edwards AFB Yard Sale site. Now, if you're not a member of this facebook group, take my advice – JOIN!! You would think a group set up to sell your unwanted shit would be pretty cut and dry – but this group has more drama than any prime time tv show today. Today's drama actually occurred over the course of two different pages. While I am a member of the yard sale group, a person who follows another Edwards page brought a second post to my attention. Here's how it played out.

The yard sale group had a post regarding a charity event involving dropping toys in a box for collection. Now, I'm not going to insult the program, its a very good program and I wish people would support it – there are many needy families who even a small 5 dollar toy would help make their children's holidays that much brighter. However, the particular poster seems to suffer from a severe case of cranialrectal impactment of some sorts (for those who don't know what that means – it's basically having your head up your ass). The original post was asking for donations, explaining where the boxes for donations were located, ect ect. However, the second posting on a second group was a picture (posted below) with a statement saying she would like to do such to the people at Starbucks, the BX and the people on the yard sale site for NOT supporting her toy drive as she seems to feel is appropriate. 









Lady, here's a bit of a news flash. By your own admission, the number of toys needing to be donated is 10,000 toys. Assuming this is 1 toy for every needy child, that's 10,000 children who's parents are financially suffering this holiday season and asking for help. These numbers are only the numbers of parents willing to ask for help – it does not include parents who either did not know how to sign up for the program or who might be too embarrassed to ask for help. I think a fair assumption would be for those 10,000 who did ask for help, there are probably another 20,000 who did not just in our area alone. And this area is not that populated, so that's probably a large percentage of people in the area. Add to the fact a large majority of contract laborers who work for the government in one way or another who have recently been furloughed not once but twice as well as laid off from jobs who were hit hard financially this year. Many of the people you are complaining aren't donating toys are the very same people who should be receiving toys. They are already stressed out wondering how to afford Christmas for their own children, depressed because yet another holiday is upon them and their finances are even worse then they were the year before. They're the ones who are tired of hearing how they should have started saving money back at the first of the year in order to save for the holidays when they can barely rub two pennies together to begin with. They are the ones living paycheck to paycheck, who already dropped many luxuries like cell phones and cable in order to put the next meal on the table. They are the ones who's children's names are on the Angel tree at the BX in hopes that someone's kindness will help them provide even one wrapped present under a tree this year.

But to sit there and insult and bitch about the very people who you are trying to get to support your program? That in my opinion is the very epitome of arrogance and superiority. How does one think that will in any way help in getting people to donate? After reading the original post, I was considering buying several toys to donate – after reading the second post, the idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I think instead, I will purchase a few of the requested items on the angel tree as well as buy a few AAFES cards (or Commissary gift cards) to donate to the chapel on base. At least I know those donations would be highly appreciated. Seeing the way you insulted the people on this base when all they were asking was for you to tell them where to donate – I could see you collecting the toys and then bitching on your page in regards to those donations being cheap crap. Happy Holidays indeed.

There's an old adage that says you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I think this saying is very true – if you want to change someone's mind regarding something, it's always better to be polite and respectful to others then to sit there and insult then, belittle them and treat them as if they are inferior to you. This goes for all aspects in life.

There's also another adage – if you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut. Again, true.

But, in addition to all this, maybe if people would butt out of everyone's business and worry more about themselves, shit would be so much better for everyone.



Not everyone who's friends with a man who's not their husband is sleeping around. Not everyone who doesn't parent the way you do is unfit. Everyone who does not cook 3 square meals a day for their dog or cat isn't a bad pet owner. And everyone who can't afford to spend an extra 10 bucks on a toy for a donation box doesn't deserves to be punched. Keep your unwanted advice to yourself and the world would be such a better place.

Because its worth repeating - and its Morgan Freeman.
Until next time.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Stupidity that Is - Government Shutdown and Muroc School District

It's been a while since I wrote but I've still been lurking and watching. I figure its fine time for me to write a new blog and the perfect topic is what is on everyone's mind right now: Government Shutdown. Once that train reaches its stop, I think I'll also address the very poor communication the Muroc Independent School District has displayed lately as I am sure all parents on this base have that also in the front of their mind.

When it comes to the topic of the Government, I'm always cautious as to what I say. We all have our opinions, however, sometimes our opinion can get our military member in trouble with their command – nobody wants to be that loud mouth spouse who brings unwanted negative attention to their spouse. Part of me wanted to tread carefully – but you know what? I'm a voter!! I pay taxes!! I didn't give that right up when I signed on to be a military wife. Nobody attached to the US Armed Forces has instructed me as to how to vote and as a voter I have every right to speak my mind regarding the current events unfolding in this country. Regardless to how I vote or where my opinions lie, those opinions do not reflect towards the US Military nor the Command here at Edwards AFB and so anything I say should be safe when it comes to my husbands career. At least, that is my hope.


Let's get the bullshit out before I start. It should come to no surprise that I did not vote for the current President. Now, with that said, I don't put a whole lot of weight in the whole argument of whether or not he's a natural born US citizen or if he's holding office fraudulently. I've been eligible to vote in a number of elections since turning 18 years old and when it comes to picking my horse, I try to vote with some iota of intelligence. Obama never struck my fancy – but to be perfectly honest, there hasn't been a candidate who has fired me up in a while. If asked where I lean politically, I would consider myself a Conservative Republican but truth be told, I don't vote any particular party. I vote whom I believe is the best candidate. If a Democratic or Independent candidate where to emerge that I felt was the best option for this country, I would vote for that candidate over a Republican whom I feel is inadequate for the job. I also do not vote based on skin color. The fact that Barack Obama is of African American descent holds no bearings one way or another for me. He's black – big fucking deal. So are a large majority of the citizens of this country. No, my problem with Obama is not where he might possibly have been born or the color of his skin – my problem is that this man can't run a country for shit.

The last few weeks, military families along with DOD workers have been scrambling to figure out if they are going to get paid or not and how they will make it through this shutdown if they do not get paid. All the while, Congress and the President still continue to collect their pay. People all over this country live paycheck to paycheck on very little wages in order to support their families while those in office who honestly don't need the money continue to receive their pay for not doing their job. This should not be a Republican vs Democrat war – we elect these people to work together and get the job done. That's what they are paid the big bucks for, right? Well, any other job, if you don't do the work, you don't get paid. These asshats should not be getting paid to sit high on the hog and bitch back and forth, playing the blame game while the John Q Public suffers.

Today two news stories were released to the media. The first is very upsetting. During this shutdown (or slimdown as the Government wants to call it – as if changing the name to something lesser changes the facts) the Government is not paying death benefits for fallen soldiers killed overseas. Normally, when a soldier is killed, within 3 days the family is given $100K to help with burial expenses and to fly out to Dover AFB to collect their loved ones remains. This weekend, 4 soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, however the Pentagon has been given instructions that they are not authorized to pay due to the shutdown. However, a second story (which has not been given nearly as much media attention – surprise surprise) reports that the Obama Administration and the State Department approved (again, during shutdown) a 5 million dollar contract to a Vermont company to create more than 12,000 high-end custom crystals and barware for US embassies. Now, in what alternative fucking universe does that make any fucking sense? We can't afford $400K to bury our fallen men and women of the military but fuck if the fat cats are going to go without drinking from fine crystal. It's called PRIORITIES! Here's a news flash for the State Department – drink out of fucking red Solo cups. Rednecks have been doing it for years and they survive just fine.

Face it – the Government does not give a shit about you! But their not about to be put off by this shutdown – nope, they are going to continue to hit the taxpayers where it hurts yet continue to spend money on what they want.

Want another example? Want to visit a National park? Not going to happen. You can't even visit the website without a nice little message saying the site is shut down. Same thing with the USDA site, the Office of Justice Programs, NASA and the National Zoo. For a short period of time, the National Amber Alert website was also shut down but has now been reinstated after many people bitched.   Now I didn't study web design in school but it doesn't take a rocket scientist (which I didn't study either) to figure out that it costs just as much money to host a website to tell you the site is currently shut down as it does to keep the previous website on a server. Yet the “Let's Move” and “Drink up: Cheers to Water” websites, both the babies of First Lady Michelle Obama are alive and well. However, the White House did announce that the shutdown was going to result in Michelle Obama not being able to tweet? Now, last I knew, twitter was not Government owned, the website and app is absolutely free and it costs nothing to publish a tweet. But, the White House would have you believe that due to not having funds resulting in a Government shutdown, the First Lady will be suffering by not typing her precious 140 characters that nobody even gives a flying fuck about in the first damn place.




Unfortunately, the idiotic mentality doesn't just stem from the White House or Congress. No, one can find homegrown stupidity right here at Edwards AFB by browsing the various facebook groups. Plain and simple, some of you are some seriously selfish bitches. Up until a day ago, over 800K DOD workers were on furlough without pay and what was on everyone's mind? Soccer and the gym. I saw one facebook post from one lady bitching that the gym wasn't open and how pissed she was – the bitch hasn't stepped one damn foot in the gym since she moved here over a year ago. Here's an eye opener for you – people stayed in shape long before gyms were in existence. Bring your ass outside and walk – it's free. Kids won't get to pay soccer? Boo fucking hoo people. Your kids are disappointed, I understand that but there are so many more serious matters to be upset about – starting with why this damn shutdown occurred in the first damn place. Rather than sitting on facebook and whining about it why don't you sit down with your kids and explain it to them – explain to them that thousands of people might not get to eat next week or families might be homeless if they can't pay their rent. Instead of teaching your kids to be selfish brats, explain that while they might be disappointed, life does go on without a few games of soccer and things could be a lot worse. If telling them people might not eat or have a home doesn't phase them, try telling them those families with kids will have to cancel their smart phone plans if they can't pay their bills, I bet they fucking understand that.

Do I have the answers for this government shutdown? No but I wish I did. I can tell you that having the House and the Senate bitching back and forth isn't accomplishing anything. I can tell you that having a President who refuses to compromise on his Health Care Act when this country is in financial crisis doesn't help either. Nor does it help that this same President does nothing but cast blame on everyone but himself – its Bush's fault, its the Republican's fault, ect. But I can tell you that this hogwash about there being no money to pay death benefits or to keep parks and monuments open is absolute hogwash. It's nothing more than a tactic to make the American people suffer in hopes that they contact their Representatives and Congressmen and tell them to give in.

Anyway - on to other things.

Another topic that has a lot of people talking lately is the school on base. Seems that a lot of us received a recorded phone call in regards to a threat at the school. Now, what that threat was, nobody knows. However, parents are upset that they were not notified until nearly a month after the threat was made or that the threat was not reported in a timely manner, resulting in the stepping down of the districts Super Attendant. Truth be told, parents should be upset, both with the entire situation and with the school district itself. Not sure what exactly is going on with Muroc school district but things are not right over there. The district has a revolving door policy when it comes to Principals, the STAR test scores are pitiful and thus results in underfunding of the district, there's a shortage of teachers which resulted in classrooms of various grades being merged together. Now there's this latest situation which sounds as if a teacher (I will not name names because a.) I have no legitimate proof this teacher was involved and b.) our judicial system says innocent until proven guilty) made threatening remarks in regards to other teachers and their families. The rumor is these threats involved speaking of gun violence and I'm a bit inclined to believe it – it's not unusual for there to be disagreements in a workplace and usually a criminal investigation is not initiated just because someone says “I'm going to kick your ass”. In the wake of several shootings across the country in recent, such threats are taken seriously. Unfortunately, it sounds like the school district dropped that ball.

When parents are contacted within hours that a bobcat was spotted in the playground, one would think that a threat of violence by an employee at the school would be taken just as serious and that parents would be contacted. I'm not saying give out all the details and put the teacher out there for a public lynching, however, parents should have at least been told there was a threat made. Parents should have the option of making a decision whether or not they want to take the risk of sending their kids back to school knowing a threat was made or maybe deciding to pull their kids out of the school and placing them somewhere else. At the very least, the school should have told parents a threat was made however actions were taken to ensure safety of both staff and students alike. This did not happen. Why? Because actions were not taken to begin with. The threat was not reported to authorities in a timely manner to begin with. Administration waited days before reporting the threat to the authorities. UNACCEPTABLE! To add insult to injury, administration then waited almost a month to inform parents the threat was made. Again UNACCEPTABLE! Rumor has it that the teacher was even allowed to keep his gate access card after being placed on administrative leave, allowing him to enter the base and have access to the school basically after being fired. (This is rumored and I do not know if it is indeed correct). 



The way I see it, the school failed our children and as a result any sense of security of sending our children to school here on base has been destroyed. The “good faith” we place in the school district has proven to be bullshit – the school isn't going to tell us shit it it might give them a black eye. Why might this be? Well, at the beginning of the year the school sent all parents letters stating that the school failed the STAR test for the second year in a row – a test that determines how much funds the state gives the school. Parents were given the option of transferring their children to another school district who had passing STAR grades, at the expense of Muroc school district. Those parents who opted to do this resulted in less money for the district – less students equals less money. The elementary school then pissed parents off further by combining classrooms (K with 1st, 2nd with 3rd, ect) resulting in some parents opting to pull their children out of the school and homeschooling them – less money for Muroc. Had the school contacted parents back in September and told them there was a threat of violence made you know damn well more parents would have kept their children out of the classroom resulting in even less money. That's right people – our children are nothing more than dollar signs and their safety has a price tag.

Of course, there's those parents who come out of the woodwork and give their glowing commendations of how great the teacher is. Their kids love the teacher, they miss having the teacher every day. Seriously? Can you be any more fucking stupid? You hear this stupid type of shit every time a teacher or coach gets in some sort of trouble. A teacher is accused of molesting a student? Well, he never acted inappropriately with my child so it didn't happen. I hate hearing that type of shit – maybe your kid is too fucking ugly to molest – ever think of that? Just because it didn't happen to your kid doesn't mean it didn't happen to someone else's kid. There are plenty of people out there who thought Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Adolf Hitler were great guys. 




Don't get me wrong – the teacher in question should by all means be given due process and shouldn't be crucified without the benefit of an investigation. However, a threat of any caliber should have been taken seriously. This situation could have been very bad. Instead of sitting on facebook bitching while our kids are playing on their Ipads, we could all be crying our eyes out. Because of the schools lack of action, this teacher could have easily gone home after being removed from their position, grabbed a few handguns and returned the next day pissed as all hell. A few weeks ago, you could have been burying your kid because of a begrudged employee and then having to relive the hell as story after story air on National tv networks as they show your kid being rolled out in a body bag at every news airing. But hey, the teacher was always great with your kid right? And if you think I'm just being a fear monger then take a moment to google the name Shane Schumerth.

Until next time...