One in every four women are victims of domestic violence. Ninety percent of children in these relationships witness the abuse that is committed towards their mothers. Early warning signs that women need to be aware of if they believe they are likely to become a victim of domestic violence. 1) He is jealous and possessive. 2) He isolates her from her family and friends. 3) He changes moods, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- charming one minute and abusive the next. 4) He controls her life, the money, who she sees and what she wears. 5) He monitors her daily activities. 6) He blames her for his abusive behavior. 7) He humiliates her in front of other people. 8) He verbally abuses her, and criticises her. 9) His anger is used to intimidate her, and provoke fear so that she complies with his demands. 10) He tells her she is useless without him. 11) He has threatened to hurt her or others she is close to if she were to leave him. 12) She has changed her behavior to avoid making him angry and triggering an attack. 13) He forces her to have sex when she doesn't want to. Domestic violence is an abuse of power. It is all about power and control. There are also many different styles of abuse, these include: 1) Destruction of things that belong to a woman. 2) Threatening to kill the pets. 3) Damaging the furniture, and the house. 4) If she leaves, he has convinced her he will take the children away from her. 5) During an argument he locks her out of the house. 6) Doing things to terrorize her, because he knows it will frighten her. There is a way out, Ladies. There are organizations in the world that can help you get out of the abusive lifestyle. Don't live in fear any longer. Visit http://www.helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violence_abuse_help_treatment_prevention.htm for agencies that can help. Okay, someone please remind me again what all the fuss is about Twitter. So far, I'm not impressed, nor do I need to hear how long it took someone to cook their meatloaf. Maybe I'm going about it the wrong way, but, I have better things to do with my time.
There has only been a few times when someone has asked me do, "Do you tweet?"
To which my answers has usually been, "Do I look like a bird?" Well, folks, you guessed it, the next assignment will be to set up a twitter account, and start - um, chirping, tweeting - whatever. I'll post my "name" for anyone who is interested in, stalking . . . I mean, following me on twitter. I'm not really sure how I feel about this yet, perhaps it could be helpful, but I'll be finding out soon enough. Twitter, here I come. Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com. Using Images from the assignment below, and the music I created. Hope you enjoy....I'm about to watch it for the first time myself.
Check Out the Song I made using Garageband.
The Next Assignment, Song Lyrics with Images. Lydia the Tattooed Lady, by the Marx Brothers, 1939. Written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. "At the Circus". My life was wrapped around the circus. Her name was Lydia. I met her at the world's fair in 1900, marked down from 1940. Ah, Lydia. She was the most glorious creature Under the su-un. Guiess. DuBarry. Garbo. Rolled into one. Oooooooh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia, Lydia, the Tattooed Lady. She has eyes that folks adore so, And a torso even more so. Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopidia, Oh Lydia the Queen of Tattoo. On her back is the Battle of Waterloo. Beside it the wreck of the Hesperus, too. And proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue, You can learn a lot from Lydia. La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la When her robe is unfurled, she will show you the world, If you step up and tell her where. For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paris, Or Washington crossing the Delaware. La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la Oh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia, Oh Lydia the Tattooed Lady When her muscles start relaxin', Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopidia, oh Lydia the queen of them all! For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz, With a view of Niagara that nobody has. And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz. You can learn a lot from Lydia. La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso. Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso. Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon. Here's Godiva but with her pajamas on. La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trilon. Over on the West Coast we have Treaure Island. Here's Najinsky a-doin' the rhumba. Here's her social security numba. {whistles}La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la Oh Lydia, oh Lydia that encyclopidia, Oh Lydia the champ of them all. She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet. The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat. And now the old boy's in command of the fleet, For he went and married Lydia. I said Lydia {He said Lydia} They said Lydia {We said Lydia} La La! As I mentioned before, a good portion of my time is spent doing housework; after all, it is the least I can do to help around the house during my temporary stay with my parents. Of course, the price of any product that can speed up the process or, make it easier, is worth every penny, especially when it comes to cleaning the toilet. I recently discovered the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel, made by Johnson – A Family Company, and I absolutely love it!
As I wandered through the cleaning products aisle at the grocery store, the green and blue package with the infamous cartoon scrub brushes caught my eye. Perhaps it was the child within me that was drawn to the cute little scrubbers on the package, or maybe it was the commercials I have seen all my life with these little scrubby guys; needless to say, I tossed it into my cart. When I returned home to my recently acquired personal bathroom, I immediately opened the package and followed the simple directions. For the following weeks, this blue, gem-like floret freshened the bowl with every flush, and the bathroom smelled of its “Fresh Clean” bouquet. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the results, and every time I entered the powder room I couldn’t help but think, ‘This is how a bathroom should smell.' When the first package ran out, I procrastinated and didn’t buy a second; I later wrote specific directions on the grocery list that another package be purchased, but I became disappointed when Mom returned home with a foam-type of cleaner instead. She must have missed the memo that these magical scrubby cartoon characters clean your toilet for you. I was discouraged to find myself, once again, with toilet brush and foam cleaner in-hand, and, the week following, my bathroom did not smell nearly as good as my missed crystal blue floret. I am now addicted to this product, and I purchase two boxes at a time. The package says that 6 Gel Disks last for up to 6 weeks, but I’ve noticed that it depends on how often the toilet is used. My mission: to convert my mother from the ordinary foam cleaner to the Toilet Cleaning Gel Scrubbing Bubbles. I will first attempt the subliminal message approach, so Mom understands the credentials of Johnson’s scrubbers. What better way to get someone’s attention than visually and by smell? Their master bathroom and the half-bath downstairs are now under the influence of the magical little brushes. My biggest challenge will be keeping my son from sticking his fingers in the toilet chemicals. Call me Shelly. I am 30-something, and I’m recently divorced. My life revolves around my son, my work and my college classes - pretty boring you say, let me assure you, there’s never a dull moment.
I’m a strong-willed, grown, woman, and I live with my parents, which can be enough drama in itself. I'm not what you would call a "music, or movie, buff,” nor would I say I "follow" any particular bands, most of the movies in my collection are “child friendly”. The most popular CD in my car plays Schoolhouse Rock. When I check out my friends photos on Facebook, their visits to see the “Live” Nick Jr. performances, sometimes makes me jealous. I don't watch too much TV, let alone get out to the movies very often. I don't have any real friends in the area, so, going out to clubs, or restaurants isn't really something I can explore, let alone, write about. The rest of my "free-time," if you want to call it that, is cleaning my parents house, running my boy to soccer practice and his many doctors appointments. The T.V. shows I usually have turned on are my sons’ Nick Jr. shows, The Local News, and Educational Programs, like the History and Discovery Channels. I do have a weakness for the “ghosty-shows” on the Sci-Fi Channel. I'm open minded, I'm friendly, and I'm creative. I like making stuff with my hands, whether it's jewelry or small sewing projects, and sometimes, cooking and baking. I enjoy photography, and making personal music videos with slide shows of my "adventures" with my son; I share these videos with my friends and family. When time allows, gardening and camping fulfill my need to be outside, I find it therapeutic. The garden is developing nicely this year, along with the many herbs, we’ve grown a variety of tomatoes, beans, zucchini, carrots, beats, onions, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, acorn squash, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers and jalepenos My son would say, “It’s going to town”. After a research paper I had to write last quarter, I discovered that my Fourth Great Grandparents, and their families, helped establish and build the city of Grove City - where I live, so, I'm fascinated with the small town at the moment. My family and I visit downtown Grove City for the community events, like, the summer concerts, the farmers market, Arts in the Alley, theater productions at The Little Theater Off Broadway, and the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Beulah Park, to name a few. My son and I have a Zoo Membership, and we go frequently. An occasional visit to Slate Run Farm, an old-fashioned fully operational farm, is an educational, and FREE, field trip, My son LOVES it. So, you see, just because my priorities and my interests are simple, doesn’t mean that I, or my life, are boring. Life’s a Journey, not a Destination - enjoy it while you can. Today's assignment, to decide which of Josh Freese's packages I would pick given that money wasn't as issue. Who is Josh Freese? Why, one of the best drummers in the world! I didn't know this until I had to write something about him. My curiosity had me googling his name left and right, listening and watching videos of him. Not only does he have energy, rhythm and sex appeal, the one-on-one interview confirms that he is decidedly adorable. Anyone want to make a donation of $7,500, so I can go out with Josh Freese and Johnny Knoxville for a day?
Why one earth would I pick this? Well, for one, I've never been to Hollywood Park, and the two times I have been to the horse races, I'd leave giddy, and bubbly, and with a certain head rush, I can only imagine how I would feel with two energetic men on either side of me sharing the excitement. I'd also receive 10 Copies of "My New Friends" which I could pass around, and Josh would write a song about me - hmmm, that could be kind of different. For the small dollar amount I will also get his "Since 1972" CD and "The Notorious One Man Orgy" CD - which sounds interesting. A genuine copy of his 5th grade report card, seems humorous, but, might come in handy someday, maybe. A $50 gift card to PF Changs, sounds yummy. But, I've saved my favorites from the list for last. I will get a bumper sticker with "I *heart* Josh Freese's New Friends" on it, a signed drumhead, and sticks; and last, but certainly not least, I'll be able to go to build-a-bear with the adorable drummer, and the comedian, to create a cute little teddy bear that I can give to my child when I return home. Okay, so it's not the ideal dream date, but it does sound fun. A woman can dream can't she? Maybe we can use that PF Changs gift card while we're out! To anyone who wants to make a donation, I accept cash, and cashiers checks. :-) |