Glamourpuss - The Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs

Glamourpuss - Kitty Wigs, Believe It Or Not, They Really Exist...



Because dogs have suffered the humiliation of being made to look utterly stupid for far too long! Now we have something to bring down proud, self-absorbed cats a notch or two! I have spoken to my cat about she feels about this; Jade says I will become the first person assasinated by a domestic cat if I even think about getting her one...the picture above is after Jade and I had this conversation.

The Great American Girl Homeless Doll Debate

Last night, as I was getting ready to go to bed, I noticed an article on AOL regarding a doll from the American Girl doll line. Part of the attraction of this particular line of dolls are their well-written back stories which serve as important historical and sociological perspectives from the point of view of an eight to twelve year old girl.

The dolls are often in the hundred dollar range, and have whole lines of accessories that can be purchased separately. These range from clothing to furniture and everything in between, and can get quite pricey as well.

Earlier this year, American Girl decided to introduce Gwen Thompson, whose back story includes a detail that has people talking: She's homeless. The AOL article draws from an article in the New York Post by Andrea Peyser in which Ms. Peyser claims that Gwen's dad ran out on the family and Gwen's mother lost her job which resulted in the family becoming homeless.

Some of the commentary on the AOL article suggests that Gwen's father died instead of abandoning the family. Regardless, is social activism legitimate if it is being conducted for profit? Mattel, which owns the American Girl company has not mentioned one word about donating any percentage of the profits to homeless causes. Beyond the fact that it seems absoultely morally bankrupt to turn a profit off someone else's misery (and this company is doing it legally, unfortunately), is introducing a doll like this appropriate with the recession hammering away at so many and a sky-high unemployment rate?

In my own opinion, the answer to this is an unequivocal no. There is no gray area. American Girl claims it wants to educate and foster social responsibility in young girls, but by introducing a doll that is identified as being homeless just for kitsch factor and because some marketing director thought it would be a great way to diversify the company's current lines, they have shown that the only thing they are interested in is their profit margin.

One more thing; for a realistic view on what it is like to be homeless, please read this excellent blog, http://girlsguidetohomelessness.com/. This blog is written by Brianna Karp, who was recently featured on CNN. Oh, and Kelly, the first comment poster on the AOL article, your attempt at levity is solely a thinly veiled attempt to obfuscate your idiocy.

Here is the link for the AOL article: http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/24/american-girls-newest-doll-is-homeless/1#comments

Here is the link for the New York Post article: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/homeless_doll_costs_hairstyling_4Ic0hC7Lacpfo8HQbczsQM?offset=8#comments

This is Beautiful

The view of the sunset after the rain yesterday. This picture was taken from my driveway at approximately 7:30 pm. I posted it here because it really lifted my spirits. What lifts your spirits?

Suspense and Hope

My grades came in for the last essay I submitted. It was not as high as I hoped it would be, but it was better than the first essay I submitted and still an A. For people who think I am crazy for complaining about an A, let me explain how my school's grading system works: Each assignment is given a point value. At the start of each semester, you find the point value for the course. These point values are later translated into your final grade. So, higher points that come closest to equaling the total given in the syllabus for the course equal a higher final grade.

Frustration

What exactly is it about distance in a military marriage that sometimes makes people forget that people often say things out of sheer hurt and frustration that they don't mean?

I am not talking about anything as dangerous as a threat of suicide or homicide, but just something to the effect of mentioning wanting a drink...I said this to my husband tonight, after a very long and frustrating day with the kids. He told me he was worried. That one statement he made really got under my skin. To me, it implied I wasn't shouldering my responsibilities accurately, that it was this failure that caused him to worry. I guess it put me on the defensive because I have been doing everything I can to keep him from worrying and he keeps worrying.

My kids are angry and frustrated that their dad is gone; especially my oldest son who is nine. My mother, who lives with me and is a raging, out-of-control diabetic who can't be trusted to do what she is supposed to do to keep herself healthy without someone supervising her constantly, keeps telling me she won't live long enough to see him again.

In this circus of the absurd, I am the damn ringmaster!

I sometimes wish I could be like one of those stupid sitcom wives from days of yore; you know, the kind that have a picture perfect house, with well-behaved kids. One that can spend all day cooking and still look like she stepped off a magazine cover when her husband gets home...

I wish I could be more than the target of everybody's rage, hurt, and frustration because he is not here.

It's not my fault; he didn't ask for these orders, and I certainly did not want them either...

Proflowers

One of the soldiers in my husband's old unit recently lost his wife. We decided to send flowers and they arrived today. I ordered them from Proflowers because I have done business with them before and was satisfied. Today, an arrangement that cost almost a hundred dollars arrived in a box, and decidely unarranged. The flowers are not even open. Needless to say, this represents the end of my business with them. Above is a picture of the nightmare I recieved. Have you had a bad experience with Proflowers or any other online florist? I would like to know...

Moods and Grey Days

I woke up this morning to a report that we were having wind gusts of about fifty miles an hour and that we were in for a wet Tuesday. The plants outside desperately need the rain; me, not so much. For as long as I can remember, the rain has influenced my moods...I dismissed it as one of my peculiarities.

I have since begun to wonder if there is a scientific explanation for this, and if there is anyone else out there who feels the same way.

Please let me know.

The Gulf of Solitude

Saying goodbye, as the song says, is never an easy thing. This is especially true when you have become accustomed to certain constants in your life that do not change; these become anchors in an otherwise tempestous life. For me, it was the journey of becoming a wife and mother that became my routine. I became more and more involved in supporting my husband and his career and my children. The days passed by, and I found myself getting comfortable in my life...it seems to be the law of nature that such constancy is never destined to endure for long. The Army came knocking, and a hole was blown right through the middle of my bliss.

My husband has had to PCS for a while, and this has forced me to double my role. This is not unusual for an Army wife; it's part of the job.

That I miss him and long for him to be here is not the hardest thing to imagine; the most frightening thing is discovering that he and my kids have become such a part of me that somehow I have lost my sense of self. I find myself forced to become independent once more and I am frightened, because all the interests I once cultivated and all the things that once defined me have since become a barren wasteland.

I have decided to try to awaken who and what I once was; I have started this blog in an effort to grant this process some expediency and legitimacy.